Prisoners
By II. S.
CHAPTER XI. (Continued.)
Aftnr dinner Kjston at lust comic
drawn srmind the fire. While he spoke
the America kept hi eye filed upon the
tire, fxl at time moved hi limbs nerv
ously, after the manlier of one who !s
more highly strung than muscular,
"(ientlemeii," he aid in hi peculiar.
alow drawl, and an Immediate allelic
followed "gentlemen, I asked you to
come here to-night for a leclal purpose
and not from the warmth of my own
heart. Whut 1 am going to tell you can
not he quite new to some, while to other
I surmise thut it will I very new. I Here
I a country on the map called the IKirk
Coin inenf. hut during the last few year
it ha come under my notice that Africa
i a light a the heavenly path com
pared to another land nearer to this old
country. I mean JSilieria. Now. I am
not going to talk ahout Siheria, because
there are four men in thi room who
know more than I do. In fact, they know
too much, liefore I go 1 will explain
for a spell who we all are. four of u
are Russians. f these four, one ha a
wife living in the SilM-riun mine, idii
demned by niiiitnke; a aecmid ha a father
living In a convict prison, almost on the
edge of an Arctic ; a third ha been
there himself. These three uiulertak
what may be called the desperate part of
our acheuie. The fourth Russian i
gentleman who ha the doubtful privilege
of being allowed to live in Petersburg
Hi task I difflcult ami dangerous, but
not dexiierate. Two of u are Knglisli
men; one ha given up the ease and lux
ury of the life of a moneyed Iiritiah
xirtiiian hn, In fact, become a sailor
for the delilierate purpose of placing hi
kill at our diiosiil. In addition to that
he ha opened hi puree in a thoughtlcH
and generou way. Why he ha done
thee thinir I cannot ay. In Mr. Tyar
poult ion I (vrtalnly should not have done
o myelf. Hi i the only name I men
tion, because I have aeen the portrait
of him In the illustrated pajier, and
there I no disguising who he I. The
rent of in have name entirely unknown,
or known only to the wrong people. Some
of the KiiHian name, beaidei possessing
thi unfortunate notoriety, are quite be
yond my power to pronounce. The sec
ond Englishman i a naval officer, who,
having shared considerable danger with
Mr. Tyar on one occasion, may or may
not think fit to throw in hi lot with
him again, 1 1 is division, while being a
matter of great Interest to ua, Ilea en
tirely In hi own hand. He 1 aa free
when he leaves this room as when we en
tered it. Lastly cornea myself "
The little face was very wistful, while
the thin lip moved and changed Inces
santly from gayety to a great gravity.
The man'a hollow cheeks were aingularly
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'! certificate; showing
that 1 would be utterly useless In any
but a temperate climate. I am con
sumptive." Me produced a paper from hi pockt
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 his hand for the cer
tificate, and no one seemed to be able to
think of something to say. At last the
atout gentleman roue from his chair with
a grunt.
"I, too, stay at home, gentlemen," he
aald, breathlessly, "and I have no certifi
cate." He crowed the hearth rug, and, taking
the paer from Kaston' hand, he delib
erately threw it into the fire.
"There," he grunted, "the mischief take
your certificate."
Then he sat down again, adjusting hi
large waistcoat, which had become some
what rucked up, and attempted to smooth
bis crumpled shirt, while the paper burn
ed slowly on the glowing coal.
"I only wished," said Kaston, 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
wa something critical in the atmosphere
of the room, and all the seven men as
sembled looked at one another in turn.
I-ong and searchlngly each looked Into
the other's face. If Kaston hnd 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 talker, but actor! no blusterer,
but full of courage; determined, ready
and fearless. The slight barrier raised
by the speaking of a different tongue, tbe
thinking of different thoughts, seemed to
have crumbled away, and they were as
brothers.
"Our plan," aald Kaston, "are simple.
We fit out a ship to sail In the spring,
ostensibly to attempt the northeast pa
age to China. Her real object will o
the rescue of large number of Russian
political exiles and prisoner. The three
Russians go to Siheria overland. Theirs
Is the mt dangerous task of of all, the
Urgent, the most lmortant. The fourth
remains In Petersburg, to keep up com
munication, to forward money, fixid, dis
guises and arms. Mr. Tyar takes com
mand of the steamer, which i now almost
ready for sea, and force hi way through
the Ice. e.d willing, to the Yana river.
Kaston stopped shaking. A he re
turned to his seat, he glanced Inquiringly
toward Oswin Urace, whose eyes had fol
lowed him.
"Of course, gentlemen," said Grace,
glancing comprehensively around the
group, "I go with Mr. Tyar."
'Thanks," muttered Claud Tyars,
shortly.
CHAPTER XII.
It was almost a month later that Mat
thew Mark Kaston stepped fairly into
the circle of which Miss Winter was to
a certain extent the leading spirit. Thi
lady had been five minutes in the bril
liantly lighted rooms of a huge picture
gallery before she singled out the little
American. He hapened to Imj talking to
another Insignificant, unobtrusive man,
who tugged nervously at a gray mustache,
while he listened. Thi was one of the
nhlest envoy ever accredited to the Court
of St. Janie by the I'nitcd State.
Mis Winter knew most of the face
In the room, and among other that of
the American minister. Moreover, she
recollected perfectly the form and fea
tures of Matthew Mark Kaston.
The occasion was a vast assembly of
the fashionable, diplomatic, artistic and
literary worlds for the collection of
money and Idea toward the solution of a
social problem. The tlcketa were a guinea
each ; there were choice refreshment at
a stated and ruinous price; soft carpets,
n exhibition of pictures, and the same
of dresees. I believe also that several
gentlemen read papers on the subject un
der dlecussion, but that waa in tbe email
room at the end where no one ever went.
ClajJ Tyars waa there, of course,
Ihirlng tbe last month or two be had
fceea (oUg out a uch that oa almost
and Captives
MERRIMAN
I expected to meet blm. Jut on ex-
I pcct to meet certain well-known faces
.iuuil. II iuir saw
hint
Immediately after noticing Matthew
Mark Eas-on. and before long he b'gan
to make hi way acros the room ows.rl
licr. Wherever they bad met during thi
last few week. Tyar bad invariably
sui-ceeded In exchanging a few word
Kith Miss Winter, seeking her out with
equal iM-rsistetK, whether Helen Orace
were with her or not. If, a the laay
indued. he wa determined to be-
come one of their intimate friends,
he displayed no Indecent bate, no
undue eagerness; and in so doing
he was perhaps following the surest
method. He had not hitherto showed the
lightest desire to cross the line which
partite acquaintance from friendship,
There was a mutual attraction existing
between these two capable, practical pie
pie. rho met to-night a they usually did
with that high-toned nonchalance which
niirost amount to indifference. There
was a vacant scat, for a wonder, beside
M;s Winttr, which Tyar promptly op-
piojiriaii d.
"Who," she asked, after a few eonven
iomilitie had been exchanged, "is th.lt
gentleman talking to the American mill
iliter, and apparently making bini laugh.
which I should say, no easy matter
"lie it: generally making some one
laugh," icplied Tyar. "Hi name Is
Kastou Matthew Mark Kaston. The
sort of name that sticks in the wheel
work of one's memory. A name one does
uot forget."
"Anil." added Miss Winter, lightly, "a
fin- that one docs not forget. He lut 'r
ests me a little."
Tynrn laughed at the qualification Itn-
plied by the addition of tbe last two
word.
mat la always sometning, na aald.
"A email mercy. lie is one of my great
est friends may I introduce him?"
"Certainly," murmured the ludy, with
a little bow of the bead, and then she
changed tbe subject at once.
Heien, she said, "is not here to-
nlfht."
Tynrs looked beflttingly disappointed.
"She doe not always care to leave the
admiral, and be objects to dissipation on
a large scale. Is that not soV" be sug
gested. "Ves. That Is the case to-night."
She wondered a little at his Intimate
knowledge of Helen's thoughts, but aaid
nothing. It was probable that be beard
this from Oswin, and bis singular mem-
oi y had retained It.
Miss (Jraoe," aaid Tyars. presently.
1ms n strong sense of duty, and Is un
conscious of It, An unconscious sense of
uly Is one of the best of human mo
tive. 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.
" she answered, "a sense of duty
of any description Is not a bad thing
in these time. Indeed," she added, turn
ing suddenly toward him, "a motive is
in Imelf rather rare. Not many of ua
have motives."
Her manner Implied as plainly as if
she had spoken It : "We are not, all of ua,
like cu."
There was something In the expression
of hi eyes that recalled suddenly their
first n.tetlng 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 trance, difficult. It
was merely a suggestion, cloaked beneath
his high-class repose of manner, but she
had known many men of his class, some
of whom had made a uame In their sev
eral callings, and thi same suggestion
of stubbornness had come beneath her
qr.ick, fleeting notice before. He looked
gravely around the room, aa If seeking to
penetrate tne smiles and vapid affecta
tion.
Oh," he said placidly, "I am not so
sure. There are a good many people who
pr.rte tucmselves upon steering a el"ur
course. I lie prevailing motive to-nMit
is perhaps a desire to prove a superiority
over one' neighliors, but it Is still a mo
tive."
Miss Winter looked at him critically.
"Hemember," she said, warnlngly, "that
this Is my element. The motives of all
these people are my motives their pleas
ures my pleasures their life, my life."
"Apparently so," be replied, auiblgu
ouly. "So that," she pursued. "I am Indicted
of the crime of endeavoring to prove my
superiority over my neighlMirs. '
He laughed In an abrupt way.
"No more than myself."
"That ia a mere prevarication," she
persisted, gayly. "Tell me, please. In
what particular this coveted superiority
lies." '
"In a delre to appear more aimless
than you are," be retorted, gravely.
"I deny that. I plead not guilty." she
skid. "I am a person of many motive,
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 aa 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 Iwlieve I did," he replied, with a
more direct gaie than is allowed by thi
dictates of polite society.
She returned the gate with serenity.
"Then please get rid of the Idea," she
snid, significantly.
There was a short pause, but It ws
not the silence of people who have noth
ing more to say to each other. It waa toi
tense, too restless for that.
"Shall I," inquired Tyars, rising sud
denly, "go and find Kaston T I should
like you m know him."
'1 shall be most happy," she said, with
one of her gracious little bows. As he
m..ved away she called him back almost
a If she were loath to let him go, a If
there were something still left unsaid
IsMween them.
"Tell me." she said In a gnyly confi
dent tone, "before you go. what Is hi
specialty. 1 always like to know a stran
ger's chief characteristic, or, If he has
no characteristics, his particular hobby
whether, I mean, ha Is a botanist or a
jarhtsman, a fisherman or a politician.
It Ik so much more convenient, you un
derstand, to know beforehand upon what
topic one must conceal one's Ignorant."
"Miss Winter," he said, deliberately,
"you have not found out my particular
l.olihy or my chief characteristic yet."
"Not yet," she admitted.
"I think," he aaid. 'that Easton ha
no hobbies. His specialty Is eloquence.
He could almost persuade a certain stub
born quadruped to part with bia bind
legs. He was destined by the positive
department of Providence for an orator
but the negative department, with Its
nsual discrimination, gtrs blm a weak
ekeet, and therefore he la nothing."
"Thank you " ebe aald. "Now 1
something of blm. I bave to conceal
beneath wretched amllea the fact that I
know absolutely nothing of American
commerce, American politica or oratory.
I wonder," aha added, aa an afterthought,
"whether there I anything be can per
suade me Into doing?"
"He might." suggested Tyars. per
suade jcu luto the cultivation of a in
tive."
Then he turned and left her. Matthew
M.,1, Kion saw hitu approaching, and
j
broke off rsiher suddenly wsnin? eon-
versntion with his minister.
i- ....... ..i,t Tni. "come here. I
I w)nt ,0 introduce you to Ml Winter,
"Mis Winter," returned the American;
"ominous name. Who Is sne:
'She U. a person of considerable 'n
fiuence in the tJraee household. Io you
umieretanu? It Is In Miss Wiuter'e pow
er to deirive u of (win Orace. it ua
if. niercise that power
Kaslon'e face expressed somewhat lu
I ,jj(.,.,,u,,y a passing consternation.
llan thee women!" he muttereii.
"lines she," he inquired, 'susjiect somo-
tb.Ct" . .
1 think ao," was trie repiy, inn,
in-oovr, she is clever woman; eo oe
careiuv
(T h enntlnned.l
Leonardo da Vlncl. who painted the
very souls of liU subjects, wight have
found iiiiiterlul for hi brush In the
trio wilted one pecemlier duy In Law
yer Norton omee wiu imu i io i
president of the village bunk, sturdy,
self made, stern; another old niiin, or
quite different tytie, nilld, Inaileiiunte,
unfortunate; and the wife of the nee
oiul mail, a woman whom Madonna-like
face and ollver hair seemed to harbor a
certain radiance,
Old Henry Imwson wns settling with
I Ms creditors people wondered If he
could nav 50 centii oil the dollar. Ev
erybody knew that old Henry wan hard
working and honest, but iieople crltl
clzed his Improvidence, and thought
they saw In hla easy-going ways the
explanation of bin sons' unfortunate ca
reers.
Hut no one ever said one word
against "Aunt Mllly" Imwson, as every
body In the church railed 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 home In Aunt MIIIv no one
. ..
saw anything to explain the family
straits or the mlsdee.1 of the Dawson
""J
tin
It was generally hoiied and believed
In BriiHHelvllie that the home, at
least, might lie suveil from the wreck
for Aunt Mllly, especially as the chief
creditor, Old Dau'l Lyle, was a mem-
tier or tne same cnurcu ana a nreiong
frleMj
And. us a fact, the close-fisted old
bank president had displayed a lenlen-
7 n,8t k1," NOrt,,,n ,,,Wytr'
----- i - i
lug "business" attitude, almost speech-
less with surprise.
- Hut tiow that the pnjiers were signed
and everything Antshcd, 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, rlslntj
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 tho proceeding thus far the
woman had sat silent sometimes re
straining her tears with some difficulty,
Hut at this iilnt as IMck Norton told
us afterward "Aunt Mllly flared right
up !"
"Yes, Itrother Lyle," she said, rising
also, and standing erect herself In gen
tie dignity, "everybody knows that
that's so. Hut, Ian'l," she fixed him
with her motherly blue eyes "I want
to know one thing do you rememlier
every day to thank (lod that you've
been able to pay dollar for dollar?'
There was a pregnant silence. Then
a suUlued and humbled Dnn'l made re
ply.
"I guess maybe there Is something
to lie said on that side, Aunt Mllly,"
he said, mildly
C'onrrrwIwsT Hewsirds.
Many H?rsons think they ought to he
rewarded for simple honesty. The Idea
Is not only wrong hut silly, declares a
writer In the Denver I'ost, and tells of
an Incident that roused his wrath:
A few days ago, while walking down
an Omaha street, I saw a man abend of
tne drop a ckctbood. A messenger
boy picked it up. Just then the tnnn
missed It, and the Ixiy returned It to
him without looking Inside. The tnnn
gave the Uiy a quarter. The boy afr
cepted It, but was disgusted
"Is dat all I get for liein' honest?" he
asked.
"There Is Just three dollars In that
pocketlxiok. said the man.
"Well, you ought to give me a dollar,
unywny, me imy replied, sulkllv.
Had I been the man I would have
added a kick to the quarter; and there
are lots of s-rsons like that boy In this
world.
IMtr th. M'orklsjsj Weimasj.
"Poor woman! She works hard all
day, and then she's up nearly all night
with the babies."
"What's the inntter with her hue
bnnd? Why doesn't he help her?"
"O, he puts In all his time agitating
for an eight hour day for the working
man." I'hllmlelphla Press.
She I, oat Oat.
Mrs. Csller-It doesn't ahvnys pay
to husband one's resources.
Mrs. Homer Why not?
Mrs. cncr-Well. I so from
Mrs. Pucker's exerlc!ice. she let her
husband have the ,,1B nil(irto,,
from h.-r grandmother ami he lost It all
In sjKH'ulatlon.
If a ton of coal Is placed on the
ground and left there, and another ton
Is placed under a abed, the latter loses
bout 3S per cent of It. heating pow.
i the former about 47 per cent
Canada has forests which, at tbe
present rate of consumption of timber
for piper, will ,pP,y tnt worU
paper pulp fgr wo tirB
DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR. j
Wllllamsport ) Grit
THE 8TAR-8PANGLED BANNER
O -n you , b; the dswns esrly
What so' proudly w. hatl'd st the twl
h i. k.i., stara,
"uo" a? ""l-es . ';:",,.
luroilgn lilt cloum ' m
At the ramperts witcbed were so
And t)XV!?kM-,alim mXm bur,t
."S ... .r.
proor tnrouiib thi ul "
waa still there
1 "X' hat ttaMP"10 DBn,"r
o'sr the land of th fret, th home of
he brave?
0n that shore dimly s through the mists
or "e oeep, .i
Where the foe s baugbty ht In dread si
Wh,t th " bre"' tb
As It fltfuily blow, k eonceala, now
Now It eatenS'th. f the morning's
uihl rvm uj,
,n fu" lor7 reflected low h'nes on tne
stresm !
Tis the star-spangled buoer; O long may
O'er the land of the frt "d the borne of
It VIM
ins orTi
i -
And where I that ban"rbo so vaunttngly
That the havoc off'sr and th battle's
.WW, m m
confusion
A home and a couitry should leave ua no
more 7
Their blood 1 bu waih'd out their foul
footstena mllutlon.
No refuge coeld mv tbe hireling and
slave
From th terror of flight, or tbe gloom of
tne grave;
And th star spingled banner In triumph
doth nr.
O'tr the land of the free, and the borne of
the brave.
01 thus he It tver, when freemen shall
stsnit
Between their loved homes and the war's
desolation I
Blest with victor nd peace, may th
hMv'n.raii.,1 land
Trsls the power that hath made and
prmerveil us a nation.
Then conquer w niutt, when our cause It
I just.
And thi Ihs our motto "In ('1 ' our
trunt ;"
And th star spangled banner In triumph
shall wav
O'er the land of the free, snd the borne of
in nrY.
Kraneia Srott Ky.
Willie Perklni 9 years old and
Nero was only 4, but when Nero walked
on all fours hi wii nearly as tall aa
Willie, and whej he lift"! his gieat abag
tj dogshlp up,,,, jji, bind leg he could
y hia foreptu on somebody's shoul
ders, and that somebody wss Willie's
father.
-Mr. Terkln raid Willi nd Nero
"the chums," ,nj t wu Indeed seldom
'hat the two wra .part, except at school
times and meal times, and when the sand
mn had paij WIN a visit; even at
those times th ..r not far apart.
When Willi ent to "aool Nero trot
ted along by hi (lde, and, llko the good
fellow that he when they came to
the r!n, m j M, .ij "Vrtti rl H hoT.
allu nje
rou wait for m. .irfit here In the yard
ad be aura not to frighten sny of the
cniidren as the com In- T" m KH1'
hy now and b i .ood fellow," Nero would
hi tall very b.rd. l''k th hnd th,t
bad been pattln hi beal so lovingly all
K . I ...... SI W . . Llm nA
nui iiiie wnt taiso's """ " "
then lie down lnd tcb Me master dis
PPr through tb I1 ioor tb
Nero.
cnooi aonae,
By and h." v iulJ get tired of ly-
l"f etlll and would f tot wlk round
the building rh, dy fellow I He well
nw that th. i.tre w'fe would have
II.. I. i I11"1 lOJ. S In Ana
- "" neap ( D()oe oiu""" -
corner of the ranj for blm, and when
ha enjoyed hla feast be would look op
to ee her w,(rhn him from the base
ment door. Then fln thllt t ,"'
would wig t, , T ld : "Thank you so
came on wi 'r b?f
th i.i,... n ,.n"lj Willie tsugbt blm
o go Into wk!! , Tras cold nd wanted
"e down, ",, j hit 'bol u,jr' wr
waa when W m. t bl M,olt ,way tol
N'r" hsd CM 'of". Even
r WinlfVi th, kindling It was
Nero who ".1 .i. to the honse In a
held LTf by hi. .M"" teeth,
hil Willi. ML a bucketful of coal.
Hy and .7,1 b.,. to tell Nero
V. k... ' iM' - -hmrm and HO-
T snMT. LOCAL RESULTS OF CELLERATXXf) Tin? TYITTTITTT
'sets;. r;;hc!Qy;;ri: s
Too P0& vv- nroso ohJo hv? vh, sxm.vgHc
his little master aald, and now and then
when Willie would give hia head an extra
hard pat by way of emphasis Nero would
bark and set his tail go.ng b.rder than
ever. That tall always wagged when
Nero waa pleased. Sometime Willie's
mother would allow the dog to come Into
the aitting room, but .ono dsy the tall
knocked a handsome vase off of the ta
ble and broke It, and after that Nero hsd
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 Itomn candles,
two wheels and a long piece of punk.
Nero went with Willie to the store to buy
them, but he bad to wait outc de while
Willie went In, and ao as soon as they
reached home Willie opened tbe package
and ahowed Nero everything It tontained.
"Now, we'll lire off a few crackers,"
said Willie to Nero, "but we'll hsve to
save the most of them till tne Fourth,
b'cause us boys are going to have our
crackers an' torpedoes together. Won't
wa have a fine time, marching to the
commons, with our druns be ting and
horns blowing snd flags flying! Put
there's one trouble about you, Nero, an'
that Is, you can't march with ua, b'cause
the boys decided that nobody can march
without they have one of our flags, an'
there's just ten flags an' ten boys. I'm
to give out the flags an' if there waa any
boy that was sick you could have bis
place, if you could only wsve a flag."
Nero dropped hi head and looked very
aad. Willie thought It wie bee use Nero
THEY FORMED IN
waa so badly diaappointe.1, but perhaps it
was because the faithful fellow saw that
bia friend waa troubled. As they sat
there, Nero looking so aad snd Willie
with hie elbowe resting on hi knees and
hla chin burled In nia bands, they beard
aome one whistle and, looking np, saw
Tom Evans coming toward them. ,
"Heard the news?" Tom asked.
-No. What la It?" answered Willie,
forgetting for a moment bis t-ouble over
"Ed Bishop's going with hla folks to
the city for the Fourth, an' so you'll have
to find aome one elee to take bis place In
our t roe sal on."
Willie gave Nero a quick look. "Oh, I
wish you had bands!"
"Who'll you get?" asked Thn, after
waiting a moment for W idle to speak.
"Dunno yet; I'll have to think about
it first. See here, I ve got lot or things.
Twice aa much as we have to have."
"I should eay you have ! Y 'u're lucky.
All the other boys eay they had a bard
time to get what they bad to. How'd
you manage It?"
"I earned the money, getting coal and
kindling," Willie eiplalned.
"Well, you ought to hsve the right to
give out the flags. We'll all meet here
at 10 aharp," and Tom sauntered on.
When he was gone, Willie began to
talk to Nero again.
"Now, there It U. I have firecrackers
an' torpedoee enough for yon an' me,
too, an' you helped me earn 'em, carry
ing kindling, didn"t yon? Ob, why
haven't you aome hands to carry a flag
Itnr
Willie ws etclted now, and up jump
ed Nero, waving ble tall as hard aa he
eoald. Wlllkt looked at hla lor a minute
and then turned a double aomeuault, and
came up shouting, "Hurrah 1 hurrah! You
aha 11 march with ua. I know 1 can do
It!"
At last the Fourth came, end at 10
o clock all the boye except Ed were gath
ered In Willie's yard and Willie waa talk
ing to them.
Now, boys, he was saying, "you left
It to me to put some one In Ed's place,
an' I have selected some one that you
all know an' like. He baa hia share of
crackers an will wave his flag line. Will
you promise to give him a rousing wel
come when he comes, so' he won't feel
hurt at being asked to march with us at
tbe last minute?"
They all promised, and then while they
were asking who it waa Willis ran Into
the honse. A few moments later he came
out, and who ahould come trotting by his
side but Nero, carrying in bis mouth the
hsndle of a basket that waa Oiled with
firecrackers and wagging his tall, to which
waa tied a little flag, pole and all!
Th boye all gave a great shout when
they eaw Nero, and then they formed in
double column and started for the com
mons, Nero walking by Willie's side, the
proudest dog that ever waved a Fourth of
July flag.
I'arlor Firework.
Among the newest fireworks are the
parlor variety, which a child can handle
with aafety and which can be set off in
the houae without danger of fire. This
pattern Include diamond rain sticks.
roman candles and cartwheels. The Are
and sparks from these designs are barm-
DOCBI.E COLUMN.
less and may be permitted to fall upon
the flimsiest kind of material without Ig
nit'ng It. In the larger designs for out
door use the newest is the OatHng can
dle, which consists of a bundle of roman
candies arranged around a centerpiece
like gatllng gun. Tbe effect ia very
re"7.
Aa Oversight.
"Drat th luck !" exclaimed Noah, as he
sat on the forward deck of the ark perus
ing a patent meoiicne almanac
"Whafa the matter, pa?" queried Mrs.
isoan.
"Matter!" echoed the famous navies
tor. "Why, this la the Fourth of July,
and, shiver my timbers If I didn't forget
io urmg a pair ot toy pistols on board."
rearth ef .fair Passle.
5
find the boy who reallr threw th.
"Vs
cracker.
LEGAL INFORMATION.
If a iiersou dlHiiiN'iirs urn! Is not
heurd from by any of his friends or
relatives for seven years, he U pre
sumed to he dead.
A mail muy give all of his proyerty,
by will, to his ms-oiid wife if he so de
sires, though In doing ho he disinherits)
all of his children.
The village Umrd has siwer to make.
alter, widen or otherwise Improve, keep
In repulr. vacate or discontinue side
walks. The Uuiril also has authority
over shade trees located within the lim
its of the streets In tho village.
If children uilvancc money to their
father to be used for the puriwise of
paying usHcNMiii'ht ou a slU-y of In
surance, the children can recover the
amount In a suit ngaiiiKt tbe father. Tim
amount jmlil cannot be recovered from
the liiNuratu-e company.
A man can assume any tiiinie he de-
lres If uot done for fraudulent pur
poses. Such inline would not be his le
gal name, however. Any iktmoii may ih
titlon the court for ieriiilssiou to hange
his or her name. The fact tif u man
having married under an assumed mime
will not uffei t the validity of the mar
riage. Aliens over 21 years of age may ac
quire lands ami hold the tiume for six
years. If under 21. they may hold It
six yeurs nfter reaching 21. if the alien
become u citizen during the six years,
he gets a good title to the pniju-rty, or If
he sells to a Ismu tldu purchaser for
value during that time, the purchaser
gets a good title.
If u man gives a deed of his real es
tate to his son, and takes hack a mort
gage with a condition that the miu shall
supiKirt the father during the futher'a
life, such a deed will pass all of the
'ather's Interest, though his wife did not
sign the d.-ed. After the death of the
father his widow will still have her
.lower Interest In the proierty. Though
the father has since decensed, his wid
ow can now quit claim nil her Interest
In the projierty to the son, If she so de
sires.
PHONOGRAPH AND PARROT.
Kr Method to Itelleve the Weary
Tedium of Teaching; I'olljr.
The teaching of parrots to talk has
occupied the attention of bird enthusi
asts for many years, but It has remain
ed for a Philadelphia woman to utilize)
a modern Invention to relieve the weary
tedium of teaching Polly. The parrot
learns by sound, not hy the sense of
what It hears, and It Is only by uia-
chlne-llke repetition of the sentence
TEACHES POI.I.T TO TALK.
that Polly can be made to talk. The
necessity of this drudgery can be dona
away with by placing a phonograph
close to Polly's ierch, and, by keeping
the talking machine reeiitliig for hours
at a time the sentence which the p:r-
tot Is to learn, the lest and quickest
results can be aci-ompllshed. In this
way the parrot will learn a sentence in
a week or less, while to liesime profi
cient In a number of sentences requires
about six months. Those who have at
tempted the almost Insurmountable ot
stacle of teachlug Polly a number of
sentences will a once recognize the
practical clllclency of the talking ma
chine aa a teacher.
BEST RESULT8 FROM COAL.
Poorest Qaalltlee Yield Moat Power
Wheal Con verted Into Jaa.
If aome one were to discover that
ordinary dirt waa fuel which, burned
under certain simple conditions, yield
ed aa good or better results than th
nest Pennsylvania anthracite It Is easy
to Imagine the popular sensation that
would be caused. Yet results almost
If not quite as sensntlonnl obtained br
the United States geological coal test
ing plant have passed almost unnoticed
by the general public.
The exierinients at this riant hnva
demonstrated that bituminous coal,
heretofore considered less than half aa
valuable aa anthracite, will when man
ufactured Into gas and burned In a
gaa engine produce as much net horsa,
power to to the ton of fuel as the Iiewt
anthracite; and, still better, that llg
nlte, which Is so common all through
the west and has been considered al.
most worthless, will actually y0l mora
uorse power to the ton than the best
anthracite burned under a steam boiler
It ha shown that all grad.ni of coal
from the best to the most worthies a
Judged by former standards, can I
utilized In this manner, their value for
producing gaa being, generaly ,eaklnir.
exactly Inverse to their value In ,n.
reetly producing steam In a boiler That
Is to say, the poorer the coal for direct
Bteam-produclng purpose (by which
power coal haa been valued In th
past) the more valuable It seems to b
for yielding Kas for nw ,
glne. Technical World.
Pnaalhly.
"Why is It," she whlsriered at th
close of the ceremony, "that the bride
groom always look, as If l)e couldn't
call his soul his own?"
"Probably," replied her brofl,e ..i..
because from that moment he renlle
can't" Catholic Standard ami Ti.,,-1
Maltant la I'arvo.
Wlgg My wife Is a woman l i.
willing to suffer for her IK-Ilefs.
Wagg So Is mine and one of her be
liefs In that she can get a number four
foot Into a number thre
Transcript
About the proudest man on an
per la tb baa-ball editor.