THAT OLD SWEETHEART OE MINE. I bars aeeu a wondrou picture of "that old meetheart of mine," Of the girl whoM iul U fairer than the world' most sacred shrine; And the long moothi seemed a nothing, for I beard her koftly aigh, And oa t mora I m her lover iu the happy day gone by. And I stood there gazing on her a a soul from outer space Gaze through the gate of heaven ou an angel's deathless face; All tba world around forgotten: all the past a mystic dream; With the old love burning lu uie and iu passion all supreme. Every nerve within my being teemed a harp atriug tuned to love. Trembling with the music learned from Iarael above, Al I atood there to the alienee with her fair face close to mine. And my tired apirit louglog for the dayi that were divine. Hluwly fired the (hip of evening out Into the sea of niht: Hiowly into darkness faded all nave mem'ry' holy light: And the dream of life was ended. Hut the star of tueiu'ry shine Through the aoul'a wide-open window ou "that old sweetheart of mine.' 1 THE CONSEQUENCE. THE doctor looked into the wom an' brave eye and alowly pro nounced her sentence. "The operation must take place with in a few day or " "Or what'?'' "It may be too late to operate at all. "And 1 will get through It safely?" "I hope so." "You are not sure. You think there la a rink?" "There In always a risk lu every opera tlnti." he answered evasively. "Tell tne the truth, doctor; I c:in bear It." The old lunn looked Into tin desper ate eyes a 'id put his band getilly on the woman' shoulder. "You are a brave woman. I will tell you the truth. This operation will be a very serious one lu fact, there Is only a chance that yuu will survive It. Hut there Is a chance, and for the sake of It you must not lose heart. " "Couldn't I wait till next month Just for a fev- weeks longer? It surely would not make any difference If it was postponed till then." "My child," the doctor answered, "If we postponed It for a few weeks, for even one week, you will lose jour one chance of recovery. Besides, you will auffer such a cony that your life will be unbearable. Let me advise you, and make up your mind to go throiiitli It Xiltuediately." "luilliedhllely?" "Within the next few days. You must go Into the hospital to-morrow to be prepared for It." Then he explained the arrangements he would iniike for her, and after lis tening In a dazed, half stupid fashion, Hllzabeth smWI "good -by" to him, tun! wearily went out In the cold and dark ness of the December evening. She drove alone In a tiunsom with tears running down her white cheeks, and her heart rebelling at the cruel hand of 1'nle tliHt had so unsparingly dealt her this blow. Had she deserved It'? Was this trial sent to her because abe hud set one man upon a pedestal and worshiped him to the exclusion of the whole world? Ur wus It because abe, like a fool, had thrust away with laughing eyes the happiness that had been held out to her, and the gods had guessed It wus only a freak, and were punishing her because she Insolently played with the best tblng they bad to give? months ago, when David Woo re bad started to tell her bow dear ahe was to him, she bad stopped him with a laugh, and had warned him that H would be wiser to wait till he re turned from abroad before he decided that ahe was the "only woman In the world." She did not know why she had done It; why, when her heart was craving for bis love, she had coquetted and warded him off. Hut right deep down she knew that It was for his own take, to give it t id a fair chance of see ing other younger, more beautiful '.vomers, before b let blm tell her that ahe was the best of all. "I'll be back lu six months, Ellr.it teth," he said, holding her hands, tight ly, and looking Into the sweet gray yes. "I'll come straight to you. You will listen to me then; you will then believe that 1 am In earnest." And so ho left her. And now the six months were at an end; for that morning a telegram had come telling her of bis arrival in Eng land, and to expect to see blm to-night. She bad lived every hour of her life In these months for David; everything be did was for bis sake was to please him, And now, when the time had really come, and he would be with her In u few hours, she must gather up her strength and send him away without a word of love, without a sign of regret. It was because the pain bad waged ao fiercely through the night that she determined to go to a doctor to beg for something to give her relief, for the time at least. She had gone, and had bud her sentence pronounced. Although be hail not actually snld bo, Elizabeth guessed that even If she did survive the .operation she would al ways he a weak, delicate woman. And In her great love she decided to sacri fice even one hour of Joy she could never hour to be a drag on David, she must send blm away again without ex plaining the reasoiL When she arrived at the house where aim lived in Kensington, she turned down the lamps under their rod shades and told the maid to put more coal on the Ore, She derided lo postpono her preparation of her lllnesa until afler ber visitor hud gone, Kbe would only lave time now to prepare herself for the scene she must go through with blm. Afler she had some tea she went to her room. The frock she bad chosen to wear was lying on the bed. It was a soft blue silk, and was very simply made. Quickly she put It back into the wardrobe and took down one that wa Just sufficiently old-fashioned to be dowdy. "Molly said I look twenty In blue and thirty-five In black," she whis pered, as she laid It on the bed. Then she unfastened her hair. Hhe remembered some one saying, "To part the hair lu the center either makes a woman look much older or much younger than she actually is. I think, Elizabeth, that It makes yon look much older." Taking up the comb, she care fully made a parting down the center of her head and twisted ber hair into a tight knob at the back. The reflection that the mirror sent back to ber made her shudder. Then she put on the dowdy black frock. I'gb! she did look plain and old ami commonplace. No man could make- love to a woman who looked like that. And of all men, not David Moore, for she knew so well that he liked a worn an to be good to look at. Having finished her strange toilet, she went down to her silting room, and waited. Fifteen minutes later her vis Itor came. Elizabeth saw blm start and the sur prised look lu bis eyes us she held out her bund to him and asked coolly how be had enjoyed his trip. "Are you 111, Elizabeth?" he said, quickly, without answering her, and looking anxiously at the face that had changed almost beyond recognition since he last saw it "No, no! Why should I be III?" "You look so white and " "Old." she finished. "Well, I am six months older you must remember since you went away, and I am not the type of woman who wears well." "Is anything the matter? Are you In trouble?" "What should there be to trouble me? 1 never uo nnyuiing nut nave a good time. I love excitement, and all that sort of tblng." The man looked as If he was not sure he had heard aright "No," Elizabeth continued. "I am not really different, but you have been accustomed to fresh young faces late ly, and so poor mine seems old and withered In comparison. Hut please don't waste the time In discussing my appearance. Tell me how you enjoyed your visit." "Fairly; but I was so anxious to get back to Ixmdon to see you again that I did not think much about !t. You know why I wished to be here by the loth. Elizabeth?" She looked as though she wag trying to remember. "Darling," be went ou, coming close to her, "you have not forgotten that you snld you would iisten to me when I returned. Y'ou know, without any words, that you are the dearest worn an In the world to me, and that I wish you for my wife." "Your wife!' she echoed, with a sneering laugh. "Thank you, no. 1 must decline the honor." "Elizabeth!" and his face went white ar be held ber ha mis tightly, "what do vou mean?" "Just that," she said. "I decline the honor." "Then," and he dropped her hands and turned away, "I had betfef go. I was a conceited fool. Forgive me My love for you has carried me too far." Even In the half-lit room, Eliza beth's face looked strangely white as she put her hand to her side and lean ed buck In the cushions. Hut she laughed again. "Ah. It does not matter. You will forget It as readily as I will. And per haps, after all. It was my own fault. Hut you must always allow for a worn an changing ber affections. It is a woman's way, you know." "No, I did not know," coldly. "Why not? She tuny vary ber frocks why not her affections?' "For heaven's sake, don't talk like that. You might bo il heartless flirt by your tone." ' : "I hardly think ) am that, for your sex does not Interest me sufficiently Hut I am a woman of the world, and not a silly, lovesick girl.' "I never Imagined you to be a silly love-sick girl, nny more than I thought of you as a 'woman of the world,' as vou nut It. Perhaps It win amuse you to bear that I wan foolish enough to think you were well, altogether dif ferent." "Yes, It la rather absurd." she an swered, driving ber nails into ber left hand as she stood up and held out ber right one to him. "Good by. There Is no ueed to extend this interview. Be sides, I am busy to-night. You will excuse me." lie took her baud and held it tight ly, as he looked Into the tired gray eyea. "ElizalsHb, Elizabeth." he wblsjMr eL "what does It all mean? Have you nothing kind to say to me?" "Y'es; forget me as soon as you ran. And you will lose your beauty sleep if you don't go quickly." He dropped her hand and went out of the bouse. Her acting had been a success, too much of a success, for not only bad he gone away with the Idea that she was indifferent to blm, but she bad forced him to despise her for her lev ity. Yet, after all. It was better thus; It would le less difficult for hi in to cast her out of bis heart. Hhe certainly did look plain. Yet her apjiearance had not made any differ ence to blm. Ab! that look of concern lu his eves when be asked her If she was 111. Why couldn't she have told blm? It would have been so sweet to have had his loving sympathy! And If her operation was to be as se rious, and the result as fatal, as she feared, was there not some way in which she might, before It was too late, wipe out the false Impression she had made to-night? She could not bear the thought that be would think bitterly of her afterward. Surely It would be some comfort to him to know the truth then. Yes, he must be told. She would write a letter and confess all. If she lived, It must be destroyed; if she died, It must Is; delivered. "I have sent you away from me," she wrote, "and am now breaking my heart because 1 will never look Into your face again. David, to-night I acted a part to you. I forced myself to lie cold and false. I made myself a fright to prevent yon telling me of your love. I knew that If you did so I would not have the strength to re sist you. I did not want yon to guess that I cared. I wanted you to think me a heartless flirt to despise me anything, rather than you should re gret or have a heart ache. "To-day my doctor told me that I must go under the knife within the next few days. He said that there was a slight chance, but in my heart I know that. If I do live, I will be a weak, sickly woman. Hut I don't be lieve tliere la n chance, so I want to tell you how dear you are to me be fore it Is too late. I love you as only a woman can love a tun n who represents everything that Is good and strong and true to her. For nearly two jours have waited to hear you say what you said to-night. Six months ago I pre vented you because I was not quite sure; I thought It would be wiser for you to wait until you returned. I could not realize that the glory of your love should be showered on me. I thought It fair for you to see other women before you offered your life to me. "David. I want you to understand how desperately hard It was to refuse to listen to you to-night. It was the greatest sucrlticc I have ever made In my life, and I prayed for strength to do It. My whole being revolted at the part I set myself to play, although I felt It was best for you now and af terward. Can you forgive me, Da vid?" She then rang for her maid, and, af ter explaining about what was to hap pen to her, she gave her the letter and said what she wished her to do with It No surgeon can ever be quite certain to what length a disease has spread until bo starts to use the knife, and oftentimes he finds It more or less se rious thun be anticipated. So It was that when Dr. Sanders commenced to operate on Elzabeth Trent he was agreeably surprised to find that, Instead of her case being most complicated, It was merely an ordinary one. "She will be all right now, nurse," the great surgeon said after the opera tion. "Fortunately, It has not been so serious as we feared. It Is a decidedly Interesting case, and she will pull through splendidly with careful nurs ing." It was two weeks later when Eliza beth asked ber maid If she had de stroyed the letter she had given to her the eve of the operation. "Destroy It, Miss Elizabeth?" the woman answered. "I though you said to post It If you lived. "Oh, Harmon! Y'ou surely have not sent that letter?" "Yes, Miss Elizabeth, I have. I thought you wanted me to destroy It If anything happened to you, and to post It If you got safely through the operation. I waited until last night to make sure that you did not have a re lapse, then I thought It wns time." Heforo Elizabeth could answer, a nurse came In with a florist's box In her hand and a bright smile on her face. "Tills is for you, Miss Trent," she said. "Shall I unfasten It?" Elizabeth cried out In Joyous sur prise at the wealth of beautiful flow ers with which the !ox was filled. Hut her eyes went beyond them to a letter that lay partly bidden In their leaves. "It Is from David," she whispered softly, as she gazed nt the dear, fa miliar handwriting. Aa she opened It with quick, trembling Angers, the nurse and Harmon quietly went out of the room. "My darling," Elisabeth read, "I have just received your letter. Only half an hour before, I met Mansfield, and he told me of your Illness. I thought he must be mistaken, but h said hi wlfa had been to see you a the hospital yesterday. My first lm pulse was to go and beg them to let me see you, but I remembered thai you would not care to have me. Feel lug deadly miserable, I went back t uiy rooms, and there found your lettei waiting for me. Oh, Elizabeth! Il seems too wonderful to be true that you should love me like that. Why my dear, you were never more lovabli iu my eyes than you were that night You looked ill and tired, and I longe to have the right to take care of yo and shield you from all annoyances When I remember the hard things 1 said I ieel that it will take all mj life to endeavor to wipe them out Elizabeth, almost as soon as yoa rea this I will be with you. And then mi- atonement will commence." Blaci and White. HOW ZOQ8 GET WILD ANIMALS Halt i:rd by Recruiting Aarenta mac Traveler. Getting recruits for the zoologica park U not by any means the easies thing in the world, though the author! ties themselves do not bear much o' the trouble In this connection. Thi work Is mainly done by travelers an( natives of countries from which th wild beasts come, from whom the vari oils zoological societies of the work buy. except when the purchases art made from professional wild -beasj dealers. Some of the hitler employ regular re erultlng agents, whom they send oir whenever they receive orders whlcl they cannot execute with stock thej have in band. If the park authorise order an Afrieau Hon of a dealer ant the dealer has not a suitable beast oi hand recruiting lions In Africa begini at once and continues until a goo specimen has been obtained. The different methods by which thi various wild animals are captured li their native state ore interesting. I.loni are generally caught by being templet to thrust their bends through nooses o strong cords composed of twistef hides. Pieces of meat are used foj bait, but frequently the hunters lmvi many days of hard chasing before tin lion can be persuaded to try the noose When he does the cords are pulUsJ quickly around his throat, stilling him and other stout cords lire then boun around bU legs. Restoratives are thet administered to revive the animal whose efforts to free himself from tin noose have brought on exhaustion, an he is carried away and put In a special ly constructed cage for shipment Tigers are more savage than lioin and can rarely be captured when full grown. Kecruitlng is accordingly car rled on among the cubs, tlie parent tigers being killed and the young, lef' without protectors, being easily caught The cubs readily accustom themselvei to captivity. Perhaps the most difficult of all wll animals to capture Is the giraffe, sayi the New York Times. In addition t being very rare, giraffes are exceeding ly timid and are very swift-footed Tliere Is no special way to capture I giraffe, as almost every way has beei tried, and all have been almost equallj unsuccessful. The method which hai occasionally resulted In a capture is bj using a long cord, at each end of whlcll Is a round weight. This cord Is throwi by the hunter In such a manner as t wind around the animal's legs, elthei bringing It to the ground or renderini It incapable of escaping before It Ii made a prisoner. Most of the giraffei In captivity have been caught bj chance when young. Savage Athletes. In this age of athletics one might think that no people ever showed so much Interest In feats of muscular might and skill as those who have per fected football; but modern games, and even the games of the Greeks at Olym pla, may have been more than match ed by the sports of peoples who ar now held in little esteem. A write! on the Canary Islands gives an account of their athletic training which makes even tbe college giants of to-day seem weak and effeminate. Tbe Canary Islands were subjected by Spain about the time Columbus dis covered America. The conquest wai due solely to the superiority of Euro pean weapons, and not to better skill and prowess. The native soldiers were trained athletes, developed under a system which held athletic sports on Important business, like military drill, Spanish chronicles have left us ac counts of the sports of the Islanders. From babyhood they were trained to be brisk In self-defense. As soon as they could toddle the children were pelted with mud balls, that they might learn how to protect themselves. When they were boys stones and wooden darts were substituted for the bits of clay. In this rough school they acquired the rudiments of warfare which on iibled them, during tholr wars with the Spaniards, to catch In their hands the nrrows shot from their enemies' cross-bows. After the conquest of the Canaries n native of the Islands was seen nt Seville who, for a shilling, let a man throw at him as nniny stones as he pleased from a distance of eight paces. Without moving his left fisit ho avoid ed every stone. 1 Another native used lo defy nny one to hurl an orange at him with so great rapidity that he could not catch It Three men tried this, each with a dozeti oranges, and the Islander caught every orange. As a further test, hi hit his antagonists with each of the oranges. Fragrance of White Flower. Plants with white blossoms have a larger proportion of fragrant flowers; than any other. I I I I l I OLD- FAVOKITES Tbe MUtletoe Bough. Tit mistletoe bung in the castle hall. The bolly branch shone on tbe old oak wall: And the baron' retainer were blithe and J. And keeping their Christma holiday. The bron beheld with a father's pride His beautiful child, young Ixjvell' bride; While ahe with ber bright eye eemed to be The star of thi goodly company. "I'm weary of dancing now," she cried; "Here tarry a moment I'll bide, I'll hide! And, Lovell, be sure thou'rt 6rt to trace The clew to my secret lurking place." Away she ran and hrr friends began Each tower to ercb, and each Dook to can; And young Lovell cried, "O, where dost thon hide? I'm lonesome without thee, my own dear bride." rhey sought her that night, aud they sought her next day, And they sought ler In vain when a week passed away; In the highest, the lowest, the loneliest spot. Young Lovell sought wildly but found her not. And years flew by, and their grief at last Was told as a sorrowful tale long past; Ami when Lovell appeared, the children cried: See! the old man weeps for his fairy bride." At length an onk chest, tlist had long lain hid. Was found in the castle they raised the lid. And a skeleton form lay mouldering there In the bridal wreath of that lady fair! (), hhiI wus her fnte! in sportive jest She hid from her lord in the old oak chest. It closed with a spring! and, dreadful doom. The bride lay clnsped in her living tomb! '-Thomas Haynes Bayly. "Only Waiting." Only waiting till the shadows Are a little longer grown, tinly wniting till the glimmer Of the day's lust beam is flown; Irill the night of enrth Is failed From the heart, once full of day; Till the stars of hpnvon are brenking Through the twilight soft and gray. Only waiting till the reapers Have the Inst Rliesf gnthered home, For the summer time is faded, And the autumn winds have come. Uuirkly, reapers! gather quickly The last ripe hours of my heurt, For the bloom of life is withered, And I hasten to depart. )nly waiting till the angels Open wide the mystic gate. At whose feet I long have lingered, Weary, poor and desolate. Even now I hear the footsteps. And their voices far away; If they call me, I am waiting. Only waiting to obey. t)nly waiting till the shadows Are a little longer grown, Only waiting till the glimmer Of the day's last beam is flown. fheD from out the gathered darkness, Holy, deathless stars shall rise, 3y whose light my soul shall gladly Tread its pathway to the skies. Frances Laughton Mace. THE PENALTY OF WEALTH. fiillionalrea Whose Live Are Made Miserable by Crank and Promoter. Three men In tbe Wall street dls jlct. New Y'ork, receive requests In .he course of a year to back schemes ihe financing of which would break he Hank of England or bankrupt the oveniment of the United States. They ire John W. Ja'tes, J. Pierpont Mor pin and Edwin Hawley. These propo sals run through the whole gamut of Himan Ingenuity, from a new method if scratching matches to the promo ;ion of a South American revolution r the prevention of earthquakes and ither seismic disturbances. They pour n by letter and persons from all quar ers of the globe. These things are the penalty of spec acuiur wealth. They are some of the roubles that beset the man who makes lis millions with a blare of trumpets ind under the glare of limelights. Mr. Gates has been hounded so by mportunnte persons that ho hardly Jares set foot In the street. He was mportuned In restaurant after restau 'ant, until In self-protection he had a lining-room fitted up In his office and there he now takes his luncheon. Mr. Morgan has been forced to adopt the tamo method. One of the things that bothers Mr. Morgan most, although it cosls him no money, Is the camera with a fiend be lind it. If there is one thing he hates aiore than all others It is being photo 'ogrnphed, and he lins become nn idept In springing from the door of lis office building into a coupe and nnglng the door behind blm . It was !ie who wns the recipient of the pro posal that be finance a scheme for linking enrtliquiikcs Impossible. Just tfter the eruption of Mount Pelee a Frenchman wrote him, most earnestly nsklng bis help and assuring hlin there vere millions of dollars In the plan. Scarcely a day passes but some man writes to him of the unearthing of a priceless painting, disfigured by time, hut bearing beyond all doubt traces of ihe work of some dead master. An ither class of men whose palms Itch 'or some of the Morgan money are the book agents, not only the Inoffen sive pnes who have editions dc luxe to sell, but toe one who are preparing volume of biographies of tbe moneyed men of the country n which the per son approached may have his history written up at ao many thousand dol lars a page. There bj also the biblio maniac, who fastens himself upon Mr. Morgan to dispose of some ancient tome, colored in red by a monk and in yellow by Father Time. Mr. dates has bad opportunities bj place himself in tbe class with Santoa Dumont as a navigator of the air and to become a second Castro in the for mation of a new South American re public. Three men with theories of airships who needed only uiyuey to make them fly have offered Mr. Gates' a handsome share in ventures if he1 would produce the capital for con struction. Mr. Hawley, who was a protege ot Collis P. Huntington, has been be aleged more by Western promoters be cause he came from the Pacific coast Offers of interest in mines in th Western States and in South America, Mexico aud Europe have been caat at him as If the whole world were Klondike and be the first miner oq the ground. THE CITY BOY. Why He I Generally 1-eft In Ihe Rest by the Country Boy. That the country Is the better placa to raise boys is tbe teaching of all ex perieuce. Go over the list of the men who have done things In your city. A large majority of them are country bred. Why? The boy wherever you find him needs wide spaces for the development of the vita) forces that are In him. He instinctively covets elbow room, 'lue Isjylsh swath is a wide one. H Is necessarily noisy. He bubbles ovei for the same reason a tea kettle does. He is full of spontaneity and rum over. In the city be Is cribbed, ca bined and confined. He has littU chance to let himself out. What won der tbe roundly developed country lad beats blm to the goal. Poor city lad. Here Is the plctur Secretary Shaw gives of him, in a re cent address: "The boy is tbe most valuable product of society, but In tin city he is not fairly treated, lie hu-ki a chance for the free play of his Na ture. His parents seldom give him gymnasium or a shop or even a rooa, of his own. They are afraid he will spoil the furniture. It is too expen sive to let him do as he pleases. S they give him money and let him go t the streets which are often an ope gate to hell." The picture is true. Poor city lad. There are no wid echoing fields or shady woods when he may wander at his will, giving full play and proper vent to the life force! that run riot in his veins. To him there is no call of the wild. For hint there is no company and touch of Na ture which the country boy knowi and feels. At home they say of the city boy that he Is rude and awkward and de structive. What wonder! The only wonder is he doesn't explode. He ! all boy. That's why he is worth rais lng! Expressions oi energy in the boy spell Force. He has in him the mak lng of a man. Why scold him anJ spoil his temper for being what he isl Why spoil him by trying to make hin. what he Is not? An unspoiled boy city or country is about the finest thing on two legs. He is affectionate under his vest Ha is sympathetic If you know how tu reach his sympathies. He is honest And frank. And above all, be standi for fair play. Later on, as a man, h may lose many of these virtues, but ai a boy he Is admirable. Give the city boy his chance. Let him go to the country at every oppop tunity. Let him build a shop in th back yard or in the cellar if he chooa es. Give him a room of his own. OI course the room will be topsy turvej betimes. Of course. He is not a youn gentleman. He Is a boy, God bles him. Let him bring his comrade! home with him. Let them togethei romp and raise caln. Give the citj boy a vent The country-raised boy has beaten the city-ralscd boy becausi he has had a better chance. Dei Moines News. Making; a Good Citizen. A 13-year-old Italian boy lately pre. pared an essay on the duties of citizen ship, for a club in New Y'ork. Among the rules which he laid down are th following: "If I want to be a good citizen I must be true to my country, true to my stute and true to my city, If I do not vote I will not be doing my duty, I must have my own Judgment to vott for the man I think Is best qualified for the office for which he has been nominated If I don't I won't be doing my duty. I must not let anybody bi lbo me to vote for a man I think dot, fitted for an office. It will also be uij duty to be Industrious and self-supporting, so as not to bo a burden and a nuisance to the public. I must pay taxes, so that the government enn In mn itita Inert and the officers of the gov ernment paid, because the government Is for my good. When 11 Is necrssnry I must help to maintain order and al ways be ready for public service, amj in case of war serve my country. I should know the history of my country nnd be an Intelligent reader and clos observer of current events.'' Huaala'a Purchase. Russia bought from the Unlte4 States In 1WB nearly 20,000,)00 wortl of goods, which Is double the averagi for previous years, and sold the l'nlte States nearly $11,(100,000 worth, whlcl Is an Increase of 50 per cent over pr vlous years. We give a man credit for Ih1ii level-headed If be Isn't above our level.