re Yoa .-.Married Yet?"
m
r SAYl Are yon married yet?"
II Ivan Carlyon turns abruptly as a
w delicate pearl-colored glove Is laid
on his sleeve, and looks down Into the
beautiful laughing face upturned to
his raze.
As his eyes meet Cora Marricott's
she flushes a hot vivid crimson and
withdraws her hand. Instinctively he
raises his hat, but with a muttered "I
I beg your pardon!" the girl flits on,
and her bntterflv robes are soc-i lost
In the brilliant throng.
Smilinir and still mizzled at t' e re
cent encounter, he passes on to ex
change a greeting with Lady I.oraine
and her oretty daughters.
"How do you do, Mr. Carlyon? De
lighted to see you back again just in
time for our ball. I hope you will
come."
"I shall be delighted. I only returned
to town last night, and am going up to
Scotland next week with the Hunt
ley's." "Are you? So are my girls."
"What a sad thing about the Lesters.
I suppose the property goes to a distant
cousin?"
"Yes. Miss Marricott a wild York
shire girl a most larky" person, I hear.
A girl who has never been in society,
or stayed In a country house in her life;
whose chief diversion has been raking
round hydropathics with an old maid
governess. But there money covers a
multitude of sins!"
Lady Loral ne's spacious rooms are
filled with dancers; . the sound of a
dreamy waits falls on the ear, while
the perfume of lovely flowers lulls the
senses to dreamy languor. Ivan Carl
yon has put down his name for dances
with his hostess' daughters, when his
friend Jack Stanforth comes up.
"Got any dances left, Carlyon? Come
on, I'll Introduce you to the jolllest lit
tle girl In London; the best dancer, by
Jove, In the two hemispheres!" And
Carlyon finds himself standing before
a brilliant little figure that reminds
him more of a bird of paradise than
anything else.
"Mr. Ivan Carlyon Miss Marricott"
"May I have a dance?"
The blonde head Is raised, two blue
eyes meet Ivan's own, then a wave of.
color floods the girl's face.
"Jove! Then you've met before?
Ivan, old fellow, you're in luck!'.' And
Jack Stanforth takes himself off. ;
For a moment the other two are si
lent, then Ivan takes the white and
gold card from the girl's slim hand and
ees her fingers trembling.
. "I may have a waltz?"
"If you care to yes."
"Thanks."
"Of course, you remember I can gt ye
you no explanation."
"Don't think of it," Ivan breaks In.
You took me 'for some old friend
some "
"More than that," she says, hurried
ly. "I mistook you for someone I
know, but my words were a quotation
an old Joke."
. Ivan sees she is really distressed; he
hands back her card, saying with grave
courtesy:
"Tour remark was meant for another
gentleman, Miss Marricott, and I well,
I have forgotten It."
Cora flashes him a grateful glance
as she turns to other men who are be
sieging her for. dances, but when It
comes to his dance Ivan searches high
and low for his partner, corridor, con
servatory, supper-room, all. in vain.
Miss Marricott Is nowhere to be found.
IL
"If I'd known he was to be here I'd
never have come! -1 hate even being
in the same honse!"
"But, Cora, dear, what has he done?
Ivan is such a favorite generally."
"It's not anything he has done, it's
what I did. Before you can under
stand, Mllll, you must hear the whole
story. Last summer, before I came
Into my money, old Grundy and I were
staying at a hydro "
"First tell me, who in the world Is
old Grundy?"
"My old governess; she always plays
propriety, you know. Well, the doctor
there was a bachelor and very amus
ing. There was one girl who came to
stay there every year who couldn't un
derstand how It was he didn't become
a slave to her charms. He told me a
story; conceited of him, HIM, but very
amusing when she arrived there one
day she greeted him with 'I. say, are
you married yet?
" 'Not yet, he responded. "I'm wait
ing for you! -
v "'Humph! with a toss of her head.
You'll have to wait a long time!'
" 'Well, I hope so!' he returned bland
ly, and I must say brutally, and 'Beau
ty,' as we called her, sulked and re
fused to speak, to him for several
days!" " .
"But what has this to do with Mr.
Carlyon?" says Mllll, much dignified.
"This, dear. A fortnight ago at the
ruse suuw x saw & uiuu i wtta positive
was Dr. Clarke; be was close by me;
so putting my hand on his sleeve, I re
marked In Imitation of 'Beauty's' co
quettish tone, 'I Bay, are you married
yetr Imagine my horror when he
turned, and I saw it was a stranger
Mr. Carlyon!"
"Cora! What did you do?"
I "Do? Turned and fled! I saw the
wretch again at your ball. He was In
troduced and asked for a dance; I gave
him one, then went and hid from very
shame and mortification when it came
ft."
"I hate to have your visit spoiled
Cora; perhaps he won't stay long."
"If he does I shan't!" And Cora re
lapsed Into silence. -
The annual ball at Glengolf Castle
Is in full Bwing. Crowds of gay figures
throng the fine old mansion. Cora lias
danced with all the best-looking men
In the room save one!
And he? Weil, a little pucker wrin
kles the girl's brow as she stands by
the heavy plush curtain. He has only
put down his name for one dance, and
his turn has come; shall she dance with
him, or shall she run away as she did
once before? She must decide quickly.
.Voices fall upon her ear.
"And his answer was, 'No; I am wait
ing for you.' "
"So that was the story!" It Is Ivan
who speaks.
"And now," goes on Mill!, her clear
TOlce reaching Cora where she stands,
"now she simply hates you, and I be
lieve if she knew I had explained the
riddle to you she would never speak to
me again. Come, the music is begin
ning." Cora has been rooted to the spot
Now a movement of the curtain wakes
her to life, and with scarlet cheeks
and trembling limbs she turns to fly.
Bow could Milll betray her! Dance
jfrltb him now? Never! Sit It out?
0
hi
Impossible! There is nothing for it but
Instant ignominious nignt. uown i
cnrririnr she eroes and seeks refuge
the cloakroom; here she is safe, though
every step passing the door makes her
shiver.
She avoids the usual gossip In Mllll
rnnm thnt night, and coes straight 1
bed. Next moraine, when Milll's maid
takes up her breakfast, a little note
lies on the tray:
"Dear Mllli: Don't be angry; I am
anxious about Grundy, and have gone
to Join her. - We shall wander about
for a few weeks, and revisit our favor
ite hvdro haunts. I will write soon.
Be sure and forgive. Your ever loving
III.
The sea Is dotted with small boats,
and the spa at Scarborough is alive
with sDectators. The gardens are
alight with fireworks, Whirring wheels
and many-colored showers of sparks
fill the air. , .
There is a terrified scream. A large
rocket has fallen short It drops Into
one of the little boats and explodes
with a crash. An old lady In the stern
of the boat starts to her feet The
little cockleshell quivers, lurches, and
in a moment her occupants are strug
gling in the chilly water. -..
The boatman has grasped the old
lady firmly by the arm and has her safe
in tow, but the other Cora is gasping
in the dark silent water, while the
sparks of the rocket have caught and
set fire to her filmy summer gown.
"Through fire and water!" she thinks
with a little shiver. "Is this what it
means?" Then a strong arm Is thrown
around her; she is for a moment sub
merged to quench the flames, then she
rises to the surface and remembers no
more.
When she wakes to consciousness she
is on the sofa in their own rooms. . A
doctor Is bandaging her arm and hurt
ing her horribly ail the time. Her dress
is burned and . torn, and - wrapped
around her shoulders is a light tweed
coat
Two days pass by, and Cora is recov
ering from her accident The rocket
had burst close to her arm, inflicting an
ugly wound, but in spite of the doctor's
orders for "quiet and bed" she is lying
by the open window of the drawing-
room looking out over the sea. ' It is
many months now since that ball at
Glengolf Castle, and, though she and
Milli have me,t often -since then, the
subject of her flight has never been
mentioned between them.
A firm step crosses the room and the
girl raises her eyes.
"You!" she. exclaimed concisely.
while the hot color floods her urow.
"Who else should it be?" says Ivan
Carlyon, calmly seating himself by her
side. ..' -.3 ' '; .
"But was It you who saved me?"
she says in an awestruck whisper.
"Cora," he says, taking her hand,
"why did you run away?"
She makes no answer, but her fingers
tremble In his grasp.
What a tiny little hand! I remem
ber when you first laid it on my sleeve,
I thought It the prettiest I had ever
seen. Cora, ask me that question again,
'I say, are you " .
"Don't!" she breaks In. "How can
you?" . . , ;
"Because I want to show you how
well I know the answer," he says.
"No, I'm waiting for you.'' Shall I
have to wait long, Cora?"
She raised two shy eyes.
"My darling!" And in a moment she
is In his arms, and he Is kissing again
and again her sweet trembling lips!
Shrinkage of the Dead Sea.
The level of the Dead Sea Is steadily
falling on account of the large volume
of water tributary to it which is now
absorbed by irrigation enterprises. The
sea was formerly much larger than at
present as is shown by the old beaches
stretching at various altitudes around
the whole basin. Since the middle of
the century its level has been . very
slowly rising till quite recently, but
now It is falling again.
. The phenomenon is not due to natural
causes, but to the steadily increasing
quantity of water that Is taken from
the Jordan River for Irrigation. pur
poses.' There are other smaller streams
flowing into the sea and they, too, are
being utilized by the increasing num
ber of farmers, who are diverting all
the water they can to the lands and are
relieving the monotonous aspect of the
former arid and lifeless region with
many verdant fields.
The latest travelers say that some of
the salt deposits covering the bottom of
the lake may now be seen above the
water' in the shallower places and near
the shores. This is a new aspect in
addition to the deposits of salt crystals
that have always been observed on the
shores. But even though this desicca
tion go steadily on, It will take a long
time to dry up the waters, for It re
quires a sounding line over 1,300 teet
long to touch the bottom in the deep
northern part of the basin.
His Bluff Was Seen.
He reviled the town in which he
lived and did business, and now Ed
ward Webb, a young boot and shoe
dealer of Hopkins, Mo., has become a
wanderer upon the face of the earth for
a year. It came about by Webb ridi
culing Hopkins as a place of business
saying- he would leave the town and
stay away ror o. Tne sum was quick
ly raised, and rather than show the
white feather Webb accepted the
money, signed a contract and bid fare
well to his relatives, his business and
the town. He cannot return within a
year without forfeiting a large sum of
money, death or sickness In his family
being no excuse for the breaking of
tue contract.
Studying the American Twang.
Our American twang is a subject
which has recently been occupying the
attention of the Laryngological Socie
ty, j After considerable research it has
been established that the cause of the
twang is not climatic, nor is It the re
sult of the nasal catarrh and affection
of the larynx, which are so common in
America, though these may be caused
by the twang. The most probable the
ory is that the twang is the result of
carelessness on the part of Americans
In adopting the nasal sounds of the
French settlers and the gutturals of the
Dutch and Germans. At any rate, It is
possible to cure It
There is one advantage in being old:
the old are never as hungry as the
young.
As a usual thing, the parties to a
love affair say Farewell Forever six
times la three weeks, be
ACUTE SENSES OF THE SAVAGE
Scientific View of Their Alleged Su
periority to Civilized Men,
In his last lecture on the "Senses or
Primitive Man," W. H. R. Rivers, dis
cussed the acuteness of beariug in sav
ages. In this respect none of the Torres
Straits natives were superior to one
of the Europeans composing the ex per
dition, while the majority were in
ferior. No great weight, however,
could be attached to tue observations,
because all the people were divers an
occupation that certainly damaged the
ears to some extent To Investigate
their range of beariug a Galtou's
whistle was used, and it was shown
that they could hear very high uotes.
Their sense of smell was tested by
means of a series of tubes containing
solutions, of varying strength, of odor
ous substances like valerian and cam
phor, and the results, while not alto
gether satisfactory, tended to show
they had no marked superiority In this,
respect over the members of the. expe
dition. With regard to taste it was very
difficult to get information, as the na
tives, naturally enough, did not like
strange objects being put into the.r
mouths. One fact, however, was no
ticed, which was interesting when it
was remembered that sweet and bitter
were probably our most definite taste
sensations, and that was the complete
absence of any word for bitter. For the
sense of temperature the data were
very scanty, but It was found that the
natives bad points on their skin special
ly sensitive to cold, exactly as was the
case with Europeans. .
As to touch, when tested to see how
close the points of a pair of compasses
must be put on the skin before tbey
ceased to be felt as two, their sensitive
ness was in general better than Euro
peans, but there was always the doubt
whether they were really able to bear
pain with more fortitude. However, the
conclusion that the Murray Islanders
were distinctly less sensitive than the
Europeans in the expedition was sup
ported not only by tbelr subjective
statements, but also 'by object tests de
pending oh the condition of the blood
pressure. In : the discrimination of
weight it was curious that these na
tives, who bad no abstract ' idea of
weight and no word to express it and
who, moreover, could have had no
practice, were more accurate than a
practiced European. Finally Dr. Riv
ers, while commenting on tbe defective
knowledge of some of tbe senses be had
treated and on the absence of compara
tive data, concluded that in general tbe
gense organs of tbe savage were not
markedly superior to those of tbe nor
mal of average European, and that tbe
recorded instances of apparent extra
ordinary acuteness were to be explain
ed by his habits of observation and spe
cialized knowledge.
FISH SCALES. AS ORNAMENTS.
Are Made Into Imitation Pearls by a
French Chemist.
.Who but. a Frenchman would have
conceived the idea of utilizing fish
Scales for purposes of ornament? These
scales hitherto have been of little use.
except to collectors of marine curios.
Of course, tbe demand in this direction
Is limited, only certain exceptionally
fine or rare scales being sought after.
Now, owing to the discovery of a
French chemist in Lyons, there Is like
ly to be a growing market for fish
scales. Tbe Frenchman has discov
ered how the scales may be used in the
manufacture of artificial pearls and
other ornaments. In fact tb,e demand
has been so great for them In Lyons
that tbe supply Is absolutely Inade
quate. Mr. Covert United States con
sul at Lyons,, has Interested himself
in tbe matter, and finds out that there
Is an actual demand for large quanti
ties of sacels in his consulate, where
good prices are paid for them. He has
even deemed the Innovation of suffici
ent importance to form the subject of a
report to his government iu which he
gives directions as to how the scales
should be transported. He says:
'The scales should be sprinkled with
salt as soon as they are removed from
tbe fish and packed In cans. Any speci
mens sent to this consulate will receive
careful examination, and the results.
with any suggestions that may be
made and particulars of prices offered,
will be duly reported. It Is believed In
Lyons that the sale of these scales may
result In establishing an important
business In an article that now has no
commercial value."
Owing to the fact tbat tbe American
sturgeon has tbe most beautiful and
largest scales of almost any fish in the
world this item may have considerable
Interest to fishermen where the largest
quantities of this huge fish are . now
captured. . .
Took Him at Hla Word.
The telegraph operator, who always
means to tell the truth, even if be some
times does fail, tells me this:
Feller was walking along the street
banging onto bis head and feeling his
brains "sloppln' up against the rafters,"
as Bill Nye once so soulfully remarked.
Feller groaned and finally remarked to
himself:
"Oh, Lord, I wish I were dead."
He was passing a four-story brick
building that was in process of con
struction. A mason 'way up aloft
dropped a brick accidentally. - It
swooshed down through tbe air and
struck Feller on the top of tbe koko. It
didn't kill him but near it very near
it
To say the least the feller was real
provoked. : '
He looked up at the sky not at the
mason. "Can t ye take a joke?" says
be.
What If heaven always took us at
jur word? Lewiston Journal.
Making Cigars Ont of Paper.
Americans are producing paper ci
gars as an article of commerce,' and,
what Is more, are being backed up by
connoisseurs of the fragrant weed. The
cigars are prepared from sheets of pa
per which have been soaked in tobacco
juice and then pressed and cut Into tbe
requisite shape by means of specially '
constructed machinery.
The Responsibility.
Mr. Grumps The Ladies' Journal
says a woman should make herself as
attractive to her husband after mar
riage as sbe did before.
Mrs. Grumps Huh! My father al
ways gave me plenty of money to make
myself atttractlve with. You don't
New York Weekly.
A Varying Population.
New Jersey has a sliding population.
Of the 2,000,000 (estimated) souls there
are that many within the borders at
night; at noon there are 1,800,000. The
other 200,000 are at work or are en
gaged In shopping in New York and
Philadelphia.
Will Speak No English.
Since tbe visit of Sir Henry Loch to
Pretoria, in 1893, the Transvaal Presi
dent has positively refused to utter one
word of English.
Tbe bigger tbe man, tbe more charity
there will be for you if you hit him.
LAZY MAN'S HEAVEN.
HE
CAN LIVE COMFORTABLY
AND DO NOTHING.
Impossible to Starve No Beggars, No
Paupers, No Crime on the Beautiful
Island of Ruatan Great Sharks of
Those Waters.
"On our Island," said Lemuel Cooper
ot Ruatan to a New Orleans Times
man, "a man may live very comforta
bly all his life and without doing
single lick of work. To starve there
would be simply Impossible; It would
be like trying to drown a fish. We
have no beggars and no pauper class
to maintain. There has never been a
murder, theft is unknown and locks
are unnecessary. Some go so far as to
claim tbat people don't die there, but
that is an exaggeration. They occa
sionally expire of extreme old age.
Last year our actual mortality was
one-fourth of 1 per cent"
The lazy man's paradise thus sketcn
lly described Is a corner of the world
about which curiously little is known.
Ruatan Is the largest of the five "Bav
Islands." a little chain or key lying
some thirty miles on' the coast of Span
ish Honduras, southeast of Port Cor-
tez, and only four days' travel from
New Orleans. Their one industry is
tbe raising of cocoanuts. and altogether
they form a domain that Is absolutely
unique In the western hemisphere. Mr.
Cooper is tbe most Important citizen
of Ruatan. He was born there, and
with his brothers he now conducts a
very considerable business. In conver
sation with a reporter he told an inter
esting story of his Island home.
"Ruatan, where I live," said Cooper.
"Is some forty miles .long and three
miles wide. It has a population of
about 3,000 people, mostly Carlb Indi
ans, and I doubt whether there is In
all the world a more beautiful and pro
lific spot. The people are lazy simply
because they don't have to work. Co
coanuts form their mainstay, and there
Is nothing easier to grow. To start a
grove one merely burns off a piece of
land and plants the nuts in rows twen
ty feet apart In from four to five
years' time tbe trees are a dozen feet
high and are beginning to bear, and
after that the planter is fixed- for life.
He may bid adieu to care. Tbe nuts
are never picked, but as they mature
they drop off, and this shower of fruit
goes on steadily month after month all
the year around. How long a tree will
bear nobody can say, but there, are
some on tbe Island tbat are known to
be over a balf century old and are still
dropping their harvest of nuts. -
"When tbe native needs something at
the store," continued Mr. Cooper, "all
he has to do is to gather together some
nuts and trade them for what he wish
es. He hulls them by striking them on
a stake driven in tbe ground' and a
man can easily bull 3,000 a day in that
manner. Roses and flowers of almost
every imaginable variety run wild from
one end of Ruatan to the other. :' !
should add, too, that other fruits grow
Just as easily as tbe cocoanut, and the
only reason . why that especially Is
grown Is because it furnishes an easy
crop, for which there Is always a ready
market We have plenty of bananas,
oranges, mangoes, plums and pine
apples, and they are all delicious.. They
grow wild, without the slightest culti
vation, and all one has to do is to pick
them. Vegetables are equally prolific,
and our native yams easily average
forty or fifty pounds in weight. A
piece of cane stuck in the ground takes
root and renews itself perennially for
years. A stranger who comes to the
Islands is invariably amazed at tbe
prodigality of nature and the apathy
of the natives that Is, before tbe lazy
feeling gets into his blood. 'Why don't
you grow this?' and 'Why don't you
cultivate that? he asks. The native
simply smiles. Why not take things
easy and be happy?" they say.
"Any description of Bay Islands
would be Incomplete," said' Mr. Cooper,
In conclusion, "without reference to
our enormous tiger sharks. They- are
found three or four miles out from the
coast and frequently grow to be fifty
feet long. I know that sounds like a
pretty fishy story, but it is the plain,
unvarnished truth. They are referred
to in the coast survey, reports of the
United States government, and are said
to be the largest sharks In the world.
As far as I know, they are not found in
any other waters."
TRUE TALE OF MANY PENNIES.
How a Woman Got Even with an Im
, pudent Street Car Conductor.
Tbe Southern woman who bad an
Interesting financial dispute with a
street car conductor is a martyr to a
painstaking attention to . details of
whom her sex may well feel proud.
Sbe started out in tbe morning with a
$20 bill, all the money she happened to
have m her Immediate possession. Sbe
went to the butcher's and tbe baker's,
and neither could change the twenty.
She was anxious to go downtown, and
so sbe boarded a car, hoping tbat tbe
conductor would ' accept her excuses
and her money. He at first refused
point blank. Then he hesitated.
That's where he made a mistake. If
he bad simply requested her to leave
the car on the ground tbat the' rules of
the road were indirectly violated by
tbe denomination of her legal tender,
all would have been well and good.
But he hesitated. A dangerous glitter
came Into bis eyes. He took the bill
and at tbe first opportunity baited the
car and rushed into a bank, whence be
emerged with $10 in. pennies. Another
stop at another bank realized $10 more
In tbe smallest of Uncle Sam's coins,
and then the conductor handed the
1,995 pennies to the unfortunate patron.
Sbe did not flinch. "I'll have to count
them," was all she said, and set to
work. When the car reachedStfce end
of the line she was still counting. When
they turned and started back she hadn't
finished. Then the conductor came for--ward.
"I'll have to trouble you for an
other fare," be said. Her lips moved
as sbe counted, and sbe only shook her
head. When she got fo a good breaking
off place she looked up. "I am not on
this car as an ordinary passenger," she
said: "I am simply verifying the
amount of change you' gave me when
I was a passenger. When I am through
with the verification I will leave tbe
car and not before. Sixteen hundred
and two, three.; But the conductor
broke in. He lost bis temper. ' Sbe
must pay her fare or get off.
"Sixteen hundred and four, five, six."
was all the answer he received. And
so be put her off, pennies and all. And
now she's suing tbe road for a hand
some sUm and-seems to stand an ex
cellent show for getting It Cleveland -Plain
Dealer.
KIPLING MET HIS MATCH.
London Publishers Became Sarcastic
Over a Bill for Three Pence.
An amusing correspondence on a
small matter recently passed between
Rudyard Kipling and a London firm of
publishers. There arrived, care of this
firm, which deals extensively In Amer-
lean books, a letter addressed from
America to Mr. Kipling. It was re
posted direct to him at Rottingdean.
with a formal note in these words:
The inclosed letter bas just reached us
from America, and you will see we had
to pay a letter fine ot 3d on it. Your
obedient servants, GAY & BIRD.
The ' following acknowledgment
reached Messrs. Gay & Bird a few
days later, dated, of course, from Mr.
Kipling's bouse, the Elms, Rotting
dean: Dear Sirs Rudyard Kipling desires me
to acknowledge tbe receipt of your letter
of Nov. 30. Tbe letter you inclose was
from a firm of pirate publishers on tbe.
Pacific slope and. Mr. Kipling is glad to
learn tbat you are only 3d out of pocket
by it Faithfully yours,
S. ANDERSON.
To this. It seems, Messrs. Gay & Bird
replied In these terms:
In forwarding you the letter from
America addressed . to our care we
thought we were doing a courteous act.
We did not know from whom it came,
but because it was "from a firm of pirate
publishers on the Pacific slope" your sec
retary reports that you are glad to learn
that we are only 3d out of pocket by it.
This strikes us as the action of an "Absent-Minded
Beggar." Yours faithfully,
GAY & BIRO.
Loudon M. A. P. - -
From north to south Alaska stretches
1.200 miles, or 300 miles further than
from the great lakes to the Gulf of
Mexico. Its width is greater than from
Chicago to London.'
To run an eighty-car freight train at
twenty miles an hour requires over
100,000,000-foot pounds of energy. At
thirty miles It requires 222,000,000-foot
pounds, which Is equal to the energy
manifested by a sixteen-Inch gun,
whose projectile weighs 2,320 pounds,
and fired at 2.000 feet velocity. .
The possibility of tbe ostrich being
used for a kind of two-legged saddle
horse, as the natives of Abyssinia are
said to have employed It was demon
strated at Pasadena, Cat., recently by a
correspondent of the Scientific Ameri
can. He not only mounted a full-sized
male ostrich and rode 100 yards on its
back, but also bad a photographer make
a picture of bim on his feathered steed.
In Germany the granulated slag from
blast furnaces is being utilized for tbe
manufacture of brick. The making of
slag brick is not a new thing, but here
tofore fluid slag has bee nemployed for
the purpose, and the brick thus pro
duced has been found unsuitable for
building purposes because it is imper
meable to air and steam. -But the slag
bricks made in Germany are, it is said,
not open to this objection. On the con
trary, while exceeding the strength of
ordinary bricks, "and possessing an ex
traordinary resistance to heat they are
more permeable toair.ahd consequently
are well suited for the building "of
houses. Tbey do not absorb water as
rapidly as ordinary bricks. .
Recent examination . by Prof. T. G.
Bonney of bowlders containing .dia
monds from the famous "blue ground"
rock , of. South - Africa leads to 'new
views of the origin of the gems. Prof.
Bonney considers that the diamond is
not produced in the blue ground, as
some have heretofore, thought that it
was, but is present in it as a derivative
from older rocks. The bowlders exam3
ined were evidently water-worn, and
consisted of garnetiferous rock. The
diamond and the garnet. Prof. Bonney
remarks, are brought into very close
relations by the discovery of two speci
mens showing the diamond apparently
embedded In the garnet The blue
ground, In which the diamond and gar
net bearing rocks are found, is a vol
canic product i
In Central America are many strange
birds with stranger habits, but prob
ably none are more Interesting than a
little brown wren who may be seen
along the roadsides or on fences. This
little bifd. about the size of a canary,
builds a nest out of all proportion to
his apparent needs. He selects a small
tree with horizontal branches growing
close together. Across two of the
branches he lays sticks fastened to
gether with tough fiber, until a plat
form about six feet long by two feet
wide is constructed.. ' On tbe end of
this platform nearest the tree trunk he
then builds a huge, dome-shaped nest a
foot or so high, with thick sides of in
terwoven thorns. A covered passage
way Is then made from tbe nest to the
end of tbe platform in as crooked a
manner as possible. Across the outer
end, as vrell as HX short intervals along
the Inside of this tunnel, are placed
cunning little fences of thorns with
just space. enough for the owners 'to
pass through. On going out this open
ing Is closed by the owner by placing
thorns across the gateway, and thus
tbe safety of eggs or young Is assured.
Bills PayaMe in Rus-ia.
The year 1900 not being a leap year In
the Gregorian calendar, while it is so
in the Julian mode of reckoning, tbe
old style in Russia will, as from Marsh
1 next be thirteen cays behind the new
style. This Is a point of the utmost im
portance In regard to bills payable in
Russia. Indeed, it happens very often
that bills drawn upon Russia bear both
dates, and the sjightest error is suffi
cient to render void a protest of
such bills, as the courts are very strict
about these matters. It Is, therefore,
inadvisable to mention the old style in
any such documents. Tbe latter date
is quite unnecessary, as Russian com
mercial law provides that bills from
abroad shall be payable according to
the new style, - which is followed by
nearly all the countries of Europe.
London Financial News.
New Use for a Wife.
Queer things occasionally- happen
down in Maine. The papers there now
are telling bow a well-known woman
in Sabattis. while skating on the pond,
fell through the ice and when her hus
band pulled her out she. found a trout
caught in the wire meshes of her bus
tle, which had served as a kind of life
preserver. Her husband, greatly
pleased, requested her to go back into
the water and be "set over again," as
he said, but she declined the proposi
tion. Boston Globe. -
Mora Efficacious than Oil.
Nets are now to be tried as a means
of lessening the motion and force of
sea waves- They are floated on the
surface of the water by an invention
of Baron D'Alesandro and are said to
be more efficacious than oil when used
for the same purpose.
When a man gets $50 a month, tbe
girls figure tbat after paying $25 for
board, be ought to have $25 left to
spend on the girls.
No man should give up smoking his
two cigars a day; It gives his wife such
an excuse for extravagance, .
BRITISH HOWITZERS AND BOER CREUSOTES.
Something About the Guns that Will Play the Final Act in the South
African Tragedy.
GUNS OF THE BRITISH SIEGE
NE of the revelations of the South
African war bas been the extent
and the excellence of the Boer ar
maments. That the Transvaal Govern
ment were preparing for the inevitable
was whispered from time to time after
the Jameson raid. Gnns and ammunition
were brought into tbe country by tbe
obliging Netherlands Railway Company,
who. notwithstanding the tact that the
cases were labeled "Pianos, with care."
and "Mining machinery," must have
known that the goods transmitted along
their line for the Transvaal Government
were less innocent than external appear
ances indicated. At any rate, tbe ordi
nary residents of the Transvaal knew it
and the- knowledge was a matter of gen
eral comment both in Pretoria and Jo
hannesburg. One thing, however, was
not generally known, that the Transvaal
Government gave an order to the firm of
Schneider-Canet of .Creusot in France,
for two of the largest guns ever con
structed for any Government These
huge pieces of ordnance were ot 12-inch
and 9V&-inch caliber respectively.
The London Daily Mail gives some in
teresting facts in connection with these
big guns in the possession of the Boers.
The power of a 12-inch gun such as that
now in tbe possession of. the Boers will
be better appreciated when it is explained
that it fires a projectile weighing half a
ton, which can penetrate a target of solid
steel four inches thick. The gun weighs
sixty-six tons. The 9-inch gun is light
er, and fires a shell weighing three cwt
These guns, whose shells can wreck solid
stone' buildings as completely as if their
objective were so much cardboard, are
believed to be at Pretoria, mounted on
substantial bastions in the fort and in
tended to resist tbe British when the
march on tbe Transvaal capital takes
place.
The same paper also gives some account
of the British siege train sent to the
Cape and which, in the final struggle, will
be pitted against the Boers' smuggled
cannon. A siege train put simply and
devoid of professional technicalities,
amounts to an artillery force specially
equipped for the purpose of reducing a
strongly fortified place. Hence, it is a
THE BOER 6-INCH RIFLE.
The gun on the right Is the larger of two very powerful guns made to the order of
the Boers by the Freucb flrm of Schnelder-Canet. The Transvaal UovernuieDt bare
endeavored to preserve as a secret the part they Intend these buds to play In the war:
but It Is now believed that they have been mounted In Pretoria Fort, and will assist
In defending the capital against attack by the British forces. ,
RUSKIN'S LAST HOURS.
Tbe
End Came Suddenly 111 Only a
Short Time. -The
following statement as to Mr.
Ruskin's last hours bas been sent to us
for publication, says the London Times:
"The end came with startling sud
denness. On the morning of Thursday,
tbe 18th, Mr. Ruskin was remarkably
well, but when Mrs. Arthur Severn
went to him as usual after tea in order
to read him the war news and 'In the
Golden Days,' by Edna Lyall, his
throat seemed irritable. His cousin
was alarmed, for several of her ser
vants were ill with influenza, but the
professor was inclined to laugh it off,
although he said be did not feel well,
and admitted, when questioned, tbat
he felt pain 'all over.' Helped by bis
faithful body servant Baxter, he was
put to bed. and be listened while Mrs.
Severn sang a much-liked song, 'Sum
mer Slumber. It was now 0:30, and
Mr. Ruskin declared tbat he felt quite
comfortable. Nevertheless, Dr. Par
sons was Immediately summoned. He
found' the temperature to be-102, and
pronounced tbe Illness to be influenza,
which might be very grave If tbe pa
tient's strength were not kept up.
"That evening the professor enjoyed
a dinner, consisting of sole and pheas
ant and champagne, and on Friday he
seemed to be much better. On Satur
day morning there was a change so
marked tbat fbe doctor was alarmed,
and from that -time Mr. Ruskin. sank
into an unconscious state, and -the
breathing lessened in strength, until, at
3:30, It faded away in a peaceful sleep.
He was holding tbe bands or Mrs. Sev
ern, and Dr. Parsons and Baxter stood
by, now and then feathering the lips
with brandy and spraying the head
with eau de cologne. '.
"And so he passed away, amid silence
and desolation. Then, a little later,
when the first shock was over, Mrs.
Severn's daughter prevailed upon her
to look from his little turret window at
the sunset as Mr. Ruskin was wont to
look for It from day to day. The bril
liant gorgeous ligbt Illumined the hills
with splendor, and the spectators felt
as if heaven's gate itself bad been flung
open to receive the teacher Into ever
lasting peace."
A QUEEN OF SOCIETY.
Plain, Poor Woman, Who Was Very In
fluential in Paris.
In tne life of Madame MobL a wom
an who. without rank, fortune or beau
ty, held a controlling position in French
society for tbe greater part of a cen
tury, there are useful hints for Ameri
can women who wlsb to gain Influence
in the world. .
Her dinners were famous. Tbe most
learned, wise and witty men of every
country were her guests, and she gave
much apxlous thought to assorting
them, to placing them at' table, and to
the suggestion of subjects which would
draw from each the best be could give.
Tbe food was plenti.ul. but plain and
simply cooked, and only a white-capped
maid served it There was no display
of anyklnd.
Queen Sophia of Holland, when visit
ing Napoleon II., expressed a wlsb to
dine with Madame Mohl, who asked a
brilliant company to meet her.
"And what will be your menu?" ask
ed an anxious friend.
"Oh. Marie must cook ns a lobster,"
said the old lad". "Sbe cooks lobster
very nicely."
The usual simple dinner was served,
with Its sauce of rare wit and wisdom,
and the queen was enchanted, v
The next day, with her suite, sbe
came to call upon her hostess, Madame
TRAIN SENT TO SOUTH AFRICA.
combination of guns and men tbat is only
employed when it is considered by com
petent military authority that the final
stages in a war are being approached.
The material of the siege train which
recently arrived at the Cape is composed
chiefly of howitzers. Altogether about
thirty of these pieces of ordnance are
being employed, supplemented by a num
ber of 4.7-inch and 4-inch ordinary
breech-loading guns. Owing to the ex
tremely solid manner In which they are
constructed, tbe guns forming the arma
ment of a siege train are extremely
heavy.- Thus, when limbered up, the
6-incb howitzer alone weighs nearly four
and a balf tons in draught. Then, in ad
dition to tbe pieces themselves, a train
must be provided with a vast quantity of
artillery stores of all descriptions, as well
us wuu nuimuuiiiuu iu me mrui wi uw
rounds per gun. It will, therefore, read-
ily be understood tbat the task of moving
a siege train up country is in no sense of
the term a light one.
A curious point in connection with a
howitzer weapon is that it is fired at a
remarkably high elevation. This, in
great measure, is owing to the fact that
its comparatively low muzzle velocity
makes its shell follow a curved path as it
travels through the air. The circum
stance, however, is rather an advantage
than otherwise, for it insured a particu
larly steep angle of descent thus mate
rially contributing to increased effective
ness at tbe moment of impact. Another
and even greater benefit arising from this
well-marked trajectory of a howitzer pro
jectile consists in the fact that it en
ables tbe gun to be worked altogether
under cover of ground. Indeed, thanks
to a most ingenious range-finding instru
ment that is nsed with these pieces, it is
practically unnecessary that tbe object
aimed at should be in view when a round
is being fired.
In connection with the employment of
a siege train, it is rather curious to note
that, despite the vast amount of warfare
in which Britain has been engaged of re
cent years, this is tbe first occasion on
which such an "article of war" bas been
used since the days of the Crimean cam
paign. 12-INCH GUN OF THE BOERS.
MobI, Ler gray hair in curl-papers, at
tired In a short Jacket and skirt was
busy dusting the chairs, while the linen
from the laundry was spread upon the
table. When the royal party suddenly
entered, tue old lady laid down her
brush, and after welcoming the queen,
chatted away as gaily as usual.
"Were you not mortified at being
cpught In such a dress?" a friend asked
the next day.
"Not a bit my dear. I didn't mind
It Neither : did her majesty. I sup
pose it was Important to her maid and
the flunkey who waited behind her, and
they were mortified."
Once, as one of her favorites left the
room, a fashionable woman asked, su
perciliously. "Who was Madame X. be
fore her marriage?"
Madame Mohl turned. "She is my
friend. What do I care for ber was-es?"
Sbe once said, "It is des ames bien
nees (well-born souls), not bodies, that
we need in our friends," a maxim as 1
profoundly true in America as hi
France.
MAKES, CHAIN ARMOR SHIRTS.
An Old Industry Revived by an En- '
Klish Manufacturer. '
Owing to tbe cleverness of a Sheffield
manufacturer the ancient custom of ,
wearing chain and mail is likely to be '
revived. The abandonment of tbe coat-1
of-malL was due to the superior plerc- ' per) What does it mean in tbe Wash
ing ability of the modern missile, which : ingtou news when It speaks of "the
rendered the' coat useless for ordinary ! lower house?" Mr. Smyth That means
purposes of protection. Moreover, its 1 tbe House of Representatives. Tbe
unwleldiness made It worthless as a ' Senate is higher. Mrs, Smyth How Is
protection against t ie attack of steel. 1 It higher? Do you mean tbat It costs
Now, however, the cleverness of a more to get there? Philadelphia Rec-
Sbeffield manufacturer has produced a
SHIRT OF MAIL.
sblrt of mail that weighs less than
twelve pounds that can readily be worn
beneath the coat, which is impervious
to every attack except tbat of tbe com
position bullet His product Is having
a large sale and is likely to be more
widely used as . it becomes : better
known. , -
It Is composed of small steel rings-'
u. i a tr.r.tt, B,.i ,v,. -.i -
linked together so finely tbat even the
v.
point of a plu cannot penetrate through
them. At tbe Same time they, are so
flexible tbat they can be worn without
the slightest discomfort
They cover the entire breast and back
from the neck to the thighs and ex
tend down the arm to the elbow. Thus
It wBI protect anyone from an attack
of dagger or sword in every vulnerable 1
place. Its-value as a protection against
assassination is evident
When a mad takes the privilege of
looking around his home, his women
folks say that it is to find something to
grumble abau
"Do you think doctors ought to help
an incurable patient to die?" "If he
can't die without medical assistance,
yes." Detroit Journal.
Appreciation. Dr. Fox What sensa
tion arises from the contemplation of
self? Bushong The sense of the beau
tiful. Roanoke Collegian.
Mrs. Grill Oh, dear! I've sung tc
this baby for an hour, and sbe hasn't
stopped crying yet Mr. Grill Proba
bly 'she has been waiting for you to
stop. Tit-Bits. .
Not to Be Caught "There's a boy
wants to see you. sir." "Has he got s
bill In his hand?" "No. sir." "Then
he's got It In bis pocket; send him
awayj t'uncn. ,
Foozle We don't call them "bunk
ers" over on our links now. Tee No.
whnt than) . ti-AAln '11. .... . V -A
to get over we call 'em "kopjes." Bal
timore American. .
Frayed Feeter Bill says be kin re
member de time dat he swam Jn lux
ury. Tome Tatters Yes; lie fell Into
a beer vat once while applyln' fer a job
,n a brewery. Judge.
Clara Tbey say Nell Is going to mar
ry a man old enough to be her grand
father. Maude Is it possible? 1
didn't suppose tbere was a man living
that old. Chicago News.
Liveried menial Me lud. the carriage
waits without Lord Fitz Josber
Without what? Liveried menial
Without horses, me lud; 'tis an auto-
uiuuue. t,oicago ttecoru.
The Deacon Oh, Lord, ef dis yer
chicken be stolen, we hoie you wilt
oberlook, de fact fo It's almighty
small, almighty tough, an' almighty In
adequate to go 'round. Life. t
She A married couple should pull to
gether like a team of horses. He Yes,
aud'they probably would If, like a team
of horses, tbey bad but one tongue be
tween them. Chicago News.
Miss Palisade I caught Miss Pan
handle listening to the music at the
.tuiH n 1. , ( I O ..... m t .
WelL you know she has never had
many social advantages. Life. '
Sure They Are Beautiful. She Men
are more conceited about tbelr looks
than women. He Prove it She Men
always put their hats on without look
ing iu the glass. Chicago Record.
" The Vexed Question. Tralnboyr-
C 11 TT . 1 . .
tury Old Gentleman (waking up)
Nonsense! It won't be the new cen
tury till next year! Harvard Lampoon.
Practice Makes Perf ect Clet k You
can't get these boots on. You should
try a size larger. O'Rafferty NIver do
yez molnd. Ol'll be able to git thliu
on aftber Oi wear tbim a tolm or two.
Chicago News.
"What is the difference between the
State of Massachusetts and Ken
tucky?" "Give it up. Colonel." "Massa
chusetts produces boots and shoes, and
Kentucky produces shoots and booze,"
Washington Star.
Kipling's model: Tbe tramp Will
yer gimme something ter eat lady?
The lady You forget to say "please."
The tramp 'Scuse me. ma'am; yer see,
I'm tbe original "Absent-Alluded Beg
gar!" Town Topics.
Mrs. Qul-VIve Dear Mr. Surplice, I
can't make up my mind what Lenten
sacrifice will be- tbe most acceptable.
Mr. Surplice Ah! obi well dear
madam suppose you give up trying to
run the church. Life.
Jones Curry Is an awful unfortunate,
fellow. Jackson That so? Jones
Yes; he snores so loud that be always
wakes tbe baby, then the baby erles so
loud he wakes Curry, so tbey have to
walk together. TIt-BIts.
A modern test: "He's a very great
eoM tha anra.BrrlAlron VAiinif .
UUCLUf 9CsiU iu vv ,-l. V,KB.U . j w vi
woman. "Oh, I don't know," answer
id Miss Cayenne; "I haven't seen any
magazine articles written by bim about
himself." Washington Star.
Hard on George: Weary Wy ain't
rouse got no use fer Washington?
Leary I don't like de front part uv but
name; an", anyway, anybody w'ot dis
played a fondness fer cboppin' wood at
sich an early age bez my profound con
tempt Judge. .. '
"What Is your waist measure?" uked
her dearest friend. "Really, I've for
gotten," replied tbe demure little maid
en. For a moment she was burled in
thought Then, turning to her escort,
she asked: "Harold, bow long Is a
man's arm, anyway?" Chicago Post
Mrs. Smyth (looking up from her pa-
ord.
No cause to worry: "1 suppose," he
said, as tbey undulated around the hall,
"tbat my mother woc.d be awfully
worried if she knew I was bere. She.
thinks It Is a terrible sin to dance."1
"Ob, never mind." tbe girl said; "she
wouldn't know you were dancing, even
if she saw you." Chicago Times-Herald.
. - -
They heard a noise In the kitchen and
crept down. He carried a pistol and
she a curtain-pole. Then tbey discov-
; ered tbe cause of tbe noise. "Did yoa
' see that rat jump out of tbe oven?" sbe
gasped, blodlng ber skirts; "why didn't
1 you shoot him?" "Because be was just .
out of my range," be chuckled. Chi
cago News.
As She Remembered.
Little Bessie's mother sent her to ber
father's office one afternoon to find out
when be would set out for borne. In
answer to her query tbe father replied:
"I shall start my dear, Just as soon as
1 have filed these papers."
I '"Mamma," said Bessie, as she enter
. ed the house, "papa will leave for home
) just as soon as he bas 'sawed' his pa
oers." Baltimore Herald. - ,
Boarding a Horae at Sea.
A horse on board ship eats ten pounds
, . , , .
of uay five pounds of oats, five pounds
- , T . ,
of bran and one-half ounce of nitre.
His drinking allowance Is balf a gill of
vinegar and eight gallons of water.
Age No Bar on Diplomats.
There is a movement oh foot among
foreign powers to do away with the
limitation of afire of anihnsandnps tnolr.
, the tenure of offlce depend Bolel
n on a ma31'a capabilities.
A woman is glad afterward when she
refrained from saying something mean,
but a ma'n Is sorry that he didn't say it.
The Individual who repeats a slande
stamps it with bis approval, -w'