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CIIArTEU XXIl.-KContlnued.)
He left me. Several minute elapsed.
aud ht did Dot return. I waa becoming
uneasy at my alw-em-e frura my compan
ions. Then 1 heard the curtain fall
I waa just going to leave, when Mr.
Montgomery came up to ma again, dress
ed for th street.
"I can't find it now. Silaa: I will bring
It home with me and you can do it to
morrow .
Vexed and annoyed at thia trifliug, I
ran round to tha front of tli house.
But to re-enter the nit waa Impossible.
Tha people were crowding out in on
deuse stream; ao I waa obliged to stand
old nntil my companions ahould ap
pear, or until tht passage waa auffl
cieutly clcirvd for wa to go back to
aofk them.
I had not atood there many secoda
before I mw Mm. Wilson forcing her
self tl ronth the crowd, and looking wihl
ly about her. She caught night of me in
an instant.
"Where ia Clara?" ahe cried, gasping
for breath. "1 hare ht her in the
crowd. Some men pushed between us.
and separated her from me: aud from
that moment I have lost sight of her.
Iook about you. She must b iu the
Btreet."
The audience were now dispersing in
all direction. Up and down, in and out
the crowd, here, ther and everywhere,
I eagerly sought for her, but aha waa
nowhere to be Been. Mr. Wilaon, stand
ing in a doorway, trembling aud wring
Ing her hand, aoon collected a amall
crowd round her.
' "Had they aeen a yonng lady. In a
black dress, with long golden hair? aha
never ceased asking.
At last a man auggeated that the po
liretnan who had been stauding about
tha door during the latter part of tha
performance waa tha moat likely person
to haTt aeen her.
"Yea. lie had aeen a yonng peraon an
awering the description. She had been
one among the first of the crowd to come
down the passage. She looked aa if aha
had lot some one. Wbeu ahe got into
the street a young man touched her npon
tha arm and an id something, and ahe
walked away with him. Then he lost
a!ght of her.
"What was the man like? I asked.
"Oh, he waa a youngish, smooth-faced
fellow, with a cap on." was the reply.
The Tery man who had beckoned ma
out of the pit. It was a plot, then;
but by whom originated, and for what
purpose?
"Take a cab; go to Bow street police
at a t ion at once, aud I will follow you in
a few minutes," I said to Mrs. Wilson.
Back I rushed to the stage door. Had
Mr. Montgomery left the theater? He
bad followed out at my heels, waa the
answer.
Suddenly I bethonght me of the public
house frequented by Josiah and Mr.
Montgomery. Away I ran thither. No;
they had not been there that evening.
Then I went down to Bow street, where
1 found Mrs. Wilson, more dead than
alive, giving her deposition.
"Are yon quite certain that the young
lady has not gone off of her own free
will? swine aweethearting raw, per
haps only for a little walk met some
one ahe knew, and finding that she had
missed you, he has taken her home?"
suggested the functionary who was tak
ing down the deposition.
"Pray disabuse your mind of such an
Idea; the yonng lady in question has no
friends except those you see here
knows no oilier associates with no
others."
The solemn earnestness of my tones
Beetned to convince him of his error, for
from that time he gave us a more seri
oua attention.
"A description shall be sent to the dif
ferent leats aud police stations, and jou
had better issue bills, and if you care
to go to the expense, advertise iu the
daily papers. If we hear anything, we
will let you know. But you can make
your mind easy upon one point nt least,
I think so: wherever she is, she has
gone with her own free will. There'a
no accounting for the vagaries of girls."
Both myself and Mrs. Wilson felt very
angry at the light and skeptical niuiincr
In which a subject so momentous to us
was treated; but the officer only smiled
at our warmth.
Mrs. Wilson expressed her intention
of issuing bills early the next morning,
offering a reward for her diw-overy.
There was nothing more to lie done in
that place, for the can was waiting,
and I persuaded her to return home im
mediately. She implored me to accom
pany her. No. I would search the neigh
borhood; 1 might chaiice to get some
tidings.
Finding that all her entreaties were
In vain, the old lady reluctantly depart
ed alone.
Mr. Jonathan was standing upon the
doorstep w-hen the cab drove up. Before
the cabman could descend from the box,
he had the door open.
"Where is she where is Clara?' he
asked, seeing but one person within.
Too utterly terrified and bewildered to
think of the oddity of such a question
from a stianger whom ahe had never1
; icen before, Mra. Wilson could only gasp,
"She ia gone run away with."
Ten minutes afterwards, Mr. Jona
than jumped into the cab that had
brought ber home, aud which he ordered
to atay. "To tha Bow afreet police
' Btation aa fast as you can drive," be
cried.
All that night I wandered al-otit in a
frenzied state up and down the streets,
flown by the river, I know not where.
It came on to rain, and I waa soaked
to the akin. Still, hour after hour, I lin
gered about the same spot; the dawn
broke and merged into broad daylight,
and the bustle of the day began, yet still
I could not tear myself away; the pass-
, ars-by shrank from me they must have
thought me an escaped lunatic. At last,
I felt that nature could hold out no long
er; that I must fall down upon the
pavement If I walked about any longer.
I can remember dragging myself down
... lo uai: lodging, throwing myself in my
wet clothes upon the bed, and then
nil Is a blank.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Wild, grotesque phantasma a sense
of Intense suffering, aching pains, pan n
ing thirst, and aa awful oppression up
on the brain. And then I seemed to
awake from a long, troubled steep, rnj
an atony beyond my power to describe.
I mad an effort and succeeded in
drawing a little apart the curtaina at
the foot of the bed. Almost within my
reach stood a table, upon which was
a moderator lamp, burning low. a jug.
tumbler, and aome bottles.
The faiut raja of the lamp showed me
a large, gloomy oak-panelled room, with
the ceiling paluted to match. Tie win
dows ipposite me were covered with
heavy curtains, and the rurniture was ;
dark and very old fashioned. On one
aide was a huge fireplace, decorated with i
oak carvings; in the grate burned a
cheerful tire, and there, sittiug beside It
dosing, with her face half towarda me,
waa an elderly woman, a stranger to
me.
' Having finished my survey, 1 crawled
back to my pillow and lay still for a
time, feeling very much exhausted with
my slight exertion. Presently the wom
an woke np, came to the side of the bed,
drew the curtains, and looked at me.
"You are better." she said, kindly.
"I am so glsd. You have had a long,
weary time of it. but the doctor aaid
there would be a change one way or the
other to-night. You're with fricuda. who
have taken every rare of you."
"Tell me. ta Clara found T I asked,
eagerly.
"Oh. yea, ahe'a all right, aud will come
and see you as soon aa you grow strong
er, but you mustn't tslk. or you'll hsve
a relapse."
If I had asked for the Emperor of
Russia. I believe she would have told
me that he waa coming to see me aa
soon aa I was better. Her answers were
by no mean satisfactory, but I could
perceive that it waa useless to try to
extract others from her.
Several daya passed, and I saw no
pt-iaun except the nurse and the doctor.
I put some questions to the latter. I.nt
he arawered crabbcdly. that if I wished
to get well. I must keep my mind calm.
i.nd uot ask questions.
To keep my mind calm with such
memories aa were haunting me waa im
possible, yet. in spite of my anxieties,
1 grew stronger and better day by day.
But the anguish of ray mind waxed
strength with my body.
"Nure." I said one day, detenvlied
lv. "I must know where I am. under
.vhese tare, and I must have certain
qui ttions of vital importance to me solv
ed. I know you are concealing these
things from me for a good motive, but
it is a mistaken one. Instead of calm
ing, this incertitude la torturing roe. re
tarding my recovery. For heaven's sake,
tell ine where I am, whose house th:s ia,
and what people I am with?"
"Well, sir." sli auswered. "I am only
oleyiug my instructions; if I waa to go
fioui them. I should offend my employ
ers and the doctor, too. and I can't af
ford to do that. I will ask leave to tell
you what I know, which 1 can assure
jou is very little. But if you make haste
and get strong, and get about, you will
be able to find out everything for your
self." ' That day I got out of bed for the
firt time, and sat at the window. It
looked into an extensive garden, emom
passed, as far as I could see, by a high
wall, lined wiihiu by rows of tall poplar
tritfc. My rooiti was upon the ground
lioor. anl tins wall and the trees bound
ed my vision. I could see naught beyond
th m.
CVje afternoon I had fallen asleep over
the firr. suddenly I awoke with a jeik;
the raya of a red. autumn sun were
slit aming across me. ami fnlliug full
i:hiii the face of Judith, who was lean
in against the fireplace, looking at me.
At fiist. I tlioiizht it was a specter of
my sleep. I could not believe my eves;
I ut I w ns not long left in doubt as to
the reality of the vision. An irmicHl
sn-ile curled her lips at the sii;ht of my
dismay.
"A visit from your wife is evidently an
unexpected pleasure." she said, mocking
ly.
I could not answer her: I could only
bury my face in my ha mis and shudder
at her appearance.
"Is this rny reward for all the tender
care Tint has been given you dining
your illness? for bringing you away
from those wretched lodgings, where
you might have died? Our married life
seems likely to be a bright one."
"Would to heaven yon had left me to
die!" I cried. "You are no wife of
mine."
"You wr all find it rather diitlcult to
prove lhaf. or to shake me off."
"What pleasure can it be to you to
torture me in ihis manner?' I cried.
"Why not leave me to myself?"
"Because hate you. and because I
have motives of my own. If gives me
pleasure to torture you. No living being
has ever made me feel so deeply the deg
radation of my life as you have; you. a
miserable, spiritless outcast; you. whom.
aa a brat, I have beaten with a roil
ana always despised; you shudder at
my approach, and turn your eyes from
me with loathing; and you ask me what
pleasure it can be to me to torture you!
From the hour of my birth, my life haa
been one torture. I have ever been the
victim. At last, the tables are turned
you are my victim; and as others have
dealt by me, so will I deal by yon! No
mercy waa ever shown to me; why, then,
should I show it to others? '
She was still standing against the fire
place. I dared not look at her, but I
conld feel the tigerish ferocity of her
eyes.
cut l aid not come here to rave.
first, I came, like a dutiful wife, to
congratulate my husband on his conva
lescence," she went on, resuming the old
irony of voice; "and to comfort him
with the knowledge that he is in affec
tionate hands; and, in the second place,
to arrange certain matters of business
with bim, which, if he will oblige me
with a few momenta' attention, I will
explain. In the course of to-morrow
woman will come here iu short, the
r man who committed you to aj fath
.1.-". ' " ' "-wv. - -v - i-v--.- ,,,-wu,..
".mfrMMrm ue ". "- hiw .i.n.-- . i . im i- issMtm t . i. , -i im. i , B H . I1H1I , . i "- . , - , . y
er'a clarge. 1 require that yon thin
ttuhtsitattiigly acknowledge in jiur
wife in her presence."
"Never!" I exclaimed, (Irmly. "You
may k l!l me. but I will never utter iu-b
words!"
"1 have the rnm of forcing you to
sneak them, or any other words that I
may choose to dictate to you."
At that moment the door waa thrown
open. 1 turned luy head aul aaw Mr.
Rod well standing upon the threshold.
CHAPTKR XXIV.
1 waa aittlng ia a large easy chair
with my back towards the door, and he
did not see me tor a time, although, by
a sidelong glance, I could distinctly see
him. He started at the sight of Judith,
aa though he had not expected to are
her. exclaiming. "You here'"
"Pray walk in. and allow me to Intro
duce you to my husband." she said, with
the old Irony. "Another unexpected
pleasure, no doubt!"
Mr. Rodwetl advanced Into the room,
locking somewhat bewildervd; but when
he saw me, he started up with ludlg
nant surprise.
"What ia the meaning of this? Who
baa dared to bring thia fellow here?" he
cried. "Thia la too much, Judith. How
rnmt ,ou herv j.low ml know of
,, rUc 1 r,nu, understand all
n ,lM,k jn ,ON, woJi,4
puf h,;M ma,a vr,-j .d wrathful.
It la very easily explained. My hua-
band being away from his loving wife,
waa selxed with brsiu fever in some
wretched lodging; the perish doctor, who
was attending him, said that It would
not be aaf to remove hltu any great
distance. In this dilemma. Mr. Mont
gomery, who lived a door or two off. pro
posed that he should be tsken to a
house of yours, of which, for certain res
sous of your own, you had given him the
keys. Aa my husband's life is very pre
cious to me just now. I thankfully ac
cepted the offer."
Cease this mockery. Judith, and tell
me the meaning of all thia."
lo you wish me to be serious?" she
asked, menacingly.
I wish to know by what right you
have brought thia fellow into my house!"
By the right of my own will. John
Rod well; dispute it at your peril"
'If you desire a scene. It had better
be out of the presence of witnesses, he
ssld. quietly.
What I have to aay ahall be aalJ
here. I have no secret from him, and
what I have to say I would have bim
hear!"
I decline the conference." He waa
moving away.
like a panther she bouuded past him.
and placed her back agaiust the door.
You do not leave thia room until you
have heard all I have to say! IXsohcy
me. and I will show you no mercy. I
will ruthlessly crush every plan and hop
of your lifeT
'You?" he aneered.
'Yea, I. Suppose I were to aend in
formation to Bow street of the where
sbouta of a certain young lady, fur
whose discovery a reward la offend,
where would be the fortune yon have
been scheming, snd sinning, aud fawn
ing for through your whole life?"
it be continued.!
FRUITS OF CALIFORNIA.
Watermelons and Mtrawberrlew Grow
to Kemarkabla Pise.
Talking aliout strawberries," f aid
the California ii. "but you ought to's-v
some of our fruit. Why, man allvo
i
"You raise big; straw b Tries, iln
jou?" queried the Penii)if auian a
the other hung oil.
"Yum yutn !'
"How larjre?"
"I Iipltate- to tell you. I don't want
to bo thought a liar."
'I know you rala lare berries, and
am prepared to believe uiivi hint JOU
ay. I suppos.' you grow trawU-r-
nes aa bljf as beer kej;?"
'Humph!"
Well, then, as big aa barreis?"
Humph!"
'You don't mean as Mg as bog
heads?"
'My dear man. I am living In a
house nt present which lias eight
retina and butn."
"But you don't mean to tell ni?
"Eight rooms and a bath, sir, and
everv roo;u or gooo size
'And you had all the no:ns cut out
of a big stra wherry! 1 s:id I was
prepared to believe "
"Klslit rooms and a bath, sir. and
one or the rfizl'-st itick nouses oil
ever saw. The bricks wire made on
the premise. I have been ottered e7.
.Vai for the bouse."
"Yes, but you rather led me to ho-
Ifpve that the nous was one of the
monstrous strawberries you reined ou:
there."
"Then I beg your pnrdon, sir. It
i a nririi nou. n cost nie over ..
000. The money obtained to build It
wns obtained from the sale of water
melons."
"But about your s raw lurries?" pro
tested the disappointed Keystoner.
on started out to tell me how ltg
they were." v
"Strawberries? Strawberries? Oh.
well, I'm using one for a toolhouse
and another for a stable, but I'm not
bragging about them. It's when you
get on the subject of watermelon
that I'm ready "
But the other took up his paper and
iiald he guessed he'd see what was
fresh from Port Arthur.
Improvement.
"Your wife Is improving with
her
bilking, Isn't she?"
"Oh, yes."
"Her cakes and pies now are good
enough to eat, eh?"
"Ob, no; but she'a getting so ihe
can make them look good enougk to
eat" Philadelphia Public Ledger.
Two Test.
"Darum la an awful coward."
"What makes yon think ao?"
"Why, he', afraid of his wife,"
"Well, of course. But I saw him
stop a runaway horse last night"
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Temper, If ungoremed, governs tits
whole man. Shaftesbury.
IWSCLY'S woods)
x By It W. TAYLOR
I
CHAPTER VI. Contlnued.
8o far then from an ocular Inspection
being an essential Iu a love affair, the
very opposite la probably true. Along
with the full coiirVsslou of thin fact to
herself, came something like a feeling
of resentment at the whole conduct of
ti ls innu Mti ton.
That he had foolishly permitted him
self to fall Iu love with her was so very
plain a case that everybody hsd sceti it
b ug ago! It was certainty not her fault!
No, Indeed, nobody could say that of
her! Not eveu the loug totigucd gossip
of Sandtown!
True, too, thsj he had displayed some
msgnlticeiit quslitles of strong, calm
manhood Iu the face of that awful peril
of the storm. She could not deny that.
She hsd no desire to subtract from his
real deserts In the leaat. But then, was
not this, like his new and wide philoso
phy of humanity, a rrdcctioii from his
superior ortieer?
He had told her that his strange new
philosophy was also entertsined by Prof,
Huntley. And this had contributed much
to give It a standing In her estimation.
But had he told her the whole truth?
No, ahe knew he had not. If he had
been frank and honest, he would have
said that he had Imbibed these opinions
from Prof. Huntley. And If so, was not
Ihst splendid display of practical knowl
edge, skill and courage the result of
Prof. Huntley's training?
Undoubtedly she hsd been badly used
by Mr. Mason. He had atood persist
ently between her snd the perfect man
that ahe had learned to love ao quickly,
He had misrepresented her to him either
directly or by a culpable silence that
through a base jealousy refused to put
her lx-fore him In her proper light.
He waa a mean fellow that Mason.
And although her obligation to him must
compel her to a fornul recognition of
him when they should meet sgnln on
Monday, yet she was resolved) to throw
so much colduesa Into her manner that
he-could int fall to see thst she waa
through with him, and that be waa a
very thin article, too!
And when Monday came and went
without him, and without rumor of Hunt
ley, she grew even more bitter. If this
fellow continued to keep Prof. Huntley
sway, she shouldn't eveu speak to him.
She would bring matter to a crisis by
refusing to acknowledge his first saluta
tion upon his return.
Then when he should demand an ei
planatlon, as she knew he would demand
It she would Itoldly charee him with his
perfidious conduct in keeping Mr. Hunt
ley away, upon whatever ground he
should choose to put it.
From I.Uxy herself, the condemnation
of Mason seemed to spread everywhere
to her great surprise and to grow
steadily ami in an arithmetical ratio all
through the week.
Day after day Inquiry revealed little
things that looked bad for Mason. The
first flutter of anxiety as to bis fate had
resolved Itself on the ascertainment of
the fact that be had taken the trnlu for
the city on that very Saturday evening
after the storm.
That anxiety was not at all an evi
dence of any good quality In Mr. Mason.
He. himself bad said to her. in one of
his philosophic moods, that this vast hu
man interest in a human life was an in
stinct common to all observed animal life
even cattle ran nbotit wHdly and paw
ed the earth at the smell of the spilt
hlood'of one of the herd.
Anil that, too, although the slain Im-bsi
might if alive, be set upon nnd gored
by esch separate beast of the herd, with
the acquiescence, or the perfect indiffer
ence of nil the others.
The insatiable desire to penetrate thr
mysteries of till the violent deaths, a
the answer to the universal animal In
stinct of fslr play most strongly de-velo-ied
Id the Saxon Hoosier people.
They were known to have taken sudden
and terrible vengeance upon the mur
derer of a man confessedly of very little
account to anybody.
But he had had a life! And this it
was thst hsd aroused the whole popu
lace to demand who had taken it? So
that whi n the safety of Mr. Mason had
leen settled by the train dispatcher at
the little station a mile from the vil
lage, the defense of Mr. Mason withdrew
and Joined the prosicutlon.
CHAITKIt VII.
As dar after day, and even week af
ter week went by without tiding from
Mr. Mason he went down to the very
lowest plane in the estiniatioi of all
Sandtown.
"I tell yuh, Squnr, blame If I ever
liked that feller Mason, nohow, purtick
ler," said "Coon" Redden, ns "Coonrod"
Redden, the wealthiest land, owner oi
Field county, was familiarly or more for
mally called.
The whole Redden family were visiting
at "Squire" Wickly's on that Saturday
evening two or three weeks after the
storm and the disappearance.
"He tried his level best to argy me
down at the Board uv Trado wair nutliuii
but the ornerrlest klne a gamblun.
Blnmefe didn't! That was that same
Safdy evenun, Lizzy, at you uu him
got cotch In the hur-kun, up en the big
woods, yon reeklcleek?" turning to look
straight at Miss Wickly, who was now
greatly Interested in the loud flow of the
old Hoosier' 'iuiir-rnngiie," ns he him
self termed It. "By gum! he nuvver
stotmed to say good-by ur how-dy-do, but
he ups un he goes aflyiin down to the
Bank. Uu thurreckiy he comes anyun
out, un awuy he went to the tell-graft
offus. a wulkun so fast yuh could a play
ed seb-um-iip awn bis cont-tails, Hquiir!
Uu the next I h-yurn nr. Mm, he taken
the train fur Chicago 'thout stoppnn to
settle a lot a little bills rouu about h'yur
at I know ur myself.
There was a great deal more of the
same roaring fire of shrewd, half-humor
ous comments and observations upon nt.
Mason. - Li.7.y, fully aware that she vlo
luled no rulo of Sandtown etiquette,
went up stairs to bed In hvt own little
hot room, when she tired or the nair
ranirue." and wns soon blissfully nneon
acinus of tha weight thnt began to drag
at her hitherto buoyant and merry heart,
It might have been the whistle of the
midnight train that awoke her. She did
uot know. There Fas no striking of
flocks, and there was not aorndcttt light
from the wide open south gable window
to enable her to see the hands uf her
watch, and so she could not mske out
that It waa the reverberating roar of the
train from the distant city that broke her
rvst Into unequal segments.
Iter bed waa drawu out In front of the
open window so that the cool soft ulght
Ixecte coming out of the woods anil
across the broad river could lave ber hot
fane In Its refreshing eddies and ripple.
Whatever had awakened ber, she lay
there looking out Into the study street a
little bit dimmed with a summer night's
fog. She wss sure then that she was
fully awake, and that she saw In the
road, not sixty feet aw sy. Mr. Will Ma
son walking slowly toward the river, and
havhtg hi face turned over his right
shoulder and his head thrown back just
far enough to allow him to fix his eye
upon thst window, thst be knew was
the window of her bedroom.
lie passed oil; and ahe wa so anxious
to know more of this hmcty walk of his,
because his tery presence seemed to as.
sure the re-establlshiiient of a sort of
communication with the hero of her
dresms Huntley thst she srose and
glided to the side of the window fsrthest
from the pedestrlsn.
She hsd to cross Iu front of the open
window, and she thought there wss some
danger that he might see the glimmer of
her long, white nightdress against the
black background of the dark room.
Sinking down upon her knees and
doubling back till she sst upon ber small,
bare feet, and forward till au elbow rest
ed upon the low sill of the window, she
looked out snd saw him stsmllng with his
face turned directly toward ber. Her
heart leaped harn against the soft, pliant
walla of her little chest, and she drew
back Into the darkness.
In an Instant she peeped out to be
horrified at the spectacle of a gigantic
black figure, half enveloped lit, the thick
er fog toward the river, ami seeming to
undulate threateningly, and to elongate
In an upward direction, a some of the
make-believe giant of the circus and
the farce are aeen t do.
Then, while she lay there In a froxen
horror of fascinated, wide-eyed gsatng.
the huge specter dimmed Slid vanished.
How she got back to bed, and what
brought ber mother running to her room,
she only knew from her.
Mra, Wickly lay down, taking her
frightened daughter III ber arms, a she
wss In the habit of doing yet at times,
and endeavored to reassure her by tell
ing her that It was simply the climax of
some hideous dream. Her father coin
ing In. more deliberately aat by the w in
dow and told her that this was simply a
phenomenon of the fog an unusual one.
to be sure, in all its detsils, but clearly
explicable upon maxim of physical sci
ence. For Inst slice, the uudulntory motion
and th elongation of the specter In a
vertical direction, were visual phenom
ena. The mist concealing the feet of
the man concealed all the ground about
hlin, and thus left no object within the
range of vision for comparative measure
mints, such as the rye makes sutomut
ii.ally every Instant.
The undulating movement upward was
thl, pulsating or wavelike advance of the
fog bank toward her, thus putting the
gradually disappearing body aud lo iid at
fnrther and further distances, as more
aud more of the foreground was en
cronihed upon by the advancing fog
bank. That might all be good physical
science, but she bad seen something thnt
frightened ber horribly. And she felt
that some dreadful misfortune was com
liii upon ber, she couldn't Imagine what.
The bright sunlight of the next day
did more to explain away the specter
than all the physical science that all
Sandtown possessed,
All Sandtown, however, got hint of the
story in some tiiiaccoiintahle way, ami
told it with much multifarious, ingenious
and original additions, siueiidiueuts and
substitutions, so that it got out that a
hant" waa a walkun the "Ovcrcna
Road" aa the strictly ex-urban portion
of the continuation of Main street had
been called from a time so remote that
it was lost In legendary Incertitude.
CHAITKIt VIII.
Right In the middle of the red hot
month of July the light, lonm-mlxed sand
of the Overcoat Road was in the shim
mering air alt day long, whitening the
dark coats of the sweating horses that
drew all sorts of vehicles along it at
all hours of the day and night, aud hid
ing the glossy green of wild hemp ami
jitnson leaves under a dull veil of gray
The whilom school boy of Sandtown was
baking his back of a lurid brown as fur
down on his shoulders as the cool, clear
waters of the Wabash would permit.
All at once a vast buzx of wonder
changed Into wrath throughout all Sand
town, far up and down tin mellow ills
tancos of the river, and out upon all the
lanes and "wagon tracks' that were trib
utary to the Overcoat Road.
To those who had not heard the news
by renson of temporary absence, rushed
everybody, to be the first to communicate
the stunning intelligence thnt the Sand
town Farmers' Bank had closed its doors.
There was no escapade of a cashier
Nobody had gone to Canada with tho
funds of the bonk In his satchel. If any
body had gone to Canada, It Is safe to
say thnt Field county, from Sandtown to
Redfoot Pond, and from the Wabash to
the end oi the Overcoat Road, would
have token 4ts "wenpuus," and have
gone into the Dominion after the culprit
with no other writ of extradition than a
rope.
No! no! Mister Cashier! You may go
from the effote "East ' to Canada with
poor peoplo's money In your pocket, with
safety. But by oil the Coonrod Reddens
of the Wabash country it won't be
healthy for you to run away from IIoo-
slordom with that sort of luggngo In your
bond.
"I wouldn't k-yur a blame fur what I
lost myself, fellers, but atop and thenk
uv the people at halnt got nothun a-tnll
leftl Nut the wrappuns ur thur little
finger, by gum! Un they halnt one a
tha bank company at halnt plnm busted.
nulherl You see we waa all a dina
en wheat to-g yuthrr, an all at once tha
bottom drapt plum ontua otl t'a that
left urs all fimter'u un flitter. Bui that
haiat the tuit uv ut, tiutber. I Billy
Bller thia tuomun. un he trlla me it all
tha bank's klatter'l la hilt by one a than
blame railroad companies. t'a tsar
scheme la to sell tivertheni right slap
dad when they halnt a dollar at we kin
gtt a holt uv, to buy In nothun with, by
gum!"
And now came Hilly Bllec, M. C a
fresh, roy-cherked young gentleman,
with a great show of (sundered linen Iu
the' way of big stilt ruffs, "dog colls r."
white tie, and all ornamented with mas
sive gold sleeve buttons, gold studs and
dlnmoud pin. and sll other apHdntuienls
ou a corresiHiudlug scsle f msgiilticeiice.
The whole 8udlown district gloried
In Bdly Biler's flue ralmeut.'as If It were
the liidlvtdnsi proHrtv of. esrh and ev
ery voter thst "worked' for Billy sll day
at the xdla on the occiialoii of each suc
ceeding concresstonsl election.
'Hell.i, Billy! Haryuh. Billy! When't
yuh git Iu, Billy? purty warm, hain't ut,
Billy? Makes you sweat, don't nt, Billy!
Hut hot under the collar halnt ut, Billy T'
These and hundred of other fortvula
of ssliitstlou, together with a disjoint
ing hsnd shaking, wslt iqsin the popil
bir Billy Bller. snd he Is at once In the
center of the crowd of people who are
blocking up the Overcoat Road Immedi
ately between the Sandtown Farmers'
Bsnk building and the court house, to
thst extent thst team llll coming
through the cloud of dust along thst pop
ular thoroiighfsre, a well aa tenuis coin
Ink up the rlter road, were obliged tn
ttiru out of the way. which they did very
cheerfully, when It was known thst Billy
Ibler wa back from Washington en pur
pose to help bla friend In thl extrem
ity. "Now, liy.." ssld Billy In a bnd.
Jolly, (ihmI nslurrd Voice, snd taking off
his shiny silk bat to permit the thorough
mopping of his rosy, smooth, fat fsce.
I m a go-un down with CtMHirtsI, b yur,
fur ill uner, un when we git bark we'll go
un see whut these railroad fellers I try-
uu to stesl from ) oU I n If It s too big
fur uu to pack off In a hurry, we'll make
them sweat awhile Instead of ns."
Thl speech wss followed by a gleeful
rosr of applsudlug laughter from the
whole crowd, which, with much Inter
change of knowing comments on Billy
Biler's shrew dues and ability to coia
with the very suisrtest of the rsllrosd
ruscsls, snd their own shrewd foresight
hi electing such Congressman s Billy
Bller broke up iu little groups to dis
cus the it unt Ion.
"Billy." sal.l f.M.nrod Redden, ss the
two drove past Squire Wickly's house
on their wsy to the big white frame nisn
sion of the old farmer "right there Is
the msn un the g'yurl sfs bout the wust
hurt over this lsiik business nv nlrry on
uv urse fe!Urs. Weekly's mighty nigh
plum, slap, dub m vu ii -ray. Un I low
the g yurl halnt milch U tter. Smartest
and puni est g yurl rouu h yur, tis!
Blame pity fur urn."
"How much do they lose?" asked Billy
Biler. ss he prcpsred to light a clgsr.
without show ing any interest in the iiieu
tat condition of the patient.
"II nut much fur's the 'mount's gut
anytheug to do with ut. (tut bits sll
snd a little more, tiicbhr. They wa
two moggiji yuh see, uu the g'yurl ml
gut nu IT saved to pay urn off. Un when
she went, she foiin three uv urn slid a
two! The Squire's tryun to gi that for
tune 'st he low he's helred. and he'd
Ihode hi a third moggiji right plum slap,
dab ou top a the y other two! Un you
see that kiven-d the Inn' Mil ao l.i-l mt
Hither could tech bottom, by gum. The
Ian' halnt wntli uiore'n half uv ut. I'd
a bought it In myself, rf bit ml a hen
any w burs nigh worth nt. But shoh!"
and Coonrod Redden hsiked down and
kicked the toe of his Imh hopelisly
sgaitist lint firm of the ittshhoiirl.
"What did Wickly do with the money?
He must a got a tlnoiin ur so, didn't
be?" asked Billy Bller, hewing the end
of Uie lighted cigar, and watching t.ti-
rod Redden out of the corners of his
lnre whitish eye.
"(), you can't nuvver tell w but feller
does with money, 'batawny. Thode ut
away, Ink as nut. Il-yamler he gc Into
the bouse willi both weemun follerin
im! Shouldn't wonder if they'd be trou
ble there, Billy! He's mighty nigh plum
ship dab criiy, by gum!"
(To lie continued. I
MOSI FAMOUS OF PLARL8.
Named the Tuvenler and In I'oaM
lon of the Khali of I'erslu.
The most fatuous penti in nil tha
world Is owned by the shah of Persia
nnd called tin Tini-nlcr. It wns num.
ed for the celebrated traveler f that
iiiinie uml was sold to the shah's un.
cistors by him for $.V0,(iOO. Today
It Is probably worth inure tluin $Viof.
in).
Another ejistern king, the Utimi of
Muscat, has in his collection a jM-url
worth IHkVlMNi, weighing twelve uml
ii half en ruts. The daylight can bo
seen through It. Princess YoUNoupofr
finest gem is wonderfully be.nitlfiil.
It wns first henril of In HCO, when
t'eorgllnm Calnls sold It to Philip of
Spain for $ IHO.tgHi. The pope's pearl
Is worth fso.ooo, a has ib'sccndi-d In
u regular course to the Incumbent of
the throne from one of the curliest
polios, who became possessed of It Iu
u manlier which has not been told.
These are all of the truly celebrated
penrls. But there nre renin rltnble
pearl necklaces which hnve an enor
mous value-. They are usually nmiln
up, penti nfter pearl being added to
the set, nnd lending Jewelers nre con
stantly on the watch to secure more
to add to the chnln,
Pink penrls nre not us valuable as
either the black or the white. Queen
Victoria had n necklace of pink pearls
which is worth $HO,oK and the down
ger empress of (Jernmny hud otio of
thirty-two penrls which would easily
sell for f 12.VKK). The women of tho
Rothschild family have gems of this
sort which far exceed In value those
owned by royalty. Baroness Oustave
De Rothschild possesses one mode up
of five rows of penrls which' Is val
ucd at $200,000,
Demand In China for Japanese can
vas shoes, fans,' china and antimony
Is Increasing since the present Far
East war began.
, ... .
rf