Prisoners and Captives
By H. S. MERRIMAN
CHAPTER XI. (Continued.)
After dinner Easton at Inst conde
scended to explanation. Chairs hnd been
drawn around the fire. While he spoke
the American kept his eyes fixed upon the
tire, and at times moved his limbs nerv
ously, after the manner of one who :s
more highly strung than muscular.
"Gentlemen," he said in his peculiar,
slow drawl, and an immediate silence
followed "gentlemen, 1 asked you to
come here to-night for a special purpose,
and not from the warmth of my own
heart. What I am coins to tell you can
not be quite new to some, while to others
I surmise that it will tw very new. There
is a country on the map called the lark
Continent, but during the last few years
It has come under my notice that Africa
is as light as the heavenly paths com
pared to another land nearer to this old
country. I mean Siberia. Now, I am
not going to talk about Sitoria. because
there are four men in this room who
know more than I do. In fact, they know
too much. Before I go I will explain
for a spell who we all are. Four of us
are Russians. Of these four, one has a
wife living in the Siberian mines, con
demned by mistake ; a second has a father
living in a convict prison, almost on the
edge of an Arctic sea; a third has been
there himself. These three undertake
what may be called the desperate part of
our scheme. The fourth Russian is a
gentleman who has the doubtful privilege
of being allowed to live in Petersburg.
Ilia task is difficult and dangerous, but
not desperate. Two of us are English
men ; one has given up the ease and lux
ury of the life of a moneyed British
sportsman has, in fact, become a sailor
for the deliberate purpose of placing-his
skill at our disposal. In addition to that
lie has opened his purse in a thoughtless
and generous way. Why he has done
these things I cannot say. In Mr. Tyars'
position I certainly should not have done
bo myself. His is the only name I men
tion, because I have seen the portraits
of him in the illustrated papers, and
there is no disguising who he is. The
rest of us have names entirely unknown,
or known only to the wrong people. Some
of the Russian names, besides possessing
this unfortunate notoriety, are quite be
yond my powers to pronounce. The sec
ond Englishman is a naval officer, who,
having shared considerable danger with
Mr. Tyars on one occasion, may or may
not think fit to throw in his lot with
him again. His decision, while being a
matter of great interest to us, lies en
tirely in his own hands. He is as free
when he leaves this room as when we en
tered it. Lastly comes myself "
The little face was very wistful, while
the thin lips moved and changed inces
santly from gayety to a great gravity.
The man's hollow cheeks were singularly
flushed in a patchy, unnatural way.
"I," he continued, with a little laugh.
" well, I'm afraid I stay at home. I
have here a doctor's certificate showing
that I would be utterly useless in any
but a temperate climate. I am con
sumptive." He produced a paper from his pocket
and held it in his hand upon his knee,
not daring to offer it to any one in par
ticular. There was a painful silence.
No one reached out bis hand for the cer
tificate, and no one seemed to be able to
think of something to say. At last the
tout gentleman rose from his chair with
a grunt.
"I, too, stay at home, gentlemen," he
aid, breathlessly, "and I have no certifi
cate." He crossed the hearth rug, and, taking
the paper from Easton's hand, he delib
erately threw it into the fire.
"There," he grunted, "the mischief take
your certificate."
Then he sat down again, adjusting his
large waistcoat, which had become some
what rucked up. and attempted to smooth
his crumpled shirt, while the paper burn
ed slowly on the glowing coals.
"I only wished," said Easton, after a
pause, "to explain why I stay at home.
It is no good sending second-rate men
out to work like this."
He paused and looked around. There
was something critical in the atmosphere
of the room, and all the seven men as
sembled looked at one another in turn.
Long and searehingly each looked into
the other's face. If Easton had set down
the rule that second-rate men were of no
avail, he had certainly held close to it.
These were, at all events, first-rate men.
Not talkers, but actors! no blusterer,
but full of courage ; determined, ready
and fearless. The slight barrier raised
by the speaking of a different tongue, th-?
thinking of different thoughts, seemed to
have- crumbled away, and they were as
brothers.
"Our plans," said Easton, "are simple.
We fit out a ship to sail in the spring,
ostensibly to attempt the northeast pas
sage to China. Her real object will be
the rescue of a large number of Russian
political exiles and prisoners. The three
Russians go to Siberia overland. Their
Is the most dangerous task of of all, the
largest, the most important. The fourth
remains in Petersburg, to keep up com
munication, to forward money, food, dis
guises and arms. Mr. Tyars takes com
mand of the steamer, which is now almost
ready for sea, and forces his way through
the ice, God willing, to the Yana river.
Easton stopped speaking. As he re
turned to his seat, he glanced Inquiringly
toward Oswin Grace, whose eyes had fol
lowed him.
"Of course, gentlemen," said Grace,
glancing comprehensively around the
group, "I go with Mr. Tyars."
Thanks," muttered Claud Tyars,
hortly.
CFIAPTER XII.
It was almost a month later that Mat
thew Mark Easton stepped, fairly Into
the drcle of which Miss Winter was to
a certain extent the leading spirit. This
lady had been five minutes In the bril
liantly lighted rooms of a huge picture
gallery before he singled out the little
American. He happened to be talking to
another Insignificant, unobtrusive man,
who tagged nervously at a gray mustache,
while he listened. This was one of the
ablest envoys ever accredited to the Court
f St. James by the United States.
Miss Winter knew most of the faces
la tha room, and among others that of
the American minister. Moreover, sho
recollected perfectly the form and fea
tures of Matthew Mark Easton.
The occasion was a vast assembly of
the fashionable, diplomatic, artistic and
literary worlds for the collection of
money and ideas toward the solution of a
social problem. The tickets were a guinea
each ; there were choice refreshments at
a stated and ruinous price ; soft carpets,
an exhibition of pictures, and the same
of dresses. I believe also that several
gentlemen read papers on the subject un
der discussion, but that was in the small
room at the end where no one ever went.
Cliuid Tyars was there, of course,
During the last month or two he had
been going out so much that one almost
expected to meet him, just as one ex
pects to meet certain well-known faces
fit evm-y assembly. Miss Winter saw
him Immediately after noticing Matthew
Mark Easton, and before long he b?gan
to make his way across the room towar I
her. Wherever they had met during tin
last few weeks, Tyars had invariably
succeeded in exchanging a few words
with Miss Winter, seeking her out with
equal persistence, whether Helen Grace
were with her or not. If, as the lady
opined, he was determined to bo
come one of their Intimate friends,
he displayed no indecent haste, no
undue eagerness ; and in so doing
he was perhaps following the surest
method. He had not hitherto showed the
slightest desire to cross the line which
separates acquaintances from friendship.
There was a mutual attraction existing
between these two capable, practical peo
ple, who met to-night as they usually did
with that high-toned nonchalance which
almost amounts to indifference. There
was ft vacant seat, for a wonder, beside
M;ss Winter, which Tyars promptly ap
propriated. "Who," she asked, after a few conven
tionalities had been exchanged, "is that
gentleman talking to the American min
ister, and apparently making him laugh,
which is. I should say, no easy matter?"
"He is generally making some one
laugh," replied Tyars. "His name is
Easton Matthew Mark Easton. The
sort of name that sticks in the wheel
work of one's memory. A name one does
not forget."
"And," added Miss Winter, lightly, "a
fare that one does not forget, lie inter
ests me a little."
Tyars laughed at the qualification im
plied by the addition of the last two
words.
"That is always something," he said.
"A small mercy. He is one of my great
est friends may I introduce him?"
"Certainly," murmured the lady, with
a little bow of the head, and then she
changed the subject at once.
"Ileien," she said, "is not here to
night." Tyars looked befittingly disappointed.
"She does not always care to leave the
admiral, and be objects to dissipation on
a large scale. Is that not so?" he sug
gested. "Yes. That is the case to-night."
Hhe wondered a little at his intimate
knowledge of Helen's thoughts, but said
nothing. It was probable that he heard
this from Oswin, and his singular mem
ory had retained it.
"Miss Grace," said Tyars, presently,
"has a strong sense of duty, and is un
conscious of it. An unconscious sense of
duly is one of the best of human mo
tives. At least it seems so to me."
Although Agnes Winter was bowing
and smiling to an old lady near at hand,
she had followed him perfectly.
"Well," she answered, "a sense of duty
of any description is not a bad thing
in thes time. Indeed," she added, turn
ing suddenly toward him, "a motive is
in itself rather rare. Not many of us
have motives."
Her manner implied as plainly as if
she had spoken it: "We are not, all of us,
like ycu."
There was something in the expression
of his eyes that recalled suddenly their
first meeting at the precise moment when
he, enuring the drawing room, overheard
a remark of hers respecting himself. It
was not an unpleasant expression, but it
led one to feel instinctively that this man
might under some circumstances be what
is tersely called in France, difficult. It
was merely a suggestion, cloaked beneath
his high-class repose of manner, but sho
had known many men of his class, some
of whom had made a name in their sev
eral callings, and this same suggestion
of stubbornness had come beneath her
quick, fleeting notice before. He looked
gravely around the room, as if seeking to
penetrate the smiles and vapid affecta
tion. "Oh," he said placidly, "I am not so
sure. There are a good many people who
pride themselves upon steering a clear
course. The prevailing motive to-night
is perhaps a desire to prove a superiority
over one's neighbors, but It is still a mo
tive." Miss Winter looked at him critically.
"Remember," she said, warningly, "that
this Is my element. The motives of all
tLese people are my motives their pleas
ures my pleasures their life, my life."
"Apparently so," he replied, ambigu
ously. "So that," she pursued, "I am Indicted
of the crime of endeavoring to prove my
superiority over my neighbors."
He laughed In an abrupt way.
"No more than myself."
"That is a mere prevarication," she
persisted, gayly. "Tell me, please, in
what particular this coveted superiority
lies."
"In a desire to appear more aimless
than you are," he retorted, gravely.
"I deny that. I plead not guilty," she
sii id. "I am a person of many motives,
but the many receive their life from one
source. That one source is an earnest
endeavor to please myself in all things,
to crowd as much pleasure and as much
excitement Into a lifetime as It will hold."
"Then," he said, after a pause, "you
are only one of the crowd" after all."
"That is all, Mr. Tyars. Did you ever
suspect me of being anything else?"
"I. believe I did," he replied, with a
more direct gare than Is allowed by th
dictates of polite society.
She returned the gaze with serenity.
"Then please get rid of the idea," aha
said, significantly.
I There wai a short pause, but it waa
not the silence of people who have noth-
ing more to say to each other. It was tos
tense, too restless for that.
! "Shall I," Inquired Tyars, rising sud
denly, "go and find Easton? I should
like you to know hira."
'1 shall be most happy," she said, with
one of her gracious little bows. As he
nicved away she called him back almost
as if she were loath to let him go, as if
there were something still left unsaid
between them.
"Tell me," she said In a gayly confi
dent tone, "before you go, what is his
specialty. I always like to know a stran
ger's chief characteristic, or, if he has
no characteristics, his particular hobby
whether, I mean, he is a botanist or a
yachtsman, a fisherman or a politician.
It is so much more convenient, you un
derstand, to know beforehand upon what
topic one must conceal one's ignorance."
"Miss Winter," he said, deliberately,
"you have not found out my particular
hobby or my chief characteristic yet."
"Not yet," she admitted.
"I think," he said, 'that Easton has
no hobbies. His specialty is eloquence.
He could almost persuade a certain stub
born quadruped to part with his hind
legs. He was destined by the positive
department of Providence for an orator,
but the negative department, with its
usual discrimination, gave him a weak
chest, and therefore he is nothing."
"Thank you," she said. "Now I know
something of him. I have to conceal
beneath wretched smiles the fact that I
know absolutely nothing of American
commerce, American politics or oratory.
I wonder," she added, as an afterthought,
"whether there is anything he can per
suade me into doing?"
"He might," suggested Tyars. "per
suade jcu into the cultivation of a m
tive."
Then he turned and left her. Matthew
Mark Easton saw him approaching, and
broke off rather suddenly a waning con
versation with his minister.
"Easton." said Tyars, "come here. I
want to introduce you to Miss Winter."
"Miss Winter," returned the American ;
"ominous name. Who is she?"
"She ih a person of considerable !n
finenee in the Grace household. Do you
understand? It is in Miss Winter's pow
er to deprive us of Oswin Grace, if she
cares to exercise that power."
Eastern's face expressed somewhat lu
dicrously a passing consternation.
'Ilar, these women!" he muttered.
"Does she," he inquired, "suspect some
thing?" "I think so," was the reply, "and,
nmcovtr, she is a clever woman; so oo
careiu1."
(To enntlnnerf.
-
t DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR. t
Leonardo da Yiuei, who painted the
very souls of his subjects, might have
found material for his brush In the
trio seated one December day In Law
yer Norton's office "Old Dan'l Ljie,"
president of the village bank, sturdy,
self-made, stern ; another old man, of
quite different type, mild, inadequate,
uufortunate; and the wife of the sec
ond man, a woman whose Madonna-like
face and silver hair seemed to harbor a
certain radiance.
Old Henry Dawson was settling with
his creditors people wondered if he
could pay 50 cents on the dollar. Ev
erybody knew that old Henry was hard
working and honest, but people criti
cized his Improvidence, and thought
they saw In his easy-going ways the
explanation of his sons' unfortunate ca
reers. But no one ever said one word
against "Aunt Milly" Dawson, as every
body In the church called her. Cheer
ful and ready to help others, no mat
ter what her own troubles were, un
selfish, gentle, a "splendid manager"
In her own borne In Aunt Milly no one
saw anything to explain the family
straits or the misdeeds of the Dawson
boys.
It was generally hoped and believed
in Brusselville that the home, at
least, might be saved from the wreck
for Aunt Milly, especially as the chief
creditor, Old Dan'l Lyle, was a mem
ber of the Bame church and a lifelong
friend.
And, as a fact, the close-fisted old
bank president had displayed a lenien
cy that left Dick Norton, the lawyer,
familiar with lils usual uncompromis
ing "business" attitude, almost speech
less with surprise.
But now that the papers were signed
and everything finished, a tide of reac
tion set In In the mind of the old man
proud of his own "self-made" career
and prone to Judge severely when any
thing resembling Incompetence was on
trial.
"Well, Henry," he remarked, rising
pompously, "some folks get out of
things mighty easy. Now I" he
straightened himself "have always
paid dollar for dollar!"
To this little thrust old Henry had
not the spirit to reply.
Through the proceeding thus far the
woman had sat silent sometimes re
straining her tears with some difficulty.
But at this point as Dick Norton told
m . , i i . trill a - t , . !
us nuerwaru auui .uuiy uarm rigni
up!"
"Yes, Brother Lyle," she said, rising
also, and standing erect herself In gen-j
tin illirnltv. vervlodv knows that-
that's so. But, Dan'l." she fixed him I
with her motherly blue eyes "I want
to know one thing do you remember
every day to thank God that you've
been able to pay dollar for dollar?"
There was a pregnant silence. Then
a subdued and humbled Dan'l made re
ply. "I guess maybe there Is something
to be said on that side, Aunt Milly,"
he said, mildly.
If a ton of coal Is placed on the (
ground and left there, and another ton j
Is placed under a shed, the latter loses i
about 25 per cent of Its heating pow- i
er, the former about 47 per cent.
j 111 I iMp!( jl
Wllliamsport (Pa.) Grit.
THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER.
O say, can you see, by the dawn's early
light.
What so proudly we hail'd at the twi
light's last gleaming
Whose broad stripes and bright stars,
through the clouds of the night,
At the rainperts we watched were so gal
lantly streaming !
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs burst
ing la air,
Gave proof through the night that our ting
was st III there ;
0! say, does that star-spangled banner yet
wave
O'er the land of the free, nd the home or
the brave?
On that shore dimly een through the mists
of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host In dread si
lence reposes.
What Is that which the breeze, o'er the
towering steep.
As It tit fully Mows, now conceals, now
discloses?
Now It catches the gleam of the morning's
Hist lieam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the
stream ;
'TIs the star-spangled banner ; O long may
It wave
O'er the land of the fre, and the home of
the brave !
And where Is that band who so vauntlngly
swore
That the havoc of war and the battle s
confusion
A home and a country should leave us no
more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul
footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and
slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of
the grave ;
And the. star spangled banner In triumph
doth wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of
the brave.
O! thus lie It ever, when freemen shall
- stand
Iietween their loved homes and the war's
desolation !
Blest with victory and peace, may the
lieav n-reseued land
Tralse the power that hath made and
preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause It
Is Just,
And this be our motto "In Cod Is our
trust ;"
And the star-spangled banner In triumph
shall wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of
the brave.
Francis Scott Key.
mm
Willie Ferkins was 8 years old and
Nero was only 4, but when Nero walked
on all fours he was nearly as tall as
Willie, and when he lifted his jrieat shag
gy dogship upon his hind legs he could
lay his forepaws on somebody's shoul
ders, and that somebody was Willie's
father.
Mr. Perkins called Willie and Nero
"the chums," and it wis indeed seldom
that the two were apart, except at school
times and, meal times, and when the sand
man bad paid Willie a visit; even at
those times they were not far apart.
When Willie went to snool Nero trot
ted along by his side, and, liko the good
fellow that he was, when they came to
the door and Willie slid, "Now, old boy,
you wait for me right here in the yard
and be sure not to frighten eny of the
children as they come in. Tell me good
by now and be a good fellow," Nero would
wag his tail very hard, lick tne nana mat
h.rl Wn nattine his heal so lovingly all
the time Willie was talking to him, and
then lie down and watch bis master dis
appear through the great door of the
school house.
By and by Nero wouIJ get tired of ly
ing still and would go for a walk around
the building. The sly fellow! He well
knew that the Janitor's w'fe would have
a little heap of bones hidden off in one
corner of the yard for him, and when
he enjoyed his feast he would look up
to see her watching mm rrom me Dase
ment door. Then again that great tail
would wag as if he said : "Thank yon so
much for those nice, meiiy bows." When
-int. nmf on there was a large box that
lbs Janitor's wife and Willie taught him
SOME LOCAL RESULTS OF CELLBRATING
to go into when he was cold and wanted
to lie down, and so his school days were
not at all dreary ones.
Hut the happiest time for "the chums"
was when Willie put his books away for
the long summer vacation and he and
Nero had the whole day together. Even
when Willie had cut tho kindling It was
Nero who carried it to the house in a
basket held tightly by his strong teeth,
while Willie carried a bucketful of coal.
By and by Willie began to tell Nero
of a great day that was coming, when all
the boys would have fireenckers and Ro
man candles and torpodoos, and there
would be flags flying and bands playing
and everybody would have a good time.
Nero always listened to every word that
his little mnster said, and now and then
when Willie would give his head an extra
hard pat by way of emphasis Nem would
bark and set his tail going h.rder than
ever. That tni! always wagged when
Nero was pleased. Sometimes Willie's
mother would allow the dog to come into
the sitting room, but one diy the tail
knocked a handsome vase off of the ta
ble and broke it, and after thar Nero had
to lie down very quietly if hi got into
the house.
Two days before the Fourth Willie
bought his fireworks; there were five
packages of firecrackers and five of tor
pedoes, four rockets, four Roman candles,
two wheels and a long piece of punk.
Nero went with Willie to the store to buy
them, but he had to wait oim;de while
Willie went in, and so as soon as they
reached home Willie opened the package
THEY FORMED IN
and showed Nero everything it ontained.
"Now, we'll fire off a few crackers,"
said Willie to Nero, "hut we'll have to
save the most of them till tnc Fourth,
b'cause us boys are going to have our
crackers an' torpedoes together. Won t
we have a fine time, marching to the
commons, with our drums bating and
horns blowing and flags flying ! But
there's one trouble almut you, Nero, an
that is, you can't march with us, b'cause
the boys decided that nolmdy can march
without they have one of our flags, an
there's Just ten flags an' ten toys. I'm
to give out the flags an' if there was any
boy that was sick you could have his
place, if you could only wave a flag."
Nero dropped! his head and ked very
sad. Willie thought it was because Nero
was so badly disappointed, but perhaps It
was because the faithful fallow saw that
his friend was troubled. A they sat
there,' Nero looking so sad and Willie
with his elbows) resting on his knees and
his chin buried In nis hands, they heard
some one whittle and, looking np, saw
Tom Evans coming towarj tbem.
THE FOURTH.
"Heard the news?" Tom asited.
"No. What is it?" answered Willie,
forgetting for a moment his t-ouble over
Nero.
"Ed Bishop's going wttb bin folks to
the city for the Fourth, an' so you'll have
to find some one else to take bis place in
our procession."
Willie gave Nero a quick look. "Oh, I
wish you had hands !"
"Who'll you get?" asked Tun, after
waiting a moment for Willie to speak.
"Dunno yet; I'll have to think abo,uf
it first. See here, I've got lots of things.
Twice as much as we have to have."
"I should say you have! Y ui're lucky.
All the other boys say they had a hard
time to get what they had to. How'd
you manage it?"
"I earned the money, getting coal and
kindling," Willie explained.
"Well, you ought to hive the right to
give out the flags. We'll all meet here
at 10 sharp," and Tom sauntered on.
When he was gone, Willie began to
talk to Nero again.
"Now, there it is. I have firecrackers
an' torpedoes enough for yo'i an' me,
too, an' you heled me earn 'em, carry
ing kindling, didn"t you? Oh, why
haven't you some hands to carry a flag
with !"
Willie was excited now, and up jump
ed Nero, waving his tail as hard as he
could. Willie looked at him for a minute
and then turned a double someiiault, and
came up shouting, "Hurrah! hurrah! Yon
shall march with us. I Vnow I can do
it!"
PQ1BLE COLT'MN.
At last the Fourth came, rnd at 10
o'clock all the boys except Ed were gath
ered in Willie's yard and Willie was talk
ing to them.
"Now, boys," he was saying, 'you left
it to me to put some one in F.d's place,
an' I have selected some one that you
all know an like. He has his share of
crackers an' will wave his flag fine. Will
you promise to give him a rousing wel
come when he comes, so's he won't feel
hurt at being asked to march with us at
the last minute?"
They all promised, and then while they
were asking who it was Willie ran into
the house. A few moments later he came
out, and who should come trotting by his
side but Nero, carrying in his mouth the
handle of a basket that was Ailed with
firecrackers and wagging his tail, to which
was tied a little flag, pole and all !
The boy all gave a great shont when
they saw Nero, and then 'hey formed in
double column and started for the com
mons, Nero walking by Willie'a side, the
proudest dog that ever waved a Fourth of
Jul flag.