THAT OLD SWtETHEART OF MINE.
I have soon a woudrous pleturo of "that old sweetheart of mine,"
Of the girl whoso houl is fnlror than tho world's most saenid shrlno;
,Aml tho long months soomed as nothing, for I lionrd lior softly High,
And onco more I was her lover In tho happy days gone by.
And 1 stood there gazing on her as a soul from outer space
(lazes through tho gatow of heaven on an angel's douthlcss faco;
All the world around forgotten: all the past a mystic dream;
With tho old love burning in me and It passion all supremo.
13 very nerve within my being seemed a harp string tuned to lofo,
Trembling with tho music learned from Israel above,
As I stood there In the silence with hor fair faro Hoio to mine,
And my tired spirit longing for the days that were divine.
Slowly fared tho ship of evening out Into the sea of night;
Hlowly into darkness faded all Have metn'ry's holy light;
And the dream of life was ended. Hut the stars of mom'ry shlno
Through tho soul's wide-open windows on "that old sweetheart of mlno."
err. - .. - - ---r
m J , Wt
I THE CONSEQUENCE. 1
sip
II W doctor looked Into tho worn-
II airs nrave eyes ami siowiy pro-
nouneed her sentence.
"The operation must take place with
in a few days or "
"Or what?"
"It may bo too lato to operate at all."
"And I will got through it safely?"
' "I hope so."
"Y,M are not sure. You think there
Js a risk?" ,
"Thero is always a risk in every
operation," he answered evasively.
"Tell mo tho truth, doctor; I can .bear
It."
The old man looked into tho desper
ate eyes and put his hand gently on
tho woman's shoulder.
"You are a bravo woman. I will tell
you tho truth. This operation will be
n very serious one In fact, there is
only a chance that you will survive It.
Hut thoro Is a chance, and for the sake
of it you must not lose heart."
"Couldn't L wait till next month
Just for a few weeks longer? It surely
would not make any difference if It
was postponed till then."
"My child," the doctor answered, "if
we postponed it for a few weeks, for
oven one week, you will lose your one
chance of recovery. Besides, you will
Huffer such agony that your life win
be unbearable. Lot. me advise you, and
make up your mind to go through It
Immediately."
"Immediately?"
"Within the next few days. You
must go into tho hospital to-morrow to
be prepared for it."
Then ho explained the arrangements
he would make for her, and after lis
tening In a dazed, half-stupid fashion,
Elizabeth said "good-by" to 1dm, ami
wearily went out in the cold and dark
ness of the December evening.
She drove alone In a hansom with
tears running down her white cheeks,
and her heart rebelling at the cruel
hand of Fate that had so unsparingly
dealt hor this blow. J I ad she deserved
It? Was this trial sent to her because
she had set one man upon a pedestal
and worshiped him to the exclusion or
tho whole world? Or was it because
she, like a fool, had thrust away with
laughing eyes the happiness that had
been held out to her, and the gods had
guessed it was only a freak, and were
punishing her because she insolently
played with the best thing they had to
give? Six months ago, when David
Moore had started to tell her how dear
she was to him, she had stopped him
with a laugh, and had warned him that
It would bo wiser to wait till he re
turned from abroad before ho decided
that sho was the "only woman In tho
world." She did not know why she
had done It; why, when her heart was
craving for his love, she had coquetted
and warded him off. Hut right deep
down she know that it was for his own
Bake, to give him a fair chance of see
ing other younger, more beautiful
women, before she let him tell her that
she was tho best of all.
"L'll be back In six months, Eliza
both," lie said, holding her hands, tight
ly, and looking Into tho sweet gray
eyes. "I'll coino straight to you. You
will listen to me then; you will then
believe Unit I am in earnest." And so
lie left her.
And now tho six months wero at an
end; for that morning a telegram had
come telling her of his arrival in Eng
land, and to expect to see him to-night.
She had lived every hour of her life
In theso months for David; overythlng
eho did was for his sake was to
please him. And now, when tho time
bad really come, and ho would bo with
her In a few hours, sho must gather
up hor strength and send him away
without a word of lovo, without a sign
of regret.
It was because tho pain had waged
bo fiercely through tho night that sho
determined to go to a doctor to beg
for something to give her relief, for
the tlmo at leaBL Sho had gone, and
had had her sentence pronounced.
Although ho had not actually said so
. Elizabeth guessed that even if she did
survive the operation she would al
ways lie a weak, dellcato woman. And
In her great, love she decided to saorl-
lice even one hour of Joy sho could
never bear to be a drag on David, sho
must send him away again without ex
plaining the reason.
When she arrived at the house where
she lived In Kensington, she turned
down tin lamps under their red shades
and told the maid to put more coal on
the tire. She decided to postpone hor
preparations of her illness until after
her visitor had gone. She would only
have tlmo now to prepare herself for
the scene she must go through with
him.
After she had somo tea sho went to
her room. The frock she had chosen to
wear was lying on the bed. It was a
soft blue silk, and was very simply
made. Quickly she put. It back Into
the wardrobe and took down one that
was Just sutllclently old-fashioned to
be dowdy.
"Molly said I look twenty In blue
and thirty-live In black," she whis
pered, as she laid It on the bed.
Then she unfastened her hair. She
remembered some one saying, "To part
the hair In the center either makes a
woman look much older or much
younger than she actually Is. I think,
Elizabeth, that it makes you look much
older." Taking up tho comb, she care
fully made a parting down tho center
of her head and twisted her hair Into a
tight knob at the hack.
Tho rellectlon that the mirror sent
Jiack to her made her shudder.
Then she put on the dowdy black
frock. Ugh! she did look plain and old
and commonplace. No man could make
lovo to a woman who looked like that.
And of all men, not David .Moore, for
she knew so well that he liked a wom
an to bo good to look at.
Having finished her strange toilet,
she went down to her slttlns room, and
waited. Fifteen minutes later her vis
itor came.
Elizabeth saw him start and the sur
prised look in Ids eyes as she held out
her hand to him and asked coolly how
lie had enjoyed his trip.
"Are you 111, Elizabeth?" ho said,
quickly, without answering her, and
ooklng anxiously at the face that had
.hanged almost beyond recognition
since he last saw it.
"No, no! Why should I be ill?"
"You look so white anil "
"Old," she finished. "Well, I am six
months older you must remember
since you went away, and 1 am not the
typo of woman who wears well."
"Is anything tho matter? Are you
in trouble?"
"What should thero be to trouble
me? I never do anything but have a
good time. I lovo excitement, and all
that sort, of thing."
The man looked as If ho was not
sure he had heard aright.
"No." Elizabeth continued. "I am
not really different, but you have been
accustomed to fresh young faces late
ly, and so poor mine seems old and
withered In comparison. Hut please
don't waste the time In discussing my
appearance. Tell mo how you enjoyed
your visit."
"Fairly; but I was so anxious to get
back to London to see you again that
I did not think much about it. You
know why I wished to be here by the
loth. Elizabeth?"
She looked as though she was trying
to remember.
"Darling," he went on, coming close
to her. "you liave not forgotten that
you said you would listen to me when
1 returned. You know, without any
words, that you aro the dearest woni
an in the world to mo, and that I wish
you for my wife."
"Your wife!" sho eclioed, witli a
sneering laugh. "Thank you, no. I
must decline tho honor."
"Elizabeth!" and his faco wont white
as ho held her hands tightly, "what do
you mean?"
"Just that," she said. "I decline the
honor."
"Then," ami he dropped her hands
and turned away, "I had better go. 1
was a conceited fool. Forgive me.
My lovo for you has cnrrlcfi mo too
far."
Even in the half-lit room, Eliza
beth's face looked strangely white as
sho put her hand to hor side and lean
ed back In tho cushions.
But sho laughed' again.
"Ah, It does not matter. You will
forgot It as readily as I will. And per
haps, after all, it was my own fault.
But you must always allow for a wom
an changing her affections. It is a
woman's way, you know."
"No, I did not know," coldly.
"Why not? She may vary her frocks
why not her affections?"
"For heaven's sake, don't talk like
Hint. You might bo a heartless flirt
by your tone."
"I hardly think I am that, for your
sex does not Interest mo sufilclently.
Hut I am a woman of tho, world, and
not a silly, love-sick girl."
"I never Imagined you to be a silly,
love-sick girl, any more than I thought
of you as a 'woman of the world,' ns
you put it. I'erluips It will amuse you
to hear that I was foolish enough to
think you were well, altogether dif
ferent." "Yes, It Is rather absurd," she an
swered, driving her nails into her left
hand as she stood up and held out her
right one to him. "(Joodby. There is
no need to extend this interview. He
sides, I am busy to-night. You will
excuse me."
Ho took her hand and held it tight
ly, as ho looked into the tired gray
eyes.
"Elizabeth, Elizabeth," ho whisper
ed, "what does It all mean? Have you
nothing kind to say to me?"
"Yes; forget mo as soon as you can.
And you will lose your beauty sleep
if you don't go quickly."
lie dropped her hand and went out
of the house.
Her acting had been a success, too
much of a success, for not only had
he gone away with the Idea that she
was indifferent to him, but she had
forced him to despise her for her lev
ity. Yet, after all. It was better thus;
It would be less difficult for him to
cast her out of his heart.
She certainly did look plain. Yet hor
appearance had not made any differ
ence to him. Ah! that look of concern
in his eyes when he asked her If she
was 111. Why couldn't she have told
him? It would have been so sweet to
have had his loving sympathy!
And if her operation was to bo as se
rious, and the result as fatal, as she
feared, was there not some way In
which sho might, before it was too
late, wipe out the false Impression she
had made to-nlght? She could not
bear tin thought that he would think
bitterly of her afterward. Surely it
would be some comfort to him to know
the truth then. Yes, he must be told.
She would write a letter and confess
all. if she lived, it must be destroyed;
if she died, it must be delivered.
"I have sent you away from me,
she wrote, "and am now breaking my
heart because I will never look into
your face again. David, to-nlght I
acted a part to you. I forced myself
to be cold and false. I made myself
a fright to prevent you telling me of
your love. 1 knew that if you did so
1 would not have the strength to re
sist you. I did not want you to guess
that I cared. I wanted you to think
me a heartless flirt to despise mo
anything, rather than you should re
gret or have a hcart-acho.
"To-day my doctor told me that l
must go under the knife within the
next few days. He said that there
was a slight chance, but Jn my heart
1 know that, if 1 do live, I will be ti
weak, sickly woman. Hut I don't be
lieve there is a chance, so I want, to
tell you how dear you are to me be
lore it is too late, i love you as only a
woman can love a man who represents
everything that Is good and strong and
true to her. For nearly two years I
have waited to hear you say what you
said to-nlght. Six months ago I pre
vented you because I was not quite
sure; 1 thought It would lio wiser for
you to wait until you returned. 1
could not realize that the glory of your
love should be showered on me. 1
thought It. fair for you to see other
women before you offered your life to
me.
"David, 1 want you to understand
how desperately hard it was to refuse
to listen to you to-nlght. It was tho
greatest sacrifice 1 have ever made In
my life, and I prayed for strength to
do it. My wholo being revolted at the
part I sot myself to play, although I
felt it was best for younow and af
forward. Can you forgive me, Da
vid?"
Sho then rang for her maid, and, af
ter explaining about what was to hap
pen to her, sho gave her the letter and
said what she wished her to do with
It.
No surgeon can ever be quite certain
to what length a disease has spread
until ho starts to use tho knife, and
oftentimes ho finds It more or less se
rious than he anticipated.
So It was that when Dr. Sanders
commenced to operate on Elzabeth
Trent he was agreeably surprised to
find that, instead of her case being
most complicated, It was merely an
ordinary one.
"Sho will bo all right now, nurse,"
the great surgeon said af tor the opera-
tlon. "Fortunately, it has not been bo
Borlous as wo feared. It In a decidedly
interesting case, and Bhe will pull
through splendidly with careful nurs
lug." It was two weeks later -when Eliza
beth asked her maid if she had de
stroyed the letter sho had given to her
the eve of the operation.
"Destroy it, Miss Elizabeth?" tho
woman answered. "I though you said
to post It If you lived.
'Oh, Harmon! ou surely have not
sent that letter?"
"Yes, Miss Elizabeth, I have. I
thought you wanted me to destroy it
if anything happened .to you. and to
post it If you got safely through tho
operation. I waited until last night to
make sure that you did not have a re
lapse, then I thought It was time."
Heforo Elizabeth could answer, a
nurse came in wun a uorisrs ox in
her hand and a bright smile on her
face.
This Ib for you, Miss Trent," sho
said. "Shall I unfasten it?"
Elizabeth cried out in Joyous sur
prise at the wealth of beautiful flow
ers with which the box was filled. Hut
her eyes went beyond them to a lettcij
that lay partly hidden In their leaves.
"It Is from David," she whispered
softly, as she gazed at tho dear, fa;
miliar handwriting. As she opened it
with quick, trembling lingers, tho
nurse and Harmon quietly went out
of the room.
"My darling," Ellzaoeth road, "I
have Just received your letter. Only
half an hour before, I met Mansfield
and he fold mo of your Illness. I
thought ho must be mistaken, but hn
said his wife had been to see you at'
tho hospital yesterday. My first lm-;
pulse was to go and beg them to let
mo see you, but I remembered that!
you would not care to have me. FeoN
lug deadly miserable, I went back td
mv rooms, and thero found your letter
waiting for me. Oh, Elizabeth! It
seems too wonderful to bo true time
you should love me like that. Why,
m, dear, you were never more lovable
In' mv eyes than you were that night.
You looked 111 and tired, and I longed
to have the right to take care of you
and shield you from all annoyances.
When I remember the hard tilings I
said I feel that It will take all my
life lo endeavor to wipe tliem out.
Elizabeth, almost as soon as you react'
this 1 will be with you. And then
my atonement will commence." Black!
and White.
HOW ZOOS GET WILD ANIMALS.
Halt lined by KccrnltiiiK AkciUb and
Traveler.
(Setting recruits for tho zoological
parks Is not by any means the easlosu
tiling in tho world, though tho authortt
ties themselves do not bear much ofl
tho trouble In this connection. Tho
work is mainly done by travelers and
natives of countries from which thu
wild boasts come, from whom tho vari
ous zoological societies of the world
buy, except when tho purchases aro
made from professional wild-beast
dealers.
Some of the latter employ regular re
cruiting agents, whom they send out
whenever they receive orders which
they cannot execute with stock they
have in hand. If the park authorities
order an African lion of a dealer and
the dealer lias not a suitable beast on
hand recruiting lions in Africa begins
at once and continues until a good
specimen has been obtained.
The different methods by which tho
various wild animals are captured in
their native state are interesting. Lions
are generally caught by being tempted
to thrust their heads through nooses of
stniifc" cords composed of twisted
hides. Pieces of meat are used for
bait, but frequently the hunters havo
many days of hard chasing before tho
lion can be persuaded to try the noose.
When he docs the cords are pulled
quickly around his throat, stilling him,
and other stout cords are then bound
around his legs. Restoratives are then
administered to revive the animal,
whose efforts to free himself froin.thd
noose have brought on exhaustion, anil
lie is carried away and put in a speciaN
ly constructed cage for shipment.
Tigers are more savage than lions
and can rarely be captured when full
grown. Uecrultlng is accordingly car-1
lied on among the cubs, the parent
tigers being killed and the young, left!
without protectors, being easily caught.
rIMm fin1Q vnnilllv nr.miQinm li ntt-ii?.! tra
to captivity.
Perhaps the most difficult of all wild
animals to capture Is tho giraffe, says
the New York Times. In addition to
being very rare, giraffes are exceeding
ly timid and are very swift-footed
There is no special way to capture a
giraffe, as almost every way has been
tried, and all have been almost equally
unsuccessful. The method which ha
occasionally resulted in a capture is bS
using a long cord, at each end of which
Is a round weight. This cord is thrown
by tho hunter in such a manner as to
wind around tho animal's legs, eltliei
bringing It to the ground or rendering
it Incapable of escaping before It H
made a prisoner. Most of the giraffe!
in captivity havo been caught bj
onance wuou young.
if a man can't be contented poor)
he will never be contented rich.
ipfunm HOU9C ou&AKttto.
i
dike Otic Ifoom nt n Time ntul Dt
Work Thoroughly,
When a bright, sunny day comes In
Mirly spring and reveals the accumti'
ated dust of the winter, the neat, tidy
housekeeper begins to think of house
Jleaning. Hut this is one department
f tlio housekeeper's realm where it Is
best to make haste slowly. Thero will
do many col(U blustery and wet days
before settled weather conies, and tho
housewife will find that thero will bo
(lays when the men folks, In spite of
ill their care, will 'bring In more o
less dirt on their shoes. If the bom
bus had Its usual fall cleaning, th
Is no need to bo in a hurry about tho
spring work.
There is much work, however, tlint
ran be done early greatly to facilitate)
the work later on. Every closet may
be cleaned and the contents carefully
xanilned to find what Is worth sav
lng, and some disposition made of all
that Is worthless. There is no real
economy in keeping useless material
In the shape of cast-off garments, old
mid broken utensils of whatever kind,
year after year, to he handled every
lime the house is cleaned. The bu
reau drawers, all trunks and boxes
Used for holding clothing, etc., may ha
tidied any dull, dreary day that you
can rally your forces sufilclently to
lackle the Job.
When the time conies that you feel
von can wait no longer, go to work
systematically, and do not have the
house torn up all over at once. Theo
retically, you should begin at the top
if the house and take one room at a
line. Hut with the average family
this Is not always possible. A groat
Inany families are not aide to buy a
iew carpet whenever one begins to
jdvo way, but must change them
iiboiit, making over the carpet for some
large room for a smaller one, thus get
ting all the wear there Is In it.
Hut with all tills, with careful man
ligcinent, the work may lie accom
plished without upsetting things all
over the house. It will be found very
convenient to have some food prepared
before hand. A ham boiled, cake and
pies baked, Boston baked beans, etc.,
will make it very much easier to pre.
pare the meals, and these articles will
keep fresh for several days.
Then, last, but not least, take tho
work as It comes, without worry and
do not be afraid that somo one else
will get the spring cleaning done be
fore you do, and you will come out ot
the siege In better shape, and youi
work more satisfactorily done.
I OVERMATCHED BY A WOMAN. 1
The late W. W. Corcoran, the mil
lionaire philanthropist of Washington,
who gave to the city the magnificent
art gallery which bears his name, was
very fond of telling how he was once
overmatched by a wealthy maiden
lady, from whom lie desired to pur-
base a piece of property.
Mr. Corcoran was the owner of tho
iilngton Hotel, at the corner of Ver
mont avenue and 11 street. Adjoining
the hotel property on the II street sld
Was a handsome brownstonc mansion
owned by the maiden lady. The lol
upon which the house was built ex
tended back to I street, a distance ol
four hundred feet, and abutted on the
rear of the hotel property.
Mr. Corcoran found It necessary to
enlarge the hotel, and with this end
in view desired to purchase the rear
nd of the lot owned by the maiden
lady. As she was very wealthy, he
knew that a large mice would not be
liny special inducement, and for a
lime was at a loss to know exactly
low to approach her. He dually con-
luded to go straight to the point, and
therefore addressed her the following
bote:
"Dear Miss C. How much will you
taly for your back yard? We wish to
ularge the Arlington Hotel. Yours
l.incerely. W. W. CO BOO It AN."
Promptly came tho reply:
"Dear Mr. Corcoran. How much
will you take for the Arlington Hotel?
We wish to enlarge our back yard.
Yours cordially, A. C."
riiibct Nut Muoh nl'n Temptation.
Thibet is no temptation to the greed
iest of nations. Save for a little patch
:i the south and east it is a barren
mil. Hold in Insignificant quantities
washed down in the sands of tho
fivers. Tills, the lamas teach, is the
owor of which the burled nuggets aro
die roots. To remove tho nuggets
r, mild "diminish the vitalizing fluids of
Hie earth." so mining is not allowed.
.Showing J 1 1 - Jratiimle.
She Hut if you say yon can't bear
Ihe girl why ever did you propose?
He 'Well, her peoplo have always
been awfully good to me and it's the
only way I could return their hospital
ity. Punch.
"What AVo Exported.
Tho chief growth in American ox
ports to Bussla lias been in cotton
Jgricultural Implements, copper ami
Its manufactures and naval stores.
A woman .doesn't enjoy a Hip halt
is much as she enjoys telling about li
ifterward.