Fascmating
Romance
by
Alan Adair , , , ,
CHAPTER II.
Jabez Hutchinson received our herewith
with a face as dark as a thundercloud ,
1 > ut it seemed that , when he heard
Alan's news , he considered It Import
ant enough to warrant his intrusion
on his privacy. It appeared to Alan
that , of whatever Importaace It waste
to the firm. It was of still greater to
Hutchinson , which confirmed him In
his suspicions that he had privat
l\ \ dealings which had nothing to do with
the firm.
Alan talked the matter over , ant
Hutchinson was impressed with his
clear-headedness and the concise way
lie had of stating thtags. Little by
little he looked upon Alan with a more
favorable eye. and In the end Invited
him to stay and dine. Although Alan
'did not want to prolong his Interview
with the brute , he accepted the invita
tion , thloking that he would then see
the girl who had taken his fancy be
fore. Herein he was mistaken. To al
intents and purposes it was a bachelor
establishment , and the Spaniard who
came in to smoke a cigar with Hutch
inson after dinner evidently came
without expecting to see any ladles.
Alan rode home. It was a perfect
moonlight night , and the road was as
clear as if it had been day. Hutchin
son had told him before he left that
he should be glad to see him again
and the young man was revolving in
his mind how he could accept the invi
tation , and yet not play the part oi
traitor to his host. He felt sure that
Hutchinson was not acting square by
.the firm ; he also felt sure that he
would try and gain him over to his
side. Instinct told him to beware of
the man ; but , on the other hand , there
was the girl , who had touched the
.young man's heart by her loneliness
and her unhappiness and by her beau
ty. If he did not go back to La Paz
all chance of seeing the girl again
{ was at an end , and she had made such
Ij so. impression upon , his rather suscep-
fg tible heart that he was willing . ;
* 'i ! chance many things , but not the risk
of never seeing her again.
, T He was riding along in the moon-
? J ! light ; he was young , and adventurous
& blood was in his veLns. The brilliant
ff | beauty of the night , the strong scent
of the flowers , all intoxicated him.
Suddenly a white figure flitted before
him. He reined in his horse sharply ,
feeling sure that this was the girl he
was thinking of , and so it proved.
'j ' In the clear , cold moonlight her face
) looked white , and the shadows round
' j her eyes deep. She had a soft , cooiag
voice. Alan thought she was more
beautiful than he had even at first imagined -
agined her to be.
"I have watched for you , " she said
softly. There was not a trace of co
quetry in her voice and she was simply
stating a fact. "You were so long that
I grew anxious. "
He could see that she wanted to say
something , and yet was half afraid.
She looked round nervously. "No one
is about , " he said , reassuringly.
"No. " She still hesitated and still
looked around her. "Mr. Mackenzie , "
she said at last desperately , "do aot
think ill of me. I do not want to say
what I am going to say , and I know
a child ought to reverence her father ,
but " She gave a long , shuddering
sigh.
"I understand , " he said , quickly.
"No , you do not ! " she answered
N quickly. "It is not because he has
/i > struck me he did it before , and I
never mkided it until today. You see ,
he still thinks I am a child , but I am
afraid for you. Oh , I must warn you !
Do not come here again ! "
"Why not ? " he asked. "I am not a
child to be told to do a thing without
a reason. "
"There was a young English clerk
who used to come out here to see my
father , " she said , very slowly , "and
after six months he had embezzled
some money , or something , and ia the
end he could not face the inquiry ;
he "
She stopped ; he could see the horror
in her face.
"What did he do ? " asked Alan , in
his quiet , manly voice.
"He committed suicide , " said the
girl.
girl."But
"But I am not of that sort , " said
Alan. "I have my eyes open , and
never do anything without a reason. "
"There have been men young men
coming backwards and forwards to
tlfe house , and there always has been
one end to it all. and I cannot bear it.
My father ruins them sooner or later.
As soon as they know too much some
thing happens. "
"What do you want me to do then ? "
asked Alan.
"Don't come back here , " she begged.
"I cannot promise that , " he said
quietly. And in the moonlight he look
ed into her dark eyes.
"Why not ? " she asked , but she low
ered her lids.
"Because. " he said boldly , "it will
be my only chance of seeing you
again. "
There was a little silence and then
the girl spoke. "But if it should
prove dangerous to you I should never
forgive myself ! "
Then Alan laughed a good , frank
laugh. "The one thing that will be
dangerous to me is you , " he said , "and
I am going to court that danger ! "
She latighed , too. Alan looked so
i 1
brave and bonny that any woman
would have loved to have been courted
by him. "Very well , " she said , "Mr.
Mackenzie , you have been warned ,
and so have I. "
"Tell me your name , " he said.
"My name ? It is a common enough
one here it Is Veronica. "
"It Is a very beautlfful one , " he
said. And then he took off his cap
and bade her good night ; and his
dreams that night were full of moon
light and a dark-eyed , slim girl , and
all the sort of thing that a young man
dreams about when for the first time
he enters upon the realms of ro
mance.
He remembered the financial crisis
only the next morning , ' when he saw
Hutchinson again. He told Dempster
of his interview ; but here he found
himself in a difficulty. It was difficult
to talk to his chief of the man he mis
trusted , and yet to know that he was
valuable to the firm and knew many of
its secrets. He could not tell Demp
ster that what he suspected was that
Hutchinson had secret dealings with
the government , and that he mostly
knew of events before they became
public property , and so could buy and
sell to greater advantage , using the
capital of the firm for his own pur
pose , for that was what Alan sus
pected.
Richard Dempster saw that the
young man was keeping something
back , although of course he could not
guess what it was.
"Look here , Mackenzie , " he said. "I
don't want to force your confidence.
I can see you have something on your
mind ; but I can trust your father's
son sufficiently to know that if it
ought to be brought to my notice you
would not hesitate to do so. "
"The fact is , sir , " said Alan , "that I
have as yet nothing tangible to lay be
fore you ; but that , not having any
proof at all , It is rather difficult to
come to you aiW to say , 'Do you trust
this man or that man. ' "
"Quite right , " said Dempster. And
then they began talking of something
else , and "had a good long consulta
tion on the present state of affairs. It
was only when he was leaving that
his chief said to him : "By the way ,
did you have any difficulty in finding
Hutchinson's little cottage. He tells
me that it is some way out ; he pre
fers the country. "
Alan looked at Dempster to see if
lie were speaking jestingly ; but no ,
his words were evidently uttered in
perfect good faith. He believed in
Hutchinson's cottage. "I had no dif
ficulty , sir , " he replied. "Any one could
tell you it is not a cottage , but a fine ,
large place. "
"Oh , " said Dempster , laughing ,
"then 'that is Hutchinson's modesty ,
is it ? I must chaff him about it ! "
"I hope you won't , sir ! " said Alan
quickly. "Please say nothing about
it ! "
Dempster looked at the young man
curiously. "I will say nothing if you
do not wish it ; but I own that your
manner makes me strangely uneasy. "
and left him.
Matters , however , grew very dis
turbed , and Dempster had reason to
believe that the government was very
unstable. Alan Mackenzie was sent
backwards and forwards to La Paz. It
began to be very exciting , for every
day he seemed to see more clearly
that Hutchinson was playing a double
game. He had Dempster's confi
dence. .Alan knew that , among other
things the firm was importing , there
were firearms , and he felt almost sure
that Hutchinson was in league with
some malcontents , and that these
arms were meant for them. Life
grew very interesting , and every day
seemed big with chances ; and every
evening that he made his way to La
Paz he found Veronica awaiting him.
First of all she came to warn him ,
then she came because she feared him ,
and lastly she came because she loved
him. And he he felt that he loved
her , too. It was not the same tender , 7
all-enduring affection that he would
have given to an English girl , not the
love that desires nothing except to be
loved in the same absorbing way ; but
it was more the tender , protective love
that a man gives to one weaker than
himself. Veronica was not his equal
in mental power he knew.
She had had very little education ,
and could hardly do more than read
and write. She sang in a sweet , full
voice without any art , because sing
ing came natural to her , and she played -
ed a guitar by ear ; but she had no ac
complishments nor any learning.
She was a pure , innocent , beautiful
child , who wanted to be loved and
cherished. Her father had been cruel
t
to her , and she feared him. Alan had d
been good to her , and she loved him
t
passionately , and would have gone I
through fire and water to serve him.
And so weeks went by , and at last
there came a day when the proofs of
Hutchinson's double dealing were in
Alan's hands. He must go with them
to Dempster or the ruin of the firm
might ensue. If by any chance the to
existing government learned that the
respected English firm was providing
the insurgents with firearms there
would be an end to the house .that
Richard Dempster had built up with in
so much care.
But then there was Veronica. Alan
knew that she must participate in her
father's ruin. The thought of the
poor , gentle girl , made to suffer by her
father , without a soul to help her , was
too much for the young man. He
loved her quite sufficiently to want to
shield her from any harm. There was
only one thing to do : He must tell
Dempster of Hutchinson's- treachery ,
and he must persuade Veronica to be
come his wife secretly. It must be
secretly , for no one knew either of
Veronica or of anything else. And so ,
went to his chief.
Richard Dempstgr looked very grave
indeed at the news. The two men sat
up all night in consultation. Hutchinson -
inson was to be dismissed at once ;
there was nothing else for it. And
then Alan made a request. "Will you
send me to Santa Rosa at once ? " he
said. "I don't care to stop on here
after I have been the means of getting
rid of Hutchinson ; I don't want to
benefit by his fall. "
"I shall miss you , my lad , " said
Dempster. "I had hoped you would
have settled among us ; but I suppose
you have other plans. "
He looked at Alan , who reddened.
The young man had known for some
time that even his chief's daughter
would not have denied him ; but then
he thought of his lovely , dark-haired
Veronica , who had no one but him
self. No , he had ruined her father ,
she must be his care and a very
sweet care , too ! Perhaps not the
ideal , the perfect marriage he had
dreamed of in other days , when soul
goes out to soul , and man and woman
have but one idea , one thought ; but
a marriage born of love and respect ,
a protective , not a passionate love ,
although Veronica was beautiful
enough to cause many a man's heart
to beat quickly.
The very evening he had his talk
with his chief he rode out to La Paz ,
but this time not to see Hutchinson.
Veronica would be in the avenue , and
Veronica must be wooed to give her
consent ; the two had but a short time.
"You will trust me , Veronica ? " he
asked.
"To the death , " said the girl ; "but
Alan , I am afraid if he hears of your
part in his1 ruin he will kill you sooner
or later. "
"He will hear of it , " said Alan
gravely. "I am not the man to let
another do my dirty work. And will
you wait for ma at Santa Rosa , my
darling ? I will make all necessary
arrangements , and will be married the
day I come. "
And so matters were arranged , and
Veronica promised ; and this was the
end of Alan Mackenzie's life in Rio.
( To be continued. )
Parlor Magic.
A feat which any one can perform
with little or no practice is that of
placing fourteen matches upon a table
and lifting them all up upon one of
the matches. This is how it is done :
Pick out one match the one that has
the flatest surface and then place six
of the other matches about one-fourth
each across the first one , each of the
six being parallel to each other and
the thickness of a match distant from
each other. Next place six other
matches one-fourth each across the
first match , but from the other side ,
all parallel and in the spaces left by
the arrangement of the first six
matches. Now take the fourteenth
match , lay it over the twelve matches
where they intersect , and by carefully
lifting 1 match No. 1 and holding match
No. 14 in place you will accomplish
without , difficulty the feat. Adelaide
Herrmann in the June Woman's Home
Companion.
Fabulous Price for Letter.
One thousand pounds was the sum
paid by the late Bernard Quaritch for
an autograph letter , of Columbus ,
which he afterwards exhibited at the
World's Fair in Chicago. A wealthy
collector of autographs in Chicago in
1898 offered through the American
Press to pay $100,000 for a genuine
autograph letter of Shakespeare. Only
seven are known to be in existence ,
and as to three doubts have been ex
pressed as to their genuineness. Two
letters of Mary Queen of Scots , writ
ten just before her execution , are said
to have cost an English collector ? 20-
000. The one letter existing in Ti
tian's handwriting was sold for $600 ,
and a letter of Raphael's for $300. The
one letter written by Corneille which
was ever sold was purchased by Alfred
Morrison for $800.
Travelers' Annoyances.
A clever observer says of her expe
riences in a drawing-room car : "There
sit directly behind you those who wash
their-famlly linen for the benefit of the
traveling public , he accusing her of all
sorts of irregularities with other men ,
whom he judges by himself , and she
defying him to name just one man , and
finally going into , hysterics. Then there
is the woman in front of you all scent
ed up with white rose , and beside her
is the man who pares and cleans his
nails with a pocked knife and uses the
same blade to pick his teeth. Then
there is the sweet little child who snaps
the window catch or thumps the win
dow pane , which seems to be music to
the fond mother's ears. " 'New ' York
Press.
Ireland looses Population.
The population of Ireland still ap
pears to be on the decline. The quar
terly return of the registrar-general up
the last day of March shows a de
crease of 10,135 , of whom 5,302 was
debited to emigration. The estimated
population of Ireland is now 4,504,000 ,
little more than half what it was , i
1841 , when it stood at 8,175,000.
{
There is a limit at which forbear
ance ceases to be a virtue. Burke.
BEYOND THE GATES.
Here was as fiue a fellow as ever
drew sword ; within half an inch of six
feet , broad shouldered , and as sound
as a bell. Under the tan the bloom of
health and youth flushed in his cheek.
Through his calm , clear eyes he looked
the whole world la.the face and owed
no man except his tailor. A fearless
fellow , this gentleman in khaki ,
straight as a shaft , true as steel , too
good a man to become food for pow
der. A whole shipload of his kin and
kind were with him , bound for the
war.
war.The
The farewell came , the sad adieu ,
and every heart was full of love's
goodby.
He stooped to kiss the one woman
of his life. Her arms were about , his
neck as she clung to him , faint aad
weeping. His brow was stern and his
Jaws set , for his English honor com
pelled him to shed never a tear. So
he raised her from the ground to his
lips and set her down with a parting
that was almost chill , though his full
heart was pulsing like a fire engine.
Then her people took her and set her
on some baulks of timber , wrapped an
other shawl about her for they knew
all too well how frail she was and let
her weep , as they , too , were weep
ing.
Every one who knew her , except her
soldier lover himself , knew well that
they had parted forever in this world ,
for her days were numbered by the
angels.
Her great eyes were like lamps in
which the spirit of her life was fast
consuming. Her beauty was not of
earth. The pallor and the pink alike
proclaimed her the bride of death. In
her and in him only reposed the bliss
ful ignorance of this sorrow. Well is
it that love is blind.
Tire quay was lined with groups of
people waving their tearful farewells.
Steam whistles and angry snorts from
Impatient engines rent the'air. . The
great hausers strained taut and were
let go as the dockmen shouted to the
pilot. Then , from the crowding sol
diers on the ship , swarming barehead
ed at the bulwarks and clustering on
the rigging arad shrouds , came hoarse
ly long , loud , reverberating cheers ,
The screw churned the harbor water ,
and out to sea , out into mist , passec
the troopship.
Wide-eyed , with wet rose blossoms
on her cheeks , still sat she there gaz
ing gazing gazing , seeing one sol-
flier only , till the ship was a little speck
at sea , and they led her away. Poor ,
stricken soul ! Not for her would ever
come the joy of wedding bells.
The veldt was like a furnace. The
hot South African sun blazed on high.
The men in khaki were stretched upon "
the burning saad , athirst on the wa
terless plain. Ahead of them , beyond
the ant heaps amid which they sought
some trivial shade and cover , stood a
kopje full of the Boer enemy. And
there water was or death.
All day those brave English boys lay
under the burning sun. Little wreaths
of sand curled up and eddied and
swept away ki the distance like a beau
tiful cloud. Particles of silica and
specks of impalpable dust hung like a
mist over the torrid earth , and the sun
played with these glittering particles ,
gilding and painting the iridescent
beauty. But it was an agony and a
horror to endure. Eyes and ears and
aostrils were full of sand. Every man's
water bottle was empty , every tongue
was swollen ; the men's lips were too
parched even to curse.
Suddenly the enemy's Mauser fire re
opened at close quarters , and many a it
man fell. Volley after volley was giv i (
en back , until out rang the stirring
cry , "Fix bayonets ! " in
There was a ring of merry steel aind
a loud hurrah. But the crack of the to
Mauser rattled yet from bush and
bowlder. Many a Briton fell before
the Boers were met , and then then
there was carnage and fierce bayonet [ >
work , grim fighting and deeds of rage in
and battle and blood. The kopje was
cleared.
Ere this the thirsty soldiers , with
their hands in the mud aad their lips
in the foul-smelling water , had beeo
drinking deep draughts of the muddy
stream. Now that the fight was over
they were again on hands and knees ,
cooling their parched and swollen
tongues.
Then cae who had slaked his thirst
brought his bottle to their lieutenant ,
for he our hero was wounded. One m
wiped the foam from his mouth and ai
put a cup to his lips , and he drank tow :
greedily. w
But his head fell on one side , so they rate
laid him to sleep under the stars. ton
And when the morning broke it was n <
seen that this hero among a band of alhi
heroes where all are heroes was dead. hiA
All his manliness and courage had A :
passed away. Two bullets had gone m
through his body , the sand had drunk PC
of his blood , and his soul had gone si ;
forth to him who gave It. th
Si
The lady whom he loved she who ci
lived far away across the seas ! Ah ,
how should this grief be told to
her ?
It never was. There was no need
of so great a sorrow , for she , too , was
emancipated from her clay.
At the gates of heaven the bride and
bridegroom met. The Sketch.
TENANTS OF DUMPS.
Tribe In Washington More Picturesque
Than Ragpickers.
The work of reclaiming the low
lands , where once stood famous Ber
ry's row ithe despair of missionaries
and the nightmare of the police goes
merrily on , and from the city's waste
grows up , like the famed phoenix ris
ing from its own ashes , the most
unique village ever found by an an
thropologist , says the Washington
Post. Here on the bare stretch of ashy
waste exists a tribe more picturesque
by far than the Paris ragipckers , famed
in story , and the adored model of the
amateur artist in the Latin quarter.
Right within sight of the capitol and
the historic part of Washington is the
most unique village , peopled by the
most unique inhabitants to be found
on the globe. The Digger Indians , the
Moundbuilders , nor , in fact , any of the
queer people of this or other coun
tries , can compare with these. Their
life and their occupation prove beyond
doubt that there is a use for everything
on the face of the earth , save the city
foundling. A company for the promo
tion of tenement districts could not
draw a quarter of a cent dividend off
the tenants of the dumps. They pay
neither rent nor tax , nor yet Is the
reservation allotted to them by the
gO'AK'srwjnt. They just pitch their tin
houses wlwre they like , and while the
only signal for Sunday is the cessation
of carts and tumbledown wagons back
ing up , there is yet a profound respect
shown for the rights of each inhabit
ant. There may be no lock on the door
or fence about the yard , but every man
can depenw upon his pile of scrap
iron , old bottles , rags , and so on re
maining intact without a bull dog tied
to it. There is always a scurry like
unto a football contest over every load
of ashes , but once the contest is won ,
every fellow respects the champion's
rights. No one could well calculate
the revenue from this part of the city's
waste , but it is large , men , women and
children all plying the trade with a
vengeance. The men sell all that they
rescue from this source , while the wo
men work to keep their children warm
and maybe also do laundry. The chil
dren toil back and forward , their little
backs forever bent under the burden
of the bag , or groping and scratching
among the refuse. Many of them warm
whole families in this way , while al
most the entire colored population in
the vicinity of the dump depend upon
it for fuel.
PUSS SAILED AWAY.
Went Aboard a Steamship and Made
Herself Quite at Home.
If there is anything in the popular
superstition among sailors that "a cat
brings good luck , " the voyage of the
British steamship Thalia will be a
pleasant one , ' says the Savannah
News. A fine , large Maltese cat went
aboard the day before she sailed , and
composedly curled herself up on the
heavily upholstered crimson sofa in
the officers' saloon , and when the ves
sel sailed she was a contented , pas
senger.
"She is an old traveler , " said the
steward , as he stroked her soft fur ,
"and this is not her first voyage. Cats
like a change , and they will visit one
vessel and then another in port until
they find one that suits them ; and they
are knowing animals , and seem to
have some intuition whsn a vessel is
going to sail.
"Do I think a cat brings luck ? Oh ,
yes. It's good luck to have a cat come
to you. Why , that's not a superstition - j
tion of sailors alone. Did you ever
g
see a landlubber that didn't believe it ? r
That cat will have the best treatment
on board ; besides , there's no end to
the rats on board , and the cat will be
s
useful as well as lucky for us. "
st
TVolselej's Excltinff Hun. t
The following incident in Lord Wol-
seley's military career is recorded as
having taken place when he was in
his twenties , and had been in the Brit
ish army three years. He speaks of
himself as the most exciting exper
ience of his life.
It was in Burma , and Wolseley was
charge of a small detachment. Dur
ing the advance he had the bad luck
fall into a deep hole , and when he
crawled out found himself on the en
emy's side. As he emerged , he
was met with such a shower
f bullets that he slid back
short order. After a few min
utes he came out again , and amid a
rigorous volley , ran for his life. He
was nearly two hundred yards fem
Ihe British line , and was hit three v\
times before he reached a place of vt (
safety. s
sCi
Ci
Citl
Race Issue Kalscd In Cuba. tl
The race issue of Cuba has been tld tlp
aised lately in a peculiar way by a d
arge number of Havana negroes and V
nulattoes. They have petitioned the TVft
luthorities to prohibit the application ft
ftb
Cuban citizens of the descriptive fte
vords "black" or "brown" in war- e :
ants issued by the police court and a !
forbid the use of these adjectives in n
lewspaper reports. The petitioners
ilso ask that the newspapers be
pro-
libited from making reference to the
African origin of .
any one. Their
argu-
nent is that the
terms as now used
lerpetuate race antagonisms , and that
ince the negroes of Cuba have proved
heir worth in the struggle against
ipain they should be called only Cuban ) f
'
A"FLY"QUARTER
The intercoms
Coin. -
discovered what a
"Have you ever
" said A. *
small world this is ?
to a New York
the other day
shaker ,
I
Telegraph reporter. "I bay * and
have found that it is taP"8 " * ? J
You don t
away from one's self In it
I will give you just
think so ? Well.
not
would
one instance of it which you
It to you.
believe if I could not prove
" and here the
You see this quarter.
much worn sliver
speaker displayed a
the letters - ,
stamped
piece upon which were
ters "F. L. Y. " "Well , this is the story
can't get lost.
of how even a quarter
It was in March , 1871 , I stamped those
letters on that coin. It was at the time
howl over
when there was a general
the mutilation of money , and the streetcar
Louisville where I then
car lines In ,
lived , had instructed their conductors
the sort.
not to receive anything of
for trouble , I
Being young , and eager
deliberately stamped the word Fly ,
which was then as now my nickname ,
upon this quarter , and after a long
row forced the conductor to take it and
give me change. That was twenty-nine
that time the
years ago , and during
coin has. returned to me seven dif
ferent times , the last being in March
. The last occasion of
last , in this city.
its return to me was in San Francisco ,
three years after I had returned from
a tour of the world , which wound up
with a long stay In Australia. Before
that I had seen it in Detroit , New
York , Galveston and Denver. How It
traveled around I don't know , but I
am sure the story of its wanderings
would be full of human interest. What
I want to tell you about , however , is
how I came to get it this last time. I
had been In the habit of stopping in
at McCoy's saloon occasionally for a
drink , and I was usually served by
John Kennedy , tha head bartender. He
comes from Troy , and last March , on
his 29th birthday , he visited his home
there. Before returning he got a bill
changed , and among the coin was this
quarter. He kept it in his pocket for
two or three days- after getting back ,
and thought nothing more about it un
til I happened in. Then he told me he
had a coin with 'Fly' on It. He showed
it to me , and I recognized It as the one
I had stamped In Louisville , just twen
ty-nine years before. The coin itself
was minted in 1857 , so It was four
teen years old when I stamped it. By
comparing notes with Mr. Kennedy it
further developed that I had stamped
it in Louisville on the day he was born
in Troy. After the coin had been trav
eling all over the United States for
twenty-nine years , it falls into his
hands in his native town on his 29th
birthday , and he , a casual acquaint
ance , brings it to New York and re
turns it to me. "
WOMAN'S SECOND GROWTH ,
Her Most Beautiful and Fruitful Years
Are tate In Life.
Since woman is in the main but a
bundle of paradoxes , it is not so sur
prising to hear that a normally healthy
womctn is younger , mentally and phys
ically , at 50 than at 40. The reason is
somewhat recondite , but still one to
be rendered in plain words. This re
juvenation comes from a sort of second
end growth of nerve tissue , or , more
accurately , a new arrangement of
nerve cells , which takes place com
monly in the decade between 35 and
45. The rearrangement is somewhat
analogous to the root-making of a rose
or a flowering shrub. Almost every
one has noted how the riotous vitality
of the vernal impulse wreaths rose
trees in blossom up to the period of
midsummer. Then , though the bloom
ing continues laggardly , the flowers
are poor and small , as though the tree
were tired of fashioning them and
fretful beneath the strain. By and by ,
as August yields to September , the
flowers , though they may be fewer ,
swell to more than the glory of spring.
,
They are truly royal , loose-leafedlong-
stemmed , heavy-headed blossoms , full
of every virtue size , fragrance , color
and endurance. Then the gardener
tells you it is because in the height of
the warm weather the rose struck new
roots , and is full of the rich juices of
a second growth. It is somewhat the
same with fruit trees which , indeed ,
occasionally blossom and let fall crops
of young fruit. Invariably they make
new wood , whiah , if only it harden
sufficiently , is the best of all wood for
either cuttings or grafts because , say
the orchardists , "it has more life in
it" Grape vines , too , have a trick of
putting forth new blooms in the fall.
If they chance to be very abundant ,
new wine in the cask which has ceased
fermenting often begins again to hiss
and bubble.
Pink Pearl Turns Green.
Seattle ( Wash. ) Spe. Chicago Tri
bune : When Lieutenant Whipple ,
while at dinner at the Waldorf As
toria bit into a pearl of wonderful
size concealed in a big oyster , he re
covered a gem that has since puzzled '
the lapidarists of the country. That
pearl has recently betrayed Irish ten
dencies which are unaccountable.
When first brought to public view it
was of a pale pink hue. This color
was supposed to be the result of the
baking process to which it had been
exposed. But since then it has gradu
ally turned green , until now it looks
aot unlike a brilliant green pea.
Ulg lionanza.
This is a famous mine that is some-
limes referred to as the Consolidated
Virginia. It has had an enormous out
nit , being one of th * richest silver
nines in America. It is located at
Hrginia City , Nev. , and has the record
having produced $10.000,000 of sil-
'er within a year.
f