5 b
A CITV DWELLER'S WISH
I tore the Irof df thu old oaJc tree,
1 tove thegarnof ttitisuruvsi
I love tho bark at' thehiokory, .
: Aim! 1 love itio mania1 Juice. .
On the walnut's grain I fondly dot,
j On the cherry's fruit INI diiio, :
And I love to lio tn a narrow boat
And scent the odor of pine.
A k mel bo I wish some power grand
Would invent seme bIdkJc tree
With alrfheae points well developed, and
Would ennd thai tree to me!
rd plant It deep In the Jardiniere
That stand In tbiit flat of mine;
Td give It ib eentMt, teudemt ear.
And whtr It roou with wine.
.-John K end rick Bani in Harper Weekly.
ALONE IN THE 1I0TJSE.
It wn the Mb day of November "Guy
Fawkes Day" tu the old English calendar
that bang above the mantel in my maternal
grand mother long disused room up stairs.
In this northern borne to which we bad re
omtly removed, falling heir to ft through
thai very ancestress wilt, the dweller re
garded November rather an a winter than
an autumn month, and today the wind
bowled asd the rain pat tared with a per
latency marvelous to behold.
, And, aa it happened, 1 was all alone tn
tlie bouse. Father bad gone to take hta
russet appleti to market the apples that I
myself had helped to harvest and pack
Into the barrels--aud was not expected
home until tomorrow night at the earliest.
Jack, my brother, was in Montreal, fitting
p the law office which was henceforward
lo be 'his abode. Jean, our hanlfeatured,
srosHgrained old servant, had gone home
with the "rheumatics," as she termed it, to
be treated by a oertalo ancient ludian berb
doctor, aud just at dunk fall Peter, our
"useful man," bad thrust his shock bead
unceremoniously in at the door.
"I say, Miim Ruth," he had said, "there's
plenty of wood ami everything's all snug
tor the night, aud I'm goiu over to Steph
enson's, They're in trouble there."
"Trouble, Peter What kind of trouble
Is the old man sick?"
But tn answer to my query Peter only
uttered an indistinct remark and went out,
lamming the door behind him.
i stood in front of the fire, looking down
at the glowing embers and pondering with
in myself. The Stepheosous, who lived in
an old grayHtoue house oo the other side
of the precipitous glen, had alwiiys been a
riddle to me. The family was small, oou
ajettng only of a crabbed old man, bis por
tentously silent wife, and two tall, nn
gftfoly son, aud wbiit on earth they did
with the big, echoing rooms, or bow they
contrived to live, perched like eaglets on
the aide of the rock, j could not form tbe
leant idea. "City boarders," Peter bad
ooqr grunted out in answer to my persist
nt interrogations. Hut if they kept city
boarders, why did they not leave these
dreary inouutain fastnesses when the
leaves fell and tbe dismal autumn fogs
gathered above the cliffs? Altogether,
Cttere was a certain atmosphere of mystery
about these "Stephenson" that aroused
all the Kveiike instinct of my nature.
. While 1 still stood thinking, a soft tap
Bounded at the door. I opened It at once,
never oooe remembering that 1 was alone
to the house.
"Ye never ottghter'd do that, Miss Ruth'
paid the well known accent of Mrs.
Gludge, Parmer dodge's buxum wife.
"Do what, Mrs. Glodger
"Open the door arter dark, when you're
alone in the bouse, without oskin who's
there."
"How did you know ! was alone in tbe
bomwf"
Ml just met Peter gain to Stephenson's."
Oht" said L "But we don't have
tramps around here, Mrs. Gludge."
"I'm not so certain o' that," said the
farmer's wife. "Your folks baiu't lived
here as long as 1 have. We're Just nigh
enough to the Canada line to have queer
characters prowlin about when ye least ex
pect 'em. And then there's ritepbensous."
"What of Stephenson?" 1 cried, eager
ly. "Who in Stephenson, anyway F Do
tell me, Mm. Gludge."
"Well, 1 declare!" said Mrs; Gludge.
"Is It possible, now. that they baln't told
They have told roe nothing," said L
"Well, It's likely they didn't want to
ecaroj ou or make yon nervous," said Mrs.
Gludge. "Bat, all tbe same, J thank you
Ought ter know."
"Mrs. Glmle," cried I, seising her arm,
"wbathtltr Uo tell met"
"It's a private home," odd Mrs. Gludge,
lowering her voice to a whisper, tut though
tbe raindrops aud tbe rustling fir boughs
eon Id overhear.
"A wtmtr" I gaaped.
"For people of feeble mind," explained !
tbe womuu, "and luuies," tapping her fore
bead as she spoke.
I stared at ber.
"Then," cried I, "that's what Peter
meant when he aaki tb;ifc that"
Oue of tbe poor creatures has somehow
given em the slip," said Mir Gludge
"an English gentleman from Montreal,
us baa only beeu there a few days. No
' body known just bow It happened, but
happen it did. My man's gone over with
a lantern to help buut for him; so has
Peter."
"He might have told me," 1 cried iudig
naiitiy. "Anyway, I doo't think he ought to have
left you bare alone," said Mrs. Gludge se
Terely. "But you're come to itay with me, Mrs.
Glulg?"
t "11 less your heart, Miss Ruth, nol Pro
on my way to carry a letter to Mr. Rom
Dey'e, up the road u very important let
ter, with 4iu baste1 writ on it." For in
addition to her duties us farmer's wife and
mother of a large family of Jittle children,
lire. Gludge helped ber husband In tbe
care of tbe obscure little country postofuos
a mile down tbe road.) "Aud-by the way,
Td nearly forgot lt-I've got a letter for
fcon too. That's what brought me beru."
.. )Forqw, Mrs. Gludger"
, stloctivcly J put out my hand to grasp
the treasure, whllo tlio woman fumbled
prat in cue aud then in another of ber
pockets.
"It's very strange," said she. "1 mode
ftnre I bad it. 1 did have it when 1 started
Jiwt at the foot of Gibb's cliff I took out
fry hand kerchief to tie around my neck,
the wind mine so keen around the rocks,
nud I must a-pulled it out with that, nml
everything too pitch dark n round me to
see. Oh, Miss Ruth, I'm so irryl Please
don't report me, there's a goo voting lady,
or I shall lose my pi nee!"
, 1 swallowed down a great trupof din
oomfiture in my throat and tnud to laugh.
"Report you, Mrs. Gludger" stid 1. "Of
course not. H wasn't your fault. If you
bad n't kindly thought of me, and started
to bring it oo your way to Romney's, you
never would have lost it"
"And quite true," said Mrs. Gludge rue
fully, "but ail the same I wish hadn't been
eo tboughtfuL I'll send the boys out to
look for it just as soon as"
"Oh, never mind the letter," I Inter
rupted. "I dare say it's only from Jack.
Tomorrow morning will do very well for
that. But, Mrs. Gludge, you'll come back
and stay with me till Peter geta backf
Jean is away, you know, and"
"Yes, my dear, I'll do that," absented the
woman, evidently relieved to be let off so
easily on the score of the letter, "And it
won't be long first It's only a short half
mile to Romney's, if tbe wind didn't blow
o like alt possessed."
Wish a good humored nod she disap
peared into the rain and darkness, and I
ran back to pile fresh logs on the waning
fire. Bank burglars, extradited wander
era, a lanatlc at Urge with all these pos
sibilities whirling in my brain it is not
strange that I lighted a second lamp In or
der effectually to banish all lurking shad
ows from the angles of the room, aud
started nervously when a sudden blast of
wind shook tbe window shutters as if with
some imperious hand.
"I'll go tip to the garret and bring down
some butternuts," thought 1, "and then
I'll get some cider from the cellar. It will
be fuo to crack the butternut and watch
the shells blase in the fire, and Mrs. Gludge
will like a drink of cider when she comes
back all wet and chill."
Cheered by this happy thought, I caught
up a lamp and flew to the garret of the
roomy old house where my father had
bestowed ell the nutty treasures of the
autumn woods. Somehow, Priscilla, the
cat, had got looted Into the garret, aud I
had to release her from durance vile, and
replace a box or two which she had knock
ed off from tbe window sill, before I came
down, driving her catship before me, with
tbe lamp in one band and an apron f ul of
butternuts in the other. Through the
open keeping room door streamed a ray of
ruddy light into the Cimmerian darkness
of the ball. 1 stopped abruptly. Surely I
had closed that door when 1 came out, re
membering a certaiu trick it bad of slam
ming to and fro in windy weather like
this. And at the same time a curious con
sciousuess of some human presence near by
crept over me like an unseen magnetic cur
rent. Nor was it a false premonition. As 1
stretched my neck to peep cautiously into
the room, I saw seated before the fire a
gentleman -a youngish gentleman, pale,
blat haired, and, as I thought, rather un
settled of aspect. And a decidedly wet
and mud bespattered gentleman, whose
raiment steairted in the glorious blaze aud
crackle of tbe pine logs, as he sat there
holding out his bauds to the genial
warmth.
How bad be gained so entrance Hod I
carelessly neglected to bolt tbe big door
after Mrs. Gindge's departurer Yes, 1
must have done so, and that was a proof of
bow utterly unlit I was to be left by my
self. Kor a second I stood there quailiug
and quaking, my heart thumping tike a
triphammer, a cold sweat breaking out
upon my furehead, before I decided what
to do.
I bad never seen a bank burglar, to be
sure, but I was pretty certain this white
handed gentleman could not belong totbat
race. Aud 1 did not think he acted like
any other scoundrel who was fleeing from
tbe rigors of tbe law. He must be the
English gentleman, gone wrong in bis
bead, who bad "escaped" from Stephen
son's. 1 was alone in tbe bouse with a maniac;
and at tbe idea my heart beat more vio
lently tbau ever aud tbe cold drops grew
colder ou my brow.
With a sudden instinct I decided that
there was nothing for it but flight. The
worst feature of tbe case was that I oould
not get out of the bouse (be it remembered
that Peter hod takeu away the key of the
back kitchen door tn bis pocket) without
passing directly through the room where
tbe escaped luuatic sat banking before the
fire. This, however, must be faced; there
was no remedy for it, aud with one blind
rush I precipitated myself through the
room, tumbliog over the cat aud scattering
a shower of butternuts as I went, aud
darted headlong through the door, with au
involuntary shriek that might have rent
the ceiling, if ever ceilings were reut tu
thut way except lo tbe pages of romauoe.
DirecHj into tbe arms ofJack, my own
brother Jack, who was coming in from the
van with a light valise in one baud and a
drippiug carriage robe in the other.
"Halloo!" bawled Jack, staggering under
the blow of my very uuexpected appear
ance. "Why what tbe I declare If it
Isn't Ruthyl"
"Ob, Jock ! ob. Jack!" I screamed, clutch
ing at him like the drowniug man at the
proverbial straw.
"Where ure all tbe folks? What has be
come of the stable keysF What have you
done with Carletou Y" he depianded. But
I paid oo heed to his Interrogatories.
"Come, Jack!" i cried; "come quickly!
The escaped lunatic! He's right there in
tbe keeping room) Oh, Jack, I do hope
you've got your revolver!"
"What?" roared Jock. "Aa escaped
lunattcf Where the deuce has he corns
fromf Has he hurt CarletonF"
He made a spring toward the keeping
room, to whose door stood the tall, pale
man, straining his eyes out into the uight.
"Where is her" shouted Jack.
"Where's whof" said the escaped luna
tic to a pleasant, slightly drawling voice.
"It wasn't bel It was a hel Aud site
cleared the floor in a single bouud, and
Oh, I'm sure I beg a thousand pardons!"
as he caught sight of me. "But, please,
what is tbe matter r"
In u second my mental vision became as
clear s crystal. I saw it all, aud I euvled
Priscilla, the cat, because I could uot van
ish under the china cupboard us she did.
aud be tfoncl X oould ouly biuU taihaug
my lu-itd, and stammer out incoherent
apologies amid the laughter of Jnck and
tho polilestpologios of the friend whom he
hod unexpectedly brought from Montreal
with him, aud whose coming had Iwen an
nounced, its it seemed, by the very letter
Mrs. Gludge had lost,
That's ail. There la no sequel to my
story. In real life I have found that sto
ries seldom do have sequels. I had had a
dreadful fright, and they all laughed at
meatftrstand made exenscs for me and
petted me afterward and said "Poor little
Ruth I" Puttier declared that be would
never risk such a thing again, and dis
charged Peter on the spot but Peter came
back to his work the next day just as
usual, and he is here still. Mr. Carlton
was very nice and apologetic for coming
in without knocking to dry himself, while
Jack was leading the horse to tbe baro,
but be has not ret fallen in love with me
as an orthodox hero ought to do. Tbe
genuine escaped lunatic was captured uear t
Stephenson's and taken to MoutreaL un
der the Impression that he was the gov
ernor general going to take possesion of
bis vice regency. And just half an hour
after we had settled down to the cracking
of butternut and drinking sweet cider
that night, a merry group, a sepulchral
knocking souuded at the door and Mra.
Gludge's voice was beard proclaiming:
"If you please, miss, I've come to keep
you comnanyl" Shirley Browne to Fire
side Compauion. .
Urn Uu Ootid Svum.
Iran across the keeper of a little cigar
store tbe other day who showed a business
Insight that would work a revolution in
tbe busiuess of the thousands of small
storekeepers in this city and it suburbs if
happily they could share it. His sterols
away up on Washington Heights, and I
wandered tn there iu such stress for a
smoke that I was willing to run risks. I
was struck ou entering tbe place by its
neatness, the f reshuess of the stock and the
taste with which it was arranged.
Buying one a! his best cigars, I was sur
prised to fiud it a tine and delicately fla
vored Havana, aud forthwith expressed
my approval.
"How do you manage to keep your stock
so fresh away up hereP" 1 asked. "Yon
must bare a pretty good trade."
"Oh, yes, pretty good," he said. "Tt isn't
hard to get a good run of custom If you
only go about it on business principles. 1
don't think because 1 am so far up town
that I ought to make an extra profit on alt
I selL That idea would spoil my trade. If
a man can get a paper of tobacco down
town for eight cents he isu't goiug to pay
ten up here. He may once or twite when
he has overlooked it while down town, but
be won't do it as a regular thing. It is so
with everything else. He will buy where
be can gut it the cheapest. 1 don't blame
him, and if I did it wouldn't do any good.
I just accept the situation as it is.
"The most of the meu that live around
here go down town every day, and all of
them once a week or so, and to get their
trade and keep it 1 have to sell at down
town prices. There isn't much money in
it sometimes, fur the tobacco meu do cut
prices awfully when there are many stores
close together, as there usually are, but 1
figure that it is better to get the trade at a
small profit than not to get it at all. New
customers are always surprised to find
prices so cheap, but they come again, aud
some of them walk several blocks out of
their way. It tickles them to feel that they
are not being imposed upon. By baviug
such a good trade I am able to keep my
stock always frehb, and that makes it at
tractive." Verily there is need of reasoning in busi
ness, aud a reward for it. too, even in run
ning a small cipir store. New York Her
ald. (Jumu and Priest,
A short time ago the queen regent of
Spain wrote to his holiness the pope asking
him to grant a bishopric to a poor and
humble priest, the sou of a Tyrolm shep
herd. The interest shown by the young
sovereign in this pm&ant's sou bod its
source In au incident winch took place
when Maria Christina was a little Austrian
archduchess of live years.
She was one day roaming about the bills
with ber governess when a violent storm
came on, aud tbey took shelter iu a shep
herd's but which was near at hand. A
little boy was am usi tig himself with some
pebbles in a corner of the miserable dwell
ing when tbey entered. .
Reaeuting the suddeu intrusion, the boy
marched up to the little archduchess and
gave ber a smart blow ou tbe back. Poor
Maria Christina, offended and hurt by this
extraordinary action, buret into a violent
fit of weeping, aud was pad tied with the
utmost difficulty.
A few years later, when her imperial
highness partook of her first comniumoo,
she expressed the desire of paying for the
dresses worn by some poor commumcants
AWoug whom happened to be tbe boy who
had once struck her. She remembered
bim at ouce. and hearing thut he wished to
become a priest she undertook to defray
all the expenses of bis education.
Ever since that day the queen has been
a true friend tu the poor priest, and she
wrote to him before asking from the pope
the bishopric above mentioned, saying:
"I waut you to become a bishop because
you know so well how to cressutare."
Iu this word, which means the laying on
of hands or confirmation, she made a sly
allusion to the time when, as a boy, he laid
bunds violently upon her. New York Re
corder.
Jewish Vienna.
Vienna Is rapidly becoming the most
Jewish city in Europe. In 1885 out of
every 1,000 inhabitants of that capital there
were 046 Christians and 49 Jews, while this
year there are b7o Catholics too? Jews.
The other cities compared with this are
Hamburg, with V47 Christians to 86 Jews;
Munich, with tWU to 19, and Dresden, with
m to 10. Only in Fraukfort la tbe Israel-
Itisb percentage higher than In Vienna.
Tablet.
How an Ostrich Hatches Eggs.
It is a curiosity to watch tho male ostrich
assist the hatching out process. As soon
as he sees the beak ortoe sticking through
the shell he will tuke the egg up by the
protruding bill or foot, lift it two or three
feet, aud drop it on thu ground until It
breaks. 1 have seen him release two chicks
at ouce bydroppingoaeeggupou tbe other
in this way. Interview iuSt. Louis Globe-
Democrat.
GUILTY, YET ACQUITTED. I
How a Lawyer Secured n Ten) let for a
Self Confessed Criminal.
"Well, 1 will tell you of another case,"
said John D. Townsend, the lawyer, one
night while chatting about a strange scene
in law courts with me at an up town club.
"You will remember a few years sgn that
a man named Jeffords, whileserving time
Sing Sing, was murdered by a fellow
convict who was aggrieved at something
Jeffords had said. Jeffords hod been tried
and convicted of the murder of his step
father, and under the conditions of the law
determining the manner of death at that
time the governor had. refused to set a
time for his execution. Jeffords was
therefore virtually remanded for life.
The father of the man who killed Jef
fords lived in the upper part of this state.
and he retaiued me for the defense. I went
to Sing Sing shortly after 1 was retained
to take tbe testimony of witnesses in favor
of my client, I knew that most of them
would be convicts, and I wanted to get
their testimony, etc, before they gotaway.
1 took the testimony of eight men, all
of whom swore positively that my client
was in a different part of the yard from
Jeffords at the time of the killing. Of
course I supposed that I had a very easy
case and paid little attention to it until
near the time of the trial, which was to
take place at White Plains court house,
Westchester county.
I thought it would be well to go to Sing
Sing the night before the trial, to make
sure that my witnesses would be in at
tendance the next day. While sitting
with the warden m bis office, word came
to me that my client would like to see me
at his cell door. Iwentdown and he met
me with the remark:
1 suppose a lawyer ought to know
everything about the case he has to band?'
I replied that of course he should be
thoroughly posted, or be oould not compe
tently defeud his client.
Well, then,' he replied immediately.
I did kill Jeffords!'
"Just please to imagine the condition of
my feelings! However, I hud but one
course to take. I remembered a somewhat
similar case occurring a short time before
tn England. Counsel defending a mur
derer was just aimut to sura up with a
certainty of a verdict when he was handed
a note from the prisoner confessing his
guiltl
"In that case counsel asked an adjourn
ment in order that he might have an op
portunity of presenting to the conrt cir
cumstances which bad at that moment
come to bis knowledge, and which was of
tbe utmost importance to consider. A re
cess was taken and the matter submitted
to the court by counsel.
It was unanimously determined that
counsel niUBt proceed to sum up on tbe evi
dence just as though bis client had never
spoken to him. On the reassembling of
court he did so, aud his client was ac
quit twll
Acting upon this precedent, I submitted
tbe evidence I had gathered, summed up
without expressing any opinion of my own,
and my man was also acquitted! Mrs.
Jeffords, the mother of the murdered man,
sat in the balcony throughout the triith
As all the narties in the case are now dead,
I have m Vesttntion in telling this remark
able case." New York Recorder.
.TO HONOR CRICSSON.
It Ciild Swim.
At a seaside resort some boys caught a
ribbon snke ubout eighteen inches long,
and after playing with it for awhile took it
into their heada to see if it could swim.
They carried it to the pierand threw it into
the harbor. The snake set out swimming
at once, but instead of coining toward the
land it mode for a small yacht lying at
anchor.
It, could not tret un the sides of the boat.
but in swimming about it it came to the
cable, up which, to the amazement of the
boys, it whs seen to make its way by twist
ing around it.
The shouts or the boys called the atten
tion of tiie only man on the yacht to the
presence of the snake, and after chasing
the poor creature with a broom about the
deck, he succeeded In throwing It into the
water itgam. the snake, etui plucky,
swam to another yacht near by, but was
driven away with na oar.
It then started for the other side of the
harbor, nearly a quarter of a mile distant,
and the men in the second yacht had the
curiosity to get into a Bmall boat and fol
low it to see if it reached the shore. It
swam steadily, going somewhat more slow
ly as it went on, but still keeping up its
graceful, undulating motion until the
shore was gained.
By this time it was somewhat exhausted,
but it bad strength enough to crawl away
among the rocks, and the men who were
watching it felt that it bad earned the
right to live, even bod there been any rea
sonwhich there wasn't for killing it in
tbe first place. Youth's Couipunioo.
HI Wooden Leg
"You wear a wooden leg, BtllieP"
Old Billie sat in a sailor's saloon on the
east side yesterday afternoon.
"That's what."
"Where did yon get itf"
"In the West Indies, in '66 pirates."
"You love New Yorkf"
"Depends. Sty, this is tbe most won
derful wooden leg in the world."
"Looks as if it had seen service."
"Has. But that ain't it, All my old
pals has carved their names on Bi I lie's old
wooden leg. See here. Jim Scott he's
dead these ten years; Jack Linn Jack died
In the African Klave trade; Tom, Billie
Bounce, Harry, S:m Post, Charlie Buss,
an Old Grimes an Hawksley an Henshaw.
All my old mates. Suy, ain't that grand?
I wouldn't sell this here old leg for a
month's advance. It's the grandest thing
In New York today." New York World.
Wheezy Hand Organs.
It is usually supposed that tho faint
and squeaky hand organs played by woe
ful old women, seated on enrbstones and
wrapped in shawla, are decrepit from
long service in tho cause of art That is
not the case. Their builders intention
ally leave oat notes, so that they shall
sound uioro mournful and touch mora
quickly the sensibilities of some people.
Organs of this kind are known u
-Now York San.
New York's Tribute to tlio Inventor of the
Monitor,
Howtho American mionlodcliahtfcohonof
thctr dead, heroes, though reluctant and
lowlndoingtlinm
iustlco when llv-,
lug, is well illus
trated tu tho case
of John Ericsson,
the inventor of tho
famous Monitor.
For yours Ericsson
had a claim of
about HMOO
against the na
tional government
for services ren
dered prior to the
war, and 20 years
or more ago tlie
court of claims de
cided that tho debt
was a just one,
aud yet today it
remains unpaid,
several successive
congresses having
refused to mako ,
any appropriation Kuicsson'b monument.
for the purpose. Yet when It became a
question of Bending his lifeless body home
to bis native land congress cheerfully spent
upward of (100,000 and devoted our war
ships to tho service.
Just about that time, too, the New York
legislature appropriated $10,000 to build a
monument in his honor, which will soon be
unveiled on the historic Battery amid the
thundering of the cannon of the mighty
ehisof war assembled in the harbor for
the Columbian naval review. The civic au
thorities will be on hand, and the Odd Fel
lows and the Swedish societies will partici
pate in the programme, and there will be
speech nmking and a dinner and a ball In
the evening, and Americans will show tho
world in their own inimitable fashion how.
they honor the man they would not pay.
The statue to be unveiled is the work or
Sculptor J, Scott Hartley. , It is of bronze
and 1b over 8 feet in height, weighing 1,600
pounds. The pedeHtaHsS) feet high, of gran-'
ite, with polished panels and a rouga, un
finished base.
All Tkoaght Better of Bim for It,
The young man had been with the party
sometime, aud he finally rose logo. The
others vetoed the proposition. ,
"Oh, sit dowu!" cried oue.
"What do you want to break up the
party for?" asked another.
"Be a good fellow," said a third,
The young man hesitated.
"No; I guess 1 had better go," be said at
last.
"Nonsense! It's early yetl" protested
one.
"Sit down I Sit dotfn I We'll all be boms
before 12," added another,
The young man sat down, rested his
arms on the table and said:
"Well, I'll submit the case to you. You
are talking of going to the theater or bay
ing a game of cards at the club, and you
want me to be one of tbe party. Now, in
a cozy little Out on the North Bide there's
a little woman" '
"Children sick t" put In one of the party.
"No; there's only one, aud he's In good
health."
"Wife sick?"
"No."
"Oh, well"
"Wait a minute," Interrupted the young
man. "I'll leavi :t yuu, but you muit
bear the case. T1A le woman is alone
iu tbe flat The Imff it k tve and she is
sitting there reading Gt newiug, and listen
ing to the steps of Lfcuse passing the hauso.
I left home at U o'clock this morning, and
since then she has been aloue with the
baby. Now she hasn't even the baby to
occupy her time."
He paused a moment to give them an op
portunity to speak, but no one said a word.
Then he said:
Boys, if you think yon want my com
pany tonight more than she dues I'll stay."
There wus another puuue, and then one
of the party took a sip of chamimgue and
said: ,
"I'd rather you'd go home."
The others nodded their assent, and the
young man said:
"I'd rattier go,"
It was some time later In the evening
when oue of the members of the purty soldi
"there's a man."
And every one knew whom he referred
to. Chicago Tribune.
Uw to Catcli a nattlesimbe.
The largest rattlesnake on exhibition at
P. C. Montgomery's drug store was cap
tured on Deer Creek, alxive the Hot
Springs, by Allen Coultos, a professional
snake charmer and wild animal specialist.
This snuke bus tmrty-uine rattles and a
buttou, aud measured 4 feet 7 Inches In
length and 7 inches In circumference.
Mr. Coultos says the snake is somewhat
shrukeu, seeming much larger when first
captured.
He explains his method of seen ring the
snake thus: When he comes upon a reptile
be secures such a position that he can
catch the eye of the snake, and between
bim and the snake be eeps his bands
moving slowly, being careful to keep the
snake watching ull the time. After con
tinuing this process fur a short time lie
claims he can easily pick thusnuke tip, al
though he never cures to handle them.
Sun Francisco Kxumluer.
Supplying Lunches,
A number of large establishments In Now
York provide suitable bodily refresh meu t
for their hundreds of employees. This is
given in some part of thu building, un that
from the hour of report for duty till tha
hour of dismissal t hero is noexcusofor
leaving the place. Restaurants hi thesa
busiuess bouses for customers uro now
quite general. Retail stores that sell every
thing within tbe range of domestib req u Ira
met t must keep tho customor In good
humor and fair bodily trim, and there is
nothing like a nice lunch at a low price to
do this. New York Li'truld.
Item em ii r the Total.
Now that the tabulations for the elev
enth census are tit once fur all, It Is well
enough to recall that formula by which
we set out to remember the sum total,
Six-too, six too-too, tuo-liva-ought. Titers
is no excuse for stumbling over thut
Boston Com moii wen 1th.