TAe Chauffeur
and the Jewels
Cawriahtt 1M Vr J. B. Lifuhcott Comfastt.
AUrhrhtai
CTIAPTEIt XIII.
"Ton shall bear from m early In ths
too mint," Uie mock Prince del Pino had
bold Mr. Waring when he left her at her
Bouse; and then, turning hJa motor In
the direction of hia hotel, be gave himself
Dp to the business of the moment, making
Che most of the brief time left to him.
It was half-peat ten when he etood out
side of a house in S atreet and consulted
lila watch.
naif-past ten. Very late for a visit,
Jid yet they were awake In the house 1
Through the bowed shutters and open
windows cams the sound of one of Chop
in's waltzes, played by a girl's slightly
Amateur fingers on a piano that wm not
Of the beat. But on that night of witch
ry, in the allent lighted streets, the air
floated out with a certain graceful stato
llness. Curbing his Impatience, Sarto waited
until tie last note of the phrase ws
iplayed, regardless of the flight of time,
and then, mounting the steps, rang the
bell.
There was a little hesitation before a
illght tread cams along the hall and the
floor epened.
"I had almost given np Tour High
Bess," said Annette Bancroft.
Her Tlsltor stood, bat in hand, look
lng no at ber.
"I am all apologies for the lateness of
the hour, he beean In a low voice, nut
i bars been dining at Chevy Chase and
was detained longer than I thought,
shall only stay a moment."
The girl led the way, without speaking,
Into the drawing room, where two candles
wers burning, revealing the open piano
neaped with music Behind it the win
dow stood open, letting In the light from
the street
"Roses IM ejaculated the mock prince.
Hs daintily sniffed at a bowlful standing
on the center table. "Papa Gentler," he
murmured, llftlna- the heavy heads. "He
tas good taste In flowers ths English
Annette mads a faint acquiescence. She
jhad seated herself on the piano stool, a
Chost-liks llttls flgnrs In the half light
Taming away from ths table, Sarto
moved towards the piano.
"Ah. I had forgotten that!" he said,
peaking sotto-voce. "M. Bulst remains
after I am gone. He has ths best of It I"
"After yon have gone I echoed An
nette. Bhs stood motionless, staring with part
d lips and widened eyes Into ths fscs of
ths man who bent over the piano, his
dark, mobile features so near hers.
Tes." he said, speaking In very quiet
tones, to which his curiously expressive
Voles lent a certain pathos. "It Is to say
srood-bv I am come to-night. Before
morning I will have left Washington. 3
shall never see you again."
Ths last words rsng with an Irrepres
ibis melancholy that sent a shiver
through his listener. Turning, forgetful
of ths all-revonllng lights in the street
Ibelow. she looked up into his face, her
own white with the shock of his words
ber syes wide with the secret of her heart.
"Annette 1" cried Ludovic Barto.
Love Is a great mystery I It
moves through ths winding passages of
our cold, dark hearts so silently that we
never nipect Its presence until suddenly
one day ws see it for ths first time mir
rored in ths light of another's eyes.
' At soma time when the chauffeur
could not tell some Midas touch had
luuieJ ths gratitude, the friendship h
hit for this sirl into ths gold of his
heart
And la this instant of miracles the
man's whole being, bis double nature,
van ths dark aids which had achieved Its
sinister triumph one short hour ago, seem
ad touchsd by (hat same Divine alchemy
hs bass metal in him transformed and
fynrlflsd
TbsM arc certain momenta in this dull
tlfs af sari when ths froth is on ths wine
moments of dazsllng, diamond-like brll
sues moments sa sweet as the first
tasts of a nectarine and as evanescent
Even ss Ludovic Sarto and Annette
Bancroft gased into each other's eyes, the
moment passed by, never to return.
Ths next a terrible realization came
Into ths man's heart "Walt a moment r
he said hoarsely. "I I have something
to teU you !"
Turning sharply away, bs took a few
tarns np and down ths room, grappling
with ths ordeal that was suddenly upon
htm.
For ths girl must be told the truth
BOW I It was Inevitable! Alas! ths dis
covery of her secret demanded ths reveal
Ins of his.
It was a strange psychic fact that to
Carta now, in spite of his slippery, dl
verse nature, no other course occurred,
The man who loved Annette Bancroft
man was loved In return could no longer
mask behind ths Prince del Pino.
Ludovic must come forth and hear hi
inons1bllitIea. Ths law of self preserva
tlon, which hs hsd only acknowledged so
far. had given way wanouier, uiviner,
For ths first Urns in his life ths mer
curial chauffeur bent his head to the law
of self-sacrifice.
Turning suddenly, be looked at the girl
at ths piano.
Annette was leaning forward, facini
film, a faint nervous smile on her lips,
pier syes rail oi a aawning, any expect
ancy. Watching ber, his wonderfully keen
almost feminine perceptions dissecting
ths girl's soul, Sarto saw, with shudder
ing, sickening horror and self-disgust, all
that the girl in her Innocent romantic
soal was imagining. A fairy tale no less
foolish enough I with a prince for lis
hero and for its heroine
The man who loved her knew, with an
Inward recoil, that It fell to him to shat
ter this pretty llttls castle In the air
with its occupants.
Standing before her, he spoke formally.
"Miss Bancroft, tell me, how long have
ws known each other you end 1)"
Annette rsised her eyes to his, snd a
vivid color tinged ber pale checks.
Two weeks," she said, without the
faintest bint of coquetry or hesitation
"It was Just two weeks sgo to-night that
ws mat on board the Majestic."
"Nor Sarto shook his head. "'You
havs known ma longer than that Look
at me 1"
TJs drew nearer, with sudden deter
mination. "Where have you seen me be
fore? Think ! Remember !"
But the girl ooly gazed at hi in with a
tonished, ball-frightened eyes.
"Beforsr she faltered "I don't un
demand."
Barto moved impatiently. Ths sus
pense wsa becoming unbearable.
"Tblnkr ha argad taleatkssly. "Of
Morgan Wlllett
whom did you sny I reminded you? Have
you forgotten Snrto, the chauffeur ?'
"You Sarto?" Annette half whisper
ed the word. "Sarto and the Prince del
Pino I"
Her Irrepressible Imagination was at
work again.
With a half groan Sarto turned away.
No more fairy tales, child I" he said
roughly. "The book is closed now ! The
man you hove known Is not the Prince
del Pino." I lis voice vibrated. "(Inly
nn Inijxntor a miserable ImiKwtor. Lis
ten! He hesitated, standing with his
back to the window, a silhouette of a
ninn. looking at tho girl between her two
candles as a lost soul might look at an
angel in heaven.
Then lie told his slory, from the mo
ment that he looked into Mrs. Waring's
trunk to the present.
Perhaps never In the course of his
checkered career had thn chauffeur, past
master as he was In the science of the
tongue, acquitted himself so ill. By a
skillful suppression of a fact here, the
strengthening of an episode there In
fact, a little judicious light and shade
the tale might have made a very credit
able autobiography, in which Ludovic
Sarto, the hero, would have shone forth
In an adventurous, seductive possibly an
heroic -liirlit.
Po a lover all things are possible, per
missible. But for the time being Snrto
was not a lover.
lie stood os it were in his confessional
speaking to a hidden rnr. dissecting his
conduct with the scrupulous exnetness
of the penitent. And the pale girl sit
ting between the two candles was to him
a distant vision In n dim church, silent,
Inspiring, uplifting! Only at the last,
the man looked out through the sinner'
eyes, with a faint satisfaction in bin own
sin, an irresistible pride In his own per
formance.
"I must sn I plnyed the part well !'
Sarto boasted. "My acllnir was success
ful as far as It went. I dnre nny there
are a score here who would say a good
word for me
A wail crept Into his voice. "Ah. the
irony of fate I While they are applaud
Ing the Prince del Pino out there in the
audience, the poor mountebank must
crawl off to nils himself and his broken
heart. But I forgot" with a Jiirrine
laugh "chauffeurs people of a certain
class nre not permitted to have hearts!"
He stood, poor Sarto, very human nnd
very much in love, his face working, lit
heart rebelling at the bitterness of his
cup, the injustice that deprived him of
the fruits of his own triumphs the en
joy men t of his own happiness.
And there was silence in the littli
room, wlille from the street outside came
the smooth roll of wheels and a man's
tenor in the distance singing the air from
Pagliacci, bird like atoms of sound thread
ing tho roar of the city.
At Inst Annette spoke. "What have
you done with the diamonds'.'" she asked
very quietly.
The niun before her cnught his breath.
"Ah, the diamonds ! I had forgotten
about them.
For un instant he stared at the girl
blankly. All this time Ludovic Sarto had
been thinking of himself as the chauffeur
Surely that was low enough I But now.
with a heavy, irretrievable sense of doom.
be saw in her eyes whence he bad fallen
and how fur! From the pedestal on
which she hud placed the 1'rince del Pino,
down to the thief the robber of Mrs.
Waring's diamonds. What a descent !
And In the fall love, that brittle, deli
cate thing, lay shattered, brokeu into
fragments.
Surto wes suddenly face to face with
judge, young, austere, implncuhle, in
whose clear tones thero sounded on echo
of some distant Puritan ancestor; in
whose glance be saw himself condemned.
"The diamonds," he repented with an
effort, "go to Mrs, Waring to-morrow,
with a note of of explanation. I shall
see to it the first thing iu the morning."
lie spoke with the submissive imper
sonal air of a servant, his eyes on the
ground, and for a moment Annette list
ened silently.
"What nre you doing here then?" she
asked suddenly. "Don't you kuow that If
Count Souravieft Is after you, be may
be here at any moment?" ller voice rose
shandy. "You will be caught, impris
oned!" But the clmuffeur only smiled, with n
sparkle In hia keen eyes which had not
been there before. Slight as it was, that
note oi anxiety nai not escaped mm.
Though In fragments, still there was lore
for him In tho girl's heart.
"Oh, I am safe enough Indeed !" he an
swered confidently. "My motor, in which
I led them a chase, Is standing In front
of a pharniarii! in F street at this mo-
nint. For myself, I left my hotel an
hour ago nnd took my valise with its con
tents to he hesitated "well, never
mind where. When one lends -a douhh
life, Miss Bancroft, one finds it eonven
ion t sometimes to live in two places. And
then 1 enme on here. Yes, it Is quite
safe; but it is well that you remind mo
that I must go.
"What will become of you?" asked the
rirl, utmost in a whisper.
She still sat, her face turned away
( rfring fixedly at tho opitosite wall.
Sarto moved toward tho door.
"What will become of me?" he echoed
witli bis old fatalistic shrug of the shoul
dors. Y ho knows ills voice drop
ped. "I hare sinned, und I must do pen
nance, make erpiation. There is mm
ahead of me."
lie opened the door abruptly and stood
hesitating. "Will tun not look at uie
before I go, and pity, forgive, forget?"
For tho first time Annette met bis
Klance. She had been listening to the
leather-con tod chnulTetir, shrinking from
the thief; now, raising her head, she saw
standing in the doorway, a curiously ut
tractive figure, looking at her with wist
fill eyes. The man, after all, whom she
loved.
Half unconsciously, tdm leaned lower
him with a desolate little cry.
"Pity, forgive, yes!" she repeated
"Yes. But forget? Oh, I caunot ! I will
not give you up !"
Kising to her feet, she stood, her hand
clasM'd tightly, her lips parted, gazing a
him with the boiiI Itself shining In be
eyes. But Sarto did not move. Ho stood
looking at her standing between her can
dies, the sculpted image of a saint carved
in atone, and a very wistful look came
into his face.
"There Is a lighted shrine In my heart,'
he said, speaking as if to himself, "an
the flame ran never go out. Ths candle
will be bunking there always through the
long, lonely pilgrlmags and at ths and
-I will I mi ting," said Annette very
softly.
For a Ions Instant thejr eyes met. Hers
were full of tears, but into the man's
there came S far-off. Ineffable look ss of
one who sees visions mid dreams dreams.
"Some day the pilgrim will come back
to you," ho said.
And, with love burning triumphantly
at the candles of his shrine, Sarto went
out Into the night.
At 10 o'clock the next morning, while
Mrs. Waring was sitting up In bed and
sipping her chocolate, her maid brought
her a flat, square, bewrapiied parcel, Just
arrived by a messenger boy.
Giving a glunre at the address, written
In a delicate, foreign-looking hand, Ous
sne tore open the wrappings with excited
fingers, pulled out the orthodox cotton
wool so suggestive of a jeweler, and re
Tealed a chamois glove-cose!
Pinned to It was a card on which was
engraved, "II Principe Uodorlgo del Pino,"
and underneath. In pencil, "Better known
as Ludovic Sarto, Mrs. Waring's ex
chauffeur, begs to send her the enclosed
Jewels, as slight return for the many
kind favors which have rendered his mem
orable Washington sojourn so agreeably
diverting."
About a week after Mrs. Waring's very
sudden departure for England, Town Tit
Bits had the following pnragraph:
"Prince Bodrrigo del Pino so the pa
pers ha-e It only srrlved in New York
yesterday on the Scotia, and Is to give
Newport's summer colony a glimpse of hia
titles and millions to-morrow.
"Can It be possible that there are two
Koderigo del Pinos? If not, may we ask
the identity of the mysterious Italian no
bleman, who disported himself in Wash
ington two weeks ago in the train of that
noted society leader, Mrs. K d W ng,
whose rumored engagement to the Earl
of L y, we understand, is an undoubt
ed fact?"
(The F.nd.)
WOMAN LAWYERS CHANCE.
If there is nny hint of n moral at
tached to tho New York Sun story be
low It Is that to establish clearly their
legal und Jitdldul equality women law
yers must learn to regard untidiness
as philosophically as do men lawyers.
This is the story, as one of tho hun
dred women lawyers In New York City
tells It:
In the early days of my legal studentship-
I was In a Wisconsin town
spending my vacntion, nnd Judge X,
the grout man of the place, nn old
friend of my father's, gave mo the
privilege of bis library.
Like many other private law libra
ries In small places I have visited, this
was unsurpassed In number of volumes
and value by any I have ever knowu
about In New York, where spnee Is so
precious that a lawyer must perforce
depend on outside help for his refer
ences. In a smaller town you must own tho
books yourself or go without. Tho
Judge owned his. and I browsed with
wonder and delight about among tho
shelves, whhii filled three good-sized
rooms, and I realized for the first time
wlm f the law really meant, nnd how
tremendous an undertaking It was for
a young woman like myself to seek to
make any headway In it.
These, however, were only reflec
tions, by the way. My insistent
thought was one of horror nt tho dirt
and disorder that reigned supreme.
The dust was inch-thick over every
thing. It occurred to me tlint I could
kill two birds with one stone. I would
lean nnd catalogue the volumes nt tho
same time that I was gaining Insight
for in v future work, nnd thus do the
udge a good turn for his kindness to
1 set to work, nnd finally, after fin
ishing up the outer rooms, I invaded
tie sanctum, where the old Judge had
gone on day after day without tuklng
the slightest notice of me and my dust
ing. When he did become nwnrc thut
something so unprecedented wns taking
luce, he nearly had n stroke.
To think that I, nn Insignificant fly
n the dictionary of wisdom, had dared
o disturb the accumulation of sncred
dust! F.vcn ills old-time courtesy was
or a, while sadly shaken.
Finally he gasped out a question as
o whether 1 did not respect the su-
leistlllons of the profession I was
studying to enter, one of which was the
ildc-lioiiud rule that no volume should
have Its place changed or Its face
altered, though the dust might bo
ticlics deep.
I Kin nk my head, and In answer
iruttdly displayed the completed cata
logue, w here code volumes and common
aw had their respective positions.
Finally the humor of tho situation
came to his relief, and he said:
Well, I have often wanted to know
what women were going to do when
they entered the legal Held, and now I
know. They will dust the books."
A Si'olt'U Slorjr.
A clergyman had conducted servlcci
Iu a theatre In New York. "One of my
theatre auditors," he suld, "wns a Scot
from Peebles. This Scot told mo that
the sl'.'ht of a clergyman la a theatre
reminded him of an experience he ouee
had iu Loudon. He went lo a melo
drama at Drury Lake. A man In front
f 1 1 1 nt looked familiar. To his sur
prise lie recognizee! in this intiu nil
minister nt Peebles, lie leaned for
ward mul laid his hand on the minis
ter's black eont. 'Oh, Dr. Snuuderi
M Intosli,' he wblsis'ied, 'what wild
the people In the uuld kirk say if I
tell't them 1 saw ye here?' "Deed,
(hey wadna believe ye,' Dr. Mcintosh
answered quickly, 'and ye nccdna tell
them.' "
Couldn't Stand That.
"John writes from college," said th(
old intiu, "thut I've lowered his dig
nity." "In whnt way?"
"By payln' Tor his education wlta
the money from last year 'a wuteroieloq
crop!" Atlanta Constitution.
Get Off Kmmr.
Biggs I think murrlugo is a lot
tery. Jiggs Well, you're luckjr if you only
think so.
Persian newspapers are reproduced
from handwriting bj lithograph, M
types being uaed.
THE LETTERS 1
I hnvc written them, keen, nnd sarcastic, nnd leng,
With righteously wrathful Intent,
Not a stroke undeserved nor n censure too strong J
And some, alas, some of them went!
I have written them, challenging, eager to fight.
All hot with merited Ire;
And some of them chanced to lie kept over ulghl
And mulled, the next day In the fire.
Ah, blessed the letters thnt happily go
On errands of kindliness lient;
But mudi of my is-ace and my fortune I owe
To the letters 1 never have sent.
-Christian F.ndoovor World.
In the Days of
the Press Gang
In thn bell chamber of Keldon par
ish church Kit Cowley Iny in hiding. A
press gang, under Lieut. Fnlrbrother,
hnd been scouring all that part of., the
country for nearly a week and the cap
ture of a young fellow like" Kit, who
lind Just returned from his first exiwr
lence of the sen, would hnve Improved
the quality of a rather lubberly lot of
pressed men. But Kit had seen enough
of the sea, though he was a stout
enough fellow In his way. At any rate
he had no liking for the press and at
the first rumor of the press gnng's np
penrance he hnd sought a hiding place.
His aged father was the sexton of the
church and knew every nook nnd cran
ny of It. There was no better hiding
plnce, If only Kit could be smuggled
Into It without the suspicions of a few
long-tongued busybodles being roused.
So Kit shouldered his stick nnd his
bundle, bade nn affectionate good-bye
to the old folks and trudged off In the
direction of the nearest seaboard. But
at dend of night he crept stealthily
bnck to the old church, clambered In nt
a little vestry window carelessly un
fastened and took up his residence for
a time among the great bells In that
chamber of the winds.
He had been there several days and
no one had nny suspicion of the fact.
The old folks had little difllculty in
bringing him something to eat and
drink und they told him tho news of
the little town and the country side
dull, personal, commonplace gossip
mostly for a man who had seen some
thing of the world, and had run the
gauntlet of storm and sword. Tho last
incident which hnd excited the good
people of Keldon was the mysterious
(llNiipiKMirnnce of young Hawkeshury,
the only child of Sir Godfrey llawkes
hury of Hawkeshury Park. He wns n
rather smnll and delicate lad, about 13
or 14 years of age and chiefly renin rk
nble for the fact that an attack of
paralysis, when he was a child, had
slightly distorted his features and de
prived him of his powers of speech. On
this account his father wns extraordi
nary solicitous of his welfare, and this
anxiety was, to a certain extent shared
by all those who enme In touch with
the Hawkeshury family. There was.
therefore, widespread alarm nnd anx
iety at the disappearance of the nnfor-'
tunnte youth.
But Kit Cowley up In the belfry wns
cut of this little world, and though he
knew the dumb young squire well
enough, the Incident was not very Im
portant. It was of more moment to
him just them thnt the ringers would
he in the loft that evening and for an
hour or more the belfry would be a
veritable pandemonium of clung nnd
clntter.
Fortnnutelv for him there wns n
means of mitigating the annoyance to
some extent. Tho bell chamber was
the uppermost part of the church tower
nnd was In fact a somewhnt smaller
story rising from the center of the
stouter part of the tower below. Thero
was a narrow stone platform . round
the outside of the bell chamber, and
this was protected by n rather deep em
battled parapet. Kit Cowley had sev
eral times broken the monotony of his
lose eonliiiement by creeping out upon
the platform mid scanning the wide
and iH'autll'ul prospect of a fertile hind-
scape, while he breathed the cool crisp
ulr of that lofty eyrie, which reminded
him of the masthead.
As the shade of evening dimmed the
laiidscas, Kit slipped through the door
which opened on the parapet and
closed It carefully behind him. lie crept
on all fours to nn angle of the plat
form nnd there sat himself down, with
Ills bnck against the parnis-t. When
the ringing commenced lie stopped his
ears ns well as he could, and tried to
be Indifferent to the din, which seemed
to make the old tower fairly pulsate,
But In spite of all his efforts the noise
wearied him, and when at last It
ceased, the peaceful hush which sue
ceeded It seemed doubly soothing.
As he rubbed his eyes he thought he
heard some faint unusual sound. He
took little heed of It at first, for ho
thought that he was still half dream
ing, nut lie Heard It ngnln, the un
mistakable sound of some one moving
in the bell chamber, and In a moment
he was Intensely alert. What was It?
His first thought was that the press
,,rt'1 l,un,,,,, ' I,ut down
bolow "ll "a 'l"1'1' Tl,m' w,,a not n
sign of uproar or commotion, lie crept
stealthily nnd silently as a cat back to
the door of the bell chamber and js-ered
through a chink of t lie old nnd 111
fitting woodwork. There was a dark
lantern set on the floor by the side of
the open trap door giving access from
the ringers' loft. The light of the Inn
tern Illuminated nil the remoter side
of the bell chanilier, und though the
nearer side was in shadow, there was
suflhicnt reflected light to show him
thnt there wns no one In the chain
ber.
But even while he was making these
observations the head of a mnn ap
peared through the trnp door and a tall
and well built but supple figure climbed
slowly up from below, bearing a large
sack upon Its shoulders. The innn'a
face was masked. lie wore a slouched
hat, riding coat buttoned back, and
was booted and spurred, and well be-
HAVE NOT SENT.
it
spattered with mud. in short, a typical
highwayman freh from a midnight
udventure.
He put down his snck In frout of
the lantern, opened wide its mouth nnd
gradually rolled It Inside out, disclos
ing lo Kit's horrified glance a human
creature tightly doubled up and bound.
As he undid n few of the larger band
ages, and the figure straightened Itself
out, Kit recognized the youug squire
of Hawkesburg. He was tightly gag
ged, since he was nblo to utter some
low guttural and Inarticulate sounds,
which might hnve betrayed his pres
ence; but now In the grim Isolation of
the belfry, where there wns none to
hear, there wns no need for a gag, and
the highwayman stripped It away at
one hasty snatch and cast It on the
floor. Then he set the terrified lad,
still bound hand and foot, with his
bnck ngnlnst a huge beam which form
ed pnrt of the bells, and stood back to
contemplate with grim satisfaction the
results of his work.
"And now," lie said after a short
pause, "let us have one Inst tnlk. You
und Sir Godfrey they sny nre tho last
of the Hawkesburys. But I know an
other, and Hawkeshury Park, and all
that goes with It will be his, when you
and your father are gone. Sir Godfrey
cheated my father years ago and to
night I will have my revenge. You will
never leave here nlive."
He stayed a moment to enjoy the
anguish which wns plainly visible on
the young lad's face, which twitched
hideously in his vain efforts to speak.
Kit puzzled his brain to know what he
should do. Should he shout for help?
The little town wns wrapped In Its
slumbers nnd ere he could rouse it nnd
obtain help, there was nmple time for
the hlghwnyinan to commit his foul
deed nnd effect his ecape. Should Kit
attack him? He was unfortunately
quite unarmed nnd a mere stripling 'by
N AN INSTANT HE WAS ON HIS CHEST.
ho side of this powerful man; in whose
belt there were both pistol and dag
ger.
"I have planned my revenge a long
time," the mail resumed. "When you
nre gone Sir Godfrey will not last long,
and then by every proof of law tho es
tuto will be mine. But It would mar
all if the murderer were discovered or
even suspected. So I have brought you
here. Suspicion may, perhaps fall upon
the old sexton, or upon one of the old
bell ringers or upon anyone I care
lot whom. I wish. Indeed, I could
have made It fall more closely upon
some victim. But It Is enough I have
caught you, and got you here."
He luughed hideously, a mocking, ma
niacal laugh. There was no fear, no
remorse, no hesitation In his manner.
Ills hands Itched for their work, nnd he
sprung forward eagerly, nnd grlpHd
the young squire's throat In exultant
glee.
Kit Cowley felt the strength of a
mad fury as he burst open tho door of
the window, and sprang Into the bell
chamber. At the first sound of the ris
ing latch the highwayman released his
grip and turned towards the Intruder.
His first expression was one of blank
surprise, which gave place to one of
demoniacal Joy when he hnd tnken the
measure of his antagonist and seen that
he was unarmed.
Suddenly a shrill, piercing shriek
followed by loud cries for help, rang
through the bell chamber. The dumb
lad hud suddenly regained his voice
by a last glguirtlc effort In this moment
of tense excitement
Kit and the highwayman stood
aghast, and for the first time the latter
lost his couiMMtire. His face turned
deadly pale and like a hunted animal
brought to bay und attacked on every
side, he swept a furtive glance behind
hlui, and iu his effort to ward off the
sudden attack the highwayman tripped
and fell sprawling on the nearest bell.
In un Instant Kit wns kneeling on
bis chest, and gripping at his thrmt
By one strenuous effort he got the
man's left arm doubled across bis chest
nnd under his own knee and both his
hands were free to pin the villain's
neck against the floor.
A movement of the highwayman's leg
brought Kit's foot ngnlnst the rim o
the bell. Tightening his grip lie felt with
his foot for the swinging tongue of the
Ml and gave It a vigorous kick. The
bell uttered two sonorous notes, which
sounded singularly weird to Kit. A
the sounds died away, he heard cries
of excitement and alarm in the streets
below and presently the creaking o
the watchman'a rattle. It was but
matter now of a few minutes. Tighter
thau ever he squeezed hia vlctlm'e con
Tulstvt throat, until he felt bis finger
throb with the pulsation! of his blood.
Not till he heard footstopa on the steps
leading to the bell chamber dU he relax
his bold, and even then he kept his
fingers where they were ready to grip
once more If the struggle should be
renewed.
But the strong man was broken and
helpless now, and when at last the star
tled townsmen clambered Into the bell
chamber the light of their lanterns fell
upon the livid features of a dead man.
A few days later when the inquest
had been made Into the manner aid
circumstances of his death, they burled
him as quietly as the occasion would
permit In the family vaults of the Haw
kesburys. Kit received much cotnmen
dntlon for his sturdy valoi, but the one
thing which gave him the greatest sat
isfaction was to see the young squire of
Hawkeshury alive and well, and to
henr hlra tell with his own voice the In
cidents of that terrible midnight hour
In the bell chamber of the Keldoa
church. Philadelphia Telegraph.
INDEPENDENCE.
Writer Shorn that Wo Man la Free
from All Utilisation.
Many a man says "Thank God I am
Independent," writes Charles Battell
Loomls in Smith's Magazine, and all
the time he Is breathing God's air with
lungs the Creator lent him ; he Is eat
ing food thnt another man grew for
him j he Is going across the continent
on railroads that represent an output
of Imaginative force and creative
energy of which he would have been
absolutely Incapable. He Is, perhaps,
being served at home by servants who
are underpaid, and at night a mere
couple of dollars gains for hlra the per
formance of theatrical or musical
rtlsts; men who hnve labored for
enrs to perfect their tnlents.
And he calls himself Independent. Of
what, pray, Is his staff of Independence
made? It Is that weak one called
money.
If thnt, Indeed, Is all he has. take
nwny his money nisi whither would
his Independence go?
What adequate return could he maiie
or the various benefits nnd mercies he
must necessarily receive from day to
day?
Of course I hnve built np a man of
straw- and greenbacks one who puts
verythlng on a money basis; one who
has not talents of his own. end In real
life there nre no such men.
Maybe not. but I have met a good
ninny who prided themselves on their
Independence, and who. If they were to
be thrown naked and penniless anions
n body of men "with the bark on,"
would he unable to render nny equlva-
ent for the food and clothes they woulfi
need.
On the other hnnd. no man Is so poor
but that he can be Independent If he
goes about It In the right way.
Ignore the money vnlue of things.
Don't feel thnt whnt has no money
nine hns no vnlue.
WHY THE PUTTY FACED WOMEN t
Western filrl In Xew York Says tlia
Flirtation Men Are to Illume.
"What's the matter with the worn-
u?" usked a western girl when she
first ennio to Now York, according to a
Gotham correspondent of the Cincin
nati Times. "I never saw such tired,
blase, you-ean't-lnterost-tne faces In my
life. Why. whether they're an the
street or In n car or shopping, every
New York woman wears a regular put
ty fail. I think It's all put on and
illsgusting."
Lust week the same young woman
pleaded guilty to her personal owner
ship of a putty face. "I know now
why the New York women look that
way," said she. "It's on account of the
New York men. I don't think that ev
ery' nian In New York Is habitually
looking for a chance to flirt, but I do
iHileve that nine out of ten of them
nre.
"When I first came here I saw lots
of things that Interested me, und I
showed It If I saw a funny thing, and
some man saw it at the same time, and
our eyes met, why, I smiled in re
sponse to his smile. Bless you, I've
done It all my life, nnd no one ever
tried very hard to flirt with me before.
"But here I no more dare smile ou
the street than I dare stand on my
head. I keep my eyes cast down, and
my thoughts to myself. I never look at
a man, and If I catch one looking at
me, I pay no attention to him. I don't
class myself us more than pretty yes,
I admit that I nm pretty and yet I
never go out on the street that I don't
have from one to n dozen chances to
flirt It Isn't any wonder that New
York women draw their faces Into ex
pressionless masks. They have to."
Fought Under SI Flag;.
A remarkable person has just died at
Budapest In the person of Gen. Stephen
Turr, one of the bravest revolutionary
generals that ever lived. He commenc
ed his military career as a lieutenant
In the Austrian army. Then he fought
for the Hungarian revolutionary gov
ernment, helped to quell a German rev
olution and Joined Garibaldi In his
givat struggle. On the outbreak of the
Crimean war he served ns a volunteer
In Omar Pasha's army against Russia,
nnd finally received a commission In the
British trnnsisirt service. It was while
buying horse f'r the British army at
Budapest In lSTio that the general was
seized by the Austrlnns as a deserter
nnd sentenced to death. But both the
British nnd French governments made
such emphatic protests against this sen
tence that It was commuted to banish
ment. Finally, the old soldier settled
down In Paris.
I.ota ot I'lacea.
"What's the matter?" nsked the po
liceman of the tramp. ' "Haven't you
uny place to go?"
"Any place ter go!" was the con
temptuous reply. "I've got the whole
Fnited States before me. I've got so
many places ter go dat It's worrylu' me
dizzy makln' up me mind which way
ter start."
There is now some hope of the hu
man race. It is said that physicians
will not open a knife for less than fifty
dollar.
Nearly every man accepts tal flc
tlou; "Everybody know me."
Teacher What Is a suffragcttef Wilfrid--A
female sufferer.
Terrier- Don't you have any dog
watch on this craft? Tabby No. This
Is a cnt-bniit.
Teacher -What lcssui do we learn
from the busy bee? Tommy Tuffnut
Not to get stung.
Young Hunter It's strange that t
can't hit anything. His Guide I guess;
it's M-nuso I'm behind a tree.
Mother Alloc. It Is bedtime. All the
little chickens have gone lo bed. Alice
Yes. mamma, and so has the hen.
"A mail lea rim to do by doing," re
marked th inoral zer. "Yes." rejoined
the demoralizer, "and also by being
done."-Chicago Daily News.
Customer Whnt is the price of the
duck? Little Girl Please, mum, it's
three shillings. But mother says, If
you grumble. It s two-tind-slx ! Punch.
Office Boy Say. the boss oughtn't to
put a window iu there? CiiriKnter
Why not? Oillce Boy 'Cause, now
you can see he's in when be ain't In.
Life.
Scott Wherever does F.nstly get
the Idea that his Jokes nre funnyf
Mott Oh, he tells them to young wom
en with pretty teeth. Boston Trnn
seript. The Inquirer But what is it you
men have struck for? The Striker
Well. I'm blest If I know, guv'iier, but
we nln't goin' back till we've got it
The Sketch.
"Ah, Klsie. it is line to ls mar lied
to nn omeer- such a beautiful uniform,
and so many decorations '." "Yes, and,
li'.sldes that, he'll have a band nt his
funeral." Wnhre Jacob.
"Yon say there is nearly always
something broke about, your automo
bile?" "Yes," answered Mr. Chugglns,
nervously. "What Is It. as a rule?"
"Me." Washington Star.
"You don't nienn to say that you are
going bnck to horses?" "Temporarily.
I have moved to n new country place,
und I thought I should like to becomo
acquainted with the scenery." Life.
She I'm going to give you back our
engagement ring I love another. He
Give me his name nnd address. Sho
Do you want to kill him? He No, I
waut to sell him tho ring. Plck-Me-Up.
Beporter Now, what was the worst
money panic you ever saw? Great
Financier Lust week, when a ten-cent
piece rolled to the floor of a street car
nnd five women clnlmed it! The X
Itny.
Emily (playing "house") Now, I'll
be mamma nnd you'll be papa, nnd lit
tle Ben nnd Bessie will be our babies.
Willie (after a moment anxiously)
Ain't it ubout time to whip the chil
dren? "Did your friend make n hit at the
literary club?" "I guess he did. He
pronounced 'Les MIserables' In a brand
new way, nnd then alluded te it as Vic
tor Herbert's masterpiece." Washing
ton Herald.
Tired Traveler (to barber) Spend
ing the night in a sleeplng-cnr doesn't
improve one's beuuty, does it? Bar
berI don't know what you looked
like when you started, but I guess
you're right. Harper's Bazar.
Daughter This piano Is really my
very own. Isn't it, pa? Pa Yes, my
dear. Daughter And when I marry
I can take it with me, can I? Pa
Certainly, my child. But dou't tell any
one; it might spoil your chancea-rPen-ny
Pictorial.
"I hnd half the young men In town
for rivals when I wns doing a court
ship stunt," said the sad-eyed passen
ger. "And did you land the prize?"
queried the hardware drummer. "Well,
I never looked nt It In that light," re
plied he of the sad eyes, "hut I married
the girl." Chicago Dally News.
Lady in touring car beckons to pe
destrian. "Will you kindly do me a
small favor, sir?" "Certainly, madam."
Then please stand out in the middle
of the highway and let me see how
quickly I enn stop my car without hit
ting you. I'm nfrnid this brake Is out
of order." Cleveland Plain liculer.
"You didn't seem to enjoy your din
ner." "No." nnswered Mr. Cumrox.
"I confess I was wondering about how
much I ought to give the waiter. You
see, if you give n waiter too little he
snubs you and If you give him too much
he knows you nre a stranger in the
place and scorns you anyhow." Wash
ington Stnr.
We passed. In the course of an hour,
two dead cows nnd more than fifty
dend chickens. A strong smell of gnso
llne jHTvaded the atmosphere, and there
were wheel tracks In the dirt. Sher
lock Holmes became greatly interested.
"Watson," exclaimed he, after deep
thought, "there has been an automobile
along here!" Louisville Courier-Jour-
ual.
Tha Myaterlona i'rru"olilrn.
There Is visible in the night sky, un
lor favorable circumstances, a faint
light, rounded in outline and situated
always exactly oposlte to the place
of the sun. It is called the "gegen
siiilen" nnd Is one of the most inex
plicable objects known to astronomers.
According to a scientist. It may bo a
sort ut eoiuetury or meteoric satellite
attending the earth. He supposes It to
Im composed of a cloud of meteors,
situated about 1.0tK.HM mileg from the
earth und revolving around it In a pe
riod of just one year, so that the sun
and the meteors are always on opposite
sides of the earth. He estimates that
the size of tills ghostly satellite may
lie nearly the same as that of the planet
Jupiter viz., nlMiut stl.tsH) miles in dl-
imeter.
.Nrirly Alwaa.
She What is a fluke?
He A flxe Is what the other kid
cores ou.- Kansas City Thnea