CHAPTER XVII.
Tho mollified officer produced ft
paper, over which Mr. Walker pored
for about five minutes.
"I don't Eoo anything about searching
my houso there," he remarked grimly,
ns ho handed the document back to Mr,
Brown. "Perhaps you'll put your fla
yer on the place, and I'll glvo In."
"It's a warrant, for the apprehension
of Charles Braiiricombe, gentleman,"
Mild tho ofllcer pompously, "on a
chargp of ahem felony a very crl
oua charge."
"And what the dickens," cried tho
old gentleman, Irritably, "havo I got to
do with Charles Brnnacombo or any
other felon, I should like to know.?"
"Ho w.n seen last closo to this
lioueo," enld Mr. Brown, "and "
"And whilst you'vo been Jabbering
hero he's had time to got far enough
away from It, I should say," Inter
rupted Mr. Walker, contemptuously,
Ignoring a sign from his wife, who
throw open the door with a civil
"You'ro wclcomo to look upstairs and
down, nnd wherever you like, sir."
As Mr. Brown descended to tho gar
den, after an elaborate Investigation of
svcry room In tho house, Mr. Wld
drlngton camo up tho path from tho
pca-vlncs, and, catching sight of tho
ofllcer, "went for" him on tho spot.
Mr. Brown was a well-built fellow,
(standing six fcot ono In his stockings,
and tho dotcctlvo was a wiry Uttlo
man, hardly reaching abovo his shoul
der, yet tho ofllcer staggered under tho
grip of tho sinewy hand.
"You you blind Idiot!" gasped tho
excited Wlddrlngton, no ho shook his
Biibordlnato heavily to and fro. "You
confounded dunderhead! Do you sco
what you havo dono? You havo lot
tho man slip through your fingers, Just
as wo had run him to earth. Look
thorol"
"Thofo," by the overturned baskot
filled with green pea-pods, lay a bundlo
composed of a bluo cotton gown and a
whtto muslin cap.
Mr. Brown's bewildered gnzo trayeled
from tho bundlo to tho garden alley.
WE READ AN
It was empty. Tho innocent Uttlo
tnald had vanished llko Cinderella at
tho warning stroke leaving her finery
behind hor. Another shako from his
Irate suporior, and a glimmering of
tho truth dawned upon tho stupefied
senses of Mr. James Brown Mr. Char
llo had boon ono too many for him
aguln.
"Ho'b off," panted tho dotcctlvo;
"and It'll bo a long day beforo wo get
such a chanco again I ' Hang your
country thlck-hcadcdncdsl"
Tho Uttlo man lltorally foamed and
stamped in his impotont fury. Mrs.
Walked, standing at hor cottage win
dow, laughed softly to herself ns sho
watched him.
"Yes, ho'B off," sho repeated. "Trust
Master Charlie for being ono too many
tor such as they. Ho nlwaya was tho
slovcroat Uttlo rascal bless him I And
they may say wlmt thoy llko, his old
nurso ain't a-going to turn on him, let
aim bo what ho will. Ay, yo may rave
ind storm" to tho dotcctlvo from be
hind tho saf& shelter of tho closed
window "but you'll novor catch him
now, He'll bo nboard the yacht and
iway before you'vo oven guessed how
io got there."
"What on earth mndo thorn fools
think wo wan harboring their man?"
iskod Mr. Walker, who was strutting
ap and down tho Uttlo parlor, awolllng
llko an offended turkey-cock. "Did
fou know anything about this "tart,
Jama?" with a sudden suspicion.
"Don't you ask no questions, and you
won't havo no llos told to you," ro-
(olned his partnor oracularly, as sho
brought out tho tea cnAdy and trotted
oft to tho kttchon r Xiako tho ten
Just you go and glvo my roapects to
iho two gentlemen In tho garden, Han
aah," sho Bald to tho snub-nosed maid,
"and ask them It thoy'll stop In and
toko n cup of tea; and bring that has
kot of peas along as you come back;
rou may as well shell 'em when you'ro
ilttlng down this ovonlifg,"
But Mr. Wlddrlngton and tho con
i table wcro past all such puerile con-
r- si f
solatlons as Mrs. Walker's cup of tea.
Mr. James Brown, looking terribly
crestfallen, followed his superior along
the field-path to the spot where Smith
and Varley awaited thorn,
"Tho man's gone," said tho detective,
briefly. "Has anything passed this
way?"
"Not a living thing," answered
Smith, who was from Scotland Yard
"nothing but a hay wagon from the
field yonder. I saw It loading all tho
time."
And Mr. Smith had seen also a tired
laborer, lolling at full length on tho top
of tho hay cart, half asleep, and with
his battered felt hat slouched over his
feco to keep off tho rays of tho sun.
What ho did not seo was tho laborer's
alert descent from hla billowy couch as
soon as tho cart turned the corner, not
tho grin on tho wagoner's face as n
golden sovorclgn was paszed from his
"mato's" hand to his own; and what
ho did not hear was tho laborer's song
flung In a musical voice, too us ho
lurched across tho quiet Holds towards
tho not distant coast. Tho refrain of
that song was peculiar for a bucolic
singer:
"They don't know everything down In
Judco."
CHAPTER XVIH.
Ono weok after our wedding day an
cplatlo reached my wife, the audacity
of which simply overwhelmed tis. Wo
read and reread it, and finally Indulged
In a hearty laugh over It. It was word
ed as follows:
"Juno 18th, 18.
"My Dear Coz. I'm open to a com
promise; tell your lawyers so. I will
mako over Forest Lea to you I don't
caro to live there and you will pay me,
say, half of tho Income. In the -ab-senco
of tho will which Fort asserts
was mndo by our uncle, but which ho
has novor produced, I can of courso
claim tho whole. But wo aro cousins,
and I don't wish to bo hard on you.
Tho old governor ought to havo left
you something, it ho didn't.
"Messrs. Smlthson and Wright, of
Russell street, Russell squaro, havo In-
D REREAD IT.
structlons from mo to nogotlato tho
manor with your solicitors the Row
tonfl, I Biipposo nnd tho sooner It Is
settled tho hotter. Your affoctlonnto
cousin, Charles Branscombo.
"N. B. I consider my proposal n
very liberal ono."
"What will you do?" I nsked Nona
presently.
"I should llko him to havo what ho
asks for," sho replied, locking timidly
at mo. "Forest Lea will bo Bafo then
that Is what my undo was unxlous
about and poor Charllo will not bo
tcmptod to do wrong again."
"Perhaps not," I assented dryly.
"Wo nro so rich" my wife's hand
stolo out t3 mlno "and so bo happy I"
Blio said, with that oxqulslto blush of
hors; "wo don't want all that money,
do wo 7
"I want nothing but you, darling," I
nnsworod.. "You shall do as you llko
with tho rest."
"Thank you," sho returned fervently,
"Then you will wrlto, will you not, and
tell Mr. Rowton to havo It all Bottled
with thoso people? I havo been so un
happy about Charllo; It has been the
ono drawback to all my my happiness,
Sldnoy" tho tears were In her oyes
"the thought of Chnrlle, outcast and
disinherited and miserable. You know
wo woro Uttlo chlldron together; nnd
poverty for Charllo would mean tempt
atlon. Now, with nn Income, ho can
marry and sottlo down, and "
"And you aro euro you did not re
grot that you "
"Qulto-qulte suro. Oh, Sldnoy, how
can you bo so foolish 7" murmured my
wlfo, wltn her head on my shoulder,
"You don't know how Jealous I have
been of your cousin Charllo," I con
fessed. "I could not bollovo In my own
happiness It seemed too great; and
you will admit that I had some ground
for my doubts nnd suspicions,"
"vou wero very loousn ana very
blind," repeated my wife. "Charlie
and I wero nothing more than brother
and slstor,"
"Did he never ask you to bo some
thing more?" I Inquired. "That day,
when I met you together, for In
stance?" "You have no right to ask me such
questions," Nona replied with dignity;
"nnd If you please, wo will talk busi
ness." "Yes, we will talk business," I as
sented. "Do you know, my dearest,
that In tho present phase of the affair,
It is Mr. Branscombo who gives you
tho half of Forest Lea not you who
glvo It to him. Without tho will, which
clearly ho does not Intend to surren
der, ho Id tho possessor of tho estate."
"Does It matter?" asked my wife.
"No," I answered, shrugging my
shoulders. "It Is simply a detail."
"And thcro will bo nothing to pre
vent tho compromise?" asked this de
termined little woman, anxiously.
"Nothing excepting tho restitution
of tho will. You could not, in that case,
glvo away anything."
"Then I hope It will never bo re
stored. In fact," eald my wife with
emphasis, "I would not recclvo It; I
would destroy It."
"Then you must not tako mo Into
your confidence," I laughed. "I can't
havo anything to do with compounding
n felony."
Nona was never tempted to carry
her threat Into execution. Charllo
Branscombe's troublcsomo career camo
to a BUddcn end by the bursting of an
overcharged rlflo on a hunting expedi
tion; and amongst tho papers handed
over to us by a foreign banker was tho
m.'sslng will.
It was not without some natural
tears to his memory that hla faithful
hearted cousin accepted at last her In
heritance; and, If sho Is now consoled
by tho fair bright face of a young Har
old Branscombo Fort, who, aa second
oon, Is to bo tho heir as ho is -the
namesake of tho good old colonel, sho
still loves to traco In tho frank, deli
cate features a likeness to the lost
plnymato of her youth.
And I am no longer Jcalou3.
(Tho End.)
CURIOUS PETS FOR WOMEN.
Somo minds aro strikingly original,
oven In tho cholco of pets. Certainly
this waH tho enso with tho wlfo of a
gontlcmnn farmer who mado n pot of a
pig. Tho animal lost Us mother early,
and tho lady, taking pity on tho Uttlo
orphan, boro It oft to tho kitchen,
whore sho succeeded by tho aid of a
feeding bottle, in rearing it.
Tho pig becamo n great pot, and
used to follow its owner llko a dog. It
could hardly havo been its outward at
traction that won her heart; it must
havo been its qualities which endeared
It to her.
Another very singular pet was that
of ft frog, which was tamed by a young
girl In tho country and would como out
from under the leaves at her approach
to bo fed with a strawberry.
A lady who was confined to her room
had n fowl which, beforo her illness,
was a constant companion. It used to
bo regularly brought to her room every
morning to sco her nnd bo fed by nor
own hands, nnd allowed to tako a
short walk about her room.
Another member of tho femlnlno
gender actually mado u pet of a tur
key, and declared It should "never bo
eaten, but dlo In Its own good tlmo,"
which It did of old age.
A much more extraordinary lnstanco
of n strnngo pet, for a woman, nt nny
rato, wus where nn old lady so far
ovcrcamo tho natural repugnanco of
hor sex as to tamo a mouse which hnd
been caught In her storo cupboard. So
successful was her treatment that at
Inst tho tiny nnlmal would take crumbs
from Uh mistress' fingers. Woman's
Life.
THE BEST OF IT.
Anil Still Lovely Woman Is Claniotlng
fur Her KlctitJ.
Evory man has his day; but thanks
to his gallantry, woman has every day.
It reasonably Indulgent, sho Is mis
tress of her destiny. Sho has hor fin
ger In nil sorts of pic, writes Joan Po
tago in tho Boston Homo Journal. Her
bIiib nro forgiven hor. If Bho murders
a man who has failed to treat her llko
tho perfect lady sho was not, tho Jury
Ib pretty npt to acquit her, tnklng Into
consideration tho naughtiness of tho
man. On tho other hnnd If alio treats
n man nnstlly, and ho does hor quietus
mnko with a largo bodkin, twolvo good
men nnd truo dlsbcllovo his story and
order him to tho senffold. If sho buos
her- lover for brench of promlso, sho
gets at least n part of what sho sues
for. It ho sues her ho gets tho ha-ha
from all tho newspapers. In caso of n
quarrel In which sho Is to blamo, shV)
has a court of Inst resort which la
closed to mankind sho can always
shed tears when sho finds thlnga nro
not going her way. If Bho loses n
part of woman's glory hor golden
locks sho may ploco out tho remain
dor with soino adroitly commingled
curls, to tho eternal deception of tho
public, nnd so never hear tho romarks
of dorlalon turned toward hor bald
headed .husband. It she's an actress
Bho can play Juliet and Hamlet both,
whllo tho male Thespian, though ho
mny mnko a better Hamlet; Is preclud
ed by public prejudice and nn lnslplent
black beard from over looking at tho
moonlight and asking Romeo whero
toro ho Is Romeo. And still she asks
for her "rights" and seeks for "power.
Tho first person who asked for tho
earth, and then scolded bocauso It was
not fried on both aides nnd turned
ever, must havo been of tho box that
brought Adam to grief with an applo,
An Induitrlous man with good sons
foc&n't havo to depend upon luck.
CAMPMRE SKETCHES.
QOOD SHORT STORIES FOR
THE VETERANS.
A Garfield Anecdote Corporal IMininla
Not a Hero, lie Is Only an Oriltnnrjr
Itegular Cuiter's Joke on Osborn
Contrary to Itegnlntlona.
Memorial Day.
O'er tho breadth of a great republic,
From
Whatever tho Btars of hor banner
Gleam out to tho light of morn;
From tho depth of her eraln-sown vat-
The fllnnpit nt l,ir wnmlarl liltta
In tho song of hor wind-swept p'rnlrlcs,
ino rnymo or iter pcaccrui rills,
Comes tho noiseless tramp of nn army,
EShadotVV. slim! nn.l rrrnv
An army, though vanished Its legions,
am uvea in our Hearts to-uay,
To the men who from field nnd forum
Uproso nt tho country's crv.
Their lives, It their need, for tho honor,
ineir nonor ror her to die:
Who, seizing tho gun for tho plowshure,
And grasping tho sword for the pen,
Went forth nn uriny of patriots,
Of nobln nnd free-born men;
'TIs to those a hand of n nation
Its tributes of lovo will tin v.
Wherever tho gravo of a soldier
biiau hollow its soil to-day.
Not with branches of yow nor cypress,
But with roses and blossoms sweet:
With nmnrnnth nnd laurel above them,
And henrt's-enso fulr nt their foot,
Whllo softer than tho winds of thb Sum
mer
And sweeter than roses' bloom.
Aro tho memories nnd lovo which gather
And brighten ench si ent tomb:
And though Time In his march triumph
ant
licnds alt to his fliinl swnv.
Yet tho touch of tho Qrcat Eternal
Is nearer than ho to-day.
O'er theso graven whero nil strlfo Is
ended,
Whero the past nnd Its memories llo.
niro tho grateful hearts of the pcoplo
In prayer to tho Lord Most Hlch
For the hope of a prosperous future,
tuo gracious girt of Ills hand;
For n great nnd united nation,
A rreo nnd n fruitful land:
For Ills nngcl of Pence, whoso pinions
stretch over that land to-day:
For the lovo that clnspeth us brothers
Tho hands of tho blue nnd gray.
Beatrice H'nrlowo In the "Women's
Home Companion."
Corporal Kdwnnl Not a Hern.
Tho deluded followers of Agulnaldo
nro running up against a lot of marks
manship that would bo the wonder or
tho world wero It accomplished by any
except American troops. Generally
speaking, the cntlro civilized world
knows how well the men who wear
tho United States uniform can shoot,
but In tho array of accurato flro there
are exceptions, and an ofllcer Just re
turned from Manila tells of ono of
theso. With American ndvanco Is an
Individual known as Edwards. Ho Is
a corporal In tho Third United States
artillery, now serving as infantry, and
beyond tho fact that ho gavo Kentucky
as his home, nothing Is known of him.
Yet the blood of Daniel Boone, Mor
gan, Ballard, Dave Bowlo and a host
of others famous on tho pnges of fron
tier history must flow in his veins, or
clao thero Is something in tho Blue
Grass country that still makes marks
men. Edwnrd8 Is a regular, not a hero,
hence his Uttlo exploit with a covoy
ot tho dusky-skinned natives of Luzon
has not been previously reported. Ho
was sent on the advance tb scout,, and
with three companions wa3 carefully
moving through a country all swamps
and bamboo thickets, when he was
fired on by a hidden foe. Divining that
tho shots came from a clump of bushes
a hundred yards away, Edwards
charged tho clump. He was all alone
in the charge, but ho did not mind
that. At his first rush four natives
broke cover and made a dash to get
away. They had a full 100 yards' start
nnd hnd only ICO yards to go across
open country beforo reaching a denao
swamp. Right hero Edwards showed
how ho could shoot. Ho carried the
regular Krag service piece and had
five shells In tho magazine, with one
In tho barrel. He opened flro and flvo
times tho Krag spit flame and steel-
Jackoted bullets. Then all tho natives
were down. An examination of their
bodies showed thnt tho first was hit
In tho napo ot tho neck; his spine was
Bpllntered nnd ho tell dead. Tho sec
ond wns hit full between the shoul
ders, his splno cut In twnin, and ho was
dead. Tho third was shot plumb
through tho small of tho back, the
splno being shattered to flinders. Tho
fourth man nlono escaped Instant
death, and at him Edwards fired twice.
Tho first ball crashed through ono of
his hips nnd crushed the Joint, and cro
ho could fall another toro through hla
Jaw about on n lino with his wisdom
teeth, If ho had nny, and from tho
two wounds ho died In ten minutes.
Edwards still had a sholl In his gun,
but thero wero no moro Filipinos In
sight. Philadelphia Press.
A (lurllnlil Anecdote.
"Mr. W. E. Fnslg wns surrounded by
a knot of horsemen, nnsworlng qucs
ttons ns to tho record of this horso
and that, until boiuo ono twitted on tho
cxcollonco of his memory," says the
Clovoland Plain Dealer. "Well," he
said, "my memory Is protty good, but I
can tell you of a man who had a re
markable memory, and that was tho
lato President James A. Garfield.
When I was 10 years old I ran nway
from school nnd enlisted In Garfield's
regiment, tho Forty-second Ohio. Down
in eastern Kentucky, Garfield, who, al
though only a colonol.wns brigade com
mander, organized a raid on Pound
Gap, a atrong position, nnd pcr8onally
Bolcctcd a detachmont from each com
pauy In the rcglmont to tako part In
the attack. I wasn't lucky enough to
be selected for the work, but I was
crazy to go, and when tho cavalry
started out I borrowed a mulo from tho
quartermaster when he wasn't looking,
and wont with tho mounted troops,
who hid me. In due season I found my
regiment, tied my mule, nnd Joined the
ranks. Well, wo took tho place. Th?n
I went back to my mulo and mado
tracks for tho camp. It was dark, nnd
I lost my way, nnd remained missing
for five days. Atter I returned I was
marched up to Garfield, who examined
me, listened to what I had to say,
and then sent mo to my tent under ar
rest, telling mo I would bo court-martialed.
Five minutes later a boat camo
down tho river, carrying Garfield's
commission as a brigadier general, and
ordering him to Join Thomas with his
command, nnd in tho flurry my caso
was forgotten. Years after tho war I
attended a reunion of my regiment In
Ashland, and tho first thing Garfield
said when ho saw mo was: 'Look here,
Faslg, you never had that court-mar
tlal I promised you.' "
Cutter's Joke on Othorn.
Chicago Record: The lato Charles
Osborn, tho Now York broker, and
General Custer wcro Intimate friends,
nnd Osborn annually visited tho gen
eral at his camp on the plains. Dur
ing ono of tho Indian campaigns ho In
vited Osborn nnd a party of friends out
to Kansas, and after giving them n
buffalo hunt, arranged a novel expe
rience In tho way of an Indian Bcare.
As O'born wns lying In his tont ono
night firing wns heard at tho outposts
and tho rapid riding of pickets. "Boots
and saddles" was tho order In tho dis
turbed ntmosphero of tho night, nnd
Custer appeared to Osborn loaded with
rifle, two revolvers, a saber and n
scalping knife. "Charley," ho said, In
hla quick, nervous way, "you must do
fend yourself. Sitting -Bull and Flea-in-Your-Boots,
with Wigglo-Tnll-Jlm
and Scalp-Lock Skowhcgan, aro on us
In force. I didn't want to alarm you
beforo, but tho safety of my command
Is my first duty. Things look serious.
If wo don't meet again, God bless you."
Tho broker fell on his knees. "My
God, Custer," ho cried, "only get mo
out of this! I'll carry 1,000,000 shares
of Western Union for you Into tho
firm to got mo home. Only save me."
But Custer wns gone, and the camp by
shrewd arrangement burst Into ft blaze,
and shots, oaths and war-whoops woro
Intermixed, until suddenly a painted
object loomed on Osborn's sight, and
something was flung Into his face a
human Bcalp. Ho dropped to tho
ground, Eald tho Lord's prayer, back
ward, forward and sideways, until tho
nolso died away, and thero wns ex
posed a lighted suppor tablo, with this
explanation on n transparency:
"Osborn's treat!"
How a Doll Averted Wnr.
From the Phllaoelphla Times: A
strange story Is told of how a child's
plaything onco hnd a soothing Influenco
upon a warlltib Apache trlbo, and was
tho means of avoiding a serious war.
It happened when Mr. Bourko was In
Arizona with General Crook. Tho gen
eral wa3 trying to put a band of Apach
es back on the reserve, but could not
catch them without killing them, and
that ho did not want to do. Ono day
his men captured a Uttlo Indian girl
and took hor to tho fort. Sho was
qulot all clay, saying not a word, but
her black beads of eyes watched every
thing. When night came, however, Bho
broke down nnd sobbed Just as any
whlto child would have. done. Thoy
tried in vain to comfort her, and then
Mr. Bourko had an Idea. From tho
adjutant's wife ho borrowed a pretty
doll that belonged to her Uttlo daugh
ter, nnd when tho young Apncho was
mado to understand that it was hers to
keep, her sobs ceased and sho fell
asleep. When morning camo tho doll
wns still clasped in her arms. Sho
played with It nil day, and apparently
all thought of ever getting back to her
tribe had left her. Several days passed
and as no overtures about tho return of
the papooso had been mado by tho
trlbo, they sent her, with tho doll still
in hor possession, baclc to her people.
Mr. Bourko hat) no idea of the effect
his benovolcnt act would havo upon
tho Indians. When tho child reached
them, with tho pretty doll In Its chubby
hands, It mado a great sensation nmong
them, and Inter on Its mother came
back to the post with It. She was kind
ly received and hospitably treatod, and
through her tho trlbo wns soon after
ward persuaded to move back to tho
reserve.
American Mnrksimtntliip.
It was said during the lato war with
Spain that America's success was duo
to the fuct that her sailors could shoot
straight. Skill ot that kind Is no new
thing for Americans. As far back as
1775 It was found that tho marksmen
of this land could stand n test specially
designed to throw out nil but tho most
oxpert. Harper's Mngazlno reminds its
readers of tho Juno of that year, when
congress passed n resolution creating
a corps of sharpshooters. Couriers on
relays of Bwlft horses carried tho news
to tho various county committees on
tho frontier. In less than sixty dnys
from the dato of the resolution, four
teen hundred nnd thirty, instead ot
tho eight hundred and ten men re
quired, had been raised, and had Joined
the nrmy, marching from four to seven
hundred miles over difficult roads, and
all without costing the continental
treasury a farthing. Volunteers had
poured Into the Uttlo recruiting sta
tions In such numbers ns to embarrass
tho ofllcors, who would gladly have
been spared tho duty of discriminating.
Ono of these officers, beset by many
moro applicants than his Instructions
permitted him to enroll, hit upon a
clever expedient. Tnklng a ploco of
chalk, ho drow upon n blackened board
tho figuro ot n man's nose, and placing
this at such a dlstanco that nono but
experts could hit It with a bullet, ho
declared that ho would enlist only
thoso who ahot nearest to tho mark.
Moro than sixty mon hit tho noso. So
much for American mnrkmanshlp In
revolutionary times.
POINTERS ON MOSQUITOES.
Mate It n Jlmlclun, but Female Is
llloodthlrHy.
When a man hears for the first time
ihat it Is tho femalo mosquito that
does all the biting It mnkes him feel
right glad. Further comfort Is afforded
by tho knowledge that tho male mos
quito has probably the keenest musical
sensibilities ot any of his class of In
sects. Ho has qutto a brush ot hairs
on his antennae, and with them ho
hears. Mayer stuck ono of his kind
on a glass plato nnd sounded tuning
forks about. When ono tone was made
certain hairs would vibrate, while all
tho others wero still, Another tone
would start another set to vibrating,
'and bo on. Also, If tho tuning fork
wcro nt ono side of the mosquito, tho
hairs on that antennae trembled most
violently, so that when tho male hears
or, rather, feels tho voice of his bo
loved In one antennae, ho wheels about
so that vibration is equal In both and
files straight ahead to meot her. That
is nbout all thcro is to tho male mos
quito, though, except that ho cannot
bite, for tho sufficient reason that ho
has no apparatus with which to saw
through the skin. So to speak, ho hns
tho pumps, but no drill. But the fe
malo is thoroughly equipped for get
ting through oven a politician's hldo.
Tho only mystery is what possesses
her to want to blto at all. How did
sho como by her hankering for blood?
The scientists give it up. If sho laid
her eggs in tho wound, llko the carrion
fly, It would be easy to answer tho
question, but she doesn't. If she stung
to defend herself, llko tho wasp, It
would be easy. It must bo her brutal
passion for blood that prompts hor to
attack helpless human beings. Sho
cannot get this craving by Inheritance,
for the chances aro that nono of her
ancestors ns far back as William tho
Conqueror over had a tasto of human
blood, and yet sit out on your front
stoop of an evening, and a .mosquito,
not half nn hour out of the water, will
make as straight for you as if sho had
been "born for that purpose When
ono thinks of the great clouds of theso
torments thnt live and dlo in swamps
where no warm-blooded animal over
comes, for fear of being mired, ono can
easily believe tho estimate of entomol
ogists that not one In n million over
snmples red blood. Alnalee's Maga
zlno.
JEFFERSON DAVIS HOME.
Tho House Which Ho Itullt nnd Lived
In Whoa nn Onieor.
At Fort Gibson, Indian Terrltory.ono
of Undo Sam's deserted army poets,
stands a two-story house, part frame
and part log, that was for a time the
most pretentious residence in the ra
dius of COO miles, but now stands de
serted by all savo bats and owls and
now and then a stray hoot owl, whoso
dismal and lonesome cry only brings
back long forgotten memories of what
this house has been. The house was
built In 1848 by Jefferson Davis, ex
presldent of the Southern Confederacy,
who at that time was an officer In tho
United States army. It was hero that
Davis was in the zenith of nis glory
as a defender of tho United States flag.
It was hero that Davis, then a lieuten
ant, fell In lovo with, wooed and won
his wife, tho daughter of Gen. Taylor.
Tho post was a wild and woolly spot
In thoso days. It was tho only trading
point for miles around and was Infest
ed with gamblers, desperadoes, Indian
traders, fugitives from Justlco In tho
States, with now and then a gang of
cowboys, who would como In to tho
post to get "red eye" and Incidentally
shoot up tho town and anybody who
objected to them shooting up the town.
Here In the shadow almost of the post
havo arisen and thrived such desper
adoes as tho James gang, the Daltous,
tho Starrs, Cherokeo Bill, etc., who ter
rorized tho country for so long until
civilization and tho farmers cleaned
them out. This old house has seen
many stirring times; it has sheltered
many fair women and brave men, and
If it had a tongue, it could doubtless
tell many state secrets as well as many
Interesting stories of tho oarly days In
tho Indian Territory. Tho post wob
deserted In 1892 and now only a few
buildings stand where thero was once
a thriving post of several thousand
souls, and whero tho deer nnd turkey
used to roam In the broad prairie, al
most In pistol shot of this houso, aro
neat and cosy farm houaea, surround
ed with peace and plenty. Such la
tho paeslng of tho "wild and woolly"
day In tho Indian Territory.
I'gg from n CI rent Aulc Hold for Sl.aoii
An egg ot tho great auk was sold at
auction for 300 gulneaa, sayB tho Lon
don Standard. J. C. Stevens, tho auc
tioned said that In 1834 tho Comto
do Raoul do Beraco bought the egg
from the owner of n St. Malo fishing
smack. Tho count's collection was
purchased by Baron d'Hammonville.
Tho egg to be sold was ono of four
great auk eggs belonging to tho baron.
Thero wero soventy-onq recorded eggs
of tho great auk, twenty-four of them
being In muaoums and forty-two In prl
vato hands; fifty-two wero In British
collections. Tho first egg which tho
baron sent over fetched a record price,
at tho time, ot 300 guineas. The egg
now submitted, although not having
tho finest marks, was, porhaps, tho
largest over offered for sale, being
threo and three-quarters Inches in
length.
A DIITerunce.
Putting nnd blowing are often con
sidered as synonymous terms. You
will dl8cover a difference, however, If
instead ot pulling a man up, you should
blow him up. Spare Moments.
Lot death do what it will, thero j
Just ono thing It cannot destroy, and
that is life. George Macdonnld.