(bariisoa 3ouinai.
aURI?05, . . . VKB.
Ko mo.e long-diiauv continuous 10
cycle races in America. us !e as
kind to man as we are to the brutes.
And now two 70-year-old lovers In
Hew York State have put In their little
Variety sketch by way of au elopement,
Heitl
1 Congress seems determined that
penceforth Cupid should pay court to
the pensioner himself instead of the
pension.
I When a young couple are persistently
fceen on a tandem, even on cold days,
t doesn't need the hell on the handle
bar to suggest a ring.
5 If a man lopes on a horse nice he
tails it bud luck. If he wins he says
It wag good judgment. It is the same
way In the wheat market.
Tie socials" seem to be coming into
rogue, ladles who bring pies securing
free admission. No life insurance pro
Vision Is as yet attached to the move
ment. The women of Kansas still continue
to bold the balance of swcr in secur
ing all the lucrative offices In the State.
hls 1m equal suffrage for women, with
a surplus In the treasury thrown in.
South Carolina shows a record of 200
tnurdens a year. Whether this Includes
the negro lately said to have been burn
ed at the stake, and others disposed of
by lynchers, is best known lu this state
Of peace and security.
A cablegram from Loudon sayi that
Andree is probably In winter quartern
omewhere." This, we believe, will go
far to correct the popular Impression
that Andree is now enjoying himself at
ome summer resort.
A distinguished palmist having pro
fessionally examined the hand of
Tia," the educated Chicago chitnpan
aee, reports that he bos 'much more
Intelligence than any person he has
ever seen confined In a lunatic asylum."
Tess" might well recent so doubtful a
compliment.
Spain's offer of autonomy to Cuba re
calls Demi Richmond's famous re
sponse when asked If the New York
Central freight cars could be painted
ome other color than the one in vogue.
Tu can paint tbeni cans any d d
color you like." said he, "so long as you
arnt m red." Spain says that Cuba
Can have as much self goverruivent as
ahe likes, provided that she Is govern-
ia accordance with Spain's wishes.
The IYinc ofSfopaeo, who take ai
IrreJy interest in deep-sea researches,
baa been taking soundings between the
Cape Verde Islands and the Azo'i-s.
From a depth of more than L'.!)i f.fh
me, a little more than three miles and
a quarter, bin trap brought up a pecu
Itaramphipod-a member of the Bin imp
family measuring nearly four and .1
(bird Inches In length, with many sni. til
er ones. It had been supposed, from
the Challenger's submarine discover
lea, that no such form of sea -It f; could
exist at a greater depth than 2, TOO faih
ma.
Tbe only way election bribery will
ever be stopp.sl is through the treat
ment of it as a full-fledged crime, and
not as a thing to be winked at. So long
as the jail ami the penitentiary do not
distinctly glare the briber and bribed
hi the face, both parties will carry It on,
and It will be condoned in lxth a-s a
measure of self-defense. If civilized
aociery bad treated killing in tbe same
way as we now treat bribery we should
ail be still carrying our lives in our
hands, each man being a law unto him
self. The gladiatorial displays of ancient
Home have their modern successors iu
the long bicycle and walking contests
Of to-day. These coofterts, after the
Irst two or three days, degenerate into
exhibitions of self-torture, re.puls.ive
and degrading because carried on for
mere pecuniary gain and not for any
Object worthy of such a sacrifice. It
would be as sensible and inspiring to
."watch a man slowly skin himself alive
or gradually pull all b! teeth out as to
Me him little by little and hour by hour
wreck his nervous system and drive
Bl nwelf Into the condition of a driveling
Idiot.
The traffic through the Sault Ste.
Marie canal has been very large the
paet season. The report for the year up
to Oct, 1 shows the effect of the en
largement of the locks at the Sault and
the work done on the lake channels
rhere. The numlier of vessels
through the canal wan 13.1.VJ, or
1.8M less tnau for the corresponding
period In 1M'.. but the total freight car
Med, 1.1,M9.1.Sa tons, showed so in
lereaae of 7i.".74'J ton.. The most Im
portant single Hem of freight carried is
tro ore. which this year amounted to
&MB.7U.' ton, the largest shipments
prv reisirted at a corresponding date,
ami l,777.l7 ton more than lo 1MJ.
iCoaJ curried was l,.V7.!!n tor.. or
1MB tons li s tlmn last year; bnf this de
mtmu was due to the t"Ti strike of the
ffttaeri, which seriously Interfered with
ae kike trade.
AU the wars that have been waged
ty nwia again the Turks hare, en
frr aa the mMirr of Die Russian army
eom-erned. had a religions lnilra-
aaya llnr's Rund Table. The
Chat the cro will again rake the
yaM of the ereaeent on the mimmlt of
L Mae of the great ohmjqm of St.
hop in a at CutinlHuilnopie ia firmly im
plauted in the mind of every Russian.
Ami Just as firmly tie Iwlieven that It is
the mission of Kussia to plaut It there.
Kvery Hu-sian regards it as the mani
fest destiny of his country, and though
the day lieu Russian hands will tear
:iay the crescent and sitin-titu'e the
c:o.-i may le delayed, lie is convinced
that it Is only a question of time n hen
the voice of Uie muezzin from the min
aret calling the faithful to prayer will
be heard for the last time. When the
Uutesian army, umier the command of
the Jrand Intke Nicholas, the brother
of the EmisiTor Alexander 11., arrived
before Constantinople in the spring of
17H. he sent two telegrams to St. I'e
tersburg, one reporting the state of the
army, the other somen hat in tiie fol
lowing lanuae: "My army Is In sigiit
of the minarets of St. Sophia; we can
fake the city with the loss of 7.(H)
men." To the first he recehed the usual
acknon ledgmt tit : to the -ts ond there
came no reply. It was by this under
stood that the Emeror did not sanc
tion the enterprise, fi.r it would have
been a breach of his pledge to I'.urope.
In tbe army there was great disappoint
ment, and unite than one of the Rus
sian generals. SWobelefi" at their head,
expressed their anger so forcibly that
the Kus-'an army was withdrawn and
put Is-yoiid the reach of temptation.
Hut he feeling rermiimsl in every
mail's mind that the next time a Rus
sian army came to oustannnople !t
would le to stHV.
The development snl opening tc
transjiortaiion of large and mj.Im-tive
agricultural areas in ltMiia. Russia. Ar
gentina, Australia ami other oiuntries
have in recent years brought about tlie
sharpest comjH-titlon lu farm product
and very low prices. The cheap lalsir
obtainable in some of these pouii're
cannot l?e duplicate. in the t'nited
States, and if American farmers would
offset this serious disadvantage they
muhf devise lierter methods, cater to
tbe home market, and wherever jkissI
bie raise the bar of ocean tonnage
against foreign competitors. The I.'ni
ted States annually consumes sugar
and its manufactures to the value of
somethiug like Jil L'tJ.'s s. ss, three
fourths of which is import-si. the pro
ceeds going mainly to the beet and .-ane
growers of other countries. Here Is au
opportunity for the farmers of the
Northern and Western Slates, In many
of which sugar lx'ots grow to perfec
tion. 1'raciii-al experiments have al
ready been made In some ss-tions. no
tablv in Nebraska and California, who
results that could not be more promis
ing. About -'.ist tons of beet sugar
was produced In this country last yen.-,
considerably more will be produced
this, and there Is scarcely a limit to the
expansion of the Industry. We :iave
million of acres of soil pecuTarlv
adapted to the sugar beet, enough, If
utilized, to supply ourselves and the
reit of mankind with sugar. Any two
or three of a dozen States might easily
prodm-e enough sugar to supply our
ow rt w ants and turn the balance of for
eign trade largely and perpetually In
our favor. Oo-ojieration on a scale of
some magnitude Is ne-cesxary- First, an
ample supply of beets within a small
radius must be assured: then a manu
factory to reduce the product, costing
$2ii.0 to J'JoO,1!. is ne'iuirwl. Hut
these things, wherever profitable, ought
to be within easy reach Of American
means and enterprise. The lienefits io
other Industries and to Uie coun ry as a
whole would be great. Kvery ton of
sugar Iwets grown at home Is so inu.-li
taken from the ipcrea.-ltig acreage
sown to grain, so much deducted fro u
the competition of overgrown crops
and from the bills to be settled abroad.
Quite recently tP pajters told of a
sad accident iu New York City ;!iat
ended the life of little 2 year-old ftob
ert Smith, His father had bought a
new revolver and his mother waK ex
amining If. Her children gathered
about her. and little Rolsrt en lied out.
"Shoot me. mamma!" She, supposing
It was empty, pulled the trigger t'.vc
and it did not explode. The children,
applauded as she repeated 'he wrform
a nee, but this time if exploded, and tins
little fellow dropied with a bullet In
his brain. The agonized mother picked
the little fellow tip ami fled into the
street. He was taken to a h.wpital, and
soon died. Can you Imagine the agony
of that mother who accuses herself of
having killed her own child; the re
morse of that father for having brought
the revolver into the house? Accidents
like the one told are not an uncommon
occurrence. We undoubtedly have far
too iiiiiny guns ami revolvers In the
country and far too little care and cau
tion In handling them. Whenever I
meet one of these youngsters In the
street or highway currying even the
most Innocent-looking gun and hunting
for something to shoot at, I hurry to
get our of reach. Indeed, I have a hor
ror of firearms of any kind as handled
ordinarily by the average person. It is
true that lioys like fo shoot and hunt.
Hut in our civilized, thickly settled com
munities, where people are not any
more on the defensive against danger
ous enemies, and where but little game
Is left, and that game more worthy of
preserving than of destroying, shoot
ing is a dangerous and unnecessary pas
time for youngsters. It Is a bad prac
tice and a mistake to Indulge our chil
dren In It. Wf.y n rouse and cultivate
their murderous Instincts? Why allow
them fo kill every innocent creature
around them, and fo mske sad hsvoc
soimig the blrda of our forests and
meadows? Why endanger their own
and the neighbors' llree by the careless
ness with which firearms are handled
by young people? Stirely, before we al
low a woman or boy to handle a gun or
revolver we should drill them In the
proper use of such weapon, and feel
confident they are fnlly alive to the
danger coaneeted with the uae of fi ream.
' i ! i .' i f . J, . - vf-v, : -
5 !
THE LIE JOE
1. II settlers iu the
southern part of
Raylor County, j
Texas, still make j
s casional refer-
nee fo the Sav- j
:es, or the Sav- '
age brothers, lis !
they sometimes'
call them. This
Iocs not refer to
the time when the Indians were in the
con u try, although thai titlie is by no
means so far distant as to be beyond
the memory of living man; nor does it
imply anything especially wild and fe
rocious alniiit the character of the men
lu iUestioti. It merely goes back to the
first half of the 'N's, when two brothers
of that name were among the prosui
netit inhabitants of that sparsely set
tled district. In some countries events
of that period would be considered
comparatively modern, but in Western
Texas they are ranked as strictly an
cient history.
It seems, from a careful survey of the
facts In the case, that neither of the
brothers was niilly a bad man at heart,
notwithstanding the fact that a great
many people who ought to know are
s'rougly Inclined to think otherwise.
It i- ci n:mt 'i.at otic of ilicm Is as true
a man n ever trod the soil of Texas, or
any other Stale, for that matter. All
wiio knew bill) agu e that flic lin.il year
of his life, at any rate, was a year of
such courage and self sacrificing hero
ism as one reads of In books, but sel
dom looks for ill leal life. The M-opIe
of West Texas are not much prone to
hero worship, and whenever they agree
that a man of their acquaintance is
aiiove the average of mortality there is
Very likely to be some basis for the be
lief. Judging merely from physical ap
pearances, one would have had little
trouble in deciding which of the two
men would Is- more likely to prove of
heroic mold. Hill. I lie younger, was a
man of magnificent physique, not un
duly large, but with muscles of such
herculean strength as perfect air and
the free life of u Western cowboy arc
Hp! to impart. He was llght-complex-Ioned
and is said to have possessed a
vigorous, manly countenance, such as
ought to have made him more success
fill in his love affairs thau he really
was. Joe. on the other hand, was ns
much a picture of weakness and de-
fortuity as his brother was of health
and strength. He was not only a jieak
ed faced, slender slip of a man, but he
was a cripple as well. Whuli he was .".
years old and Hill was only .. a cyclone
bad struck the log house in which the
(joys and their par'-nts were living. The
mother and father were kilhsl. but
when the neighlors came to look
through the ruins of the cabin they
found Joe crouched on the led w ith his
limlis spread out in such a manner as
to protect bis baby brother. A heavy
log had fallen across his right foot and
right wrist, crushing them Isith very
badly, but Hill was still sleeping in ab-
!t t:
Vi - i
.if V
1
" iir.t.i.o'. a in: voc l us t
solute unconsciotisiic,-s of the existence ,
of any such disturbing affairs as cy- ;
clones. As a result of his Injuries at ;
Ui time. Jo.- was club footed" through ,
the whole of his life, and his right '
forearm had a big knot on it. and a ;
ciook that made hls-right hand turn '
out when It should have turned in. It ,
is said that Joe was proud of his de- i
t'lliiiiii.n iaLiiT;i m.iu viur. hi.:, ji ,
. I
Mimably liecause they liail ln-eli incur
red in the (lerense of Ills baby brother, j
and that Hill was, for the most part,,
tcn.ieriy rcgaruiui or me oroiner woo
had sacrificed health and almost life
for him.
Naturally enough. Hill was the more
prosperous of the two. Hcfore be was
he owned a considerable "bunch" of
cattle, and leased quite g lsidy of laud
In the eastern art of Haylor County
as a ranch. Joe was his line rider, and
In that capacity was able to do a great ;
deal of such work ns did not require (
any very great amount of mere muscii-,
iar sirengiu. t,eiuioi)( worsen :
, . . , i
'
stiosi.hly with them until May Conley ,
vain iu iivr wuii m. uiarrti nrinr ,
tf litTH why lived only a fw from
t li Kavag? ratu li. Bli wjih not a h!frh-
lv uiliinutArl fftrl hr nnr monnx nml If'
I? :
i'i f4-, A fit ffflji ' ''j , always abounds around -reek bottoms
gift' ' .f.. k T'f Tur r-Vi' l'':ls' "'"l w''re mu.-h astoiiNind
iJi ' i , i'r'J(k ' ' ; when, at a sudden b.-ud in 'lie tr-iii.
y ft rir-'fXft lie.v came across the supposed pro-jM-c-
ii f ' fi A-'vi "v'' h!ul s!"' w:,s i'"'-'''-"'!- .!
Pi Jjf, ' """'"''Panied,
'A wt -i wJi.f'4 f i. "Hello:'' exclaimed Joe in surprise.
' SJ T i v
J, . V) I ll.U "Yes."
l's doubtful If she ws. mnre than fairly n'", ,,',''n", in Pr"f'""" oi,lsl.metu
intelligent; but she was pretty, and she "", wh',il' -n-r.nim, "you're mis
was flckle-and that tells tbe whole ! nk''" i',0", '
storv. In this case Joe was the first 1 !,lu'1" relorted Jo,.. "The
victim. He met May at one of the big ! In,ilv '" ' '"""k'e.l lately. That's all
camp meetings that are common In , ris1"' M"- '""" on. Jim."
that country In the fall of the year, sud j "I s'iH think you were mlt.ikeii
after that he was Tery pronounced in l wlsmt that trail." said Jim, as the two
his attention to her for several riieii rode on together,
month. Then hU attentions ceased as . "No. I wnsn't mistaken." said Joe. "I
suddenly and abruptly a they had Is-- Jut lied that was all. I did It Tor
gun. People noticed tat ami they Hill's sake. If May goes the way I sent
mmm.
SAVAGE TOLD.
aiMi noticed that just about that time
liiil licgan going to see her.
"fiill tiM.k H up just where Joe laid
it down," remarked one cowboy lo au
o her during one of the Intervals In a
d ime on one occasion.
"Naw, that ain't It," re-p.Mi.led his
friend,
where H
I think Joe laid it down just
I took it up."
One day as the two brother-, and one
or two others were engaged III brand
lug some of Hill's yearlings the subject
w as brought up.
"Sure enough, Joe, wliateer made
you ipiit goiif to see that Conley gal so
sudih-nt?" asked Jim Smith, one of the
helpers, iu a jocose way.
"I stopped so's to give Riil it chalice,"
said Joe. with what was evidently a
forced attempt at gaycty.
"Shucks:" ejaculated his brother.
"Yoil needn't a stopped for that. If I
couldn't ls-at you I'd better uit."
There was Just the least bit of con
temptuous emphasis on that word
"you." and Joe noticed it. A slightly
shamed, pained look came 'over his
poor, thin face as he faltered:
"V well, I didn't kcer much for her,
no way. I was just a foolin' from the
lirst."
My very deliberate opinion is that
this statement was a lie. I; is my op'u
ion, furthermore, that lu this single,
ungramimitical, misprotiotii d. muti
lated lie there was a loftiness of
thought and purity of purpose such as
au angel in heaven might well aspire
to. Hill did not take any siiHi view
of the matter, though, for he only look
ed up and retorted angrily:
"My opinion of anybody that would
go foolin' 'round a woman when he
didn't care nothing for her is that he
ain't much man."
"He's pretty small potatoes - he shore
is." put in Tom Jackson, the fourth
man at the brand ng. Nolmdy i:oH c.i
the remark parti ularly tit the time,
but subsequent ev- nts cans, d 'hem to
think a great deal .,lsut It later on.
"I'm surprised a1 yon. Joe." .aid Hill.
The ghost of a tor ed smii" hovered
piteously on Joe's liis for a moment,
but hi- merely rubb.-d his fon le ad wlt.i
the knob on his vrist iu the nervous
way peculiar to hit., on such on tisions.
and sajd nothing.
A.ide from one or I wo little In. ideuN
like this-which are hardly worth
.counting as exceptions- Hill's couirship
was an Illustration or the laet itiat.
Hot withstanding a certain ery i- nl
tient authority to the contrary, the
course of true love does occasionally
run smooth for awhile, iu this case
it ran smooth down to the very day set
for the wedding. The- ceremony was
to be performed at what bj. known :i
i'lutii t'reek school house. ,;nd early iu
the morning Hil! went with n iuiio'mt
of his friends to get ready for the fes
tivities. In some countries it migiit
not I, considered as a part of ihe
groom's duties to make these prepara
tions, but in Texas it is deplet e for
an.vlsidy to do anything provided th-ro
Was Hot some one else to do if.
The ceremony was to take pi.ic,. at 10
o'clock. Perhaps half an hour before
that time Joe and his friend a im Smii h
111 lost
answered May
with ,i nervous
so gl.nl to see
I never was
anybody in my life. This here i reek
bottom timlsr's so thick a wildcat
would mighty nigh get lost in It let
alone a woman."
"I should think you and Hill bad
Ih'cii to Plum Creek schoolhouse often
enough lo know the way by this time?"
"I ain't goiir" to Plum Creek." said
May. with a foolish giggle.
"What: Ain't you goiu' to get mar
tini?" "Yes."
Well, Hill's at the schoolhouse now,
Waitill
for ye."
May tossed her head and then giggled
Hj,aj
,.j au-t for lllni ,.. ),
..j ll)jcht a u.,.n t,.n ,.0u now as
any time. I'm goln' to lie married to
Tom Jackson this morning at Round
TlmWs. I've lost my way there and
1 want you lo tell uie how to go."
At the mention of Jackson's name
Joe's face hardened for n moment. He
was the mull who had been so quick to
take I'.lll's l .Hit hi Ihe oimrrel wltti his
Mother. Tn ,,,. , ,.,.,,
w,ln Marv , ,M.r v,(jII(.ti , tt y,.ry
f .,.',.,. lim, ,.a ,,. .il0.v ..i...
f .
i ... i.i.
sf tempt
Promptly
her a de-
(.)(ins,1(( i1h IlallMi h KVt. ,.r
tailed c
eoillit of t bi
w ay to Round
Tlmlers.
HnyT Intemipted Jim Smith, who
her she'll not get to Round Tl oilier
this morning."
After they had ridden a few moments
In silence, Joe began again:
"Jim. old fellow, for tiod's sake don't
let on that you've seen or heard notli
Ing this morning. It'll lie plenty toil 3b)
on Hill, any way."
"I shore won t." said Jim.
There was quite a crowd assembled
around the door of the lit lie log school
house xvhcti these two men rode up.
The groom was there and so was the
preacher; so also were the people. The
house was decorated within and with
out with flowers and leaves and other
ornti leciii s more or less appropriate to
the occasion. However, there was one
' ornament generally considered licces
j sary on wedding occasions which was
still missing -namely, the bride,
j "See anything of May lately?" asked
; Hill, stepping to the front as the new
j comers rode up. There was just a trace
' of anxiety 111 his voice as he spoke.
I "Naw," answered Joe promptly. His
I fin e looked perfectly unconcerned as
! he spoke, but In a very few momeiiis a
j cloud began to rest upon it. I suspect,
1 though, 'hat instead of grieving over
I the lie he had told as of course he
; should have been- lie was merely woii-
deritig how he might spare Hill the
mortification which a public discovery
of the real facts in regard to May
might occasion. He was now sitting
with one hg thrown over the hoi 11 of
his saddle. Suddenly his face lighted
up with its old sickly smile, and iu a
j voice that trembled a little in spite of
1 the bravado lie tried to throw into It,
lie began:
"Say, Hill, that was the devil of a He
I told you about May just now. I saw
her not over half an hour ago."
"Yon did. did you? When will she
be here?"
"She won't be here at all."
Hill's face grew stern and white. ;
"Why won't she?" he demanded.
"Hecause I directed her in Ihe wrong
road. Jim tried to tell her rigid and I
wouldn't let him. Ain't that so. Jim?"
Jim nodded grimly. With faces that
now iiegati to grow drawn and anxious,
the .lei-tators glanced from one speak
er to the other In turn. Hill's face was
fairly livid with rage, and his voice
trembled Willi the aw fulness of re
pressed fury as he asked the next
quest ion :
"What did yon do It fur?"
The expectant silence that followed
was deathlike, but even then Joe's
voi.-e was hardly audible as be an
swered with the same sickly smile
hovering about his while lips;
'Re.-ause I iieter court her myself
and V oil cut lu It I"
Hcfore tie- words were fairly out of
his month Hill sprang at him with the
fury of a wild IsmsC SYith all the force
of his mighty arm he struck and the
blow descended Uioii the arm -the crip
pled, knotted arm-which Joe had Inter
posed to ward It off. Some say !t de
scended iqsin the very knot Itself. He
fell from his pony as If he had Iwen
shot, and lay for several moments on
the turf where he had fallen.
Which way did you send her?"
asked Hill, in the same aw fill tones he
had used liefore.
"I won't tell," gasped Joe.
"Then get off that ground:"
Joe meekly olH'J'ed.
"Cci on your pony no, I see It's pot
away from you. Then saddle up mine
yonder and go after May and bring her
back at otn e, sir! i o you hear?"
Joe meekly look the huge Texas sad
die In his left hand and carried It to
where the "itiy was grazing, tied by a
long rope to a tree. His rigid arm hung
limp by his side. Af'i-r some iiiefTeci.
ual efforts to tnrow on the saddle with
his left arm he gave up the attempt.
"I can't get the thing on." he said.
"I se your tight arm. sir:" called his
bro: her.
"I think you've broke his game arm,
P.ill." s.,;d Jim Smith.
"It's a II. :' snouted Joe, "that arm's
a. good a. ever It was."
To prove the truth of this assertion
he made a mighty effort and managed
io lift his arm to his shoulder, though
the wrist still dangled loosely from his
elbow. Kveu then he could not rcMlaili
his face from wincing ami his teeth
from clinching with the pain. 1 crop
ping the saddle he turned abruptly and
limped off into the woods without a
word.
Jim Smith afterward said that only
Ills solemn promise to Joe kept hlln
from telling the whole truth at this
juncture Just as he knew It to be, and
that lie had to grit his teeth hard and'
say cuss words under his breath lo do
It then. As to the n-st of the crowd. It
TIIK Itl OW til s. KMHI. I I-OX TIIK A KM.
must b- remenilM-rei that they knew
nothing but Joe's own statement about
the matter, and consequently tbey all
yicpathlzed with Hill. After some
moments of condolence and coiisulta
lion wltii the crowd. Hill, wilh some
four or five others, started out to bud
Joe,
"Cef that rpe off your taddle there
and bring It along," he said lo one of
'he men.
"Yon ain't goln' to string him up. are
von. Hill?" was the rather am Ion re
ply. "No; Just want to skeer u. a little.
Come on."
In a very short time they found the
man they were looking for.
"Are yon ready to tell where May la,
or to go after berf Bill demanded.
N no." faltered Joe. with a dlatrust
ful glance at the little group of atUad
ants. Again his brother sprang at him..
This time he threw him to the fronnif
mid held him tin-re with his grasp flnn.
11)1011 his throat.
Poii't, Hill, old fellow, for Ood'f
Bike" gasped Joe. as his brother some-
! what relaxed the grip on his throat. "I
' didn't iiniin no harm by it-honest, I
! didn't. I won't do It no more. What
I are you going lo do with that rope,
! Hill? You're not going to kill your poor,
I no -account brother, are you, old boy?"
I Without a word Hill ami his attend
ants continued wrapping the rojie
: around Joe. Then they stood him up
i in-side a tree and tied him to it. BO that
: bis club foot touched the ground, while
' the other, the strong one. was doubled
: ba. k in the coil of rope.
I "Now. you ungrateful whelp," said
! Hill, as he started to leave. "I'll be back
j In thirty minutes to see if you're ready
! to tell me."
I "IHdn't he kiss your hand as you wa
tying him?" asked some one as they
I w. a Hied away.
i "I logged if I know," said Hill. "Did
! he?"
i Hardly had they left when Jim Smith
! came up and at om e began to untie the
i ropes.
"Don't:" said Joe, "Hill will be back
! In a few minutes. Just unslip this loop
TIIK T ICE K.,
OK A I).
here. Thank you! Tbe strain was or
my right arm. and It burl. Iiccause It
w as sore. J 1 111, this Is hard - but I gues
I can stand It, for Hill's sake. I ain't
hurtln' so much now, though, as I was.
It's mostly all a Joke. Hill was always
a powerful fellow to joke. I wlsht
you'd go tell him when in- comes back
phase not to bring anybody else with
him."
At the appointed time, Hill saddled
his kij- and rode off to w here Joe was.
"I'll lake the hos. so that if Joe'
ready by now lie can start ofT after
M.;y ami bring her back. I rather
gt . ss he's ready by nowv too. Maybe
we'll get to cat a wedding dinner to
day, yet-only a little late, of course."
After some time had elapsed and
neither brother had "showed up," aa
the phrase goes in Texas. Jim Smith
walked to the place where he had left
Joe. There the poor fellow wis, still
tiisl to the tree- but dead! The tb'rty
minutes' strain had liei-n too much for
his crippled leg to lear. and It hud
gradually given way. and this had al
lowed the Hir fellow to choke to
death, f course, Jim lost no lime In
rousing tin quasi wedding guests, and
In telling the real facts about May. It
is not the first Instance In the history
of the world where a man has had tho '
truth told about It' 01 too Late to do him
any good. A pursuing party waa out
after Hill at once, but all was to no
avail. Some say he committed suicide
shortly afterward lu San A ntotilo; 01 ti
ers, that he Is still alive In New Mexico;
still others, that he is to day in the In
sane asylum at Terrell. do not know
what the truth about It is. Mr. and
Mrs. Tom Jackson still live In Cottlo
County. Texas. Jim Smith Is the man
who first tohl me this story. Joe Sav
age Is buried 011 the banks of Plum
Creek, and on his wooden headboard
you can still decipher the Inscription:
lie Loved Mutch."
The Scripture had to lie misquoted
to suit the gender of the pronoun and
the spelling is slightly x-cullar, but I
can not help thinking the Inscription
a good one. Many people consider lova
a very good thing, and Prof. Iirutu
mond lias written a book to prove that
It Is The Createst Tiling iu the World.
If these estimates are correct Joe Sav
age was certainly a great and good
man: for greater love Imt h no man than
Ibis, that he lay down his life for bis
friend. I'tica Clobe.
The Swiss I'ostal Hysteiu.
In Switzerland, says the IajihIoh
Truth, lsthidt's undertaking to forward
persons and luggage, the s-istotlice un
drtakis the collection of money
against the delivery of letters or par
cels; the cot;s lion of drafls, the office
a erupting Itistrtii-tions as to pnrfewt or
otherwise In the event of dishonor; pay
men of sulisi riptlotis to newspapers;
the delivery of Isioks or iuuj,!c on ap
proval with free return within four
day If not approved; the delivery Into
the hands of the uddressisi of a letter
or parcel sp.viidiy marksl for aucb do
livery. With regard lu charges, for 5
centimes a lwu-r up to half a pound In
weight can be sent to any dlttics
within ten kilometers, and for 10 i-hii-limes
to any part of Switzerland. There
are uiho no limitation 011 the weight
or size of parcels.
In addltkm to lids the Swb postoftlc
accept full rciniblilty for h w
damage where the value Is declared,
i extra chnfe for h!anillon beljijf
merely nominal. U also nvejn Mn.hU
Ity within cerinln llmlis, even without
declaration of vahie, where a registered
leUer or package has iM.n lowt, dam
aged or even delayed in transit An
other point worth nXl;e I that rno
system of fining the adrircw.ee where
a letter ! uiwtaniie,l or bisiil1b-leiti7
Mmped- listen, gtiDt wnlti j
have rejtedly protested I rv in
force In SwiUerland, where all tkat la
charged to tat aildreeeee to tee ea
elene la the postage.
i SIII.I. TI1-I) IO