KOKiMC
. 5J-M,'S IV- id1---
t"V
Felix took tin- measure his mnn at
on e. II.; 0n-ni-(l his knife, and teld
it up threateningly. ".See here, fel
low." be said, in h'iow, slow tn! but
with iif-.il dcUion, '"if you aro to
B".-ik or li;.yK like that at that lady -ixl
or no g. d I'll drive this knife
straight tin to the handle in y.",ur heart,
tlioiitrh your jwoolo kill me for it after
ward ten thousand times over. I am
li"t a r tid of you, These naiu'.'rs niay
le afraid, and may thii.k you ar.j a
g k1 b it if you are, then I am a trod
ten thousand tinier stronger than you.
'in; more word o'ie more look like
that. 1 cay -and 1 plunge this knife ro
lii.u sele.siy into Jon."
'i'll-Kila-Kila drew Hack, nnd smiled
l-'ni nly. Stalwart ru !'nn at ho was.
nn I ah-obite master of hit own peo
ple's lives, he ji't afraid in a way
of the stran.'e new-comer. Vatf.it
Mories of t:io int-n w ith white fa.es
the "sai'ing tro.lt'' had reached him
from tdim to time: and thougii only
twice within hit memory had l-.urop an
Imals landi don his inland. ht ft knew
enough o the race to know Unit they
w t ro at leiiot very oweful deities
Inure ixiwerfu' with their wea;iis
than even lei was. Ik'shles, a man
who eould draw i)rn lire from heaven
with a pitvo o wax ami a liltle nn-tal
lux might surclv witte r hm to allien,
if In; would, us he xtood It; ore him.
1' he very faet that Felix bearded him
thtiH openly to hit fa e astonished n.nl
boinewhat terrilied tha superstitious
davuee. Kveryltody e so on the island
v at afraitl of him: then eertainly a man
vim wat not af:ail mutt bo the liosses
(tor of hoiiiu most e:!ieaeioiit and mag
ieitl medi ine. Hit one fear now wat
It-it hit fo, lowers should hear ami dis
cover bit ilij-eouiliture. He peered
alxuit hlui caiitioutly, with that care
ful gleam shining bright in bis eyes
then he said with a leer, in a very low
voice: Wo two n -td not (iiiariol. vYu
are bot h of us go la. Neither of tit is
the stronger. We are u (tial. that's all.
t us live like b others, not like en
emies, on the island."
-i don't want to lie yo ir brother."
Felix uiiswered, unable to conceal liis
loat hint,' any more. "I bate and do
test VOU.''
"What does he say?" Mur:ol asked,
in an airo ly of fear ut the savage's
black looks. "Is bo going to kill us?
"No.'' Felix answered lioldly. ' I
think bo's afraid of us. He's going to
do nothing. You wed't fear him.''
'('an she not speiii;?" the savage,
asked, o:ntiiitr hit llntfor somewhat
rudely toward Muriel. 'Matt sho no
voieo but this, the ehattor of I litis?
)oe she not know the human lan
(fuair?'' "She t an speak,'' Felix answered.
Tilai-inff himself like a shield Ixjtween
W uriel and the astonished savatru.
' .-be ran H)ea the lantruao of ttio
fieoiile of our distant country - a beau
l if 1 lantfuajo, whieli is as far superior
to the speech of tin; brown men of
1'olynesia as the sun in the heavens it
superior to the light of a candh n .t.
J bit she can't speak the wretched
tongue of you Houpari cannibals. I
thank Heaven she can't, for it saves
her from urnleittumlin the hate ul
thiiiffsyour people would say of her.
Mow tfo! I have mien already enough
of yo i. I am not afraid. Itemomber.
1 am at powerful a (rod at you. 1 need
not fear. You cannot hurt me."
A baleful litfht trleaitu: 1 in the can
nibal's eye. Hut he thouifht it best to
temixirie. 1'owcrful as he was on his
island, there wat one thinif yet more
powerful by far than be: and that was
Tab -the custom and supe r-tition
handed down from his ancestors.
Tbe-o strangers were Korontr: be dare
not touch th' m, excejit in the way and
manner apisiinted by custom. If ho
did, rod as bo was, his people them-.-lves
would turn and rend him.
Uo was a eod, but he was bound on
every side by the strictest talxKH. Ho
dare not hiiiiBolf o:for violence to Fo
il x.
So ho turnod with a smile and bided
his time. He knew it would come. Ho
could afford to lauirh. Then, go in if to
the noor, ho Haiti, with his tfrand
atTable manner to his chiefs around,
'I have nooKen with the ffods, mv
ministers, within. J hey nave Ktsseu
mv hands. lUy rain has fallen. All is
well In the land. Arise, let us go
away hence to my temple."
1 he savages put tnotnsoives in
marching order at once. "It Is the
voice of a i oil. "they Haiti, reverently.
"U!t us take back fu-Kila-Kila to his
temple home. Let lis escort 1 ho lord
of the divine umbrella. Wherever he
is, these trees and plants put forth
green loaves and nourish. At ids bid
Sing Mowers bltsiin and springs of
water rise up in fountains!. His pres
ence diffuses heavenly blessings."
"1 think." Felix said, turning to
poor, terrified Muriel, "I've sent the
wretch aay with a lieein his bonnet."
rlMITKIi VIII.
THK ft'STUMS OK IKIfl'AKI.
Human nature cannot always koeu
on the full stretch of excitement. It
wan wonderful to both FelU anil Muriel
how noon they settled flown into a
quiet routine of lite on tho Island of
Ifoupari. A week passed away-two
weeks - three weeks - and the chances
of relief seemed to grow slenderer and
slenderer. All thev could do now was
to wait for the stray accident of a pas.--ng
ship, and then try, If -possible, to
signal it, or to put o t in a canoe, if
tho natives would allow them.
Meanwhile their lives for tho mo
ment seemed fairly safe. Though for
the first few days they lived in con
stant alarm, this feeling, after a time,
gave way to one of comparative se
curity, the strange institution of
Taboo protected them more efficiently
la their wattled huts than tho wholo
police force of London could have dono
to a Uolgravlan mansion. There
thlovos break through and steal, in
spite of bolts and bars and metropolian
tonstables: but at Houpari no native,
however daring or however wicked,
ouldever venture to transgress the
i . - - i - . - n i i i
rxiT-vifc? m
Grant AUCN-
! na rtjw line of wbitp corttl tt:.nd u V.ieti
lirotected the cas'aw.ij iiKe an in
tanjfitiie wall fi-om all outer interfer
ence., Wtbin this imita!abe iidh
fenc they were ui-olutely mtf5 from
all ruil-j itilrun on. sase that of the two
"diadows. who waited tijun tle-m, day
ami niibt, with un'aiiiri wilini.'nesi.
In other re-pects. coii-dderiii the
cireuitista'H t-s. tueir lif' a a.i ea-v
on.-. The natives bro 'if ht t le in fr.-eiy
td their simple store jam. taro.
bread-fruit, and co oanut--. with jiieiity
of lish. crab-, itnd lolu-ters, a- wel. at
rut; bv tin; basketful aiiu ev n ntnii
limes i hifs"i iii. They re iiir d no , ay
1m-vo!hI a i:o 1 ai:il a sin: e. and wei.t
away happy a thu-e s-;nier r oui
tioiix. I t-iix tii-eovered. 111 fact, tint
thev had ifot into a region wbr! the
aritl eeiieraii annus of politii ai ccon
t'lii. d not, ai'jily: wh'-re A'iam .-;nith
it uni'i ad i.nd Mil m-f ..-cted, wlcre
t lit! supiiij- and de-land reel list tiiem
s"lve cunt.nuoiislv by simjie-r auti
moc" eenero s principles ti.ici tin!
fa eili ir : .urope.:n '.me id' "'ihc injfl.iig
of t no market. "
The peoplt!. to'i, though niter sav
ages, welt no' in their own way alto
tf thor uupieasinif ll was ' l.e r cus
toms and siipor.stitions, rather than
tliemseivw-t. tli.it were so cruel ami
horrible. I'erttmally. they see , :d for
the mo.-t Jiart siinjiio-liiinded and good
natured it ature-. At lirst, indeed,
Muriel was afraid to venture for a step
bevond t e precincts of their own
butt, ami it was lonjf before she could
ma c no li r mind to go alone thro gh
tic jungle pat hs wit fi Mali, unacenm
l . 'lined by Felix. Hut by degree - she
learned tiiat she could wain ly herself
o. course, witii the inevitable Shadow
ever by her side over the whole
island, and meet everywhere with
iiotiiing Irom men, women, and chil
dren fait the ul.imst respect and ifrae
iomt courtesy. The young lads, as she
passed, woiiitl stand aside from the
path, w th downcast eyes, and let her
go by wit h ad the po ilenes.t of chival
rous i.ngiish ge;:tlemen. Tht'olu men
would raise their eyes, but cross their
ban is on their breasts, and stand mo
tioiilets for a few minutes till i he got
almost out of sight. I ho women won tl
br.ng ' beir ret ,y brown babies for tie:
fair Kngbsh lady to admire or to pat
on the head: and when Muriel now and
again stooped tlown to caress some fat
little nased chiltl, lolling in the dust
outside the hut, with true tropical
laziness, the mothers would run up at
tin! sight wit h deliirht ami ,oy, and
throw themselves down in ucHtiicies of
gratitude for the notice she had tineli
tif their favored little ones. ''The go is
of heaven,'' they would say, with every
td-.'n of pleasure, "have looked grac
iously uM)ii our I'nuloti."
At iir-t I- ellx and M uriel were mainly
i-tr.ick with the jKiliteness and defer
ence which the iittives displayed to
ward them. 1 in ' after u time l-elix at
lean! began to oliscr.'e, btihind it all,
that a certain amount of affection, and
even of something like commiseration
at well, seemed to be mingled with the
re.-pect and reverence sfiowereti upon
them by their hosts. The woman, es
pecially, were often evidently touched
by Muriel s innocence and licaaty. At
she walked past their huts wilh her
light, girlish tread, they would come
forih shyly, txiwin ; many timet a- they
approacoed, mid olTor her a longHpray
of tlowtring hibiscus, or a pretty gar
land of crimson ti-leavos. Haying at the
same time, many times over, in their
own tongue, "Koceivo it, Korong re
ceive it. (iiiecn of the Clouds. You
are good! You are kind. You area
daughter of the sun. We are glad you
have come to us.'
A young giri aiwn makes herself at
home anywhere, and Muriel, pro
tected aliKo by her native innocence,
and by the invisible cloak of I'olyno
sian taboo, qui kly learned to under
stand and to sympathize with these
Door dusky mothers, tine morning,
some weeks after their arrival she
passed down the main street of tho
village, aocoaipaniod by Felix and
their two attendants, and reached the
marao t he open forum or place of pub
lic assembly - which stood in its midst;
a circular platform, surrounded by
bread-fruit trees, under whoso broad,
cool shade the peo.do were sitting in
jlttlo groups, and. talking together.
They were dressed in the regular old-
tnne leslivo costume ot l oiynesla, lor
Houpari, being a stria I and remote
island, to insignificant to be visited by
F.uropean ships, retained still all its
alsn iginal heathen manners and cus
toms. The sight was. indeed, tt curi
o is and pictures'iuo one. The girls,
large-limbed, soft-skinned, and with
delicately rounded ligures, sat on the
ground, laughing and talking,
with their knues crossed un
der them: their wristt were eneine
tured with girdles of dark-rud dra' Otma
leaves, their swelling lxisoms half con
coaled, half accentuated by hanging
necklets of flowers. Their beautiful
brown arms and shoulders were bare
throughout: their long, black hair was
gracefully twilled and knotted with
bright scarlet flowers. The men,
strong a u stalwart, sat behind on
short st o s or lounged on the but
tressed roots of the bread-fruit trees,
clad like tho women in narrow waist
belts of the long red dracoena Iwaves,
with necklets of shark.V teeth, pendent
chain of jsjiirly shells, a warrior's cap
on their woll-shapod heads, and an
armlet of n .tive lieans, arranged bo
low the shoulder, around their power
ful arniH. Altogether it was a strik
ing ami lieautiful picture. Muriel,
now almost released from her early
sense of fear, stod still to look lit It.
Tho men and girls were laughing
and chatting merrily together. Most
of them were engaged in holding up
tie. ore them line mats: andaiovol
mulberry cloth, spread along on the
ground, led to a hut near one side of
the marao. Toward 'this tho eyes of
the spectators were turnod. "What
is it, Mali-" Muriel whispered, her
woman's instinct loading her at once
to expect that something special was
going on in the way of local festivities.
And Mall answered at once, with
many nods and miles: "All right,
Missy Queenle Illtn a wedding, a
marriage."
The word had hardly escaped ber
lip w lien a Very pretty jouiig gnl, '
bail Biuotlired ill Bowers, and decked
out in Ih ads and fancy shells, emerged
slowly from the but, and took her way
with stately tread aumg the path car- ;
pet d with native cloth. She was girt
round the waist with rich-colored mats.
which formed alongtrain. like a court
d ets. trailingon the gro nd tive or
six fei t lieiiind her.
"Thai" the bride, I ,uiSse," Muriel
whispered, now really interested - for
w hat woman on earth, wherever she
inay If. can resist the ed .Clive de
lights of a wedding.'"'
Yet, her a bride." Mali answered:
'and ladies what fo low, -viieiu her
bridesmaids."
At 1 he word six other girls, similar iy
dresM'd. tho gh without tiie ti ain, and
demure as nuns, emerged from the hut
n slow order, two anu two, behind
her.
.Hunei and Felix moved forward with
natural curiosity toward the scene.
The natives, now ranged inarowaiong
the pa b. with mats turned inward,
made way for 1 le ni gladly. All seemed
ph-ascd that Heaven should thus ail-spi.-i,iu..lv
honor the occasion and the
bride herself, as well as the bride
g ru un, w ho, decked in shells and teeth,
advanced from the oppor-ito side along
the path to meet ber, ltked up witn
grate ul snii.es at the two Kuropeans.
Muriel, in return, smiled her most
gracious an I girlish recognition. As
tue bride tlrt w near, she couldn't re
frain fro u bending forward a little to
look at the girl s really graceful cos
tume. As she did so. the skirt of he
own Kurojiean dress brushed for a sec
ond again t t.e bride's train, trailed
c ire essly many yards on the ground
behind her.
Almost before they could know what
bad happened, a wi d oiiimotion arose,
an if by magic, in tin: crowd anninii
them. I .oud criesof "Taboo! Taboo'
inked with inarticulate screams burs',
t on e ery side from the assembled
native In the twinkling of an eye
they were surrounded by an angry,
threatening throng, who didn't dare
to i. raw near, but, standing a j ardor
two off, drew stone knives freely ami
shoo-, their lists, scowling in tho
strangers faces. The change was ai
pjlling in its electric suddenness. Mu
. riel drew bat:.; horrified, in an agony
of alarm. "h, what have 1 done!"
she cried piteousl', clinging to Felix
for support. -'Why on earth are they
angry with us'.'"
"1 don't know," Felix answered,
taken aback himself. "I can't say ex
actly in what youVo transgressed.
; Hut you must, unconsciously, in some
i way have o .ended their prejutlic.es. 1
hope it's not much. Atany rate they're
I c. early afraid to touch us."
I "Miss i.ut.'enie break taboo," Mali
j CMilained at once, with Polynesian
1 Irimkness. "That make people angry.
No him want to kill you. Missy
! nueeiiie touch bride with end of her
dress, Korong may smile on bride -;
that very goo i luck but Korong taUio;
no must touch him.
The crowd gathered round them,
still iery threatening in attitude, yet
clearly affaitt to approacn within arm a
length of the strangers. Muriel wiu
much frightened at their nuis!) and at
their frantic gestures. "Come away,'
she cried, catching Felix by tho arm
once more. " h, what are they going
to do to us. Will they kill us for til la
I'm so horribly afraid. Oh, why did I
ever do it! '
The poor little bride meanwbile,left
alone tin the carpet, and unnoticed by
everytxiily, sank suddenly down on the
mais where she stood, buried her face
in her hands, and liegan to sob as if
her heart would break. Kidently
something very untoward of some sort
had happened to the dusky lady on her
wedding morning.
The final touch was too much lor
poor Muriel's overwi ought nerves.
She, too, gave way in a tempest of sobs,
and. subsiding on one. of the na'ive
stt.ols hard by. burst into tears horsulf
with half-hysterical violence.
TO bK aiNTINCKI).
An Automatic Proposer.
The tendency t reduce everything
to niechanl s is rapidly invading the
prcc.net!) of morality and we may
In time be taught to be upright by
machinery it wc shall not in the year
ot our l ord is 4 do so from insp r
Hon. Hut here comes an ugly rumor
that has jim. enough of a tojch of
possibility in nglcd with 1U humor tc
make It interesting
A thoroughly modern l'h listine
aiinourice-i the Invention of an "auto
matic proposer," In these words: "In
these practical days, when time is
literally anil metaphorically money,
we must not waste it with sighing,
doubting, longing and the tunny
other dilatory circumstances of love.
Courtsh p must be compressed to re
duce It to legitimate, up-to date
limits. I submit, then, that it
should be obligatory for all under the
age of id, and unmarried, to wear
tuy 'Patent Automatic Proposer.'
"This Is a small mahogany case
which contains an electric appurtus
and bells connected by wires with
the heart and .wrists. ; dwlu and
Angelina adore each other but they
dare not declare the passion whl h
consumes them. Kdwin and Ange
lina meet; their pulses quicken; this
a ts ut unci! upon tho Instruments
and starts the bells of both. They
then learn that each loves the other
and the tinkli g of tho 'automatic
proposer' Is tho happy precursor to
louder peals from the wedding bells."
Nothing could be mote delightful.
Ict Her Hiive the Mini.
Mrs. Llllie Iievereux lilakc says
that the eagle on our Amerl an dol
lars Is u feminine bird, though Mr.
Ingalls has been telling around that
It rep esents the sterner sex. As
woman is gettl g the ballot she ma,'
as well have the bird, too. Tho do
minion ol man Is fast passing away,
and he will need no more symbols of
any sort unless they be something of
a do e like, submissive aspect. St,
Louis Post-Dispatch.
Tiik quickness of a man's powers
of comprehension depends very much
upon whether you are trying to Insin
uate something good about bis neigh
bor, or something bad.
Talk accomplishes to little th t it
ts k growing wonder to every man
tbat his neighbor does so much of it
THE HILLS OF THE LORD.
God ploughed oue dar with an MrthquaJte
Aud drove fdu furrowa deepl
Tb liudlllng JaJo apatarvvd,
TIm bul or all a leap
But tbat Is th uiouDia'D i secret;
at hi du in iieir brat.
God ptw is 0rla4 iu.
An ta dreatu-v Urdu ul their rest.
Be batb made tbftltl the bauut of 1 eauty
'lbe h-'Uie eiert of lea e.
He T4a4-lti hi- lujfniti). on tLeui;
Hlb auaoAis ligui l!,eir lace.
U tbiudtrs tread iu lauaic
Of fuOllttlU l-CtitHU IcliK,
Aud carry nia'ra: ic gise. luR
Arouud the aiiciit. turoug.
Bia words bring m. a.&ne8 to thi-m;
V ilu at rui jiea fioiu the main.
They airg ll down to I be valleys
In lbt lute-Mjiig ol the rain.
Greeu tribes from far t ome trooping.
Au ! oer the upJule :it)':k.
Be weavtab ibo oii-a together
lu rol,et fur rila riaeu rock.
There are m. raring for yung river,
.Keata lor bla living iotid.
Hoii.fili a-i- lor Lew -b..iu taoes,
to aalerf til, dee aud orou.t.
The people of tired t il ea
f oioe up to Ih ir Hlirtnea to pray.
(,od lreMLei.q i gain itbiu them. '
Aa y. oasdca by all tiay.
And lot I have ca'-l!hl their secret
'll.e b-itiity det-j-r ibrfD all.
Hue laitll- tlmt Jilts a burd ui"Uii-Iltl,
A bou ti e jurriug ahadows fulL
Are but fod plouliiu His mountains.
And tbe loouijiafn , vet aliatl be
Tbe of!ice til Hi grime and freab' eas
And Hie je.ueetbrlaatiu to tue.
Traj,ix'ripi.
THE FIDDLEK
The tiddler I could not tell you
his real name, but pieler to keep to
that by which he was most iamilia -ly
known -was first ioiin in a small
theater. He wastull, pale and sick
ly looking, with Jet-black st uggling
hair that bung down over his o e
head. helined in speech, and ol a
loving and gentle disposition, he was
liked by all he fame in contact with.
1 ate had dealt harshly with him.
He had come oi a good tamlly and
had lea; tied music under the best
uiaste s. Hut on the death of bis j
father, who had speculated unwise y,
he f und h mseli almost destitute. j
lie went to London, expecting that
his tulent would ic at once ecog
nied. and that be should ve y soon
make a fo tune. Hut he was sadly
disappointed, lor there be found
more musicians than could be em
ployed. Finally, a te - months o ' weary
waiting, and when he was on trie
ve go o trying some ot.be way of
making a living, he got an engage
ment in one o the small theaters.-
True It was w etched enuuie a
tiun, but It was a commencement!,
and he rice:- entirely lost hope of
something bette tu ningup
At the end o six mouths his appli
cation at one of the larger and better
1 class theate s was success ul. Jt as
un.y a change of places, but Instead
o thirty ho n-ce ved sixty shillings a
week.
e y soon a te that he ma ried,
and iu the following year his daugh
ter Helen was born.
Five years a terwa d a great mis
for une came to him. His poo wl e
died, and be was left a widower with
his little girl.
Mis ortuncs, as a.rule, d not come
singly, and so it proved In this case
The llddler, like most of his ciass,
was at the mercy o clrcuuistaoces,
and through no tault of his own he
lost bis engagement,
Then, and only then, did he thor
oughly rcgiet that he was a musician.
For almost twelve months he did
nothing. No matter how hard he
ti led, he could not get an engage
ment. He was not the only unfor
tunate he was only one among
many.
hen the little monev he had
saved was almost exhausted, he was
taken on again at the theater where
he first co in me need.
The fiddler lived with his daugh
ter in a room above a public house In
a poor and noisy neighborhood. The
frequenters of the palace below were
not, as a rule, noisy, and the sound
from the great thoroughfare reached
the place only as a kind of ii.unnur.
Helen was a sweet little creature,
the Imagine ol her mother in feature
and expression, but her complexion
resembled her father's, .She was not
very strong and was often troubled
with a wearisome cough.
In the evenings, before he went to
the theater, the llddler smoked his
long German pipe, which Helen al
ways filled. Then she would sit
down at his feet and watch him in
silence, .she loved to see the blue
smoke curl up In clouds round about
hi in.
Hut thore came a time when the
fiddler could not smoke in tbe room,
for It altected Helen's throat, and
made her cough worse.
Then he would take his fiddle
converso for hours with some of
old masters. He would become
conscious of Helen's presence
and
tho
un
and
play as It Inspired.
You never heard such music In
your life, ilo would play little mel
odies which brought the tears well
ing to your eyes. The notes seemed
to pierce you through and through.
They went straight to your heart
so t. tender notes that, recalled to
your mind all that you had cherished
and lost
One evening the spell was rudely
broken. Tho people from the place
downstairs sent up ask ng him to
play something lively and gay, as his
solemn, church music was making
everybody miserable.
The enchantment was broken. Tho
fiddler put the Instrument away with
a heavy heart, and be played no
more that night.
Helen grew worse and worse; the
cough became more hollow and pain
ful; her eyes were very bright and
skin like alabaster, with a flush on
the cheeks. When she began to put
her hand to her chest when coughing,
the father called In a doctor.
The poor child bad been ill for a
long wh le, but fche had disguised it
from her father as long a ever possi
ble; but ber efforts had become more
and more feehle as she grew worse.
1 ear me.'" sa d the doctn, hen
be had seen Helen: 'verysad, very!
Lungs have been diseased for a long
time."
tie prescribed for her, and came
again and again, but at each i t he
gave out les hope ol her recovery
"Almost into the winter," he sa.d,
'and th toor chi d, dear me! Mie'll
never see spring. Lungs most gone'"
There came one day with tbe doc
tor a nurse who, although used to
pitiful and pain ul cases, could not j
keep buck her tears at tbe sight of j
the poor faaed girl. 1- rom that day
the kind nure would not leave
Helen. She decided to remain aud
nur-e tbe little invalid, and many a
siren 'thening beverage and dainty
dish did sue give the child in seciet
which the father could not doss bly
have bought.
Many have won the na i.e of hero
by oue ga lant deed, but these nur-es
in our large towns who 1 ve a Lfe of
self-denial giving the best years of
their life up to the rare and atten
tion of the poor sick deserve the
name nd ed.
The pour llddler was almost heart- ;
broken. Every j enny each week was j
spent in edicines and belt r foo l
for the invalid, but nothing but j
change ot scene and a warm cilmate !
cou d benefit ber. He had not the j
means to send her even out Oi Lon-
doiL j
The child rlung round him in af- i
fcction mingled with fear, but he was j
often afraid to look upon he .
"l ather, dear lather, are you angry j
with your little Heien?" she asked
one day as he sat moodily with his
face bur ed in his hands.
He sprang to bis feet and clasped
her in his aims and asked her to for
give bim if be had seemed u.ikind.
Alter that he was always cheerful
when in her presence, for be saw
that lb made ber unhappy to see him
sad.
So i etlmes the fading gi l would
ask to be carried to the window to
see the sun the winter sun, like a
hine ball of blood sink down be
hind tho housetops.
(;cca ion.illy some of the neighbors,
who had known her, ca i e tt) see her,
but she was so changed that very
few could recognize her.
Aud, little by little, the hideous
disease advanced, sapping up slowly
but surely its helpiess victim's
strength. At times it made her face
appear bloodless, like the face of n
corjibe. At others, oh. cruel mock
ery! it painted the cheeks like the
blush of a rose it added lire to her
eyes and lustre to her skin, thus rac
ing false hopes In the breast of the
poor father, who saw her change from
day to day.
One morning the fiddler was in
formed that some one was waiting to
see him at the foot of the stairs He
immediately hu ried down and found
an old gentleman uacing upand down,
and mumbling all the while to him
self. "You play the fiddle at the
Theater'-"' tie abruptly asked the lld
dler, when he appca, ed.
"Yes, sir. Will vou come in. It "
"1 intend to give a party to night
and had engaged T to give us a
I tune on the Uddle. I nlortunately,
I he Is indisposed and will not be able
to appear. Will you comeV"
! "I am engaged at the theater
' and"
"I'ntll what hou ?" asked tbe vis
ifcor, ini atlently.
'About 11 o'clock. I could come
any time after that, if it is not too
laie." .
The visitor thought lor a moment
or two then ho suddenly said, at the
sa re time th usting a card into the ,
Uddlei's hand;
"To niL'ht at Ilr.'iO I shall expect
you. I)o not disappoint mo and you
will not reg et it."
That evening when the fiddle
went in to see his daughter before
leaving for the theater she did not
recogni e him, and the poor man
hurried away with a heavy load at
his heart
It was close upon midnight when
he reached the add i ess indicated on
the card, and as he was led Into the
room by the host, w th his instru
ment under his arm, there was a
murmur of voices.
He paused for a moment to screw
up a string, when he had icached ihe
piano, and then raising his head,
looked round the ooiu at the large
and fashionable audience. Dressed
in a sombre black suit, and his hair
hanging down ove:- his forehead,
made his face sand out paler than
usual.
He pushed the hair back from his
eyes, settled his chin upon the fiddle,
then drew the bow ac ossthe strings.
A murmur of applause g eeted him,
but it died away as he commenced to
play.
He sernied to waver on the strings
for a moment as If undecided what to
play, then unconsciously he closed
his eyes and fell Into a reverie, and
as he did so played. Tho notes
thrilled through tho room, oft and
sweet for a while, then they changed
Into the saddest notes you ever heard
full of plaintive regret. Tho bow
seemed to be charmed tho Instru
ment to 8 cak to speak to the heart,
for many In the room wept.
For a moment after ho ceased to
play there was a profound silence.
Kvery ono scemod to bo speechless,
awed by what they had heard. All
at once the spell was broken by cries
"Itravo" and by loud clapping.
Tbe fiddler scarce heard the ap
plause. He bowed awkwardly to the
a.idlonco but he only saw a pale
little form lying upon a bed and
nothing elsa
He played again and again, but
although each piece was enthusl-
I uebiAOU tvci vara, uuuo vujb ev wru
as the first,
position.
which was bis own com
The host detained the fiddler after
the guests had departed.
'1 sha I nave you flaying solos at
the g eat concerts'' he said t the
h. Idler, in bis peculiar, abrupt man
ner. The fid ller's heart beat fast
. ou caa never ii-e in that
wretched theater. You sfiouid be
piav iui to those who can . uderstand
ju i. What do yoa gaia from the
theater?"
Thirty-dve t-hillings a week."
"It is nothing. Nothing."
'I am ulad to get even that "
'Vot shall have 'io an even ng
very -oou!"
'1 have tried to get an intro luc
tion to persons in jower connected
vvn,n the coucerts, b ,t ha.e always
fa leu."
I shall not fail"' said the old gen
tleman, iu contideut tones. "The
lie -t concert takes place in two
months' time a will gei iou an en
gagement. There i a pecul ar power
in you- uius c-a strange, deep power
which produces tea s. i'oUsiw liieiu
to-mg.it. The men wept while you
played your Urst piece:"
When the fiddler reached hi-i mean
and shabby home tbe g ay sped al
light o morning was beginning to
steal into the room.
He met the nurse on the stairs.
Sh'! turned her back tt ward tiiui and
hid be a e in he hands.
He el t as if bis heart had turned
into ice as he mounted tbe stairs In
silence.
Helen lay on the bed dead.
Pew little withered rower!
T.ie liddier stood or a long time
holding the little wa ted liand.n his.
All at once his baud went to his
breast pocket and his tlngeis closed
over an envelope, which the old gen
tleman had given him. Median. cally
he tore it open: two 5 notes tell on
the lloo at his eet. With a smoth
ered cry oi aj-'ouy he ell upon his
knees and sobbed a oud. Wnat was
money to him now? Would it re
stoie the litt e wasteii ;o tn to life?
An hou late he ose to his eet.
He was ter ihly calm. His face was
set in rigid lines and his hands
twitched nervo sly. Taking down
the i ddle from the wall he riung it
upon the floor and ground it to splint
ers under his heels.
He did not play at the g eat con
cert two months later, as announced.
.No did he eve play again. New
o k Meicury.
Stnrtle.il the Dudelets.
The other day a ouna man wanted
a air o ev mug gloves late at n ght,
and had to go over to Sixth ayenue'
to get them, savs. the .New ork
i-rcss. There was nothing of his si e
in sto k i.ut a pair o white gloves,
wh le pearl aio ie are de rLueur.
However, he was a dan ing man an I
had to wear gloves, so he bought the
gloves, and In due course o time led
the otillon wearing them. The
chappies were astounde I. Nobody
couid question this man's irreproa fa
able taste, and in fa t he was some
thing o: a leader o ashion. After
sup; e a breathless deputation waited
upon hi in to know whether or not
white gloves had come back again.
'I'm wearing them, myself, ou
see, dear boy," he said, jokingly, but
with a slight! ' superior smile, "I
haven t really heard whether tho
prin e has found it out yet or not."
Now our true dude is not sus ept
ible to the in uen e of irony, lie
sides, the ie illation was .ustered at
the Innovation. The result was that
they in xed those s eeches up and in
half an hour everybody in the room
was saying that the i rin e of Wales
had taken to wearing white ploves in
the evening, and that Tom Jilank was
the first man in New : ork to hea of
it, So white gloves and not pearl
are now the proper things to wear in
New York City on d ess oc asions,
and when our man of ;ashion strolled
into the Metro olitan O era House
the other night an , looked aroun I
the circle he smiled grimly. Half
the men in the boxes looked as if they
we e carrying snowballs.
Tbe Com! uotor Wan Game.
"I witnessed a funny in ident out
at Hclloville, on the Cairo Short line,
last week." said Manuel G. Hi aldo,a
cigar salesmen at the Linlell last
night. -'A railroa I man had got
aboard the train au I tried to work
the conductor for a ride. The con
du tor re used and tol l him tu get
olf at the llrst stop. When the
station was reached, he did not get
oft but gave the ondu tor ,10 cents
all the mooey he had, to ride on tc
the next lystatson. When that sta
tion was reache ,the condu lor took
pains to see that he got oil. Aftei
the conductor had given the signal tc
go ahead, and tho engineer bad
starte the train, the railroa .ei
! calle I the on luctor a hard name.
'The onductor was u;i in a
I moment and notwithstanding the
lact that the train was un ler head
' way, ho ran a ter the man, who ran.
! The conductor ran a ter h.m, for
: getting all about- the train. He
j aught him an i pro eeded to thrash
I h i m In the most a roved fashion.
I A umber of assengers had rushe I
j to the rear plat orm to see the fun.
The b akesman, seeing the crowd,
hurried back, and saw the couductora
half utile ba k, . uuimelliu his insulter.
He stop et the train and had tho
engineer back up. The (ondu toi
got aboard, calmly washe I h s band
and resumed his duties refusing tc
dls uss the matter or saying what he
would have do e had h s absen e not
been not! ei when It was" St Louli
Clobe-Democrat
a wive has more occasion to feai
a fashionable club than a. high way
man's bludgeon.
No tarty was ever big enough U
bc!J either all the good or bad me
'.--, ; ,., ' ; 'fi. it
it ....' S.
T'O