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'