J THE CHARITY GIRL f
jj By EFFIE A. ROWLANDS S
CHAPTER IV. (Continued.)
He immediately sent iho girl to
Parisian school, and then he sot a boo
try In to force his way into the rank
of the upper tf-n. His money, hi po
litieal views, and his power, as deterniin
ed by thi! fact of his heing a large em
plover of labor, and, therefore, of con
trolling a large percentage of votes,
lii-ought about an acquaintance-, and then
a friendship, with Sir Edw'n Gaseoigne
iin impecunious but most aristocratic
lironet. By Sir Edwin's ail. Mr Kra
mer was returned in the Conservative
cause, and his step planted on the first
inns of the ladder. lie was a decidedly
clever man, and although to mean and
niggardly to be altogether popular, he
was not long in finding cme friends.
Among these, however, could not be class
eti Constance Gaseoigne, Sir Edward's
second and only surviving daughter. Miss
Gaseoigne was a very beautiful girl, but
phe had won the reputation cf having a
liitter and unkind tongue. Kvery one
knew that Constance Gascoigne did not
fh.ire in her father's infatuation for Mr,
Fraser. and yet she electrified the whole
s.icial world by suddenly becoming his
wife. There was the nine days' gossip,
and then the Eraser marriage became
a thing of the past, although there were
some of Constance's women friends who
still discussed the subject.
"There has been something mysterious
about the girl for the last two years!"
cried Mrs. Fanfare, the biggest scandal
monger of the time, "and I or one al
ways thought that young Frank Anstru
ther's sudden death had a great deal to
do with it. Constance was madly in love
with him, poor girl ! Well, she has done
very well in one sense. This Fraser man
i? rolling in money positively rolling.
any dear!"
In a vague, yet uncertain, way Sheila
felt that it was only through her step
mother's popularity and undoubted social
position that she was received and wel
comed as the friend of the county fami
lies around the neighborhood, and pos
sessed the entree of the best houses in
London when they stayed there for the
season; and, bearing this n mind, it
wai only natural she should be very care
ful to keep on good terms with one who
was so very indispensable to her. Deep
down in the girl's shallow pretense of a
heart there lurked a rank'.itig jealousy
for the delicate, aristocratic, still beau
tiful woman who had been her father's
wife Sheila had never quie understood
Constance Fraser, and she was just a lit
tle bit afraid of her ; she knew how bit
ter the sweet, refined voice could ring
fcometimes, and how contemptuously the
pale lips could curve when occasion mer
ited it. She felt vaguely that Mrs. Fra
ser knew her at her exact worth; and
jet the young stepmother had never, by
word or sign, been anything L u t kind and
affectionately considerate to the girl
whose guardian she was.
.Sheila turned away from the mirror
with a frown, and throwing' herself on her
lace-trimmed pillow, again !.f-ok up her
letters. The frown vanish?d as she read
the warm and pressing invitations from
two or three of the best houses around to
luncheon, dinner, tea, and the like.
"Bah ! I am a fool !" she said to her
self, and she laughed shortly. "I was
only half awake just now, and what if
this girl is pretty, how dos that affect
me? I am Miss Fraser, of Dinglewood,
and heiress to a gool hund,"d thousand
pounds. I don't think I I'eed trouble
my head about a servant maid's face!"
She read through the rest of her letters,
and then rang her bell sharply. "Why
doesn't the girl come back? I must get
up. or Jack will be oa Lelore 1 have
Lalf dressed !"
The bell rang sharply in 'he corridor
outside, but Audrey neither understood
nor heeded its purpose. Sha was very
frightened, and very full of pity at that
particular moment.
She had gone direct, as Miss Fraser
had commanded her, to Mrs. Eraser's
room ; she knew it, because Bircham had
pointed it out to her the ev-?niug before;
ehe had knocked gently, and on receiving
an answer, she had gone timidly in. The
room was large, airy and pretty; it was
hung with dainty chintz, and was, com
pared to Sheila's magnificent apartment,
tduiple beyond description ; vet Audrey
frit, in a sudden and indescribable way,
that she liked it much better; it was so
fresh and dainty looking, and there was
plenty of room to move about. A fire
was burning brightly, and a large bowl
of daffodils and tulips made a spot of
color in the window. A woman, in a
white mob cap and large apon, was just
placing a tray by the bedside, and Au
drey, raising her eyes very urously, saw
a didieate, lovely face lying on the pillow.
"Who is it, Marshall?" inquired Mrs.
Fraser in a low, but singilarly sweet
voice.
"If you please, I I am come from
Miss Fraser."
Audrey- stammered out 'be message as
easily as she could. She -js not exact
ly frightened, tnd yet her heart was fiut
tiring, for she felt rather thin saw that
Mrs. Eraser's eyes were fixed upon her.
Marshall was replying in a brisk yet re
spectful way when her misrress stopped
her. She stretched out a fragile hand,
white as snow, toward the girl.
"Who are you?" she isked In eager,
hurried tones. "Where do you come
from? Come nearer! Come close! I
want to see your face. I "
"If you please, ma'am. tb!c is Miss
Fraser's new maid as Mr. Thorngate
'as got for hr," said Mara'iaM.
Mrs. Fraser had pushed herself up in
bed : her deep blue eyes were shining like
stars, and a rush of color had come into
her white cheiks. Involuntarily Audrey
had drawn nearer, and had pot her small,
work stained fingers into those other del
hate ones. Mrs. Eraser jmsned the girl
round with her face to the light, paused
for Hi instant, and then gave one broken,
obb'Tig cry :
"Merciful heavens! It ' it is
She struggled with her rr?ith, stretch
rd out her two hands as though to some
rnseen yet precious protector, and then
gave an inarticulate moan and dropped
back on her pillow insensib'e. Audrey,
trembling in every limb, hastened to obey
Marshall, as she directed her to bring
some eau-de-cologne and s'llts from the
large chintr-hung dressing table ; she did
not know why, but the signt of Mrs.
Eraser's death-like face pained her be
yond description. Marshall evidently
was not unused to this sign of weakness
in her mistress.
"She'd one of her bad nights," Audrey
heard her mutter; "poor lamb! I knew
it when I first saw her this morning. Poor
Miss Constance ! Poor, pretty Miss Con
stance !"
She whisked away a tear while she rub
bed some of the scent across the pale
brow, and held the salts to the delicate
nostrils.
"I've been with her erer since she were
a child," she said, huskily, to Audrey,
who stood with her hands tightly clasp
ed together ; "and she'll never be nothing
to me but Miss Constance, poor dear !"
"Is is she always ill?" Why was it
that Audrey could not control her voice?
Marshall nodded . her head, and just
then the bell pealed through the corridor
again, and Mrs. Frajier openc-d her thickly
fringed eyes with "a start and looked
blankly around her. Marshall motioned
Audrey away. Audrey reluctantly with
drew her gaze from that sweet, suffering
face, and with the memory ctl those deep
blue eyes clinging to her, she returned
to her mistress' room.
"Another fainting fit?" observed Sheila,
impatiently. "Dear me, now tiresome!
I suppose she won't be able to go to the
Glaston hunt ball to-night. Maxse, you
seem to me inclined to dawdle. I can't
have lazy people about me. Bircham,
my white serge tea gown. I suppose the
breakfast gong has sounde-l?"
"Yes, miss, ten minutes ago; and I
met his lordship a-goin' down as I come
up. You'll just have rmie to run into
Mrs. Fraser's room and "
"I shall have nothing of the kind,"
retorted Sheila stamping her foot im
patiently, as Audrey's cold fingers moved
slowly in their task of buttoning her
dainty shoe straps. "You must go in
and tell Mrs. Fraser I will see her after
breakfast. Bircham, this girl is simply
a clumsy fool ! If you can't teach her to
manage better than this she must go!"
Audrey's eyes were blinded with hot
tears. She was doing her very best, but
Sheila had do pity for her awkwardness.
and could willingly have kicked her for
looking so beautiful.
CHAPTER V.
"What time do we start?" Sheila Fra
ser asked Lord John, as breakfast drew
to an end.
She was not alone with the young
man; an elderly lady, a j:oor relative
ot iher mothers, was present. Had
Sheila been left to her own inclinations.
this quiet, grim, and undoubtedly mid
dle-class Mrs. Watson would never have
been given a place in her home; but
Constance Fraser had spoken s- direct
and to the point on this subject that
her stepdaughter had given in, and offered
n as gracious a manner as she could the
post of housekeeper to this impoverished
connection.
"Do you seriously think of going to-
lay; '.he laughed, turning to the girl,
who looked, very fresh and pretty in her
picturesquely draped white serge gown.
Why not? demanded Shsila.
"Remember the ball."
"Oh, the ball!" with pd u'ry laugh.
'My dear Lord John, I could follow the
hounds for a week at a timQ, and then
dance through two balls."
"Sheila has excellent health," Mrs.
Watson retnnrked, monotonously.
Sheila rose abruptly. Hoy slow their
friendship advanced. He wis perfectly
aware that it was his mother's most earn
est desire to spe Sheila Frassr his wife,
but he was equally well aware that he
had no such desire himself. ITe was in
no hurry to be married, and ha certainly
would never marry for money.
All this, however, he kept 10 himself,
and although he was so intimate with the
heiress of Dinglewood, he bad never by
word or deed given either Sheila or any
one else reason to suppose tha': he held
any deper feeling for the girl than that
of an ordinary friend.
Later Sheila had some dinner in her
room, having ascertained that Mrs. I'ra
ser would be well enough to accompany
her to the ball ; and when the time came
she arrayed herself in her magnificent
diamonds, and even gave "the charity
girl" a smile, as Audrey, overcome with
the brilliant spectacle, put her hands
together, and exclaimed aloud with de
lighted admiration.
"Let Maxse sit up for me, Bircham,"
she ordered, and then she swept away
and j, lined Mrs. Eraser's tall, elegant
figure in the hall below.
"My mistress ought not to have gone
out tonight! It is enough to kill her!"
exclaimed Marshall in indignation. "If i
I had my way, I'd have told Miss Fra
ser pretty plain what I think of her,
dragging a poor, sick, suffering creature
out a cold night like this, and all for her
selfishness! It's heartless, that's what
I call it!"
Bircham made no reply, although she
overheard this speech ; but Audrey felt
her heart beating with sympathy, too.
How fragile and ill Mrs. Fraser looked!
Surely Miss Fraser could not have known
how weak she was !
"Now, keep up the fire, anil you may
go to sleep, if you like," Bin-ham said.
"See that Miss Sheila's fdiprers are
warm, and everything out that she wants.
They'll ring the bell when they come,
but I don't expect they'll te home till
quite morning."
Aurrey glanced at the clock and sighed
wearily; she sat down timid'y on one of
the richly covered chairs, and dictated to
herself that she must not and should not
go to sleep. Needless to say, liefore half
an hour had gone, soothed by the warmth,
the luxurious cushions at her bark, and
iuiled by the silvery ticking of the clock,
she was fast asleep, dreami.ig of Jean.
Al! at nee she was awakened, a bell
went pealing through the siif nt house.
She started from her cozy nok and rub-
Led her eyes. Nearly half past twelve !
They were home early. She stood at at-'
tentir.n, and went to open rho door for,
l.'- - n't..,..., ...... .,,.,.1 trt Virt '
little confusion, and then Audrey heard a
(rank, determined voice.
"I tell you I'm going to carry you up
stairs. I will not leave you till I gee
you safe in your room."
There was some murmured piotest, and
then Audrey perceived Jack Glendur
wood, coming along as easily a3 possi
ble, carrying Mrs. Fraser's slight form
in his arms, lie saw 'he giii in an lu
stant "Which is the room?" he ar.ked, quick
to read and appreciate the sjmpathy in
her great blue eyes,
.
how it would be; you weren't fit for it,
my lamb! Bring her here, my lord. I'm
right thankful to you for cairying her
up ; she's as weak as an infant, that's
wha she is."
"Don't believe her, Jack," said Con
stance Fraser in her sweet, feeble voice.
She was lying back in a great wide
chair, looking inexpressibly beautiful,
though as white as a ghost, in her long,
black velvet dress, with th-j rich Valen
ciennes lace about the neck.
Jack Glendurwood foio"d his arms and
iooked down at her gravely,
"Promise to go to bed at once," he
said. "I shall not leave 1 ntil I hear
j on are at rcst."
"At rest?" A faint, bitter smile flick
ered across the pale lips, and then Mrs.
Fraser stretched out her hand. "Good
night, my friend. Heaven bb'ss you and
thank you for your loving tfre of me.
I I am not worth it, Jack, dear; I am
not worth it."
For answer he bent down and kissed
the white hand, and then Mrs. Fraser
caught sight of Audrey standing behind.
"It was no dream! It was no myth!
Come to me, child ! Ah, do not be fright
ened ; I will not harm you. 1 will only
kiss you, and gaze into your face."
.Tnek- Glenrlnrwood had turned with a
She led the way and opened the door. le mr-muxi overcoat.
Marshall was dozing by ta tire " haven't noticed him giving away
"What is it?" she cried, starting up anything," said the passenger with the
hurriedly; then, as she grasped the sit-1 leatherlne suitcase, folding his news
nation, "Ah, Miss Constance, I knew : paper and Docketing' It. "What har
start, and made way for Audrey to pass ' knew such a mean old rooster. I was
him. She move slowly across to that telling this Skilliven about the "way he
black-robed form and knelt down. She acted up all the time In his office. I
was not frightened, only awed and guess there Isn't one of his clerks who
strangely stirred. wouldn't jwlson him If he got a good
"Lift up your eyes. Ah !" as Audrey c.hanee. Skilliven, it seems, knew him.
obeyed her. "Child ! Child ! Who are .. .j believe a that ,g ,
you? What are you. with your face that r
comes up from the past?" She bent for- ; - T .' . -
ward and touched the girl's brow with "le irritable at times, but lies Blit
her lips ; she clung to the girl's hands 1 red with dyspepsia a good deal to
and a moan escaped her. Suddenly she my certain knowledge. We must make
released her hold, and her htad dropped . allowances. He's a pretty nice old man,
on her breast.
"Take her away, my lo.-d !" cried Mar
shall, bending over her mistress. "She
has got something on her mind! She has
doni nothing but talk of this child's face
all day. It's only weakness, I fear. Poor
Mh' Constance!"
"Ccme," said Jack to Audrey, very
gentlj.
As one in a dream she rose to her feet
and followed hiin out of the room, and
then, when she was outside, she burst
inti a flood of irrepressible, rertous tears,
leaning against the wall, ieriiess of any
one or anything but the strange, wild tu-
rnul and pain in ner Dreast. jacK stoou
by in silence, but as ner so"5s diea away
he put his hand gentlv on her shoulder. There were 1,234.2 18 Odd Fellows In
"Poor child ! Boor little child I" Then, the United States January 1.
as she lifted her tear-stained, eloquent 'rue total number of Immigrants to
loveliness to his face, he Jrew both her thg L-tetl states, lOtMi, was 1,100,735.
hand in his. "Don't cry, child!" he 1 ,
said, quickly, "I-I hate to s.-e you cry. Larl Gray, Governor-General of Can-Yo-.i
seem very lonely; you are strange nda, receives a salary of $50,UO0 a
here. Come; shall we strike a bargain? . year.
You let me help you yesteriiiy. you must
let me help you again. Shall we be
friends?"
"Friends, my lord?" she faltered. "You
and I ! Oh, it cannot De ! ! am only
a servant, a charity girl, and ycu "
"Are henceforth the friend of that char
ity girl," was his answer, and with that
he bfnt and kissed her hand as he had
just kissed Constance Fraser's and, with
a tender smile and gentle "good-night"
wen- slowly down the stairs and out of
the biuse.
(To be continued.)
NATION OF SALT EATERS.
A Barrel a Year In Connnnied for
Every Three Peron.
The United States consumes 20,S72,
700 barrels of salt annually, or a bar
rel for every three persons In the
land. Last year It went abroad for
only 1.151.133 barrels. In 1S.S0 153.5
per cent of the salt used in our coun
try was of home production. Last year
95.7 per cent of the product consumed
was produced within the borders of
this country. In 1X80 the consumption
in this country was only !).384,2i!3 bar
rels. Thus we see that the people of
the United States are using annually
three times as much salt as they used
twenty-six years ago.
Only 5,!il,0;0 barrels were pro
duced In this country in 1XSO, and the
consumers were forced to go abroad
for 3,427,1530 barrels. Last year the
total production at home was 25,!li;(5,
122 barrels.
The chief salt-producing States are
Michigan and New York. Statistics
recently gathered by the government
show that the combined output of these
two States amounts to more than two
thirds of the total production of tbe
United States.
No attempt has ever been made to
ascertain what per cent of the salt
consumed In the United States is used
for culinary purposes. The annual
output Is consumed In tbe Industries of
meat-packing, fish curing, dairying and
the like. The chlorination of gold ores
demands a large quantity, and great
quantities of salt In the form of brine
are used In the manufacture of soda
ash, caustic soda and other salts. Salt
Is cheap. The average price for i;xi5
was a little over 23 cents a barrel,
which Is lower than that reported In
any previous year. Dry salt, of course,
brings a higher price than brine. The
average price for dry salt last year
was 31.51 cents a barrel.
Strennona Job.
"Has young Dudeleigh any occupa
tion?" asked the dear girl's mother.
"Indeed he has," replied tha d. g.
"He's raising a mustache."
"That friend of yours, Sklllven, Is
certainly one of the most charitable
men I ever met," remarked the passen-
,... ...11. O ,t. , t
pened to touch his heart?"
"I don't mean that exactly," said the
passenger In the fur-lined overcoat "I
don't know whether he's easy or tight,
but I know he takes charitable views."
"That's easy," commented the man
with the . leatherlne suitcase. "Ills
Ideas may be liberal, but he isn't not
to speak of. Borrowed his wheelbar
row last spring and I happened to
break one of the handles. At least, I
didn't break It ; It was broken already,
or splintered. Well, I offered to pay to
UllC IL 1CJ1U1LC7L1, UL LUUlSt', HUH UltillCU
if he didn't take me up on It !"
"Thnt was pretty small," agreed the
man with the fur-Uned overcoat. "I
don't wonder you're sore on him."
"I don't know that I'm sore, particu
larly. It was only 125 cents, but It
1, ... If ,,,w, I P . . . , 1 . 1 .. 1
I didn't seem to me very neighborly.
Kind of a cranky disposition, too."
"Well, of course, I don't know any
thing about that, but I was talking
with him about old Brackenbury. Talk
about a crank, Braekenburk is one for
I your whiskers. He's got a grouch
ng"l"st humanity. Hanged If I ever
when you know him.'
"'I, know him pretty well by repu
tation,' I said. 'He's got the reputation
of hln!, th n,Pnosf 0i(i skinflint thnt
j
. "
process for making rubber from
ft.,leat hag beeQ hfventod.
The lower peninsula of Michigan Is
said to be entirely underlaid with rock
salt.
The churches are th Portuguese
polling places and votes In Portugal
are cast nowhere else.
There are 3i3 stock and 234 mutual
Are Insurance companies in the United
States January 1, 1907.
Workmen In one of the streets of
Madrid dug up an old walnut-wood
chest containing 300 gold doubloons.
Medals of honor for distinguished
gallantry In war in which the United
States was engaged are held by 458
Americans.
The result of the first six months'
working of the Slmplon tunnel have
been tabulated, and show that an aver
age of 8,000 passengers were carried a
day.
If not absolutely the oldest, the Stora
Kopparberget in Sweden Is the oldest
copper mine of which there are any of
ficial figures. It lias been worked con
tinuously for nearly 800 years.
The dreaded nun butterfly Is appear
ing everywhere in Bohemia, threaten
ing the devastation of the forests. The
neighboring woods of Saxony and Si
lesia are also threatened. I he Minis
try of Agriculture has named a com
mission to investigate.
Andrew Carnegie's "hero fund" was
established iu 1904 with $5,000,000 at
its disposal. The commission had
awarded sixty-three medals up to Jan.
1, 1907, and disbursed about $40,000,
aside from about $05,000 given San
Francisco and other sufferers from dis
asters. Perhaps for concentrated Inaccuracy
of statement nothing can surpass the
following sentence, which occurred In
an account of a burglary given a short
time back In a paper: "After a fruit
less search all the money was recov
ered, except one pair of boots." Tlt
Blts. One of the princesses of the Bur
mese court, a young woman not yet 20,
Is said to be the possessor of the costli
est dress in the world. It Is a court
costume and worn only on rare occa
sions. It Is studded with Jewels re
puted to be worth In the aggregate not
less than one million four hundred
thousand dollars. Leslie's Weekly.
Several New York postmen, accord
ing to the World, have made fortunes
of more than $200,000. These men, al
though independently wealthy, through
extra effort during leisure hours, stM
trudge from house to house dally with
inallbag and whistle, content to ac
cept a salary of $1,000 a year which
ever pared cheese with a razor. They
tell uie he won't have his shoes pol
ished because the friction might wear
them out and that he's had the barber
save the hair he cuts off him for the
last thirty years to stuff a mattress.'
" 'That's nonsense,' he says. The
poor old gentleman has been bald for
the last thirty years. He's frugal, I
know, but don't consider that a vice.1
Me l, then I mentioned the old rat's
love of money and he excused thnt by
saying tha most old men were more or
less avaricious.
Not to the extent of dishonesty,' I
says. 'Ive heard of things he's done
that ought to have landed him In the
penitentiary.'
" 'Well,' says Skilliven, 'we're all hu-
man and we've got our little faults. If I Another ancient invention was the
It isn't one thing it's another, and we oollar Btud It ,g true tuat tbe flIlcU,I)t
don't want to be too hard on people, HOIuas dld ,lot use buttons to fasten
especially old people. I don't supjiose tuelr gann0Iltai but for this very reason
Mr. Brackenbury has a great many safety pins were more urgently required,
more years to live, and I'm sorry for and tbe hltter gtHm to llave beell 8U1,.
that, because he really Is, when you get pielneted by studs of bronze, which
to know him, a very nice old gentle- were m sba,,e exactiy uke tboso of to
man. He has some excellent qualities day of mirsei people In those times
and my family thinks the world of j Wore no collars, but the little eontrl
him.' Nqw, I don't care what you say, vnnce iu question was utilized in other
when a man can talk that way about , ways. Probably and Indeed the as-
a hoary old scoundrel like W. 1). Brack
enbury, he's mighty charitable."
"Huh!" ejaculated the man with the
leatherlne suitcase contemptuously. "I ture on slight provocation for the pur
don't suppose he told you that his wife 'pose Gf eluding observation and pur
ls Brack's next of kin and that they 8Uit, with the usual perversity of inanl
expect to come In for the bulk of his mate objects. Scientific American,
money when he dies. Oh, he's a charlt-1
able duck, all right, and when It comes
to wheelbarrows with broken han -
dies "
"Well, that wasn t the only thing,'
said the man with the fur-llned over
coat. "We talked about other people In 1S83 the Prince of Wales, was
too you among them and he spoke m"ch Interested in the creation and
pretty well of you." organization of the College of Music
"I don't see any particular reason in London. He caused It to be lntl
why he shouldn't." said tbe man with mated to the late Sir Henry Irving that
the leatherlne suitcase. "I never bilked lt woul(1 8ll0W the Interest of another
him out of 25 cents." Chicago Daily an(1 nlIlwl brnndl of nrt ,n tbe um,er
News. j taking If the dramatic artists would
'give a benefit for the new college. The
Uncle Sam provides for his postmen.
In every case tbe fortunes were made
through shrewd Investments in real es
tate. London now has six
underground
electric railways (tubes) In operation, Princess of Wales attended, and a sum
and five more are under construction of more than one thousand iounds was
or projected. The railways of London, turned over to the college the entire
underground and surface, carry more receipts. Irving himself, says Mr. Brain
than 000,000,000 persons each year, of Stoker in his "Personal Reminiscences
which underground lines accommodate 0f Henry Irving," paid all the expenses.
258,000,000. There are nearly 000 rail-1 in the first year of its working, when
way stations In Greater London, and the class for dramatic study was or
into the trunk lino stations alone there 'ganized, Irving was asked by the diree
pour annually more than 300,000 pas- torate to examine it, which he did cheer-S(,Wrs-
I fully, and in due time made his report.
A dip Into an official return showed Soon afterward be received a letter of
that there are 1,204 London cabmen thanks for his services,
between the ages of (50 and 70, 249 be- Although quite formal, lt was a most
twecn the ages of 70 and 80, while 7 genial and kindly letter, and to the slg
return their age between 80 and 90. ' nature was appended "chairman." In
One almost suspects these seven old acknowledging It to Sir George Grove,
patriarchs of having carried sedan the director of the college, Irving said
chairs In tbe pregrowler days. At all what a pleasure it had been to him to
events, they are a living advertisement be an examiner, and assured Sir George
of London as a health resort, with beef- ' that he would gladly hold his services
steak, overcoat and mufller. Loudon ' at the disposal of the college, lie add-
Chronicle.
The name "Polly," applied to the
parrot. Is said to have been brought
to the North In an early day by flat
boatmen, who took grain and provls-
lons down the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers to New Orleans. Parrots were
in cages at the doors of many French
shops and the Westerners heard the
French say to the bird, "Parlez, par
lez," pronounced parley, and meaning
"speak! speak!" This word, as they
brought it back, came to be inilly.
DUCKS 1,200 MILES AT SEA.
Bird Circle Around Stenmahlp, Tak
lng It for an Inland.
The Oceanic Steamship Company's
liner Mariposa, Captain Lawless, ar
rived from Tahiti with twenty-three
passengers and a cargo of tropical
products. Among the passengers was
W. F. Doty, former American consul
at Papeete and recently promoted to
represent Uncle Sam In Persia as Unit
ed States consul.
The Interests of America In Persia
have been represented hitherto by the
secretary of the British legation at Te
heran, who acted as United States vice
consul whenever necessity arose. This
government, liowever, recently appoint
ed three consuls for Persia, among
them Mr. Doty, whose post will le at
Fabriz. This Is in the same latitude as
San Francisco and Is one of the most
Inaccessible consular posts In the world.
In Journeying to his new station Con- j ed meaning from his text, a corre
sul Doty will have to travel camel spondent relates that the following
back for l,r00 miles. question was put to a history class:
On the afternoon of Nor. D Captain "What misfortune then happened to
Lawless was surprised to see twelve nishop Odo?" The reply came quite
black and white ducks flying overhead, readily. "He went Mind." An explana
They came from the eastward. After. tlon Was demanded, and the genius
circling around the Mariposa a nutn- bro,ight up the text book. "There, sir"
ber of times, as if they were wondering triumphantly, "the book says so." The
wnat Kina 01 an imriiu me uner was,
the ducks wheeled Into line and re
sumed their flight, heading due west
The ducks were 1,800 miles from Ran
Francisco and 1,200 miles from Ha
waii, the nearest land. San Francisco
Call.
Oil Putntlnu of Anelent Day.
Oil painting was nn art thoroughly
understood by the ancients, but was
lost sight of and only revived about the
end of the thirteenth century. A. D.
KOMANS USED SAFETY PINS.
Cullur Mutton Amoiiir the Article
Found In Ancient Tuinlia,
Every now and thou It Is discovered
that some extremely "modern" Inven
tion Is lu reullty exceedingly old. For
example, the safety pin, far from bein
tt novelty or even of recent origin, 1
decidedly undent a fact made certain
by the finding of u great muuy such
pins, fashioned exactly like those of to
day, In old Roman und Etruscan tomba,
; dating back to a period a good deal
cat Her than the birth of Christ
The safety pin in truth was an arti
cle of common use In Italy long before
the Roman empire attained the height
of Its glory. Some of them were exact
ly like those of to-day, utilizing the fa
miliar principle of colled spring and
catch, but the material of which they
were made seems always to have been
broiue Th QU dovelopnient
howevei. far more rCmarkatle than our
moderu safety plua llinny of them be
)g qu,te ,arge nffair8) ten nci,ea or so
n ,ength and hollo as ,f deslgned to
attached to the wu lu frout and
,,)Av tn f.m,rnl a,nM.i.,o. nr other
conceivably flowers. Not Infrequent-
,v thev orn.ulient(1 with rems.
sumption Is not a rash one it had In
that early eixx'h the same habit as
now 0f rolllng under a piece of furnl
V
j
j
i
"MR. EDWAKD."
prince even suggested that "Robert Ma
calre" would do excellently for the oc
casion, with an all-star cast.
Of course Irving was delighted to
help, and the result was a splendid per-
formaiiee. at which the I'lince and
ed ti his letter this iost.-tcrlpt :
"By the way, who Is our genial friend,
Mr. Edward, chairman? I do not think
I have met him."
He got a horrified letter sent by nies-
senger from Sir George, explaining that
! the signature was that of "Albert Kd-
ward" then Prince of Wales, now his
majesty, Kdward VII.
In the Snrfaoe Car.
A fat Irishwoman, hearing a number
of bundles, entered a crowded street
car. The only semblance of a seat shu
could find was a small space at the
right of a smartly dressed youth. Into
this space, sufficient only for an Indi
vidual of ordinary size, the fleshy Irish
woman squeezed herself, much to the
annoyance of the youth.
After a moment or so the Irish
woman produced a cheese sandwich,
which she proceeded to devour with
every evidence of relish.
At this the youth gave her a look of
ineffable disgust and drew the skirts
of his frock oat closer to hl:n.
"I suppose, me lad," good-naturedly
said the woman, "that ye'd prayfer-r to
have a glntleman sittlu' nixt to ye."
"I certainly would," snapped the
youngster.
"So would I," calmly responded the
fat person. Exchange.
"Deprived of II In See."
As an example of the ability of the
Juvenile scholar to evolve an unexrMK-t-
sentence Indicated by an Ink stained
digit read. "Odo was deprived of his
see." Ixindon Spectator.
Flrnt lii.uruiiir Company, 1 OOf.
The Society of Assurance for Wid
ows and Orphans was the first known
life Insurance company and was estab
lished In London In 1099.
Education Is a great thing, no doubt,
hut the befit housekeeiKTS didn't get
j their knowledge out of bool'-