" * Mildred %
T5re < Oanion
.
BY THE DUCHESS.
CHAPTER VIII. ( Continued. )
Just then the door opened and Mil-
fr rired entered. She came in swiftly ,
r& and advanced so rapidly toward the
hlmney-plece that , until she was with
in a foot of him , she was not aware of
his presence there , and acknowledged
her surprise by a sudden start and ex-
lamatlon of alafm.
"I beg your pardon , " he said ; "I did
not mean to frighten you. "
Even as he spoke a wild determina
tion to know the worst from her own
lips without loss of time seized upon
him.
"I came for a book , " explained Mil
dred , hurriedly. "Ah , here it Is ! In
confusion I hardly remembered where
I had left It. "
"Can you spare me a few minutes ? "
asked Denzil , without giving himself
liberty to think further.
"Certainly , " answered Mildred , in a
tone of marked surprise. "But do you
not think that another time would be
more convenient ? You see" glancing
at the clock "how late it is ? The
ball will commence in less than half
an hour , and we shall not be ready. "
"I will not detain you long , " he said
two or three minutes at the furthest.
Indeed , a few words will comprise all
that I have to say. You must have
seen" desperately "you must know
for yourself "
"Stay , " cried Mildred , faintly "do
not go on ! You have said enough
helleve me "
"It is too late now to stop me , " in
terrupted Denzil , passionately. "I
must go on and tell you the one
thought that occupies me day and
night. Reject me despise me , if you
will , only hear me. "
To this , although he waited as if in
expectation , she made no answer. Per
haps , had she then once more forbid
den him , he might forever have held
his peace. But she kept complete
silence.
They formed a curious picture ,
standing there in the old-fashioned
dresses they had not had time to re
move ; Denzil in white satin breeches
and rich ruffles and carefully-powdered
hair , Miss Trevanion as "La Valliere , "
-with her trailing embroidered satin
%
robe , her fair hair also thinly pow
dered , and her soft white arms half
hared.
Encouraged by her speechlessness ,
Denzil spoke again
"I love you , " he said , simply. "I am
only telling you what you have known
all along am I not ? And yet , even to
myself , when put into language , it
seems quite different the words sound
so poor and cold. Is it altogether hope
less , Mildred ? Is there any chance
for me ? "
She had moved a few steps backward
as he began speaking , and now stood
supporting herself by one hand resting
on the table. She had lowered her eyes
and fixed them on the ground , and ap
peared calm enough though she made
no response to his last appeal.
"Give me my answer , " he said.
"You should not have gone on , " she
observed at length , her tone low but
angry. "I forbade you to do so. It
-was unfair to compel me to listen
when you knew I wished neither to
hear nor to understand. "
tGive me my answer , " he said again.
"What answer can I give ? " she
asked , with a slight impatient move
ment of the hand near him. "Better
-would it be to ask for none. I warned
you-before. Be satisfied now , and leave
me. "
"Give me my answer , " he said for
the third time , sternly. "I will take it
from your own lips now. "
"Then , as you will have it , " she
cried , losing all moderation , "take
from my own lips 'No. ' "
There was a long pause. Denzil's
face was as white as death. Miss Tre-
vanion's scarcely less so ; while the
hand that lay upon the table appeared
"bloodless from the intensity with
-which she leaned upon it.
"Do you say that because my father
earned his money by trade ? " asked
Denzil , slowly.
"It cannot matter now , " she an
swered , coldly.
"Yes , it does , " he went on , excitedly ;
"and I believe , from my heart , that
that is the reason. I believe that , lov
ing you as I do , I could in time have
made you return my love had not your
wretched pride stepped in to prevent
it. Or can it be true what I have
heard said that you would at any risk ,
willingly sell yourself togain a title ?
If I could bring myself to think that
of you if that were possible Tell
me , Mildred is it the truth ? "
"I do not understand you , " said Mil
dred , haughtily. " "I will listen to no
more of your questioning , sir. Let me
pass. "
"It is true , then ! " he claimed , pas
sionately , seizing her hand to detain
her.uYou do not deny it ! And you
will sacrifice yourself to'obtain pos
session of a mere position ? I imagined
you incapable of such a thing ; but see
how mistaken we all are in the idols
vre set up ! I am thankful I was dis
illusioned In time. I am glad yes ,
glad you have refused me ; as a wom
an who could so barter away her heart
is not worthy to be. the wife of any
honest man. "
Mildred was trembling with anger.
"That will do , " she said. "You need
not say another word. If you were to
think forever , you could never say
anything worse than that , "
Indignantly she drew away her fin-
gers from his clasp as she spoke , and
with the action a small turquols brace
let fell to the ground. Involuntarily
Denzil stooped to pick it up , and , as
she held out her hand to repossess her
self of it , he slipped it round her arm
and fastened it there once more. Then ,
a reckless feeling coming over him ,
and the small white hand he loved
with such hopeless fondness being so
well within his reach , he bent his head ,
and pressed a tender , despairing , lin
gering kiss upon it , after which he
almost flung it from him and walked
away.
What a sad , final farewell it seemed
to him ! As for Mildred , she made no
further sign , but left the room as
noiselessly as she had entered it.
In the hall she encountered Mabel ,
radiant and white-robed , who said :
"What not yet dressed , Mildred ? "
And Mildred answered , "I shall
ba down presently , " quite calmly , and
then went on to her room.
But , when the door was closed , and
securely fastened , an awful sense of
desolation fell upon her. For the first
time in her life she felt what it was to
be alone. What had she done ? What
was it she had thrown away forever
and ever ? She sunk upon her knees
by her bed , and , burying her head in
the clothes , cried as if her heart would
break.
* * * * * *
When Mildred came downstairs , the
ball was at its height. Denzil was
there , as calm as ever , and apparently
in excellent spirits , at the end of the
room , conversing with her mother and
old Blount. He was laughing , but his
mirth was not overstrained , neither
was his manner in any wise different
from what it usually was ; and , in
deed , only one intimately acquainted
with him would have noticed a certain
bright gleam and glitter in his eyes
which betokened feverishness. He did
not look toward the door , or in any
way falter in his conversation when
Mildred entered. Lady Caroline saw
her , however.
"Ah , there is Mildred at last ! " she
said. "What a time the child has
taken to dress ; and how white she
looks ! I hope she has not been overexciting -
exciting herself. "
"Tableaux are about the most fa
tiguing things I know , " said Denzil ,
quietly , looking , not where Mildred
stood , while somebody was inscribing
his name upon her card , but straight
into Lady Caroline's eyes.
"So they are , " returned her ladyship
to Denzil-in all good faith ; "and Mil
dred is not too strong. Now that I see
Mildred , " she went on a little later ,
"I began to wonder where Mabel can
be. I have not noticed her amongst
the dancers since first she came in. "
Here she elevated her glasses to take
an anxious maternal survey of the
room. Mabel was nowhere in sight.
"Where can she have gone to ? " ex
claimed her mother ; and just at that
moment her glance fell on the cur
tains that draped the window at the
lower end of the aparatment. They
were slightly parted , and through the
opening could be seen the balcony be
yond , and on the balcony a glimpse of
a white dress.
"That must be Mabel , " decided her
ladyship impatiently. "How extreme
ly foolish of her thus to expose her
self in a thin light dress to the win-
tery air ! Who is with her ? "
"My nephew , I fancy , " said old
Blount.
"Mabel is behaving most imprudent
ly , " observed Lady Caroline with as
much austerity in her tone as she was
capable of. "She will have half the
county talking of her presently ; and
there is old Lady Atherleigh at this
very instant with her spectacles on ,
peering in their direction. Mr. Younge ,
will you go and tell Mabel that I want
to speak to her directly. "
"My dear Lady Caroline , " returned
Denzil , "it goes to my heart to refuse
you anything , even the smallest trifle ;
but just consider what you have asked
me to do. Were I to interfere as you
wish me , I should call down so many
secret bad wishes and indignant looks
upon my head that I have no doubt in
the world the consequences would be
fatal. "
He laughed pleasantly as he spoke ;
but old Blount , who had been listening ,
did not laugh at all , keeping prema
turely grave.
"My dear madam , " he said , "why in
terfere at all ? The lad is a good lad
and a handsome lad , and will come infer
for all I have when I am gone. Let
them alone. "
So Mabel and Roy were let alone to
follow their own devices , and consequently
quently enjoyed their evening to the
utmost.
* * * * * *
Miss Sylverton , having danced seven
times consecutively with Charles Tre
vanion , was feeling perfectly content
ed and at peace with herself and all
the rest of the world ; while Mildred ,
pale and beautiful , with a disturbed
heart and restless mind , danced and
laughed half the night with Lord Lyn
don only to return to her room , when
the ball had terminated , dissatisfied ,
weary and unsettled.
CHAPTER IX.
A week later , and the Younges , hav
ing bidden their adieus , had gone on
their way homeward to the North
all except Denzil , who had consented ,
at the urgent request of Charles and
Eddie Trevanion , to remain four days
longer. In consideration of a hunt de
clared to be coming off within that
period at some particularly affected
"meet. "
It had come off , and it was now in
deed Denzil's last night at King's Ab
bott for some time to come. He had
been shooting steadily all the morning ,
with the vigorous intention frf warding
off all cares and vexations that might
arise to harass and disturb his mind ;
but as the night drew on , and the hour
of departure approached more closely ,
his self-imposed sternness gave way ,
and he began painfully to understand
how bitterly he should miss the sight
of the cold , exquisite face of Mildred
Trevanion during the two months
that must elapse before he could avail
himself of the pressing invitation he
had received from Sir George and Lady
Caroline , to come and stay with them
again as soon as ever Christmas should
be over their heads.
"So you are really about to leave us
to-morrow ? " said Frances Sylverton.
"I can scarcely bring myself to believe
it. You have made yourself so com
pletely one of us that I do not know
how we are.to . get on until we see you
again. "
"Is that from your heart ? " asked
Denzil , lightly , but with an under
stratum of extreme earnestness. "When
I am far away I shall like to believe
it was. " Then , changing his tone to
one somewhat lower , he added , "For
myself I cannot bear to think of this
time to-morrow evening ; all will be
so changed , so different. "
"And so you have actually made up
your mind to go by the early train , Mr.
Younge ? " called out Miss Deverill
from an opposite sofa.
"Yes , " answered Denzil ; "I must
start early , whether I like it or not , as
I have particular business to transact
in London to-morrow , and have let it
run to the very last day. "
"Well , the best of such decisions is , "
went on Miss Deverill , "one gets over
one's last speeches and adieus the night
before , and so can commence the jour
ney in the morning free , and unfet
tered. "
"I should call that the worst of it ,
not the best , " said Miss Sylverton ,
softly. "I could not bear to leave a
house with no one ready to bid me
'good-by , ' or to wish me a pleasant
journey. "
"There are two sides to every ques
tion , " answered Denzil , somewhat sad
ly. "Taking Miss Deverill's view of
the matter , you see you escape bidding
final adieus , that might perhaps in
many cases wring the heart. "
"But still , as final farewells must be
said one time or the other , I think I
should prefer them at the very last mo
ment , " said Frances. "Confess now ,
that you would always like some one to
give you your breakfast , and say a
kindly word to you before starting. "
"Well , yes , I confess I should like
it , " responded Denzil ; "but , when one
chooses to get up at such an uncon
scionable hour as half-past six , one
must suffer the attendant penalties. "
"I will give ? you your breakfast to
morrow morning , Mr. Younge , if you
wish it , " broke in Mildred's voice , calm
and sweet.
Denzil started an expression of in
tense doubting astonishment passed
over his face. He raised his eyes , and
gazed steadfastly at her.
Mildred herself appeared perfectly
unmoved , her features being as com
posed as though no such unexpected
words had fallen from her lips. Her
fingers steadily unpicked the stitch
that had somehow gone wrong in her
woolwork , and did not even tremble in
the act.
Denzil tried hard to find some suit
able words in which to clothe his ap
preciation of her unwonted graciousness -
ness , and to beg that , for his sake , she
would not put herself to such an incon
venience but in vain ; his brain
seemed in confusion , and he could only
mutter "Thank you" in a hurried , un
natural manner , quite foreign to his
usual courteous self.
( To be continued. )
EATING AND BODILY HEALTH.
Two French Medical Investigators Be
lieve Wo Eat to Die.
Doubt as to whether we eat to live
or eat to die has been dispelled by cer
tain French medical investigators , who
have proved to their own satisfaction
that we eat to die. One of these scien
tists recently read a paper before the
Academy of Medicine , in which he ad
vanced the theory that appendicitis is
often the result of intestinal poisoning
caused by influenza. Another investi
gator in discussing the aame subject
declared that the disease is caused by
worms or other parasites that are
swallowed with raw fruits and vege
tables and in impure water. Two oth
er French investigators have discov
ered by test that rabbits which have
been compelled to fast for a week are
proof against the attacks of bacilli in
fected into their systems , while rabbits
that have received their regular rations
quickly succumb to disease. This is
probably explained by the theory that
the digestive agents of the body when
not employed in the assimilation of
nourishment from food will be in fightIng -
Ing trim for the task of "doing up"
any microbes that may enter their
bailiwicks. Prophylactic action in line
with this theory would destroy the
business of the butchers , grocers and
bakers during times of epidemic , but
it would also destroy the fasters in the
course of time , and thus prove the
converse of the dictum that we eat
to die. There Is no doubt as to the ill-
effects of over-eating ; and opinion is
general that humanity is inclined to
eat too much. The investigations of
the French scientists have neither re
moved doubt as to the real cause of
appendicitis nor made it clear that
humanity can escape the omnipresent
microbe by habitual fasting. Milwau
kee Wisconsin.
TARIFF EETAHATIOH
ALARMS CONJURED UP BY
FREE TRADERS.
> "o Hail * In Fact or Probability tot
Tlielr Predictions Itcgardln ? the For
mation of a Ktiropoiiu Trade Alliance
Against the United StiUci.
Those who so confidently prophesy
foreign tariff combinations against the
United States may be rightly suspect
ed of allowing their wishes to influence
their judgment. Apparently they would
like to see what they expect to see. The
dire possibilities of international trade
war are conjured up by free-traders
and former protectionists as the
strongest possible argument indeed ,
the only possible argument In favoi
of the abandonment by the United
States of the protective policy. So we
are told nearly every day that Euro
pean countries are conducting secrei
negotiations looking toward a trade
combine against this country , and that
our only safety in this emergency is
to repeal the Dingley law and get right
down to an unrestricted trade basis.
First of all. there is no evidence
whatsoever of the existence of a plot
to form a continental tariff alliance
against the United States. Still less evi
dence is there of the contemplation of
a European alliance. If a European
combine should be attempted , Great
Britain would have to be left out of it ,
and Great Britain is very much the
best customer the United States has
among European countries. England
must have our foodstuffs and raw ma
terials , and she is not going to join
anybody in a scheme whose object.is
to make these commodities cost more
in the British market.
Coming to the possibility of a conti
nental combine , we find little more
likelihood of it on the continent than
in Great Britain. Germany has been
making some experiments along the
line of discrimination against Ameri
can products , and her experience is in
structive. Consul Diedrich writes from
Bremen to our state department some
pertinent facts relative to the opera
tion of the iuspection law whereby im
portations of American corned beef
and other beef products are prohibited.
Not long ago Dr. Karl Frankel , pro
fessor of hygiene in the University of
Halle , declared that this law is noth
ing more than a cloak , faded and worn ,
hung over the agrarian idol. He show
ed that while the government had de
clared that the passage of the law was
required in the interests of public
health , "nothing suffered more from
said law than did the public health of
the nation. The prevailing high prices
of meat necessarily lessened its con
sumption , while the health of the na
tion demanded an increase. " As a
matter of fact , fully one-half of Ger
many's population is to-day suffering
hardships by reason of such tariff dis
crimination as Germany has thus far
seen fit to impose against American
foodstuffs in obedience to the demands
of the German agricultural interests ,
and it does not seem probable that the
situation will be subjected to any ad
ditional strain of the same sort.
Excepting Russia , all the continental
countries of Europe are more or less
dependent upon the United States for
their food supplies and certain raw ma
terials ; while Russia , albeit independ
ent of us in the matter of subsistence ,
must either buy a considerable line of
manufactured products from us , or else
pay a higher price for them elsewhere.
The situation and outlook as to a Eu
ropean trade alliance of any kind
against the United States are well
summed up by the Baltimore Herald ,
as follows :
"When , it comes to building uni
versal tariff walls , this country might
suffer a depression in trade , a slacken
ing in industrial progress ; but Europe
would sustain from such a course not
stagnation alone , but utter prostra
tion. In any case , we would have an
abundance of all things for the home
supply. Another result would soon en
sue the underfed millions of Europe
would begin to swarm to our shores in
an increasing ratio , looking for relief
from unbearable home conditions. If
any nation can stand alone and depend
entirely upon her own resources , this
nation can. Most surely in the squeeze
of a tariff war we should not be the
first to cry quits. "
THERE IS BUT ONE WAY.
Only by Reducing AVagcs Can Free Trade
Englan Meet American Competition.
The pressure of the industrial com-
petiton which Great Britain feels is In
dicated by the reduction of the wages
of 225,000 workmen a few days ago.
The average reduction was only about
50 cents a week , but to men who have
been earning not more than $5 to $7 a
week that is a serious item. It is ,
however , the British method of meet
ing the competition of the best paid
labor in the world , whose pay is twice
the figures here quoted.
The question naturally arises , how
can the manufacturers in the United
States compete with those of Great
Britain when paying double the
wages ? Several elements must enter
into the answer. First , the British
workman , having been for years the
best in the world , has assumed that
under no conditions can there be a bet
ter. He has obstinately clung to meth
ods that are worn out. He will not
yield to new inventions and processes.
The result is that from being the best
workman a third of a century ago he
is now inferior to his American and
German competitor. Again , good
wages , with the prospect of better
things , has appealed to the ambition
of the workman , consequently he is
more intelligent and more energetic.
nstead of resisting Innovations , In
uses bis skill and Intelligence to turr
Inventions and new methods to his ad
vantage. By making the best use ol
new appliances the American workmat
can turn out enough more goods to en
able the manufacturer to pay from 5C
to 100 per cent more wages to skilled
labor.
But another powerful factor In creat
ing this difference Is the much-de
nounced policy of Protection.- The
United States is by far the best mar
ket In the world. The 76,000,000 ol
people In the United States consume
as much In value of the products ol
skilled labor as twice as many people
elsewhere. It may be said to bo the
American policy , in contradistinction
to the British or Free Trade policy ,
to reserve as far as possible , this best
market In the world for the producers
in the United States ; so at the verj
outset , for all the products of skilled
labor , we have a wider market than
any other nation in the world. Now It
stands to reason that the certainty ol
a market that consumes three or four
times as many goods as the market
of any competing nation affords en
ables the American manufacturer to
thrive on a profit on each pound , yard ,
etc. , much smaller than can his com
petitor in any other country.
It is the quantity sold that makes
the price. To illustrate , the shoe manu
facturer who can put upon the mar
ket 100 cases a week cannot sell at so
small a profit as the manufacturer who
makes 1,000 cases a week. Still further
the Protective Tariff has always en
abled the manufacturer to pay much
higher wages than are paid elsewhere
in the world. The workman who earns
these wages has twice as much money
to spend for the products of other la.-
ber. Cut the wages paid in the Unite/1 /
States 30 to 50 per cent , and consump
tion of merchandise in many lines will
be reduced in like ratio. Thus in a two
fold measure the jiuch-denounced Pro
tective policy is the cause of the high
wages in the United States.
Great Britain , driven into close quar
ters by adhering to its Free-Trade pol
icy by competitors created by the Pro
tective policy , has but one way of
meeting the ruinous American compe
tition , and that method is the reduction
of wages , thus to some extent curtail
ing the capacity of labor to consume
its own products. Indianapolis Jour
nal.
WORLD A GOOD CUSTOMER.
Reciprocity va. Protection.
The mental attitude of American
free-traders on the subject of tariffs
and reciprocity treaties is clearly de
fined by the Milwaukee News. With
a degree of candor more commendable
than common in the discussion of this
question the News says :
"Protection and reciprocity will not
and cannot mix. Reciprocity will be
possible when our tariff laws are
framed with the distinct understanding
that they are intended for trading pur
poses and not to give to American pro
ducers a monopoly of the home mark
et. To make reciprocity a success , the
republican party must abandon protec
tion. "
domestic free-trad
This is why our
ers with one accord yearn for reciproc
ity. They perfectly well understand ,
what some protectionists seem to over
look , that if a protective tariff law can
be nullified , a little at a time , by means
of reciprocity treaties , it will not take
long to repeal , abrogate and entirely
destroy the effectiveness of that law.
The kind of reciprocity that takes
away from American producers the
control of the home market Is the kind
free-traders favor. Well and truly do
they maintain that to make that kind
of reciprocity a success the republi
can party must abandon protection.
The Scepter of Power.
Over and above the excess of exports
which our own country shows in com
parison with Great Britain and Ger
many , it has this great advantage
namely , a large balance of trade in its
favor , as against a small balance for
Germany and a balance the other way
for the British islands. The great
American trade balance stimulates
home industry , protects its money sup
plies and is steadily making the world
its debtor. The scepter of commercial
and financial power , so long in the
hands of England , is being transferred
to this nation , which , from all present
indications , will hold it for genera
tions to come. Topeka Capital.
A Colossal Failure.
The talk , during the campaign of
1900 , about the danger of imperialism
in the event of McKinley's election ,
was the worst kind of political dema
gogy. Some people may have believed
such silly twaddle , but men possessing
the intelligence and information of
William J. Bryan knew it to be merely
a fabrication , a scheme to deceive the
people , but , as such , it was a colossal
failure. Hermitage ( Mo. ) Index Ga
zette.
L
f-
fi
TRUTH ABOUT ALASKA.
Secretary Howard Said Its Acquisition
Was Most Important. |
To the vast majority of people Alas
ka Is a frigid , barren , valueless section *
of country. It has never seemed to bo
closely enough connected with the
United States to arouse any patriotism
or interest In the hearts and minds
of the masses. Doubtless there are
thousands who cherish the same sentiments -
timents towards the cold corner that
were entertained by the opponents of
the Alaska purchase thirty years ago.
Congressman Ferris then said that it
was a "wretched , God-forsaken region ,
with absolutely nothing of value" ; ami
he moved that the bill authorizing the
president to pay $7,500,000 for It be
amended to read "to pay the sum to
any European. Asiatic or African pow
er that would take Alaska off our
hands. " Congressman Price declared
that the payment would be a dead lor.s
to the country. Gen. Butler proposed
that , If we must buy the friendship of
Russia , we give her $7,500,000 and let
her keep Alaska ; and he denounced
those who favored the acquisition as
being insane enough to buy the earth
quakes of St. Thomas and the icefields
of Greenland. Such sentiments , in
view of the value of Alaska , as at pres
ent understood by every well-informed
person , appear almost like the babbling
of idiocy. We paid 2 cents an acre
for the territory , the area being 3G9-
529,600 acres. The Alaska Fur com
pany have taken $33,000,000 worth of
seal skins , and have paid , or owe the
government $7,340,533 in royalties. It
is officially estimated that the Alaska
fisheries , not including seals and
whales , are worth $67,890,000 , and since
the purchase the territory has produc
ed $25,000,000 of gold. Secretary Seward -
ard said that the acquisition of Alaska
fwas the most important event in his
long career , but that it would take a
generation for the people to realize It.
NOW FOR MEDICATED EGGS.
Unbounded Possibilities That Are Open-
Inc Up to Pharmacy.
There is scarcely any branch in
which medicine has not advanced with
in the last twenty years , but In no
one branch has more improvement
been shown than in the compounding
and putting together of drugs. No
more is the unwilling patient made to
swallow large doses of nauseating med
icine , for sugar coated pills , capsules
and wafers have come into use and pa
tients can now take the most vile-
tasting medicines without any dis
comfort. Now comes along a French
man with a still more ingenious plan
which opens up to pharmacy unbound
ed possibilities of going still further
ahead. On account of the difficulty of
assimilating iron as a medicine , a
French druggist has sought to intro
duce it in a digestible way by what ho
terms ferruginous eggs. Hens can di
gest iron easily , while rendering it
back through the albumen of their
eggs in a form which is easily digested
by the weaker stomachs of mankind.
A salt of iron is given to the hens
with grains of wheat. A dozen of these
medicated grains of wheat a day makes
the hens after three or four days lay
eggs which are very rich in iron al
ready digested. The Frenchman is ex
perimenting further with other drugs ,
and it is not without the bounds of
possibility that wo shall shortly bo
able to take all our medicine in the
form of eggs.
Senator Elkins Talked Spanish.
Senator Elkins talks Spanish like a
native. He learned the language whea
he was a young man in New Mexico ,
and he has never forgotten it. Yes
terday he was talking Spanish In the
marble room of the senate at the rate
of 200 words a minute , says the Wash
ington Post. A delegation of Porto
Ricans had come to the capitol to pro
test against a law recently passed by
the legislature of that colony which
provides for the raising of revenue by
the assessment of property. Their com
plaint is that the assessment was so
high as to be ruinous , although it is
only 1 per cent , and they wanted con
gress to repeal the law , as it has a
right to do under a section of the For-
aker statute. They poured out their
grievance to Senator Foraker in brok
en English and with much gesticula
tion. Presently one of the delegation
spoke to a fellow member in Spanish.
Senator Elkins happened to pass at
the same moment. He greeted the
lelegation with a Spanish sentence. In
stantly joy was visible upon the faces
of the Porto Ricans. One of them
spoke to Mr. Elkins in Spanish. Mr.
Elkins answered promptly and intelli
gibly. A moment later and he was
surrounded by the entire delegation , all
jf whom were jabbering away in a loud
tone of voice and with the words pour
ing from their lips like molten lava.
Senator Elkins jabbared back at them
In their own tongue. The conference
lasted several minutes and its unique
zharacter monopolized the attention of
ill the visitors in the marble room.
The satisfaction of talking in their
native language was all that the dele
gation could secure by their visit. The
law of which they complain is not to
! ) e repealed.
Had an Irish Wife.
The death of Baron Satge de Thor-
mt at the" age of 97 has removed
'rom ' the roll of the Lesion of Honor
ts oldest member. After having
served for many years in the French
irmy he went to reside In Ireland and
narried an Irish wife , by whom he
md a large family. One of his sons
ierved in the British army , but the
) aron himself spent the latter part
> f his life upon a pictuesque estate in
he eastern Pyrenees. He was a per-
ect type of the Frenchman of the
> ld school.
