p goatid by a Spell M
.;
CHAPTER V."
I did not meet my reverend master
until the next morning at prayers. After
prayers, he went through the process of
examining the boys. What a vile mass
of hypocrisy all this seemed to me by
the new lights that had broken upon me.
Judith was not present. I felt that my
manner was embarrassed, and I could
not endure to meet his eye. He re
marked upon my pallid looks; I had not
slept a wink all night. He asked rather
sharply, "What ailed me?"
"I have a headache; I had a bad
eight's rest last night," I stammered.
"Oh! we will soon set that all right;
you shall breakfast with me this morn
ing. A cup .of strong green tea will
scon kill the headache."
At the table I was treated more like
a guest than even a member of the fam
ily. He himself handed to me the good
things, pressing me to eat and drink of
all. Martha, who was waiting, could
scarcely contain her wonderment.
"You have taken my place well dur
ing my absence," he said, In a fawning
tone. "I am only just beginning to
discover the treasure I have In you. Oh,
what a blessing it is to know that the
seed I have sown will yield so goodly a
harvest! Well, I am getting old, and
shall soon want a supporter and com
forter. Ah, if I had such a son! . But
I must not repine, for I am blessed with
the best of daughters? You two must
be brought more together than you have
been, for you are a goodly pair."
He was in a rhapsody of hypocrisy.
He drew his chair close to mine and took
my band. We were alone now; he had
desired Martha to leave the room.
"Have you ever noticed Judith, Silas?
A fine girl, though I say it, and gifted
with that beauty which to young blood
Is more attractive even than the beau
ty of the spirit. If she were to go forth
Into the sinful world she would have
cores of lovers, and the children of the
heathens would flock to ask her hand in
marriage. But such is neither my wish
nor hers; I would see her bound in the
holy bands of wedlock to some sober,
pious youth. I would not ask of him the
goods of Mammon, nor covet for my
child either gold, or jewels, or fine linen,
or silken raiment; for what is all that
compared to that peace of the soul which
passeth all understanding?"
I know not what answer I made, or
even whether I made any, to these cun
ning speeches, and others that followed
In the same strain. At last, with many
blessings, that sounded in my ears like
bans, he dismissed me to the school
room. To get away from his hideous
hypocrisy was like emerging from the
fetid atmosphere of a sick room Into
the pure air of heaven. Business which
had accumulated during his absence kept
him from home all day, and until late
In the evening.
As soon as my school duties were fin
ished, 1 went into the grounds I could
not bear to be in the house and sat
there until Martha came oat to call me
in to tea.
t "Why,, whatever is the matter with
you, Master Silas?" she asked. "You
look as white as a ghost! Are you ill?"
"Oh, no, Martha! I have a headaohe
nothing more."
"Master Silas," said 'Martha, "there's
something wrong with you something's
preying on your mind. Why was master
bo awful civil to you this morning? Don't
think I'm asking these questions out of
curiosity. Master Silas, you're as inno
cent as "a lamb! That man or any
body else, for the matter of that could
get you to do anything get you into
goodness knows what trouble. And murk
my .words, he's a regular bad 'un! Don't
you" -be led away by him! He's no good
to yon or anybody else!"
"Don't talk like that to me, Martha,"
I cried, bursting into tears. "You must
not i me questions indeed, you must
not."
"Poor boy! what have they done to
your she said, half to herself. "Well, I
don't want to pry into your secrets," she
went on; "but if I can help you with
advice, -or In any other., way, don't be
afraid to ask me."
"Heaven bless you, Martha, I won't!"
I cried, throwing my arms round her
neck, and kissing her. "It is not ' my
secret, or 1 would tell yon all!"i
. How contemptible all this will read
to men of the world a youth of nearly
nineteen, to depend upon a woman's de
fense rather than upon his own courage!
From that cowardly thought, as such
men will phrase it, I began to derive a
little secret comfort. :
The next day Judith appeared at din
ner, for the first time during several
weeks. She looked exceedingly ill. Mr.
Porter's manner to me was marked by
the Ingratiating demeanor that shudder
Ingly suggested the idea of a cunning
hyena luring me into his den for the
sake of making a meal of my body,
When the cloth was removed-Judith rose
to leave the room, and no persuasions.
winks or signs from her father could in'
duce her to remain. "
"Ah, Silas, what a treasure she is!"
he said, with a hypocritical sigh, as the
door closed behind her. Her dear moth
er, who is now no more, left her to me
as a precious token of holy love.
He passed his handkerchief across his
eyes. He little thought what I had over
heard.
"With such a treasure and a stainless
-conscience, what should- a pious young
man want in this valley of sin?" he
cried, in an enthusiasm of self -pin lida-
tion. --
"What, Indeed?" I murmured, perceiv
ing that he expected some answer from
me. - -
"True! what, indeed?" he echoed
"Yes, one thing he wants ere he departs
for tiie regions of the elect to see the
earthly happiness of ; that treasure se-
. cured. . Have you noticed now 111 Judith
has been looking lately?' :.
I answered that I observed she looked
Tery pale. - - . '
"Something on the mind something
n the mind, and ! think I've found out
what it is. Girls will be girls, yon know.
There's many a fine fellow would give
the eyes out of his head to be in yonr
hoes. Well, I am quite content; she's
quite content; and I'm fJure you must be
quite content; so there's nothing more
to be said in the matter, and the sooner
the affair is settled off-hand, the better."
The reverend gentleman was becoming
very repulsive. For a time, I could not
understand his meaning; at last, it be
gan to dawn upon me he actually meant
to Infer that Judith was in love with
me. What an idiot he must have thought
me! And yet, without the key his con
versation with' his daughter had given,
might I not, in my simple trust of his
truth, have believed? I shame to say,
that I fear I might. But knowing what
I did, I felt positively sick at the nause
ous hypocrisy and falsehood of the man.
He paused, rubbed his hands, then
brushed back his hair, chuckled and
waited for me to speak. What could I
do what could I say? Must I yield to
this man's inclinations without a strug
gle? Did he suspect that I knew aught
of his secrets, what might he not do to
me? Kill me Imprison me for life! In
stinctively I felt that he would pause at
nothing to secure his own ends. I must
say something. To his proposition, or
rather to his inuendoes, I could make no
reply. I would evade the question try
to turn the subject. As a matter of,
course, I said the thing which above all
others 1 ought not to have said.
"Did you hear anything about -my
friends while you were in the city?"
Had a thunderbolt fallen at his feet it
could not more suddenly have changed
his whole demeanor. He pushed back
his chair with a start; and such a look
of fierce inquiry came into his face, such
a savage twinkle came into his eyes, that
I felt sure he was going to strike me
down upon the spot. The wordsNwere
scarcely off my lips before I was con
scious of the irretrievable blunder I had
made.
"What do you mean?" he cried, men
acingly. . .;
"Did you not say you intended to make
further inquiries when you went to the
city?" I faltered.
"Not to you. Have you been listen
ing?" I could feel the telltale blod rush into
my face at the question. "Ever since
you were speaking to me on the subject,
I have thought of nothing else," I cried,
in the same faltering voice.
"Look here. Master Silas; what's the
meaning of this behavior? There's some
thing up I know there is, by your man
ner. Don't attempt to humbug me, be
cause it won't do. Or is it that you
are such a thorough-paced idiot that you
don't understand the drift of what I've
been saying? I'll satisfy myself upon
that point by and by. In the meanwhile,
I'll speak a little plainer. I mean you
to marry my daughter. To this you can't
possibly make any objection, as all the
sacrifice is on my side and hers. Now
come, what do you say to that?"
Now that he had thrown off the mask.
and spoken more plainly, I felt, for the
first time in my life, something like
courage to oppose him. "I know, that I
possess no advantages to entitle mo to
such a match, but I am too young to
marry," I said, with some little firm-
ss. - '
"I am the best judge of that." he an
swered sharply.
"Bat I have no wish to marry." ,
"What!" he exclaimed, furiously. "Do
you mean to say that you've the impu
dence to refuse my daughter?"
Then followed a string of invectives
and opprobrious epithets that I need not
repeat. He literally foamed at - the
mouth.
"You shall smart for this insult!" he
went on, wiping the perspiration from
his face. "You shall go down upon
your knees and beg my pardon for this,
and pray with all your heart -and soul
for what you've just refused!"
With these words, and casting a ma
lignant look upon me, he hurried out of
the room.
I sank into a chair, literally stupefied
and overwhelmed. '. But even the faint
resistance that I had made inspired me
with new confidence. ' I felt that 1 was
no longer a school boy, bnt verging on
manhood; that it was cowardly and dis
graceful to yield a slavish obedience
against my conscience to such a man
as he had now shown himself. The first
resolution I formed consequent upon this
better and firmer state of mind was" that
I would make a clean breast to Martha
of all I knew, and then be guided by
her superior worldly wisdom as to what
I had better do. Feeling much relieved,
I went up to the school .room to super
intend the afternoon tasks.
CHAPTER VI. J
The day's work was done, and I went
down into the kitchen to have my tea
and my .conndential talk with Martha
In this last intention, nowever, 1 was
doomed to be disappointed. Her master
had entrusted her with certain commis
sions that obliged her at once to set out
for Bury. So I was left alone. . As
soon as I had finished my solitary meal.
I wandered down to the bottom of the
orchard. Lying down in the shadow of
a large pear tree, I soon forgot my trou
bles.
Behind the high, thick hedge at my
back lay the extremity of the front- gar
den. I was disturbed in the midst' of
my meditations by the sound of voices.
Their owners were walking in the gar
den, and presently I could - hear their
footsteps close behind me. .For .the sec
ond time I became an involuntary, eaves
dropper. Cowering still --closer tolHie
earth, I caught their, words.
"I tell you, Judith, he knows some
thing! I believe he's been listening!"
I heard Ma. Porter say.
;. "He has not the brains' or the cour
age!" she answered scornfully "He's
simply a fool! -
-"Why, then, should he ask me such a
Question, and follow it up by stammer
ing that I had told him? I intended do
ing so before I went away; I certainly
did intend doing so, but I never mention
ed It even to you, . Besides that, there's
been a great change in him during these
few days back, .- Instead of being grate
ful, as he always was before; for any lit
tle indulgence, he seems to shrink from
It, and from me, too!": Then he added
quickly, as though a sudden idea had
struck him, "Where was he the night
that I came back? If I remember, we
held all our talk in the parlor, -with the
window wide open, and yon didn't speak
in Tery ' low tones."
An exclamation , broke, from Judith.
The footsteps paused close behind me. I
feared they would hear the violent beat
ing of my heart.
"Stop!" she cried. "That reminds me!
Not a quarter of an hour before you
returned he was clipping a bush in front
of that window. I saw him from my
bedroom." -- . '
There was an ominous pause; in my
mind's eye I could picture their looks
of consternation.
Why did you not tell me this?" said
Mr. Porter, in a troubled voice.
"I never thought of it until this in
stant," she answered. "I was too eager
to bear your news, to think of him."
If he heard all that passed in that
room, he knows enough to utterly de
stroy us. We are completely in" his pow
er. More than that, I have given him a
clue that may lead to profitable discov
eries for himself."
And my humiliation known to that
contemptible cur! Oh, heavens! I cannot
survive it'" she cried, passionately.
Silence!" said her father, in a stern
voice. "This is no time for raving; this
must be seen to at once. We must-uot
lose a moment . To question him in the
usual way is useless. We must resort
to'tbe other this very night. Until we
find out what he really does know, wo
can't tell what to do. That once kuown.
I shan't want much consideration."
"Where is he now? Have yon seen
him lately?'
I heard him-leave the boys' room at
5 o'clock. I have not seen or heard him
since then."
"Go and see where he Is at once; he
might have left the house while we are
standing here."
In an instant I heard them hurrying
towards the house. I sprang to my -feet,
ran across the orchard Into the kitchen
garden, rushed into the summer house,
laid my book upon .the table, and rest
ing my head upon my hands, assumed an
attitude of attentive study. My breath
came short and thick, and my breast
was heaving when I heard my master's
hasty footsteps upon the path.
He began in a bullying tone; then be
thinking him that he was betraying him
self, stopped short. The expression of
my face evidently disconcerted him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked,
evidently not knowing what to say to
cover his blunder.
"I usually come here of an evening to
read," I said quietly. "I never heard
you object to It before."
"Ohr it isn't that; but get the boys in
at once," he said.
'Very well, sir." I closed my book.
aed went to find the boys; my master ad
vancing in the same direction, that he
should not' lose sight of me. I felt that
from , that moment ' a constant watch
would be set upon me.
I led the boys into the house, and up
into the school room. . But the prayer
that was in toy heart and on my lips
were not in unison with that which
sounded on my ears. I was praying to
escape from that dreadful house. I had
taken the desperate resolution that I
would not pass another night beneath
the roof.
The boys were dismissed to bed half
an hour earlier than usual. I was going
down to the kitchen when Mr. Porter
stopped me. J'
"I've some work for yon. Silas. Fold
and put these tracts into envelopes, and
direct them; I'll give you the list of
names. Yon can carry pen and ink, and
your desk, into your own room, and do
them there.
He gave me a pile of papers, which I
carried into my room, and then fetched
the desk and writing materials, he watch
ing me all the time. I went in, and shut
the door; then I heard him walk away.
I did not touch my work, but sat down
upon the side of the bed, and tried to
think how I could get away. I had no
money I knew nothing of the roads;
but better to starve, to die under a hedge
than remain in that man s power. If I
conld only get five minutes' talk with
Martha, she would help me would per
haps direct me where to -go.
(To be continued.
Thoojrhtftil. ,
General "Joe" Wheeler relates the
following amusing incident that took
place during the night of the El Caney
affair:
'General Lawton's division was
marching back to El Poey, there to
take up a new position in the morn
ing. The General, in company with
Major Credghton, inspector general of
his staff, was standing at the edge of
the road, watching his troops file past
Jnst as the dawn was breaking the
colored troops came In sight. They
gave evidence of being dead tired, but
were nevertheless full of 'ginger.'
'''General Lawton's attention was at
tracted to a certain corporal of the
Twenty-fifth Infantry, a great six-foot
negro, who. In addition to a couple of
guns and two cartridge belts loaded
full, was carrying a dog. The soldier
to whom the other gun belonged was
limping alongside his comrade.
"The General halted the men. 'Here,
corporal,' said he to the six-foot man,
didn't you march all last night?
' " 'Yes, sir,'- responded the negro, sa
luting. : '"J: '
" 'And fought all day?
"'Yes, sir.' .-'
.' tYou have, besides, been march
ing' since 10 o'clock to-night?'
"'Yes, sir '
" 'Then, said Lawton, 'why on earth
are you carrying that dog?'
'"Well, General,' replied the negro,
showing his white teeth in a broad
grin, the dog's tired!'" Woman's
Home Companion.
The Reply Unhappy. -
"EdwinLam I the first woman you
have ever loved? she suddenly asked
him when he was measuring her finger
for the ring. f " V.'. -
"Yes,- Mamie," he blurted out, being
somewhat disconcerted; "the others
were only girls." Woman's Horns
Companion."; " " ; ' v.; " -. -
H. H. Ballard, just 51 years old, is
president of the Agasslz association.
which has 1,000 branches. He organ
ized the association in 1875, and has
been Its head ever since.
t l i i .,H i t, lt l I ( l4ll, ,
BOYS"
'ltHlTtlllHMitH.H IIIIIWnUHtliK?
The Floating; Triangle
Here Is an interesting experiment,
boys and girls:
Take a wet lead pencil point and
draw on thick paper a triangle (which
peed not be mathematically perfect).
Take a basin of water and lay this
paper on the surface of the water, with
the drawing up. Very carefully fill the
space Inside the lines with water. (The
water will not flow beyond the lines
which you drew with your wet lead
pencil point).
Next" take a needle or pin, dip the
point of it into , the wet triangle near
one of the angles. But don't let It
touch the paper.
Now an odd thing will happen; the
paper will be sure to move on- the
water until the center of area comes
directly under the point.
You should previously have found
where tEe center of area Is by drawing
lines from any two angles to the cen
ters of the opposite sides. (See the
picture.) The point where the two
lines cross will be the center of area.
Try this Interesting experiment.
Mystery of Crater.
Everybody who has seen a chart of
the moon as drawn by astronomers
knows of the curious, lrreguiar, ragged
rings which have been cailed "moon
craters" for many years.
Now astronomers have raised the
question whether or not they really are
the craters of extinct volcanoes, as' has
been supposed for so long. One of them
asks:
"How would the ocean bottoms of
the earth appear to a man in the moon
if all our seas were to disappear?"
'Exactly as the moon craters look to
us," is the answer.
. So now some of the astronomers are
Interested in- the attempt to prove that
the moon's curious surface is not at all
volcanic, and that the "craters" are
nothing more nor less than coral reefs
and the remains of other coral-like
structures which have" been left high
and dry by the evaporation', of lunar
oceans.
Litte Prince Hates to Be Washed.
Little princes have much the same
weaknesses as other small boys, and
In some of the European courts the
royal mamma applies the slipper or its
equivalent exactly as the ordinary par
ent does when her progeny have over
stepped the mark once too often. This
Is the case is the family of Prince
SOME TITLED DOMESTICS.
Persona with Koyal Blood in Russia
Who Are Forced to Lowly Toil. -
The romantic - story of Princess
Helene Zulukidse, who is working as
a bricklayer's assistant In Odessa, Is
by no means an uncommon one. A
correspondent who has studied the cu
rious phases of life In Eastern and
Central'Europe reveals some astonish
ing facts.
The fact that a princess should be
compelled to seek such a livelihood
is by no means so startling an occur
rence as might be supposed. In many
parts of the continent the father's title
Is inherited by all his children, and
there are several villages In Austria,
Poland and Russia In which all the
peasants are . legitimately descended
from some princely ancestor. They
are legally described as "princes" in
all official documents, and on leaving
their homes many of these peasant
princes find themselves sadly ham
pered by the burden of ablgh-sound-ing
title. -."
They cannot get rid of the titles,
however, as they are purely personal
ones, and not marketable commodities.
like so many in Italy and Portugal,
and by the police regulations no em
ploye can be engaged without showing
bis "papers." in which his rank, age
and occupation are stated, : Needless
to say, few people are willing to en
gage a workman of legally far higher
rank than themselves, and an instance
of this hardship came to my personal
knowledge, recently. The newly-mar
rled .French wife of a wealthy Rus
sian noble was about to engage a Rus
sian niald at St. Petersburg, when, on
seeing ''the papers," she discovered
that the girl was a princess and a
member of a well-known bfit ruined
family. '--' - - :". . ' 5'" " -
- The girl had been vainly seeking
employment for months, but the ladj
declined to engage her.
On-reaching her country seat; how
ever, .the lady discovered, . to her
amazement, that the housekeeper was
a countess, the henwife a - princess,
while the farm bailiff, blacksmith and
coachman ;wera possessed jf ,J titles
equally Imposing. As their homes
were situated in the vicinity of my
friend's estate, says the correspond
ent, In the London Express, their real
social position as little farmers and
1 peasants was well known. . Had they
AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT
t , t ,,,,, ,,,, t 1,ll4,4..t,.t t Intfflfla
LITTLE STORIES f
AND INCIDENTS t
That Will Interest
. . Entertain Young
Readers.
Christian of Denmark, and a Danish
paper tells the story of one escape of
little 4-year-old Prince Knut " The lit
tle prince Is a clever little chap, but he
had been very naughty indeed. He
would not be washed, and to empha
size his feelings had thrown the wash
dish and wash cloth at the maid. An.
gry cries filled the palace, bringing the
royal mamma In great haste. Princess
Alexandra took in the cause of the
trouble at a glance, and said to the
little prince in a mild but firm tone:
"Knut this is not the behavior for
a prince. Go and bring me the rattan
immediately."
The prince obeyed, left the room,
and returned in a short time, but with
out the stick, while he carried some
thing wrapped in paper in his hand.
"I couldn't find the rattan," he said,
"but here are two stones that you can
throw at me."
The princess surprised Prince Knut
in the garden one day playing with a
rough stick with which he had cut a
worm in two. She explained to him
the cruelty of the act, and told him
that be must never under any circum
stances do such a thing again.
"But, mamma," said the prince, "he
was so alone. . It made me so sorry
that I cut him in two. Now there are
two worms, and see how they both are
happy! How they both spring!"
Prince Knut upon another occasion
had been asking questions after the
manner of a small boy, and Prince
Christian had said to him finally:
. "Stop your stupid questions. Think
over what you have to say and ask
something reasonable."
There was silence for a time, when
the little prince began again in a soft
voice:
"Papa?'
"Yes, my child."
"Is everything dead burled?'
"Certainly."
"Papa?
"Well, what is lt?"
"Papa, why then, doesn't some one
bury the Dead Sea?" New York
Times.
Loneliest Bpot at Sea.
The loneliest spot in the ocean, ac
cording to Sir John Murray, while talk
ing - with friends at the recent geo
graphical congress in New York, is
Rockall, a British possession in the
Atlantic ocean about 186 miles from St.
Kilda, in the outer Hebrides, and about
200 miles from the Scottish coats. It is
a rock about 250 feet in circumference,
rising to a sheer height of seventy feet
from the surface of the sea. It is
surrounded by thirty fathoms of water,
with neither shoal nor beach. No in
habitant has ever lived on this Island.
On only two occasions, so far as
known, has man set foot on lt. It can
not be lighted nor buoyed for the bene
fit of mariners. The difficulty of get
ting on is exceeded only by the danger
of getting off.
sought employment elsewhere, how
ever, they would, in all probability,
like the Princess Zulukidse, have
quickly sunk to the lowest grade of so
ciety. , ..;
Which Was Might?
Just before the election old Patrick
McGibben, an enthusiastic Democrat,
took it upon himself to see that his
neighbors voted the right ticket. His
effort with one of them brings out
clearly an Important difference in the
way two foreign-born men may con
sider the race question.
"AH us Irish is fer Parker," he said
to Mike Flaherty's Bon, who had de
clared his Intention of casting a Re
publican ballot. ; ;
"You are," replied Flaherty. "But
I'm an American."
"You're an Irishman !" thundered
Pat "Your father and mother were
both born in Ireland."
"And I was born in America." -"What
difference does that make,
then? r If them kittens there was born
in the oven would you call them bis
cuits?" ..
First Direction Impossible.
The old man sat alone in his cabin.
where the hand of 'woman had never
been known and dirt reigned triumph
ant. -The conversation turned upon
cooking, . "Yaas," drawled the old man.
"I got me one o' them there cookbooks
wunst, but J never could dp nothln'
with it" "What was the trouble?"
asked his visitor, persuasively. " "Why,
every one o' them blamed receipts
starts off with 'take a clean dish.' "
The Saenaerfea Jlek Book.
First Visitor-? Yes; J gave him an
other month on his promissory note for
ninety days, and the ungrateful fellow
skipped out ' ' -:-f---';:;
i Second Visitor-i-Your musical edu
cation" should; guide-you better than
that Don't you knowyon.j should
never hold & quarter, note Baltimore
News., I ," r . tr.,-.
r" -.-i ' The Philosophy of . It.
i "You think dls world Is a Mend ter
grace?v,w;,; ... : -,,. ,. . ,. :
f "Well: -des keep 'bout a dollar en a
half In yo pocket en you'll never heed
ter ax. dat question!" Atlanta . Con
stltutlon. ' -
U When a minister Is called to another,
field the call carries with it an Increase
In salary otherwise he possibly would
not have heard It -
DARINQ OF BOME WORKERS.
GCooaeamitha Brave Death Daily and
Think Nothing of It. "
""They had been watching . a man
ascend to the tenth story of the -framework
of a new bank building by
the simple expedient of standing on a
large beam and holding on to the hoist- .
Ing rope. -
It's against the rules," explained
the contractor, "but they will do lt
You can't stop 'em. It Is just as quick
for a fellow to go up by the ladders
as to risk his life In that way, and
mighty little more trouble, .but famil
iarity with danger breeds contempt of
It That's why there are very few big
buildings put up In this town with
out at least one man being killed In
each. -
Only the special providence which
watches over the reckless as well as
over babies and drunkards prevents a
whole lot more deaths among these
housesmiths. The Insurance companies
hate to take them as risks at any
price, and I don't blame them. There's '
a hairbreadth escape a day, at least
on one of these tall buildings.
"Some of the things I've seen myself
I'd hardly have believed If anyone had
told me about them. I'll tell you just
one, and though I don't expect you to
credit It my reputation as a truth
ful and sober man may be good
enough to carry it I was an eye
witness. "We were putting up a big hotel.
The framework had Just reached the
eighth story and the masonry and the
flooring of one or two of the interven
ing stories were already In. I was
up on-the top with a gang of house
smiths, and they were hoisting up a
big girder. The foreman was kneeling
on the edge of the frame, shouting
directions down to the street and the
girder had just reached the top.
"As they were, swinging it into
place the men let go of it for a mo
ment and the end swung around upon
the foreman, hitting him behind as he
knelt and sweeping him over the edge
into the street 120 feet or so below.
"There seemed to be no possible
chance for bis life. Somehow, though,
he fell against the slack guy rope
which was dangling from the beam.
"Hie leg and arm got tangled in it
three stories below, and he stuck to
the rope. More than that the slack
rope actually swung him into a win
dow In the fifth story. That happened
to be one of the few in which the
flooring had been put in, and the rope
dropped him on the floor, unhurt
"He had been working for our firm
for years, and I knew him and liked
him , as a good foreman. When he
went over the edge of the framework
I was horror-struck.
"It was a minute or two before I re
covered my self-possession. Then I
hurried down, expecting to find his
mangled body In the street.
"As I went down the ladder I met
him coming up, bruised,' but unhurt
and all he was thinking of was how
he could best tell the men who" let
the beam slip what sort of a blanked
set of blankety blank shiftless good-for-nothings
they were.
"He did. Though he has as nar
row an escape from death as I can
conceive of a man's undergoing, he
went right back to work and bossed
the gang for the afternoon, after firing
the man -who he believed was respon
sible for the accident
"Some folks were surprised to read
of the bridgemen and housesmiths who
only thought of being paid for their
overtime when they went back with
the firemen up the tower of the East
river bridge and ' fought the fire,
standing on the burning bridge while
they hacked away the timbers. I
wasn't I know the kind they are, and
for sheer reckless daring they're hard
to beat" New York Sun.
...-'- A Taste for Jewels.
M. Carcenat, a jeweler in the Rue
Lecourbe, discovered that a number of
precious stones had disappeared from
his stock and at once reported the mat
ter to M. Raynaud, commissioner of po
lice.
On the visit of the latter to the
shop, in order to conduct an inquiry,
he was at once struck by the chatter
ing of a parrot which was moving
freely around the shop, and it occurred
to him that the parrot might be the
thief. He accordingly communicated
his suspicions to the jeweler, and the
latter, while stoutly maintaining the
innocence of the bird, agreed to have
an emetic administered. The result
was that the . parrot disgorged over
200 worth of diamonds and precious
stones. In future the delinquent was
chained to his perch. Paris corre
spondent London" Telegraph.
Law of "Cache."
A. T. Packard, ex-president of the
Clhcago Press Club, who. .was once In
the cattle business out near Medora,
the scene of - President . Roosevelt's
cowboy- adventures, was talking with
a party of .newspaper men about his
days in the wild and woolly West.- In
cidentally ; the laws of the "cache"
were mentioned. - The law was mora
strictly observed among the old-time
trappers, hunters, prospectors, scouts
and the like than Is any written law
among the people of more civilized en
vironment ' r
. "In those days," said Packard, "one
could hang up his coat rifle, knap
sack and contents even his watch
and chain knowing lt would be there
ail rigill wueu lie VBiuc Hiicr iu
'' Winter Prospect.
Out in the cold at break of day, -;
Scraping , away in the snow, - .
The, man with the. shovel confronts,
you'll say.
Worse lack than the man with the
hoe. - -
Washington Star.