That
Mysterious
Major...
...BY...
ETHEL A. SOl’TDAM
CHAPTEK IX.—(Continued.)
"Is anything the matter?” she ask
ed. glancing anxiously in the direc
tion of her munt.
"Nothing whatever,"was the brusque
reply; "it is merely a shawl which
Eady Howard wished for. Bjt yon
did not hear her call, I suppose; you
were tao much taken up with that
fellow Brown.”
Evelyn raised her eyebrows, and
gave hirn a swift utterly disdainful
look.
"It is strange what you see in that
man,” he went on, folding his arms;
"and, whilst you persistently avoid mv
society, you-seem everlastingly ready
to enter into conversation with liim.
It is not fancy. Miss Euttrell—It is
perfectly true. Three times to-day
have I attempted to speak to you; i
three times have you made some trif
ling excuse and turned to leave me.”
"And why have I," exclaimed Eve
lyn, her eyes flashing Are—"why? Sim
ply because you persist in discussing
the most ridiculous of subjects!”
"I have certainly made half a dozen
attempts during the last few days to i
toll you that I love you, to ask you ,
to be my wife; but perhaps that is a
topic of conversation which you care
to discuss only with your friend
Brown, since you appear to find him j
so very interesting.”
^)r rather perhaps it is that, whilst i
you talk such utter nonsense, he talks
sense!” was the cutting reply.
“You call a declaration of love, a
proposal of marriage, nonsense, then."
"Yes; I call anything nonsense that
is so contrary to all reason,” return
ed Evelyn, her voice trembling. “And,
since you know how much 1 hate it,
1 wonder you pester me as you do."
“Oh, very well! If that is the case,
I will not attempt to renew the sub
ject again—in that way, at any rate;
my attentions shall nnnoy you no long
er, and-”
"Thank you,” interrupted Evelyn In
j did write them, I know." answered
Evelyn, with a vindictive little nod
towards Gilbert Falkland.
“Oh, indeed! But, even if that is
so, there are twenty other ways in
which a clever forger could gci hold
of your signature. You have not writ
ten to anybody staying in the hotel,
I suppose. Miss l.uttrelI ?“
“Written to anybody? No certain
ly not!"
“Nor lent any books in whir h j our
name is luecrlbed?"
“No,” returned Evelyn, with the
same decision, i have net lent any
thing.”
“Then, as far as your recollec
tion goes, you can give- us no clue to
iht mystery? You have no remem
brance, for instance, of writing n let
ter ami tearing it up, or of signing
your name in anv ebnnce way which
(ould possibly be turned against you?"
Again Evelyn answered "No,” out
this time there was less assurance in
her tones, landing with her arms
folded on tfir* back of tier aunt's chair,
sin had started slightly at Falkland’s
question, and now, as she raised her
head, a strangely perplexed look came
sr.ddenij into her eyes.
“I—I cannot re rue in tic i anything,"
she added hurriedly.
"Not anything at all?" persisted
Falkland suspiciously, quick to notice
her evident hesitation.
"No"—abruptly -"nothing."
“Well, ttie only thing is to take
cure of that check." observed Falkland,
watching her narrowly. “You see, it
I.-, really all that we have to go upon.
If you would give it to me, though. I
might lie able to do something for
you in the matter."
"Thank you, but I shall have no
need to trouble you. I"—the words
wire spoken in the same hesitating,
almost faltering tones—" have given
it to Major Brown."
“You have given it to Major ;
Brown?"
AGAIN EVELYN ANSWERED "NO!"
low angry tones—"that is all 1 rare
about;” and. without another word or
look, she turned to the open window
»nd disappeared, leaving Falkland with
milled brows and lips set in angry
determination gazing drearily into va
cancy.
CHAPTER X.
It was certainly true. Mias I-uttrell
had not been mistaken in declaring
that the forged check was not one of
those which she had lost some months
before; and a careful Investigation
quickly revealed the fact that the
check In question had been dexterous
ly extracted from the book In such a
manner as to leuve no blank coun
terfoil to raise the suspicions of its
owner.
“It la clear that the forgery has
been effected quite recently, and, no
doubt, during our atay here," declar
ed I july Howard, looking towards Eve
lyn and Mr. Eatkland for ronRrimt
lion of her words, the latter hating,
despite her niece's protestation*, been
ailed in for consultation upon the
weighty matter “Hut the thing i*
who can have dune It? There are
half a dttaeit men In the hotel who may
he really professional forgers for all
«re know, hut I do not *up|Miae that
•ae of them even know* Evelyn*
hr 1stntn name, much tew* her sign*
lur*
"I hoi your pardon UAir Hn*«r>l
ntU fufful I ha visitor* booh," IU|
gmstrd h’alhUnl promixi*
"th* vialtur* UMib* Ah >#* bar
D*m* li lh*r». rtrUHili1 Hut »hu
to«M to mi* It waa tor writing* Who
would d*»«* to furga n than h With »«■ b
fc.wbtfwl naaiainni r' And. nuw that
I tbinb uf It" IA<lr llo»*rd U|*|<al
Mi gtdd rimiua.i fan agamat bar l«r»
load "I lamy I wo **U waa tto on*
u writ* mu naioaa I tn * u r«mo ut
tor, Bt*li«r
' Yk t '**trwMt <fMll*> wall Ym
--- - -
Had a thunderbolt fallen at Falk
1: nd’s feet, greater dismay could not
have bieu depicted on Ilia counte
nance.
"Yes; he suggested it ought to he
put In the hands of an expert at
once; and so he is taking it up to
Iatndon In the morning," site added,
giving the necessary explanation as
tersely as possible, and thpn turning
away quickly, as though she could
not trust herself to utter another syl
lable, *
"He is taking It’ fJreat heavens.
Miss l.uttrell. you cannot mean it!
Surely you have never been so foolish
as to allow such a thing?" gus;s <|
Falkland, starting forward, his face
livid, an expression of absolute in
ciedullty in his eyes
A faint met .« very different otic
from that with which *he had favuit-t |
him a moment before was Kvelyn »
only reply.
Oh. Miss l.uttrell, this l» worse
than madness' Falkland passed hi*
hand acros Ids forehead with a ges
lure of despali of dated uric*, ribalde I
bewilderment In.I uot Instinct, yoor
own common wuse tell you the 1
truth? If nothing else the very I
fa*t of hi* anxiety t„ msure that |
*l**s'h *hould have aroused your *im- !
plctona loo might have goes-wd •
whuae handiwork H !«'
Ones«ed*" repeated |^,|> Howard
•*(hvo.1 grariott*. Mr Falkland you do |
iH»t mean to »a> that you have found i
a clue to this affair already *
Yea I-ad* How aid 1 believe he
gave a tr>umph«'it „ nee towards,
f.relyp * ©Ur suspii titxs With a Vet V 1
decided empltx.i* op the plu'al pro i
aaua* are turret That fellow Hmwti 1
l« the forger'
* That fellow Hiown r* the forger’
Falkland • »oi«e MMtaded mitee an.|
mitaa away yet how the word* raver
berated in Kveiyp'p eara with what
clear iHstth*taeu* thev «»ael to ring
through the silent air, to echo round
the dusky lawn! A momnut before a
horrible fear had possessed her, a fear
which had sent all the blood cours
ing wildly through her veins; and
then— Oh, impossible! Major Brown
a forger! It was impossible! Mr.
Falkland always had disliked him.
From the very first he had been
prejudiced about him, and had done
liis utmost to make both I^ady How
ard and herself share in his suspic
ions.
it was too terrible! In that one
moment It seemed as though she lived
through all the past fortnight again.
One after another the various events
of the well remembered days passed
in rapid succession through her mind,
whilst above all, as a climax, a crown
ing point to the whole, a certain af
ternoon, scarcely thirty-six hours be
fore. stood out clear and defined from
the confusion of the various occur
rences. Every syllable which had been
spoken, every subject which had been
broached, came back to her as vividly
as though once more she was sitting
in the forsaken library, pen in hand,
with Major Brown standing attentive
ly by her side.
Oh, why had she been so dense, so
blind as to see neither through his
evident manoeuvers nor the strange yet
palpable eagerness of his manner? If
nothing else had roused her suspicions,
.-he*ought at least to have realized
that Major Brown was not at all the
kind of man to waste his energies up
on a simple birthday book. A birthday
hook' How could she hove allowed
herself to be so easily taken In? She
had certainly expressed some astonish
ment upon the occ asion - she was un
doubtedly somewhat dubious at first—
but how quickly he bad overruled her!
Without appearing the least perturb
ed. lie had explained away everything
-yes. everything! He had even been
able to find au excuse for the blank
ness of the pages, and she had act
ually believed him, had believed the
whole of his fabrications, though in
reality that horrible book had been
purchased simply as a means for secur
ing her signature!
"You hear what Mr. Falkland is
saying, Eve?"
How far her thoughts had carried
her, or how long she had been stand
ing with her hands clasped tightly to
gether, gazing out straight before her
at the shadows growing deeper aud
deeper, Evelyn had no idea.
Did she hear what Mr. Falkland was
saying? No. she had not heard a
word, and, what was morp, she was
utterly indifferent as to what it might
tie; yet it was with a gesture sugges
tive rather of acquiescence that she
sat down on the low bamboo chair
and waited resignedly for anything
further that hnd to come.
"You see. Miss Luttrell"—it was
Falkland himself who claimed her at
tention this time—"we can do nothing
without the check; we have no proofs
whatever as to the forgery. Brown is
safe as if he had never put pen to
paper at all.”
“Is he?" observed Evelyn calmly.
His words seemed to imbue her with
a sense of strunge undetinable relief.
"Ah, yes—I suppose that would have
been the only evidence against him!
But of course it does not matter. It
is really not of much importance," she
added in a voice particularly free from
any suspicion of regret.
"It does not matter! Why, Miss
I.uttrell, I have just been pointing out
to you the greatest importance of this
affair, and have been saying how eas
ily the whole thing can be managed! '
But no time must be lost. You ought
to ask the Major for the check this
evening without fail."
(To be continued.)
Tli« C'etiMim of Ormniiv.
'I ho Times pubUshos a careful analy
sis of the German census, taken on
•Inne 14, 1895, from which it appears
that the population amounted on that
day to 51,770,000, of whom 24,400,000
were males and 26,360,000 female*, the
excess of females being, theiefore,
nearly a million. This population in
creases at the rate of a little more than
a million a year, for which new means
of maintfnance, education and housing
must be provided. The rush is, of
course, to the towns, the general urban
population having increased since 1832
by 36 per cent, while the population of
towns with more than 100,000 persons
had more than doubled. Of the total,
8.292.000 are occupied in ag b ulture,
8.281.000 in industry, 2,238,000 in trade,
794.000 in the professions, 631.000 ns
soldiers or sailors, and 1.399,000 ns
■servants. The proportion of servants
Is the lowest in the ccnsus-tHking
world, not half the proportion in Great |
Krltnin The Catholic* are about a 1
third of the population, while of the
who*e < ommercial < lass 5 71 per cent
ur» Jews Umikm Hpectatoi
Ik Martel'* Home.
I to na M U Mitchell, known far 'tnd
aide Ik Marvel, live* on a Jtxi acre
farm upon a hill near S«’» Haven,
►'roll' the road the hotl*e Is Invn lot '. k
high evergreen hedge (..mealing It,
lint front th* pur* h a Ane view of Near
Haven I* afforded. For mam Venn
Mr Mil. hell ha* lived there. Indulging
in hi* love for nature and agriculture
It la all Ideal place the home i« cov
ered tv) Fngtiah Ivy, and evergreen
tree* •urrooml It The Acid* are level
a* Ao«>r» ami the atone wall* have heen
limit with m-atweaa and a< on > \
little house on the farm U hutlt from
•tone* gathered from the mid* and
out only a triAe over tl.UOo |fr Mitch*
e*| i« 7? *»*r* old. loti h-* walk* tn ih*
, • it .11.j ..f
walkavg and think* to It h« owe* hi*
life, for when .ouua ne »r« t« 4 he had
• omuwptiwn For two y. na h*
tiampad over Kurope walking MO
mi e* m F.bg and alone He »ure**e
fut.y staved off the du r * but k«*
a • i>* bent up h a «nlk*
CISSY'S BUSINESS VEN
TURE.
Th* tall young man at the desk by
the big window looked up with a start.
There was something strangely fa
miliar about the little figure in the
doorway. He arose hurriedly from hi3
chair.
"Why, it’s Cissy,” he cried, and
stepped forward. The child's figure
swayed toward him and he caught it in
his arms.
"George Henderson,” a tired little
voice panted, “why don't you livo up
to heaven and be done with it?”
“What is it, Cissy?" cried the young
man, as he placed the child in the great
padded cb<Ur In the corner and un
loosened her big hat and anxiously
looked her over.
“It’s these eight fights o’ stairs,
George,” the faint voire panted. "Ilut
I’m all right. Just gimme time to get
my breath.”
“Gracious, Cissy, did you walk up?”
The tired head weakly nodded.
She was a slender girl of perhaps
a dozen years. Her features were prom
inent, her eyes keen, her chin aggres
sive. Her light hair was brushed
tightly back from her face, and this
emphasized the sharpness of her fea
tures and her look. She was very
neatly dressed, and under one arm
carried two handsomely bound books.
"Why in the world didn't you take
the elevator, Cissy?”
Her breath was coming back now,
and she smiled up at the young man
and lifted one eyebrow in a whimsical
way.
"I'll tell you. George," she answered.
"I went Into the vestybool, way down
by the sidewalk, you know, and I was
just goin' to step Into the elevator
when the fresh kid in brass buttons
that runs it pointed to a sign on the
wall. While I was readin’ it he runned
the elevator up. You know the sign.
It's the one that says, ‘No book
agents, peddlers, nor dogs allowed in
this building.' I read it and walked
up."
"But I don’t see—’’ began the puz
zled young man.
"George Henderson,” cried the girl,
"don't you look at me as if you
thought I took myself for a dog! I'm
a book agent.”
"A book agent, Cissy Jayne?”
"Yes. a book agent, Georgie Hender
son; is there anything the matter with
my being a book agent?”
“Certainly not,” laughed the young
man. "It's an ancient and honorable
profession, even if a rude and unap
Ml ’l
SHE AIN'T BEEN HAPPY A MIN
UTE SINCE YOU QUARRELED,
preciative Janitor does classify it with
peddlers and dogs. But how did you
happen to adopt it?"
The girl scowled at him.
"See here, Georgie Porgie," she
snapped, "don’t you give me any of
your Harvard talk. Kindergarten
words is good enough for me. I’m a
book agent ’cause dad put it in my
bead. At the table yesterday he got
mad at me and said I had brass enough
for a book agent. ‘Do you think I’d
make a good book agent, dad?’ says I.
It’s just what you’re fitted for,’ he
growled. And so this noon I picked two
books of mine from the big bookcase
and started out.”
“See here, Cissy Jayne,” cried the
young man, “you don’t mean to say
that you came all the way downtown
alone? How did you do it?"
“With a nickel and a transfer," gig
led the child.
"And your father, and—and Miss
Ethel don't know where you are?"
’’No. they don’t.”
‘Til telephone to them at once," said
the young man, as he turned toward
the 'phone.
"Don't you do it." cried the Child.
Papa Jayne is downtown at his office
and of course hasn’t missed me, and
Sister Ethel is out to luncheon with
Marne Oliver and she won’t miss me J
until she comes buck. An' now let me \
ask your 'tentiou to these nice hooks.
They are vpry choice. One Is ‘Little
Women,’ by the author of ’Little Men,'
an' the other Is 'Little Men' by
the same author. They are nice '
moral books There are pltchoors In
them Lent me put down your uame
for both."
"Good," cried George Henderson. ;
"very good. Your father waa quite
right. You have found your proles- ]
•ton and you are sure to rLe tu It."
"Haven't I already come up eight
ttorlea." laughed the child Then ahe
julckly added "iKi yuu take the
hooka?”
"I have •<> many hooka now,"
laughed the young man
'You'd better take them " said the
child. "I’ve got something to any to
you about Mister Ethel "
The young man tinned
"I'll tell you what I'll do. t'taay," he
•aid. "I ll take them on approval."
' Whal e that*"
"It meerie that I'll lake them and
! took th»m oyer." replied the young
j man and if I like them I II keep theta
! and pay you fur them If I don’t like
| them I’ll return them to yuu "
"If that freight George***
"Certainly. Besides. Cissy, you know
the elevator boy can’t keep you out if
you haven't the books with you.
"All right, George. I’ll trust you.”
"And now, Cissy, what have you to
say to me about Ethel?”
But the child had perched herself on
the broad window sill, looking down
on the public square, and was softly
humming, "Hullo, My Baby.” She paid
no attention to George’s inquiry.
George looked at her curiously.
"Cissy,” he said, "how would you
like a heaping plate of ice cream?”
The child nodded, but did not cease
her tune. George smiled and glanced
at his watch.
"Cissy,” he said, "what do you say
to getting the heaping plate of ice
cream and then going over to the ma
tinee of ‘Jack and the Beanstock?' ”
Cissy looked around quickly.
"Honest?” she cried, George nod
ded. She sprang from the window sill.
"You're a darling,” she murmured,
and snatched up her hat.
"Plenty of time,” said George. "You
were going to tell me something, you
know.'
•‘Yes.” assented Cissy, "1 know. It’s
about Ethel.”
"It’s about Ethel,” softly repeated
George.
"Well,” said Cissy, "she ain’t been
happy a minute since you quarreled
with her.”
“I didn’t quarrel with her,” protested
George.
"Well, I heard some of it,” said
Cissy, "and even If Ethel is my sister
I don’t think you ought to put all the
blame on her. She felt awful bad
about it. I slept with her that night,
’cause Aunt Laura came to see us, and
I heard her crying. An' yesterday—
well, you know there’s a basket of
photographs on the piano, and ma ex
pects me to keep the piano dusted, an’
sometimes I forget it, and 1 sneaked
In the parlor and there was Ethel look
ing at your photograph, an’ when she
saw me she shoved it in the pile and
walked away, an’ 1 looked on the top
of the piano an’ there was four big tear
drops in the dust. Say, what was it
you quarreled about—Annie Pleasant
on?”
“I believe her name was mentioned,”
said George. "Somebody told Ethel
that they saw you and Annie riding to
gether in the park, didn’t they?”
"I believe so,” admitted George.
"Yes,” said Cissy calmly, "that was
me.”
"You told her that?" cried George.
"Yes," said Cissy, sweetly, "I told
her. She wouldn't let mo wear her
second best hat.”
George looked black for a moment,
then his face cleared. He turned
abruptly and stepped to the 'phone.
"E. 7301 L," he called.
“Knows it by heart," murmured
Cissy.
"Is Miss Ethel there?" inquired
George. "Yes, I wish to speak to her."
“George," cried Cissy, “don’t you for
get that the girl at the exchange is lis
tenin’ to every word you say.”
“Is that you, Ethel?” inquired
George at the ’phone. "Yes, it's George.
I wanted to tell you that Cissy is here
with me.-Yes, she's all right, and
I hope you didn’t worry much.-•
Yes. She came on business. She had
a little confession to make."
“George Henderson!" cried Cissy.
“I will explain it all to you when I
come up. Yes, I’m coming to dinner if
you will let me. Cissy is going with
me to a matinee and then we ll come
up together. What’s that? Cissy isn't
dressed to go anywhere? Why, I fancy
she’s got on her best clothes."
“Much you know about it,” snorted
Cissy.
“Anyway, she is looking charming."
“Ring off!" cried Cissy.
"I—I think that's all until we meet
—good-by,” and George reluctantly
rang off.
“If I hadn't been here," said Cissy,
"you’d have most likely melted that
wire."
"All ready?” queried the smiling
George as he took up his hat.
“All ready," said Cissy, with great
alacrity. "And my stock—the books,
you know?"
“I’ll take care of them." said George.
“Two more excuses for coming up."
giggled Cissy.
“Come along," cried George.—W. R.
Rose in Cleveland Plain Dealer.
With I ni|irov«inPnta.
From the Washington Post: A dele
gation of representative citizens of
Washington called at the white house
one day lust week, as many delegations
do, to lay before the president the mer
its and claims of a certain aspirant for
office, and to urge upon the chief exec
utive the desirability of his appoint
ment. As the several gentlemen in the
party were introduced, the president
greeted them cordially, and had some
thing pleasant to say to all. Some of
them he had met before and remem
bered, while others were strangers to
him. Several in the line had been pre
sented, when a certain merchant, well
known and highly esteemed, was
reached. The president immediately
recognised him, and said, as he grasped
his hand warmly: "Yes. I remember
you very distinctly, Mr. X. I recall
when I was a member of o rig res* I
purchased a number of sulta of cloth
ing at your establishment. And 1 also
recollect," continued the president,
. smilingly, "that It was necessary for
ms to climb three or four flights of
' stairs to reach your tailoring depart
ment." "Ah, Mr. president,'* ex
claimed the merchaut. quick to make
the nisi of the situation "you should
come tu see us again Sow «« haw
ciw . t .
tbs I'mleMa Usama.
A schoolmaster recently lafotmed an
auaimis mother that her sons were so
thoroughly discipitned that they were
as quiet and orderly as the ye. < hails
in the sehusiiiuum it was probably |
b». ituse tbs* w« re <an«.l
THE PERFUMED WOMAN. ◄
lie Uon Into Enctnclo. «*»r H.r
Genuine Femininity*
"I observe,” said a coarse, brutal
man who doesn’t know the difference
between 'the higher and nobler and a
load of ash coal, according to the
Washington Post, “that the advertising
ends of this month's magazines are
publishing a testimonial as to the mer
its of a certain brand of toilet soap,
written by one of the ladies who has
been doing her little bit during the
last half century toward securing the
franchise for woman. Her picture is
run in with the ad and her testimonial
is surely a heap fulsome for a volun
tary contribution. In the course of
her remarks she says, ‘I abhor a Per
fumed woman.’ It is to take a short,
jerky biff at this remark that I emerge
from my cave and leap into the fracas.
I love a perfumed woman. I think a
perfumed woman is the real thing in
femininity—the daintily perfumed
woman, who, when she swishes by
you, has something about her that
makes you vaguely remember the old
honeysuckle covered porch that you
knew a quarter of a century ago; who
carries with her the suggestion or
aspbodellan dales and starlit meadows.
It isn't particularly because of the
elusive, hop-smoky, garden-of-Daphne
fragrance that the perfumed woman
daintily emits that I think she’s the
one and only real thing in long drap
eries. It's because she typifies the fem
inine woman. Gimme a lyre, or a
harp, or a fuglehorn, or a kazoo—any
old thing—that I inay sing the praises
and the glories of the feminine worn
an! She was here in the world's early
dawn, and she's going to be right here
alongside of us when we're having
$2.48 round trip excursions to Mars!
It's because she's feminine that she's
adorable! It’s because every once in
awhile she gets her work done early
so she can go upstairs and have a
good cry;’ it's because she crushes us
into pulp with her ‘because’; it's be
cause she admits our premises and de
nies our conclusions; it’s because
she’ll begin to purse her lips for baby
talk when she sees an infant a block
away; it's because she loves roses and
Iacey things and only $2 per pound
candy; it's because she gives us the
reproachful eye when we ought to be
sewed up in a blanket and clubbed; it's
because she'll dig and delve and
scrape and scrap for her husband and
her little ones until icy stalactites
hang from the roof of Gehenna; it’s
because she dabs her eyes with a little
wad of mouchoir until her nose is red
when she sees real human Buffering;
it’s Just because she's feminine, Bill,
and therefore such a derned big sight
better than we are, that she had us on
the lope and plum loco over her ever
since the days of the Hyksos kings of
Egypt! Gimme a lute that I may chant
of the physical, mental, moral and
spiritual loveliness of the perfumed,
who is also the feminine woman! May
she be with us until the grand bust ur
of all things!’’ 1
CHINAMEN FEED THEIR DEAD.
Curlon* Ctaloin of tlie Oriental! That
Is Observed Tslra a Vasr.
Twice a year, in the first week of
April and October, the Chinese feefl
their dead. They think that once their
friends and relatives leave this mortal
coil they ought to stay away from this
world, and to prevent their return
they faithfully transmit to them all
the necessaries of life. It has been
discovered by oriental wisdom that the
way to transmit servants, songs,
plays, books and money is to manu
facture them in paper and burn them.
But actual eatables must be carried
to the grave. The Chinese are not
stingy, and wagon loads of roasted
chickens, pigs, ducks, various sweet
meats and fruits are taken to the cem
eteries. The food is piled before each
grave, amid burning red, carrot-shaped
candles and joss sticks. Then the liv
ing prostrate themselves before the
dead and beg them to rise up and en
joy themselves. Chinese wines are
then sprinkled liberally over the
graves, while some graves receive
boxes of cigars and packages of cigar
ettes. But you must not suppose that
the eatables are left on the graves.
Oh, no! That would be throwing too
much temptation in the way of hea
then tramps, in about two hours it Is
believed that the ghosts got the es
sence of the eatables conveyed to them,
and then the devotees gather up the
offerings and carry them home again
to feed their own material bodies.
But the cigars and cigarettes are
burned on the graves.
To t Irtin IMiuuoiiilt,
Just at this reason, when the world
la full of brides, and sunbursts and
stars and other daggling Rifts of the
Rroom" seem as common as plain roIU
weddltiR rings, a hint on how to clean
diamonds artfully may not come amiss
The stones should ttrst tie washed In
warm water and yellow soapsuds, with
a small but not too hard brush, Klnse
and dry them carefully with a soft
cloth or silk handkerchief, and put
them Into a I tux containing boxwood
dust. Move them about In this fur
some time until they seem perfectly
dry. free them from the powder and
polish With tissue (Hiper.
A (J«MI i.ut.
Mtranger | have heard that yow
have a good many >)ueer people |u this
town t'lllien As odd a lot as you'd
And In a year's travel They are a
•pieer set, the whole of 'em, outside my
family And my wife la almost as bad
*» the lUBtlj W than, you know, she
wasn't originally of my fsmly. Itoelim
Transcript,
Ths heir to the Russian thruae la
said to be a good shot, but this will
sot be as useful in his future business
1 si l« ba a poor target.
