INTERNATIONAL PRESS ASSOCIATION.
CHAPTER VIII.—(CoKTlunaD.)
"Have you been to Pranchard, Jean*
tMarle?" inquired the Doctor. “I fancy
•at"
“Never,” replied the boy.
"It Is ruin in a gorge,” continued
Desprez, adopting his expository voice;
• "the ruin of a hermitage and chapel.
History tells us much of Franohard;
1ww the recluse was often slain by rob
■toprs; how he lived on a most lnsufil
■fcers; how he lived on a most lnsuffl
'dent diet; how he was expected to pass
v tils days in prayer. A letter is pre
•aerved, addressed to one of these soll
-taries by the superior of his order, full
of admirable hygienic advice; bidding
-film to go from, his book to praying,
■and so back again, for variety’s sake,
•and when he was weary of both to stroll
«about his garden and observe the honey
't>eca. It is to this day my own system.
You must often have remarked me
' leaving the ‘Pharmacopoeia’—often
| ■' -even in the middle of a phrase—to come
forth into the sun and air. I admire
■the writer of that letter from my heart;
he was a man of thought on the most
important subjects. But, indeed, had I
’lived in the Middle Ages (I am heartily
-Clad that I did not) I should have been
•an eremite myself—if I had not been
•a professed buffoon, that is. These
were the only philosophical lives yet
•open; laughter or prayer; sneers, we
might say, and tears. Until the sun
V of the Positive arose, the wise man
fead to make his choice between these
'two.”
“I have been a buffoon, of course,”
•observed Jean-Marie.
“I cannot imagine you to have ex
-celled in your profession,” said the
Doctor, admiring the boy’s gravity.
“Do you ever laugh?”
“Oh, yes,” replied the other. “I
’-laugh often. I am very fond of Jokes.”
“Singular being!” said Desiprez. “But
■ I divagate (I perceive in a thousand
■ways that I grow old). Franchard was
At length destroyed in the English
•wars, the same that leveled Gretz. But
| not smiling; cards, dice, opera Dinging,
orchestra, castles, beautitul parks and
gardens, big ships with a tower of
sailcloth, all lying unborn in a coffin—
and the stupid trees growing overhead
in the sunlight, year after year. Ine
thought drives one frantic.”
“It Is only money," replied Jean
Marie. “It would do harm.”
“O come!” cried Desprez, “that is
philosophy; it is all very fine, but not
to the point just now. And besides, it
is not ‘only money,’ as you call it; there
are works of art in the question; the
vessels were carved. You speak like a
vessels were carved. Yu speak like a
child. You weary me exceedingly,
quoting my words out of all logical
connection, like a parroquet.”
“And at any rate, we have nothing
to do with it,” returned the boy, sub
missively.
CHAPTER IX.
HEY struck the
Route Ronde at
that moment; and
the sudden change
to the rattling
causeway, com
bined with the
Doctor’s Irritation,
to keep him silent.
The noddy jigged
along; the trees
went by, looking
on silently, as if they had something
on their minds. The Quadrilateral was
passed; then came Franchard. They
put up the horse at the little solitary
inn, and went forth strolling. The
gorge was dyed deeply with heather;
the rocks and birches standing lumi
nous in the sun. A great humming of
bees about the flowers disposed Jean
Marie to sleep, and he sat down against
a clump of heather, while the Doctor
went briskly to and fro, with quick
turns, culling his simples.
The boy’s head had fallen a little
forward, his eyes were closed, his An
gers had fallen lax about his knees,
when a sudden cry called him to his
WHOOPED LIKE AN INDIAN.
—here is the point—the hermits (for
'there were already more than one) had
’foreseen the danger and carefully con
cealed the sacrificial vessels. These
'Vessels were of monstrous value, Jean
:Marie—monstrous value—priceless, we.
•may say; exquisitely worked, of ex
•qulsite material. And now, mark me,
they have never been found. In the
•reign of Louis Quatorze some fellows
were digging hard by the ruins. Sud
denly—took!—the spade hit upon an
•obstacle. Imagine the men looking one
to another; imagine how their hearts
bounded, how their color came and
went. It was a coffer, and in Fran
chard the place of buried treasure!
"They tore it open like famished beasts,
Alas! it was not the treasure; only
-some priestly robes, which, at the touch
-of the eating air, fell upon themselves
and instantly wasted into dust. The
perspiration of these good fellows
■turned cold upon them, Jean-Marie. I
will pledge my reputation, if there was
•any thing like a cutting wind, one or
-other had a pneumonia for his trou
ble.”
“I should like to have seen them
turning into dust,” said Jean-Marie.
“Otherwise, I should not have cared
•so greatly.”^
“You have no imagination,” cried
the Doctor. “Picture yourself the
scene. Dwell on the idea—a great
treasure lying in the earth for centu
ries; the material for a giddy, copious,
•opulent existence not employed; dresses
and exquisite pictures unseen; the
swiftest galloping horses not stirring
•a hoof, arrested by a spell; women
with the beautiful faculty of smiles.
feet. It was a strange sound, thin and
brief; it fell dead, and silence returned
as though it had never been interrupt
ed. He had not recognized the Doc
tor’s voice; but, as there was no one
else in all the valley, it was plainly
the Doctor who had given utterance to
the sound. He looked right and left,
and there was Desprez standing in a
niche between two bowlders, und look
ing round on his adopted son with a
countenance as white as paper.
“A viper!” cried Jean-Marie, run
ning toward hiim. “A viper! You are
bitten!”
The Doctor came down heavily out
of the cleft, and advanced in silence
to meet the boy, whom he took rough
ly by the shoulder.
“I have found it,” he said, with a
gasip.
“A plant?” asked Jean-Marie.
Desprez had a fit of unnatural gayety,
which the rocks took up and mimicked.
“A plant!" he repeated scornfully.
“Well—yes—a plant. And here,” he
added suddenly, showing his right
hand, which he had hitherto concealed
behind his back—“here is one of the
bulbs.”
Jean-Marie saw a dirty platter, coat
ed with earth.
“That?” said he. "It is a plate!”
“It is a coach and horses,” cried the
Doctor. “Boy,” he continued, growing
warmer, “I plucked away a great pad
of moss from between these bowlders,
and disclosed a crevice; and when I
looked in, what do you suppose I saw?
I saw a house in Paris with a court
and garden, I saw my wife shining
with diamonds, I saw myself a deputy,
I saw you—well, I—I saw your future,”
he concluded, rather feebly. ‘‘I have
Just discovered America,” he added.
“But what Is It?” asked the boy.
“The Treasure of Franchard,” cried
the Doctor; and, throwing his brown
straw hat upon the ground, he whooped
like an Indian and sprung upon Jean
Marie, whom he suffocated with em
braces and bedewed with tears. Then
he flung himself down among the
heather and once more laughed until
the valley rang.
But the boy had now an Interest of
his own boy’s Interest. No sooner
was he released from the Doctor’s acco
lade than he ran to the bowlders,
sprung Into the niche, and, thrusting
hta hand Into the crevice, drew forth
one after another, incrusted with the
earth of ages, the flagons, candlesticks,
and patens of the hermitage of Fran
chard. A casket came last, tightly
shut and very heavy.
“Oh, what fun!” he cried.
But when he looked back at the Doc
tr, who had followed close behind and
was silently observing, the words died
fromhls lips. Desprez was once more
the color of ashes; his Ups worked and
trembled; a sort of bestial greed pos
sessea nun.
“This is childish,” he said. “We lose
precious time. Back to the inn, har
ness the trap, and bring it to yon bank.
Run for your life, and remember—not
one whisper. I stay here to watch.”
Jean-Marie did as he was bid, though
not without surprise. The noddy was
brought round to the spot indicated;
and the two gradually transported the
treasure from its piace of concealment
to the boot below the driving seat.
Once it was all stored the Doctor re
covered hds gayety.
“Ipaymy grateful duties to the ge
nius of this dell,” he said. “Oh, for a
live coal, a heifer, and a jar of coun
try wine! 1 aim in the vein for sacrifice,
for a superb libation. Well, and why
not? We are at Franchard. English
pale ale is'to be had—not classical, in
deed, but excellent. Boy, we shall
drink ale.”
“But I thought it was so unwhole
some,” said Jean-Marie, “and very dear
besides.”
“Fiddle-de-dee!" exclaimed the Doc
tor gayly. “The inn!”
And he stepped into the noddy, toss
ing his head, with an elastic, youthful
air. The horse was turned, and in a
few seconds they drew up beside the
paling of the inn garden.
“Here,” said Desprez—“here, near
the stable, so that we may keep an
eye upon things.”
They tied the horse, and entered the
garden, the Doctor singing, now in fan
tastic high notes, now producing deep
reverbrations from his chest. He took a
seat, rapped loudly on the table, as
sailed the waiter with witticisms; and
when the bottle of Bass was at length
produced, far more charged with gas
than the most delirious champagne,
he filled out a long glassful of froth
and .pushed it over to Jean-Marie.
“Drink,” he said; “drink deep."
“I would rather not,” faltered the
boy, true to his training.
“What?" thundered Desprez.
“I am afraid of it,” said Jean-Mane;
“my stomach-”
“Take it or leave It!” Interrupted
Desprez fiercely; “but understand it
once for all—there is nothing so con
temptible as precision.”
Here was a new lesson! The boy sat
bemused, looking at the glass but not
tasting it, while the Doctor emptied
and refilled his own.
“Once in a way,” he said at last, by
way of a concession to the boy’s more
rigorous attitude, “once in a way, and
at so critical a moment, this ale is a
nectar for the gods. The habit, indeed,
is debasing; wine, the juice of the
grape, is the'true drink of the French
man, as I have often had occasion to
point out; and I do not know, that I
can blame you for refusing this out
landish stimulant. You can have some
wine and cakes. Is the bottle empty?]
Well, we will not be proud; we will
have pity on your glass.”
(10 n» COXTI.HOID.t -
The Precious Volume*
The highest price ever paid for a sin
gle volume was tendered by a number
of wealthy Jewish merchants of Ven
ice to Pope Julius II for a very ancient
Hebrew Bible. It was then believed to
be an original copy of the Septuaglnt
version made from the Hebrew into
Greek in 277 B. C., careful copies of the
Hebrew text having been prepared at
that date for the use of seventy trans
lators. The offer to Julius was 20,000
pounds, which, considering the differ
ence between the value of money then
and now, would in our day represent
the princely sum of $680,000. Julius
was at that time greatly pressed for
money to maintain the Holy League
which the pope had organized against
France, but in spite of this lack of
funds he declined the offer.
Hot Milk a* a Tonic.
If any one doubts the nourishing
properties of milk, let a test be made
of the following preparation of It.
When very weary or weak from ex
haustion heat some milk to a scalding
point, until a thin skin begins to
wrinkle upon the surface, and then
drink it as hot as possible. It refreshes
almost Instantly and restores the ex
hausted vitality to a surprising extent
as soon as it is taken. It is more nu
tritious than any of the best beef teas
made from meat extracts, or that made |
from fresh beef which is carefully
strained, as many of the recipes direct j
that it shall be.
Metallic Finished Cambric. I
Metallic-finished cambric, which has ■
all the gloss of a real satin, is a itow ]
lining for thin dresses. It comes in all!
the pretty colors, costs only 35 cents
a yard, and is fully a yard wide, I
THE CUBAN POLICY.
“LEADER” BAILEY OBJECTS TO
THE PRESIDENTS PLANS.
Business Conditions Improve Notwith
standing Continued Heavy Imports—
Free Sliver Theories Kxplodod—Pern's
Adoption of the Gold. !
Washington, May, 1897. — (Special
correspondence)—The knowledge that
citizens of this country were suffering
and in want of food and shelter
brought instantly from President Mc
Kinley a message recommending an ap
propriation of J50,00(Mor their benefit.
It is understood that the President is
only awaiting for more detailed infor
mation, from special representatives
whom he has sent to Cuba, before tak
ing equally vigorous action in regard
to other matters there. When it is
remembered that the first three weeks
of McKinley’s administration witnessed
the release of practically all the
Americans who were in Cuban prisons
on the 4th day of March, and that his
action for the relief of those who were
suffering for want of food was equal
ly prompt, the contrast between his
actions and those of President Cleve
land is strongly marked. When it is
remembered, also, that the objection oi
a Democratic “leader” prevented the
prompt passage of the relief bill in the
house, the contrast between Republi
can and Democratic methods is still
tnore sharply outlined.
Republican n. Democratic Methods.
The President, who learned only a
few days ago from his representatives
in Cuba that American citizens there
are suffering for food, shelter and
clothing, sent to congress on Monday
a message pointing out this fact, and
asking an immediate appropriation. A
resolution making this appropriation
a as offered in the senate by a Repub
lican as soon as the reading of the mes
sage, and passed by a unanimous vote.
A similar resolution was offered in the
house by Mr. Hitt, a Republican, as
soon as the reading of the message was
finished, but its immediate considera
tion was objected to by Congressman
Bailey, an alleged leader of the Dem
ocratic party of the house. That any
man representing only his own con
gressional district or himself individ
ually could have thrown himself be
tween 800 suffering American citizens
and relief freely offered by the govern
ment of the United States seems in
credible, but that a man professing to
speak for a great party could have
done so is even more astounding. But
it is a fact, nevertheless, and Mr. Bai
ley was successful in preventing the
passage of the measure for at least
three days.
Why? Upon the alleged ground that
he wanted to couple with it legislation
recognizing the belligerency of the Cu
bans. In point of fact, it was a po
litical trick to try to restore himself in
the graces of the Democracy, which
had been accusing him of subserviency
to Speaker Reed and his methods. Mr.
Bailey was willing to stand between
800 suffering and starving American
citizens and relief for an indefinite
length of time for the sake of again
making himself solid with the Democ
racy. He knew that the house of rep
resentatives would not pass a resolu
tion recognizing the belligerency of the
Cubans in the short space of time that
It'was necessary to pass the relief res
olution. The senate has been debating
that kind of a resolution for not only
days, but weeks and months. So his
demand that the resolution of the rec
ognition of belligerency should be
coupled with that of appropriating
money for immediate relief was not
only unnecessary but unreasonable,
and sure to cause delay to the relief
measure. Yet since it would attract
attention to Mr. Bailey, and possibly
reingratiate him In the regard of the
Democracy, hundreds of American cit
izens can starve while Mr. Bailey thus
masquerades.
Foreign Goods Still Coming In.
The importers who are rushing goods
into the country have the double pur
pose of making an extra profit by
raising the price on them when the
Dingley bill goes into effect and put
ting the law into disrepute by making
its receipts light during the first year.
The importations in April were the
largest recorded in the recent commer
cial history of the United States. They
amounted to $101,305,131, or nearly
double those of April, 1896. The rate
at which importations have increased
since importers became aware that a
protective tariff bill would be soon
adopted is indicated by the following
figures, which show the value of im
ports since the month in which Mc
Kinley was elected.
IMPORTATIONS.
November, 1896, $50,043,288; Decem
ber, 1896, $58,960,660; January, 1897,
$51,354,016; February, 1897, $50,237,377;
March, 1897, $76,344,946; April, 1897,
$101,305,131.
Yet in the face of this showing comee
the recent announcement by a leading
commercial agency that the sales ol
goods in April were within a small
fraction of the amount in the most
prosperous business year which the
country has seen for a long time. Thai
there is a genuine revival in business
activity is apparent, not alone froir
this announcement, but from the state
ments of the press, irrespective of par
ty, in every section of the country.
Money Circulates.
An interest rate of three and a hall
per cent is very low; yet a railroad
company which put a hundred million
dollars of bonds upon the market re
cently at that rate of interest bad nc
difficulty in finding capital to accepi
them. The people who are indus
triously insisting that the United State:
should have more money find it diffl
cult to hold this position when such
quantities of money are seeking invest*
ment at so low an interest rate.
Free Sliver Theorlei Punctured.
Some of the assertions of the silver
orators of the last campaign read
curiously now. For instance, that one
in which they Insisted that farm prod
ucts and silver kept pace In rise and
fall la especially amusing. In view of
the fact that farm products have
steadily risen in value In the past
eight months, while silver has gone in
the other direction. Silver has, in the
last few weeks, reached the lowest
point In its history, while wheat in
that same time has reached a selling
price double that which existed at the
very time that these arguments were
being most vigorously presented. The
Kansas Populists are reported in a
state of distress over the condition of
the country. Prosperity has set in in
that state without the adoption of the
free coinage of silver or any other of
their numerous nostrums of this char
acter. Prices of cattle, hogs, wheat,
corn and farm products of all kinds
have advanced and there are more
signs of activity and prosperity fol
lowing the rejection of the free coin
age of silver than the state has seen
for many years.
These disgusted gentry are now
making bon-flres of their recent cam
paign speeches in which they insisted
that the low farm prices in this coun
try were due to the treatment which
silver had received. The country re
jected their proposition for the free
and unlimited coinage of silver and
simultaneously with that action prices
of farm products began to rise and
have steadily advanced, while silver
has steadily gene in the other direc
tion.
Peru** Action • Blow to Sllverlte*.
Little Peru Is Just now the subject of
a good deal of attention from all parts
of the world by reason of the fact that
on May 10 her new currency system
went Into effect. This system creates
the gold standard and prohibits the
importation of silver coin, the purpose
of this prohibition being to maintain
the standing and nominal value of the
silver coin already In the country.
Commenting upon this action by Peru,
the Macon Telegraph, a Democratic
paper, says: "The statesmen of little
Peru are wiser than the new breed of
our own country, who spring from the
mining camps of the west." .
Q. H. WILLIAMS.
The World's Gold Output.
The Engineering and Mining Jour
nal, an excellent unofficial authority,
represents that the world’s production
of gold for the year 1896 exceeded that
of the previous year by nearly $17,500,
000, while It was fully $43,500,000 great
er than that of 1894. In this estimate
the production by countries was as fol
lows:
United States..$
Africa .
Australia .
Russia.
Mexico .
India.
China.
Colombia.
Drazll.
Germany .
Guiana (Brl’sh)
Guiana (Fr'ch).
A’strla-H’ng’y .
Other countries
1896.
57,000,000
45.250.000
43.710.000
31.600.000
6.990.000
6,000,000
5.170.000
3.100.000
2.480.000
2.390.000
2.185.000
1.875.000
1.870.000
8.920.000
1895.
46.830.000
44.545.000
42.795.000
31.780.000
5.600.000
4.500.000
4.650.000
3.185.000
2.230.000
2.355.000
2.170.000
1.865.000
1.830.000
6.77P.OOO
Total .$218,500,000 $201,105,000
The estimate for the United States
by the director of the mint falls short
of the figures given In this table by Ihe
large margin $5,500,000, but It is be
lieved by experts that the grand total
for '96, when made up from full and
accurate information, will come very
near to $220,000,000. Attention Is call
ed to the alleged and generally admit
ted fact that the production of gold
last year was largely In excess of the
value of both gold and silver produced
In all countries in.any year prior to
1S73—the year of “the crime.” As late
as 1888 the total production of gold was
only half that of '9G.
Pern Deserts Silver.
The state department at Washing
ton has received official information of
the suspension of silver coinage In
Peru. The decree putting into effect
the new system of coinage in that
country tells the same old story. The
fluctuation of exchange arising in the
constant depression of silver has
forced the government, as a measure of
protection, to suspend the coinage of
national silver money, and the white
metal thus drops to an ordinary article
of commerce. This is the history of
silver the world over, and the action
of the Peruvian government will occa
sion no surprise. But it will cause dis
may in the ranks of the silverites, who
thus lose another of their bright and
shining examples. One after another
all the nations of the world, great and
small, which still cling to silver coin
age, are responding to the natural
tendency of the times, and relegating
silver to its proper position in the ex
changes of the world. The advocates
cf bimetallism will And little consola
tion in the action of Peru, and the free
silverites none at all; yet neither can
make any complaint, for it is based
solely upon universal trade conditions,
which are beyond the control of any
man, body of men or nation, and here
in, after all, lies the key to the entire
financial question.—Philadelphia North
American.
The ordinary American fox skins to
the amount of seventy or ninety thou
sand are annually sold in London at
prices varying from fifty cents to $4.
These skins are great favorites In east*
i era countries, such as Turkey.Greece,
Russia and Bulgaria.
Protection Takes terns Strides.
The most significant sign ot the times
In the political world Is the revolu
tion now going on in the South, its
awakening to the loss It has suffered.
from the Democratic “tariff for rev
enue only" system, and Its rapid con
version to the Republican doctrine of
protection. That this change Is now
going on Is beyond dispute, and Is
proved by the utterances of dozens of
Democratic newspapers in every South
ern state. Some of them, to be sure,
are grudging In their admissions that
the Southern people are becoming ad
vocates of protection, but that very ef
fort to belittle the movement only
goes to prove the strength it has al
ready attained.
The Times of Canton, Miss., pub
lished in a section that has no coal,
iron or manufacturing interests, cornea
boldly out with the following state- i?5
ment:
It is plainly evident to the Intelli- .
gent and watchful observer of passing
events that the time is not far distant
when the material Interest of the
South will in all probability work a
revolution In Bentlment on the tariff
question. Protection Is now sought
from Egyptian long-staple imported In
to this country, and rightly so. The su
gar Interests and various other inter
ests will seek protection. The labor
ing people will want it from the pau
per labor of Europe—like the labor ele
ment North. The recent election was
carried by the laboring people of the
North, not by being bought up or in
timidated by employers, but from a
sensible and well-defined idea of pro-'
tectlon. The political complexion at
the South cannot long remain sb It ta>
now; negro domination and force bills'
are things of the past. We are In at
state of transition, both financially
and politically.
A Democratic newspaper of New Or
leans says:
ouuauie protection on sugar ror ien>
years will, in ail probability, enable on
to produce our own supplies of sugar,,
and save that large outlay of cash an-t
nually given to foreigners for that pur
pose.
This is from the Richmond (Va.)
Dispatch:
Well, it does look a little incon
sistent, from a political point of view,
for cotton planters to be asking for
protection. But since pretty much ev
erything else is to be protected, andl
free Egyptian long-staple cotton would}
put the Sea Island cotton raisers at
the mercy of the New England cotton
manufacturers, It would be Inconsis
tent with common sense for the Sea1
Island, planters not to try to protect'
themselves.
One of the strongest admissions that
the Wilson bill has hurt the South la
from a Vicksburg, Miss., paper, and
reads:
The discovery that for every dollar’s
worth of trade our lumber manufact
urers have gained abroad they have,. ^
lost three dollars’ worth at home is ai
stubborn, conclusive fact that Wllson
ism is not the thing for Mlsslssippl’h
lumber interests.—Cincinnati Com
mercial Tribune.
Currency Heform.
The first need of the government la
for revenue sufficient to meet its ex
penses. The Republicans propose to
meet that need by passing a bill to
Increase revenuea The Republicans
believe, too, that a protective meas
ure, which will encourage American
industries, will help to restore pros
perity. They propose to pass such a> >
measure. ’ The Dingley bill, even as
modified by th6 senate, is a bill for
protection and revenue.
When the government has plenty of
revenue it can correct the deflclences
in its currency system. The best ele- <
merits of the Democrats, who honestly
want currency reform, must admit
that they cannot get as many as a half
dozen of their party In congress to:
agree to retiring greenbacks, which is
the only measure of currency refoim
they suggest.
The way to get rid of greenbacks,
and all the other floating obligations
of the government, is to provide plen
ty of revenue, and put the people of
the country at work.—Louisville Com
mercial. *
Pancake Day.
The day preceding the opening of
the Lenten season Is Shrove Tuesday,
deriving its name from the ancient
practice in the church of Rome of con
fessing sins and being shrived or
shroved—that is, obtaining absolution.
This Is a season of mirth and amuse
ment. At Newcastle-upon-Tyne the
great bell of St. Nicholas is tolled at
12 o’clock at noon, when all business
ceases; this is known as "the ringing
of the pancake bell,” and all day pan
cakes are baked and devoured. In tho
lime of Elizabeth it was a practice at
Eton for the cook to fasten a pancake
to a crow—the ancient equivalent for
the knocker—upon the school door.
The object of the pancakes was really
to» use up the eggs, grease, lard and
drippings, which were forbidden on
and after Ash Wednesday, and in the
monasteries such pancakes as the
monks were unable to eat were distrib
uted to the poor at the gates. Another
good reason for this custom is that
they proved a tolerable stay to the
appetite during the long tours of wait
ing to be “shrived” in church.—Amer
ican Kitchen Magazine.
A Dead Bicycle*
A man in LewiBton, Me., where bi
cycles are taxed, refused to pay a tax
on his bicycle because it Is worn out
and useless. He demands to know of
the assessors whether they could tax a
man for a dead horse. If not, ho
wishes to know why he should pay for
a dead bicycle, with a punctured wheel*
—New York Tribune.
