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A CALIFORNIA GIRL
A Continued Story.
SYNOPSIS,
The story open up with Sir Roydon
wvmiu, m juuiig mining expert,
full of anguish that Lilac could not go
away without trying to comfort her and
help her to bear whatever grief It was
that seemed to bp breaking her heart
She crossed quickly Into the dressing
room, where, in the moonlight that
streamed thn ugh the uncurtained win
acw, she cou.d Hep hvung line kneeltne
where he hid been Mn. hJ . kZIuIZ against the oM-fashl. ,,ed wlnoow Beat
in Vh'.lerfil.?.h..op, ?,,",," ,P'Pry. her face In h r h- r Udy shaken
pan's Gulch be had the misfortune to h,r 0,J- So li'Kt as she In her grief
eared for I durm hie illness i that ehe did not notice her friend s en
wJi Marvel and hi. on Lance. Lilac, tlie t,am e un,H Lilac had thrown herself
iid man's f.r.V. ' Roymr90edT; T" knw" by h,,r 8We and PlaCd
her beauty and gentleness, falls In love 'lf'r arm "fund her waist.
in ner ana proposes, but ihc, realizing
tae difference in their positions, rduwi
I offr. After bin leeoiery he foolishly
exhibits a luige um of innney which be
carried In bin belt. This aroused Lance's
eupldliy and be iri1(! Sir Koy with the
Intention of robbing him. Ulac overhears
Lance's plana and succeeds In arousing
ir Koy from his stupor, help him mount,
his hore and mmi.iinl him sl"!iit in
trail. She finally yields to hln JlWUH Nidi)
to marry hitn upon hit return from a i. lo
omed prosyei liiift tr.p to Nevada. Arriv
ing in San Francisco he places her In tha
care of Major Emmott and his daughter.
Snellen people traveling in the wet. and
rranaefneins are made ihst eh. shall ac
eampany them to Englsnd lo tn.'ke tneac
juaintanca of 8ir Koy arinto-1 uc mom
s'' aurWig hla enforced absei.a.
CH A IT Eft XIX.
Poor Lilac felt that, if she remained
a moment longer listening to the cruel
words that came from her ladyship's
Hps, she would be unable to keep her
enforced calm from breaking down,
and she shrank with terror from the
very Idea of exhibiting any emotion
In the old lady's presence. It was not
Until ahe had shut herself In her bou
doir and locked the door that her
proud self-control gave way, and, fall.
Ing upon her knees by the side of tl.j
couth, she sobbed bitterly.
The unrestrained tears gave her con
siderable relief, and, when, in half an
hour's time she rose and bathed her
face, she felt able to think clearly
over what Lady Garth had said. There
was nothing new In what she had
suggested, nothing that had not com
Into Lilac's own doubting mind. Jt was
"It la I Lilac," she said, afraid of
startling her.
Hut Evangeline showed little surprise.
"I thought everybody was asleep long
ago," she responded. Her voice sounded
strangely calm after the abandonment
of grief a moment before.
LiUc kissed her tenderly,
"I could not sleep, and came to talk
to you," she said, still kneeling by her
side In the moonlight. "Can you not
let me share your trouble, darling,
whatever It is?"
for the moment she had forgotten
her own perplexities and the question
she had come to ask, but she remem
bered It when Evangeline answered, in
her quiet, rctigned voice:
No, dear, I cannot talk about it. It
is a foo.ishness that I shall conquer
some day, although it Is very hard to
have to do so."
The fact that she was so anxious for
her own sake to know what Evangel
ine's "foolishness" was made Lilac
afraid to Invite her confidence. It
seemed to her as If her sympathy was
not sympathy at all, but only a selfish
curiosity; and she was glad when her
friend went on without questioning.
She had ri.en from her knees and was
leaning against the woodwork of the
window, so that the light no longer fell
upon hei face.
"I should value your sympathy,
dear," she said; "but my trouble is
thiB fact that made her ladyship's re- B00Ut Boay at "t v"
marks so disturbing. All the doubts t0 thlnk of- because It seems that he
that one by one Roy's sweetheart had npver car,"J for ""hough I telt sure
put behind her as unjust to her lover .,hat he dld- 1 thought that it was only
were brought simultaneously to life my horrible money which made him
gain by Lady Garth's words, and the 1 h"lta,e t0 Ml me 0' nn lf he had
; not gone away, i mignt nave sami
; something to show him that I returned
I his affection. But evidently he never
cared for me. I do not know why I
i was so sure of his love, because he
never said a word of love to me, and I
hate and despise myself for having
given him my heart. So please do not
ask me any more questions, Lilac,
dear!"
Lilac did not ask any more. She
alone was preventing the happy mar-1 l""UK"1 """pessary. n
riage of the two people she loved, then j 8P(,me'1 to npr that every word the
he need have no hesitation In deciding i n,,r"" p0K mUHl rer"r 10 an(J
h.t en..r. t tok. iihnn.l. h t.k. i whpn Evangeline showed by an abrupt
Ing of it would destroy all her own ! change In the conversation and si man
hr,. of hannine.. Hot in nit. of ' that her secret was to be once
her ladyship's aerllon. it was diffl- rtior locked un securely In ner own
-...i. . .,( pl,a..it ,r h Ibreast, Miss Garth wondered th.
i i in mn lv u,lin ttht,-H l.llast ltiuA hr
peace which had come to her during
the last few days, and which was due
chiefly to the long, tender and sympa
thetic letters she had received from the
mines, was dissipated In an Instant. '
Everything had to be pondered again
In the light of her ladyship's opinion.
The most distressing thought was
that she had come betweea Roy and
Evangeline. If all that Lady Garth :
had said was true, that her presence ;
"Robin Adair" were really Roy, could ;
have deceived her so well. Lilac walked
about the room debating the point.
If she could only go to Evangeline
and ask her the question which It was
of such Importance to her peace of mind
to have answered! Twice he unlocked
her door with the Intention of going
to her friend's room, on the chance
that. In spite of the lateness of the
hour, she might find her still awake;
but each time she turned back and
locked It again, thinking how unlikely
It was that she would obtain an an
swer from Evangpllne that would quite
satisfy her doubts. However much the
heiress loved her cousin, it was diffi
cult to Imagine her admitting the fact
to the girl who was to become his wife;
and Jo deny her love would be as nat
ural even to the moft truthful of wo
men that Lilac was obliged to ac
knowledge to herself that no amount
of denial on Evangeline's part
and bade her "Good night," saying, as
she left her:
"Do not be unhappy, dear! Perhaps
Hobln Adair loves you after all, and
only a temporary cloud has made you
doubt It You are too sweet and noble,
il think, for heaven to dpny you your
' heart's desire."
Poor Lilac! Fhe did not think of
j her own sweetness and nobility of
character.
Fhe went back to ner own room,
I feeling that it would be a relief to her
feelings to weep as Evangeline had
done; but she was unable to shed
tear. Indeed, It seemed to her that she
was an interloper, and that she had
done a great wrong ever to let Roy
speak to her of love. But for her every
thing would have gone smoothly In his
life and Evangeline's; and she had come
between them, to delude him, or by her
helplessness work upon his Quixotic
generosity until he thought that he
loved her. He could never have guessed
that Evangeline Garth cared for him
ss she did the heiress could hide her
feellr.gs -so well! His life had been
would really satisfy her. It seemed spoiled, Lilac told herself, by her be
Incredible, but It was exasperatingly coming part of It before he had realized
.v., i .u- nv. "IB tup ii-eiuiKB iur ms cousin
true, that In the same house with her , b mechanically to un-
was the only person who could answer dress, she ald to herself that, for his
the question that tortured her, that thlB mhe as well as Evangeline's, she must
person was her friend, and full of the ! ha,M " hH,T '? his life again.
..,.. I VV hile undref sing f he came across the
deepest eympamy ana aneruon tor ner, ,he two letters Roy had wltten her
and yet U wan impossible to extract : from Nevada, which she always carried
from her an answer which would decide' th bn'om of her gown, and she sat
.... . .down at the reading lamp in her boud-
her doubta one way or the other. j otr ,0 rfar, lni.m ,nroU)rn once mor
Perhaps If she asked her, Evangeline As she read, the calm apathy of a de-
would tell her his name, and then all
her fears on that score would be at an
thought, the distraught girl unlocked
her door once more and crept noiseless
ly In the direction of Evangeline's room.
Midnight was chiming from the clock
end. Flushed and exct'ed at the
In the turret, and th? darkness and si
lence of the house told her that every
body had retired for the night. She
scaicely dared to hope that she would
find her friend awake. She knocked
spainng determination gave place in
her mind to a war of perplexing
thoughts. For It was hard to go
through the l'ters and doubt that the
writer loved her with his whole heart,
as h" claimed to do; and. If Roy really
loved her w ith the cne love of his llf,
as he said, she felt that no sense of
duty could call upon her to give him
up, and that no sacrifice she could make
would be able to bring back happiness
to the girl she loved more than herself.
Did Roy love her as he said he did,
or wre his assurances only part of his
generosity, as Lady Garth called it?
I I M una lh niiAiltnn whlefo lrituV,lM1
very gently, therefore, at her bed room m eethrart all night long, and she
door when she reached It, and her heart ; felt that she could do nothing to de-
ank when there was no answer. The
hope that one word from Evangeline
might set all her doubts at rest was
such an exciting one, and she had been
building upon it so much, that she was
very reluctant to go back and wait till
morning for her conversation with the
heiress. Consequently, when no answer
came to her second knock, she pushed
open the door gently, and walked across
the dark room to the side of the bed, to
rail Evangeline's name In a whlBper.
"Evangeline, dear, are you awake?
It Is 1-LIIac,"
There was no reply, and something In
the appearance of the dimly seen bed
msde Lilac put her hand to the pillow,
Th bed was empty!
She was Just beginning to wonder
what could possibly have become of her
friend, for the. dressing room beyond,
like the bed room, was In complete
darkness, when the sound of low Bob
bins; reached her ears from the Inner
room, the door of which was ajar.
Lilac paused, with her hand still upon
the pillow, undecided as to what ahe
should do. Her ftret Idee, wm to retire
clde It until Hoy himself came home.
She wondered how she would be able to
bear the suspense of waiting.
Lilac's suspense did not Inst so long
as she had anticipated. On the morning
after her eventful interview with Lady
Garth and Evangeline she slept far be
yond her usual hour. Hhe had fallen
Into a deep sleep shortly before day
break, worn out by the mental excite
ment through which she had passed
and when she opened her eyes it was
to find the broad daylight streaming
throug the window,
A slight rustling sound attracted her
attention and, turning her head, she
caught sight of Evangeline stealing on
tiptoe towards the door. Evangeline
slopped when she found that Lilac
was awake.
"I hope I have not disturbed you,"
she said. "I wanted you to sleep till
luncheon time, If you could, after being
up so late last night. We had breakfast
long ago; so I will send yours up here
and you need not disturb yourself Just
yet,"
"Oh, I am wide awake!" said Lilac,
wondering whether this bright and ani
mated Evangeline was the same girl
who, a few hours before, had been sob
bing her heart out over her hopeless
love, or whether she had not dreamed
It all, "Do you want me?"
Evangeline smiled more brightly.
'No; I crept in to prepare you for
u quietly as she had come; out "' surprise when you rose; but pray ol
gpga gf iTaafeliBe'p sobblaf was so ot hurry, It Is only a letter from Roy,
which you will find on your dressing ta.
Die, wun suc.n wonderful news! He
wrotu to Aunt Uwen at the same time,
so at present I know more about the
young man than you do." She stood in
tne doorway, and had to raise her vole
to finish the sentence, for Lilac had al
ready disappeared into her dressing
room In search of the precious epistle
i-riKejine. KUiss-ing mat she would
"Ke to dp oulte alone, ran downstairs
to discucs l,e,' cousin's expected return
with his mother. For the letters her
luuysiup anu Lilac had received were
the two which Sir Rov had dlnniiMu
en the eve of his departure from the
oeve" -ent mines the letters which he
had written while In such doubt and
perplexity with recarri to hi. lniu
"prairie-flower's" love.
Isn t it glorious," said Evangeline.
as she ran into the morning room and
threw her arms about the old laitv's
still slender waist, "to think that in two
days at most we shall see Koy again?
It seems too good to be true. I cannot
think how you can keep from skipping
about, auntie."
Lady Garth answered withoot en
thusiasm.
Of course it will be a great measure
to see my boy again after his long absence."
"You speak as though you were rath.
er sorry than otherwise, aunt Gwen,"
said Evangeline: ant her ladvahln re
joined, coldly:
Well, I cannot heln thlnklnir ihut
perhaps it would have been better if
Koydon had adhered to his original
Intention of remaining another month
abroad."
"You would like to wait anothei
month for him? What for, auntie.
pray?"
"Well, my dear. It would have triven I
nun a longer interval In which to get
over nis foolish infatuation for Miss
Marvel. I fear from Hovdon's sudden
determination that he may still be un
der the spell which has been cast over
mm. jf he had stayed awav a little
onger he might have got clear of it
My dear aunt Owen, they will mak
very suitable couple, and already
ove Lilac almost as much as I love
Roy."
you admit that you love him
then.'" questioned her ladyship quick
ly; and Evangeline answered without
reserve:
Yes, auntie, very much but not as
you wish .me to love him, thank good
nesB! it you will not rejoice with m
over the dear fellow's home-coming,
must go and rejoice with Lilac."
She found, however, when she ra
upstairs full of excitement, that Lilac'
door was closed; and, when she tappeu
at It, the only answer she received wa
a few words from Lilac within sayin
that she was busy. Evangeline wen
away wondering.
Here is Roy coming home." she said
to herself ruefully, "and the two peo
pie wno ought to love him best the In
formation seems to have sent Inte th
dumps!"
she would have wondered more if
she could have entered the room and
seen Lilac's pale face full of a despair
ing anguish.
Poor Lilac! The letter which she
had torn open with such delightful
anticipation had come as a cruel blow
to her. Her lover unfortunately had
given no hint of the report he bad re
ceived from Major Emmott or of the
confusion It had brought to his mind
and under the effect of which he had
written; and the sudden change of its
tone from that of his previous letters
seemed to the poor girl who loved him
so well capable of only one explana
tion. Roy had discovered that he did
not love her. She Buspected even that
he wag hastening his return in order
to tell her so; and her pride as well as
ner unselfish devotion to him and Evan
gellne urged her to leave Delverton Hall
before his arrival. When Evangeline
knocked at the door of her room she
was busy packing the smaller of her
two traveling trunks.
The thought had occurred to her that
it would be fairer to await the baro
net's arrival, and postpone all action
until she had given him an opportunity
or saying whether he cared for her ot
not; but she dismissed the thought as
soon as it came. How could she be
sure that she would not break down
and, by showing the Intensity of her
love, appeal once more to the "Quixotic
generosity" which had probably made
him first suggest that she should be his
wife? To leave Roy quite free to follow
the dictates of his heart, she must be
no longer dependent upon him for a
home; he must feel that she was not
suffering In any way from her action
In helping him to escape from Dead-
man s Gluch. If she appealed no fur
ther to his pity, he would be as free
as If he had never met her to marry
Evangeline, whose love he must appre
elate sooner or later at Its true worth
and Lilac went on Industriously with
her packing, her hands shaking a lit
tie as she folded her dresses and her
face white as death. All the time her
thoughts were busy as to what she
should do. ,
At first her only Idea had bt.jh to get
away from Delverton Hall and hide
herself In the great world of which
she knew so little; but the more she
thought of Roy the more clearly It be
gan to dawn upon her how futile her
plan would be to make him feel that
the responsibility of her welfare was
removed from his shoulders. However
much his infatuation for her had
dwindled away, 8ir Roydon Garth was
not the man to let a girl to whom h
was Indebted disappear from his sight
without knowing whether she was pro
vided for. There would be no rest for
him until he heard that she was Inde
pendent ot his help. Almost In despair
Lilac suspended her packing as she
realized how certain it was that by
running away she would only give the
baronet the additional trouble of look
ing for her. She must avoid that at
ail cost; and, with a sudden Inspira
tion, she sat down to write her last
etfer to the man she loved.
Evangeline knocked again while she
was thus engaged, and this lime Lilac
rose to unlock the door.
What a hermit you are, dear! I
have been dying to rejoice with you
over the good news," began the helrefs
mpulsively; and then she saw the signs
of packing; she noticed, too that Lilac
was wearing her serge traveling dress.
"You are surely not thinking of go
ing to Liverpool to meet Roy? she
exclaimed in surprise; and Lilac an
swered quietly;
"No. I am going to Liverpool, but
not for that. 1 wish you would order
the brougham for me, so that I can
catch the afternoon train,"
"Rut, my dear girl, Roy may be home
today, for all we know, and therefore
would miss you."
"I know," said Lilac, as quietly and
coldly as before. "I do not wish to meet
Roy, dear."
"You do not wish to met Roy!"
Evangeline could not believe her ears.
"Aren't you going to marry him?" she
exclaimed Incredulously. And Lilac
shook her head as she answered almost
In a whisper;
"No, I have decided to marry some
body I met on board the Gemini Mr.
Mark Mowbray."
CHAPTER XXL
With feverish anxiety Hlr Roydon
(forth wag looking forward to hla ar
rival at Delverton Hall, and the settle
meat one way or tha other of hla
east and mlagtvlnga. Try aa he
would hf found It Impossible to pre
vent nisputtlng one question repeat
edly to llnself, although he knew that
it couiffnot be answered until he
reached me. All day long he was re
celling ry incident of his courtship,
every wd and look which Lilac had
given hii, and trying to decide from
them wlKher he had reason to doubt
her lovejor him, even in the face of
Major Ifmott's letter.
As thend of his journey approached
and wit I It the moment when he ex
pected f meet Lilac and learn the
worst ofthe best, Sir Roy's Impatience
and disquietude Increased. It seemed
to him tiat the happiness of his whole
life woud depend upon the result of
that Interview. Absence form his
sweetheart had only tended to increase
nls devotion to her, until he felt that
the love of his little "prairie-flower"
was the only thing in the world worth
thinking about or living for.
When at last he reached Delverton,
and found himself hurrying up the
drive under the arched trees, It seemed
to him that years must have passed
since the beginning of the journey.
Half way towards the house he saw
a tall graceful figure coming towards
him. It was Evangeline starting out
upon an errand of mercy to one of the
villagers; but for a moment there
flashed Into the young baronet's mlna
the idea that it might be Lilac, and he
stood still, empowered by a hundred
emotions. His heart sank a little, and
he walked on slowly when he discov
ered his mistake.
Evangeline flew towards him with a
cry of welcome, and, putting up her
nanas drew down his bronzpd face to
kiss him affectionately. Roy had
scarcely patience to receive the caress.
Where is Lilac?" he asked, feelln
that the moment was come which be
had longed for and dreaded together
through all his long monotonous jour
ney.
His cousin seemed Inclined to de
fer it.
"You must come In and see auntie,
and rest and eat before you ask ques
tions, sir, she said, with a half-heart
ed attempt to appear playfully lmperl
ous. But Koy Ignored the suggestion.
"You have bad news for me," he said
his Hps so dry that his voice sounded
harsh and indistinct,
Evangeline stared, wondering what
had rouRed hlg suspicions. Sue though
It unadvlsable to keep back the evil
tidings any longer.
"Yes, dear she went away aa soon
as your letters came" she said gently,
"She was not worthy of your love, Koy,
aear
Her cousin Interrupted her with the
question:
"She has gone to Mark Mowbray?"
"Yes, dear; they are to be married
soon, I believe. She has stayed here
all this time letting us think that she
cared for you, while Intending to mar
ry this other man as soon as you came
home. But you ought not to have
made me tell you. You are faint and
tired"
She broke off with a cry of distress
as the tail handsome man staggered
DacK aizzuy, and she threw her an
around him as lf to support him. Bu
cir rtoy put nis cousin s arm awav
and steadied himself by an effort of
Will.
"It must be a mistake! I can't be-
neve it! he said, hoarsely; and he
went on almost fiercely. "I will not be
lleve that ahe has played with me in
such a way until I have seen her and
heard it from her own Hps!"
one nas leu a letter for you. ' an
swered Evangeline quietly, "Come In
to thejiouse and read it. Oh, Roy,
Roy, I am so sorry! I believed in her
just aa much as you did; but we were
forced to accept what she herself
said!"
She burst Into tears and walked bv
nis siae, crying silently for his distress.
when he strode moodily towards the
hall.
They entered by the open French
window of the morning room, where
Lady Garth was sitting writing, and
tne old lady sprang up to welcome
DacK ner son. Rut Sir Roydon Garth
stood like one In a dream while she
kissed him
"I want to see her letter, mother." he
said In hla strangely-harsh voice; and
he stood motionless while the old lady
nurriea to retcn it.
Evangeline spoke to him. but he
made no reply.
When the fatal missive was brought
to mm which Lilac had written with
an almost breaking heart, he tore It
open and read It through, his pale face
betraying nothing. Suddenly, however,
her ladyship uttered a sharp cry of
terror, for the young man swayed
slightly for a moment, then fell Bense-
less upon the floor,
1 w -w -r-rr-r-rvrr-r-r--r-w
When the whole establishment at
Delverton Hall had been thrown Into
consternation by the news that Sir
Roy had arrived from abroad only
o be taken seriously HI as he entered
the house, and the men servants had
been summoned to carry him, still un
conscious, up to his room, and then to
be dispatched In hot haste to bring
medical assistance, It was Lady Garth
who took possession of the letter which
had Anally caused her son's break
down after all the wearing anxiety that
hud been sapping his strength ever
Ince the receipt of Major Emmott's
letter.
"It Is plain that he cannot have com
pletely recovered from the effects of
he accident at Deadman's Gulch," the
doctor said when he arrived: and his
nee grew very serious when the baro
net's unconsciousness changed at last
0 delirium.
'His constitution is a sound one,"
nld the clever old family practitioner,
who. twenty-four years before, had as-
Isted Itls patient Into the world. "Hut
e wi:l require very careful nursing.
Shall 1 engage a professional nurse for
you. Lady Garth?"
Her ladyship shook her head.
"Evangeline and I are both consid
ered good nurses." she said. "I think
we shall be more zealous than any
tranger could be eh, Evangeline?"
Evangpllne nodded, unable to speak.
Her cousin's Illness seemed to have
ffected her even more than Lady
arth.
Her ladyship would not admit that
there was anything serious in her son's
Illness, or that the departture of his
sweetheart had any particular connec-
on with it.
"He has been overworking himself
over this horrible mining business,"
she said to Evangeline when the doc
tor had gone, "and the departure of
Miss Marvel will no doubt come as a
relief to him when he Is well enough
to realize that she Is fully provided for.
The thought seemed to comfort her
ot a little; but In spite of the brave
Hhe showed to her niece It re
quired all Lady Garth's remarkable
power of Ignoring unwelcome facts to
keep her from breaking down. For, al
though she would not admit It even to
herself, the disturbing throught trou
bled her that she was In a great meas
ure rennonslble for the Callfornian
girl's sudden departure. When she read
the letter which had fallen from her
uncfaiscmus son s nann she felt more
than ever that the writer's sudden
declion to leave Roy free and marry
another man waa due to their Inter
view on the night before ahe left Del
verten.
Te be coatmaed.)
fae
TOOK IN TOO MUCH TERRITORY.
"The reports of the threatened blind
ness of e 3enator Palmer of Illinoi;
brings to my mind the last talk I hat
with him, and he last story I hearc
him tell." f-aid an Illinois congressman
to a Washington Post man. "It was lb
Springfield last spring at the old sena
tor's home. A visitor had just been re
peating some Spanish boasts, and ex
pressed the fear that we should come
out of the war with an easy won vic
tory. " 'That makes me think of a man,
said the ex-senator, 'who used to live
down here In Macoupin county, at Car
iinville. He went down to St. Louis
once, and when he came back he was
full of bad whisky and fighting talk.
He got off the train at the Carlinville
depot and began to talk big.
"'"Whoopee!" he said, "I can lick
any man in this town!"
" 'Nobody paid any attention, and
the man went on:
" ' "I can lick any man in Ma-cou-pin
county!" he yelled.
" 'Still nobody noticed him. He waxed
bolder.
" ' "Come on!" he shouted. "I can
lick any man In the state of HHnoy!"
" 'Here somebody took exception to
his remarks and knocked him down. He
struggled to a sitting posture and ap
peared to reflect.
Oh, Jim," he said to himself,
aloud. "Oh, Jim; I reckon you took in
too much territory that last time." ' "
WHERE HE GOT HIS PORT.
A capital story concerning a promi
nent member of the stock exchange is
going the rounds. He was a man who
enjoyed his wine and always took great
care of It when happened to pick up
a choice vintage. While living in a
fashionable quarter of the West End
he chanced to buy a large cask of very
fine old port, which he had placed at
the extreme end of his cellar; and, to
make perfectly sure that It should not
be tuched, he had a wall built across
the cellar, and so closed It In, says a
London paper.
It was about a year or two later that
he one evening accepted an Invitation
to dine with his next-door neighbor,
when the latter brought out some fine
old port. Several glasses having been
drunk, the man of shares and stocks,
recognizing Its excellent quality, asked
his host where he could get some port
like It.
"Well, old fellow," returned the oth
r, "I will let you Into a secret, but don't
say a word about It. I was having
some alterations made in my cellai
lately, when we discovered that some
old fool who lived in this house before
had built a wall around a large cask of
port and had forgotten all about it.
This is some of It, but I'm afraid there
Isn't much left."
The effect upon the worthy stock
broker's feelings may be imagined.
"Did you say you were from Kan
sas ?"
"No; but I Jes' come from thar."
"Then I want to ask you a few ques
tions. How are times out there?"
"I dunno."
"Is money plenty or tight?"
"Can't say."
"But don't you know how the farmers
are feeling?"
"Is business good or bad la the
towns?"
"I didn't ask anybody."
"You you are not an observing
man," said the Bostonian.
"No, I guess not. I went out to Kan
sas to see a widder I used to know, an
to ask her to marry me. I got to hei
house at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. J
asked her to have me, and Bhe said sh
wouldn't, and at 3:30 I was on my waj
back. I didn't see no crops, ner ask
about good times or bad. The state ef
Kansas may be holdin a regular Fourth
of July over good times, or everybody
may be goin' to the poorhouse. All 1
know about It is that I'm an old fool
for spendin' $60 to run arter a Kansas
widder when I could her married a
New Hampshire gal fur twelve shll-lln's!"
OUR CHINESE "JACKIES."
It is not generally known that among
the brave men who manned Dewey's
ships in the battle of Manila, were
about 59 Chinamen who fought beside
their white brothers with as great brav
ery as anyone who participated in the
fight. Admiral Dewev, whose praise is
py no means cheap, has spoken in glow
ing terms of the work performed by
these men, and their coolness while un
der fire. In fact, so desirous is he that
me fitting reward should be given
these Chinamen that he asked congress
to permit them to settle in the United
States In accordance with an oft-repeated
request from them. Congress, it
seems, however, was powerless to grant
the request, In spite of the deserving
character ot the men, owing to the Chi
nese exclusion act which forbids China
men to enter this country. The law is
the result of agitation against Chinese
labor in competition with American la
bor, the Chinaman being able to live
on so much less that he could take low
er wages and thus' force down the
wages of Americans. For the present,
at least, these men will have to go with
out the reward they would take at Dew. '
ey's request, owing to this law. So
long as they remain on Dewey's ships,
however, they will be under the protec
tion of the American flag, but they can- j
not receive that protection by entering
WROTE "THE HEAVENLY TWINS."
About a mile from Tunbrtdw Wells,
England, In a IKtle gray house, lives
Saiah Grand, who wrote the "Heaven,
ly Twins." She i nearing middle age,
is a medium-sized woman, with dark
hair, clear-cut feature), aad (a aa easy
conversationalist.
In the room where her writing is
done there are so quaint things, among
them a stord mounted so he appears te
be watching her at work. That she
may not forget the suffering world,
she keeps close by her desk aa engrav
ing of Dudley Hardy's picture of the
destitute poor of London. Her desk la
a table of mahogany, fitted with draw
ers, and the top is Uttered with blotters,
books, ink, pens and papers. The chair
at the desk is high-backed, with curved
legs, and a bookcase stands close at
hand. -
There is a bay window in the writing
room which has been made ine a cozy
corner with couch, pillows and cur
tains. Handsome rugs aad paintiaga
add to the room.
Sarah Grand is fond of children, es
pecially Beth, the baby daughter of
her stepson, and the child frequently
plays about while her grandmother la
writing, seemlmgly not at all iatarh
by childish prattle. ,
A. POSSIBILITY.
She was a portly lady, with a let of
bundles and it may be noted at this
point that it is almost always the case
that the larger a lady is, the larger aad!
more numerous are the bundles she
carries and when she entered the rail
road station she was puffing so that a
drowsy man on the front seat Jumped
up suddenly, thinking It was the en
gine of the train he was waiting for.
She approached the ticket window and
there she put her bundle in all ther
available space. They were nice, new
store bundles, however, and no objec
tion was made.
"Is the train for Jungleville gene
yet?" she Inquired.
"No, ma'am," responded the clerk.
"How far is it there?"
"About seventy miles, I guess,
ma'am," for he was new to that place
and was not thoroughly conversant
with details.
"What s the price of a ticket?"
"One ninety-eight, ma'am."
"One ninety-eight?" she reseated.
"How does that happen?"
"I don't know, ma'am," he re
plied, as he eyei her bundles. "1 guess
it must be marked down from tt."
CHINESE EMPRESS.
China has always been a country
which did not want to have anything
to do with the rest of the world, but
year after year people of civilized lands,
like the English and Americans, have
been forcing their way Inte this ejueer
old empire and breaking down Its self
ish customs.
The hardest thing to de has been to
see the actual rulers of China. The
Chinese look upon their rulers as sa
cred people not to be seen by common
eyes, and. least of all, by foreigners.
America's domains.
! Neper In all the history of China was a
j man or woman of any race but the
! Mongolian allowed to visit the lmperl
j al court until the last birthday of the
empress, when the ladies whe are tne
wives and daughters of the great men
sent to China by England to look aftet
the rights of English people whe are
living in China, were allowed te call at
the Imperial palace.
When her visitors came into the au
dience chamber of the palace, which la
a great room used to receive visitors
they found the empress sitting on a
raised platform, behind a table which
i ,
THE RARE QUEZZEL,
On all the postage stamps of Guate
mala is engraved a somewhat distorted
representation of the quezzel, which Is
rightly called the bird of liberty, as it
dies almost Immediately when captured.
So extreme Is Its love of freedom, that
lf captured and In a few seconds re
stored to liberty, It would seem as if
the contamination of the hand could
not be removed, and It will drop life-
ess after flying but a few yards. If it
s caught in a trap it Is always found
dead, and when the young are taken waa covma wun enrysantnemums and
from the nest they die at once. It is Wrfee, and her son, the emperor, slt
found only In a small portion of the ' tln at n" Wt The ,adi" 8,ood u
country, and Is seldom seen alive, since
It cannot be kept long In captivity.
It Is a bird of beautiful plumage,
having two extremely long tall feath
ers end a superbly crested head. It is
said that Ite pride In Its tail feathers
Is greater than its love of life, for If one
of them accidentally becomes broken
the bird goes to Its nest and dies from
grief and mortification. It builds a
round-roofed nest, having two holes on
opposite sides, so that the quezzel liter
ally "goes In at one door and out at
the other," and thus avoids any neces
sity for tall-breaking, and consequent
heart-breaking, by never turning round
In order to make Its exit from the nest.
NOT AN OBSERVANT MAN.
The old maa In the shaggy overcoat
mentioned something about Kansas in
hla talk, and the Boatonlan leaned over
teward hla aad aaked:
before the platform, or dias, as it is
called, and one of them, Lady McDon
ald, read a paper wishing from all of
them a happy birthday to the em
press. Then the empress thanked the
ladles and shook hands with each on
of them and gave each one of them a
gold ring. Then she drank tea with
the ladles, taking a little sip out of
each one of their cups. Then she shook
hands with all the ladles again aad they
came away.
All this means a great deal, fer It It
another proof that In the course ol
time the doors of the Chinese emplr
will be thrown open to the rest of the
world.
the largeat sewing machine la thr
world la In operation In Ueede. Ti
weighs t,m aeunda, an sewa cettoa
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