international press association CHAPTER XII. ILIi you have the kindness to ring that bell again, Harriet, and In quire whether Mrs. Withers has return ed?” fretted the convalescent. “It la after six o’clock, and I am faint for want of nourish ment.” endent obeyed, then slipped from the room to push Inves tigations upon a plan of her own. In a quarter of an hour she reappeared with an agitated, yet Important counte nanoe, that arrested Iter cousin's re gards. "What Is It? Where Is she?” he de manded, impatiently, “You have heard something. Tell me at once what It Is’’’ Harriet collapsed as gracefully as her unpllant sinews and stays would allow Into a kneeling heap upon the floor at hts feet. “My beloved cousin! My dear, deceived angel! I have heard nothing that surprised me. I dared not speak of It to you before now, agonizing as was my solicitude. You would have driven me from you In anger had I whispered a word of what, has been the town gossip for months, to which you only were blinded by your noble, your generous, your superhuman confidence In your betrayers. I see that you are >• partially prepared for the blow,” as he grew pale and tried without success to Interrupt her. “Brace yourself for what you must know, my poor, III used darling! Your brother and your wife have eloped to Europe in company : For one second the husband stagger ed under the shock. His eyes closed suddenly, as at a flash of lightning, and his features were distorted, as In : a wrench of mortal pain. Then all that was true and dignified In the man ral- j lied to repel the Insult to the two he had trusted and loved. “I do not be- i Hove It,” he said distinctly and with deliberate emphasis. "You are the dupe j of some mischievous slanderer, my good woman. Edward Withers is the soul j of integrity, and my wife's virtue is j incorruptible. Who told you this ab surd tale?” "Mrs Withers stated to you that she was going to drive alone this after noon, did she not?” Harriet forget the pathetic in the malicious triumph as she proceeded to prove her rival's guilt. “You heard her say It,” laconically, and still on the defensive. “Yet John says she called by the of fice to take up Mr. Edward Withers, and that they drove In company to the wharf, where lay an ocean steam er. He saw them go on board, arm in arm, and, although he waited on the pier as long as the vessel was In sight, y they did not return." “I will see the man myself.” Crossing the room with a firmer step than had been his since his Illness. Mr. Withers rang the bell and summoned the coachman. His evidence tallied ex actly with Harriet's report, and she flat tered herself that the Inquisitor's man ner was a shade less confident when the witness was dismissed. “You have said that this disappear ance was no matter of surprise to you, and added something about vulgar gos sip. I wish a full explanation,” he said, still magisterially. Thus bidden, Harriet told her tale. rJFIUre 111*11 ICIUIU H • «***’ v*»*j III vu autumn, she had seasons of anxiety relative to the intimacy between Mr. Edward Withers and ills beautiful sis ter-in-law. Not, the unsuspecting vir gin was careful to affirm, that she doubted then the good faith ami right intentions of either, but she feared lest Mrs. Withers’ partiality for the younger brother might render her negligent of her husband's happiness and comfort. The winter festivities had brought the two into a peculiarly unfortunate po sition for the growth of domestic vir l*> tues. and eminently conducive to the progress of (tie fatal attainment which wtis now beyond tin- possibility of n doubt. Although one of the family, and known to he wedded to their In terests, she hud not been aide to deter vti.tsy-bodie* from sly and overt mention 1/ the scandal In her hearing. Site had, cn such occasions, taken the liberty of rebuking the offender, and maintain- J tug. in her humble way, the honor of her benefactors' name. Hut she could ! not alienee a city full of tongues. and they had wagged fast and loudly o' , Ihe husband's Indiscreet confidence in 1 the guilty pH,‘tlea, and their shameless treachery. lie chei keil her when she would have j Hated upon Ihia division of her sub j l*ei "I will have no hearsay evidence What have you seen' Harriet demurred blushing!*. not. as ; it presently appealed, because she had seea SO littls but SO much. I»uets. | vocal and 1 net rvi mental had been the vehicle* of living interim*ree hind mtueeaittg, meaning sighs and whi*p*rs ' Her blood had often bolted futluuslv ta beholding the outrageous luaneciv* j •re practiced ia the very sight of their ttwsttng victim Her eves, la pasetna from their smite* of evil import, their languish lags sad care see* ta the serene lev* ■ at aver the vhc*a board, er ,k 1« in nomat stunt had alter * g »i#lv averRuwed with leare sad glow* ed with Ihdignatlun ), It pared with my seaaatteae sti the taarn Ina of the dav ta who h y ■ 1 ma t v>*ur ! will t snaring la eater ymw drew* j I g lag r>K«m oa a>v to i« •«-». I**d#»4e ' I surpits* t till tt iihvt * * Mr Rd • ar t Withers staediaa ideparture Tb* pep alar dally, above referred to lav a* uiial by Mr Wvther* plate when h« went down Stalin, folded with who' : wa« known to US >>in riant readers a* the naughty corn*? outermost liar riel naa engaged In tornisiHu bet •usin g O p of kuimii ibuectale when he opened bin sheet but she both wan and heard the paper rnatie Ilk* * paper h«* ,h «* n« a storm Ik s grow utddaalt and onnaiuinily etlil < Mken Mr W liber* lowered It tk»t* ww nothing n vvdte nr #tpfe**M*o to a# - i rrev tn hie brother that unghi naa >nUt M hen *1 meal was #*»( he rryt rr>l is I > w.fe > ruaru taking with hint the *i * •p,t'1 f with aa a a*. I jot. 83 was his custom, offered to pass to Edward Without a word he spread It before the pale woman whose haggard coun tenance should have moved him to de lay her accusation and itence. One swift glance took In the import of the cruel article, and she burled her face in the pillow with a cry that destroyed what faint remnant of hope might have lingered in his bosom. "My sin has found me out!” A heavy hand was laid upon her arm. “This Is childish, (’onstanre, and you have shown yourself to be no child In craft. Nothing short of your own confession would have persuaded me that much contained In this paragraph Is true, that, you have abused tny con fidence, sullied my name, and mado me the object, of universal contempt—* you and und my brother!” (TO HS CONTIRUSU.I Tama Catamount Probably It Is true that some rnen have by nature a peculiar power over wild animals, and It Is a matter of com mon experience that animals sometimes strike up sudden friendships with per sons they have never seen before. An extreme instance of UiIb kind Is de scribed by a military correspondent of the New York Hun: "Perhaps of all the wild animals that may he at least par tially civilized or tamed, the Porky Mountain lion or catamount offer* the leaal promise; and yet In the writer’s experience one specimen was as gentle and docile as human kindness could make him. Me followed his master around like a dog, obeying every wish or nod, but would allow no other per sons to approach him with offers of kindness or anything else. This crea '■"C » lull l vy ll UJ'MIIII |J1|| null, (hat for some strange reason had taken u fancy to a Cheyenne Indian. Wheth er in camp, on the prairie, or in the post, the brute could always he seen quietly following the Indian, but he would never leave his master’s heels for any reason except at his master’s bidding. Often would he accompany (lie buck into the poet truder’s store, where his entrance was the signal for all dogs to get out and for bipeds not acquainted with the situation to lose no time In taking to the counters. The officers of the post finally persuaded the Indian to part with his pet for a consideration, and the lion, after being securely caged, was shipped as a pres ent to the National Museum at Wash ington.” The Wisdom of thi) ('row. A naturalist who is much Interested in birds says that the crow is the wis est of all feathered animals. He has made a number of experiments recent ly, and declares (hat an ordinarily well educated crow can count to twenty, and that he has found a sentinel crow, very old and very wise, that can count t.o twenty-six. He made these discoveries In a very interesting way. Recently he spent some time in the mountains of Wales, where a company of hoys was camping out. One day he found a flock of crows gathered round the body of a sheep that had died, and which lay near a barn. They flew away as he approached, so he hid him self In the bam and waited; but they would not come hack. Then he went out and walked up the mountain, and they all settled down again to the feast. That afternoon he took four boys from the camp with him and they inarched into the little building and waited. No crows came back. Two of the hoys went out. Still no crows. Then the other two went, out. and only the natu ralist remained. But the old sentinel crow had evidently counted ihent as they went In, and he knew they had not all come out. At last the natural ist left the building and straightway all the crows returned. This experi ment was repeated a number of titnea with varying numbers of boys, but the crows kept count, and would not come down until the building was entirely empty. hut* About I'unitr# Stun*. Pumice, uh is well known, is of vol canie origin, being a trachytlc lava which has been rendered ligin by 'he escape of gases when In a molten state. It Is found on most of the shores ol the Tyrrhenian sea and elsewhere, nut Is at present almost exclusively ob tained from the little island of Idparl. Most of the volcanoes of ldparl have ejected outuaceous rocks, but the best stone is all the product of one moun tain, Monte t’hlrlea. nearly 2,two feet in height, with Its two accessory cra ters. Tlte district in which the pumice » escalated covers an area of thre. square lllllcs It has bet-u calculated that alrnut l.ooo hands are engaged In this Industry, two of whom are em ployed In extrlcatlug the mineral. 1‘umlce is btought to Ihe surface In Urge him ka or In baskets, sud is >ar ried thus eithar to the neighboring vil lage or to I ho seashore to be Isheti there In boats. The supply Is said to be practically meahauelltde lbrin.ee Is used not merely for scouring and cleansing purpose* but also for polish tag in numerous trades hen- • the fact that the powdered pumice export".I eg- j *( 4 #.■> 44 |a»il i441* #4n>(H»* 141ft#* 4 1141** 44 •44* 4 44 (HI 1*4*1 4 4U*»l#;*UHl#. IVillii IttM* « #4 tMH* 4 4# #4 #&M4 IM4-I 4^-1 l ift) liiifNi !• 4 44 w4 *nMl4< ; TALMAGE'S SEHMOX. “CROWNS OF THORNS AND CROWNS OF ROSES.” From the Trti "Vr Know Ihr (irsrr of Our l,or«l .lr«u« Christ, That Though Hr Wua Klrh Vet For Your hakr II* Became Poor" II. Cor. H : U. HAT all the worlds which on a cold winter's night make the heavens one great glitter are without Inhab itants Is an absurd lty. Scientists tell us that many of these worlds are too hot or too cold or too rarlfled of at mosphere for residence. But, If not fit for human abode, they may be fli for beings different from and superior to ourselves. We are told that the world of Jupiter Is changing and be coming fit for creatures like the hu man race, and that Mars would do for the human family with a little change In the structure of our respiratory or gans. But that there Is a great world swung somewhere, vast beyond Imagi nation, and that. It is the headquarter* of the universe, and the metropolis of Immensity, and has a population In numbers vast beyond all statistics, and appointments of splendor beyond the capacity of canvaa, or poem, or angel to describe, Is as certain uh the Bible Is authentic. Perhaps some of the as tronomers with their big telescopes have already caught a glimpse of It, not knowing whut It Is. We spell It with six letters and pronounce It heaven. j That Is where Prince Jesus lived nineteen centuries ago. He was the King's Son. It was the old homestead of eternity, and all lts castles were as old as Ood. Not a frost had ever chill ed the air. Not a tear had ever rolled down the checa of one of Its Inhabi tants. There had never been u head ache, or a sldeache, or a heartache. There had not been a funeral In the memory of the oldest Inhabitant. There had never In all the land been woven a black veil, for there had never been anything to mourn over. The passage of millions of yoars had not wrinkled or crippled or bedimmed any of Its citizens. All the people there were In a state of eternal adolescence. What flora 1 and pomonlc richness! Hardens of perpetual hkom and orchards In un ending fruitage. Had some spirit from another world entered and asked, What Is sin? What Is bereavement? What Is sorrow? What Is death? the bright est of the Intelligences would have fail ed to give definition, though to study the question There was silence In hea ven for half an hour. The Prince of whom I speak had hon ors, emoluments, acclamations, such as no other prince, celestial or terrestrial, ever enjoyed. As he passed the street, the inhabitants took off from their brows garlands of white lilies and threw them In the way. He never en tered any of the temples without all the worshipers rising up and bowing In obeisance. In all the processions of the high days he was the one who’ evoked the loudest welcome. Sometimes on foot, walking In loving, talk with the humblest of the land, but at other times he took chariot, and among the twenty thousand that the Psalmist spoke of, his was the swift est and most flaming; or, as when St. John described him, he took white palfrey with what prance of foot, and arch of neck, and roll of niaue, and gleam of eye is only dimly suggested in f hn A n/ipulvi\un lin u uu tint other princes, waiting fur the father to die and then take the throne. When years ago an art 1st in Uermany made a picture for the ltoyal (iallery repre senting the Emperor William on tie throne, and the Crown Prince as hav ing one foot on the step ef the throne tin Emperor William nrdere 1 the li t it re changed, and said: "Lei the pritte keep h.s foot off the throne till I leavi it.” Already enthroned was the Heaven!.' Prince aide l»> side with the Katin , What a circle of dominion! What mul t:tinks of admirers! What tmetidltn round of glories! All the towei. chimed the prince's praises. Of all th Inhabitants, front the e< litre of the ct,v on ever the MIL and clear down t« the It 'h cgaitist which the ocean of Int tcitislly rolls Its billows, the prim s.ir the a-I,ltd"ledge 1 favorite. N wonder my text says that "lie w.i Itch." Met all ilia diamonds uf tin ' earth In uni sceptre, build all the pal j *c*» of the earth In uus Alhambi t gather all the |aot all the talma of Ihe cum In "its vain, the aggregate could n«M •xpresa hi* affluence Yea, Mt Paul was right Halotnun had in gold all huudred Slid eighty million pounds, slid In stiver ons billion twenty-nine iuti lion three hundred and **vrnty-e«veu pound* sterling Hut a greater than ts hole Nut tii* Millionaire, but th» on nor uf all thing* To dv i .be hi* velewt'nl sutroun lings th# I 1 • ..■>«.* *11 cotore * tittering Iht’to s in ramt»o» over the throne and sotting v , . . . agate u the tempi* wtn-las j *.ad h ating twelve nt tb»i» Into * j w*il. Irant etripnd Jaipur nt the base I to ttau4pnr*nt nmethyet In the *ng- I • '-be. shite heiw«*M iregt««a of enter ■ i aid and show at y»*rl and hlue uf I 1 •apphim, and ynllnw of tepna, gr* > ot I • hryeoprasn, and dante of Javinth Al I the hvvelinena of >aoU»* aye In foliage. I and rtver, an 1 nil aud all enchant tl* S'at 11 ua ii. trine th" »e* of glavyj1 mlngbd with fit na when th* #01 ainh'l j * th* tl'MlUrtanewu All th* thrllj sf music, Inttrtttnen'gl anl naulj hart i irutnpnt*, dnxoi >gtn» Th*e| I •tend Vi# pits * lurrovadstl hf lien* 1 v'uo had under their wings the vtlnci:* of millions of miles in a second, him self rich in love, rich In adoration, r;c." in power, rich In worship, rich in holi ness, rich In "all the fulness of tU# Godhead bodily.” But one day there was a big disasiei In a department of God’s universe. A race fallen! A world In rttlns! Our planet the scene of catastrophe! A globe swinging out Into darkness, with mountains, and seas, and Islands, an awful centrifugal of sin seeming to overpower the beautiful centripetal of righteousness, and from it a groan reached heaven. Such a sound had never been heard there Plenty of sweet sounds, but never an outcry of distress or an echo of agony. At that one groan the Prince rose from all the blissful clrcumjacence. and started for the outer gate and descended Into th> the garments he had worn, sleeping In them by night and traveling In them by day, bearing on them the dust of the highway and the saturation of the sea. St. Paul in my text hit the mark when he said of the missionary Prince, "Kor your sakes he became poor.” The worm cornu nave treated him better if it had chosen. It had all the means for making his earthly condition comfortable. Only a few years before when Porapey. the general, arrived in Mrindlsl be wut greeted with arches and a costly column which celebrated the twelve million people whom he had killed or comiuered. and he was al lowed to wear bis triumphal robe in the ' senate. The world had applause for Imperial butch>rs. but buffeting for the Prime of f 'tee. Plenty of golden iballets for 'he favored to drink out ; of, but our Prince must put bis Up* lo the bucket of the well by the road- ' side after he had begged for a drink, Poor.* Pern in another man's barn iml eating at another man’s table, nod cruising the lake in another man's ttsbins euiack, nd burled III another man's tomb. Pour inspired ant her* wrote tiu biugiuphy, nut innuiueriu’. Ilve# of t'lllist hake been published but be composed hi* aiiiublogiaph) m * most compressed way. lie sold, "i links trodden Ihe Wlne-prsss a’one," iiut I lie I row U Prone 04 bin oil him a mu has lean than the ?»•«■•*. I**“ lhan ths chamoia, for h» was hutttelem. Ay*. in the history of the universe there la no other instance of such cow ing down Who c«n count the mites j 'mm th* top of the Throne to tha bot out «f tha t'ruas? I'ieopalra, giving a stM|ue| |u Vntuny, took a p at I worth 4 hundred thousand dotinr* and dis w!««i tt In vinegar and *«ait«w«d it Hut when our Prince, si ord ng to the Kvangattai. n hi* tasi hour*, uwk th» ■ inegsr, in It had been dissolved *U he pearls of his hss>*uly royally lwan until there waa no utbnr har assment tn soger, pwur until there was hi uihei paupertnm in turtUl*. Millions it dollars spent in wars to destroy wen, shu wilt furnish tha slnttstle* of tha j itlss af that precious Mood that waa ihed la save us* "T* know tha grace if our laird Jwsua t'nrtw. that, though it ags rich. y*| fur yuur sake* h* ho- j ilos poor " only 1 hose who study ibt* test In two j iia«-*a can fully rsoils* it* P»*»f, lh* j 1*4 Land of Asia Minor and lh* holy .and of heaven. I wi it that some you might go to the Holy Land and take a drink out of Jacob's well, and take a sal! on Galilee, and read the Sermon on the Mount whlle^standlng on Olivet, and see the wilderness where Christ was tempted, and be some after noon on Calvary about three o’clock— the hour at which dosed the cruci fixion—and sit under the sycamores and by the side of brooks, and think and dream and pray about the poverty of him who came our souls to save. But you may be denied that, and so here, la another continent and In another hem isphere, and In scenes as different aa possible, we reeount. as well we may how poor was our Heavenly Prince. But In the other holy land above wo may all study the riches that he left behind when he started for earthly ex pedition. Come, let us bargain to meet each other nt the door of the Father’* mansion, or on the bank of the rlvey Just where it. rolls from under tha throne, or at the outside gate. Jesu* got the contrast by exchanging that world for this; we will get It by ex changing this world for that, Thero and then you will understand morn of the wonders of the grace of our I.ord Jesus Christ, who. “though he wa» rich, yet for your sakea became poor." Yes. grace, free grace, sovereign! grace, omnipotent grace! Among the thousands of words In the language there Is no more queenly word. It means free and unmerited kindness. My text has no monopoly of the word, One hundred and twenty-nine times 'does the Bible eulogize grace. It la [a door swung wide open to let Into 'the pardon of Ood all the millions who choose to enter It. John Newton sang of it when ha wrote: ^'Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, Vhat saved a wretch like me.” Philip Doddridge put It into all bym oology when he wrote: “Grace, ’tis a charming sound. Harmonious to the ear; Heaven with the echo shall resound. And all the earth shall hear." When Artaxcrxes was hunting, Tlre bazus, who wuh attending him, showed the king u rent In his garments; the king said: "How shall I mend It?” "By giving It to me,” said Tirebazus. Then the king gave him the robe, but commanded him never to wear It, as It would be Inappropriate. But seeing the startling and comforting fact, while our Prince throws off the robe. He not only allows us to wear it, but command* us to wear It, and It will become ua well, and for the poverties of our spir itual state we may put on the splendor* of heavenly regalement. For our sakes! Ob, the personality of this religion! Not an abstraction, not an arch under which we walk to behold elaborate ma sonry, not an ice castle like that which the Empress Elizabeth of Russia, over a hundred years ago, ordered to b* constructed. Winter with Its trowsl of crystals cementing the huge block* that had been quarried from the frozen rivers of the North, but our Father’s bouse with the wide hearth crackling a hearty welcome. A religion of warmth and Inspiration, and light, and cheer; something we can take Into our hearts, and homes, and business, re creations, and Joys, and sorrows. Not an unmanageable gift, like the galley presented to Ptolemy, which required four thousand men to row, and Its draught of water was so groat that It could not come near the shore, but something you can run up any stream of annoyance, however shallow. En richment now. enrichment forever. PERSONALS. Richard Croker will return to this country in December. R. D. Jefferson has completed the feat of riding a bicycle a distance of (i.f)74 miles In ISO days. Mrs. Mary C. ('. Bradford has added COO members to the suffragist clubs since her arrival In Idaho. Kveiy morning Mrs. John Burns, wife of the great labor leader, reads for tour hours before breakfast. Gov. Build, of California, says ho thiuks ihe fraudulent coyote scalp claims will aggregate $10,000. The siiluiu of Turkey of late has been given quite a number of nicknames. The last to come to the surface is that of “Hamid the Hangman.” Hr. Livingstone u-ed to tell how. while traveling In Africa, he was so Hard ret for food t'., he made a meal of two mice and a light, blue-colored mole The queen of i ip N ti tnds is not as strong us a igiit hi an ,i has he-n decided to lake her t;i 1' y, and, |»et haps, to l'Taypt, for a good p*.n of the winter. i'sar Nl holes .it*. . c,e ■ ■ t pair n of IHtmtur> He has eomtu. *»b’b*d M, litciiutm ta tasks a to.l u.;t of the popular soegM s:.d pair otic bsILds of hltl Cll. (I,. I * Mr. U i •• ih* new lord mayor-tie t t f Is, d.. ># t he fourth Jew to h >td th*t oflle*. IH* fathsr dir Ben’atton I'h !' *. it » was lord mayor lit id*, w.i« t c tt a.) dir Henry It vit g « <*; the > «t awotd-tu* u lu Hti*ai**i n* it t.V te I teed s.’ten: V sw L - n tta-aMl or Harr* Mesa wb . w « lit Hi class of 94. Ms la also net* lee slantttus of the sit’dl‘ 1 M it,M»l h> wg IN the t law uf ‘91 The twin tan gotwruatswt he* |oat ts’iifsi t*t the titk I’twss Of the drat* rlsae opow a u*»w of the mama wt Achilles \ stcUrt .tme IN *» egUlHott tf hta hating utwl Us Ufa 1 King lew I