Madame
Hy Fergus
CHAPTER V. -(ContWiitcd.)
"Pardon Jilm not. answering, Madame,"
Interposed Vandeloup, "In has the misfor
tune to lie dumb."
"Dumb?" echoed Madame, with n
Rlaimc of commiseration, while Arc-lib
looked startled, mid Sellnn mentally Ob
Served tllllt sllellCO WIIH goltloil.
"Yes, he has boon ho from his birth
nt IoiikI, so he gives inn to understand,"
said (Inston, "but It's more likely tin; re
sult of im accident, for lu1 run hoar
though he rannot speak. However, In; In
strong and willing to work; ami I also,
If yon will kindly give me it 11 opportu
nlty," added he, wfth a winning Ktnlb1.
"You have not many qualifications,"
Raid Madame, shortly, angry with herself
for ho taking to thlH young man's suave
inn in it-r.
"Probaly not," retorted Vandeloup,
with a cynical smile. "I fancy It will
bo more a cam1 of charity than anything
vine, aH we are starving."
"Surely not iih bad as that'" observed
Mrn. VilliiTH, lu a Hofter tone.
"Why not'" retorted the Frenchman,
carelessly. "We are Ht rangers In a Nt range
land, and it Is hard to obtain employ
ment. My companion Pierre ran work In
your mine, and if you will take me on I
can keep your books" wllh a midden
glance at a file of papers on the table.
"Thank you, I keep my own book,'
leplled Madame, shortly. "What do you
say to engaging them, ArchlrV"
"We might give them ii try." snid Me
Intosli, cautioiiHly. "Ye do need a figgei
man, iih 1 told ye, and the other .man
can work in the elaim."
"Very well," she said, Hhnrply; "you
nre engaged. M. Vnndeloup, an my clerk,
and your companion can work in the
mine. As to wage and all that, we will
Kettle to-morrow, but I think you will
And everything satisfactory."
" am Hitre of that, Madame," returned
Vandeloup with a bow.
"And now," wild Madame Midas, grn
doimly, relaxing somewhat now thut busi
ness wan over, "you had better have some
mipjier."
Pierre's face lighted up when he heard
thin invitation, and Vnndeloup howed po
ll tely.
"Yiu are very kind," he said, looking
nt Mrs. Vlllicrs in a friendly manner:
"supper Is rather a novelty to both of us.
Bellmi meanwhile hnd gone out. and
turned with some fdd beef and pickle,
mid a large loaf of bread. Them she
placed on the table, and then retired to
her Bent again, Inwardly rebellious at
having two tramps at the table, but out
wnrdly calm.
Pierre fell upon the victuals before him
with the voracity of a starving animal,
und ate and drank in such a savage man
uer that Madame was conscious of a kind
4l curious repugnance, and even Archil
was startled out of his Scotch phlegm
Vnndeloup, however, ate very little and
noon finished ; then filling a glass of water
lie held It to his lips and bowed again to
Madame Midns.
"To your health, Mdir.ie." he said,
drinking.
"Wo are not absolute barbarians, M.
Vandeloup," said .Madame, with a smile,
us she arose and held out her baud to
hc young man ; "and now good night, for
I mil feeliug tired and I will see you to
morrow. Mr. Mcintosh will show you
where you are to sleep."
Vandeloup took the hand she held out
to him and pressed it to his lips with a
uddcii gesture. "Madame," he said, pas
sionately, "you are an nugel, for to-day
you have saved the lives of two men."
Madame snatched her hand nwny
Ciilckly, and a flush of annoyance spread
over her fare as she saw how Selinii
And Archie stared. Vnndeloup, however,
did not wait for her answer, but went
out, followed by Pierre. Archie put on
tils hat and wnlked out ofter them, while
Madam Midns stood looking at Sellna
with n thniighful expression of counte
nance. "I don't know If I've done a right
thing. Selinn." she said at length : "but
cs they wen- starving I could hardly
turn them uway."
"Cast your bread on the waters and it
riinll i-ome bark after ninny days--but
tercd." said Sclinn. giving her own version
of the text.
CHAPTER VI.
At the foot of the huge mound of wliite
taulloch which marked the site of the
lactolus Mine wn n long zinc-roofed
building, which was divided into two com
;mrrments. lu one of ihMc the miners
left their clothes, mid put op rough canvas
Milts before going down, And here also
fwy were searched on coming up l order
o see If they had carrlrd away any gold.
"rom thin room a long, narrow pusHngeway
Jed to the top of the shaft, so that any
miner .having gold conrcnled upon him
could not throw it away mid pick It up
nfterward, but hnd Jo go right Into tlu
curdling room from the cage, and vuld
not possibly hide a particle without be
lug found out by the searchers. The other
room was the sleeping apartment of such
miners as stayed on the premises, for tin
majority of the men went home to their
families when their work wns done.
'There were three shifts of men on the
Pnctolus during the twenty-four hours
and each shift worked eight hours at a
time.
When M Vandeloup awoke next morn
Midas
Hum
inif at 0 o'clock the Unit shift were not
yet up, and some of the miners who had
to go on nt 8 were sleeping nenviiy in
their bed. The sleeping places were
berths, ranging nlong two sides of the
room, and divided Into upper and lower
compartments like those on shipboard.
("inston hnving roused himself natural
ly wanted to see where he was, so rubbing
his eves and yawning ho leaned on his el
bow and took a leisurely survey of his jh
sltiou.
(Inston yawned once or twice, then
feeling disinclined for any more sleep, he
softly put on his clothes, so ns not to
awake Pierre, who slept In the berth be
low, and descending from his sleeping
nlnre srroncd his way to the door and went
out Into the cool, fragrnnt 'morning.
There was a chill wind blowing from
the bush, bringing with it a, faint aromatic
odor, and on glancing downwards he saw
that the grass was wet with dew. I he
dawn was burning redly in the east, and
the vivid crimson of the sky put him In
mind of that sunset under which he had
landed with his companion on the
Queensland const.
He was near the mine by this time,
and hearing some one calling to him ho
looked up, and saw Mcintosh. There
was a stir in the men's ipinrters now, and
he could see the door was open and sev
eral figures were moving rapidly about,
while a number of others were crossing
the fields. The regular beat of the ma
chinery still continued, and the smoke
was (siurlng out thick from the tall red
chimney, while the wheels were spinning
round in the poppet-heads ns the mine
slowly dlsgorpil the men who hnd been
working all night.
Mcintosh came slowly along with his
hands In his pockets and a puzzled look
on his severe face. lie could not make up
his m I ml whether to like or dislike this
young man, but Mndame Midns had seem
ed so impressed that he had half mndo up
his mind to dislike him out of a spirit of
contradiction.
"Women nre so easy plensed, poor
bodies," he snid to himself, "n bonny
face is nil they bother their bends nboot."
lie looked grimly nt the young mnn nR
he came briskly forwnrd with n gny smile.
"Ye're a very early bird." he said,
fondling his frill of white hair, and look-
Ing keenly at the tall, slim figure of the
Frenehmnn.
"('use of 'must,' my frleud," returned
Vnndeloup, coolly; "It's only rich men can
afford to be in bed, not poor fellows like
me."
"Your no much like other folk," said
tin1 suspicious old Scotchman, with a con
demnatory sniff.
"Of that I am glad," retorted Vnndo
loup, with suavity, as he walked beside
hint to tlie men's (unrters. "What a hor
rlble thing to be the duplicate of half-a-
dozen other men. Ity the way," break
ing off into a new subject, "Madame
Midas Is charming."
.ye, aye, sum .rcnie, jealously, "vr
know nil nboot the Fronch-fnnglod wav o'
giving pretty words, and not a scrap of
truth in any o them."
Oastoti was about to protest that he
said no more than he felt, which was
Indeed the truth, but Archie impatiently
hurried him oft to breakfast at the office.
They made a hearty meal, and, having
had a talk, prepared to go below.
First of all, they arrayed themselves
hi underground garments, which consisted
of canvas trousers, heavy boots, blue
blouses of a rough woollen material, and
a sou'wester each. Thus accoutred, they
went along to tin1 toot ot tlie popiiet
heads, and Archie having opened a door
therein, Vandeloup saw the mouth of the
shaft yawning dark and gloomy at his
feet. As lie stood there, gazing nt tin
black hole which seemed to pierce down
into the entrails of the earth, ho turned
round to take one last look nt the sun
before descending to the nethOr world.
"This is iiite a new experience to me,
he said, as they stepped into the wet
iron cage, which had ascended to recelv
them in answer to Archie's signal, and
now commenced to drop down silently and
swiftly into the pitchy darkness.
Archie did not reply, for he was too
much occupied in lighting his caudle to
answer. So they went on sliding down
noiselessly Into the gloom, while the
water, falling from all pnrts of .the shaft,
kept splashing constantly on the top of
the cage and running lu little -streams
Over their shoulders.
"It's like a nightmare," thought the.
Frenchman, with a nervous shudder, as he
.saw the wet walls gleaming lu the faint
light of the caudle.
At last they reached the gtoutid, and
found themselves in the main chamber,
from whence the galleries branched off
to east and west.
llolng accustomed to the darkness and
knowing every inch of the way, the man
ager moved forwnrd rapidly, and some
times Vandeloup lagged so far behind that
all he could see of his guide wns tho can
dle he carried, shining like a pale yellow
star In the pitchy darkness, At last
Mcintosh went Into one of the side gal
leries, and going up an iron ladder fixed
to the. side of the wall, I hoy enmo to a
second gallery thirty feet khove the oth
er, and branching off nt right nngles.
"It's like the eatneombs in Rome," said
Vandeloup to Mcintosh; "one could easily
get lost here."
"He uiiglitt" returned Mcintosh, cau
tiously, "If he did not know nil nbout the
lie of the mine o'er yonder," putting one
finger on the plan and pointing witli the
other to the right of the tunnel, "wo
found a twenty-ounce nugget yesterday,
and one afore that o' twenty-five, nnd
In the first fnce we were at two montlis
ago o'er there,' 'pointing to the left,
"there wns a big one called the Villicrs
nugget, which ns ye know Is Madnme's
inline."
"Oh, yes, 1 know that," said Vnnde
loup, much interested; "do you christen
nil your nuggets?"
"If they're big enough," replied Ar
chie. "Then I hone vou will find n hundred-
ounce lump of gold, and call It the Vnn
deloup," returned the young mnn, laugh
ing.
There's many a true word spoke In
est. Inddle." said Archie gravely: "when
wo get to the Devil's Lend wo may fine
one o tbnt size.
"Whnt do you moan by lends?" nsked
Vnndeloup, eonsldernbly puzzled.
ThereuiHn Ardiio opened his moutn,
nnd gave the young man a scientific lec
ture on mining.
'My faith," snid Vnndeloup, careless
ly, with a merry laugh, as Archie con
cluded, "gold Is as hard to get In Its
natural state as in its artificial."
'An' harder." retorted Archie, "for-byo
there's no such wicked work nbout it."
"Madame will be rich sonic, day,' re
marked Vnndeloup. ns they left the office
and walked up toward the house.
"Maylic she will, replied the other,
autiously. "Australia's a grand place
for the siller, ye know. I'm not very
far wrong but what wl' industry and per
severance ye may ninke n wee bit siller
yerself, laddie."
'It won't be my fault if I don't," re
turned M. Vnndeloup, gaily: "and Mad-
... it
nine Midns. lie aimed, menmiiy, win
mi excellent person to nsslst me in
doing so."
CHAPTER VII.
Cnston Vandeloup having passed all
his life in cities, found that his existence
on tin; Pnctolus claim was likely to lie
very dreary. Day after day he nroso
in the morning, did his office work, ate his
meals, and after a talk with Madame
Midns In the evening went to bed at 10
o'clock. Such Arcadian simplicity ns this
wns not likely to suit the highly cultivat
ed tastes he had acquired in his earlier
life. As to tin; episode of New Caledo
nia M. Vnndeloup dismissed it completely
from hiH mind, for this young man never
permitted his thoughts to dwell on di-
ngreeable subjects.
A whole month had elapsed since Mad
ame hnd engaged M. Vandeloup and his
friend, but ns yet the Devils Lead had
not been found. Mndnme, however, was
strong in her belief that it would soon bo
discovered, for her luck the luck of Mnd
ame Midns was getting quite a proverb
in Hallarat.
One bright morning Vnndeloup was In
the office running up endless columns of
figures, and Mndame, dressed in hor un
derground garments, was making ready to
go below, just hnving stepped in to seo
(inston.
Hv tho way, M. Vnndeloup," she said
in English, for it was only In the even
ing they sjwke French, "1 am expecting
a young lady this morning, so you can
tell her I have gone down the mine, but
will be back lu an hour If she will wait
for me."
Certainly, Madame," said Vnndeloup,
looking up with his bright smile; "and tho
young lady's name.'
"Kitty Marchurst, replied Madume,
pausing a moment at the door of the
office; "she is the daughter of the Rev.
Mark Marchurst, n minister at Hnllarat.
1 think you will like her, M. Vandeloup,"
she went on, in a conversational tone;
"she is a charming girl only 17, and ex
tremely pretty."
"Then I am sure to like her," returned
(inston, gaily; "I never could resist the
charm of a pvctty woman."
lie went to work on the figures again,
when suddenly he heard a high, clear voice
singing outside. At first he thought it
was a bird, hut no bird could execute such
trills nnd shnkes, so by the time the
voice arrived at tho office door M. Vnnde
loup came to tlie conclusion that the own
or of tho voice was u woman, and that tho
woman wns Miss Kitty Marchurst.
lie leaned back in his chair and won
dered idly if she would knock at tho door
or enter without ceremony. Tho latter
course was the one adopted by Miss
Marchurst, for she threw open the door
and stood thero blushing and pouting nt
the embarrassing situation in which she
now found herself.
"I thought I would find Mrs. Vllliers
here," she s.iid, In a low, sweet voice, tho
peculiur timbre of which sent a thrill
through (Jnston's young blood, as he arose
to his feet. Then she looked up nnd catch
ing his dark eyes fixed on her with i
good deal of admiration in them, she look
ed down and i-onnnonced drawing figures
on the dusty floor with the tip of a very
dainty shoe.
"Madame has just gone down tho
mine," said M. Vandeloup politely, "but
she desires me to say that she would bo
back soon, and that you were to wait
here, and I was to entertain you," then
with a grnve bow, he plncnd tho only chnir
in tlie office at the disposal of his visitor.
and leaned up against tho mantelpiece in
an attitude of unstudied grace. Miss
Marchurst accepted his offer and took
furtive glances at him, while Gaston
whoso experience ot women was hy no
means limited, looked at. her coolly, In a
manner which would have been rude but
for the charming smile which quivered
upon his lips,
(To be continued.)
Too liiiiiresnloiiiiltlr.
Tenner will never do as a critic,"
said the managing editor.
"No?" queried his usslstnnt.
"No. 1 noticed him at the premier
performance of that conile opera and
he actually smiled once or twfee."
Philadelphia Press,
GOOD
SbortQtoriesf
i i
v44,-f-,,4'ii-!--t-,l"5M-,!,t fi--t"!"r-t
A ecrtiiln well-known lawyer excel- ;
led In eross-cxnmlnatlon. Ills plft of I
humor often served hltu where other I
met hods were unsuccessful. For In
it hucp, a young woman In the witness
box was asked her age. She hesltutcd
to reply. "Don't, hesitate," snid the
lawyer. "The longer you hesitate the
elder you arc." The witness tonic the
hint.
One day as John W. Mugridge. the
lawyer, nnd Judge Mlnot were walking
tilong the street In Concord. New I lump-
ilih'p. together. Mr. Mugrldge, In his
sepulchral voice, snid: "Judge, let's
go Into partnership. You furnish the
capital and I'll furnish the brains."
The Judge quickly pulled a two-cent
piece from his pocket, and. holding It
m the palm of his hand, said to Mu
grldge: "Very well; cover that, John!
Cover that I"
Mrs. Maud Miller Hippie, advocate
of a course In "motherhood" for young
matrons, tolls this: "A young mother
was wa'klng with her husband on the
Atlantic City board walk. Suddenly
she gave a little cry of pleasure. "'Oh,'
she Mild, 'there is nurse nurse v1hh1
lug baby.' And she ran lightly to the
luxurious coach of leather, with Its
swanshapnd carriage und Its rubber
l;red wheols.and she pushed bark the.
parasol that shaded the occupant from
the sun. Then she gave a great start.
'Why. nurse.' she cried, 'whore's baby?'
The nurse gasped. 'Ooodness gracious,
ir.a'ani. I forgot to put him In !' "
It is one of the traditions of tlie Sen
ate of the United States that no new
Si nator shall make a set speech till he
has served a year or longer. Old Sen
ators are very Impatient of new com
Kdtnunds of Vermont once Row
ed It to be understood that he would
soon retire. Idaho had Just been ad
mitted as a State. Senator McCont:1!!
of Idaho, the day after he had been
sworn in, took up a position In rhe
middle aisle and In a foghorn voire
made n speech. While he was holdi'ig
lit1 fort, F.dmumls entered the chani-
.or. He stopped short and gazed at the
speaker with tho utmost astonishment.
.caning over to the Senator next to
hiiii lie asked: "Who is that person?
A Senator from Idaho." "You don't
say so: u lien did no come; "He was
sworn In yesterday." "Sworn lu yes
terday and making a speech to-day,"
mused Edmunds. "Well, well, if Mint
doesn't beat all! It looks like It's time
for me to quit." And In a few days he
resigned.
HOW TO FLOAT AND SWIM.
liuK .StroWe. H remit Stroke Sirlni
nt I n K on (lie- llnek.
To float go out Into the water as far
us your waist. Throw yourself on your
back facing the shore. Hold your chin
up as high as possible.
This will submerge your cars, says a
writer In Country Life in America, but
don't let this strange sensation worry
you. If the water clones over your
head, simply close your mouth and re
main still and straight you will go
under for a second only.
Now throw your arms out wide be
hind your back and throw out your
chest. Hold your chin high. Inhale
through the mouth. Exhale through the
nose.
You are now lu the Ideal floating at
titude. Never lift your bend. Keep
straight and still, chest up, toes show
ing, chin high and cars .submerged.
Try to float as long as possible, be
nise this exercise forms the basis not
only for swimming on the back, and
for llfc-savlng, but also for sustaining
yourself quietly In the water for hours.
A tihlrty-mlnute float is a very respec
table performance.
In treading water you return from
the llsh position to your original atti
tude, head up and feet down. Together
with the dog stroke and floating, it is
one of the three basic ways of main
taining life In the water.
To tread water properly Just imag
ine that you arc going upstairs and
move your legs accordingly. Keep min
ing your arms horizontally from the
elbow In a seint-iircle, palms down
ward
Your head will be well out of the
water, a valuable point when you wish
to summon neip or are anout to re
ceive It. An expert water treader can
keeji his head out of water while using
his right turn to grasp n lino Or slgnaL
for help.
The dog stroke Is as simple as It Is
ugly. Tlmm- your dog In and watch
him. Then jump In and Imitate tho
dog. If you can't do It at first keep
on till you can. There are no rules.
You should now have the confidence
necessary to start out on the regulation
wlnunlng 8troke. The source of them
nil Is the breast stroke. If you havo
ver watched a frog 'swim you will
know whnt Is expected of you. Imitate
the frog.
(Jo out as high as your shoulders,
Face tho shore Imagtnc that you are.
In u tree, and want to make a leap to
a branch above your head. Crouch,
with your hands at your breast and
your legs drawn up under you.
Now leap. Send your hands out In
front of you, palms down, and sweep
them through the water until in lino
with your shoulders. At the same time,
you .must kick wllh the legs downward,
spreading tho legs as much as you can,
and kick with heel, not with toe.
For swimming In a rough sea there
Is nothing like a well developed breast
stroke. It enables you to see at any
time where you are going, so you avoid
weeds v dangerous wreckage, ebc.
Remember this": leap forward, rather
thun kiick, nnd use your heels, .spreon
your legs, work the scissors grip before
crouching. In Hinging your arms out.
it is palms down; In sweeping them
back it Is palms obliquely, and In bring
ing them tiack to the breast position It
Is palms vertical.
If you have any difficulty In nego
tiating the entire stroke, try the arm
movement first, then the legs, while-
holding on to a rope, and finally tha
complete stroke. The Insure your do
ing the breast stroke to absolute per
fection, do it on dry land 11 rat and pre
vail on a competent man to watxii you.
Lie on your stomach across a bench and
coyitlnue the movements till you get
them right.
'Swimming on the back Xrom the po
sition of floating means a sweep of tho
arms and the legs downward from head
to foot. Try the arms first. Extend
them In Hue with the .shoulder, palms
obliquely. Sweep them through tho
water down the side of your hips. Rrlng
them back with palms facing 'bottom, or
rip them out of the water and tllng
them over your head, taking a .fresh
purchase with oblique palms.
With each downward or backward
sweep of your arms goes a good strong,
kick with your legs. Pull up your knees
and kick back with the heels, o that
the legs pass obliquely through the
water, the feet as far apart as jhjssI
ble. Again try the scissors grip of the
legs In bringing litem together so the
heels touch.
When this movement Is finished, your
arms should be ready and extended in
line with .shoulders to make a new
sweep. The sweep of arms and the
kick is simultaneous. The scissors grip
occurs its you whip your arms into po
sition for another stroke. Swimming on
the back Is the most satisfactory and
least, exhausting stroke for long dis
tances. AN EMERGENCY SPEECH
People often say very funny things
In times of eemrgency. It was fortu
nate for the general whose conciliatory
efforts are described In Mrs. Jefferson
Davis' life of her husband, that the
Indians with whom the men were deal
ing had no groat sense of humor. Lieu
tenant Davis, then on the staff of 0 en
era 1 Calnes, had accompanied his su
perior officer to a conference with the
chiefs of the Sac nation.
The council met in a tent. The war
riors, decked with war-paint and feath
ers, sat scowling and silent, their arms
stacked near-by. Sealed with them was
a dark old woman, shrunken to n mere
skeleton, clothed in white woolen. She
held herself with great majesty of
mien.
The general began the council in a
hesitating manner, lie explained that
It was necessary for tho Indians to
move on, for the white man must havo
the territory. At tills the old squaw
became greatly excited, and began
speaking with vehemence. She de
clared that the Sacs must die on their
own hunting-ground. The general show
ed considerable Irritation at her tirade,
and spoke to the interpreter.
"Tell her a that a woman Is not
expected to Interfere between the a
white and Indian braves. She must, ho
silent."
The squaw rose from her seat with
great Impresslveness, and stretched her
skinny arms above her head with a
wild gesture.
"Does he say I am to be silent In the
councils of my people? In these veins
runs the blood of tho last of the Sao
kings. It is my light to speak."
The chiefs rose about her, stirred by
her words, gesticulating angrily. It
was plain that trouble was at hand, and
the Indians far outnumbered the
whites.
The general calmly listened until the
speech was Interpreted. Then lie rose,
with a sweep of the hand, to command
silence.
"Mr. Interpreter," he said, "tell her
a that a- my mother Avns a wom
an." This revelation brought runts of sat
isfaction from the Indians, and the
frankness of tha. statement pleased the
old princess. Order was restored, and
the council proceeded with the business
In hand.
Tru III fully Answered.
Little Willie Say, pa, what Is a
cigarette?
PaA cigarette, my son. Is a rauk
concoction with a light on one end und
nothing on the other.
