GENIUS.
Once at the throno of Jovo a youth appeared
Seeming of tender age and gently reared,
And being sore distressed; with humbled head,
lie paused before the throne, and thus ho said:
"God of the gods! a prisoner of woe,
I conic before thee, for I fain would know
Who the Immortal sire from whence I came;
The world my home and Genius is my name.
To Delphi's oracle they brought the youth,
And thus, the god advised, to learn the truth.
"Here now in suppliance bow unto the earth,
Seek not by words to know who gave thee birth;
4 " Hut lot tlie soul breathe forth thy heart's desire,
It Is Jove's will, as well, to know thy sire."
Lol when his trembling knees first touched the soil,
The voice exclaimed: "Genius, thy slro was Toll."
-Four-Track News.
The Last of the Leveridges.
rp lilt RE of a kind," said Mono
Levorldge, gating after her hus
band as he drove away from the
dooryard on his way to the station to
fetch Aline Register, her dearest
friend, whom she had Invited on a
visit with a purpose.
She would have preferred her hus
band driving something quieter than
those fiery chestnuts, but they were
three of a kind, and perhaps the brutes
understood their fiery master as well as
he understood them.
At any rate, she had other occupa
tion than watching him any longer.
There- were flowers still to be put Into
Allno's room and her own dinner toi
lette to make.
For her own sake, as well as Alme's,
she wanted to "patch up that old af
fair." With ltafe Stillman at the oth
er end of the globe it had mattered lit
tle. But with Rafo back home, her
next door neighbor as country neigh
bors go with lloraco cruelly alive to
every incident In her own past that
did not concern him personally, the fu
ture had its breakers.
She bad not married the last of the
Leveridges unwarned. Prophecy had
-Jield up Its ghastly finger, she "would
regret it." "The Leveridges were not
as other men," but with a toss of her
pretty head she had assured the croak
ers that that was one thing she loved
him for.
Across the long, sloping approach to
his own outer gate; adown tho dusty
gray highway, witu Its vivid border of
bushes; into tho twilight gloom of the
forest growth that marked the boun
dary line between the Leverldge and
the Stillman places, Leverldge guided
his high-mettled team, pleasantly ox
hllarated by tho spirited resistance to
control manifested by his beautiful
brutes.
Suddenly, with snorts of terror, they
swerved, carrying the vehicle well out
-of the road. They had taken fright at
a thoroughly commonplace object an
old-man .standing on the roadside inno
cently engaged in winding bits of
twine about tho saddle girth that had
treacherously broken, leaving him dis
mounted from the horse that improved
Jiis opportunities by grazing. It was
his own stableman. A fact which Lev
erldge recognized with a heavy outflash
it of temper.
"You infernal old Idler, why are you
not at work?"
Tho old man doffed his ragged hat
deferentially.
"I told missus I didn't think I haa
time to go, but she say, I must."
Levorldge leaned toward tho old
man with darkening eyes: "Go where V"
"Over to Mis Stlllman's."
"For what?"
"To carry a letter."
"To Mrs. Stillman?"
"I don't know, sir. Missus Jus' give
me tills an' she say I worn't to wait
for no answer."
With confiding frankness the old
man extracted a note from the crown
of his brlmless hat, and put It into
tho hand eagerly .stretched out for it.
It was addressed to Rnfe Sttlltnait
Leverldge turned It over with unsteady
fingers. It was sealed with a looseness
that invited treachery.
"I used to be accounted a gentle
man," ho snarled, in an undertone '
faltered a second, and In another one
was In full possession of the contents
of the hastily sealed envelope:
"Mr. Leverldge goes out this morn
ing. You had better come over early
If you want a good day with the
snipe."
The address and the signature were
brief to etirtness. "Mr. Stillman," and
"M. R. Leverldge." Horace replaced
the Intercepted note In Its envelope,
and Bat staring at It so long that his
wlfo's messenger ventured to ask:
"Is you going to deliver It, Mr. Hor
ace?" "No." The man In the drag handed
back the note. "You are to deliver It
according to your mistress' orders.
And, Munson" his voice was tense In
Its enforced composure "you will go
as fast as if the devil was spurring
your beust. Deliver that note and
some back here to me. I, too, hove a
note for you to deliver, it is only a
mile by the Cypress Walk. Five shil
lings If you are back here in half an
hour; dismissal from the place if you
are not."
"I'll be hero, sir."
Leverldge straightened himself in
tho drag as the old man cantered out
of sight. DIo had some few prepara
Hons to make. Of course, lie suouhl
have to kill Stillman. As well then
mill thorn as at any other time. He
laughed unpleasantly. It was odd ho
should have his gun under the seat of
the drag. He bad meant to leavo It
with the smith in town to be cleaned.
lie tore a page from his pocket diary
and wrote his courteous regrets that
circumstances rendered it inconvenient
for him to fetch MIbs Register from
tho station.
"I have a little matter to settle with
Mr. Stillman," he wrote, "that may In
terfere with his snipe shooting. Sorry
to have spoiled your little plan for a
pleasant day. Your pardon ror a
rather free interpretation of marital
rights."
As old Munson reappeared, Hurried
and heated, but punctual, his master
sprang from the drag and shook the
reins impatiently toward him
"You delivered the note to Mr. Still
man himself?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good, nere, you ace to drive the
beasts home. Let them cool off before
watering them. After you have stabled
them and rubbed them down, take this
note up to the house and deliver it to
Mrs. Leverldge. Not before you have
attended to the horses. You under
stand?"
The old man recoiled in terror.
"Me drive thim devils home, sir?"
"You." The answer dropped like a
stone, cold, hurd, resolute.
Munson glanced nervously from the
foam-flecked brutes to their master,
whoso delicate features were distorted
with black rage. Of the two, the chest
nuts inspired him with less terror. He
obeyed tho imperious order.
Something was wrong. He could not
puzzle it out. Something had put Mr,
Horace into one of his "ways," and he
would as soon be out of range of his
fierce temper as not. But "If the good
Lord spared him to get homo with
them four-footed devils," he was go
lug right straight to his mistress and
make a clean breast of it.
On one of her numerous trips to the
terrace, Mona, rostlessly watchful for
the coming of Rafe in time for her to
prepare him for Allne's advent, saw
the old man driving at a rate that
bespoke something wrong. Every drop
of blood had deserted her cheeks by
the time the old man was near enough
to be questioned.
"Where is Mr. Leverldge, Munson?
Why are you driving tho chestnuts?"
"I left hfm back yonder at the cross
roads, missus, and "
"Doing what?"
"Just waitln', seemed like."
"Waiting for what?"
"i uoirt Know, missus. Tuls poor
olii nead of mine is all a-whirllng
with 2. The Leverldge men-folks is
surely hard to keep up with. Mebbe
this will clear it up. I warn't to give
It to you till I rubbed the horses down,
but they can wait. I seem to feel
danger In my bones."
Mona seized tho envelope he extend
ed. In another moment Horace's bit
ing words had scorched themselves
upon her brain. She made a step for
ward, stopped and pressed her hands
over her eyes in a paroxysm of physical
terror. Could she do It? She must.
All bareheaded and ungloved as sho
was, she sprang Into the drag and
gathered the long reins in her slight,
untrained hands. Munson, who had
dismounted to deliver the note, sprang
to the brutes' heads, and laid a detain
ing grasp on their bridles.
"Missus, missus, what are you think
ing of doing? They'll kill you, my
sweet mistress. They Is all fretted out
with excitement now. Don't leave tho
old man behind, missus."
"Stand aside they will trample you
down!"
She planted her little feet rigidly
against the dashboard. Her dinner
govra of shimmering silk glistened In
the sunshine. She swayed with tho
swift onrushlng of the chestnuts, about
whose oars she had laid tho whip with
ignorant energy.
Doubtless they would kill her. Sho
rather expected It, but she must reach
the cross-roads first bofore Rafo Still
man got there.
Horace Leverldge, standing face to
face with tho man whom ho had piti
lessly Insulted into an agreement to
settle tho matters there and then, saw
a glittering spectacle advancing upon
them with the speed of a well-aimed
arrow.
Mona's hair had escaped all bounds.
Like a veil of some yellow silken fab
ric It fell about her pallid face. The
sun shone full upon the glittering har
ness, upon the tawny manes of her
steeds, and upon the diamond pin sho
had donned with her dinner costume.
They were all a-glltter. She stood up
In the drag to cry aloud
"Horace, my husband, are you mad?
stopl Let me explain."
As she drew rein or tried to curb the
excited animals he cast a bitter look
at her.
"The lime for explanations has gone,
Mrs. Leverldge. Perhaps you may as
well witness the consummation of your
own work."
"My work?"
He lifted his gun resolutely to his
shoulder. Stillman as resolutely
grounded his. Murder was about to
be committed before her eyes. With
a strenuous turn of hor dollcato wrists,
which left them powerless for further
action, Mona brought the horses' heads
about Just In time to Intercept the bul
let omed at Stlllman's heart. It went
crashing through the back of the vehi
cle. Leverldge had nover once loosed
his touch upon the trigger.
With wild snorts of terror the mod
dened chestnuts swerved ond dashed
out of sight. Tho reins fell from
Mona's helpless hands. She sank to
tho bottom of the drag. Her destruc
tion was a matter of mere minutes,
Perhaps seconds. She felt strangely
indl&erent to everything. Only she
wanted not to suffer very long.
On, on, swifter, still faster, now
swinging her frail cradle clear of the
uneven ground: now thundering across
a wooden bridge that gave back hollow
echoes to the Iron-shod feet; now rush
Ing with smooth vehemenco by the
side of a flower-fringed streamlet, the
chestnuts bore her forward to meet
her fate.
Rescue wus impossible, aud she
knew It. She opened her eyes and gaz
ed heavenward, prayerfully. There
was so much she would like to unoo if
she had time. Sho was not praying
There was no time left for prayer. A
black-winged bird In a turquoise sky
was the one object her falling senses
grasped.
How serenely it sonred on broad
slow wings, fur, far above the turbn
lent world she was hastening ojt of
Would those brutes never oxhaust
their demoniacal strength? Would ITor
ace suffer very keen remorse when he
came to learn how things really stood?
Perhaps, after all, sho was escaping
long, weary yeurs of a hopeless strug
gle to adjust the unadjustable. How
little it all mattered now? How far
awa.v. how small, how unreal the
world, trouble, hope, disappointment,
It was something like getting to the
end of a tiresome story which present
ly she would forget all about.
The chestnuts paused for a second
on the brook side. A violent downward
plunge space seemed suddenly to en
velop their rushing feet. The world
reeled. Tho busy brain stopped like a
rudely larred watch snriug. Two
small, white hands wero stretched do
spalrlngly to grasp at something any
thing. The ashen tints of November en
wrapped the woods where Horace Lev
erldge had invited his doom. Aline
Register still lingered at Leveridgo
Hall a loving mlnistrant to Its widow
ed mistress. But Rafo was waxing
Impatient and she must tell Mona that
her wedding day was fixed. Sho kneel
ed by her friend's lounge.
".Mona, you onco said you had
wronged mo because Rafe's fancy
strayed toward you, small blame to
him, dear. How can I ever ask your
pardon for all I havo Innocently
brought upon you?"
Mona laid a silencing finger upon the
girl's lips.
"It was not your fault. It was not
mine. My poor Horace! I am glad he
knew the truth before ho turned his
gun upon himself. My granite refused
to be chiseled, Aline, although love
held the chisel In a flrmgra p. Per
haps, If I had not wearied In well do
ing It might all have come right in
the end."
There were those who said on hear
ing that in a paroxysm of remorse
Horace Leverldge had taken his own
life, supposing Mona dead that the
Lord must surely havo repented him
of over creating the Loverldgea, and
tho woman who thought sho could
mold them was either very presumptu
ous or very silly.
"But she Is young," the kindly gos
sips said, "and heart-wounds heal
quickly. ?ralse be to an all-wise dis
pensation." Illustrated Bits.
cience
vention
An enormous umount of care and la
bor and n great length of time are re
quired In the making of tho turbines of
ocean-going vessels and it is this that
renders tho building of turbine steam
ships so expensive. Tho first ocean
Inor of tho turblno type recently mado
ts maiden trip across the ocean. Thero
were no fewer thun l.ROO.OOO separato
pieces used in tho building of the three
turbines by which the vessels were
driven.
Among the new industries that have
been developed by the exigencies of
modern life, none is more surprising
than that of supplying human skin.
Experiments In grafting to cover ex
tensive Injuries have been so success
ful that there Is considerable demand
for live skin, and the London hospitals
have long lists of men and women
not all of the very poor class who are
ready to sell their flesli when it is
wanted.
Sir William Ramsay believes that It
Is quite possible that in some cases
bread is radio-active. Ho thinks that
the radlo-actlvlty would not do any
harm, as is shown by the presence of
radium in the waters at Bath and at
Wiesbaden. In both cases tho water
lias to be drunk on the spot in order to
get the full value of the cure. Sir
William Ramsay thinks that this is
partly due to the radio-active proper
ties of tho water, lie Is Inclined to
think that there ore radio active gases
in the air. Tho "freshness" of tho air
at certain times ho believes Is duo to
their presence
Tiio arrival in London of a specimen
of the bird-eating spider calls renewed
attention to a little known insect that
Is more powerful than the famous Ta
rantula. It is tho largest spider known,
and Its tropical South American home
It spins' very formidable webs for
catching humming birds and finches
Instead of files. When the enormously
strong threads ore spun across little
frequented roads they often strlko the
faces of travelers with great violonce.
The body of the spider Is often three
Inches long and as largo as a lien's egg,
ond Its horrible, aspect Is Increased by
the long, hairy legs.
A huge electro-magnet lias been in
stalled in a certain hospital in En
gland. It drew out spllntors of steel
which had become lodged In the eyes
of patients. In one Instance Jt drew
out a pieco of a hammer neaa which
had been driven into the muscles of u
patient's upper arm and in another
case drew out a piece of a cold chisel
In a forearm. Tho success of the mag
net Is said to have been complete, the
fragments of the metal appearing
quickly on tho polo of tho magnet. , It
Is suggested that such an electro-mag
net could be of great use, in military
hospitals for the removal of pieces of
shell and steel bullets.
According to tho investigations of
Professor John B. Smith, it is not so
easy to destroy tho mosquito as some
persons Imagine. The eggs of the salt
marsh mosquito, for instance, may re
main in dried mud for mouths, and yet
a large percentage of them will hatch
out within a few hours after becom
ing covered with water. The remain
dcr lie dormant until the first lot lias
reached full growth, and then, if still
submerged, most of them also will
hatch out. A few eggs of each brood
lie over .to the following year, and all
tho eggs of the last autumn brood hlber
nate. The consequence is that the first
spring mosquito swarm Is the largest
of the season, and migrating adults of
this brood live until September, swell
Ing the number of midsummer mosqui
toes.
SKYSCRAPER 8CHOOL8.
Dooru and J)enka Should lie Fire Proof
No Chnnco on Fire.
In a day of big things largo school
buildings are naturally to be expected,
but a plan under consideration by the
New York school authorities raised the
question whether slzo may not bo car
ried to a ridiculous Aud dangerous ex
treme. The plan contemplates tho croc
Hon of a school bulldlnc: "ten nr mnrn
stories in height" and intended to ac-
commodate no less than 8.000 children,
It will have about fifteen class rooins
on each floor, or ISO In all. The struc
ture will bo fireproof, only desks and
doors being inilammable, and If the fire
should break out in one room it could
bo closed until tho Humes had burned
themselves out. Transportation from
floor to floor will be furnished by ele
vators.
Such is the scheme, which will make
those gusp who recall tho "little red
school house" and the modest but hind
oquate city school buildings of not
many years ago. It Is very impressive,
but would be rather more Interesting
if the New York authorities should
toll how they proposo to overcome cer
tain objections that come at once to
mind.
Why, for example, should doors and
desks bo combustible in those days of
flroproofed wood? Again, no skyscrup
or in New York houses as many people
as It is proposed to crowd iriltfithis up
todate school house; and tenants ol
office buildings and the like do not ar-
rive and depart at tho same hour and
moment twlco a day, each morning and
afternoon, as do the pupils of a publlo
school. Thcso eight regiments of chil
dren wilt have to find simultaneous in
gress and egress no easy task oven
for oliicers ond woll-dlsclpllned sol
diers.
Smoke is quite as dangerous as fire,
and is not eliminated even in so-called
fireproof buildings. Fire drills in tho
schools have greatly reduced tho dan
ger from flro and ensuing panic, but
they will have to bo brought to on in
conceivable point of perfection, or
child nature will have to be radically
changed, If children arc to bo held
quietly awaiting their turn to descend
in elovators from a tenth story while
smoke from perhaps a ncore of elevator
shafts Is enfolding them.
The Idea of a school houso largo.
enough to contain the school popula
tion of a town of 50,000 or more In
habitants is novel and impressive. The
New York authorities, though, aro
quite likely to concludo that their
scheme is of more speculative Interest
than practical Importance. Cleveland
Plalndoaler.
SEEING LONDON IN A FOG.
Graphic DcHcriptlnu of n "Weird Day
with I'rcntlce Mutforri.
IIo know ills london well. Ho went
forth Into a fog that was of tho pea-
souj) variety, says a writer In tho Na
lioir.il Magazine. It seemed useless to
wait any longer for It to clear off. Tho
days were jill alike and were darker
than, twilight ever dared to be. 1 clung'
to MSilford's coat sleeve, for I knew if
he were once to got beyond my reach
I could never hope to find him again.
We groncd blindly anions: tha
streets, where the olmosphoro was only
loss palpable than the houses that wall
ed uh In. At intervals wo inquired
where we were, for otherwise wo could
never have known at all. Wo hud to-
feel our way carefully aud tako sound
ings nt Intervals. "Here," said Pren
tice, as we paused in space, "Here is
Temple Bar!" I thought I saw some
thing that might hove been the ghost
of an arch hewn out of the solid fog.
wob lost to view. r
Temple Bar, now gono forover from
tho place where Its gates once swung
in tho waft of the old city. It was
here her gracious majesty, Victoria of
England, was wont to receive the koyM
of tie city from tho hands of tho lord
mayors, wliou she drovo in Btato to St.
Paul's cathedral. Wo threaded Fleet
street, but could not see to the fartho?
shore.
"Here is Her Majesty's tower," Fold
Prentice, but nothing of It was visi
ble, not one stono upon a not her. Wo
crossed London brldgo almost without
knowing it; the waters of tho TIuiitps,
which are only condensed fog, were In
visible from tin parapet, and tho stoam
ferries wero picking their way cau
tiously and looking very like marine
monsters in a muddy aquarium. We
crawled through the tunnel, for footl
traffic under the Thames, which wail
like a hole in the fog, and for hours'1
carried the Bky about on our shoub
dors; it was a woolly, greasy ond J1I
smelling sky.
Our nostrils wero clogged with thi
cinders, like chimney flues, and thero
were smudges all over our faces. Some
times for a moment or two wo saw
spot overhead that was like a palo red
wafer and wo knew it for the sun, now
lost to us. Tho lamps that burned all
day wore like glow worms for dim
ness; and so we explored tho wonders
of tho town and saw iib much of It us
a blind man sees, but no more.
Doflfo Stripes to Pray.
A certain and favorite officer in the
United States navy had for a consider
able time observed that the admiral
always removed his uniform coat ond
donned one of less pretentious when
he read his Bible on Sunday morning.
Ho often wondored why tho comman
der of the flagship should do so
strange a thing, and so one day when
tho good humor of tho admirul per
mitted the great amount of freedom
such a question would require, ho
asked:
"Admiral, will you tell mo why you
woys remove your uniform coat beJ
roro you open your mine ior ounuoy
morning's reading?"
Tho admiral lifted his eyes and
gravely stared tho young officer in tho
face. Ills smile was raoro beatific
than forbidding.
"Lieutenant, I remove my uniform
coat before reading the Blblo because
I can never givo tho Lord of Hosts
the proper amount of respect and ador
ation with tho stripes of an admiral
embracing the arms that support tho
Bible."
It was a question of the prido of
his heart which was in his admiral's
stripes overcoming tho lovo ho held
for his Maker when ho would render
his devotion to him. Llpplnco-tt's
Magazine.
Kconoralzlnc
Bacon Is he saving, did you sayl
Egbert My, yes! Why, he oven
tulks through his nose to save hi
tonguo! Yonkers 8tnteamau,