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About The Sioux County journal. (Harrison, Nebraska) 1888-1899 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 1895)
j A TRIUMPH OF MEDICINE. I ' . J,J....,J.,J.T D II) you ever give a man the wrong medicine, Dr. Mac pherson?" Macpberson shook hit bead. "I do not remember doing so. But I once fare a man an overdose of a drug for sleeping draught, wblcb Dearly killed bim. It was his own fault, though, as you will see when I tell you the story. It was when I was quite a young man, and soon after I started practice of my own at Chelsea. I had taken a pretty large house there, as a doctor Is bound to do If be wants to get on, and kept a couple of servants. On the night, however, when my adven ture hapjwned, both the girls were away. 80 that when a violent ring came at the front door bell about mid night, when I was just thinking of turning in. I had to go and answer it myself. When I opened the door I found that It was as I expected. A small boy, breathless with running, Informed me that I was required at once at an address he gave me in a street about half an hour's walk from my louse. " 'What am I wanted forr I asked, but the boy could not tell me. He had been passing the house, be said, when an old gentleman opened the door, gave him a half crown, and told him to run as hard as he could for the nearest doctor. "I put on my overcoat and started, carrying with me a few things on the chance that they might be necessary. Including a strong soporific which I might have to use if I found my patient J great pain which I could not im mediately relieve. 1 "I had concluded that my services were made necessary by some accident, and used as much haste as possible, therefore, in getting to the address which the boy had given me. As I approached the house I was surprised to find It in complete darkuess, and I could not help wondering whether I had been made the vietim of a practical Joke. I was prepare with an apology for my intrusion when I heard steps descending the stairs and coming along the hall in answer to my second ring. The door was opened by a genial-looking old gentleman in a flowered dress ing gown, who carried a lamp In his hand, aud whose first words set my mind at rest us far as my fears of a hoax were concerned. "'Oh! you are the doctor, I sup pose?' he said. 'Will you walk up stairs, please? "He, was chatting all the while that he preceded me up the broad staircase In a voice that certainly did not show any anxiety. As lie led the way into a room on the first floor at the back and placed the lamp on the table. I glanced around the place quickly, ex pecting to see some sign of the person I had come to attend. "The room was comfortably, almost handsomely, furnished as a sitting room and contaiued a cheerful-looking fire, before which two armchairs were drawn up, with a small table between them, containing two glasses, a bottle of whisky and a siphon of soda water. besides a box of cigars. But there was no sign of a patient " 'Take your great coat off and sit down,' said the old gentleman; 'you can pat your things on the table. I suppose you will not object to a glass of Scotch and a cheroot? I can rec ommend the cheroots.' "He bad seated himself in one of the armchairs as he spoke and was filling the glasses. " 'Pardon me.' I said. In considerable astonishment 'but had I not better see the patient before I do anything else?" "He looked up, as If surprised at my suggestion. Oh. I am the patient,' he said, (l.i.ldly. "I started In greater surprise than evev., for he looked quite a picture of b-:ltli. and be smiled good-naturedly. Mf you will sit down I will tell you , wli.it Is the matter with me,' be said a ; -lucidly at before. 'I do not like to .1 man standing while I am sitting, and If you do not take your coat off you will catch cold when you go out again. You doctors never use your knowledge t. take care of yourselves. That la be! rer e I obeyed wonderlngly. "lint victim of Insomnia,' be went en. after I bad takes the other arm chair; 1 suffer terribly. Yon cannot Ml what It la to atay awake all night kmc while the root of the world la asleep.! Not a aoal to apeak to, the one Nrtag parooa to a eJr of dead. I think tfat It wla aead u mad some day.' - Tea, It to a great aCletloo,' I Mid. fSertti; art a little ehacrtaed that I tifhmrafrailittiitt'-rT-f Bight O a WMKiaitawi which eaald hare t :t fcfiU ctaay tta "hat It eaa be 1 1 said my patient pushing the box of cigars toward me. " 'You are suffering to-night?" I asked w ith my most professional air. " 'Yes, I am perfectly certain that I shall not sleep a wink. It would make me feel suicidal to go to bed and try. That is why I sent for a doctor, but I am sorry you have had to come so far.' "'Well, it is lucky that I have brought some drugs with me,' I said, ox-niug my brief bag before me. 'I will give you a sleeping draught for to night, but you must give up drugs and live healthy and take plenty of exercise and diet yourself if you really want a cure.' "I took out the soporflc I had prepar ed before starting as I spoke, but the old gentleman shook bis head hopeless ly. " 'It Is not the least Use giving me drugs, doctor, he said. 'I have satur ated my system with them and they have no effect upon me.' "Then may I ask why you have sent for me? I asked, feeling very much like losing my temper. "'Well, It is like this, doctor.' he said, placidly. 'I can't sit up all night by myself. I feel as though I should go mad if I do. I must have somebody to talk to.' " 'And you mean to tell me ' I began hotly, and paused for want of words to express my Indignation. "My patient took advantage of the pause to proceed In bis gentle, half apologetic manner: 'I assure you, doctor, that I looked upon It quite as a business matter. I do not look upon a physician as a philanthropist but as a business man, whose chief inducement after all is to make money. May 1 ask what your usual fee Is? ' 'My usual fee Is seven and six pence,' I said, severely. I was a mod est beginner In those days. 'But when I am called out In the night ' " 'You make it higher, of course,' put In my patient lmpertubably; 'shall we say ten shillings?' "I nodded. " 'And may I ask how long your visit usually takes?" " 'It varies from five minutes to an hou r.' "The man performed a short calcula tion on his fingers. " 'Then we may call your average visit thiftv lw t and a half minutes,' he said quietly. 'Well, I am quite prepared to pay you ten shillings for every thirty two and a half minutes that you remain with me. You came in at exactly 12:1. Allow me to pay you up till seven min utes to 1.' He gravely handed me half a sovereign as he spoke, and went on: 'If you prefer it 1 have not the least objection to your giving me medical advice all the time you are here, al though that la quite Immaterial to me, so long as you talk about something, and keep me from tiie loneliness that I dread. Do take a cigar and help your self to the whisky.' "His tone was so business like and matter-of-fact that Is was impossible to quarrel with blm. Besides, his evi dent dread of being alone, which so many victims of Insomnia have, ap pealed to my sympathies. I was not successful enough then to disregard the chance of gaining a rich and eccen tric patient the very class who make the profession worth practicing, from a pecuniary point of view. I made no demur, therefore, but determined to stay at least until I had given bim di rections for curing bis want of sleep by systematic exercise and plain living, and I lighted one of bis cheroots, which were, indeed, excellent "At the end of half an hour I rose to go. But my strange patient pieaoeo wltb me so earnestly to accept another fee and stay half an hour more that I scarcely bad tbe heart to leave bim. A fresh idea occurred to me. " 'I will stay on one condition,' I said; 'that you lie down and let me try to get you to sleep.' I felt that If I could giiceeed In doing ao I should have done something to Justify my visit and ahould be able to get back to my own hid without any danger of offending 11 possible remunerative patient "He agreed instantly, and drew up a omfortable-looklng couch to the fire In place of bis chair. " "Now, If I will do my level best to Bleep, will 70a promise not to leave me Ml I am off? be said, and, feeling pretty confident of my powers, I rather nn wisely consented "I began by reading aloud to him In aoft, monotonous tone, wblca I have generally found effective, and at the ad of half aa hoar was congratulating raelf ea my aaeeeaa, whoa the old aaatliaiia ranspod aa wide awake, aad taking la ato pocket, prodseed another 'I must not forget your fee he said as he lay bark again at full length on the couch. 'Please go uuu It la very soothing.' "I was getting desperately sleepy my self, and more than ever anxious to suc ceed and get away. "This won't do,' he said quite anx iously. 'If I go to sleep huw on earth shall I know what I owe youl" 'You can trust that to Die,' I said, shortly, and continued the reading again, with w hat seemed like complete success, till at 2 o'clock my patient Jumped up as lively as ever to present me with my fourth fee. "The want of success made uie des perate, and I was already regretting deeply the promise which prevented uie leaving tbe old gentleman to his fate, and getting home, when another thought suggested Itself to me. "The sleeping draught which he had refused was lying on the table before me. He admitted having taken large quantities of every known drug, but this was a very strong oue, and might affect him more than he expected, if I could get him to take It He bad re fused so polntblauk before that I did not ask his consent but slipped It quietly into a glass while I was read ing. ' 'i'erhaps a aether glass of whisky will help you,' I said, filling it up; 'try drinking It straight off.' "It appeared to me to take effect very quickly, but I did not flatter myself on the point until my fee became due, when, finding that my patient did not stir, I rose softly, put on my hat and coat and, turning dowu the lamp, felt my way downstairs In the dark, and let myself out of the house. "As I walked home I told myself that I had secured a desirable patient and already given him some reason to have faith in my powers. The four half-sovereigns Jingled pleasantly in my pocket and I aad still time left to get a good sleep before It was necessary to begin the day's work. "But rest was not for me yet awhile. As I opened my own door with a latchkey a single glance at the hall was sufficient to put another complex ion on Uie case, and I strode rapidly through the house, to find that it had been ransacked from top to Uittom. "My old friend with the Insomnia was simply the accomplice of a gang of burglars, who had taken this means of keeping me out of the way while his friends removed the greater part of my portable property. It seemed to me as If they must have taken it away in a furniture van. I hurried off at once to the neighlwr- ing iKilice station, and the lusiwctor in charge looked serious. 'It seems to uie like the work of a gang that we have lieen hearing of for sometime, but that we can't get hold of, he said. 'Well, I think I can take you to a house where you will find one of the aug,' I said, and told him briefly of my patient The policeman smiled a superior smile. " 'He is one of the gang, without doubt, as well as the lad who brought his message, but you won't find him at the house uow. You will find that he has taken the room furnished for a day or two, and vanished the instant you left the place.' 'I have no doubt that was the plan,' I said, 'but I happened to give the gentleman a dose which, if he isn't as used to drugs as he pretended, will keep him asleep for a week.' " "'And did you find him?' "Yes. exactly as I left him. I had some trouble bringing him around. As we thought he was a notorious crimi nal, and his arrest led to that of the whole gang, andwhat was of more Importance to me the recovery of my furniture. It basofien made me smile to think of my Utile sleeping draught effecting what the whole police force of the metropolis had been trying to do for months. I call It a triumph of med icine." t'hicago Chronicle. Yankee Enterprise. Among the letters which followed Emperor William to Sweden on the oc casion of his recent trip along the pic- turesque coast and fjords of that coun try was a document bearing an Ameri can postmark. It was addressed to his majesty by a New York manufacturing firm. It seems that the writers had read In some American newspaer of a new lamp which had been tried in the presence of tbe Emperor at Berlin and bad given the utmost satisfaction. In the letter they stated that they were Ignorant of the name and address of the manufacturers or inventor of the lamp and that as they knew It bad been experimented with before bis majesty, they concluded to ask blm to be good enough to furnish tbem wltb tbe name and address of the Berlin house in question, and at the same time to forward an Inclosed letter. The Emperor Is. reported to have been much amused by this bit of Yankee en terprise, and personally transmitted the letter to the Berlin firm. C hlcago Hec ord. How to Quiet Violent Horaee. According to a recent discovery, It has been found that It Is quite enough to touch the nostrils of a horse, simply passing the fingers along the aides of his nose, to stop the activity or 111s heart and respiration, and to stop con sciousness In a measure. It Is well known now that most of those men who succeed In quieting violent horses pnt their fingers to that part, and some times Inside the nares. Merely town Ing these parts may produce tbe same effect; pressing bard baa more effect Visitor L,lfe must be very mouoton mis to you. Convict Yea, aom etlmea. Visitor When doea It aeem moat tire some to you? Convict Jot now, for Instance. Philadelphia Record. ' After a yoaaf wooaa fata to bo at) aha atepo calling attention to her birth- jse2.ll A. i IV. IAaf CHAPTER. XVI. A day had passed two tb re and Marsden had made no sign. Nora began to hope he was wise enough to preceive that it would not be for his own happiness to insist on marrying a girl who was so reluctant to be his wife. After some consideration, she wrote a sensible, dignified letter to Lady kiiriiig ton, rebutting her accusations aud assur ing her that, so far from wishing to war her brother's prospects by holding him to his engage PDt, she had earnestly begged him to set her free. Christmas had gone by, to Bea's infinite disappointment, without the presence of ber favorite, Maraden. There was a pause in the little drama of their lives! This Interval was first broken by a few line from Wluton to Mrs. L'Estrauge, In which he asked her to fix an hour when she could see bim, as he was in town for a short time, and, if she adhered to her intention of returning to Broukdale early in January, It would be his only oppor tunity of wlshiug her good-by. si he hoped to complete his business and sail for India the end of the mouth. Nora accepted this note as notice to be out of the way, and felt truly grateful to Winton for sparing her the paiu of an encounter. Mrs. L'Estrauge began to form some idea of the truth. Though she liked Mark Winton, she thought Marsden would be a more suitable husband for Nora. He was bright and companionable, while Mark was older than his years, sobered too by s life of steady work and serious responsibility. Nora could Dot be so much attracted by a man too much In earnest for civil speeches or Implied compliments, or suy of the gullunt rickery in which Marsden excelled who differed from and argued with ber aa he would with a com rade of his own sex, and to crown all, had looks to boast of beyond a good figure and gentleman like air. However, she made out very little from their tete-a-tete interview. Winton looked worn and gaunt, but teemed very glad to see her, aud to find ber alone. He spoke freely enough of his own affairs, of the division be bad made of his uncle's bequest with the deceased's grandchild, and of bis own approaching departure, of herself and her little daugh ter, in even a kiudlier tone than usual; but not until be rose to take leave, after refusing her Invitation to dinner, did he mention Nora. Then he asked calmly "And Miss L'Estrauge; I hope she is well?" "Yea; very well." "And when does the wedding take place?" "I am not quite sure." "1 thought it was fixed for the begin ning of February?" "i'es; that wsa talked of; but we do not quite know yet." "Are yon pleased with the marriage?" he asked, looking at her very searebingly. "Certainly, I am. It Is a good marriage, from a worldly point of view; aud then Clifford Marsden is so utterly devoted that I think dear Nora's happiness is sure to be his first consideration." "It ought to be," very gravely. "But, Mrs. L'Estrauge, Marsdeu's financial po sition ought to be looked into carefully before the marrige takes place. Mars deu of Evesleigh sounds like a grand al liance, but he ia a good deal dipped, of course, he may have cleared himself. Miss L'Estrange has no guardian, 1 believe?" "No. Colonel L' Est range, after mak ing many wills, which he destroyed, final ly died intestate; our good friend, Mr. Burton, the Colonel's solicitor, has man aged everything for us,, and I have got into the liabit of looking on Lord Ior ringtou as an informal guardian; but he cannot, or will not, interfere now, because lie, or rather I-ady Dorrington, is so dis pleased with tbe proposed marriage." "Ha! I feared so. Ijidy Horrington was, I think, anxious her brother should secure Mrs. Hutbven's fortune. This must be a source of annoyance to Nora I mean Miss L'Estrange who is, I snp kjs. attached to Marsden; he is a sort of fellow to please a girl's fancy." There waa a tinge of bitterness in his tone. "Oh, yes, of course! But Nora is no sentimentalist you know!" "I do. She is something better. Well, rood morning. Mrs. L'Estrsnge." "We shall see you again, thong n 1 xou will not go without saying good-ly to Nora, and poor little Ba?" Winton hesitated. "I should like to shake hands witb Miss L'Estrange once more, he said slowly. As to Be, yon must keep uie posted up in your own ana ner aoings ir you con sider me her informal guardian 1 shall be pleased." You are very good yon slwsys were eood. Mark," cried Mrs. L Estrange, warmed out of formality, nut yon are nut coin- awar forever! India is so sccesaible now; you can com to and fro, id " "India is tbe best plsce for me," be In termixed, somewhat grimly. "There I hsve work to do; here there are no ties to keep me! I aball come and say good-by tieforv I start, lie a noon uanos cordial ly six) left ber. Mrs. I- Estrange burned upstairs to re port proceedings to Nora, who wss pre tending to read in ber own room, where be was fond nf retiring, finding the re straint even of hr step-mothers kindly presence irksome in ber present overtaxed condition of mind consumed as she was by perpetual anxiety respecting her own position, snd Intolerable regret for what she had lost by mere misapprehension, or, worse still, the deliberate misleading. "And Mr. Winton la to leave so soon!" she eclsini-d, growing very white, as her step-mother eeased speaking. "Why does lie hurry awayr "I cannot imagine! He seems anxious to get lisck t his work, and to think there Is u place for him In England. Nora was silent aad Mrs. L'Beirangs continued to apeak, repeating Wlnton's kind words, vole steering to be Bea'a guar diaa. Suddenly she broke oat, as If aba had not heard what her etep-mother bad beea aariac: "It la erne! of OMord to keep me watt ka as leaa-ee lear-ter Ms decMea. It will be five days to-morrow since he left me! And I caunol bear this horrible anxiety! Helen! Ought I to marry him when I bave such doubts such reluc tance? Am I weaker than other people, that I cannot see the right thing to do aud do it? Would Clifford reully break his heart about me? What shall I do, Helen? Oh, what ahull I do?" She burst into a passion of tears, which absolutely frightened her step mother, to whom she had scsrcely ever even In her childish duja displayed such strong emotions. "Iear Nora," she cried, caressing her, "if it distresses you so dreadfully, do not ninrry Mr. Marsden! Better face the dif ficulty uow than let yourself be iudls solubly linked to a man you do not like though why you do not I cannot under stand. There was a prolonged silence, while Nora's sobs subsided, snd she gruduully regained ber aelf-possesaiuu. At tbe Duchess of llmluater'a dower house there waa nut unmixed joy on the receipt of a carefully coiuitosed letter from Mrs. Kuthven, sunouueing bvr en gagement to Marsden. Lady Uorrtngtou could not make it out She waa not so carried away by her eager neaa fur freah betrothal aa to lose sight of the probable Injustice to Nora, whose proud, high-spirited letter had touched her and, more still, had inspired her with hopes thst the miacblef was not irrepara ble. Hhe hastened with Mrs. Ituthveu's epistle to Ixjrd Dorriugton. "Well, my dear," said that sapient no bleman, when be bad slowly perused it, "that brother of youra Ia a clerer fellow. How he manages to get rid of oue wom an and secure another in the twinkling of an eye is beyond me altogether. Mrs. Ituthven is wisely vague on the subject" "Clifford's mouientsry engagement to Miss L'Estrauge seems to hsve originated In mlsnppreheusiou on all sides; and 1 feel assured that she, too, will see the wisdom of setting au unwilling fiance free." "I'erhana ao; but I doubt if Clifford ever undertook anything against bis will, unless uuder pressure of some tremendous necessity; and what the necessity waa for his marrying Na L'Estruuge 1 fan not see." Iteoend umin it. my lettter is at the root of this very prudent change of front," returned her ladyship. "I feel anxious about Nora, however. I think I hud bet ter run to town and see for myself Bow matters stand. You return to Cliedwortb to-morrow. 1 will explain to my aunt that 1 am compelled to go to town the uie afternoon instead of remaining tn couple of days 1 promised." It followed, of course, that my lB(iy ear ned out her plans, and, having hud a short interview wth Mrs. Ituthven anil found her brother was still absent at Eves leigh, she dispatched a telegram to Mrs. L'Estrauge, whom she wished to see alone. Mrs. L'Estrauge bad been out early. having walked with Bea and her govern ess to a music class which Unit young lady attended, and doing some shopping on her way back. The diguitii-d muster of the house hav ing gone to dinner, the door was opened by the "slavery" of the establishment, and Mrs. L'Estrange found tbe telegram on tbe drawing rwm table. As Nora was not there, and the mes sage boded nothing pleasant, Mrs. L'Es trange went down stairs at once, and meeting her own maid In tbe hall, she told her she waa obliged to go out again. In case Miss L'Estrange asked, and set forth to keep the appointment. The bell sounded more than once during the sacred hour of rest and refreshment, but the task of auswering was left to the neat little house maid, whose lot it wus to serve more than one master. Nora meanwhile employed, herself in her own room. She shrunk from meeting Winton alone, and he might come any day; so, while Helen was out she kept in her aiecial stronghold. She hod been greatly disappointed that day. The morning post had brought ber nothing from Marsden; so, with s sinking heart, she bsd set herself to compose a letter to him. She had written "Dear Clifford," and sat looking at the words in a sort of de spair as to how she would attack her ter rible subject, when the servant of tbe house brought her a letter, at the sight of which her heart stood still; the writing wss Marsden's. "Has Mrs. L'Estrange come in?" she asked. "Yes'm, she ia in the drawing-room." Nora tore open tbe envelope and gluuced at tbe contents before rushing to confide them to her step-motber. Nors," It began "I think I see the re lief In your eyes those sweet truthful eyes I love so well when you read these words 1 give you back your promise aad set you free. There Is that In you, I know not what, which forbids me to sham generosity. I give you up, because I cannot help It A tremendous necessity, a necessity I csnnot explain, compels me. No words can express the agony of bit terness snd humiliation It costs me to re lease you, for I love yon as passionately as ever, as I did faom tbe first, when yon unconsciously cast a spell over me that baa been my ruin. Yet It has been all my own fault I do not blame you. If I were to write forever, I could say 110 more. Yon never loved me, but I ahould not the less have Insisted on your keeping your promise to be my wife. Now 1 re nounce you, and hope never to see you again! You will give yourself to another, of course I would rather know you were aafe in your grave out of resch where rone could touch you. Bo good by! No one will ever love you so entirely, so in tensely, as I do, though I curse tbe hour I first saw you. If It be possible you should ever regret me, I would break every law, every bond, to come to you. But this i madness! Yours still utterly yours. "CLIFFORD MARSDEN." In the first Infinite relief of finding her self free, Nora did not quite take la the fierce despair of this strange letter. Her Impulse was to rash with her great tid ings to Helen. She flew down stairs and into the drawing-room. Mrs. L'Estrange's arm-chair waa In front of the Ore and Nora Jost aaw, as aba thought tbe dark line of her drees at one side, aa If her feet were on the fender. "Oh, Releal dear Helen t Clifford re leasee aM. Thank flea, I aa. free, gates Irr,r .. . me.. i jor- wh She bsd scarce utter .1 d a figure .terted up fn-m Winton confronted her. Nor. stood ..111 snd dumb, t " ter In her band, feeling d.ed "d In the crushing coufn.fc.n wb. h had so .uddeuly overs helmed her. "11a. Marsden theu released ' your own request?" cried fetoous-'r. aud coming forward quU.iy. forgetting in the .upr-u.e r J the moment all eoaTentwaalily: whUe te Nora It .ee.ued equally natural to auseer with su emphatic "Ye., b. ) "' I. Helen? 1 thought .he here. "Ko did I," returned Winton. recovering hi. lf possession sud bi. reserve. died to-to .ay g-Kl-by. snd 1 trust I will forgive my inopportune preface, iur unguarded, and I fear very presumptuous question. My sincere Interest la-ia jour welfare mu.t be my exense " "You are very kind, I b. h Helen? I must go and hs.k for her. re fore Wiluiot i-oulJ stop her, b.d he bee" disposed, .be bad fled. Wluton gaed after her. au eipressloa of hope and Joy gradually lighting up bis somber face. She waa free by ber own desire. Life might be worth living yet! While he stood thinking, new end glow ing views of much over which he baa often putzled suggesting themselves, the respectable Watson came in. "If you please, sir, Mrs. L'Estrange went out again, and Misa L'Estrauge doe. not know when she will return." "Ah '-well, pcrbsi " be hesitated. He was dying for a few words with Nors, but it would be b.d taste to intrude upon her now. "Perhaps." h- coiiliuued, I may find Mrs. L'Estrange st borne to morrow. I should not like to leave with out bidding her gispd-hy." H had nothing for it but to t "is fast and depart. , Nora, greatly surprised at Helens ab sence, could not coniiow! hia-lf to do anything. She wandered to and fro from room to room, sometimes sitting down to fall into vague reveries. She read and re-read Marsden'. lettter; it. passionate despair sobered aud dismnyed her. What could have happened to make him give her ap so freely ? She was deeply grieved for him. She strove to corujspse s letter to him in her mind, but it.uld not com mand her ideas; all she could do and she waa ashamed of the pleasure she had in doing it wss to Inclose lb two rings Marsden hsd given her in s neat pa. k.t and address them to the giver-later in the evening she would write. At last Mrs. L'Estrange returned, look ing pale and tired. "Oh, Helen! Where where have yon been'' crier Nora, when her step-mother came into the room, uow only partially lighted by the glow of a good fire. "Yon will hardly guess! -! have been with Lady Dorriugton." And she pro ceded to describe the telegram and her Interview. "I think Lsdy Dorriugton is terribly afraid you are bresking your heart, Nora. She feels sure you have renouuced Mr. Marsden in consequence of her letter, she is therefore quite pleased with yoa. But I have a wonderful pice of new.. He ha. absolutely engaged himself to Mrs. Ituthven, and they are to be married sMin." "Then that, in some way, accounts for this letter " said Nors, liaudiug Clifford's letter to Mrs. L'Eslrsnge, who read It with surprise aud regret. MHiiy and varied were the conjectures of both as to what could possibly be ths mysterious necessity which Influenced Marsden; both coining, reluctantly, to the conclusion that money must lie the root of the evil which was certainly Nora's good. (To be continued.) THIS CLIMATE OF OURS There la NeveraMuppy Medium lie twfra Hoastina sod Freezing-, Well, perhaps that little drop of thir ty degrees that oume lietween Saturday and Sunday didn't cause a sensation! exclaims the New York Recorder. Who believed that it would ever be cold again? I know of one misguided woman who, with a red face and shedding perspira tion at every pore, hiul staggered through the Saturday's bent piling up and suiting down as It were the win ter clothes, and bad, with the assist ance of a hot handmaid, carried them to the tiptop floor and put them all away In an Inaccessible place. Then she crawled down, had the grates taken out of the rooms and sent down cellar; had the Iron frame put In their places, and planned a little out-of-town trip with hubby for Sunday. But when the cold awakening came on that morning this was what greeted her as she arose, shivering, from her bed: "Say, what have you done wltb my thick tweed ault?" "Why, dearie. It's pneked with cam phor up In the attic." "For heaven's sake, don't tell me that! Well, I must put on my winter underwear again, then. "Oh, I'm so sorry, but that's all pack ed away up there, too." "Ob, of course. That's Just like a woman!" "Why, George, you told me yourself yesterday that we wouldn't have any more cold weather!" "How could I have said such a thing. I'm not punn! Have a Bre made In tbe dining room, then." "But the grates are all packed away too!" "Well, jumping Jingo!" "There's only the fire In the kitchen range." "Well, you don't expect me to go B there and alt In the dark, do you? Light the gaa." - 80 the gas was lit, and kept in pretty nearly all day, but It wasn't really com fortable, for gas does smell gassy, you know. And how they wished for a ell mate where there was a medium stata between linen dusters and fur over, coals. The Charm. In years agone when be bad not Tbe flre-and-twonty eenta. He watched the dally ball gam, throne A knothole In tbe fence. He site within the grand etaad low And marvehj mach to know Why be nana not half nf -v. v. . 1 hw Throuerh the kaotwa. . -Det-4t Trfbnn "- half dta 07 giving partlea.