b Between Two fires
By ANTHONY HOPE
"A wise man will make more opportunities
than he finds." Francis Bacon.
CHAPTER VI. (Continued.)
"Hullo, Johnny! Why not at the
House?" said 1 to him. "You'll want ev
ery vote to-night. Re off and help the
ministry, and take Donna Autonia with
you. They're eating up the minister of
finance."
"All right ! I'm going as soon as I've
had another muffin," said Johnny. "But
what's the row about?"
"Well, they want their money," I re
plied; "and Don Antonio wou't give it
them. Hence bad feeling."
"Tell you what it is," said Johnny ; "he
hasn't got a "
Here Donna Antonia struck in, rather
suddenly, I thought,
"Do stop the gentlemen talking poli
tics, Madame Devarges. They'll spoil our
tea party."
"Your word is law," I said; "but I
should like to know what Don Antonio
hasn't got."
"Now do be quiet," she rejoined; isn't
it quite enough that he has got a charm
ing daughter?"
"And a moat valuable one," I replied
with a bow, for I saw that for some rea
son or other Donna Antonia did not mean
to let me pump Johnny Carr, and I want
ed to pump him.
"Don't say another word, Mr. Carr,"
she said, with a laugh. "You know you
don't know anything."
Meanwhile Madame Devarges was giv
ing me a cup of tea. As she handed it
to me, she said in a low voice :
"If I were his friend I should take
care Johnny didn't know anything, Mr.
Martin."
"If I were his friend I should take care
he told me what he knew, Madame De
varges," I replied.
"Perhaps that's what the Colonel
thinks," she said. "Johnny has just been
telling us how very attentive he has be
come. And the Signorina, too, I hear."
"You don't mean that?" I exclaimed,
"But. after all, pure kindness, no doubt !"
"Yon have received many attentions
from those quarters," she said. "No doubt
you are a good judge of the motives."
"Don't, now, don't be disagreeable,"
baid 1. "I came here for peace."
'Poor young man ! Have you lost all
your money? Is it possible that you, like
Don Antonio, haven't got a ?"
"What is going to happen?" I asked,
for Madame Devarges often had infor
mat ion.
"I don't know," she said. "But if I
owned national bonds, I should sell."
"Pardon me, madame; you would offer
to sell."
I did not see any need to enlighten her
further. So I passed on to Donna An
tonia, who had sat somewhat sulkily since
her outburst. I sat down by her and
said:
"Surely I haven't offended you?"
"You know you wouldn't care if you
had," she said, with a reproachful, but
not unkind glance. "You will not let
your real friends save you, Mr. Martin
You know you want help. Why don't you
consider the state of your affairs?"
"In that, at least, my friends in Whit-
tingham are very ready to help me,"
answered, with some annoyance.
"If you take it in that way," she re
plied sadly, "I can do nothing."
I was rather touched. Clearly she
wished to be of some use to me, and for
a moment I thought I might do better
to tear myself free from my chains, and
turn to the refuge opened to me. But I
could not do this; and, thinking it would
be rather mean to take advantage of her
interest in me only to use it for my own
purposes, I yielded to conscience and said
"Donna Antonia, I will be stralghtfor
ward with you. You can only help me if
I accept your guidance? I can't do that,
I am too deep in."
"Yes, you are deep In, and eager to be
deeper," she said. "Well, so be it. If
that is so I cannot help you."
"Thank you for your kind attempt,"
said I. "I shall very likely be sorry some
day that I repulse It. I shall always be
glad to remember that you made it."
She looked at me a moment, and said
"We have ruined you amongst us."
"Mind, body and estate?"
She made no reply, and 1 saw my re
turn to flippancy wounded her. So I rose
and took my leave. Johnny Carr went
with me.
"Things look queer, eh, old man?" said
he. "But the President will pull through
In spite of the Colonel and his Signor
ina."
"Johnny," said I, "you hurt my feel
lngs; but still I will give you a piece of
advice. Marry Donna Antonia. She
a good girl and a clever girl."
"That's not a bad idea," said he. "Why
don't you do It yourself?"
"Because I'm like you, Johnny-
Idiot," I replied, and left him wondering
whv. If he was an Idiot, and I was an
Idiot, one idiot should marry Donna An
tonia, and not both or neither.
As I went along I bought the Gazette,
the government organ, and read therein
"At a Cabinet council this afternoon,
nreslded over by his excellency, we un
derstand that the arrangements connected
with the national debt formed the sub
teet of discussion. The resolutions arriv
ed at are at present strictly confidential,
but wo have the best authority for stat
Ins that the measures' to be adopted will
have the effect of materially alleviating
the present tension, and will afford un
mixed satisfaction to the immense ma
jority of the citizens of Aureataland. The
President will once again be hailed as
thu savior of his country."
"I wonder if the Immense majority will
include me?" said I. "I think I will go
and see his excellency."
CHAPTER VII.
The next morning I took my way to the
Golden House, where I learned that the
President was at the ministry of finance,
Arriving there, I sent in my card, writing
thereon an humble request for a private
interview. I was ushered into Don An
tonio's room, where I found the minister
himself, the President and Johnny Carr.
As I entered and the servant, on a sign
from his excellency, placed a chair for
me, the latter said rather stiffly:
As I presume this' is a business visit,
Mr. Martin, it is more regular that I
should receive you in the presence of one
of my constitutional advisers. Mr. Carr
is acting as my secretary, and you can
speak freely before him."
I was, annoyed at failing in my at
tempt to see the President alone, but not
wishing to show it, I merely bowed ana
said :
'I venture to intrude on your excellen
in consequence of a letter from my
cy
ireetors. They inform me that, to use
their words, 'disquieting rumors are
float on the exchanges in regard to the
Aureataland loan, and they direct me to
submit to your excellency he expediency
of giving some public notification rela
tive to the payment of the interest falling
due next month. It appears from their
communication that it is' apprehended
that some difficulty may occur in the mat
ter."
Would not this application, if neces
sary at all, have been more properly made
to the ministry of finance in the first
instance?" said the President. "These
details hardly fall within my province."
"I can only follow ray instructions, your
excellency," I replied.
"Have you any objection, Mr. Martin,
said the President, "to allowing myself
and my advisers to see this letter?"
"I am empowered to submit it only to
your excellency's own eye."
'Oh, only to my eye," said he, with an
amused expression. "That was why the
interview was to be private?
Exactly, sir," I replied. "I intend no
disrespect to the minister of finance or to
your secretary, sir, but I am bound by
my orders."
"You are an exemplary servant, Mr.
Martin. But I don't think I need trou
ble you about it further. Is it a cable?"
He smiled so wickedly at this question
that I saw he had penetrated my little
fiction. However, I only said :
"A letter, sir."
"Well, gentlemen," said he to the oth
ers. "I think we may reassure Mr. Mar
tin. Tell your directors this, Mr. Mar
tin. The government does not see any
need of a public notification, and none
will be made. I think we agree, gentle
men, that to acknowledge the necessity
of any such action would be highly deroga
tory. But assure them that the President
has stated to you, Mr. Martin, personally,
with the concurrence of his advisers, that
he anticipates no difficulties in your be
ing in a position to remit the full amount
of interest to them on the proper day."
"I may assure them, sir, that the inter
est will be punctually paid?"
"Surely I expressed myself in a manner
you could understand," said he, with the
slightest emphasrfs on the "you. "Au
reataland will meet her obligations. You
will receive all your due, Mr. Martin.
That Is so, gentlemen?"
Don Antonio acquiesced at once. John
ny Uarr, 1 noticed, said nothing and
fidgeted rather uneasily in his chair,
knew what the President meant. He
meant, "If we don't pay, pay it out of
your reserve fund. Alas, the reserve
fund was considerably diminished ; I had
enough, and just enough left, to pay the
next Installment If I paid none of my
own debts. I felt very vicious as I saw
his excellency taking keen pleasure in the
consciousness of my difficulties, but of
course I could say nothing. So I rose
and bowed myself out, feeling I had gain
ed nothing, except a very clear convic
tion that I should not see the color of the
President's money on the next interest
day. True, I could just pay myself. But
what would happen next time? And
he wouldn't pay, and I couldn't pay, the
game would be up. As to the original
loan, It is true I had no responsibility
but then, if no Interest were paid, the
fact that I had applied a second loan,
my loan, In a manner different from that
which my instructions authorized and my
own reports represented, would be Inevit
ably discovered. And my acceptance of
the bonus, my dealings with the reserve
fund, all this would, I knew, look rather
queer to people who didn t know the cir
cumstances.
When I went back to the bank, revolv
ing these things in my mind, I found
Jones employed In arranging the corre
spondence. It was part of his duty to see
to the preservation and filing of all letters
arriving from Europe, and, strange to say,
he delighted In the task. It was part of
my duty to see he did this; so I sat down
and began to turn over the pile of letters
and messages which he had put on my
desk ; they dated back two years ; this sur
prised me, and I said:
"Bather Dehinunnnd, aren t you
Jones?"
"Yes, sir, rather. Fact Is, I've done
'cm before, but as you've never initiate
'em, I . thought I ought to bring 'em to
your notice."
"Quite right very neglectful of me.
suppose they're all right?"
"Yes. sir, all right."
"Then I won't trouble to go through
them."
"They're all there, sir, except, of course,
the cable about the second loan, sir."
"Except what?" I said.
"The cable about the second loan," he
repeated.
I was glad to be reminded of this, for
of course I wished to remove that docu
ment before the bundle finally took its
place among the archives. Indeed, I
thought I had. done so. But why had
Jones' removed It? Surely Jones was not
as skeptical as that?
"Ah, and where have you put that?"
"Why, sir, his excellency took that."
"What!" I cried.
"Yes, sir. Didn't I mention It? Why,
the day after you and the President were
here tha night, his excellency came down
in the afternoon, when you d gone out to
the Tiazza, and said he wanted it. He
said. sir. that vou'd said it was to co to
the ministry of finance. He was very af-
fable, sir, and told me that It was neces-
sary the original should be submitted to
the minister for his inspection; and as he
was passing by he'd take it up himself,
Hasn't he given it back to you, sir? He
said he would."
"Slipped his memory, no doubt. All
right, Jones."
"May I go now, sir?" said Jones. "Mrs.
Jones wanted me to go with her."
I saw all now
stolen the cable.
That old villain had
words came back to my memory, "I make
thfi ttmstt nf mv nrmntt-nnit-ii! "
nn i ttwtj vrrt I
vii'it iun t nil i
The nerr u-n hn. nno for me.
I spent it in scraping together every bit
of cash I could lay my hands on. If I
could get together enough to pay the in
terest on the $300,000 supposed to be in
vested in approved securities really dis
posed of in a manner only known to his
excellency I should have six months to
look about ine. Now remaining out of my
"bonus" was nil, out of my "reserve
fund" $10,000. This was enough. But,
alas, how happened it that this sum was
in my hands? Because I had borrowed
$5,000 from the bank ! If they wouldn't
let their own manager overdraw, whom
would they? So I overdrew. But if this
money wasn't back before the monthly
balancing, Jones would know! And I
dared not rely on being able to stop his
mouth again. When I said Johnny Carr
was the only honest man in Aureataland
forgot Jones. Jones also was honest,
nd Jones would consider it his duty to
let the directors know of my overdraft.
If once they knew, I was lost, for an over
raft effected privately from the safe by
the manager is, I do not deny it, decidedly
irregular. Unless I could add $."),000 to
my $10,000 before the end of the month
should have to default !
This melancholy conclusion was re-en
forced and rendered demonstrable by a
letter which arrived, to crown my woes,
from my respected father, informing me
that he had unhappily become indebted to
our chairman in the sum of $10,000, the
result of a tdeal between them, that he
had seen the chairman, that the chairman
was urgent for payment, that he used
most violent language against our family
in general, ending by declaring his in
tention of stopping my salary to pay the
parental debt. "If he doesn't like it he
may go, and small loss." This was a
most unjustifiable proceeding, but I was
hardly In a position to take up a high
moral attitude toward the chairman, and
in the result I saw myself confronted
with the certainty of beggary and the
probability of jail. But for this unto
ward reverse of fortune I might have tak
en courage and made a clean breast of my
misdoings, relying on the chairman's ob
ligations to my father to pull me through,
But now, where was I? I was, as Donna
Antonia put it, very deep in indeed. So
overwhelmed was I by my position, and
so occupied by my frantic efforts to im
prove it, that I did not even find time to
go and see the Signorina, much as I need
ed comfort; and, as the dys went on, I
fell into such despair that I went no
where, but sat dismally in my own rooms,
looking at my portmanteau, and wonder
ing how soon I must pack and fiy, if not
for life, at least for liberty,
At last the crash came.' I was sitting
in my office one morning, engaged ln the
difficult task of. trying to make ten into
imeen, wiiea l near uuie ciaiter oi nouis.
A moment later the door was opened,
and Jones ushered in Colonel McGregor.
I nodded to the Colonel, who came in with
his usual leisurely step, sat himself down,
and took off his gloves. I roused myself
to say :
"What can I do for you, Colonel?"
He waited till the door closed behind
Jones, and then said :
"I've got to the bottom of It at last,
Martin. That old scamp's villainy," said
he, jerking his thumb toward the Piazaa
and the statue of the Liberator. "He's
very cute, but he's made a mistake at
last."
"Do come to the point, Colonel. What's
it all about?"
"Would vou be surprised to hear," said
the Colonel, adopting a famous mode of
speech, "that the interest on the debt
would not be paid on the 31st?
No, I shouldn t, said I, resignedly.
"Would you be surprised to hear that
no more Interest would ever be paid?
"What do you mean, man?" I cried,
leaping up.
"The President," said he, calmly, "will, !
on the 31st instant, repudiate the national
debt !"
(To be continued.)
She Knew Her Daainesa.
He had been sweet on her for some
time mid one evening he dropped In
on his way home from the ofllce.
"I hope you will excuse me for call
ing In my business suit," he said,
"but "
"Oh, that's all right," Interrupted the
fair maid, "that Is, If you mean busi
ness."
And the next day a downtown Jew
eler separated him from a month's sal
ary In exchange for the ring.
I.lver n lid llucon I'le.
Take mi equal, number of pieces of
liver ami of fat bacon, free the latter
from rlinl, etc., and place the bacon lu
a clean nan. Fry till cooked. men'
dlsh ou a ll()t ,,lte ,, reMrve. AflJ
, u f t mimlnln!
; , , , ,
ln tllL '" 1111 woU'a 1,11,1 of
"Ice golden-brown hue. Take out and
add to the bacon. Tliieuen ine rat wmi
n .Httle Hour and water and a tiny bit
0( butter mixed together, mid stir till
n..U(. mniliv nll.i of ,, .w. brown color.
Place the liver and bacon !n a deep pie
dish In layers. Add salt and pepper, if
thought necessary. Fill up the chinks
with forcemeat balls, pour the gravy
over the whole. Cover with n plain
crust. Brush the top with beaten egg,
(Uui Dnke ; moderately hot oven until
nit'Illlll 11 Hi i
iiiui uiL' tuu ivru uu mi: iuw .in...
, , , ,. , j- i i .. . ii. .
pepper IUHI llllir 11 leaspomil ill oi mill. ,
place In a steamer In a kettle that will
keep It as near the water as possible,
cover and steam an hour ajid a half;
when done, keep hot while dressing a
prepared; then cut up, arrange on the
platter and serve with the dressing
over them. The dressing Is made as
follows: Boll one pint of gravy from
the kettle without the fat, add cayenne
pepper and half a teuspoonfnl of salt;
stlr a tablespoonful of flour Into
quarter of a pint of cream until smooth,
and add to the gravy. Corn starch may
be used Instead of the (lour, and some
cooks add nutmeg or celery salt.
The Art of DuUlnvt
The housekeeper who knows how to
regulate the heat of her oven and also
its peculiarities will save much dls
comfort to her family. If when baking
a cake It browns too quickly on the top,
wr n ip,.e f strong brown paper with
t , , lt om. tlie c.llUe.
quick oven will burn a gingerbread In
a very short time and Is sometimes the
cause of heavy pastry, and will often
cause a hollow In a very light cake.
When baking any kind of food the best
attention should be given to looking
nft(?r tie nl.e ul)tn tiiP wort s done. It
does not pay to be careless lu this mat
ter. nice I'uiiiiinyr.
Wash a tcacupful of rice and boll it
In two teacupfuls of water; then add,
while the rice is hot, three tablespoon
fuls of butter, five tablespoonfuls sugar,
5 well-beaten eggs, one tablespoon of
powdered nutmeg, a little salt, one
fourth pound of raisins (stoned and
cut In halves), one-fourth pound of
Zante currants, one-fourth pound of
citron, cut in slips, and one quart of
cream; mix well, pour Into a buttered
dish and bake au hour lu a moderate
oven.
Cnstard.
Steamed custards are delicious, but
must be steamed slowly and carefully,
Adding cold water will undoubtedly
cause a steamed pudding to fall. A
very hot oven will scorce any pudding
In which whipped white of egg Is
spread on the top, while the Inner part
will be quite uncooked. When boiling
a pudding such as rolypoly, or a suet
dumpling, lt often sticks at the bottom
nf the saucenan when dropped in. A
iate u tiie ,mn will prevent this,
Mince Toaxt
Mince any cold meat at hand (If
there is a variety so much the better)
season highly with pepper, salt and
chutney or herbs, and moisten the meat
with gravy or cream. Make all thor
oughly hot In a stewpan, but do not let
It reach boiling point. Have ready
some squares of buttered toast, place
the mince on these, and garnish with
parsley. Serve very hot
Apple Crenra,
Boll twelve apples In water till soft,
take off the peel nud press the pulp
through a hair sieve upon one-halt
pound sugar; whip the whites of two
eggs, add them to the apples, and heat
nn together lt becomes very stiff and
nnlt .vl,ttp. Serve it heaped upon a
glass dish.
Wnnhlng'ton rutltlliiK.
Beat one-third cup of butter and one
cup of sugar together until light, and
one and a half cups of flour, sifted
with two and a half teaspoons of bak
Ing powder. Bake ln two large layer
tins and spread while warm with jelly
or jam and serve with a hot liquid
pudding sauce.
Makes lce Dessert.
A very nice dessert for this time of
year Is to scoop out cantaloupes, fill
with ice cream, and over the top place
slices of peaches. Or the melons may
be tilled with whipped cream In which
pieces of peaches have been stirred, the
cream flavored with bitter almond.
1
T7
oes lour
Heart Beat
Yes. 100,000 times each day.
Does it send out good blood
or bad blood? You know, for
good blood is good health;
bad blood, bad health. And
you know precisely what to
take for bad blood Ayer's
Sarsaparilla. Doctors have
endorsed it for 60 years.
One frequent fmh of bud blood ll a lnrRlah
llvur. Thin prolines! colimlpiitlon. I'ouonou!
Buli-ttalico urn tlifli llbnorhud into tho 1)1 1,
limtuail of boli'K ri'inovml from the body uulljr
an nutiim IntiMiilrd. Knun the boweln npeu
with Ayer'i Villi, liver pills. All vegetable.
Uide by J. O. Ayor Co., Lowell,
auo xueuuiitoiurore oi
HAIR VIOCR.
CUKR.
CI1ERRY PECTORAL.
Doubled the Number.
In criticizing some proposed chances
ln a bill before the Seuate, changes
which seemed to him to be alterations
in phrasing rather than ln meaning,
Senator Tillman told a story which the
Milwaukee Sentinel reports, of a lady
who was looking at a house for rent.
"The lionise units 1110 very well," she
said to the landlord, "but there Is one
thing I object to."
"Well, madam, any reasonable altera
tion,", the landlord murmured, suavely,
"would, provided you took a three
years' lease "
"I'd take a three years' lease," she
said. "If the house had more closets."
"The number of closets shall be dou
bled." said the landlord.
"Very well," said tho woman, and she
signed the lease.
After she had gone the landlord said
to his clerk, "John, take a carpenter
over to number thirty-seven and have
him divide each of the closets In two."
A random Sentinel.
It was the small brother of pretty
Margaret who opened the front door
In response to Mr. Ooodyear's ring, and
his face took on a singularly alert ex
pression as he surveyed the caller.
"No, she isn't in," said Margaret's
brother. "Are are you Mr. Hamlin?"
No," said the young man, "I am Mr.
Goodyear. Does that make any differ
ence about her being at home?" and he
looked searchlngly at the boy.
Course not !" said Bobby, indignant
"I don I tell stories, nor Margaret
doesn't. But if you'd been Mr. Ilamllu,
was to tell something about her coni
ng home, and get ten cents If I did it
ight and didn't tell the wrong one. I
need that money, and so, you see, I
didn't want to make any mistake. Good
by !"
A Late Edition.
Julius Kahn, representative from San
Francisco, was In Washington when the
earthquake came and was nearly fran
tic, because his wife and children, in
cluding a baby a few days old, were di
rectly ln the path of the Are.
Kahn spent two days trying to tele
graph and then took a trnln and went
out, and finding his family safe, stayed
a week or so In the ruined city.
On his return he found a letter from
a constituent, written eight days after
the shock, which began :
"Dear Julius; "No doubt you will be
surprised to learn from me that we
have had a terrible earthquake out
here." Saturday Evening Tost
Justified.
First Ranchman Whnt'd they do t'
Broncho Bill f'r shootiu' up thet ther
tenderfoot?
Second Ranchman The Jedge let him
go.
First Ranchman How's that?
'Second Ranchman Ut seems th' ten
derfoot says: 'Bill, what's th differ
ence between a cowpuncher an' a sail
or' an' Bill &ez: 'I d'no,' an' th' tender
foot sez: One ships th' steers an' th'
other steers th' ships.' Jedge sez ut ua
justyflble, er sunipin' like that." To
ledo Blade.
Jast What He Wanted.
"These eggs aren't fresh, are they?"
queried the stranger.
"Well," replied the grocer, cautiously,
"these eggs will make a ham "
"Oh, I don't want 'em for ham omelet
or any kind of eating. I've been In at
that show at the opera house, and what
I want"
"As I was saying, sir, these eggs will
make a ham actor feel like' a last year'i
bird's nest." Philadelphia Press.
Nature's Endowment.
Caller Miss Millicent plays wonder
fully on the piano.
Grandfather Greevius Yes; it sort o'
runs in the fam'ly. By jucks, you'd ort
to 'ave heerd me play "Ole Dan Tucker"
an' "Ole Bob Ridley" on a jewsharp when
I was a boy!
Giving- It Away.
The Young Man Dicky, you think a
good deal of your sister, don't you?
Dicky (entertaining him) You bet I
So does ma and pa. She's been ln tht
fam'ly mighty near forty years.
D
A
A