12 THE OMAHA DAILY JJEK : SAT UK DAY , JANUARY 'J ! ) , 1898.
fr'lirmit' I" * . 1if ! > H 8 Mr-nuro I > >
Ithoua. the cMor aald , mrant ft rose , or
* oiiH-thiiiK llko It Hut surely , If there .i <
mis I" > K of Hit- rosiabmil Ml s llho'ly , It
T\II n fmlfl , u priflHcil ntul wllliorcl one
Ai > < ! > t-t u certain hint of llir Mui-ctui'M ol
t'u ' rose ahuiys IIIIIIK about her , pi-rliapa
Plil ltunnxcd , but nnno the loss s'.vi-et. The
ci i imi rmiRnlzcd It , for It wan Miss lllio < I >
H iio put tlio IniUcrcil brown paper on their
brumes and i-onaolod thtm fop tlielr bump * .
n with nn apple when no one else lia < l
npplt for Mlm llhody's few trees always
bo < on the off yearand now with n Chining
Kouaro of loaf sugar from the gieat cone
widppp'l ' In purple paper which seemed to
them n part of the wonders of the outlandish
countries on the other side of the world
wlirro people walluM head down an the dlca
< lo on the telllUK , And now" and then she
consoled outof the tendercst and dearest
wiili n kiss Instead , which the little thing
rnlurcil for ( lie it ko of the cuddlliiB on
Mm soft Hhouldor , the iiRrcrableiiws of the
half-KUCMU'iI srcnt of dried roses that Mio
vas rtucr without , and the doll-baby raga
thai came nflcruard. And thu young Kills
it < ORnl/i'il It , for It was to Miss Hhody they
came with the weighty conlldunces of their
Ixiprs nn 1 their Krk'fs and hesitations , their
I'usliri and bliiHlics , and It was from her
Iliat th'j had the excellent advice which
tni' > ni-M-r followed. The inothern recoK-
M7iIt for It wns not only that Miss
Hh ! > came to thorn In tlielr Illnesses and
tn > il nctbis of their children , nor that she
l i 'tichi them the bunch of peonies for Ha
jarir pltihrr , but she scorned to have an
Ins irht into experiences which she had never
Biiari-d and gave them silent sympathy at
iincxi c tid moments when they would have
hi in the last to confess they needed H.
And thr old people recognized It , too ; hut ,
1 " > ID sn > , not altogether , with the same
fri ndMtiiss of fcclltiK toward It ; for It was
M ss Uhiidy , who so IOIIK had dressed their
i ] < \ir ones for the last loni ; rest , that they
It , e < r. sin- was the one likely to perform that
oill < for tliuinschiH , mid that Howcr-llUe
mmtncPH of hers had to them something
tt rln > quality of the llawcrs blossoming on
t , n in.
Thi ro VMIS only one person on all the shore
l-3'ly ' Irdlffereiit to this poor charm of
Sli s Ithody's , and that was Will Mather ,
\\lio never perceived any charm at all about
lier und hr > looked on her with a good
nature ! Indulgence as he would have looked
ornn Mather's canary , had It escaped and
come ni-rrsa his way , and who never thought
< > i her when ho did not ecc her. Her pale ,
1lnn personality was such a colorlrss tli ng
licsiilt- that of her cousin Ann , the blaek-
r\cd reil-eliecKed beauty , or oven beside the
lomlir. MiitlliS lovollntKs of the pretty Sally ,
\\ho.n Tom llrler would have died for , and
i.l'oin Humplirey Litenilar had made his
, \ MIShe wi-s. In fact , to Will Mather only
lil.e lli s'iado\v of some one else , and Will
Mather was the on y one whoae fcelltiK In
nx-rd to hoMi'tf had any vital slgnlllcance
t Miss Hhody ,
Hv > iy time tl at l.e 'amo home from a.voy-
nc , niorp 1 iJft and b.irly and mmipot-
t n il tl in before , nil the suigrstloii cf
ttio . o.nan-e . of the d p i-cc.s satin-red about
Mm in her fancy , and tlie whole outside
fore-leu \\o-ll came with him. He was
tl e he.-o of wild wrestle-3 with wind and
wro'l'ei ; . ' .rat dangers of night and storm
hoi tluratrAl him when he brought hla
All Uo e-in\as into port ! For Will was now
t-e ! ( .j-italii of the Man-o'-Mtill. a man of
n.ark and of authority In the village of tin
hi o o. Hut to Miss Hhady ho hid ben n *
iKtiih as th-i. ! onfl more , "oefore evehe ran
nwi > to sea , -ilways an lil--.il , always a be-
1ns ; cf aUe.ituio. It inlshl have eccmril to
nn thii that she wavered a little In her al-
leniinco when Humphrey L/ivctular took the
hand of his cra/.y mother as she was
daiv lag onj the street and put her shawl
n'jnut her and lo-l her home , and Hhojy ran
nnd took her other hand , sharing with
Humplirey the Mmine and pain of the thins
Iio was cue day to Inherit. But it was
notHng of the fort ; Humphrey was some
OIH > In distress and she went to him Just as
Bhi < wont to the hurt creature , out ot the
abundance of her heart's tenderness. Hut ,
ns for Will , ho would never be- one of tlrnj
in any dlstrcs. ? , for even before she was a ,
tlozrn years old she had felt all tli.it was
potent and fortunate , and thru captlv.v.ed
all the girls In town in his strong and reck
less uiture , oven before he climbed the out-
t-ide of the meeting house sleeplo to rcsciu.
n imir.it that had takeir a flight of fancy to
the \ane and had hurt Its wing and 'tu/ed
to try Its fate downward. To bo sure , h *
WH tin ashed for It , "And deserved It , "
ealil Will. "Hut I had the climb. "
"I'll teach you to frighten your mother
ngiln. > ju ship's monkey ! " cried his fa-.lior.
liul Will saw the twinkle in his father's
eye , for all the blows , and know trrrp wcii
ci bubbling rrlde over the boy's achlevc-
mont In the eld lullnr't ! heart. "A ehli
of the old block , " the father was mutter-
In' ? to himself as ho put up the strap , ana
that tei sjV.t ? of the fact that he- had been
Tionrvl to . i > that howould rather the bay
died young than live to follow his father's
roth In blue water.
Hut nothing of that mattered to Hhody and
lo the little- public , 'to Ann and Flora ami
Hiuridirey. to Sally and Tom Ilrlor and Jry
llodgo and t'.ie rcrt of them , to whom the
Oirnthlng wes an affair of every day. but
< he climbing set their nerves to thrilling rod
their bload to spinning. They held council
among themeelvca and knew that sooner or
Jutcr It was divreed In late that Will Mather
rwould run away to . ca. And ho was as good
oa their , woid. To sea he witit , and when ho
caino back , breezy ami brown < vnd rolling In
Ills gait , ho could luivo had any girl on the
Bhoro for the asMng cxcci.t Sally. It Is
hardly r.ny racrlOce of her iiMldcn niodestv
to t > ay ho could have had Hhody ; alth ugh
I do not know but the asking would h-ive
nun > ilscd her out of the possibility , fir she
did not look on him ( is girls look upon a
lover , but as n stibjivt looki upcn a king , en
n slave upon n master ; ho was Hie hero of
( ho Ictig , iinwTlltun romn-nco she wes inell-
IIIK out nnd reading every hour. Hut Will
Wathcr hardly know that p-or Hhody existed ,
qther than a > i > irt of the dim outline. ! and
phantasmagoria that 111 ! vn the IxickgroJiH
of all ptc < ) lo'H meiiiorlcs. Her o. usln Ann's
rich color , her Hashing eyas and tp-irkllng
teeth , her ringing laugh and gay . 'Dlrlt , all
that. Indeed , filled iij | lrjc foregrornd of Wlll'.i
fanc'y , and when ho could stay at homo and
Jo happy with her , Ann could never Imagln ? ,
but Hhody understood It nil. Phe , too , with
out being n po ° t. know the tune Will Mather's
licart was beating.
O id help me , nave I take n part
I Of danger on the routing sen ,
I A devil Uses In my heart
Knr worse than nny deith to me ,
end her thoughts followed him along the
iwldu bea ways and Into storms and Into
calms and Into strange ports of the Orient.
"O. Ann ! " she would say , running In at
ilw clCfco of a lowering day. or when such
n tempest of rain and sleet w > a boating -that
no one who could stay at homo ventured
abroad. "I thought I'd Jes' step over ; > o. :
must be to sort of dismal. Hut > ou know-
It hla't blowing any such way as this down
on the other sldo of the globe. "
" 'Well , Hhody , you must think ! As If
I didn't know that ! " was the reply , with u
toss of the sleek black head.
"I supposn , " Hhody continued , "the sun's
shining enough to l > n melons down there
Where ho Is. "
"Where who his ? O , Will ? I do' know ,
I'm uuri1. "
"Why. Ann. do you mean to r.ay you
flon't feel all sorter worked up with til *
vlail roaring ilown clilmuly like thU , und
you hear the pounding of the big wavca
rclllns In acrost the lar ? I know bcttw. I
Isnow how hard It seems , nn' I made shift
to run over , because I guessed your heart
was In > our throat every time the wltul
nut UH great shoulder- the house. "
' "My , B.-clous ' ! Then you'4 better inako
flilft to run back. Tbo Idea ! In thin
weather ! And I'll bo hound ) ouain't any
rubbers on "
"As If rubbers "
'You're alltu so In the clouds , Hhody ,
that you don't know whcro you set your
/eel. an * both ot Vm hcv been In a puddle.
end If you don't toke your death o' cold
You better go homo an' go to bed au' dr-nk
ft hot howl 'of thoroUKhwort tea. "
'O , I'll Je1 * o * t ' m by tbe flro b r .
! You -tllu * do hcv n gond fl'e. Ann. I hope
\ \ ll' ! got as good a one wherever he Is "
' Whul In i lie world docs Will want with
u flro dun n under tin equator ! "
" | jo you suppose that's here he Is ? "
j said Hhody wl-tfully , reaching the pMnt for
which fllie startid , her errand of oopt"i > latlon
having hc"-n occasioned chiefly by her want
ing consolation herself , It may be. "My ,
ho \ It blows ! "
"Or thcreaiboiits , " answered Ar.n , snipping
off her threads
"And you d'ti't really feel concerned
nbou , his being safe' "
| "Well , .xou are roft , Kliotlv ! For my part ,
' give Will a stlrk nnd string and l'j truat
Mm amiltiRt anji ntorm that blows. "
Hhody lookel nt her admiringly. "You're
Jes' the w-fe | for him , ain't you , Ann ? " she
said sweetly. "If I wes n sailor's wife I
slnuM be'reared to death and hide my head
In the iblankoto every time the weather
changed. All the same , I don't believe'but
wfcat.you .bo . a. llttlo stirred up , an' thai's
why I cone : over to keep you heartened
like. I suppose , " she wicit on drcamjly ,
boklng Jnto the fire , "If ono was high
enough-to see."the caith would be like Ml'n
Drier's blue rlisngcoPiilo silk , hero n hit ct
blue sea , and thire a bit of gray storm ,
and thtro n bit of green field , and there
cliar cllvi-r blue again , all sott o' change
able nnd .shining , nnd you're hero In the bit
of gray storm , -an' Will's out there In the
slher lilue. "
"I should like to Vnow the good of sech
notions ! I'd a sltrht rather her thlnkms
rf thj pomy muslins Will will fetch homo. "
"I should think 'twas a plenty If he
brought himself home , If I WES you , Ann.-
"I declare you're enough to make a per-
sou creep. What \\-ea 'that ' ? Did you hear
the ilwr rattle ? O. Hhaly , what If them
old tongs an' st-rlo ? Is tnie ! Sometimes , In
tin middle of the nKrht. I wnkc up In aced
cod ! chill , the storlts of the dead nnd
droxvnel sailor comln * to the door. "
"Yes , yes , " a-Wied HlioJy , I : O. I remem
ber ! "
He'd n sailor's cnp nn 1 n vKiRc pale
As he died c-n bo'ird of the Xlghtlngale.
And they bckod their arms about each
other , both crying together. And Hhody had
to otny that night , to kcip Ann's tremois
coicpany with her own , which , after all ,
was. why che came over.
Hut when It waa sunny , and only a soft
southwest hree/e sighing through the old
garden Hhodj'a heart was as light as the
| wingof the birds that had that old ganlen
all their own way. It was n spacious place ,
Ic-nc ; since run wild , here and there a bed
of old-fashioned llowcrs or potherbsthat
Hhody gave the little care they needed , sav
ing the bunches o.S sago and mint and balm
and pennyroyal , for she was already beconi-
| Ing the village nurse ; and here nt odd times
I she sat in the back porch at her sewing ,
I the breath of the undying old roses and
! hcncysucklcs blowing about her , and all her
' soul as tranquil as the summer seas where
I her fancy went out and hovered over Will
plowing his ship along umlCT full-now ing
snowy sails.
Hhody's father had been the lawyer of
the shore , but he had not been particularly
obedient to law himself , that is , the law of
healthy llvtag , and he had c-arly left her to
bullet the world ns she could , with nothing
but 'the ' old house for her portion. It had
long fallen Into disrepair ; but when it leaked
tc. . seriously In one room , Hhody moved
to another. It was said that Ivy Hadgo
CAICO paid court to her till he found In her
complete unsusplciousncss of his wearing the
negative cf his desires. Hut he cherished
no Ill-will on account of that. On the con
trary , with considerable circumlocution , he
Induced this other young men , once when
Will was at home , to help him , nail with
Will and Humphrey Lavemlar and Tom
Ililsr nnd Joe iliunis , ho had the old root
shinglc-d and the back porch rebuilt for
Hhody. Poor Iry , of course , had small
credit for it with Hhody. For though she
thanked-him very prettily , In her heart of
hearts she was sure that It was Will who
firot thought of the kindness and put It Into
execution ; and she was the happier thinking
of the nobility nnd generosity of his nature
thus manifested than she was in the repairs
themselves. And as she sat In the porch
now. this poor , silly Miss Rhody. she had
an unspoken sense that it was Will's pro
tection burroundliiK her , und she dropped
her nee-dlo and leaned back and dreamed
so long that the low-Hying birds regarded
her no more than If she were the silver
aspen which bad sprutig up wild in one of
the old paths ,
Hy some virtue of her temperament there
was 1-irdly any trait of selfishness In HhoJyVi
dro ms. Now she was building a bark of
winch Will was to be master ; or now she
was collecting bright str pa to make the
carpet fir Ann's new parlor ; or heat of all
she was having Will's portrait painted and
Itiing up In a big gold frame In the same
sprn-id ! : rocm , for all Ann's belongings par
took of the el.raeter with which Will had
bee. ) Invested. And dream as she would
Hhody could do Ann no wrong , for in reality
the being of her thoughts differed from the
rude sailor that foKowe dthe sea and drnk
his Jorum of grog and swore his round
oath on occasion , as a piece of sculptured
marble -Iffcrs from a lump of soil ; exccp
f < r a bit of Hashing color , , i big stature , and
a name , they had nothing In common.
So when , In gooj time , Ann and Will
Mather were married and went off together
on the next voyage. If there were any tinge
of melancholy In HhoJy's thoughts It wjis
only that sweet , poet c melancholy which Is
almost a plo sure In Itself , And she wel
comed them back Joyfully , nnd gnvo them
a llttlo tea party , to which Iry Hedge 're '
fused to come- , and at which she served her
quince preserves , that had can lied through
long keeping , in the eli I.owenstahl ware
that she sold next year to u fancier for u
sum sufficient to let her have that portrait
painted the portrait she hud so long felt
tl > e world would bo poorer without. Thou
u list , a poor , wandering fellow of an un
certain talc-lit , staycl with lic-r dur ng the
progress of the work , and one and - nether
came to assist with great tra i knees , both
concerning the palntlnnnd ; the sitter , hut ,
on the whole not with iinkindncss. Slu
could never quite understand why Iry
Hedge alone looked with a cruel criticism
upon that painting , making unpleasant re
marks ' b-lit the angles of the eyes , and
saying that "Weather d d did , as you may
say coa sen 'the ' color of a man's skin. "
To 1 cr eyes the colors wire * Will Matbnr'a ,
and so were faultless , and she had the thing
sent to Ann at last , feeling > s If she had
given her the worth of a kingdom.
And so the yoaiw crept -by M's , Hhody.
It did not tnko many to fade her delicate
tint-1 , to 'bleach her pale hair , t leave her
the wraith of hetself for tlilnno s , to settle
her In her vocntlo-i as the village nursu
Hut she wculd have told you that she wan
happy. She enjoyed her evening mei tin ; ,
lirr preparatory lecture , her call from the
tliler , her llttlo tea gatherings. Sometimes ,
when she wcu off duty , sio ! had a children's
party In the old garden , with re's ! tcr. In- ai
n any of her epgshell cups cr ronialne' : ,
with tiny sandwiches , with honey , 'after
wh'ch rcpjst there wrrti games aa-l frfe-lts ,
the children adoring MUs Hhody on these
oc-caslcns. although when they met lur in
the atri'r-t going about her bunlncu. , wltn
he.'basket ' on her arm they ree nlzej the
luskct with a slight sensation of awe , as
the one In which ! io llrst brought them t ;
tr-elr mothers , nnd were persuaded that a
damn place at the fet of the garden \vherr
the qu'iico ' biwhes grew , and that was Imroi
aga' st them by a tingle of briers. 1 : norne
mystcrlou-i way had In do with the filling
of that basket. Hut ( n these picnicking
tea parties Miss Hludy wa < * as much a child
hcisdf us any of thorn , cxr-cpt , pprhaps
llttlo 1'olly I.avcndar , who , after all. wn-
nioro a sprite- than a child , now whlril : g
like a dervish , now laughing uprosrbua ! )
about nothing , till she crleJ. alsi nbiut noth
ing , no-.v mounting through the scuttle and
walking the rldRc-polo. with outstretchel
arns , fiprlrglng from tbo eaven
, Into a trci'top , clutching the branches and
i letting herself down hand over f at , while
MisHhccly shut her eyes nn I fcsreamcd ,
and thu other children ncheJ with desire to
do wlnt Tolly did. And then 1'ol.ly , at
Ml 3 lOir-dv'e reproof , would burst Into pas-
( donate crying and run and hide her face
In MV-s Hhody'g throat and kits her , and
Mils HlioUy would feel her heart overflow
on 1'olly and on all the rt'it on account ot
1'olly's team and kl&scs , For all the chil
dren on the Hhoro were * Miss Hhtxly'i , I
don't know ubat ebo would have done Ir
' there- hail been a Mather child , but fortu
nate.- for the other children there never \\aa
ono.
ono.H was throURh the love of the children
that eomt-tlmca great uplrltiial renewal and
' Joj came to Mlrs Uhody. If ' .ie had her
superstitions , you must panlon her ; for It
, she thouqht she * tw the poul of little Mary
hums hovering In a thin mist over the
' body It had Jtut left , j u need not believe
I It ; ( but It comforted both herself and Mary'o
i mother. And PS the breathing cf old Mr
Hrler ceased to lift hlf weary breast anil
only moved his nerveless lips and flutte-rod
and fluttered there until It consul ; If MM !
HhMly saw a great white butterfly poised In
flight above tlmt faltering lip , so far mi
| shP was concerned she really did ceo a white
1 butterfly , and It meant wholt gospels t >
her. She had never let the children chase
the whlto butterflies since BIO had heard
Will Mather relate some legend of the cast.
"They are little Chinese ghost. . ? , the while
btitttrflltB. " ihc said to the children. "They
are flying around the world to find a way out.
of It. Wo must not hinder them. "
Miss Hhody wao with Sally Lnvendar the
night that little Polly died. The child had
bpcn In a delirium , and Sally had sat on one
sldo of the bed holding her , Miss Hhody uli
the other. Humphrey was pacing up and
down the big outer kitchen , like n wild ani
mal In n cage , and Polly having dropped Into
a momentary sleep , Sally had Just gone to
him. It was just before dawn , and a great
star , llko a whining tear , hung on the sky.
Suddenly the child awoke , apparently all
hcrnclf. "O , It Is dark , It Is dark. I am
afraid ! " she cried presently. "Take my
hand ! Somebody ! Lead me ! "
"It's all right. Polly , darling. I'm hero. "
cried Miss Hhody. "You're only dreaming ,
dear. IJon't you see the lamp ? Here's my
hand. " And then Sally came running back.
She turned up the light , but It flickered
and went out. She threw herself on the bed
again , and took Polly's head on her breast.
"Why , " said Polly , "It Isn't dark at all
now. You brought the light In with you ,
inn. Did you bring the people , tea ? See
them , see them ! The pretty girl with the
svcetbrler the children's faces ! O , they arc
like the blossoms In the apple tree , so many
of them , so many of them ! They are going
to take me with them yes , I'm coming ! "
And as the breath left her lips with the
words , MlfB Hhody declared she saw as
plainly as iho over saw anything In her
llfo that plrl with the Rwcctbrler , In one
light lovely as youth and joy. In another
with the look or age that Sally's little
grandmother had saw , too , that cloud of
cherub faces , a wall of them , like roses thick
upon a golden trellis , before Sally's desolate
wall brought her back to pain and grief and
her consoling work again. For Sally be
lieved that Khody saw it all , and grieved
that she was not goad enough to eeo It her
self. She was bereft ; but looking at Hum-
pluey she did not grieve for Polly.
Ann did not always go to sea with her
husband. When bhe did , she left the key
of their hoube- with iMiss Khody , who waste
to go In and air It once In a hlle. It was
aired much more frequently than need was
there seemed to Ithody much danger of thu
poi trait's getting mouldy or mildewed or
something. Hhody used to let the sun In
and gaze on it , those days , with n forgetful
rapture. And the voyages when At.vi re
mained at homo It went hard with Ithody
1 she did not get In to sec Ann and the
picture evurj afternoon for just a moment
or two. And In. the nlglus of her sick
watching she used to find a window where
shu could look out at thu stars and wonder
if Will saw t'icin ' , too , and It he was think
ing ot the shore and of Ann and of her , per
haps , also. And when down at the port the
bark came In safe and sound , she had a re
newed nbsurauco that the world was right
tide up. Then there was a lightness and a
sweetness In the air , there was a bert of
sunshine even on a rainy day , and she
thanked heaven for her lot , and felt that
there weiu few more blessed aino-ng - women
than she , with her * home to go to , with the
children that were hers almost as much
as they wcro their mother's , with .her work
and her friends.
Hut ono voyage the bark did not come
back. A typhoon swept the Indian seas ,
und thu bones of the Man o' Mull were
strewn from Celebes to Malabar. And as
for Will Mather no c/no knows where his
grave Is to this day.
When the loss was a definite thing to the
underwriters , Ann received her insurance
money , a tidy little- sum for her small way
01' life , and she put on her black , and in time
shu took it off again- , and , a brisk and busy
bo.ly , she took her pleasure with her neigh
bors as she had always done. If her wash
was out before Mrs. Hums' whitened the
yard behind , If her baked beans were pro
nouneed ono atom crlsper than Mrs. Dennis' ,
It the recipe for her rule of fruit cake was
In demand , if she had cherry tonic ami jellies
to send to the ailing. If her house cleaning
was over the llrst along , the shore , If her
best black bilk would stand alone , if she
knew all that was going on , and keeping
01,0 eye cm Sally Lavendar's dcor had the
last news of Humphrey and his oJd behavior ,
and another eye on the goings and comings
of the rest of the village , she was content
enough , and after a while Ann was n-st at
all unhappy , and even had a mild satisfac
tion in Iry Hodge's admiration of her still
buxom beauty.
Hut it was a much longer time tefore Miss
Rhody would accept the lact of Will Mather 3
! c , s. He had been so fuil of life and vigor
she could never make him dead. She wau
ahvajs expecting to see him atop down
frcm the coach every time It came lumber
ing alcng from port. She did .rot see estrange
strange brat ! ci the ( stream along the shore-
but she thought It might hold Will. Every
tlmo who ran over to Ann's she hoped to
hear a great voice roaring out a welcome ,
and when that failed to sound she still had
tlmo to hope Ann had had a letter naylng
ho had been wrecked on decert shores and
was now on his way ohome again. He-r
rtreatr.s wcro all of this. Now aho aw him
struggling with night .ind storm In the
b ack seas , now wandering forlorn among
strange folk of a strange tongue , r.ow cast
zn barren places and watching feverishly
the gleam of a sail upcn the rky line , and
every dream misery and chiefly a misery
because the atmosphere of power with which
Will had alwaju bom clottej In her mind
was wanting there. Hut on the other ha.-.J ,
her day dreams wcro a joy. In them , as
she went about her nursing. as she washed
j the newly bcrn or stroked the newly dead ,
iR i ehc nat at homo sowing In her parlor ,
I Will was aluajs ictuinlcg , after muit'.tu
dlmu.i deep-sea adventures ; shu saw him
burning up the road' ' a.l l entering to Ann ,
big and bronzed and fu.l of glad expectation ,
and , although shu varied the dream ] thou
sand ways. It wes alwajs the same dream
Will Mather coming home.
You may Judge then of her dismay when
she hear , ] that the bjnno were published
for Ann Mother and Iry HcJge ; for nomo-
how Ann lud r.ot been ablu to 'bring ' be.nelf
to break -the news to Hhody. She hurried
over , as you may suppose. "Ann ! " she
! cried. And then she softened the reproach.
"Aen. < ! iar , what- does It mcau ? Uo > ou
blow what they are sajlng about you ?
Keally , jou ir.ust not let Iry In so much.
It irak'np ' no evU of talk. They saj
people f.ij O , I know 'they nay1 is a liar !
Hut they do say that } ou. arc going to
marry Iry ! "
"And so I am , " said Ann. Hut she looked
out of the window.
Hhvy at frozen to stone. Eho could not
n.ove her lips at first. And when ehc could ,
it wcs 0:1.y : lo whisper , "You are Will
Matuc-r'u wife. " . . „ , . ,
" 0. jou bo Rtlll , Hhody , " said Ann , biting
off the thread with which sbo was Timing
up the brcidt' a of a line nodding garment
mil showing all her Imnri.iome teeth. '
"Why , I can't bo it.II , " whjspcrcd.Haody ,
who ( cr the life of her could not move.
"Wlut will Wl.l say ? ' "
"Nothing , I gue-ic. "
"Hut If ho should come back , Ann , " gath
ering strength.
"What a btniploton you nre , Hhody. After
all these > ears an' the insurance paid and
all. You'ro a perfect death's head at the
feast. An' look hero , I won't liivo you
talking so to me. And Iry wouldn't like
It all "
"O , Iry ! " with Inflnlto contempt.
"Yes. Iry. I always lilted Iry. An' he's
the lawjcr of this village , an' 'tlsn't everyone
ono marries ths lawyer. And every ono
ICSpCCtB H'll. "
"Iry's well enough. I ain't nothln' to
say against Iry. I've allus liked him , too.
Hut Iry ain't no buslniwa here. "
"Ho ain't comln' here. I'm goln' to his
house. "
"Ann ! Well I do' no' how you can atan'
that long-winded talk o' hits'ii. "
"Hhody , If you wasn't my oldest frlcn "
"I'm more'n your freu' . I'm your blood
relation. I've a right to speak , an1 you've
a rl hl to think simmo oource ; f. And lo
think what If Will " I
" 11io Man-o'-Mull hsn't ben hoard from :
for nioro'.n seven yours.nd I'm quite
within the law. Iry says so. "
"Hut there was H6blr on Crusoe "
' " 0 , Hhody , ycti'll be'lhe death of mo yet !
I Lellcvo you're as < ! ror.y as Humphrey
I.avcndar. I guess one Hoblnson Crusoe'll
do. An' now you'vespake out and done
y6ur duty , your conscience's clear , and so
Is mine. I was n good wife to Cap'n
1 Mather , and I shall bo n good wife to Iry i
Ho.lgc. " I
"Then , " murmured Hhody , the tears pour- * |
Ir-g over her face and her thin , purple-
| veined hands , with which she tried to hide
I them , "the day you mairy Iry O , my ! I
| do' no' how > oit can I should think you )
i would be You needn't ask me to come
to the weddln' I shan't countenance It.
Hut you will send me over Will's picture ,
then , won't you ? You won't want It for
a reminder. And I'd better take care of U
fo.you. . "
"I don't know. " said ATI. glancln ? up at
Ilia dark and dashing likeness. "It looks
gcoj on the wall. "Ive kop' the frame
real bright. There ain't nothln' mean about
Iry ; ho wouldn't put Will out'n his place.
'But ' there you nllus did set by It. An'
you paid for It , anyway. An' " Per
haps some tender memcry swept over Ann.
"Yes , " she went on , " 1 guess It belongs
moH to you. Hut then Ann began to cry ,
nnd HhoJy kissed her she couldn't help It ;
It waa Ann. And then she run home ns If
a ghost pursued her.
Ono day the picture came , and Hhody put
It upstairs In the spare room. It was not
for all the world to see. lAnil she made
a. case for It as tenderly as ever Elaine
wrought on that tor Lancelot's shield , If It
were not st > beautiful It was a crazy patch
work , n thing of silken shreds and patches.
She made herself a black gown , too. In
these days. She had always worn light
colors about the olck ; she said It wns more
cheerful for them ; and rainy afternoons aho
had made a point of putting on n bit of
bright ribbon or n flower , or a gay apron ,
or her topaz breastpin , as If some pleasant
thing wcro expected. Hut she slipped Into
her black gown now , saying nothing to nny
one. If It had been cloth ot gold and sewn
with jewels It would have been less
precious , for to her It was the symbol of
something she was doing for Will. Hut no
ono on all the chore , except perhaps Sally
Lavendar , had an Idea that Miss Hhody was
wearing black.
Days and nights , away at her work , she
felt that her house held something sacred
now. To RO homo to It , to that picture ,
was to look forward to a Joy. She seldom
allowed herself to gaze at It. Sunday
mornings sometimes , before meeting com
munion Sunday mornings she stole In and
let the mi fall through the open shutter
a moment , nnd looked at the bo'd ' , black
eyes that followed hers , the hair llko a
masd of carved ebony , the ruddy cheek , the
laughing mouth , nnd Will was then more
alive to her than ever. When the great
equinoxes blew , she comforted herself again
by the assurance that It gave a robust life.
And summer Sunday nights she sat a little
while befc-o it. a moonbeam slanting over
it and refining it nnd giving it an nlr al
most of unreality. And In those moments ,
she felt a deep peace in her heart. Ann
wus the happy wife of Iry Hedge but there
woa a life to come and In that who knew ?
To bo sure In that llfo they neither marry
nor are given in marriage but love , serv
ice , companionship , tlic e things must be
long to all lives ! Only , only If Will
Mather cr-ould come homo again ! She cov
ered the portrait quickly lest that moon
lighted face should figure rudely In the
dreams of the night because of that foolish
fear of hers.
HOW CfTS AUK M VDH.
Mi-Minds ) > y U'liioli IIio Modern .
7lnc IN lllisriliMl. (
Since in probably'ninety-nine out of a hun
dred of our illustrated books the pictures
are cither llne-plntes or "half-tours , " it
may be well to give an idea of their pro
duction , says the New York Independent.
CJcnorally ispoiking the zln'e ' plate can 'be
employed to reproduce any picture In which
the effect Is produced by lines cr by solid
masses of Hack A thin sheet of line zinc 01
copper Is vr-ry highly polished , and upon this
smooth surface Is applied a sensitising solu
tion ( bichromate of potash , distilled water
and the white of an egg ) , upon which light
acta chemically. A careful negative- then
made of the cbjcct to be reproduced. This
gl > ss negative , white , of course , where tin-
'black lines wore In the original , is placed in
> frame with the sensitized zinc plcte on top
of It , face Jown and the wihole Is exposed to
the sun's rays for -a few moments , when the
light acts upon those portlcns covered by
the whlto lines of the negative , and upon
them only. The zinc being removed and
"rubbed up" with greasy lithographic Ink ,
the latter adheres to those portions of the
pite surface which have b'en thus acted on ,
so that after a washing with a piece of wet
cctton-wool the or ginal drawing appears in
b'ack lines of Ink on the flat surface of the
plate. Upon this Is sp-lnkled finely powdcreil
dragon's blood ( a red resin ) , . -nd the whole
Is placed In an o\en where- the heat cause. ,
the powder to coir.blno with the Ink. The
o'ge and back of the plate are covered wl u
asphalt xarnlsh , and It Is placed In a bath o ;
n.trlc acid , where the surf , cc Is eaten away ,
except along the lines protected by the Ink
and dragon's blood. This leaves a inetai
plate , with the picture In rc-llef , which can
be blocked upon a piece of wood or meta :
and printed from.
As stated above , the process cannot be
used ft-r - drawings with a brush or for photo-
graptsnythlng In which there are various
toi-es - and shades. For these It la necessary
to .make . the negative through a glass screen
upon which there are very finely ruled lines
or dots which break up and enable- the plate-
to hold the dark and light portions of the
picture. A moment's examination will en
able ono'to discern the nature of this screen
In the gray background of the ordinary half
tone and even over tbe figures themselves.
These , then were the substitutes for wood-
engraving , which were suddenly offered to
the bookmaker ; and he was not slow to dis
cern their advantages. For , whereas , an
ordlra-y full-page woodcut by ,1 competent
engraver required several weeks In the ex-
ccut on , an.1 cost anywhere from $75 to $200.
a zinc plate or hair-tone the same size coulrt
be rushed through on a pinch In a few
hours and normally required only a couple
of days , w.hllo . the former would cost onlj
a couple of dollars and the half-tone from
threeto" five times as much. That Is to say ,
for the same expenditure , to leave out tin-
time consideration , one could obtain iijiout
twenty times as many pictures , photo
graphically reproduced and In no way de
pendent on "the fancy of the engrnvr ; " Is
It - ny wonder that the bus'ness of Illustra
tion developed so magically ?
Dr. Hull's Cough Syrup is the best In the
market. A single bottle will convince you
of Its excellence. Try It.
' 'HACKS O > . TIIKITOI : ,
\VoiicliTfnl IMi-t'f of Pacific Slope Hall-
l-llllll OlIIIHll-lll-llllll ,
In these days of advanced engineering ,
railioads have sought and conquered mauy
tanmikablo placet Hero in the United
E'tnUs ' wo can rldo.up and do.vn mountains
jiibt as If they were little hills , und hurry
along the brinks of gorges that inako us
shiver when wo look down. From Cali
fornia , however , sura the Halthnoro Herald
comis the strangCEJ ! railroad Etc/ry for a
Icus time. It tellsof a train that actually
runs over tree tops. -
What r singular eotaatlon It must be f
realize tl-at one Is following a fuming , ep < -
ting locomotive over the \ery placs when
kind ntjre intended birds should nest , and
that delightful quiet found among dense foil
ago reign supreme. This railroad , down la ]
Clipper Mills and Stewart Point , Is not ex
actly a passenger line , but lit U a railroad
In every sense of the word. j
It so happens that when the railroad
oomis to a place about i-qul-dUtant from the
tv.3 points mtntloned , a huge ravine U en
countered , theldcb and boti.om of which arc
heavily wooJod. two giant redwood mon-
urths of the forest towi-rlnj ; fur above the
k-s pretentious growth , an 1 Imparting an
air of almost regal Impn-sslvenccj.
N\ . ' , It was \ery necessary that the rail
road should cross Oils ravine. It was also
tuo that the building of a regulation railroad - '
road bridge would hardly pay And this U '
whcro real genius cumo ta the name. If the i
reader could stand either at the c-dgo of tli 3 ,
ravjno. or ono cf ltn sloping si Irs , he would i
ECU that , Etrangely enough , the growi h of the
trcaa and 'their position are such that their
tops can bo cut off nnd nn almost level sarI -
face of stumps bo secured.
This U what genius taw , nnd hence Ihc rail
road across the trectops. In Che first place
the blR redwoods were sawed off seventy-
five- feet from the ground , this belag the
exact height from the bottom of the ravine
to the lex el ot the tops of Hie trees. Next ,
trees on either side- were sawed off , of
sufllclent length tb render their tops In n
direct line with the cops of the redwoods ,
as well as of the edges of the banks.
In this fashion was nature made to provide
the piers and superstructure of the deslretl
bridge. To the lumbermen , even the Cali
fornia veterans , the project seemed almost
chimerical , but the builders pushed ahead ,
and presently , ono day , with n snort of
triumph , a llttlo logging engine pulled four
flat cars nnd n caboose over the tree tops.
Xobo ly i-ver hr-ard ol such n thing before
Wo ha\o rll been told of the rope bridge ,
Imvo read of the great steel structures that
span several famous rivers , and ninny of us
Imvo seen these triumphs of engineering
genius , hut who Is there Hint over heard any
where else of a railroad bridge over the tops
ol trees' . ' It Is by long adds Ihe queerest of
the whole lot.
TWO i.uiO'iiKiis ' MIIT. :
Hut ( lie CUM Mclcr WIIH Alinlcnt mill
Then-fore I iirri-nniil/oil.
They were very animated. The discussion
was evidently a warm one , relates the Wash
ington Star , and the parties to It had at
tracted a number of listeners , who , though
strangers to the participants , were evidently
deeply Interested.
"So you are a Knight of Labor , and be
lieve in working only eight hours n day' "
said one.
"That's what J am , " returned the othT ,
with cmphasta.
"Klght hours n diy ! " repeated the flrt ,
with fine scorn. "Why , there's no dignity
In that amount ot work. It'a more child's
play. Look nt me. I'm hardy and strong
am 1 not ? 1 don't look like I'm overworked ,
do I ? Well , what do I do ? I work twetitj-
four hours e\ery day , nnd every lions-holder
In the city knows It. Yes , sir. When the
sun Is shining overhead 1 nm diligently la
boring , when evening comes 1 grow more
active , and when night falls then 1 gel in
my best licks nnd keep 'em up till the eun
cornea up again. Hlght IIOUM ! Why , It's
a mere bagatelle. "
The other party looked dubious and crest
fallen. At last ho said :
"Would you mind telling mo who you
arc ? "
"Mo ? Why , everybody ought to know me.
I'm a city gas company meter. "
T'lio Knight of Labor bowed low.
"Pardon me , " he said , "for not recognizing
ing jou , lilt the modesty a' your claim de
luded me Into thinking you were some one
else. I nlwa > s believed that jou put In
tlilrtj'-slx hours n dav. "
Don't ufiiioy others by jour coughing , -mil
risk your life by neglecting a co'd. One Mln
ute Cough Cure cures coughs , c-ilds , croup ,
po u.id all throat anil Uwig troubles.
Itoci-lAcr for Clii-Kliiul Mlri-ct HniiU.
PHILADELPHIA. ' Jan 2S.-Comptroller
of tne Currency Duwes came lure today
from Washington to confer with the man-
ugeiH of ; hi > plan for titoltintnrj' liquida
tion of tno affitliH of the mnpi-iul"il I'lu-st-
iiut Street National bank. 'Phiinmproller
declined to make any inodllleatloim In or
amendments to thi- plan pr psuil 1 > J- him "
few days ngo. The comptroller then upon
appointed ti receiver. To show liN tonll-
donoo In t.ie ability and Intisi'i'.v of tin-
muimgers of the plan he n-lected one of
them , Ge-oife H. Kaile , jr > , us , t'le rccIver. .
Perhaps in your family you use
but little uliisky , but > uu want that
little ( joocl of the best. Thu United
States Government guarantees the
Age and Purity of every bottle of
. -fJHGj.
> WHISKIES # Vx
through its Internal Revenue officers
at the distilleries , at T'rankfort , Ky.
Every bottle of Old Crow nnd Hermit
age ! tested. Do sure the Interim ! l\cv-
cnue Stamp over the Cnik and Ciipsule Is
not bmkrn rntl ( hat it bears the nnmo
W. A. GAIHES & CO.
Ufa" It is a Cicvei iintent Guarantee that
gos uiith.is t/iittliiiff.
ALL DEALERS SELL IT
A SPECIALTY.
Primary , Seconcjaiy or Tertiary 13 LOO D
1'OltJON permanently I
Cured in 15 to 35 Days.
You can be treated at home for came
price under name Kiiuranty. If you prefer
to come here nc will contract to pay rail
road fare and hotel bills , and no charge
If we fall to cure.
IF YOU HAVE
taken mercury. Iodide potiibh and itlll
have ache * and imlus. Mucous I'atche.-i In
moulli. Sore Throat , Plmplrn Copper Col.
irrd HI jo I ? , I'lccrB on any pint of the
bndy , Hair or Ilyrbro-.va falling Cut , It Is
thin Secondary
We Guarantee fo Gure
We nollclt the meat obstinate cases and
challence the \\orld for a c > isc we cannot
cine This illtrase ha always battled the
thill of the moil milm'nt physicians.
! 04OX > capital behind our unconditional
guaranty Abtolule proof * sent sHl d
on application , joe ( II-KP bock itnt free.
AdJrces COOK IIK.HUDY CO , , 1-11)1
Miixaiilu Ti-miilr , Clili-liKu , III ,
WIIR.V OTHRHS V.Wl , COf M'l.T '
Searles Sz Searles
SPECIALISTS
UiiarnntL-f to nire Hpri'illly unil mill.
< -uii > nil Minoit ; , OHIIOMO .v\r
I'HIVTi : illxriim-B ( if . Irn mill i > omrn ,
WEAK fflkN SYPHILIS i
SKXUALLY. cured for life. 1
Nljlit ICtnluBlons , Lost Manhood , Hy >
irocele , Verlcoceie , G.-norrhea. Qlcet , Byph.
Ills , Stricture , Pllf , KUtula and Itectal
tllceru , Dlubelts. Hrlght's Piueaeo cured , j
Consultation FreeCured |
Cured at
lioniu
by new method without pain or cutting.
Gallon or uddrces with utamp. Treatment
by mall.
DR8. SURIES 8 MUS.
\ \vAMiii\iiTo\ Tin :
Tini.sinlclj 1'rc lili-iil llntiiM-il at ( In *
I'lrsl liuiiiKiiriil Unit.
Mrs llurton HnrrUon shrw * . In an ortlJle
in the Italics' Home JouriiAl , that the
"father of his country" > fond of dniicins. '
not giving up the p.istlme until some time ,
after he had retted to pri\ate life. Describ
ing the first lnmisiir.il ball at New York , In
May. ITSJt , Mr * . Harr.son pictures the sus
pense awaiting Washington's selection of n
I .irtncr for the minuet , each belle earnestly
hoping that the honor should come to her.
The rhlof , however , nialo his choice with
out a second's hesitation , and nppca-rtd
"leading up to the disk of.shlnlng parrjuctr } ' .
a sweet and Ingenuous young matrui th6
brlclo of a year , Mrs. Maxwell , born a Van
Si.ndt , daughter of Jacobus Van Zamlt , chair
man of the so-eallcd Revolutionary Com- ,
mltteo of Patriots In Nrw York , And now ,
under the gaze of dowaqors and bellow , i
envious In spite of thcnw'ves ' of jou .
Mirtress Alaxwrll's luck. Washington laj
Ing his right hand on 'his heat , executes .1
profound bow to h.s par'ne : . she blushing
like n very rose of spring. Mrs Maxwell.
In return. dip * Knv until her satin skirts form
a portentous 'rhrese. ' then , recovering her
J > 1 amo , places her little gloved hand In the
rapacious one of thy chief , who , raising It
above her brad , takes the first steps In the
I' I in but graceful old dance. Prom long
practice , and t.hrough the continual use of
his muscles , the hero's gm t frame Is sur- *
prlyltigly pliant In the repeated bens and t §
changes of posture demanded by the minuet.
Ills ftet let. In so.nethlng of ( he arch of ]
youth ns he directs them with precision j
through the flumes that allow no deviation ot
a dancer's fancy , but must be carried out lethe
the end like a in.UhFiuatlc-al problem In
order to Insure sucrest. A murmur of ap
plause runs nrmin I the c rcle of 'elegant
females , ' io follow him rather th..n . his
partner. In the slow windings and stoppings
of this Intricate evolution. "
11 n ti. .1. I * . Mnllli'N Con ill I Inn I in | iroi i < il.
MIAMI , KM. . Jnn. -ltoli. . .1 , 1' . Smith ,
chief of the Hurt an of Amu-lean Hepubllcs.
In slightly bottir today , but Ills condition H
Still ClItllAll.
IOU MAY FEEL SURE
if this sigunturo :
< r
is on the label in blue , that you have
the genuine sort , of perfect purity and
fiiio flavor. It goes a , long way.
Gael : IJook Mint frro. AiMrosi I.lctilR
Co. . I1. O. llox S71S , Now VIM It.
| LieMg COMPANY'S
c
\ Extract of Beef
IT WAS BEFORE THE DAY OF
THEY USED TO SAY : "WOMAN'S WORK IS
MhVER DONE. "
{ f 7jHj ? fJ * fTfry'4J { } ? ? JvJt { ? < ? ; * $ $ $ $ & * #
& &ard I H
ii. _
Al'I'IIOR OF "SHI- : , "
"KING SOLOMON'S MINES. " W . . .
-or- i-rc. : , lire. ,
HAS co.Mi' ANOTHER STORY HNTITl.KI )
1T "H IT
. ( -
w
The hero of the story is a t-randson of King Solomon
on an expedition to Ihc Gulden Opliirof th. : Hiblc.
A'i A Roin.incc. of I'ru-Historic Afrit-a , Daringly Imaginative
and Full of ThrilMna Action.
l This Story Will
' VT
The Sunday Bee II
_ / , .
as ti Serial , in Ten Instalments , I Feb. 13.
l\MTI ! ILUJsTHATlONSJ
H N this story Mr. Haggard makes a new demon
s' ' e 1 stration of his wonderful power in the field of f
pure romance. He once more boldly lifts the m
ft curtain that hides the fate of nations dead and buried
? in the ages of which no record remains , except in the
silent ruins of their cities.
Zimboe , an inland trading city that flourished in
the heart of Africa 3,000 years ago , and peopled by
the Phoenicians , is the scene of the story. To this
city comes Prir.ce Aziel , a grandson of King Solomon ,
accompanied by Isaachar , a priest of Israel , and Metem ,
a Phoenician trader , who brings a caravan of mer
chandise.
In Elissa , daughter of Sakon , King of Zimboe ,
* t the prince meets his fate. King Ithobal , lord of many
v jr legions of savage warriors , is already a suitor for her
vIj Ij- hand. He sues in true barbarian fashion , seeks to
carry her off by force , and is foiled in the attempt by
Prince Aziel. The story unfolds itself around the feud
between the Prince of Israel and the savage King Itho
bal. Elissa has already given her heart to Aziel , and
loaths the barbarian monarch. Isaachar , the priest , is
determined that no prince of the house of David shall
wed a heathen maiden , whose people worship Baal.
As a result of his intrigues , Elissa is elected the high
tj ? priestess of Baal.
This fixes an impassable religious gulf between
her and Aziel. Their
passionate love sseks to sur
mount all barriers. Meantime Ithobal draws his huge
if army of savages around the fated city , and demanding
ir Elissa in marriage , prepares to destroy it if he is re-
fused. How Elissa violates her oath as high priestess
J and prepares to fly with Aziel ; how they are both discovered -
covered and threatened with death by the priests of
i Baal ; how , to save each other , she , by her right as the
T high priestess of Baal , names him her husband , while
T he renounces his faith and offers incense to Baal ; how
* Ithobal's horde of savages storms the walls of the city ,
y and both Aziel and Elis > a fall into his power ; and
T how , at last , Aziel escapes with his life by Elissa's
i feigned submission to Ithoba' , she , in turn , escaping ftft
I Ithobal by killing herself , is all told in Mr. Haggard's &
f most fascinating manner. ft
r The awful ceremonies in the temple of Baal , the ftft
* weird rites in ths sacred groves of Zimboe , and the
* barbarous battle scenes of that far-off time , are
I described with all the author's marvelous wealth of
ft imaginative resource.
It is a story that will surely rank as one of the
great works of fiction of J898 ,
In The Sunday J3oo !
* Wa t oh for It ! UGH d It !