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About The Sioux County journal. (Harrison, Nebraska) 1888-1899 | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1898)
JA Ik V1- 6,VV word from her to prostrate himself at .' VI JJaTvfcSBf N-Sf3'1 her feet, w -tiil" i;.,-, r i him ii n-,. . -n t f WiS-!fnr "Hate yn : says Gower, with intense A most fatal J,'TfhitR7- uViMt feeling. "Whatever joy or sorrow cuii.'-s i lips sic so 'in 31 WkJ Ik!''" r. 7W3 f this hi. nr. I shall always know that I 1 ai.-oiunlv refc- rWrri HPO i i really lived in the (lavs whi ii I knew ! words Ml I would die f'.r you." j "J altiioht think I do wi-b it." s-ns i CHAPTER XI. It Is two days later. Everyone is sit ting out on the verauda. Though late in Septen.lier, it is still "one of ;hose heav enly days that cannot die." The sun is warm in the heavens, though gradually sinking, poor, tired god, toward his hird earned test. There are many (oftly-eolor-ed clouds in the iiky. Tea in brought to them presently, tind pluius for Dicky; and then they ire ill -for the most part happy. Tint in, all except lulce and Roper, who are spar ring covertly, but decidedly, while Jubii. who never sees anything, is fostering the dtsput" by unmeant, but most ill-judging, remurl.s. Stephen Gower has gone aay from them to have a cigarette ia ebrtibU ries. ' Du!i t and Roger are alone after a time. She has brought affairs to a climax. Si lence follow, that lasts for a full minute a long time in such a easel, and then Dulce speaks. "I think it is time inis most mistaken -engage ment of ours should come to m -end." she says, quietly. "That is as you wish, of course." re plies he. "But fully nnders'and tne: if you l.irak w ith rue now, it shall he at once ejid tY.ever." j "Voiir maimer is almost a threat," she gays; ' it will he difficult to you, no doubt, but 1 ease do try to believe it will be a very great joy to tne to part from you 'at ot.re and forever.' " 'Tin a nothing more remains to be said, only this: it will be better for you that Facie Christopher should be told I was 'te Oti? to cud this engagement, not " "Why";" initial i.-ti-Sy. i '"On ir-i-oiint of the will, of course. If -yon ill say I have refused to marry you. Ii.' f'-tv v.:.! go to you. . 1 .... .t t . "Th., ,! von nave reiuseo me. sns .m" E'ouni tainly. . with extreme indignation. " -r-I shall never pay that never! Yoti can say with truth I have refused to marry y..u, but nothing else. "It u'ter insanity, says tiorer. ' For the sake of a ridiculous i-ii are voluintiily resigning a a! of money." grn vel; whim, g-eat 1; "1 Wi mild resign the mines of (lolcondu rather ttarve sayinir As si of he with. plest ii about "Wi: R..cr "H..-. lotl'ill.- :'ian do that. I would far rather than give you tlie satisfaction of ; ou have Riven me up!" c has a very considerable fortune own that nothing can interfere o finds it naturally the very sim in in the world to talk lightly arvation. : should I say that for?" asks rather bauphtily. can I tell? I i.nly know- von are o -ay it." returns -he, willfully. "You are too sill v to iirciie witn, pro- tests he. turriine away will) a shriiK. P.iii.iiiiiir down the steps of the balcony Dulce. with her wrath "till burning hotly within her. (roes alone the carden path and so past the small bridge, and the river, and the nuphty beeches that are waving to tnd fro. Turning the corner, she comes sitcdenly upon Gower. who is still smokine cigarettes, and no doubt day dreaming about her. "Yon have escaped from somebody," he says to her. in some surprise, Dulce being a person rery little given to solitude or her mvr, society undiluted. "It r.pueara I haTe not," rerurna he, bitterly. "Well, I shan't trouble yon long; I can take Myself off in no time," he says, good humoredly, drawing to one side to let her pass. "No no; you can stay with me if you care to," she says, wearily, ashamed of her petulance. "Care!" he ityn, reproachfully; and then, eoming nearer to her, "yon are jn fc.ippy! Something has happened!" he says, quickly, "what 1 it?" "Nothing unhappy," says Dulce, in a clear, soft voice; "certainly not thnt. Something yery different; something, in deed, I have been longing ami hoping for for week, for months, nay, all my life, I think." "And " aaya Stephen. "I bare broken oflf my engagement with Roger." A great, bappy gleam awakes within bia dark ejea. Instinctively be takea a step nearer to her, then checks himself and draws hla breath quickly. "Are yon aure?" be says, in a earefully ctilm ton, "art yon sure yon have done wisely? I mean, will this be for your own food T' "Yea, yaa, of connst," with fretful im patient. "It was my own doing. I wished K." "How d!4 It all come about?" oaks he, gently. "Ob, it doesn't matter," says Dulce, throwing oat one hand in a quick, nervous fashion. "Nothing matters mncb, does It? And now that we arc on it, I will an swer yoor question. I beileve if I were the only wassaa in the world Roger would never bava area Ilksd aal Ha accmrd glad, thankful, when 1 gre hlra hla re lease; almoat," steadily, "as glad as 1 was to glva itr "Wart ym fladT' aaks Gower, eagerly, doing n ta her, h takea her hand and holds It with ancoaaeloas fore ia both his awn. "You at least do not hat ma," she says, with a faint, aohWag cadeaca in bar voiea, that desolates bat awse'aai it. Her Hp qivr. Ia very truth ah la thaak fal la Bias la a aaaanr. Har heart warm la hla. Thar la to har a comfort la the dsMffct ia maafort aba weald hav shrank tmm ackaowiatitag rra to baratif) la the eavtatety taat ha waaid ba oaly taa atwM, tta laaa to ba to bar what aaatbar might haa triad to b bat would art. Hart ia (Ma aaa bafar bar, willing at a yiiu. My heart, and mjui. and lif". are all yours to do with as you will. 1 am com pletely at your mercy. If you wi-hel it 1 would die for you." "I alnmst think I do wi-b it." sits Dulce, w ith a faint little lauph. but there is i kindiic-s iu her voice new to it. and just f.t'ce she lifts her eyes and looks at him shyly, but sweetly. "You will marry me." he says, "when you think of everything." There is a meaning in his tone she cannot fail to understand. "Would you," she says. trenni!oti-!y, "marry a woman who does not are for you ';" "W hen you are oncf my w i'e. I wiil teach yi. u to care for me. Su-h love as mine must create a return." Sim is now as pale as death. She lifts her hand and lays it impulsively aai'ist his lip-, as though to prevent his further speech. She is trembling a little ifrom anger, -he tells herself 1, and her breith is corning quickly and unevenly; e- stands for a moment collecting herself, with her lingers pressed against his iips, and then the agitation dies, and a strange coldness takes its place. "Yoii are sure you love me?" she ji-kn, at length, in a hard, clear voice, so tin like het u-11.1l soft tone, that it star'les even h rself. "My beloved, can't rcu see ii ?" he says, with deep emotion. "Verv well, tli'-n: T 'Hi marry you j sotn' day. And and to-morrow it rnuv be to-morrow you will let Roger know I am engaged to you? You quite under stand ?" He does, though he wiil not acknowl edge it even to himself. "I'ulce, my own soul!" be eays, bro!:en !y; and kneeling on (he grns nt her feet he lifts Kith her ban. is aid pres-e them passionately to his lips. They tire so .'old mid lifeless that they chill him to his very heart. CHAPTER XII. The days have grow n shorter and short er. Daylight now is to be pricd, not sported with, as in the gny and happy -ummer. "The inaudible and noi.s"!ess foot of Time" has carried us from "Gold en September" to bleakest winter, and into that month which claims Christmas :". its own. At the Hail everything Is very much the same as it was when last we saw it, if we except the fact that Roger is absent. lie is abroad; so much abroad, indeed, that nobody knows where he is. A week after his departure he had written to Sir Chris topher, and the week after that again to Mark Gore; but beyond these two mea ger attempts at correspondence no news has been heard from him. W hether, as Mr. Browne has elegantly expressed 11. "he is up the Nile, r,;- up the Spout," is u ma'ter of speculation. Sir Christopher is looking a little older, a little graver. He is not so testy as of yore, a change that filis Dulce' heart with misgivings. Tdjat he has fretted greatly over her broken engagement with Rog.-r (who is to the old baronet as near as his own son should have been, md second only to Fabian In his affections! she well knows: she well knows, too, bow magnanimously to pleasp her he has tried to be civil to Stephen Goa-er, and to welcome him with cordiality as his fu ture nephew. To-day is melancholy, cold, and bleak. The winds are sighing, the earth is bare and nara, "o vestige of a fresh and com ing life can yet be seen. Upon the gray sands, far away, the white waves dash themselves, the sea birds shriek,"and "blasting keen snd loud roll the white surges to the sounding shore.'' Indoors there Is warmth and comfort. Portia, passing by Dulce's door, and finding it open, pauses before it, and final ly, after some hesitation, she crosses the threshold. Dulce, coming np-stairs, pres ently, finds ber sitting over the Ore, in an attitude that betokens the very deepest dejection. "You here, alone," she says, gayly, stooping over her in caressing fashion. "Naughty girl. You should have told me you were going to honor me with your presence, and I would have made my room gay to receive you." "I don't want you to make a stranger of me. I like your room a it is," says Fortia, with a smile. "Well, don't sit crouching over the fire; it will spoil your complexion; come over to the window, and see what the st jnn has done, and how lovely nature can look even when robed In winter's garb." Tortia, rising, follows her to the win dow, but as she reaches it sbe sinks again wearily Into a lounglng-chair, with all the air of one whose limbs refuse obsti nately to support ber. As both girls gaze out upon the chilly landscape, wbite here and there with snow that fell last night, Fabian, coming from between the dark-green branches of an ancient lauristiuus, with two rd setter at his heels, and a gun upon hi shoulder, passes beneath the window, go ing in the direction of the borne wood. Leaning forward Dulce tap lightly on the pane, and Fabian, hearing the quick sound, stops short, and lift bis eye to the window. As he sees bis pretty sis ter, be nod to her, and a blight amiie creep round his lips, rendering hi al ways hsndaomt face actually beiutiful for the moment. Only for a moment; hla gut wander ing Instinctively, falls on I'ortU, standing pale and calas baside her cousin. Their eye meet, and as If by magic the mil die, hi llpa grow straight and eald again, and withoat another glaaec, be torn the corner, aad la rapidly oat of alght. "Doar Fablaa poor darling," aaya Dnlce, tenderly, who baa aatictd oaly f b kladlr mll rouohaafad for bar. "Haw aad he always look. Kvaa hla aanila la more mournful than the tear of other. What a tartiblt preaaara Va baa laid Uin h.m. He- - p.iie you re, For tial What i it. deaiesi? I sin uie you are nut well to-day." "I tun quite well. I am on! mid. it" on." speaking w.iii -on,.- J . til tilt y j "jou were saying Willi1: liing ab-.M- Fitbmu." "1 think o mii.-li nf Imii that it is a i" lief to talk sometime-: hut I won't 111. ik you doleful. ii,;y. now thai v., 4 kim.v hiiii vvhcu urn have In-ill l-h-.r h the same roof w ith him for -i- it with your V u f-. cent ':" "How you catechize 11 with :i painfully baid a! eri-T that doc-i not imp-" av aUen'flg -n-p'c:oriS r.f iii- .-Hit. "Let lis ohiiig. "In on moment. I nil' 111' '! a 1. b-. )!" 1- !D'!V- .:ie." niy IVrfa, :i.pi ai iti'i Iter i- up ,:i the si . 'y the o-her fur one 1 the subject." n-Hi.t an answer to my I'l)e-'io:i !!!'. Now that V'CJ line se. :i ami kiionn I'abiaii, do ;,ou bei.eic U-r.ee follows. Portia' mid par h'-i that they to gi e 11! ter-i :c e to anv Ia lain !:" triis to conq ier the -s that is o erpow ering .'.er. but : avail. do not trouble yo'.ir-e f to answer is Dulce. in col l. cut':, ig tones. " I no :,rs. 1,0 prery -pee. ric-; l hank t least that you have spiked me In yo:;' son! I can see o.n thl:,k you a tho-e. him guiliv of ihis shan.efii! deed. Oh! it is hoii.b.'e!" She cov.-.-s ber face w;ih both her hand-, and mays a bnle. as one might who is, indeed, hurt to d" i'h. "And yon. too," she sa; s, fainily, "the only one or all our fr;c::d. And 1 so trusted y.u. I so !oed you!" "Dulce!" cries poor Portia, in mi agon ized tone, "hear me!" "No, I will not listen. I have tru-ti l you too far already. Ob!" piteously, "you who have seen him, and have noticed tile benuM, ihe sweet, 11-s of his life, how could you b .ve misjudged him? Rut," with vehemen: anger, "your nar row mind could not .appreciate him. You l:i' k generosity. You could not gra-p the fact thHt there might be In this wide world such a thing as undiscovered wrong. You condemned without a hear ing. Why," growing calmer, "there have been hundreds of cases where the inno cent have suffered for the guilty." "I I new- it," says Portia, fever: -'i!y, taking Dulce's band and trying to drs-w her toward l.er; but the girl re. 'oils. "Do not touch me." she says. "There i t o lotjc, r any fr end-hif. between 11-." "ill:! Dube, do ;. ,t say that," en treat a Portia. 1 :i in! :i!,y. 'I .'il say ;t. All is at an end as far us love between u- is concerned. Fabian is par of me. I cannot wp.ir.ne my-eif from liim. His friends are m.i,e. His ilf-riutors are mine also. I will not for give thim. I believe liim saint, ton be!Vve him !!','.( d, and tainted w '.ih the crime of forgery. And ih.s one thing I am rr-ilved on. He shall no longer be left, in ignorance of your worn: h-" -Ii 1 H not tiny more spend his afT-"ti n upon one v. ho regards him with disdain; be shall know the truth before the day die.-!" "Have you no pit)?" Bays Portia, faintly. "Have you none? You condemned him williut'y." "h! r.ot willingly." "I con't care, you have condemned him." "If jou only think, you will see " "Don't speak to me, I hate yon," siys Mis I'doiint, growing undignified because of be,- deep grief and agitation. "And don't think you can turn me from my pur pose. I shall te'l him what you think of him before this evening passes, be sure of that." "There !s no tired to tell him," says Portia, in so low a tone that Dulce can scarcely hear her. "lie he knows al ready!" Portia, to che'-fc the sob that rises In her throat, tightens her c!ap on Dulce's hand. The unwonted sharpness of her pressure rouses Dulce. 'ihe en'reme pain and grief she sees In Portia's eyes awakens her to the truth; she draws her breath a little quickly and lays her hand impulsive! upon ber cousin's bare white arm. "You suffer, too you!" she says, in a whisper full of surjclse. "Oh, Portia! is it th-tt you love him!" "Has It taken you so long to discover that?" says Portia, reproachfully. "Oh, that you could believe In him!" "If I could, I should be too deeply blessed. Yet Is it that I do not believe, or that I dread the world's disbelief? That is the sting. To know that a stain lies on the man I love, to know that others distrust him, and will forever pass him by on the other side. That i the horror. Dulce, I am ignoble, I fear many things; the future terrifies me; but yet, as I am so wTetcbed, dear, dear Dulce, take me back into your heart!" She burst into tears. They are so strange to her and have been so long de nied, that by their very vehemence they frighten Dulce. She takes Portia In her arms, and clings to her; and, pressing her Hps to her cheek, whispers to her fondly that she Is forgven, and that from her soul she pities her, CHAPTER XIII. From Chriktmas day to New Yetr's day is but a week but what a week it ia! It ia very nearly at an end now; tbe shadows bar fallen long ago; the night wind has arisen; the snow that all day long has been falling slowly and steadily, still falls, as if quite determined never again to leave off. They are all sitting in the library, It being considered a snugger room on such a dreary evening than tbe grander drawing-room. Stephen Gower, who ba jnst come In, la standing by the center-table with hi back to It, and I telling them some little morsel of scandal about a near neighbor. It ia a bare crumb, yet It ! received with avidity, and gratitude, and much laughter, so devoid of Interest hav been all the other hour of tbe day. Nobody quite understand bow it now i with Dulce and Stephen. Tbey have recently had quarrel, but It seem to have been patched up, and aa far aa an ordinary eye can see, tbey are on as good terms with each other aa usual. Just now she 1 laughing oven nvor merrily than the rest at hla llttl story, when the door opens, and Sir Ohrlatopher and Fsblsn enter together. Sir Christopher 1 plainly very angry, and U declaring In an extromaly audlbla voice that "he will submit to It no longer ;" b furthermore innonaco that be baa "seen too much of it," whatever "It" may bo, aad that for tba fatara aa will "tura oor a wry dlffaraat laaf." I wonder how many tima la tba 7ar thla lattar declaration la mad by trarybod? Fabian, who la u Marly oamorod by bia vehemence, layrng hi baad apoa bia unci sbouldar, load blm np to tba Aw plara and lata tba hagt ara-ehalr, that f '- rarpotual ahldlag pUc. "What is itr asks Sir Mark, looking up quickly. "San e -Id story." Fabian, In a low voii-c, itb a -light shrug of his shoulders. S ju.e. Drink. A'-couuts anyhow. And lipsy insolence, iutoad of proper eiplana 'iiui." A- Poioim tiii.shes. he draws his lei aiii hastily, as though heartily sick and tiled of ihe whole buine. Now that he is standing within the glare i t tlie lire, .ne can see how altered he I- of laie. His i-heeka are sunken, his iii's pa!e. Tbere is. too, a want of energy slont liim, a languor, a lit!pies, that Seems to llHII gri.Mll Upon ll 1 in with -'range rapidity, und which suggests the pi.s--i.iHty thnt life lias become rather a hiiide.'i than u favor. Mov.ag her gown to one side. Portia 'iii.p- iii 'I to this action by some impulsive f'i'cei sej-h, in a low tone: "Con e and s:t here, Fabian." motion in t.'t.tly m tbe seat beside her. Bu thank ng her with grave courte.v. 1," i!-" Hie ha vers a : inr he In-s her imitation, and. with an -cd face. on wHi bis eon- 01 wiih Sir Mark. I'.rtia. flush ly in the kindly dark, shrinks back n ber-e f. and linking in r fingers !v toeetb' r tries bravely to ciu-b the I teeliijcta of -haiiio and regret that 1 r.s- w .ili n tier bn a-i. "I 1 an .'and ri!iu"t iinylii ig myself, I cot.fe, but insolence," S i Mark is say ing, apropo, of intcxicriie.l old secre tary. 'T? tak-s jt out of one so. I have put no with the niost gross careb-ssness rath t than change my man. but insolence fpuu that class jM insufferable. I sup pose." say s Sir Mark, meditatively, shift ing h'- glass from his leit to his right eye, "it is her a use one can't return it." "Hue can dismiss the fellow, though,' says Sir f'liristoph.-r. still fuming. "And go Slynie shall. After all rny kindness to him. too. to -peak as he did to night! The creature is positively without gratitude. Now, not a word. Fabian: when mv mind Is made up las you all knowi it is made up, and nothing can niter it." This Is just wlml they do not all know. "As for you." conliniies Sir Christopher, ind'g naiitly, addressing himself solely to Fabian, "you plead for that miserable old sot out of nothing but sheer obstin acy not because you like him. Now, do you like him? Corne, now, I defy tou to say it." Kal.iau laughs slightly. "'I h-r", I knew it!" ejclaims Sir Chris topher, triumphantly, though Fabian in rea.ity had said nothing; "and as for him, he positively : 'o-'s you. What did he say j't-t now?-- that be " "'h. mv-r mind that," says Fabian, to! fi' i!.1 !iie soiiieni iit nervously, "That lie had y.ui iu his power." thunder- Sir hris'ophi r. angrily. "That he ootd. ! make or unmake you as tbe fancy scroll him, and so on. Give yon my honor," says Sir Cbristoph' r. almost chok ing with rage, "it was as much as ever I c. nld dy to keep my hands off the fel low!" (To be continued.) MALAY FORESTS. Tbey Are Anionic the Wonderful Tbiunn of Hie l.artli. These fon-.-its are among the wonder ful things of tbe enrtb. They are im mense in extent, ami the trees which form tbom grow- so close together that they tread on mie (mother's toes, says Court aad Kamis-nty. All nre lashed and bound ami r'lhl into one huge, magnificent, tangled net by the thick est iiiJJ'rwvio! Mini the most marvel ous parasitic g.-.wih thnt nature has ever !"v!--h1. No htiiiitin tiein can for.-e his way through this maze of trees ami .shrubs huO thorns anl plan'a and cre pens, ami even the great beasts which dwell in the Jung'.e linjl rhe!r Rlrenglh uuctiuhI to the uisk. and have to follow garni' paths. lK-nten out by the pasage of innumerable animal through the thickest and deejM-st part of th forest. The brandies cro ajtd recro, aad are bound together by countless paraaltic creejiers, forming a green canopy overload, through which the fierce unl!ght only forces a partial passage, the struggling rays flecking the trees on which they fall with little fipiauhe of light and color. Tbe air "hangs heavy a remetnlxTed gin," and the glofun f a ifreat cathedral la on every side. VJverytblog la dajnp and moist and oppressive. Tlie soil and the cool dead leave under foot ara flank wlfh decay ajid aodden to tiia touch. Enormous fungrut growth, flour ishing luxuriantly, ajtd over all, during the long, hot hours of the day, hang a silence aa of the graveyard. Though these Jungle teem with life, no living thing la to be seen, save the buay a Ma, a few brilliantly colored butterfllea aud lnaecU and an occasional neat of beea high up in tbe troetopa. A lit tie atraaja r!pple ita way over tbe pe-bblea of Its bed. and makes a humming murmur In the dkKtance; a faint breez. aweep lnj over the.forewt, genIy swaya tha upper branch of a few of th taller trees; but for the ret, all la melancholy, silent and motionleha. Tbe Danger Wa Imminent. The Boston Traveler relatea that a nervous young woman of that city call ed a physician for a alight ailment, but one which the magnlfled. In her own estimation, Into a serious one, "Hun," said the doctor to John, tha servant, giving blm a prescription, "to tbe near eat apothecary and bring back the medicine Just aa fitilckly aa you can." "Ia there ranch danger?" naked tha young woman la alarm. "If yoor aarrant la not quick It will ba uaelena." aald tha doctor. "Oh, doctor, ahall I dlr gaapad tha patient. "Dlat No," anawered tha doctor. "Tha danger la that yen may gat well before John raturna." TaJawtad Mlad Matalolan. stlaa P. A- Brown, a blind girt, only 21 yeara of aga, Urlng at Waillngford, England, baa mada aoeb a troocaaa of loatramantai nrmale, aapacUUy aa aa ar ganlat, that aha baa Jnat baaa alaetasl aaaocUto of tba RoyoJ OoUag of Or gaalata. If yoo want to aaa tba aaaartaat, eataat aad avootoat baby tbat arar liTod, Jaat fat aay aiatbar to abour jroaj bora. Tba oat troaMa a bar boobaad ta gottfaj atoa. 1 A glass plate will return to its exact original form after being kept under pressure in a bent condition for twen ty five years. Glass Is the most per fe.'t plastic sulistaiice in existence. Steel ranks next. I'.ertludot, tbe French chemist, finds' that the copjwr objects found at Nega lab and Abyilos, In Fgypt, are of pure copper, not bronze. Tbey are believed t date from (be first dynasty or ear lier, and tend to prove the past exist ence of a copper before the bronze age. A I Mitch chemist in Jav i claims to have discovered a process by which starch ma,- 1m- converted Into sugar at half the present cost of sugar. The two substances are composed of tlie same chemical elements, yet It remains to be proved that one can be profitably turned Into the other. Sawdust building bricks are coming Info use in many parts of tills country, where the raw materials nre plentiful. The sawdust Is dried ami screened, to remove the coarser particles, ami then mixed with cement, lime, and sand. The mixture Is pressed into blocks as bard as ordinary bricks. A microscopic examination of mother of pearl shows the shell to la- made of very flue lines so closely put together that the white light Is broken up Into its prismatic colors and we get the so- called "play of colors." Taking a care ful cast of such shell, the wax cast will yield Ihe same prismatic effects. I'rof. Khtet of Washington has in vented a system for cooling rooms in summer. It Is simply a tall cylinder of galvanized iron resting in a large basin or pan, ami connecting at the top with the ordinary stovepipe or with a tube leading out of tlie window. In the top of the cylinder's interior Is a jwrforati-d tubular ring, and on a cock being turned on this ring an artl i.e:ji shower is caused Inside the cylin der. The w:,:i-r thus flow ing down the sides lakes a rapid spiral tnolion, which sucks the air down through the cylinder at a rapid rate, a fine spray Inside cooling the air thus entering, re ducing its humidity to normal and taking out .all ilust am bad txlnrs; the water collects In the basin below, from which It is drained ofT, the (. air cs caping through oiienittgs just above the water surface of the basin. In the Ulack Hills there Is a natural telephone line operated without wires, sdes or receivers. Ou each side of a valley twehe miles wide stand two tall Jieaks, several tboil-and fevl high, and so rocky that they have been scabs! only a few times. Some weeks ago a party of tourist decided lo make ihe ascent, and they divided into two par tie, one for each seal;, taking helio graphs w ith them for the purpose of signaling to each other across the val ley. The ascent was made, and one of the parly on the north iiiuiiutaiu was surprised to hear voices, which appar ently came out of the air. lie movi-d his position, and the sound was no longer beard. I'.y changing his io-.i-tlon several times he discovered thai tbe voices were those of his friends on tli! other mountain. When tlie atten tion of the opiHislte party had been at tracted it was found tbat an ordinary conversation in an ordinary tone of voice was plainly heard from one mountain top to the other, over a dis tance of more than twelve uille. Scien tists say that the cause Is to be found in the form of the mountains, which serve as elllpilcnl reflectors of sound, a vast whispering gallery made by na ture. VILLAIN AND LADY. Despite Her Ifrmonstraiitcn lie Per sisted iu I'ullintc the THicKer. Rapidly closing and locking the door, tbe Villain turned to the Fair Lady. "At last!" he exclaimed. She looked around in dismay. The room was at the top of the house, and It was useless for her to scream for as sistance no one would have heard her. "I have been long waiting for this," be said. He chuckled sardonically; bis band grasped his deadly weapon. "This is cowardly. You have en trapped uie. You told me that from this room was to Ik- obtained tbe finest view iu all Knglaud." "The finest view Iu all England," be replied, with a profound bow, "Is actu llly In tbe room at this moment." "If you think that I have beauty," she faltered, "why deatroy that beauty? I am too young to die." He laughed again, as though she bad spoken In Jest. "I long," he aald, "to gloat over tbe Inanimate features that " "Coward! Coward!" abe cried, and once more looked for aonie means of escape. Ah! There was another door, Immediately behind her. She opened It, and bealtated, for within all was ab solutely dark. "Kuter," be aald, "by all meana. It la but a amail room, with no window to It, and no door but this. You can not escape you are In my power. En ter if you will, but be careful lest In the Darkneaa you knock against anything and hurt yourself." "Would you carer' aba aakad, bit terly. "I could aavar forgiva rayaelf oavar." "How dare yau aay It yoo you, with yoor band already on tha trig ger r "It la stronger than I. I caosot nelp myself I moat do It Prepara." WKh a long algb aba aank on a low couch aad burled her face Id ber banda. "Do set do tbat," said tha Villain, al- tOBdorly. Mbo wade ao rapt. There was silence Iu the room Tor a momeut, and then lie sjMike again: "I cannot do it unless you take your hands from vour face." "Then I will keep them there for ever." "In that case," he replied, coldly, "I will wait." He took a cigarette from his case ami proceeded in a leisurely, w ay to light It. To do this be had put down his weap on. Watching him narrowly between her fingers, she siw her chance and made a smbb n rush I'-ut It was of no avail-be hud snatched 1111 tbe weapon again before she couW secure 1L One more she flung bcisidf on ihe couch and covered her face. "You know." she said, "that I detest the smell of tobacco." "A thousand pardons," be replied, aa he Hung ihe cigarelle through the open window. "I had been misinformed, and certainly you carry a silver match box." "That Is only for my bicycle lamp." "They always say that," he said, med itatively. "However. I can wait Jus as patiently without smoking. I ain Hot a slave to the habit." There w as oni-e more a moment' al ienee. She changed her wsitlon rtfrt lesslv. Suddenly she sprang up and stood erect, letting her hands fall by her side. "Go on," she said. "If It must be done, let It lie done quickly. Get W over. 1 o your worst." She looked superb 11s she stood there a graceful figure In tlie sunlight. In ber eyes there was an Infinite kindli ness, as though she Isire no malice against her persecutor. Now, just at the end, she smlb-d. He saw It all unmoved, without wa vering for one moment from his feH ' purpose. i "That's magnificent," be cried, aa. raising his camera, he pulled the trig ger ami photographed her aljominably. -Kla. k ami Wbite. Not a Hit Superstitious. No, I am not sii-rstiiiouH I consider it pernicious If not absolutely vicious I u a man To admit him-elf so small that be most semi Kvery little sign and omen As the menace of a foeman. Still, I'm free to say that Friday Never, never would be my day For a venture, for I'm sure 'twould nevei bit. Though I am not superstitious, not a bit, Iteally, I've no toleration Of that nervous hesitation And that irksome perturbation Which I've seen, When a dinner party i-busy-d to be thlrs teen. Why, I've seen that arrant folly Make a whole crowd melancholy, With tlieir whining und their flimsy, Foolish reasons for the whimsey. Siill, I own I bate to be the last to alt. Though I am not superstitious, uot a bit. Certain things may 1k propitious. Though titer seem but adventitious. And it's hardly superstitious To perceive Which is which, and so, accordingly, be lieve. Now there's nothing makes me sadder Than to walk lieneath 11 ladder, l'.ut I grow a good deal bolder hen the moon is nt my shoulder. And to spill the salt! It takes away aay grit, Though I am not superstitious, not a bit Surely nothing can be clearer Than that evil marches nearer By the breaking of a mirror,. And it's true That a howling dog In night-time makaa me blue, For his keen scent makes 110 errors And he smells the King of Terrors. Here's another thing. Take need, sir, If your nose should start to bleed, sir, And should bleed only three drops and then should quit! Though I M not superstitious, net a btl It Is snd to see w hat uses Koine folks make of vain ezcusea Hather than admit abuses Of the mind. When they're rather superatltlooaly b cliiied, Just to put it in plain English; It would seem they can't distinguish Between false and foolish cases And the few which have a bssls In experience, which even I admit, Though I am nut superstitious, aat a whit! New York Sun. Month Sea Caresses. When a South Island mother wishes to chastise ber child she aeldaai resorts to slapping and allppara at course she baa none. Instead of using tbe forma of panlohv ment customary among clrllleed moth ers, she piiHs the child's hair and bttoa some part of the body, generally tbo fleshy part of tbe arm. In wandering about the village aba sees many children baring on their body scars produced by wounda In Met ed by their mothers' leeth. When a mother wishes to caxaaa bar child she deftly drawa ber thank across its eyebrows or cheek, or goav tly seines ita cheek between ber teeth. The rubbing of nosea la also a mark of affection among tbe Kingamlll Isl anders, as it Is among the Maoris of New Zealand. Goethe tbe Popular favorite. The Ixmdon publisher, Walter Hcett, recently aaked Uie subscribers to baa "Scott Library" to ballot on tba qaaa tlon of what classic tbey would bava for the 19lot volume of tbat eertea. Goethe waa victor In tlie com pass1 tie! nml a selection from his critical papeao was accordingly chown. In boueekevlnf, wbket aad faaanj wora go logouter. uooajaaj aad lag are In another elaas. No naa aaa claka to ba a fat with tba lair aoi taatli baa taken pofcera for braa.