Nebraska Newspapers

    j A Man of
WHEN I looks backward down
the trail." said tin- old cat-
tleinnn. "if there is one man
I relle. li on w ith MtitlMfai-tlon It's Cher-
okee Hall. Thin
yere Hall was the
limdeNtext, doeentest loiighorn an ever
shake hi antler in Arizona. He wan
slim and light, wlilj a thin face and
gray eyes. Thin yere man was a card
sharp from his iiuhtusIh up, an' I
never know him to have n dollar he
doesn't gamble for. Nuthin' tinhorn,
though. I see hi in one night, an' he
set calmly Into Home four-handed po
ker -fWt.lKH) table stakesan' he's Jest
that sanguine an' hopeful about landin'
on his feet an a clinmiirron sheep. Of
course, times was plenty flush these
days, an' fl.V) don't seem no mui-Ii
giant sum. Trade Is lively an' value
high aces tip callill' for$.M before the
draw still we ain't none of u a uinkln'
of gun waddin' of no such roll as f 1.".imh
even then. The day olu't quite ho hal
cyon a all that, neither.
"But what I like most speshul In
Cherokee Hull I hi Judgment He'
every time Hunt. He ain't talklu' much,
an' he ain't r.eedln' advice, neither,
more'u a pig needs a six-shooter; hut
when he concludes to do thing you can
gamble he's join' to (tot It plenty right.
"due time Mils yere Cherokee and
fan Mock Is a coinin' In from Tuscon
on thi since. Besides Cherokee an'
Hoggs along comes a female, a close
lierdln' of two young ones which them
I u fun la illicit have been stringlu' liz
ards an" every one a heap happier; nu'
tiorler in charge of the whole oullil Is a
long, lean man In a black coat. Well,
they hops III, an' Hoggs an' Cherokee
gives 'em the two back Heals on ac
count of the female an' the yearlln's.
"".My name is Jones,' says the man
In the black coat, when he get settled
back an" the stage Is goln', 'an' I'm
nn' evangelist, an' plucks brands from
the liiiruln'.'
" Tin powerful glad to know It,' says
Hogg. 'Them games of chance which
enjoys public notice In this yere 'clime
are so various, an' I did think I shorely
test "em all; but If devices you name
was ever open In Wolfville, I overlooks
the same complete."
" 'Pore sinkln' soul,' says the black-
coat man, 'lie's a-l1oiinderln' In the
mire of sin. Don't you know, my jwr
lshln' friend, you are beln' swept down
ward In the river of your own sinful
life till your soul will be drowned In
thi' abyss?"
" 'Well, no,' say Hoggs, 'I don't. I
allows I was makln' a mighty dry ford
of It.'
"'Lost! Lost!' say the black-coat
man, a-leanln' back plenty hopeless.
'It I it stiff-necked generation, an' a
sorely perverse lot'
"Well, the stage Jolts along two or
three miles an' nuthin' beln' said. The
black-coat man groans occasionally,
which worries Hoggs, an' the two In
fants, gettin' restless, comes tiimblin'
over onto Cherokee an' go searchln' of
his pockets for mementoes. This yere
Is about as pleasant an rofreshln' to
Cherokee as beln burned at the stake,
but the mother she leans back an
smiles, an' of course he's plumb help
leM My pore worm,' finally says the
black-coat man, addressin' of Boggs,
wuuievor avocations una you an your
lost companion?
" 'Why,' says Boggs, this yere's Hall
Cherokee Hall. He turns faro In the
Red Light; an',' continues Boggs, alow
erln' of his voice, 'he's as squar' a man
as ever counted a deck. Actoolly, pard,
you might not think It, but all that man
knows about a cold deck or dealln' sec
ond, or any seen sinful schemes, Is Jest
mere tradition.'
"'Brother,' says the female, brlst
lin' tip an' tacklln the biacx-cottt man,
don't talk to them persons no more.
Them's gamblers an' awful mean men,'
an' with that she switches away the
y earl ill's like they was contaminated.
"This was some relief to Cherokee,
but the young ones howl like coyotes
nn wants to come back an' finish rob
blu' their victim. But the mother, she
spanks "em, an' when Boggs was goln'
to give 'cm some cartridges outen his
belt to ammme 'em, she senses hltn scan
dalous, an' allows she ain't needln' no
attentions from him. Then she leans
back an' snorts at Cherokee an' Boggs
mighty contemptuous. The young ones
keeps on yellln' In a unmelodlous way,
and while Cherokee Is c'am an' don't
let on like be minds It much, Boggs gets
nervous, an' finally lugs out" bis bottle,
aimln' to drink a lot an' compvse bis
feeitn's, wblcb tbejr was somewhat har
rowed by now.
" 'Well, I never,' tsars tbe woman. 'I
shorely sets sou before now, but at
least they had the decency not to drtak
before a lad.'
"This stampede Bona complete, an'
Judgment, j
e
; so lie throws the bottle outen tin? stage
an don't get uo drink,
"After it while t!ie stage strikes into
I the miner end of n dark rockv i-anvon.
This yere canyon was about two miles
long an' was lately reckoned some bad.
Nuthin' ha ever happened on the line,
but those yere was Hie days when Vic
toria and his Apache was cavorlln'
'round loose, an' It was mighty possibl
they was a-liiyin soinewhar In the hills
along the trail to Tucson. If they ev
got a notion to stand up the stage, they
was shore due to do It in this yere can
yon, wherfore Cherokee an' Hoggs an
(Id Monte, who drlvlu' regard It
plenty suspicion.
Send em through on the jump,
.Monte, says Cherokee, stlcklu' out his
head.
no mo six Horses lines out at a ten
mile gait, which rattles things a whole
lot. an' make the black-coat man sigh,
while the young ones sots up some up-
pamn shrieks. The female gets spesh
ui marl nt this, thlnkln" a how they're
playln' It low down on her fumbly. But
she takes It out In cullin' the yearlin
now an then, jest to keep 'em yellln
an' don't way nuthin'.
Won, the stage got about half
through the canyon when all at once
nil on both sides In the rocks about
twenty Winchesters begins to hop and
Jump mighty permlseus, the same goln
hand in hand with some whoops of on
usual merit. Itii the first shot old
Monte begins poiirin' the whip Into the
team, and them bosses goes Into their
collars like six lions. If plenty lucky
aborlglnce ain't no shots. They never
seems to get the philosophe of a hind
sight none, nn' generally you can't
teach their bullet with a ten-foot poll
the only thing gets hit this time Is
Hoggs. About the boginnin" a little
cloud of dust files outen his shoulder
an' hi face turn pale, an' Cherokee
know he s creased.
"Did they get yon hard, old man?"
says Cherokee, some anxious,
" 'No,' says Hoggs, tryln' to brace him
self, 'I'll be around In a second. I
wishes I had that whisky I hurls over
board a minute back so graceful.
"Well, the Injuns conicH tumblin'
down onto the trail an' gave a chase, a
hhootln' au a yellln" a heap zealous.
As they wan on foot and the bus was
makln' fifteen miles an hour by now,
they could Jest manage to hold their
own In the race, about forty rod to the
r'ar. Finally Cherokee an' vere comes
In his jedgment-after thlnkin' a i
ond, says to Hoggs;
J IDs yere Is the way I flggers It. If
we keep on this way these Injuns will
shore run In on us a half mile further
at the ford. They're due to down a
horse or .Monte maybe both In which
eveiu uie singe snoreiy stops an it a a
fight This yere beln' troo, an' as I'm
elected for a tight anyhow, I'm goln to
hop outen the stage right yere an' pull
on the fight mese'f. Thls'll stop the
chase, an', to tell the fact It's about the
only chance In the box this yere pore
female an' her offsprings has to live a
little bit, an' I'm goln' to play It for 'em,
win or lose.
" 'Them's my notions,' says Boggs, a
tryln' to pull hlmse'f together; "shall
we take this yere shorthorn along?
an' he p'lnts to where them fonr ten
derfeet Is mixed up together In the back
of the stage.
" 'He wouldn't be no earthly use,'
says Cherokee, 'an' you're too hard hit,
Dan, yourse'f. 80 Jest take my regards
to Knrlght an' the boys, an' smooth this
all you know for Faro Nell, an' I makes
the trip alone.' v
"'Not much,' says Boggs, 'my stack
goes Into the center too.'
"But he didn't, though, 'cause Boggs
had bled a heap morc'n he thought,
an' the first move he makes he tips over
In a faint. So Cherokee picks up his
Winchester, an' openlu' Hie door of the
stage Jumps clean free, an' they leave
I1I111 thar on the trail.
"Well, (lie stage comes Into Wolfville,
ten miles further down, on the lope.
Boggs Is still In a faint an' about bled
to death, while Ihetn exhortlu' people
Is shorely outen their mind. In no
time a dozen of us lined out for Chero
kee. Did we find him? Well. I should
say we shorely found him. They'd got
one bullet through his lalg an' thar he
was, with his back agin a rock wall, an'
his eyes glltterin', a-holdln' the can
yon. There never was no Injun gets
by him. Of course they all runs when
they bears lis a-eoinln', so we don't get
no light
" 'I bones you nails one, Cherokee,'
says Enrlgbt, 'playln' even on this yere
lalg they shoots r
" 'I win once, I think,' says Cherokee,
'over behind that big rock to the left'
"Bun enough he's got on Injun, too
dead to skin, an' comln' along a llttla
further Jack Moors Bods a second.
" 'Yere's n.iollier,' srys Moore, 'wtic-6
makes evil on Boggs."
"That's right,' says Cherokee. 1
remember now; there was two. The
card come some fast one time an' J i
overlook a bet' !
"Well, we get In Cherokee all right
an' the nex' day around comes the fe- I
male tenderfoot to see him. j
" 'I wants to thank my preserver,' she ;
says. ,
""You ain't under no obligations!
whatever, inarm.' says Cherokee, rals- !
111 up a little in the bed, while Faro Nell
Jiuts another goose-ha'r pillow under
him. 'I simply prefers to do my fight
In' in the canyon to doin' it at the ford,
that's all. It wag Jest a matter of
straight busiiii as-jest a preference I
has. Another thing, marm, I know
you'll excuse it, seelu' I'm a single man
an" onused to childish ways; but I was
mighty glad for an excuse to get away
from them blessed children of your'n."
S;m Francisco Examiner.
An Illinois Kip Van Winkle.
due afternoon last week an old man
stood on I.aSalle street, near the Uook
ery building, in evident perplexity, lie
had none of that "vegetable dandruff"
about him which denotes the country
man, but It was clear that his dollies
had not boon made by a city tailor.
He shrank instinctively from the pas
lug wagons and he lacked that indefi
nite something which marks the dwell- j
ers in huge towns. He looked uneasily I
up and down the street and then turn j
ed his eyes toward the sky, but seem j
ingly without finding what ho was
searching for. Ilis embarrassment was 1
so evident that a hurrying business
man, moved perhaps by memories of
the time when he himself got up In Mu
coid gray of morning to food the stock,
stopped to offer help.
"Are you a stranger In the city?" he
asked by way of loading up to the (pies
Hon gently.
The old man looked at him distrust
fully before he answered.
"Wal, no," he said guardedly. "I
can't hardly say that I was here In
7,0."
"Considerable change since then,"
said the business man.
"Somewhat," answered the old man,
still distrustfully.
"Can I help you In any ay? You
seemed to bo looking for something."
"No, I don't much think you kin help
me," the old man said reflectively. "I
know the streets pretty well. Studied
'0111 up 011 a map afore I left homo. But
say, stranger, kin you tell me which
way I north? These blame bulldiu's
Is so high n man can't see the sun, and
how he's goln' to keep the' p'lnts of the
compass straight without It Is niore'n
I kin see." Chicago Times-Herald.
I,uiig unices of I'alcNtlne.
A regard the language spoken in
I'ali-stlne in the time of Christ, much
that is of high Importance has resulted
from recent exploration. A dedication
of Herod wa written both In Aramaic
and in Crook, and there are a great
many Creek texts of this age In all
parts of the country, which show us
that the old Canaanlte religion hail
not yet died out, but were mingled
with Crook mythology, so that, the
immes of native and of Creek deities
stand side by side. The region
whore the Croekx were most
numerous was apparently De
capolls, east of the sea of Calllee,
and It seems to me probable that the
people of Cailara, who kept, swine,
were Crooks, for the pig was regarded
as an unclean animal by the Phoeni
cians und other natives as well as bv
the Jews. It ha often been disputed
whether the gospels were originally
written In Crook or Aramaic, but It
has now been rendered certain by ex
ploration that Creek wa very widely
used In Palestine nt this time, and that
It was understood by Uie Jews as well
as by the others, we have recovered
the stone written in Creek, which warn
ed the Contlle not to enter the Inner
court of the temple, and have found
early Jewish bone boxes on Olivet In
scribed in Creek.
Had a Window In His Head.
Although "every dog has his day,"
says a lxiiidon paper, few of the spe
cies attain to the distinction and celeb
rity of one which formerly belomri-d to I
the late Arthur Durham. The fame of
this animal was spread far and wide
about five and twenty or thirty years
ago, ami "lnirnam s clog" was as well
known in scientific circles as the presi
dent of the royal society. For the bet
ter pursuit of his Investigations into
the state of the brain In sleeping and
waking, Mr. Durham had removed a
large part of the animal's skull and had
glazed the orifice with a stout watch
glnsn. The pperatlon had been perform
ed with the assistance of anesthetics
and the dog was quite unaware that
anything of the kind had occurred to
him or that he had a transparent crown
to his cranium. But through this wah-h
glass the state of the circulation In his
brain In sleeping or waking could be
observed with the greatest accuracy
and ease, and much useful Information
was thus supplied by him. I believe that
he lived happily for many years after
ward, and that he suffered no Incon
venience from having a glas top.
Horned Toads.
- Boys living in and about Han Diego,
Oil., are making money catching horn
ed toads for the Hawaiian Govern
ment, which Is importing them to de
stroy a Japanese bug which Is ruining
many crops In the Island. The Govern
ment wants 0,000 toads, and is paying
the boys 91 a dosen for them.
Oil and Oaa,
Oil and gas stoves, while coming In
competition with tbe old-time coal
stove, have had no effect upon tbe sales
of tbe latter. This Is somewhat re
markable, but the history of a great
many improvsoisaU la civilisation it
like It
Sr'ULTAV". 1
,fiff j ""t ft J'
' CHAPTER XIII. Continued.)
! One evening, lihortly before Christinas.
Marsdeu lin-i lood in luur than usual,
nfit-r dining with nome friends at his club.
1 Ho stood 011 tart hearth-rug retail ng the
political anil otlior gossip he hud hoard,
I and u -hiioiiiiig Mrs. L'Kstrunge and
Norn resnt-ciiiig their shopping.
"Mrs. Ituthveu in coming to town next
week," he said. "1 had a talk with Siiir
l y to-day. He has been ilowii to see her;
she has not deigned to oolii'iiiiliieate with
me, lint I hour through my solicitor she
has sold that villa she was so wild to get
a month or six weeks ago, and made fif
teen hundred munds by the transaction."
"I it possible'" exclaimed N'lia.
"Some people seem to have the (siwer
of turning nil they touch to gold," said
Mrs. lKstrmige.
"Fortunate people," returned Marsdon.
"Talking of gold, I see Winton's old
unc le died rather suddenly on the thir
teenth, so, 1 suppose he'll have plenty to
do settling his affairs, instead of rushing
liio k to punish the unworthy in his dis-
! 1riel
"Whs old Mr. AYinton rich?" asked Mrs.
I.'F.st range, carelessly.
"I inn not sure. I think I have heard
that he made money or saved money of
late years, lie lived at a little shooting
box lie had on the edge of a Yorkshire
moor. I don't think lie ever held up his
head since 'Black Mark' wont to the
had."
"Do not say tiiHt, Mr. Marsilen!" ex
claimed Mrs. 1,'lOst range, earnestly.
"Father and sou misunderstood each
other; but the son whs more sinned
against than sinning." 1 Ier delicate face
Hushed us she spoke.
"You are more charitable, than most
people, Mrs. IKsl range, to one who, if
not sorely belied, did not care for any one
save himself; at any rale, it is likely Hod
Mark, as we used to call him, will stop
into his shoos,"
"Old Mr. Wintoii hud a daughter, I
think?"
"Yes, who married uguinst his will. I
don't know what liecaine of her. I'cr
lnip she inuy come in for some of the
father's money. Hut 1 must bid you gond
ii', as weil us good-iiiglit. I am going
down to ICvesleigh to-morrow to see after
some matters. I don't fancy, after all,
Mrs. Ituthveu will take the place, she
has made so many dillicullies and stipu
lations." "How long ahull you he away?" asked
Nora, who hail grown very silent of late.
"Well, quite three or four days. Y'ou
will write to inc. will you not, my sweet
est Hweetlieart?"
"Yes, certainly.'
"And will you take a parcel for tne to
BiDokdule?" asked Mrs. IlOstrango. "I'll
go and fetch it."
"With pleasure," said Marsdeu. "Now,
deatest." he cried, ns soon as they were
alone, "one farewell kiss. I have an odd
sort of fancy that this may be" the lust
you'll ever give me. It is extremely uii-
srd, this superstition, and must mean I
am going to die, for if I live I snail un
doubtedly have many a sweet kiss in the
iluys that nre coming."
"Do not think of such things, Clifford,"
said Nora, more touched by his words
than ho was aware, anil she leaned for
ward to press her lips gently to his cheek.
"1 trust you may have many, many hi ppy
years before you."
"Will you make me happy?"
"I will do my best for you, dear. Clif
ford. I will, indeed."
"Cod bless you, darling!" kissing her
hair, her brow, her cheeks quickly, pas
sionately, and letting her go as Mrs.
L'Estrunge re-entered the room.
"It is not very large, and If you will
send it over to the cook at Brookdale, I
shall be much obliged," she said, handing
the pneket to him.
After a few more words Marsden bid
them adieu and departed. Mrs. L'EBtrange
and her step-diitighter drew nearer the
fire, and sat for some minutes in silence.
"I did not think Mr. Marsden as bright
as usual, said the former, at length.
"No. He was a little more serious than
usual," returned Nora.
"Hut he is always pleasant and kind.
I really think, dear Nora, you are won
derfully fortunate. Y'ours is a case where
true love has run smooth."
"The Idos of March have come, not
gone."
"That Is quite an uncanny speech,
Nora." There was another pause
Then Nora, gathering up her resontlon,
said quietly:
"Did Clifford Marsden know Mr. Win
ton and his cousin when they were all
boys?"
"Yes. They used to be in Oldhridge
now and then, and he was at my father's
rectory once."
"Will you think me unwarrantably In
trusive if I ask you a few questions about
those by-gone days?" laying her hand
gently on her step-mother's knee.
Mrs. L'Kstrange smiled thoughtfully.
"No, dear, I can tell you anything, and
there is not much to tell."
"Did you know Clifford hefore you mar
ried my father?"
"Scarcely knew him. I met him sev
eral times. He was a delightful boy at
nineteen or twenty."
"Was he a great friend of Mark Win
ton's?" "No. More tne friend of the other
Mark. Y'ou know both the Wintons had
the same name, it used to make confusion.
1 hey had not been brought up exactly
together. They were at different schools,
hut both were sent to study with my
father one for the army, the other for
India. We used to distinguish them as
Black and Bed Marks. They mnde Clif
ford Marsden's acquaintance at his aunt's,
airs. Atnerteya, at Oldhridge, and he
cams down from London to see them
once, for s few days, to my father's rec
tory In Hampshire. Oh! what a sweet
home It was. What sges sway back that
time seems!"
"Andl" whispered Nora, leaning lightly
against her companion and fixing her eyes
on the glowing coals, "Mark Winton was
very fond of you I"
"WeM," returned Mrs. IEstrange, with
a quiet smile, "he fancied he was hs
aid be wae-and I. a foolish, motherless
trl tMtlevad Mm."
fcSSht ,' ,1 U X V. "But
wu he not faithful and iineV'
surprised.
been a luistuke
uiewhere: !ut it all c
ame hard euouirh
MrS f.'I'wlrilr ru
There was a gentleman in our ntithbor-
hood who
widhed me to mnrrv him a
very good fellow. I was inclined to like
him, but alter Mark made me believe he
loved me I thought of no one else, and I
refused my first admirer. Then Mark
went away to India. He wrote to me
once or twice. Then came my great sor
row. My dear father died, leaving barely
Kiillieieut to pay his debts. I was very
friendless, we had lived away from all
our relations, und I waited and waited for
a letter from Mark, but none came for
more thun a year. Then I had a curious
epistle, bidding me farewell, and expres
sing deep ngret for any pain he might
have caused me. hut that marriage wus
out of the question for him. I never re
plied. I felt that chapter wus closed for
ever. Thaf wns just ufter I went to live
with Miss Webster an engagement Mrs.
Atherley got for me."
"1 could never have believed that such
a mail a Mr. Winton would have acted
so busi-ly," exclaimed Nora, her heart
heating, her eyes lit up with indignation.
"How can you "
"But. Nora." interrupted Mrs. L'Es
trange, quickly, "it was not Ited .Mark,
whom you know, who behaved in this
way! I do not fancy he ever was in love
in his life. Oli, o! It was his cousin.
Our friend wus always true and steady.
1 well remember when, owiiiir to the
similarity of mime, some knowledge of
his cousin's engagement to me reached
him, he warned me against throwing
away a certainty for a will-o'-the-wisp
as, 110 doubt, I did. Ah! that whs a
dreadful time. Its bitterness and morti
lication sting me still! My life, under its
new conditions, was dreary and trying
enough to make me very grateful to your
father for giving me the chance of lenving
It and you know the rest."
'Then " Nora paused, and. chung-
ing her sentence, observed, "Do you
know, I fancied, at one time, that you
would marry Mr. Winton?"
Mrs. I-'Csl range laughed softly.
"That is curious," she said", "for I
fancied you and he were taking to each
other, until after the Kvosleigh bull
when a sort of change came to both of
you."
There was a pause of a few minutes.
The light died out of Nora's eyes the
color from her cheek. At length she
said :
"Then yon would not marry Mr. Win
ton?" "it is extremely unlikely he would even
nsk me," said Mrs. IEstrange, laughing.
"And as to me, till ideus of love or matri
mony are over forever. Boa is, and will be.
my only love. I want no more."
A dull sense of desnnir numbed V.r-o-a
heart; if. was a few seconds before she
could collect herself to say:
"Do you think Ciifford Marsden knew
all this?"
"Yes; I imagined he did. He was very
friendly with Mark and continued to be
after our friend, Hod Mark, went out to
India. My fiance, as I fancied him to be,
did not go til! after. He was appointed
to a regiment stationed at Delhi, and, I
believe, wns very unfortunate and weak.
mt. winton gave me au account of his
later life. He died two years ago. I had
not heard anything of him for a long time,
und I was grieved to think of his wasted
life! How well it is that the future is
hidden from us! There, dear, is the
wnnie History.
The whole history! Mrs. I.'Estrange
little dreamed what a sting it left in her
step-daughter's soul. Was Clifford Mars
den's memory really defective? Or, had
lie misrepresented facts? Surely he was
too much of a gentleman to do" so? At
any rate, she (Nora) had been juggled
out of the best chance of happiness ever
offered her; for she now felt convinced
Mark Winton bail loved her from the
first.
"Dear Helen," she said, rising with an
effort, "I have kept you up too late; let us
go to bed. What an extraordinary jum
ble life is!"
"Yes! Is it not Incomprehensible?"
returned Mrs. IEstrange, kissing her.
"You look dreadfully pale and tired
Nora."
"Incomprehensible!" the word kept re
peating itself in fiery syllables all night
long; strive as she would, Nora could hear
nothing else, think of nothing else. What
an incomprehensible destiny that which
doomed her and the man that loved her
well, as she now believed, to separation
forever!
Was she deceived or only inadvertently
misled? If deceived she would never
never forgive. And she must find out.
CHAPTER XIV.
The balmy air of Torquay did wonders
for Mrs. Kuthven, and her own resolute
eagerness to regain health and strength
still more.
The attentions and inquiries of various
noble and distinguished invalids, sojourn
ing, like herself, in that famous resort.
soothed and satisfied her. Lady Dorrin it-
ton had written glowing euloglums and
recommendations of her friend and guest,
and all things promised fair for the en
suing spring campaign. But though
sweet and placid to those few favored
visitors who were admitted to her pres
ence, the real vivifying influence which
was bringing back energy to her system
was the bone, the prospect of revenire.
To lose Clifford Marsden, by whom she
had been so fascinated, wns bad enough;
to lose the lord of Evesleigh, the hero of
a hundred conquests, was worse; to lose
him to a simple, inexperienced girl, whom
she had herself praised and patronized,
was worst of all.
Alrendy society had begun to talk of
Clifford Marsden being about to marry
some country nobody; but as yet there was
no certainty in the report and, deep in
hi-r heart, Mrs. Kuthven swore the msr
rlage should never take place.
It was part of her scheme to prevent
Evesleigh from going into strange hands,
even for a season. She was determined
to rule there herself. Captain Shirley's
visit wss a stimulating tonic; but she
was not too confidential with her right
hand man.
Bhe listened to his accounts of Mars
den's devotion to Nora, the steadiness
and sobriety of his life In consequence,
of the early date tied for their marriage,
ha mnwm that k tfiafi4aA n aala an
he possibly could upon his bride-elect, ete
to all of which Mrs. Rutbveo listened ai
most in silence, with downcast eyes, sod
a slight, inscrutable smile.
In veTin. Shirley tried to draw some oh-
nations from her, which might indicate
in wLot direction he current of her feei-in-
wus M-tling. He could not even
1. lake up Lis mind if she had resolved to
renounce Marsden. The only sentence
wtieli cot-aped her lips on the subject was
when Shirley reiterated the report that
the marriage was to take place immediate
ly; then Mrs. Ituthveu said, languidly:
"if it does not take place soon it will
probably not take place at all."
"May I ask your reason for saying soV
"Well, chiefly because Mr. Marsden is
not a man of very fixed purioe and
something may occur to change his views.
Talking of change, did I tell you that 1
have got rid of that place at Twickenham?
It seems that a rich stock-broker took a
violent fancy to it, und he bus given me
a thousand giouiids for my bargain."
"Did you tire of it so soon?" asked Shir
ley, in surprise.
"os, sickness and seclusion have
wrought a radical change in me. I now
feel I must is- in lxiiidon and in the com
plete country, alternately."
"1 urn afraid, Mrs. Kuthven, that I
have uncousciousiy done something, or
left undone something, that has induced
jiui to withdraw the confidence you once
placed in me." said Shirley, with a wound
ed sir. looting straight into her eyes.
"Then you are mistaken: I give you ex
acily the same amount of confidence I al
ways did a good iliul, but by 110 moans
all. You have been useful to me, and I
have been useful to you. I am slill dis
posed to lie your friend, but do not sup
pose you have the smallest pow r lo injure
me. The day is long gone by for that."
"Injure you! Do you suppose that such
an idea ever crossed my mind? My in
clination is only to be your best devoted
servant more, if you would accept moi"
Mrs. Kuthven laughed softly.
"I quite believe you," she said;
"still "
"You have never been quite the same
since you were robbed of your rubies," he
interrupted. "You seem to have grown
doubtful of every one."
"I am." she exclaimed, with sudden
fire. "I'tterly, completely distrustful;
and you mutter feeble complaints because
I will not tell you the vague hope I have
of recovering them. 1-ave that alone;
I may confide even that to you one day,
but never if I find you presuming to try
discovery on your own account. 1 alone
have a slight clew, and I will have no one
meddle."
Shirley looked at her so completely
startled and surprised that she laughed
a strange, almost hysterical, laugh.
"You must not excite yourself." he
exclaimed; "you might bring on another
relapse."
"That would never do," she returned, in
an altered voice. "1 want to be well
soon: I have a good deal to do. Toll me,
Shirley," she went on, "why did you not
make love to Nora C'Estr mgc? She
would have been a suitable wife for you."
"I was quite willing to do so, but some
how it was impossible. 1 could never
get beyond the weather, or the last new
waits, with her."
"What is there different in her from
other women?" she asked, scornfully;
"you have been tolerably successful with
other women."
"I don't know; Miss IEstrange is
frank and pleasant, and all that sort of
thing, but- she is the most inaccessible
woman I ever came across."
"Shirley, you are a fool! A young
creature fresh from the school room and
educational irons, is the easiest game of
all! Man, have you so little experience
as not to know you can always count on
at least one traitor within the trenches?"
"Perhaps the game was not sufficiently
exciting; anyhow, Winton did not give
a fellow a chance."
"Winton! Y'es, that is a man I should
enjoy mortifying. I think he was fond
of Nora L'Estrange, and I suspect she
liked him. But who would refuse Mars
den of Evesleigh?"
"He is not so great a catch."
"Listen to me," cried Mrs. Kuthven,
not heeding him. "1 want to go to Lon
donlot me see I think I could bear the
journey next week. 1 want you to take
rooms for me at the Alexandria Hotel;
I shall keep them for awhile. I like this
place, and can go up to town as I like.
You must secure good rooms, and have
everj'Miing made comfortable and warm
above all things, warm."
Captain Shirley took her directions with
profound attention, and then their talk
flowed in ordinary channels. Mrs. Kuth
ven, was quiet, and in rather a more cheer
ful mood; she was more civil and friendly
than usual. Y'et Shirley left her with an
impression that there wns danger in the
air.
(To be continued.)
Mushrooms as Food In Kurope.
As an article of food mushrooms are
becoming more widely and favorably
known each year. Immense quanti
ties are grown for market In caves near
Paris, some of the beds being seven
miles long. One grower has twenty
one miles of mushrooms growing at
Mery. In Italy the truffle beds are so
valuable that they are guarded as care
fully as are gamp preserves in England.
But the poachers, quite equal to the
necessity, train Mieir dogs to go among
the beds, dig up those mushrooms of
marketable value, and bring them out
to the edge, where they nre waiting to
receive them. Mushrooms bring in a
revenue of 4.000 a year to Rome, and
M. Roques calls tbe despised, toadstools
the "manna of the poor."
Mr. Julius Palmer, our own authority
on mushrooms, says: "Were the poorer
classes of Russia, Germany, Italy or
France to see our forests during the
autumn rains, they would feast on the
rich food there going to waste. For
this harvest requires no seed-time and
asks for no peasant's toll. At the same
time the value of mushroom diet ranks
second to meat alone. America Is one
of the richest countries In mushroom
food." St. Nicholas.
Tbe Gorilla's Lang Power.
Recent investigations have brought
to light the fact that the gorilla Is
equipped with a sort of air bag In the
chest over the lungs, and connected
with the trachea or wind-pipe. By
striking this organ the animal Is en
abled to emit his terrible shrieks and
roars.
Bulwer-Lytton knew all tbe odaa and
other poems of Horace by heart Be
translate large portlona of HoraoTa
iwwMita Into BlnalfMsi Tares