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About Heppner times. (Heppner, Or.) 1???-1912 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 1904)
I Secret of tbe Plundered S&fe By EMILK cnxrTErt i. Th Fanvel Hank, Hue de rrovence. Is n important Institution, and from its larg staff, presouts the. appearance of government oOee. In an old-fashioned war the banker! dwelling is nnder the am roof. Ilia private office is on the first floor over the offices, and leads Into his own apartments, which communicate directly with the bank by eana of a narrow staircase, openlug Into the room occupied by the head cashier. Thia cashroom Is reckoned proof galnet ail attacks, able to stand a siege, being sheathed in steel like an Ironclad. A strong gat prevents a burglar coming down through the fireplace. Clamped to the wall is formidable cheat, calculated to fill with longing the man whose wealth may be comprised iu one little wallet. This masterpiece of wrought-lron Is eix feet by four and a half, with triple ides, and divided iato separate fireproof compartments. It is opened by a special key, but this cannot be inserted into the lock, or used, unless the five knobs on which are the alphabetical letters, are turned to form a word in combination. This word is often changed, as usual In uch cases. The banker and his chief teller alone know it, and they alone have a key in duplicate. On a certain morning In February the bank clerks were all busy in their de partnieiita, at about ten o'clock, when oue named Cavaillon suddenly raised the waraing cry: . "Here comes the cashier!" Prosper Bertouiy, the head cashier of the bank, was a tall, handsome man of about thirty, with fair hair and large, dark blue eyes, scrupulously neat and dressed in the fashion. "Ah, here you are"' cried Cavaillon. "Some one haa just been asking for you." "Who? The iron manufacturer, was it notT Well, he will come bnck again. Knowing that I would come late this morning, 1 made all my arrangements yesterday." Frosper had unlocked his office door, and, as he finished speaking, entered and closed it behind him. "Look: exclaimed one of the clerks, "there is a man who sits up all night, and doesn't feel like going to work early In the morning. Did you notice how tery pale he looked when he came in?" A moment later the cashroom door tiddenly opened, and the teller appeared before them with tottering step and a haggard look on his ashy face. "Bobbed!" he gasped, hia horrified ex l resslon, hollow voice and trembling lips betraying such fearful Buffering that the clerks jumped op from their desks and ran toward him. They gathered round ud begged him to explain. "All the cash in the aafe has been taken," aaid Bertomy, aa soon as he had recovered; "three packets each of one hundred thousand franc notes, and one of fifty thousand all four done up in one paper wrapper, tied and sealed." With the swiftness of lightning the news had spread, snd the main room ws crowded with the Inquisitive. As Cavail lon was about to run and tell the banker, he arrived, having already been notified. W. Andre Fauvel was man of fifty. Inclined to stoutness, medium lu height, gray haired, and with a slight stoop like brain workers. The news hsd extremely agitated him, for his usually florid face was pale. "What Is this I hear baa happened T he said to the clerks, who respectfully stood aside when he entered th room. "Monsieur," began th cashier, "hav ing, aa yon know, a payment to ninke this morning, I yeaterday drew from th Bank of Franc three hundred and fifty thousand francs." "Why yesterday, monsieur?" interrupt ed the banker. "I think I have a hun dred times ordered yon to wait until the pay day." "I know It, monsieur, and did wrong to disobey you. But the evil is doc. Yesterday evening I locked the money op; it baa disappeared, and yet the safe has not been broken open." "Ton must be mad'." exclaimed M. Fauvel: "speak! Who do yon pretend to say opened th safe? Answer me. No one but you and I know th secret word. No one bnt yoo and I had keys." "In other words, monsieur, I am the only person who could have taken this money." "Unhappy wret.hr Prosper drew himself to Ms full height, and, looking XI. Fauvel aijuare in the face, added: "Or you!" The bauker made a threatening ges ture, and there Is no knowing what would have happened if they hsd not been interrupted by loud, angry voices at the front door. A man Insisted upou entering, and suc ceeded In forcing his way lu. It was M. de Claniernn, the Iron founder, who did rot appear to observe anything nnususl. He advanced, snd, without lifting his bat, said In sn Impertinent tone: "It is after ten o'clock, gentlemen. I congratulate myself upon finding you In at lust. I have been here one before this morning, and now I am refused ad mittance, and am compelled to force my way In. I'.e so good ss to tell me wheth er I can have my money." M. Fanvel's flushed fare tnmd pale with anger, ss be listened to this Inso lence: yet he controlled himself, "I would be obliged to you, monsieur, for a short delay. This morning, this very Instant, I find I have been robbed of three hundred and fifty thousand francs." ('lanieran bowed Ironically, and said: "Khali 1 have to wait long?" "Long enough for in to send to th bank. Write and semi aa quickly a pos sible, to th bank an order for three hundred thousand francs. I-ct the mes senger take a hack," he said to the cashier, who trembled, as if trying to hake off a terrible nightmare. "It is useless to sen. I," he aald, In a measured tone; "we owe (his gentleman i i. .t- t t- . in ret) iiiiuureu inniiKaiia I rn lies, am we have less than one hundred thousand at th bank." "Oh, don t be alarmed, monsieur!" aid the banker to M. d Clsmersn; "this bouse has other resources. lie kind enough to await until my return." lie left th room, went up the narrow ten leading to Lis office, and in few GABORIAU minute retnrned, holding in hia hand a letter and a buudle of securities. i "Here, quick. Couturier!" he said to one of his clerks, "take my carriage, waiting at the door, and go with thia gentleman to Rothschild's. Hand him thia letter and securities; in exchange you will receive three hundred thousand franca, which you will hand to this gen tleman." Th Ironmaster waa visibly disappoint ed; he seemed desirous of apologiiiug for his impertinence, "I assure you, monsieur, that I had no intention of giving offense. Our rela tions for some years have been such that I hope " "Enough, monaleur," Interrupted the banker, "I desire no apologies. - Follow my clerk; he will pay you;" and then turning to hia clerks, who stood curious ly looking ou, he said: "Gentlemen, be good enough to resume your desks." In an instant the room was cleared of everyone except the clerks belonging there, and they sat at their deska with their noses almost touching the paper before them, as if too absorbed In their work to think of anything else. "We must have an explanation," said the banker to Prosper. "Let ua go into your office." The cashier mechanically obeyed with out a word, and his chief followed him, taking no precaution to close the door after them. "Now that we are alone. Prosper," he said. "Pray, confide in me; it la jour only chance of salvation. 1 am your em ployer, it la true; but I am before all and above all your friend your best and trnest frieud. I cannot forget that In this very room, fifteen yeara ago, you were intrusted to me by your father; and ever sine that day have 1 had cause to congratulate myself on possessing so faithful and efficient a clerk. Have I not always been like a father to you? Frora the first day my house has been open to yoo; you wer treated aa a mem ber of my family. Madeline and my sons hiked upon you as a brother. But you grew weary of this peaceful life. One day, a year ago, you suddeuly began to shun us Ah, do you think I am ignor ant of the lite you have been leading since you left my roof a year ago?" The banker paused, aa if hoping for a confessiou, which, however, did not come. "Come, Prosper, have courage, be frank I will go upstairs, while yon will look again in the safe; I am aure that in yeur agitation you did not search thoroughly. This evening I will return; and I am confident that, during the day, you will have found, if not the missing sum, the greater portion of It; and to morrow neither you nor I will remem ber anything about this false alarm." "Your geueroaity la useless, monsieur." said Proaper, bitterly; "having taken nothing, 1 can restore nothing. I have searched carefully; the bank notea have been stoten, snd by all that is sacred, not by me." "Wretch! Do you mean to aay that I took th money? Ah, then." aald M. Fauvel, nnabl to contain himself any longer, "between you and me. Bertomy, justice shsll decide. I hsve sent for the commissary of police; he must be waiting in my rooms. Shall I call him down?" "Do aa yoo wilL Th banker was near th door, which he opened, and after giving the cashier last searching look, aaid to an office boy: Anselme, ssk th commissary of no lle to com." cnAPTEtt n. Th commissary soon made his appear ance. He waa followed by a short man dressed in black, slightly relieved by a crumpled collar. The banker, scarcely bowing, aald: "Doubtless, monaienr. yon have been apprised of the painful circumstance which compels me to hav recourse to your asslstsnce. An infamous and mys terious robbery has been committed in this offlce, from the aafe yon see open there, of which my csshier alone pos sesses the key and the word." "Excuse me, monsieur," said the cash ier to the commissary, in a low tone. "Mr chief also has the word and the key." The commissary at one drew his own conclusions. These two men accused each other. From their own statements, one or the other wss giiiltv. "Well," he said, "a robbery has been perpetrated, bnt by whom? Did the rob lier enter from without?" "I am certain he did not," aald Pros per. "However," said the commissary, "we must make sure of it," and turning to ward his companion, he aald: ".M. Fan ferlot, so If jou cannot discover traces that esrsped the attention of these gen tlemen." M. Fanferlut, nicknamed "The Ranir rel," was Indebted to his prodigious ogil Ity for this title, of which he as not a little proud. Already, before the com missary spoke to him. he had ferreted everywhere; studied the doom, sounded the partitions, examined the wicket, aud stirred up tlis ashes In the fireplace. I cannot Imagine," ssld he, "how sn outsider could hsve effected sn entry here." He ripened the door of the pri vet staircase. "Where do thea stairs lead to?" lis siked. "To my privsis office." replied M. Fsu Tel. "Follow m, gentlemen. And you come, too, Prosper. M. r suvel s of!lc consisted of two rooms; the waiting room, sumptuously furnished and beautifully decorated, and the study where ho transacted business. These two rooms had only three dotr one opened on the private stairway, an other into the banker's bedroom, and the third Into the main vestibule. It waa through this 1st door that the banker's clients and visitors were admitted. M Fanferlot examined the study at I glance. He seemed puxxled like a man who had flattered himself with the hope of discovering some clew and had found nothing. "I.et ns see th adjoining room," hi said, snd psased Into th waiting room followed by the bauker and the commis sary. Prosper remained alon In th study He wu sitting near the fireplace, ab orbed In the most gloomy foreboding, when the banker's chamber door sudden ly opeued and a beautiful girl appeared upon th threshold. Seeing Prosper in th study, where probably she expected to find her uncle alone, she could not re frain from an exclamation of surprise. "You, Prosper you!" These word broke the spell. Th cash ier dropped th white hand which he had caught, and answered bitterly: '"Yea, thia la Prosper, the companion of VOtlF chililliiMi.laii,iii.'t.1 tt the moat disgraceful theft: Prosper, .hom .,., lm,. ,. ,,,, ,itiv,.. to Justice, and who, before th day ia over, will be arrested aud throwu into prison." "Hood heaven! Frosper, what ar you saying?" "Alaa, mademoiselle!" answered Pros per, "you will ouly too soon learn my misfortune and my disgrace; then, ye, then yon will applaud yourself for what you have don. Your unci ia In th ad joining room, with th commissary of police and a detective. They will soou return. 1 entreat you to retire that they may not find you here." As he apoke he gently pushed her through the door and closed It upon her. It waa time, for the next moment the commissary and M. Fauvel entered. They had visited the maiu entrance aud watt ing room, and had heard uo'thlug of what had passed In the study. But Fanfer lot had heard for them. "I understand the case now," said he, to himself. "This young man loves the young lady, who is really very pretty; and, as he is handsome, I suppose his love Is reciprocated. This love affair vexes the banker, who, not knowing how to get rid of the importunate lover by fair means, haa to resort to foul otiea and plans this imaginary robbery, which ia very Ingenious." Meauwhile, the search upstairs com pleted, M. Fauvel and the commissary returned to where Prosper was waiting. The commissary, so calm when he first came, now looked grave and perplexed You see, gentlemen, he begun, "our search has only confirmed our first sus picion. What do you thiuk, M. Faufer- lot?" FHnferlot did not answer. Occupied In studying the safe lock, he manifested atgns of surprise. Evidently he had juat made an Important discovery. M. Fau vel, Prosper and the couimlsaary arose, and surrounded him. "Have you discovered any clew?" said the banker, eagerly. "I have merely convinced myself that ... .are nas oeen reeeui y openeu or qui, i mnw noi wnicn, wun great vio- lence and haste. Look at thia scratch near the lock." The commissary stooped down, and carefully examined the ssfe; he saw a alight scratch several Inches long that had removed the outer coat of varnish. "I see the serstch," said he; "but what does thst prove?" "Oh. nothing at all!" ssld Fanferlot. "It is of no Importance." Fanferlot said this, but it wss not his real opinion. This scratch, undeniably fresh, had for him a signification that es csped the others. He said to himself: "This confirms my suspicions. If the cashier had atolen millions there was no occasion for his being in a hurry; whereas, the banker creeping down iu the dead of the night, for fear of awakening the porter In the anteroom, in order to rob his own aafe, had every reason to tremble, to hastily withdraw the key, n hlrh, slipping along the lock, scratched off the varnish." Resolved alone to unravel the tangled thread of this mystery, the detective de termined to keep his conjectures to him self, for the same reaaon he waa silent as to the interview between Msdeline and Prosper. He hastened to divert at tention from the serstch upon the lock. To conclude, he said, addressing the commisssry, 1 am convinced that no one outside of the bank could have obtained access to this room. Those who opened the ssfe kuew the word and possessed the key." That being the case," ssld the com misssry, "I must request a few moments' conversstlon with M. Fauvel." (To b continued. New Feate In Medicine. The first principle of learning about the progress of medicine and surgery Is to accept wltb distrust all the Infor mation that the newspapers give. It Is almost Impossible to tell the tale of a surgeon's hopes or physician's expec tation so that It will convey to the lay tnlnd the precise degree of Information thnt la ready to be tiansmitted. When the inrgi-on or the physician talks to Ids mates, a at doctors' conventions, his facts are understood and hi con jectures are sifted In the light of tbu experience of bis fellows, but we lay men are apt to swallow whole the tales we rend of medical discovery, nd to tie disappointed when the expecta tions we form are disappointed. The pnpers have begun to disclose, for ex ample, that experiments are going on that look to the cure of Bright'! dis ease by surgical operation on the. kid neys, Kurgeons no longer stand on much ceremony with the kidneys, but ileal with them as ihey would with eyes, or any of the duplex organs, tak li.g one out when It Is hopcles-dy dis ordered and making repairs on such as are repairable. Tbey my one of the new operations for Bright' dlscnse la to peel off the outercoats of the kid ney and leave fhem to work, you may ay, In shirtsleeves. At any rate, some of the surgeon do some kind of operation w hich la said to cure the pa. tlent though the whole proceeding la still In the experimental etage, and there has not been time yet to deter mine w hether the cure Is permanent Harper'a Weekly. Artful Jane. "Jane Hummers 1 an artful minx." "What bus she done now?" "Why, when Hint hnnilnome Mr. Onblt rolled thorn the other night alio bnl a pleew of dried mistletoe twlstr-d Into the top of that high Ivory back comb of her." "Dhl she suppose he'd notice It?" "Ye. Phe found out somewhere Hint h was a botanist. " -OlevHsnd Plain Dealer. He only Is exempt front failures who make no efforts. Wbatcly. THE LIVING LANDMARK. our swlrt passage through this eoeuery Of Of life and death, more durable than we, What landmark ao congenial aa a tree. Repeating its green legend every spring, Type of our brief but till rnewJ mor tality. Men's monuments, grown old, forget their names They should eternise, but the place Where shining souls have pawed imhibea a grace Beyoud mere earth; some sweetuets of their fame Leaves lu the soil Its unextinguished trace. That penetrates our lives and heightens them or shames. James Hussell Lowell. T IE Will Iffl WAMES LANNINU waa a niechan fvjj lo, young, honest man, whose highest ambltiou waa to gain a comfortable home for himself and wife to be thought well of by bla neigh bors.. He had built himself a house, ml there still remained upon It a mortgage of live hundred dollars; but Uils smu he hoped to pay lit few years If ho ouly litid hit hculUi. He had calculated, exactly how long It would take hliu to cltMir off UiU Incum brance, and ha went to work with his eyes open. One, evening Jnmes came home to bla supper more thoughtful than usual. Ills young wife noticed his niaunor. and she Inquired its cause. "What la It, James?" she kindly asked. "Why. I never saw you look so sober before." "Well, I'll tell you. Hantinlt." re turned the youug man. with a slight hesitation la hia manner. "I have Just boon thinking that I would buy a lot tery ticket" Hannah Lnnnlng did not answer Im mediately. Hiie looked down and mouthed the silken hair of her babo. which wu chirping like a roblu In her arms, ami me wwiues or tier band- , fw,tur ,nt(We1 tliat WM taking tlma to think. "How much will it cost?" she asked, at length, looking half timidly up into her husband's face. "Twenty dollars," returned James. trying to assume a confidence which he did not feel. And have yon made up your mind to buy Itr Well. I think I ahall. What do you think about Itr 'If you should ask my advice. I ahould aay not to buy it" "But why ao?" "For nmny reasons." returned hi wife, In a trembling tone. She would not offend her husband. and she shrank from giving him ad vice which be might not follow. "Di th first place," she aald. "I think the whole science of lotteries la a bad one; and then you have do money to risk." "But just look at the prise," aald James, drawing a "scheme" frora hia pocket "Here ts on prize of twenty thousand dollars, another of ten thou sand, another live thousand, and ao on. Something telle me that If I buy a tick et I ahall draw a large prize. And then just think, Hannah, how easily I could pay all up for my house, and perhaps have a good handsome sum left" The young man apoke with much earnestness and assurance; but he saw that there waa a cloud upon his wife' brow. "It soems to me that the chance of drawing a prize la very doubtful," aald Hannah, aa she took the sen cm. "Here are many thousand ticket to be old." The babe tried hard to snatch the paper, and Hannah laid It aside. "I think I shall run the risk," re sumed James, glancing once more over the paper, and resting with a nervous longing upon the figures which repre sented the higher price. "There' Bar ocy; be drew about eight hundred dol lars a year ago." "Yes, I know It" aald Hannah, with more warmth than she had before manifested, "nnd what haa become of the money? You know he has squan dered It all away. Ah, James, money Is of no use unless we couie honestly by It" . "Honestly T repeated the young man., "Huroly, there Is nothing dis honest In drawing a prize in a lot tery?" "I think there is," kindly but em jihatically replied the wlfo. "All game of hazard, where money Is at stake, are dUhonest Were you to draw prize of twenty thousand dollars, you would rob a thousand men of twen ty dollars each; or, at loast, you would take from them money for which you returned them no equivalent Is It not gambling In every sense of the word?" "Oh, no! You look upon the matter In too strong a light" "Perhaps I do; but yet ao It look to me. What you may draw, 1101110 one else must lose; and perhaps It may be aome one who can afford the loss no ictter than you can. I wouldn't buy the ticket, James. )t ua live on the products of our honest gains, and we lml! be happier." Junes I, mining was uneasy. He had no answer for hia wlfe'a argument at loast, no answer that could spring from his moral convictions, and he hit the matter drop. But the young man could not drive the siren from hia heart All the next day hia bead waa run or -pnwa,' ana wjnio ne waa at hia work he kept muttering to him elf, 'Twenty thousand dollar," "Ten thousand dollars," "Fiv thousand do) lar," aud so on. When he went home the next night i He ws almost unhappy with the nerv ous anxiety Into which he hsd thrown himself. The tempter had graspod him firmly, and whenever b thought of the lottery he saw nothing but piles of gold and sliver. In short, Jamoi lAiutlng had mad up hia uBud that he would buy the ticket H went to th little box where he had already one hundred and twenty dollar laid up toward paying off the mortgage from bla house. Th lock clicked with a startling sound, and when he threw txtck the cover he hoattatcxt. II looked at his wife, aud he saw that ah was rid. "Oh, I'm sure I ahall draw a prise!" he aald, with a faint, fading smile. lie took four half eagle from the box aud put tliom In hit pocket. Hia wife aald nothing. 8he played with her baby to hide her sadness, for she dhl not wUh to say more on th sub ject. She had seen that lltUe pile of gold gradually accumulating, and both li and ber husband had been happy In anticipating th day when th pret ty cottage would be all their own. Hut when alie aaw those four piece of gold taken away from the store, she felt a foreshadowing of evil. Stio might have spoken again against the move ment, but she aaw that her hunbuud waa sorely tender on the suhjoot, and she let the affair go Into the hands of fate. A week claimed from the time that Jnmea bought his ticket to the draw lug of the lottery, and during that time the young man had not a moment of real enjoyment He was alternat ing between hoim and fear, and there fore his mind was constantly on the stretch. At length the day arrived. James went to the otllce and found that the drawing had taken place, and the Hat of prizes had been made out He seined the list and turned away, so that those who stood around should not co his face. He read the list through and through, but he searched for hU number In vain! It was not there. He luul drawn a blank! He left the otlb'o an unhappy man. Those twenty dollars which he bad lost had been th savings of two moutha of hard labor, and he felt their loss most keenly. When he returned home that night he told his wife that be had lost She found no fault with hint. Khe ouly kissed htm, and told him that the lesson was a good one, even though It had been dearly bought But James Ijinntng was not satis fled. lis brooded over his loss with bitter spirit and at length the thought cam to him that he might yet draw a prize. He wWhed that he had not bought th first ticket and he thought that if he could only get hack hia twenty dollar h would buy no more; but he could not rest under his loss. He was determined to make one more trial, and he did so. Thl lime he purchased a ticket without hi wlfe'a knowledge. Th result waa the same as before. He drew a blank! Forty dollara!" waa a sentence that dwelt fearfully upon th mechanic' Ups. "Oh, I must draw a price!" he aald to himself. "I must make up what I have lost Let me one do that and I'll buy no more tlcke.." Another twenty dollars waa taken from the little bank, another ticket waa bought another blank waa drawn. At the end of thre month the little bank waa empty, and Jamea Lanning bad th last ticket In his pocket Ah how earnestly be prayed that that last ticket might draw a prise! He had become pale and careworn, and bl wife poor, confiding aoul thought he only repined because he had loat twen ty dollar. When abe would try and cheer blm he would laugh, and try to make the matter light "Jamea," said his wife to him one day It waa the day before that on which the lottery waa to be drawn in which he held the sixth ticket "Mr. Howsn haa been here to-day after hi soinl-nnnuiU Interest. I ttitd him that you would aee hi in to-morrow." "Yes, I will," aald James, In a fnlnt voice. "Ye, to-morrow I ahall aoe him." Young lnnnlng thought of the lot tery, and of the prize. Thl was hi sixth trial, and he felt sure that b ahould draw. The morrow rame, and when Janie Launlng returned to his home at night he was penniless! All his golden vi sions had farled away, and he was left In darkness and misery. "Jnmes, have you paid Mr. Itowae bla interest yet ' 'asked Hannah. The young man leaned hia head upon hi hands and groaned aloud. "For heaven a Bake, Jnmes, what has happened?" cried the st-nrtliH wife. springing to the ldo of her husband and twining ber arm alxitit his neck. The young man looked up with wild, haggard expression. His Hp were blood In, and his features were all stricken with a diath-hun. "What la it? Oh, what?" murmured the wife. "Go look In our box our llttlo bank!" groaned the poor man. Hannah hastened away, and when alio returned she bore an empty bo In her hand. "Bobbed!" she gasped, and she san tremblingly down by hor huaband aide. "Yes, Hannah," whimpered the bus bnnd, "I hnve robbed you." The stricken wife ga.ed upon her husband with a vacant look, for at first she did not comprehend; but aha re membered bis bohalvlor for weeks back; she remembered how be ha murmured In hia !ecp of lotteries and tickets, of blanks and prizes, and grad ually the truth broke In upon hor "I have dona It all, Hnntwih," hoamn 1 whispered the condemned man, when he saw that his wife bad ri'ed the truth. "All. all baa gone for lot. tery tlcketa. The demon tempter lured me; he held up glittering gold In bla hand, but be gave me none of It. Oh, do not chide me! You know not what hav aufferwl what hour of agony hav pa saw! and you know bow cold 1 my biHirt now. Oh. my wife, would to !od I bad listened to you!' "Ah!" calmly whispered the faithful wife, a she drew ber hand across ber usbaud'a boated brow, "Mourn not for what la bmt. I will not chide you. It Is hard thus for you lo loo your scanty earnings, but there might be many calamines worse than that. Cour age, James; we wilt soon forgot It. And Mr. Hows will foroclos th mortgage. You will tie Homeless." murmured young 1-annlng In broken eceuts. "No; I will see thiut all la sofa In that quarter," added Hannah. At that moment the baby awoke. and the gentle mother wu called to care for It. On the next day, at noon. Hannah (.aiming gave her huaband a receipt for fifteen dollara front Mr. Bowse. "Here," said she, "Intercut la paid. Now let us forget all that baa passed. and commence again." But how what has paid this?" asked James, gazing first upon the re elpt, and then upon hia wife. "Never mind." "Ah, but I must mind. Tell me, Hamuli!." "Well, I have sold my gold watch." "Sold It!" "But I can buy It lutek again. The man will not part with It. If I want It Hut I don't want it, Juuii'm, till we are able. Perhaps I shall never want it. You must not chide uie, for never did I derive one lota of the pleasure from Its possession that t now fctd lit llai result of Its dlsponal." James Lnnnlng clasped his wife to his bosom, and he murmured a prayer, and In thnt prayer there wa a pledge. Two year passed away, and during that time James tanning lost not a single day from his work. He waa 1 punctual aa the tun, and the result waa aa sure. It waa late on Saturday evening when he cam home. After aupper he drew a paper from his pocket, and laid It upou the table. iliere, Hannah," aaid be, while a noble pride beamed In every feature, "ther la tuy mortgage. "I've paid It every cent This house la ours; It la our own house. I've bought It with dollars, every one of which has been honestly earned by the sweat of my brow. I am happy now." Hannah 1-antilng saw thnt her hus band had opened bla anna, aud she sat down upon bis knee aud laid ber head upon his shoulder. Oh, blessed moment!" she mur mured. Yea, It la a bleated moment" re sponded her bsuband. "Do you re member, HaniuiJi, the hour of bitter ness that we saw two year ago " The wife shuddered, but uiade no re ply. Ah," continued the young man. "1 have never forgotten that bitter les son; and even now I tremble when 1 think how fatally I waa deceived by the tempter that has lured ao many thousands to destruction." "But ita horror la lost In thl happy moment," aald Hannah, looking up with a smile. "It'a terror may be lost" resumed James, "but lta lesson must never b forgotten. Ah, the luring lottery ticket haa a dark aide a side which few ses until they feel It" "And ar not all IU aides dark?" oftly aaked the wife. "If ther Is ny brightness about It It la only the glnr of the fatal Ignis fatuus which ran only lead the wayward traveler Into danger and disquiet" "You are right, my dear wife. Too were right at first Ah," be contin ued, as he drew the faithful belng more closely to his bosom, "If hus bands would oftener obey the tender dictate of the loving wife, there would bo far less misery In the world than thore la now." Waverley Magazine. Japs learn Western Ways. Japanese Journalism Is developing; on Western lines and with surprising rapidity. The events of the present war are responsible for extras which are sold on the sln-et In the American fashion. The newsmen run bnreleggml with a sort of napkin around the head fiinl a small bell at the belt, which, rings as they go. When the war news la lively the extras come out In a correspniiilliig'y lively manner, one after the other, ami tiro liberally patronized. The senaa tlonnl reporter haa appeared there, ait well aa the female Journalist, and things are "whooped up" more than Ihey used to be. On consequence of thia Is that Journalism hern and there begins to pny, where formerly It had lo be eulmlillssed as a matter of patriot ism and public: spirit There la an English column In all the papers and English Is studied In all the schools. The country has (VN) newspapers In all, and several of them hnve respect ively a circulation exceeding 1(10,000 copies. Aa guides and directors of public opinion they are perhaps not Inferior to our own. Altogether Japan ese JournallMtn. In Its Infancy, has bright future before It and will likely keep pace with the progress of U10 country It serves. What lln Took. Join fort in. The nrk had Just Iiinded. "Thcro Is 0110 comfort, anyway," remarked Nonli, "there Isn't any old salt loft to tell mn he was In worse storm thirty yenrs ago." With a thankful sigh he proeeodotl to unship tils cargo. New York TrlU-una.
