h
I
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l"-rftyW'''
DARKEST RUSSIA
MT H. GRATTAN DONNELLY.
Copyright, 189. by Street & Smith, All rights referred.
CHAPTER IX. Continued.
"Then lend me your greatcoat. I
shall bo less liable to be questioned
by any of the gendarmes when they
recognize an officer's coat. Thon
rest here, and I swear to you that
in less than forty minutes I shell
return hero with Olga,"
Alexis thought a moment. Then,
taking up his coat, ho handed It to
Ivan, who, quickly assuming tho gar
ment, said: "Host here, and trust
me. I will keep my word. Should
any ono enter In my absence, say
you aro my friend and await mo."
Then as ho was going he suddenly
stopped.
Taking his overcoat, ho said: "You
aro tired from your Journey and ex
liausted, no doubt, by your experi
ence to-night. Rest there, and throw
this over you. You will wait my re
turn?" "I will await your return."
Ho glanced up tho steps as Ivan
departed, saw tho door close and
heard a key turn in the outer lock;
then rapidly departing footsteps till
they wero lost in tho distance, and
then there was profound silence.
Ivan had started on his mission,
and Alexis was alone.
CHAPTER X.
Caught In the Trap.
It wn3 only after ho had sat a min
ute or two, amid silence so profound
that ho could have heard his heart
beat, that Alexis Nazimoff began to
reason with himself. "What If this
wero a trap?"
Tho idea no sooner occurred than
It was dismissed. No ono had induc
ed him to visit the place. His com
ing had been entirely of his own voli
tion, and could not havo been antici
pated. Besides, there could bo no
possible mistake about Ivan's amaze
ment when ho had revealed his name,
and thero was something in tho man
ner of tho man, despito his excite
ment, that forbado tho idea of treach
ery. Then he thought of Ilda.
She hero with her evident refine
ment and highly wrought nature
here, in this dark, gloomy, forbidding
place in tho cellar-like apartment of
a houso in tho lower quarter of the
town. What did it mean? And she
was still hcrel
Alexis looked around, this time
with more eager interest.
Thero was apparently no doorr ex
cept tho ono at tho top of tho steps.
It puzzled him. Had Ilda gone in
tho Interim between tho time when
bis man had seen her enter and his
own arrival.' Then ho remembered
that Ivan had not, after all, admitted
that his sister was in tho place.
"Well," was his silent conclusion,
"thero Is nothing for it but to wait
his return. I must bo patient."
When a man gets Into a frame of
mind when ho says he must bo pa
tient, tho most natural thing in the
world to enable him to endure pa
tience with a comparatively cheerful
equanimity is a cigar. To his an
noyance ho found that his cigar case
was In his greatcoat pocket.
Suddenly his eyes rested on Ivan's
coat. In Russia all men aro smokers,
and Alexis felt the chances of find
ing a cigar wero strongly in his favor.
Ho lifted tho cloak, and as ho did so
ho uttered an exclamation of pleas
ure. Thero was a cigar caso suro
enough.
Alexis withdrew it from the pock
et, and as ho sat down he tossed tho
coat back on tho table. As he did
so, from a small receptacle or pocket
for matches on the side of the cigar
case, something fell with a Jingle to
tho floor.
Alexis picked It up.
A Red Rouble!
Ho lighted tho cigar, and then,
after & whiff or two, ho gazed curi
ously at the coin.
A Red Rouble painted dyed?
Alexis turned It over In his hand.
"Singular thing," he thought, "to
have asllvcr piece so stained. What
did It mean? What could bo tho ob
ject?" He had been sitting thero examin
ing the coin for perhaps a minuto
when tho silence was broken. He
could hardly tell how or by what. But
so slight as to be barely heard, but
unmistakably a sound.
Alexis rose to his feet. An unde
fined feeling of danger of some sort,
he knew not what, took possession
of him. Ho listened, with every
nervo strained to its utmost. Thero
was silence again. He tried to shake
off the unpleasar impression of some
l3CnrmWG STLL Z 7&:ZXX?'
unseen danger and thought that his
Imagination had deceived him.
Hark! Thero was tho sound again.
That was no rat. Tho sound came
from within tho apparently solid
walls. Noiselessly as ho could ho
went on tiptoe and placed his ear to
tho wall, and then waited with bated
breath.
What was that?
"Good God!" he exclaimed, In n
whisper to himself, as a murmur of
voices reached his ear, "thero aro
peoplo within this wall!"
Even as he made tho discovery a
sound came from the opposite sldo.
He was thero In an Instant, his ear
again pressed to tho wall.
The same murmur reached him.
"By heaven, tho place Is allvo with
people," ho exclaimed. "What does
It mean?"
A grating sound, different from any
he had yet heard, reached him.
Ho felt that something, he know
not what, was about to take place
that the danger, if danger it was, was
at hand. The place, its appearance,
tho mysterious noises all boded
deadly peril of some kind.
Ho was In. a den of criminals.
'Trapped!" ho thought, "caught, by
heaven, llko a rat in a trap!"
Alexis Nazimoff was a brave man
nono braver. But tho bravest man
may bo unnerved by tho presence of
an unseen danger of a danger that !s
felt, not confronted. Ho was accus
tomed to think qulcklly, and to act
impulsively. Hastily thrusting the
cigar caso into tho open front of his
coat, he quickly but softly moved to
where Ivan's coat was lying on tho
table.
To take tho coat and move to the
long bench that stood alongside the
wall was tho work of a couple of sec
onds, and in as many more ho had
lain down, pulled Ivan's coat over
him, and was apparently asleep!
But ho had so arranged tho coat
that while it covered his head he
could see anything that transpired on
the opposite side of tho room the
side on which he had heard tho sound
for tho second time.
Softly and silently as a shadow
the solid wall seemed to move!
Every panel was a revolving door
which turned noiselessly on its axis,
and from every door entered as
silently as a specter an occupant of
the mysterious recesses beyond. A
rush of air and the movement of soft
ly treading feet convinced Alexis that
exactly the same movement was be
ing executed simultaneously behind
his back.
Such was the fact.
Then to the amazement of Alexis
he realized that the apartment of
which ho had been tho solo occupant
a moment before was now tenanted
by a score of people.
Ho lay perfectly still astonished,
spellbound.
Suddenly tho cilenco wa3 broken.
"All is wen," said Oramlnsky.
"Whoever it was, thero could havo
been no danger, since wo did not hear
tho signal."
"Nor tho signal to come out," sbme
ono said, in a growling voice; "it Is
tho first time wo broke tho rules."
"I havo suspended tho rules," said
Oramlnsky, with grim Irony, "with
out breaking them." Just what he
meant nobody seemed to understand.
Oramlnsky, resuming his authorita
tive tono, put an end to tho silence
by directing the peoplo to i-esumo
their work. "Now that Ivan has gone
wo can run off tho remaining copies
of his proclamation. KIrshkIn, start
tho press!"
The man thus addressed went to
tho wall, and touched a concealed
spring, a section of the solid struc
ture revolved and a clumsy hand
press of an old type was run on noise
less rollers Into the room.
"Go ahead with that bomb," direct
ed Oramlnsky, addressing two of tho
men. "You, Orion," to another "go
ahead with tho wires. You, Palet,
seo to tho tunnol quick, to work, all
of you. There Is no tlmo to lose. Let
us work to-night! Our task will bo
complete, and then, ono touch to the
wire and Russia will bo froo from
tho tyrant."
Alexis never moved. Ho under
stood It all now.
Tho press began running, and as
tho first Impression of tho work was
taken off Oramlnsky held up his hand
tho signal for silence.
"Here, brothers, listen to this," ho
said, as ho took up tho paper, and,
speaking in low tones, read as fol
lows: "Alexander tho Tyrant Is Dead!
"Rise Russia!
"Death to tho Oppressors!
"To Arms, Freo Russians, to Arms!
"Long Llvo tho Peoplo!"
"Wo will have a thousand copies
of that posted throughout St. Peters
burg," said Oramlnsky, "and thon
tho Revolution! That would stir the
sluggish blood of tho moderates
even of such a kindergarten revolu
tionist as Ivan Barosky."
"Read It to Ivan," said KIrshkIn.
"Ivan Is gone," said two or three.
"Not so," was tho reply of tho print--er.
KIrshkIn, as ho caught sight of
tho recumbent figure. "There lies
Ivan fast asleep!" and ho pointed as
ho spoko.
"Fool!" muttered Oramlnsky, "ho
has no right to sleep at such a time
as this. Wako him up, Hersy!"
Alexis drew a deop breath.
Tho moment had como.
It was a question now of llfo or
death.
Hersy a woman of the people, dark
and sullen sprang to his side.
"Wnko up, Ivan Barosky! wako upl
Wo havo Just ilnlshcd n letter of In
vltation."
"To tho funeral of tho czar," said
KIrshkIn, whereupon thero was a
laugh.
"And printed in rod, too red win
bo tho fashlonablo color in St Peters
burg," said another.
"Because tho czar will wear It and
set tho fashion for nil."
"Come, come," said Hersy, "wako
up!" and as sho spoko she grasped
tho coat and pulled it from tho re?
cumbent form.
"Ah!" with a scream of nstonlshcd
rngo as sho discovered tho stranger,
Horsy pointed ono linger at Aloxls
"a spy!"
Quickly springing to his feot Alexis
drew hla sword.
"Down with him!" "Kill him!"
"His life!'' wero some of tho exclama
tions which fell on tho cars of Aloxls,
as palo and resolute, with no ovl
denco of fear In tho steady oyo, ho
gazed at tho faces of tho now blood
thirsty crew beforo him.
"Well, dogs of tho gutter," at
length ho said, as for a moment they
stood at bay, held back by lits un
daunted front, "what seek you? My
llfo? Take It when you enn!"
And now with knives drawn, with
such weapons as caino to hand n
hammer, chisels, an ax they began
' .-.-.si SW.'"
to close in upon him with murder in
their eyes.
But none, not even Oramlnsky him
self, felt like leading tho assault, and
being tho first to feel tho thrust of
tho naked blado which Alexis held
with tho grip of iron and tho master
ful ease of tho perfect swordsman.
"But a scratch and wo bave him,"
said Oramlnsky. "Rush on him in a
body!"
But nobody rushed. Nobody was
Itching for a scratch.
KIrshkIn nt the first moment hnd
left his press, and as AIoxIb drow his
sword ho had crept up tho room be
hind tho others and on all fours had
gono under tho stairs and around to
tho rear of tho dauntless swordsman,
who, with certain death staring him
in tho face, kept a bold front to his
would-be murderers.
Oramlnsky had seen Klrshkin's mo
tion and had at onco divined his in
tention. Ho made a threatening
movement forward with a bar of iron
as a weapon. Alexis made a pass as
ho came within reaching distance,
but tho weapon never reached Ora
mlnsky, for at that moment KIrshkIn,
with a suppressed yell of triumph,
sprang upon tho back of tho young
soldier. Thero was an instant rush,
and a moment later, bound and help
less, Alexis Nazimoff was at tho
mercy of Oramlnsky and his com
panions. As Alexis was homo back by tho
weight of numbers, and In splto of
his gallant struggle against such over
powering odds, thero fell from his
pocket a bundle of letters, and theso
It was but an Instant's work for Ora
mlnsky to grasp. Ho fairly shouted,
despito his habitual caution, as ho
read tho superscription.
(To bo continued.)
A Youngster With Ideas. '
Myron, tho singer, has a little
daughter named Mario, a pretty, curly
haired child with plenty of spirit. For
tho last six or seven weeks sho has
studied her catechism diligently, and
on a recent Sunday was confirmed.
Just as sho was about to start for
tho church a friend wanted to know
if her father had been asked to sing
during tho ceremony. A dismayed ex
pression swept across tho child's faco.
"I shan't ask him," sho said, "and I
hope nobody elso does. We'll all be
badly enough frightened by tho bish
op, without having papa around to
scare everybody with his roaring."
Some one told tho same youngster
that It she wasn't clean of heart tho
bishop would pour a barrel of oil over
her. As sho was to wear a pretty
dress and was not a little proud of tho
fact, sho said. "I hopo nobody tells
that to mamma. I'll havo to wear aq
old dress If they do."
Better Record Book.
Tho clerk in charge of a farriery
class, held by the county council at
Preston, England, gavo a stalwart
blacksmith a notebook and pencil.
"Wot's this 'ero book for?" asked
tho man.
"To tako notes," replied tho clerk.
"Notes?" Wot sort o' notes?"
"Why, anything tho lecturor says
that you think important and want
to remember you make a note of it
In the book."
Tho Lancashiroman looked scorn
ful. "Oh!" said he. "Anything I want
to remember I must mako a noto of
In this 'ero book, must I? Then wot
do you think my blooming yed'a for?"
Cornhlll Magazine.
I " " .j
NEWS IN NEBRASKA
NKBRASKA IN BRIEF.
Shellon has organized a commercial
club.
Walter Smith, a stranger, died at
Grand islnnd as a result of a collision
of vehicles.
Eustls will hold a school election
July 20 to voto 10,000 bonds to build
a brick school houso.
Two special gorornmont agents
wero In Fremont looking for a pair
Of suspects who aro said to bo pass
ing $10 counterfeit bills.
Tho toy pistol was responsiblo for
no loss than a dozen accidents In Be
atrice on tho Fourlh, although nono
of tnom aro of a serious nature.
Articles of incorporation havo been
filed with tho secretary of state by the
National Stono company of Cass coun
ty. Tho company 1ms a capital stock
of $50,000.
Baflled in her nttompts to get work
and discouraged by Illness, Mario
Johnson of Lincoln turned on tho gas
In her room In tho Rawliugs restdenco
at 1241 L street nnd was found dead.
An oxponslvc list of books hns been
purchased for tho school llbraray of
Scott's Bluff. Half of the funds were
raised by tho school and tho othor
half given by C. A. Morrill of the First
National bank.
Work has commenced on tho now
power and pump houso of tho Shelton
water works, and now, barring tho
slow arrival of material, tho work of
laying tho mains will bo pushed as
fast as possible.
Day Lewis, a young man who re
cently camo to Gerlng from Now York,
was accidentally shot by a companion
named Frnnk Fisher, tho bull from a
44-cnllber revolver passing through his
leg, but not striking tho bono,
V. W. Graves, secretary of tho Le
high school board, has completed tho
school census and roports that he
found 1G3 pupils of school ago In tho
district. This Is a decrease of four
from tho census of 1903.
Frank Mlllor, a young man 18 or 20
years of ago, tho Bon of Peter Mlllor,
living four miles northoast of Table
Rock, was Bhot through tho right
hand whllo engaged In cleaning an
old rusty revolver that ho "didn't
know was loaded."
The following Is tho Cass county
mortgago record for tho month of
Juno: Thirteen farm mortgages filed,
amounting to the sum of $24,315;
twenty-two released, $34,610, Eight
mortgages on city property filed, $3,
597; nlno released, $5,969.
Warden Beemcr Is mourning the
loss of Convict Jesso SlUIck, sent up
from Omaha to servo a year's term
for stealing. Sllllck has been a trusty
and was employed as a waiter. Ho
had but a fow days to servo and was
given considerable liberty.
At a meeting of business men of
Neligh it was decided to hold a car
nival on Soptembor 7, 8 and 9, with a
deplded change of program and hotter
than former years. Mayor M. B. Huf
furdeo was selected as chairman, with
power to appoint committees.
Tho bank nt Edison was broken
into. Tho burglars succeeded In gain
ing ontranco to tho vault, but wore
frightened away beforo thoy could
blow tho safe. Thoro Is no cluo ex
cept that ono of tho men cut himself
in tho broken window glass and loft
considerable blood upon tho window
casing and bank furniture.
Ludwlg Rarlc, a well-to-do German
farmer of Butler county, loft for Gor
many and oxpoctts to be gone about
two yoars. HIb object for making tho
trip at this tlmo is to consult some of
the eminent physicians of tho old
country for a trouble which threatens
to cause total deafness. Ho has boon
unablo to get relief in this country.
York county has doubled Its assess
able valuation according to tho ab
stract filed In tho ofllco of the secre
tary of tho stato board of equaliza
tion. Tho total assessablo valuation
is $5,200,371, as compared with $2,083,
386.90 In 1903. Tho greatest Increase
Is In real estate, all of which, to tho
extent of 359,577 acres, Is reported as
Improved.
William Brown and John Yates, tho
two colored men from Lincoln who
robbed the old soldier, TIdball, who
Is an lnmato of tho Mllford soldiers
home, on the Fourth of July, wero
taken beforo Judge Lcavons nnd
bound over to tho district court in tho
sum of $500 each. Tho sum stolon
was small, but It was a plain caso of
highway robbery.
St. Louis dispatch: In tho Ameri
can Boy program rendered in Festival
hall, Grover C. Akor. "tho boy orator"
of Blair, Nob., dollvered tho most
brilliant oration. His subject was
"The Coming Men," which he handled
magnificently. Ho was interrupted
several times by deafening applause.
Hugo Suo JunI, a Japanese boy, won
second place, his oration being filled
with patriotism, love for Japan nnd
lovo for Amorlca.
Plus Pooffel, ono of tho old settlers
of Columbus, died at St. Mary's hos
pitalln that city. Ono week ago ho
fell from a scaffold on which ho was
working and sustained internal injuries
which resulted in his death. Ho waa
70 years old.
Tho assessed valuation of Scott's
Bluff county Is $755,895, an increase
over last year of about $50,000. Tho
statement recently made In the stato
press that the wostern counties had
been in tho habit of turning In largo
assessments because they want to
show up good Is a mistaken Idea.
DENNISON MUST GO TO IOWA.
District Judges Deny Writ oi
Habeas Corpus.
OMAHA By tho opinion of tho dis
trict court, hnnded down by Judges
Dny, Redlck and Troup, no hnbeas
corpus writ will bo allowed for tha
purposo of preventing tho extradition
of Tom Dcnnlson to stand trial for
complicity In tho Pollack diamond rob
bory.
A largo crowd was In tho court room
to hear tho opinion rendered. Tho de
cision of tho court wnftiannouncod by
Judge Dny, who morely cnlled tho
caso and stated that Inasmuch aB tho
parties wero nil present in court tho
decision would bo hnnded down. He
thon proceeded to read a written opin
ion of somo length. As soon na ho
concluded, Judgo Troup rocd a sup.
plomonthl opinion and Judge Redlck
still nnothor, all ngrnolng as to tho
findings, nnd expressing In n mensuro
tho Individual views of tho Judges.
Briofly stated, tho court held that
tho vnrlous points nllegod in behalf ot
Dcnnlson hnd not been sustnincd.
Thnt tho statuto of limitations had not
run ngnlnst tho crlmo, owing to tho
fact that Dcnnlson hnd been out of
Iowa nearly all tho tlmo slnco tho
crlmo was committed; that tho gov
ernor's extradition warrant was suffi
cient nnd In proper form; that tho
grand Jury indictment of Dcnnlson was
properly authenticated and sufficient
proof that a crlmo was charged; nnd
finally, thnt Dcnnlson hnd failed to
establish that ho was not In lown nt
tho tlmo charged, tho court finding
therefrom that ho Is a fugltlvo from
Justice.
THE NEBRASKA SOCIALISTS.
Complete Ticket Named and Placed
Before the Voters.
OMAHA Tho socialists In stnto
convention here, placed tho following
ticket in tho flold:
Govornor, B. H. Vail, Omaha; lieu
tenant governor, T. Carroll, Hastings;
treasurer, C. W. Stearns. Humboldt:
auditor, T. P. Llppencott, Blair; secre
tary of state, William Parcoll, North
Platte; attorney general, L. L. M'll
valno, Omaha; commissioner of public
lands nnd buildings, A. D. Peugh,
Grand Island; superintendent of publlo
Instruction, Mrs. Mary Pierco Rowo,
Omaha.
Presidential Electors L. Westgato,
Lincoln, of tho First congressional dis
trict; J. A. Jacobs, South Omaha, of
tho Second district; L. DoVoro, Laurol,
of tho Third district; D. C. Omstott,
Goring, of tho Fifth district; Harry
Lamplaugh, North Platto, of tho Sixth
district. Dolegnte-at-Largo J. J. Har
mon of Grand Island nnd L. V.
Humphroys of Atkinson.
Woman Drowned In Creek.
HEBRON Mrs. Dan Harp wan
drowned near horo Sunday. Harp and
wife, who llvo flvo miles south of
town, wero going homo and attempted
to cross Dry Crook, swollen by tho ro
cent ralnB. Tho team nlunced into i
deep hole and ono horso was drowned.
Mrs. Harp's baby was carried down tho
stream. Mr. Harp saved himself by
hard work.
Minister Loses Leg,
COLUMBUS Dr. G. A. Munroe, for
soveral years pastor of tho Congrega
tional church of this city, submitted to
an operation and had his loft leg am
putated above tho knee. Mr. Munroo
has suffered for somo flvo years from
tuberculosis of tho kneo Joint.
Taking Up Land.
SOUTH OMAHA A number of
South Omaha peoplo havo taken up
homesteads under tho Klnkald bill.
Tho land taken Is in Kimball county
and about eight miles north of tho
county seat.
Christian Women Bury Erring Girl..
CHADRON After holding tho body
In tho Mead undertaking rooms for
over a week trying In vain to reach
an aged mother in Canada, Doris
Davidson, tho young woman from Cas
per and Douglas, Wyo was burled un
der tho auspices of tho Woman Chris
tian Temperance union. It will bo re
membered Bho committed sulcido by
taking laudanum In tho Depot hotel at
this city last week. Nothing could
havo been sadder than this funeral.
Not ono human being that had over
heard or seen her beforo. a stranger
In a strange land, but thero wero pray
ers and songs and tears and flowers.
Picturos wero takeri of her and tho
flower covered casket to send to tho
mother when she is found.
Arrested for Stealing a Horso.
COLUMBUS Robert Furgeson, the
young man who was arrested at Stan
ton for stealing a horso belonging to
W. J. Parks, a farmer near Crestcvn,
had his preliminary examination be
foro Judge O'Brien In Columbus and
was bound over to tho district court.
It Is believed that Furgeson Is not well
balanced mentally.
Farmers Will Organize.
GOEHNER Farmers meetings wero
held Tuesday at both this place and
Beaver Crossing, both In Seward coun
ty, to discuss tho formation of farm
ers elevator companies. H. H. Hanks
of Nebraska City addressed tho meet
ing hero and $1,300 was raised to
ward the project. Tho company will be
a branch of tho National farmers ox
change. C. Vincent of Omaha, spoko
nt Beaver Crossing, and another meet
ing will bo held to complete work begun.
NAME WAS INNOCENT
GUILLOTINE WAS INAPPROPRI
ATELY DESIGNATED.
Instrument of Torturo During Grim
Reign of Terror In France Claimed
Innocent and Guilty Alike.
In tho stormier days of Scotland,
whon faction fights woro ovoryday oc
currences, and clan fought against
clan with bitter hato and animosity,
an instrument, for aomo occult reason
termed "Tho Maldon," was In frequont
requisition. This, Judging from Us
name, harmless and Innocent Imple
ment, was, however, nono othor than
tho deadly guillotine, which during tho
grucsomo French revolution immo
lated so many thousands of victims.
Amongst tho last 'n Scotland of this
cruel maiden's victims was an Earl of
Argyll, who, It la said, pressed his
lips on tho block, remarking that It
was "tho sweetest maiden ho had
over Been." But it wns during that
grim RCIgn of Terror when fair
Franco was drenchod with blood, and
a very orglo ot enrnago raged su
premo, that this lotjhal implement wns
in greatest request. Day after day,
night nttcr night, wngons and tum
brils, carts and troUoya, discharged
their loads of bound captives, who,
ono after tho othor, either quietly
mounted tho stops ot tho guillotine, or
woro dragged up by tho ruffianly at
tendants, who, to accelerate their
paco would perhaps prick thom with
tho point of thoir sword or lanco; or.
if fainting, women woro carried up
nnd thrown upon tho block as they
would treat a sack of flour. Somo aro
shrieking in mortal terror; some, in
bravado, defying their captors; some,
tho personification of impotent fero
city nnd envenomed savagery, gnash
their teeth, and vent thoir rngo
against their captors in an incoherent
storm of virulent hato. Now It is a
Charlotto Corday, who as sho thought,
to savo her country, hnd stabbed to
tho heart tho hideous and loathsome
Marat: now it Is a Dcsmoulins or a
Danton, who with lnfurlato exaspera
tion had pilllcssly hurled their legions
to that snmo fate, and whoso namo
was a ghastly nightmaro to tho law
abiding; or now it is a Mario Antoin
ette, whoso appearance on that gory
platform is a signal for on outburst
of frenzied rago from the bloodthirsty
mob, who, howling in a paroxysm of
rabid fury, and foaming with savage,
rancorous vononT, shriek out thoir ex
ecrations, and llko wild demoniacs
hurl their curses nnd thoir Impreca
tions nt her. And so tho grucsomo
work goes on, each tlmo tho ponder
ous knifo fulls, another ghastly head
rolling into tho basket; somo held
up by tho hair by tho executioner to
cxclto tho Jeers nnd tho curses of the
mad, sanguinary mcb of domagogues
whoso turn will probably soon come to
meet tho samo fato at tho hands of
their fellows; somo kicked away into
tho cart beneath, into which tho head
less, reeking trunks aro unceremoni
ously thrown; whllo a fow perhaps
aro handed ovor to relatives, who, atr
tho risk of being seized nnd oxocutcd,
glvcd them decent burial. Montreal
Herald.
THI8 PUN IS A GOOD ONE.
Owen Wlster Recites One Worth
Remembering.
Owen Winter, tho novelist, was talk
ing about puns.
"I detest puns," ho said, "but
Fanny Kemble, who was my grand
mothor, used to tell ono mado by a
certain Baron Rothschild that was
good of its kind.
"Tho baron was dining out, and
someono spoko of vonlson.
"'I,' Bald tho Baron, novalr eats
venlshon. I think it lsh not so coot
ash mutton.'
" 'Oh, absurd,' someono exclaimed.
'If mutton Is bettor than venison, why
Isn't It moro expensive?"
"Tho baron laughed, overcomo by
tho brilliancy of tho pun that had
Just como to him. Then ho said, and
his dialect camo in very handy:
"'Tho reason why venlshon lsh
moro oxponslvo than mutton lsh that
tho peoples always prefer vat lsh
deer to vat is sheep.' "
What a City Boy Misses.
Poor in Boston kljl! ,
Kver seen a muscadine
Scupnernong on hanging vine?
Dot you never did.
You city boys don't have much fun;
Never do tho stunts wo done
When I wan n kid.
Ever heard a mock' bird sing
Fished for tadpoles In a spring?
Bet you never did.
Kver go out killing snakes.
Over bogs nnd through cane-brakes?
Bet you never did.
Ever seen watermelons grow.
Hundreds of 'em row by row?
Oh, you never did!
Boston Transcript.
Great Britain's Railways.
A parliamentary paper Just Issued
contains a summary of tho railway re
turns of tho Unltod Kingdom for 1903,
compared with the two preceding
years. Tho total mileago in 1903 was
22,380 miles; In 1902, 22,152 miles; la
1901, 22,078 miles. Tho paid-up capi
tal totaled roundly, $6,220,000,000 la
1903, $6,080,000,000 la 1902, and $5,
975,000,000 in 1901.
Tea Growing In Japan.
Tea was grown in Japan in 1902 on
an area ot 120,197 acres, producing
57,457,611 pounds. In tho previous
year tho area was 119,712 acres, and.
the production 57,984,067 pounds.
Theso figures do not include tho
Island of Formosa, which la 1901
produced 13,752,946 pounds, making
tho total for tho empire la that year
71,737,013 pounds,