Us Wand OR The Devil-Stick Br th Author of "The Mystery of a Hansom Cb," Etc CHAPTER XVIII. This long conversation har somewhat exhausted Jaggard, who was yet weak so, telling him to cease from talking, Jen recalled the housemaid, and left the room to think over all he had learned. The story of .Jaggard con vinced him more than ever that Dr. Etwald was the cause of all the terrible events, which had occurred during the last few weeks. Without doubt it was he who had treacherously hidden Dido in the chamber of death. After drug ging Jaggard, the negress no doubt had opened the window to admit Et wald, and between them this precious pair had carried off the dead body. "Yes," said Jen to himself that night, as he retired to bed. "To-day I have learned sufficient to implicate Etwald; to-morrow I shall be able to convict him. Dido must confess or go to pris on." Angered by the selfish way In which David had acted, Jen did not commun icate his discoveries to the young man. During the night he took counsel with himself, and the next morning he acted upon the plans which he had formed, These were to see Dido and force the truth from her; to send Battersea to Deanminster to fetch both Arkel and Dr. Etwald to "Ashantee;" and finally, to communicate his discoveries to the Inspector and get him to arrest Et wald. After breakfast the Major wrote two . notes one for Arkel, asking him to be at "Ashantee" by noon, as the writer had important matters to discuss; the other for Etwald, requesting him to call and see Jaggard, who, added Jen significantly In the letter, had recover ed his senses! Having thus prepared his trap for the doctor to walk into, Jen delivered the letters to Battersea, with instructions to set oft at once for Deanminster. When the Major had seen him safely out of the gates, he took his way towards "The Wigwam" for the all-important interview with Dido. On arrivine at "The Wigwam," Jen presented his card, and was shown in to the drawing-room, there to wait :he arrival of Mrs. Dallas. On hearing that the Major had called to see her, fhe sent Dido to inform him that she TgtTOild shortly accord him an lnter--view. The negress, as gloomy and sul ."len as ever, delivered this message -with folded arms and bent head. Then, without even a look at him, she turned rto leave the room, when Jen placed fcimself between her and the door. "Not yet, Dido," he said, in a cold voice. "It is true that I called to see your mistress; but I wish to speak to you also." "What you wish, sah?" "To ask you a few questions about the devil-stick." "Massa, I say all I know of de deb-ble-stick!" "Indeed, you did not. Dido. You did not inform me that by Dr. Etwald's directions you filled the devil-stick with poison; or that you steeped the handkerchief found in the room of Mr. Aylmer in the same poison for the pur pose of drugging my servant; or again, that you concealed yourself under ..the bed, and afterwards drugged him." . A kind of terror showed itself in the dilated eyes of the negress. She could not -understand how Jen had become possessed of a knowledge of her crimes, and at. first was struck with stupor by the recital. Speedily, however, she re covered herself, and with a dark smile of contempt and pity she was about to deny all, when Jen brought out his last accusation. "Nor," said he, fixing his eyes on the woman, "did you confess that you opened the window of Mr. Aylmer's room, and aided Dr. Etwald to carry away the dead body?" "De de dead dead!" she stam mered, shrinking back. "Yes, the dead body of Mr. Aylmer, which you and Dr. Etwald took to his house at Deanminster. No denial, woman," said Jen, raising his voice, as ehe was about to speak. "I see by your face that you are guilty." Dido trembled all over, whether from rage or fear Jen could not determine, and opened her mouth to give the lie to her accuser. Then she shut it again, as a heavy step was heard outside the door. A moment later and Mrs. Dallas, with a face expressive of astonishment, was standing on the threshold of the room; and Dido at her feet was making the room resound like a Jungle with bowlings like those of a wild beast. All the savage nature of the woman was now on the surface, and had bro ken through the sullen restraint of her impassive d'-meanor. "What is the meaning of this?" de manded Mrs. Dallas, with an uneasy glance at the frantic negress. "I shall explain when Dido stops her bowling," said Jen, quite undisturbed. "Oh, missy! missy!" wept the ne gress. getting on to her feet. "It all am a lie what dat massa say. Poo' ole Dido know nuffin' do nuflin'." Major Jen took Dido by the shoulder, and piving her a good shake, com manded her to be silent. At once the negress who waa evidently acting: a part ceased her outcries, and after casting her eyes significantly at her mistress, stared sullenly at the floor. Mrs. Dallas turned pale at this rapid glance, and was obliged to take a seat to prevent herself from falling. Jen recapitulated for the benefit of Mrs. Dallas the points of his accusation against the negress. Dido heard him In silence, but this time she made nei ther outcry nor denial. Mrs. Dallas appeared to be horrified by the recital. Every now and then ehe cast a look of terror at Dido, while passing her handkerchief over tear of Sleei 1 white lips. When the Major conclud ed, she could only shake her head and stammer a few words. "It cannot be true," she murmured, "It is impossible." "It Is a fact," insisted Jen. "I have the evidence of Jaggard to prove that Dido was in the room on that night. "Dido," cried Mrs. Dallas, In a trem bling voice, "is this true?" The negress raised her wild eyes slowly to the face of her mistress What she saw therein evidently deter mined her reply. Without a word she bent her head. "Ah!" cried Jen, "you admit your guilt." "No," said Dido, bluntly, "I say da I In de room, but I no kill dat man "But you filled the devil-stick with fresh poison?" "No," said Dido again. "I saw no debble-stick." w oman, cried Jen, with energy "no one but you could manufacture th poison with which the devil-stick wa filled." "Dat I know; but I no fill the debble stick." "Do you mean to say that Dido killed Mr. Aylmer?" asked Mrs. Dallas, ner vously. "No; but she supplied the means to the man who did. Dr. Etwald." "Dr. Etwald!" repeated Mrs. Dallas in what seemed to Jen to be a tone o relief. "Why do you think he killed Mr. Aylmer?" "Because Maurice was engaged to your daughter, whom he wished to marry. Etwald killed my poor lad s as to remove a dangerous rival from his path. And Dido manufactured the poison which was used to drug the watchers of the dead." "The watchers of the dead!" echoed Mrs. Dallas, with a start. "Well, let us say my servant, Jag gard. He was drugged by Dido, and she stole the body, or, rather, she aid ed Etwald to do so." "Dido, is this true?" "Yis," said the negress, coldly; "de great massa tole me to do dat." "The great master," repeated Jen "you mean Dr. Etwald? He took away the body of Mr. Aylmer, and you help ed him? Why did you steal the body?" "Ask de great massa." "Where did you take ft to?" demand ed Jen, baffled In one direction and trying another. "Ask de great massa," said Dido, once more. "The law will do that. I intend to have Dr. Etwald arrested. On three charges. First, that he thieved the devil-stick; second, that he killed Mau rice; third, that he stole the lad's body." Mrs. Dallas fell back on the sofa. with a white face. Dido laughed In a guttural fashion, and shrugged her shoulders contemptuously. 'Voodoo!" she said, and laughed again. ' The Major guessed that she meant that African witchcraft would avert disaster from Etwald, and at once flung the word back in her face. "Voodoo will not help the doctor, said he, quietly. "This is a civilized country, and we who Inhabit it are above being influenced by such degrad ing superstitious. You believe In Voo doo, in Obi; let us see if such things will protect you." jo you mean tnat jjiuo is In dan ger of arrest?' cried Mrs. Dallas. In a terrified tone. "Certainly as the accomplice of Et wald. She filled the devil-stick with the poison which was used to kill," re torted the Major, coldly; "and she con fesses to having aided him in stealing the body." "Ah!" murmured Mrs. Dallas, cast ing a haggard look around. "All ! lost." 'Are you alluding to Dido?" demand ed Jen, rather surprised at her tone. Mrs. Dallas was about to speak, when the negress silenced her with a look, and raised her head proudly. Yis. It ole Dido," she said. "But ole Dido not lost. Dat great massa, he look after old Dido." 'If you mean Dr. Etwald, he will have enough to do to look after him self. Well, Mrs. Dallas, as I have learned what I wished to know, I shall now take my leave." 'You go to ruin us," wept Mrs. Dal las. "No," said Jen, In an inflexible voice, I go to punish the man who killed my boy." Without another word he left the room. His last glance showed mat Dido had gathered her sobbing mis tress in her arms, and was staring after him in a defiant manner. At the front door Jen heard his name called softly, and Isabella, with a rich color in her usually pale cheeks, came flying after him. "Major, Major, I have heard all! I have been listening at the window." "Then you know that I am aware of your deception about the handker chief?" "Yes. I did rot speak truly," stam mered Isabella; "but I could not act otherwise. It was to save a certain person." "Ah! you know who committed th first of the crimes," cried Jen, seizing the young girl's arm. "Confess. It vas Dr. Etwald who stole the wand of sleep." "No! No! Not Dido! Oh!" cried Isabella, in a tone of anguish, "it was my mother." CHAPTER XIX. Major Jen recoiled from the young girl In amazement. "Your mother," he muttered, hardly believing the evidence of his own senses. "Your mother stole the devil-stlck?'' "yes, but she did not know whn etit was doing. Wait! . Listen!" said Isa bella, much agitated. "I told you false hoods before to shield my mother. Now that I know you have discovered ss much, that you are bent on punishing Dr. Etwald, I must tell you the truth, so that she may not be dragged down to ruin. Come with mo, Major. Quick ly!" Without glancing towards the houae, Isabella ran down a secluded path which led through a kind of shrubbery to the flower garden, and then disap peared into a light cane summer-house, which was constructed in the Chinese fashion and overgrown with greenery. Major Jen followed her as rapidly ns his more mature age would permit htm. "Major," she said, when, somewhat out of breath, he had taken his seat beside her in the summer-house, "al though I relate what inculpates my mother, it is to save her that I do bo, Both she and I are In a net woven by Dido." "Ah! poor Maurice always mistrust ed that negress." He was right to do so. Oh, you do not know what a terrible woman she is. l or years both I and my mother have been under her influence and have submitted to her will. Now, I s her in her true colors, and I am deter mined to speak the truth. Save mysolf and my mother, Major, for we are In nocent. Dr. Etwald and Dido are thn guilty persons." "They killed Maurice. They stol the body." "I can swear they did," said Isabella with emotion. "I have only been cer tain of these things since our last In terview. I lied to you then because Dido said if I told the truth she would accuse my mother of the murder." I see," said Jen, thoughtfully, "and 1 can understand their motives. Dido wished you to marry Etwald." "Yes; and it was to force my mother into compliance with that desire that the whole of these crimes were com mitted. Dido " One moment, Miss Dallas. What influence has Etwald over the ne gross?" "He is the possessor of the Voodoo stone. It is a small black pebble of a peculiar shape," explained the girl "and it was brought from Africa .c Barbadoes over a hundred years ago. The negroes believe that a spirit dwells in this stone, and that when it is wor shipped the indwelling devil can work woe to those against whom the posses sor of tne stone bears malice. You can have no idea how the talisman is venerated by all the blacks; they would go miles to look on it to adore it; they would burn down a city to possess it; to gain it they would mur der a hundred human beings. Weil. ut. .ciwaia was in liarljailoes some years ago, and he gained possession of this vodoo stone. He has used it while here to Intimidate Dido. While he holds it, she will not dare to disobev him, and all this plotting and assassi nation, designed to bring about my marriage with Dr. Etwald, has been designed by him, and carried out by Dido, solely on account of his owner ship of the Voodoo stone. You know that she calls him the great master! Well, now you can guess the reason for her servile worship of this man." And how about the theft of this devil-stick?" "Oh, on the night It was stolen I was seated on the verandah after dinner, and I saw my mother come put with Dido. They did not know I was there. I sat In the shade. I saw Dido speak to my mother and point towards your house. Then she waved her hands before my mother's face, whereupon my mother turned and walked swiftly past where I was seated. I saw her face; it was quite white, and her eyes were open and glassy. When my mother disappeared Dido re-entered the house. At once terrified by my mother's action I ran down the little path which leads to the gate, and fol lowed her out on to the road. She went into your grounds by the postern in the wall. I saw her cross the lawn, and enter the smoking-room, wherein a lamp was burning. When she came out, It was with the devil-stick in her hand. I recognized it by the golden handle. I reached home before she did, and again hid on the verandah. Dido re-appeared as my mother came up the walk, and took the devil-sti::!-: from her. Then she led her indoors." (To be continued.) nnftlneNM Experiments In Health. Insurance companies are beginning to discover that to cure tuberculosis Is cheaper than to pay death losses. says Charles Edward Russell In Suc cess Magazine. The Insuring order of Modern Woodmen of America has es tablished at Colorado Springs a large, well-equipped sanatorium for the treat ment of tubercular cases among Us members. One of the great New York insurance companies has considered seriously a similar sanatorium for the benefit of its policyholders. A convic tion of the advantages of health and content seems to be spreading among the managers of some great enter prises. In San Francisco, where, part ly through the loyal support of their employes, the corporations won a sweeping victory at the polls, these corporations are now encouraging ath letics and entertainments among their men, even, in some cases, undergoing considerable expense for that pur pose. In New lork and elsewhere the like Interesting development is to be observed In the department stores that provide gymnasiums for their clerks, an idea much in favor in England. I am told that wherever these experi ments have been tried the results have been regarded as profitable. Of course these are but minute beginnings. To have healthy employes Is important to business; to have general health throughout the community is of vast ly greater importance. Good Ilule to Follow. What is worth doing Is worth do ing well; and with little more trouble at first, much trouble afterwards may be avoided. Max Mueller, Letter to John Bellows. Up to 1789 the chief water works of New York City was In Chatham street, now Park row. The water was carted about the city In casks and sold frou carts. THINGS WORTH KNOWISTO. Only 5 per cent of the total area of the world is tillable. The mines of Butte. Mont., have a combined pay roll of $3,000,000 a year. The Argentine Legislature Is con sidering the construction of under ground railways for Buenos Ayrea. It is Just being realized that the Trans-Siberian Railroad was a poor lob from an engineering standpoint. The observed rate for the sound of "a" in "great" Is 420, and for the sound of "a" In "nia," 770 waves a econd. The telephone and telegraph wires of the United States would encircle the earth at the equator more than 600 times. To prevent the alteration of checks or other valuable papers an inventive genius has brought out an electric ap paratus which burns tiny holes In the paper as the inscription is written. Electricity has at last been applied co the Teddy bear, a Maryland man having patented one that opens its Jaws and flashes lights from its eyes, nose and mouth, when a battery in its interior is pressed. The work on the Jungfrau Railway is progressing so rapidly that it will probably be opened next year to Jung frau Joch, where a station and hotel accommodating 200 persons have been hewn out of the solid rock. ' Though hydrophobia has been stamped out of Britain, it is still ram pant in Germany, where every year over 2,500 dogs and cats afflicted with the disease are destroyed. A patent on a horseshoe designed to prevent the stumbling of horses wa granted in Panama four years ago. FASHION HINTS One of the prettiest models for a dainty little afternoon gown of batiste, is shown above. The wee yoke is of fine ecru lace, the batiste being of that color, and there's just a touch of light blue in the em broidery. "A SIHe Too Frying." Bushby had many natural advan tages and beauties, but Mrs. Abner Crane, who was a brief sojourner in the place, having been there only a matter of ten years or so, never appre ciated it. "She was aching to get back to Nashuy the whole enduring time " said one of Mrs. Crane's Bushby neighbors, "and I was glad to see her go, feeling as she did." "What was it she didn't like about Bushby?" asked one of the summer residents, curiously. "She said she 'didn't pet the news o' the day quick enough to suit her,' " quoted the neighbor, with as near an imitation of Mrs. Crane's air as she could manage. "As I said to my Asy, what on earth she wanted more than we have In the way o' news-spreaders here, I don't know. "When you consider that there are five telephones in town, a grocery wa gon driven by Lucy Grant's boy twice a week, Lucy Grant herself to sew for everybody in town by the day, and all taking milk from Jed Kimball, I don't know how we could bo any better fixed. I call anybody that wants more news 'o the day than Bushby folks get a mite too prying myself." GIntluViiInw Hia Heart. "Dear papa," wrote the little girl at the summer resort, "I have gained six ounces in weight since we came here. Mamma sends her love. Please write to us to-mnrrow. S.'nd your love and all the money you can spare." Chica go Tribune. While the Sparrow Cop Looked Oa. Ardly Keap W'y don't ye roll fur der along under da tree, an' git out o" de sunshine? Solon Bo"ey Too blame much like work. FIRE BLIGHT IN APPLE TREES A Brief Description o. the and Its Cure. Disease By H. S. Jackson, Oresron Asrrlcultural College, i;orvallls. Fire blight is the'most serious of all the diseases which attack the pear and apple. It is a contagious disease of bacterial origin which, under proper conditions, may attack any part of the tree. Besides the pear and apple, the quince, wild crab apple, hawthorns. mountain ash, serviceberry and some other pomaceous trees are subject to attacks of this disease. Myriads of germs are present in all freshly blighted portions of the tree and in the sticky ooze exuding from cankers. The germs live almost en tirely in the sappy portion of the bark, though in some vigorous-growing vari eties of pears the germs have been known to invade the sap wood to a limited extent. Fire blight occurs in more or less severity in nearly all parts of the United States where pears and apples are grown. In Oregon fire blight has appeared in two general localities one in the Southwestern part of the state, includ ing the Rogue River valley, the other in the Northeastern part. Beginning in the spring the first ap parent damage produced by the disease in an infected orchard is the blighting of the blossoms. Infection is brought about by insects, principally bees, which have visited a case of hold-over blight and become covered with the organisms contained in the sticky ex udation, inoculating the flowers in their search tor nectar. ,The organ isms divide and multiply in the nectar and are able to enter the living tissues through the unprotected nectaries. Having entered the tissues they quick ly blight the blossoms, pass down the blossom-stem and into the fruit spur, killing the tissues and cutting off the leaves from water supply, causing them to shrivel and dry, thus produc ing "fruit spur blight." The latter occurs several weeks after blossom in fection. In very serious cases nearly all the fruit spurs may be blighted in this way and the trees set no fruit. Usually the germs die out and do not grow into the twig or branch on which the spur occurs, but occasionally the germs may continue into the bark of the branch at the base of the fruit spur and form a typical canker. Fruit spurs on the larger branches are a fruitful source of body infection and many cases of blight canker originate in this way The name "fire blight" is given to this disease because of the characteris tic appearance of pear foliage on twigs or branches which have been killed by the organisms. The leaves turn black as though scorched by fire and fre quently remain on the tree during the following winter. It should be noted that this color of the foliage is charac teristic of the pear when it has been killed during the growing season. If a grower not familiar with the pear blight desires to known how the "twig blight" looks let him girdle a twig in mid-summer and watch the results. The cankers are also quite character istic, but are very variable in appear ance. The disease progresses most rapidly in the fleshy -outer layer of the bark and at first produces a watery appearance in the affected area. Later the tissues of the bark are more or less broken down and the cankers become dark in color. , One of the most fruitful sources of infection has been by the pruning shears or saw. In pruning, if -an active canker is cut into, the tools be come infected and serve as inoculating instruments to spread the disease. The only method known of control ling fire blight is to cut out all cases of cankers wherever they appear. Spraying with fungicides is of only supplementary value and the various blight cures are worse than useless. Experience has shown that it is of little permanent value to attempt to cut out the fruit spur and twig blight as they appear. Unless these forms of the disease extend into the branches on which they occur and a canker is formed the disease usually becomes naturally limited and the germs gradu ally die. The efforts of the grower should be directed to cutting out. all cases of blight canker and body canker during the fall, winter and early spring, when the cankers have become more or less limited in their growth and are not actively spreading. Summer cutting is intelligently ap plied is frequently of great value, particularly where there is only a little blight. In the autumn before the leaves fall is a good time to do the cut ting, as all cases of twig blight are easily observed. The trees should be particularly ex amined for cases of the collar rot. It is this form of the disease that causes many trees to be killed outright. In cutting out cankers it is neces sary that the tools be kept moist with some good disinfectant. If this is not done each cut will reinoculate the germs into the bark at the edges of the canker and the labor may thus be useless. Corrosive sublimate in a solution of one part to one thousand of water has been found to be the most satisfactory disinfectant. The solution is a violent poison. It must be kept in glass. Information Free to Orchardists. The Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology of the Agricultural College at Corvallis, Oregon, will be glad to answer inquiries relating to insect pests or plant diseases at any time. Always include with your in quiries as full a description of the trouble as possible and send specimens for examination. Address Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. Oregon Agricultural College, Corval lis, Oregon. RAM'S HORN BLASTS. Warnlnir Notei Cnlllnir the Wicked to Kepentuiiee. Horses were sent into the world to help man find his way to the steam engine. The Lord 18 often the loser when the preach er's salary la raised. Every man would be a hero if he could. Feet are to men what wings are to the bird. Discontent doubles the weight of every burden. The bell clapper probably thinks it Is doing all the work. There is always danger of overdoing the thing wo can do well. To him that hath shall be given more if he has any place to put it. Thought is greater In its reach and sweep than all the worlds that people the sky. Who knows how much was added to the joy of heaven when Abraham be lieved God? Instead of going to the ant, as Solo mon advised, many a sluggard goes to his "uncle." The man who gets up early to see the comet generally feels a cubit taller than his neighbor. The devil doesn't care what you do with your hands if he can only get hold of your feet. We cannot make sure of anything. A woman swallowed a table knife the other day and a doctor cut a hole in her side and took it away from her. When you take into consideration the kind of gun that does the shoot ing, one man may be doing as well when he hits the barn as another when he hits the nailhead. MAKES HIT WITH PHONOGRAPH. Italian Street Musician Utilises Ma chine In HI Bnnlness. With the arrival of spring has come an innovation in tne line oi street music as exploited heretofore by hand- organ men and "mud gutter" bands. It is the phonograph. This device, which has up to now been confined to the home or the restaurant, has been appropriated by the persons who make a living by appealing to the musical tastes of the populace. The vanguard of the street phono graph army which will probably take possession of the streets very soon made his appearance In Flatbush to day and reaped a rich harvest for his enterprise, the New York Evening Tel egram says. The phonograph man would make a fine subject for an artist who wanted to picture a typical native of sunny Italy, well along in years. With a long, drooping gray mustache, he was typical of an aged Sicilian moun taineer. His clothes did not spell opulence, to be sure, but he expects that with the aid of the phonograph he will soon have enough to enable him to dress more respectably. The phonograph was mounted on a hand cart, such as those used by rag and waste paper gatherers. The "mu sician" said he got It from a man who didn't like phonographs and who abstracted the machine and a couple of dozen records from the house' when his wife wasn't looking. It Is a disk machine, of a well-known make, and can be heard a block away. It gives forth a really superior brand of music and nearly all of the records are oper atic. For this , reason the Innovation has made a hit In Flatbush, where the cul ture and wealth of Brooklyn Is to be found In abundance. The new style of "hurdy-gurdy" at tracts great attention wherever it goes and children follow it for blocks, sing ing and dancing. The operator has it easier than the men who grind the regular piano organs, for he does, not have to keep winding it continuously. It has another advantage over the piano organ in that Its repertoire Is more extensive and calculated to please all tastes; The operator explained in broken English that he used different records in different neighborhoods, having some of the popular, variety to play In sections where the residents are not educated up to opera. So far, he says, he has the field to himself, but expects to encounter some opposition before long, as rival "hurdy-gurdy" men are jealous of his success with the new noise-making device and are anxious to follow his lead. Most of the piano organs of the city are controlled by padrones or com panies and are merely rented by the operators. It Is expected that they will soon begin to put out phonographs to keep up with the march of prog ress. Phonographs have been In use In Europe by street musicians for some time, but the one now amusing the Flatbush section Is believed to be the first one In this country. Mrntrity. The conductor put his head through the doorway. "Can't you move up to the front a little?" he pathetically inquired. "Impossible," a clear voice called back. "There's a fat cnan wedged in the aisle." Whereupon a hasty move up the aisle ensued and the situation was promptly relieved. Cleveland Plala Dealer. SHtlafled. The reasons some men never reach the top is because they're quite satis fied with the scenery and companion they find at the bottom. Detroit Fre Press.