9
r
.-:-r
Old JVtaid's Secret.
rt ITTLE Miss Sophie was an old
Ju maid, which means that she had
passed 35 without either a serious
courtship, an offer of marriage or the
least Indication that ihe would ever
experience either. Once, Indeed, when
ihe w& -unite a child oaiy 114 there
had been a young man, a very pious,
well-mannered young clergyman, who
but that seemed like a dream to Miss
Sophie now. She might have doubted
whether lie ever lived If he had not
given her that little old Book of Com
mon Prayer and the faded daguerreo
type of himself in that little folding
case In the corner of the "what not."
He had been her one "possibility," re
mote always, but now quite out of
the question since be had married his
cousin to plea so his father, and was
now a fat bishop as well as the father
of a large family.
For four years now Miss Sophie had
been "mothering" the two children of
her dead sister. Uutl! Mattle grew old
enough and strong enough to go to
work Aunt Sophie had been hard put
to It to make ends meet In the little
household. She had sewed and mend
ed, milked her own cow, tended her
own chickens, cooked, scoured, and
aved to keep Mattle and the boy, Har
ry, decently at school. She had even
found time to do some plain sewing
for tho neighbors, and It was agreed
on all Bides that Aunt Sophie hadn't
"a lazy bone In her body." Matlle's
wages as a "machine girl" In the but
ton factory helped wonderfully In the
Mm
n
SLI'POSM HE SHOULD.'
mall household, but It made the old
maid's beart bleed to see her set off
for the shop every morning, and poor
Harry, who was 10, looked very dis
consolate loitering away to school
without his sister.
Mr. Klngsland, the button manufac
turer, had leen very kind to Miss So
phie and to Mattle. In fact, he had
"made a place" for the child, and had
gono out of his way to advance her
la the works, with a corresponding In
crease of pay. Hut he was a practical
business man for all that, and the
hours were long, the work bard and
the the wages not ovur much. In little
towns like Belleville everybody knows
-everybody, and Mr. Klngsland had
special reasons for knowing Aunt So
phie. Her brother had worked In the
factory, and It seemed quite fair and
natural that he should bo kind to the
orphans. But this kind of Interest
hardly explained his first visit to the
old maid's house, nor the repeated at
tentions which he sliowed them. He
was forever asking her advice about
the treatment of the girls at work In
bis factory, and Sunday seldom passed
without a visit, long or short, from
Mr. Klngsland.
He was pleased to take tea with
them, onco or twice, and he showed
a fatherly regard for Mattle, such an
amused friendship for little Harry,
such a frank and generous desire to be
kind to everyone, that little Miss So
phie came to regard him as something
less than a wealthy patron, something
more than a mere acquaintance. There
was no nonsense about him, and his
presence in the house, though a cause
of restraint at llrwt for both Mattle and
ler brother, came to seem so natural
that the cheerful little housekeeper al
ways laid his plate for Sunday supper,
and tho girl and her brother always
dressed In their finest and smiled their
sweetest when they knew he was com
ing. Sometimes when the children were
not present he would sit In tho ver
anda with Miss Sophie and tell her old
torles of his struggles for an educa
tion and a living -au tinroniantlc story
full of the prim realities of a poor
boy's hopes and disappointments. lie
bad never married, He had been too
buy with Ihe harsher affair of lifo.
"1 don't know that anyone would
nave me,"' he would laugh. "I'm (50
years old, a plain old bear; now, don't
you llillik so, Miss Sophie?"
And she would reply with some trite
old sophistry, as "Handsome Is as
handsome does," or "Never too late to
mend." Hut when he was gone, a
lonesome giant trudging away to his
furnlshi! room In tho hotel, she would
It alone for hours after the children
were gone t b"d and wonder If his
visits. If his confidential manner and
talk. If his extraordinary Interest In
her nnd the little ones "meant any
thing." And if so?
"Suppose.' he would say, looking
Into her little mirror nt her own round,
cheerful, wholesome race, "supiHme he
should' WbntV Ask you to marry
liim. What would you say?"
And she wohld suillu fl little doubt
fully. n lt" Mionk her head, an J, put
ting out the light, lay down to think
It ail over. There was nothing partic
ularly romantic about Miss Sophie.
She was a demure, modest little soul,
but, being a woman, she could not
avoid pondering such a denouement
for this persistent TTTendsbTp "of a man
whom everybody admired and respect
ed. It was in such terms that she
thought of him. He was no hero In
her eyes, for the little old maid didn't
"go In" for heroes. She fancied that
he would make a gentle, considerate,
"safe" husband for any woman,
and
"He's like a father to the children
already," she caught herself paying
one night. And after that she thought
of Klngsland In a new light. What an
advantage It would be for Mattle and
Harry to have a guardian, a protec
tor, a father like that? Mattie, poor
child, was not fitted for such bard
work. The opportunities for a girl,
or even for a boy, were so small In
the small town. Then they were such
pretty, imaginative, amiable children.
She, Aunt Sophie, had already deter
mined to devote her life to them. Why
not complete her devotion to them by
"marrying Klngsland?"
Her reflections always came back to
that.
At last one night he called a little
later than usual, while Mattio and
Harry were at the concert. Miss So
phie noticed that he was "dressed up,"
and she felt the fever of curiosity and
fear come into her plump cheeks and
bright eyes. She had let him Into the
little parlor, and was about to light
the lamp, but he stopped her with:
"Don't mind the light, Miss Sophie.
I Just want to say a few things. 1
feel more collected, easier. In the
dark."
The scared little spinster wondered
If she might faint, but sat down in the
far corner with a queer little sigh. He
went on, speaking rapidly and very
plianly: "I am thluklug of getting
married, Miss Sophie. That Is, within
the next year or so. Meanwhile I want
to do something for you the children.
I'd like to send Mattle to some good
schooL No, no! She needn't know
anything about it. And Harry I want
Harry to keep on at school and take a
course of manual training. It can be
a secret between us between you and
me. Will you agree to help me do this,
Soph Miss Sophie?"
"Oh. yes, Mr. Klngsland. It Is kind,
so kind of you, but, but how are we to
repay it will cost so much."
"Never mind that now," he said. "I
want Mattle for my wife "
"Mattie!" she whispered, choking
down a sob, wondering at her own
composure.
"Yes, Miss Sophie, Mattle. I haven't
said a word to her. I mean to give
her a little more education without
her knowing, and then, if she will have
me what's the matter, Miss Sophie?"
For the poor little woman was weep
ing. Hut she calmed herself directly
and said: "But if she won't have you
then?"
"Oh, I'll think no less of her and
and we'll keep this secret between us,
Miss Sophie." Chicago Record-Herald.
OVErt A WATERFALL.
Author Made an Awful Trip, tut
lame Out Alive.
The author of "Twenty Years In the
Near East" relates the story of a singu
lar adventure which befell him while
he was fishing In one of the rivers of
Montenegro. The stpry recalls at once
all those foolish and usually fatal at
tempts to go over Niagara Falls In a
barrel. The writer had followed up the
stream for a mile or so when he came to
a waterfall a- me forty or fifty feet In
height. Seeking a place to cross, he
went above the fall and decided to
make the venture on some smooth,
moss-grown stones a few feet above
the fail. ,
The stream, he says, was twenty feet
wide, perhaps, and I started cautiously,
feeling my way along with the water
Just over my toes. I was midway of the
stream when a pebble shifted, my foot
slipped, nnd the next moment I was
down and plunging over the fall. 1 had
not time to save myxelf or think more
than that this was the end of life for
me.
I struck u stone with my foot and
turned a complete somersault In the
air, and then I knew nothing. After a
while I recovered consciousness, and
was amazed to llnd myself alive. I was
lame In every Joint, but found myself
able to walk and move my arms. I dis
covered this much, and then I fainted.
This happened two or three times, and
each time the water revived me.
Two peasant wometi enme along, and
with their assistance I managed to get
back to the hotel, where It was found
that two of my ribs were broken, a
wrist badly sprained, one arm splinter
ed and my thigh terribly bruised. My
watch. In n heavy, double hunting-case,
was smashed to atoms, even the Jewels
In the holes being punched out.
Why I whs not killed outright by
such a fall will always remain a mys
tery. Cons ilcreil n llnrd.
"Docs your Bachelors' Suicide Club
offer do alternatives when It conies a
man's turn to Utke his own life?"
"Well a he ciiu get married."
Philadelphia Bulletin.
It la our opinion that a woman looks
ridiculous nt nil times when she Is
hurrying, except win u she Is hurry
'ng to get dinner.
NAVAL DISCIPLINE.
Laxity a DltitiouitiiiiK Characteris
tic on Morocco's Maoof- War.
The Sultan of Morocco is the posses
sor of only one man-of-war, and the dis
cipline aboard that vessel Is so lax as
to be humorous to those who have vis
ited the ship. Frances Macnab de
scribes In her "Hide In Morocco" a visit
to the Morocco navy. In the ubsence
of the captain, she was received by the
chief engineer aud another officer, prob
ably a marine. They were both Ger
mans, and entered thoroughly into the
.lsurnor.of.iuO situation,
The chief engineer had five Germans
under him, and between them they kept
the engine In an apparently high Btate
of efficiency; but the crew, who were all
Moors, changed every third day. They
knew nothing at all about ships, nor
would they learn. The pay Is excellent.
They are three days on hoard and three
days on shore, and they get their food
on board and three pounds a month.
Such a berth Is considered a suitable
reward for any friend or relation of the
Sultan.
However much these "sailors" may
differ among themselves, on one point
they are agreed nothing will Induce
them to obey an order. If they are or
dered to do a tiling they dispute the or
der Immediately, and argue that it
would be much better not to do it.
This spirit of disobedience Is no fault
of theirs. Measures to enforce disci
pline are forbidden by the Sultan; but
the German officers can hale the crew
before the governor of the town. When
this Is resorted to the governor asks
who the prisoner is.
"Oh, he's the uncle of the Sultan's
wife," la the reply; or, "He is the cousin
of the Sultan's uncle."
"Well, let the poor fellow go," says
the pasha. "You shouldn't give him
so much to do." And there the matter
ends.
On one occasion a little light occupa
tion was found for one of the crew, to
ivlilch. It was thought, he would not
object. He was to hold the office of
lamp-trimmer to the ship; but he did
It so badly. In fact ro seldom made any
attempt at touching the lamps at all,
that the officer remonstrated.
"Who are you, to tall; to me?" In
quired the Moor. "Don't you know that
I am the Sultan's cousin?" This dis
posed effectually of further lamp-trlm-mlug.
"It Is your work to clean the deck,
and therefore you must do It," said the
German officer to one of these Moorish
seamen.
"Why should I do It?" asked the
Moor. "You are a German, and you
come here for work. Do It yourself. I
do not come here to work. I am the
cousin of the Grand Vizier."
HER OLDEST FRI-ND.
Agci Woman Charmingly Telia of a
Great Joke on Herself.
The writer known as "Mrs. Grant of
Laggan" was, at the beginning of the
nineteenth century, one of the idols of
literary society, both In London and
Edinburgh. She died in 1834, In her
eighty-fourth year, a dear old lady who
made no pretensions to being younger
than she was. She had a sweet spirit
and a delightful sense of humor, never
more charmingly Illustrated than in her,
uccouut of her last appearance at a
large public gathering at a flower-show
in a public hall.
I had no bonnet, she says, but a very
respectable cap; and as I walked in,
from my sedan chair I was surprised to
see another lady with exactly such
crutches and precisely such a shawl as
my own. I looked with much Interest
at my fellow cripple, and this Interest
she seemed to reciprocate.
She took her place lu another nave
equally large and splendid, hut so open
that I had a full view of It. Amid all
ihe flush of bloom before me I often
withdrew my attention to regard this,
withered flower with still Increasing
interest, the more so that every time I
turned to look her eyes met mine, and
at length, I thought, with a familiar
expression. At last I remarked It to
those about me, and said I thought she
would like to be Introduced to me when
the show was over. Her figure was as
ample as my own, but I comforted my
self with the reflection that I had a
better face, hers being almost ugly. I
rose nt length, and so did she, but I saw
her no more.
There was no such room and no lady.
Large folding doors of looking-glass
and my own figure had deceived me.
This could scarcely have happened had
I been familiar with my own coun
tenance, but I have actually not looked
In a mirror for more than two years.
H'lijhf IHfl'ereiioc.
Tom Edison was at -nc time a tramp
Ing telegrapher. After he had attaint d
success as an Inventor be on one oc
casion called upon a friend of his who
was a doctor and expressed consider
able feeling because he had not re
ceived tin invitation to attend a ban
quet In honor of visiting physicians.
"But," faltered the doctor, "this Is
a banquet for medical men, and you
certainly do not claim to be a member
of that organization?"
"Well," unswered Mr. Edison, seri
ously, "I myself was a dispatcher at
one lime."
"Ah, V understand now," said the
doctor, catching the humor of his vis
itor, "but these men are patchers."
Detroit Free Press.
Cou'a of Mail lor KiiKllolnncri.
The London Tailor and Cutter makes
the extraordinary statement that there
are some men who always include a
coat of mall In their wardrobe nnd
some of the west end tailoring estab
lishments iminufncPjre them regularly
for their customers.
What do you do with the tin cans at
our hotrM?
FRONTIER RIDERS.
THEY PUT DOWN SMUGGLING
AND SMUGGLERS.
Pursuit of Lawbreakers Often At
tended with Great Hanger Mexico
and the United Htatea Unite to 1'un
iah 8mulera and Cattle 1 hievea.
Opportunity has much to do with
smuggling. There Is no doubt that
ihotisands"Tj"fpeopro' "who would ordi
narily resent with deepest Indignation
the Insinuation that they are thieves,
are nothing more nor less when it
comes to dealings with Uncle Sam. It
has been Mid tint the traveler return
ing from Kurope who declares every-
MIXKA.N tnUW'H AT TIA JUA.NA.
thing dutiable which he has in his
possession, either in his trunks or on
his person, la the exception rather
than the rule. There seems to be a
sort of fascination In smuggling which
tempts people wtien everything else
falls. It has Just enough of danger
about It to lend It zest and, If It is
successful, to give the occasional
ALONG THIS
smuggler something to boast about
amoug his friends for many moons.
Yet the smuggler Is no less a swindler
than the person who forges the name
of another, and Ib no less a thief than
the man who breaks Into your house
at night The United States statutes
defines smuggling as Intent to defraud,
and fixes severe penalties. The smug
gler may be assessed a fine of $.",000,
or imprisoned not more than two
years, or both; the goods lie tries to
enter may bo confiscated; the vessel
they are brought In, If they come by
water, may be seized and sold. If It
lIOIlUEri CUSTOM HOI HE.
can be proven that the owner or cap
lain knows of or is party to the offense;
any conveyance lu which goods are
fraudulently brought In by land may
be seized, unless It Is a common carrier
nnd It can be proven that Its owner or
operator knew nothing of the offense;
tin' masters or owners of vessels may
lie lined If they hinder or obstruct the
customs officers in any way In the
search for suspected goods.
Customs officers are clothed with very
large powers. They may board and
search without warrant any vessel ly
ing In port, and may search all trunks,
boxes, baggage, papers, envelopes, all
eoncyanees and means of transport,
"lores, warehouses and other buildings
In which there Is any reason to believe
dutiable property Is stored. They may
even Inspect the bcoks mid accounts of
merchants who are under suspicion of
receiving smuggled goods. The pro
ceeds of the property discovered, enn?
deiiiiied and sold, go part to the govern
ment and part to the principal customs
illlcers of the district, and part to the
lifoitner. If he happens to be n person
mtsldu the government service,
The southwestern nnd northwestern
orders of the Uulted States are good
l"ld for tho professional smuggler.
I 'i "Hi Ilia north Chlnsiiien are helped
V , ,: . .
i '
Into the United States, in addition to
many articles of Canadian mauufaC'
ture, besides large amounts of opium.
From the south many Mexican products
are smuggled in, with such Jewels as
opals and pearls. It Is to the men who,
with the rustlers, that run huge droves
of cattle across the border, Infest the
Mexican frontier, that this article re
lates.
A Double Patrol.
Along the boundary line between the
United States California and the Cal
Ifornia of Mexico rides day and night
a double patrol, the one In the employ
of the United States and the other in
the pay of the Mexican government.
These riders are picturesque, Individ
ually and severally, hardy, skilled in
horsemanship, marvelous in the accu
racy of their marksmanship, experts
with the lasso, iuured to hardship and
danger, fearless and often reckless in
their daring, a claws unto themselves
a class interesting to meet and study.
The duties of these riders are to pro
tect their respective governments from
imposition at the hands of that class of
unscrupulous men known as smugglers,
and to prevent cattle thieves from run
ning their ill-gotten plunder across the
border.
From the coast to the Colorado desert,
along the boundary line between the
two nations, the country is rough in the
extreme and very arid. It is a region
sparsely settled, and some of the tough
est characters of both nations hover ii
the locality for the double purpose of
breaking the laws of the country and
of thwarting the officers who may un
dertnke their arrest by dodging across
the line, one way or another.
It Is this lawless element with which
the border riders have to do. Some of
MEXICAN BOKDEK.
these lawbreakers are tame persons,
too cowardly to make trouble for the
riders If caught In their petty smug
gling of cigars, curios, small articles of
manufacture and the like, but those
who play for big stakes and engage in
the smuggling of Jewels and costly
goods in large quantities, braving se
vere penalties, and the "rustlers," as
the cattle thieves are termed these
men are dangerous customers, and the
riders take their lives In their hands
when they Interfere with their under
takings. The seats of customs for the two
countries at the coast end of the line
are at TIa Junna. There are two TIa
.luanas. The American town, if town
it may be called, Is at the terminal of
tho National City and Otay railway.
Just ut the boundary line. The Mexican
Tin Juana Is a couple of miles away.
This latter town consists of the Mexi
can custom house, a long, low, one
story wooden building, containing an
office about sixteen feet square, fur
nished with a table, a desk, two or
three chairs and a gun rack with a iloz
en stand of arms therein, a consultation
room or private office, and a long hack
room with bunks for the accommoda
tion of the riders when off duty; then
there Is the little one-story shack which
serves as the home of the customs ulli
cor who is none other than Lieutenant
Governor Tcrrazax, of Lower Califor
nia; there are the old adobe church,
built nearly lot) years ago by the Jesuit
priests, three or four little stores aim
shops and half a dozen dwellings this
Is the Mexican TIa Juana. The Amer
ican town of t lint name is even smaller,
the little box used as a custom house,
one or two dwellings and the depot of
the narrow gauge railroad being all the
buildings the town boasts.
Bight here let me say that the Lieu
tenant Governor of Lower California Is
an Important personage In the eyes of
the people and lu his own. Before he
will consent to talk with you through
tin Interpreter, If you do n it speak Span
ish you must remove your hat, be the
meeting Indoors or out. It Is an homage
which his exalted position entitles hlui
to, according to the custom of his coun
try, and he does not Intend that the of
fice shall lose prestige during his In
cumbency, The riders have some strange experi
ences and not a few thrilling ones. Not
long ngo n Mexican rider was passing
through lonely canyon In the night
time. Suddenly, without a single warn
ing to Indicate the presence of an en
emy, there dropped over his shoulders a
cord, which was swiftly drawn tight,'
and then he found himself flying
through the air. ne had been lassoed,
in the midst of darkness almost equal!
to that of the tomb. He dropped toj
the earth with a thud that paralyzed
his senses for a moment, and when hj
regained them he was bound hand and,)
foot. lieside him stood his horse he)
could tell by Its breathing and an occa-J
sional neigh, but there was no sign of i
the presence ot any other living being.-.
The man lay there a time which'
seemed like eternity, but which prob
ably was not over two or three hours;,
then he felt a hand laid upon him, a
knife severed his bonds, there was a
swift rustle as of some one hasteningj
away, aud he was again alone. He
arose and walked about a bit to take,
the stiffness from his body, and theaj
he mounted his horse and rode back to
the end of his beat and notified the rider
on the other beat of what had happened.
Word was thus passed from beat to,
beat till it reached headquarters, and'
at daylight a posse was on hand to in
vestigate. They found the trail, a'
couple of miles further on, of a drove of
cattle where they had crossed the bor-,
der. Later there came one with a story
of having been robbed of his stock. Ef
forts were made to trace the cattle and
the thieves, but they were never dis
covered. Word came to the American custom
house one day that certain parties were
making heavy purchases of Mexican
opals, and that the presumption waa
that they were for export to the United;
States. A very careful description of,
the parties making the purchase waa
appended to the report and the officers
began watching for the appearance of
the persons described. 1
One day individuals answering per-j
fectly to the description entered the
custom house and stated that theyi
wished to pay duty on certain purchases'
which they had made. They presented
a quantity of opals and the duty wa
appraised and duly paid. So far so good,
but the amount of gems presented for;
inspection was less than one-teiith of
the purchase which had been reported,!
When asked if those were all the gem'
or dutiable goods they possessed they
replied that It was. (
"We will have to search you and your,
effects," said the customs officer, and.
he proceeded to do so, but nothing fur
ther was found. He was puzzled and
unsatisfied, but there was nothing to do
but to pass the parties. That night thai
explanation was forthcoming. Threa
Mexicans whose reputations for law-!
less daring were widespread undertook!
to put through the bulk of the jewels.;
Notwithstanding their shrewdness and'
experience in that line of work they!
chanced to run Into two of the riders
that night When halted they replied1
with their guns. One of the riders went!
down with a bullet through his lung.
IIIb companion, however, was good oa
the gun play, and he soon put two of.
the Mexicans hors du combat, and the!
third, under his aim, threw up his hands
and surrendered. The opals were found
in their possession and were confiscated
by the government. The duty on the
lot would have amounted to nearly
5,000.
Despite all precautions a great many
goods get over the line duty free. Fancy
articles, Mexican drawn work, and the
like, made extensively south of the bor
der, have a way of appearing mysteri
ously In the shops of .the American
towns.
Living Is Cheaper Abroad.
What charm, one asks onself in won.
der, makes people remain for lon
years wandering flresideless from
Cairo to Cornhill? It cannot be tha
climate, for our own is ouite an vnmi
Historical associations, we are assured.
compensate many of those people for
the absence of kith and kin. Experi
ence, however, has taueht me thnt thn
majority of them are as splendidly ln-
(lillerent to his orv and art inn fnr
the matter of that, unless It Is annlle
to the decoration of the human form-
US they are to the Itosetta Stone.
The families that one finds residing
iu Italy, for Instance, long since aban
doned such foolishness as slghseelug,
writes Eliot Gregory In the Century.
That useless fatigue is left to tie new
comers; the habitues I have met no
more dream of visiting the Vatican gal
leries or of reading In the library of
Iiorenzo the Magnificent than they do
of settling down seriously to study
Italian.
One hears, especially In the less ex
pensive little cities, some twnddl
about culture; but you may take my
word for It In nine cases out of tea
t lie "etil attraction of the place lies
in the fact that a victoria can be had
for $,i0 a month and a good cook for
one-tenth that sum.
A Cultinj Iletort. '
A richly deserved retort was that
made by a Sioux girl at the Hampton
'nstltution not long since. A silly vis
itor to tho school went up to the
magnificent red skinned belle and said:
"Are you civilized?" The Sioux raised
her bend slowly from her work sho
win fashioning a breadboard nt the
moment nnd replied: "No; arc you?"
I'lun for N il oi'l T.'ieMcr.
A ltrcslau Journal announces that
Gerliart IloiMptiianri has a plan for
building n national theater n la Ital
reitth nt Schrlelicrliau, lu the Glnnt
Mountains, where every summer nlKiut
fifteen or twenty performances of er
tnnn plays could be given.
The avernge man gets very good
cooking until he becomes so rich that
his wife can afford to hire the cooking
done.
Homo men would Just aboot aa soon
receive a whipping as an vatic.
