♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦>♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ Ai\ American Nabob. A RemaLrkoLble Story of Love, Gold sxrxd Adventure. Dy ST. GEORGE RATHBORNE >♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ('upyri^iu, by SihJlki & Skim, New York. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ CHAPTER XVII (Continued.) Ho soon discovered that his driver had chosen a far from delectable route to the hotel—true, it might be short er, but he could not remember ever having heard of a Jehu ready to cut down the length of his journey when he had a good paying fare Inside. The marquis experienced the first little sensation of alarm, or, rather uneasiness, just then. His curiosity having been aroused,the marquis found means to look out of the vehicle, and was not greatly surprised when he dis covered that an unknown man sat be side the driver. Before now he had known that some one was riding behind, having heard various thumps that gave the secret away, and once upon twisting his head around he had a fleeting glimpse of a human eye glued to the little glass in the back canopy of the vehicle. A very pleasant outlook, really. Being a philosophical man to a marked degree, the marquis at once set to work pooling his resources, so as to make as game a stand as the oc casion would admit. He remained perfectly cool and self possessed—when a man had passed through such astonishing adventures as had fallen to his lot of late years he is hardly likely to show the white feather because forsooth a few London blackmailers and footpads conspire to entrap him. He gathered his energies together and watching his chance, quietly open ed the door to the left, intending to drop out without attracting the atten tion of the two cronies upon the seat. A very clever little idea, and one that might have worked to a beauti ful issue only for one thing—he hail forgotten the fellow who was riding in the rear of the ‘ growler.” Tho marquis, with an agility he had acquired from long years of athletic practice, had successfully made the drop, and was in hopes that his move had not been seen, when the third party leaped from behind the vehicle, and. throwing himself upon the half recumbent passenger, sounded the alarm. CHAPTER XVIII. In Due Time. No doubt the Kilkenny cats had a very salubrious time of it when they indulged in their little engagement, but such an encouuter could not bear comparison with the scramble in which the marquis engaged when these three London footpads set upon him. The fellow on his back was interfer ing with his blows as much as he pos sibly could, and as a result the others were enabled to throw themselves upon him. Matters were in this mixed-up state and the final result in doubt, when a new element was precipitated Into the game. An outsider hurled himself upon the struggling mass, and by an exercise of tremendous muscular strength tore the man loose from the gentleman's shoulders, though he clung with such pertinacity that he carried away the collar of the marquis’ coat. The newcomer gave him a toss that sent him down a nearby area, where a crash of glass and startled screams announced his prompt arrival. Then this unexpected ally turned his attention to the others—the mar quis, freed from his tormentor in the rear, had opened his batteries upon them afresh, and was dealing out his blows with reckles abandon, when he aaW one of them snatched bodily from his feet and tossed through the open door of the four-wheeler as though ne might have been a mere sack of vats. Lpon tms tne last or tne trio, wno proved to be no other than the driver, uttered a ye!l of fear and. scrambling tn haste to his seat, laid the whip on his horse and clattered down the nar row street. Thus the field was suddenly cleared of enemies in double-quick order, and the manner of their disposal seemed to greatly amuse the muscular, red bearded giant who had come so op portunely to the assistance of the be leaguered marquis, for be roared with laughter. “Gang awa’ wi’ ye baith, and dinna' forget the puir de’il who lies in a muckle yonder. Man, they were mair than ye could weel handle, but it did me good to be of assistance to ye, and that's no lee," he exclaimed, assisting to brush the gentleman off. The marquis at sound of his voice was stunned, but he recovered in time I to cry out: ‘‘Donald McGregor, by my life it Is!" “Aweel, ye seem to know me, sir, though I confess the honor is all on your side. Still, there is something familiar in your voice 1 dinna ken—it’s verra curious.’* The marquis by this time had man aged to get hold of his honest hand, and was squeezing it with much emo tion. "Ah! McGregor, you’re always doing something for others. The last 1 saw of you, my dear fellow, was when I of fered myself as a target for Captain Livermore’s bullet, and declined to murder him afterward." The man from Scotia uttered a roar, and insisted upon embracing the other, much to the amusement of the crowd that had gathered. This extraordinary meeting was one of the most pleasant things that had occurred to the marquis since striking London. He had in a fashion made search for thiB old and tried friend, but as yet had been unable to get track of him, so that the encounter came as a most agreeable surprise. McGregor’s story was told in a few sentences—he had taken a wife and started in bravely to Increase the population of Her Majesty’s people with a pair of twins as a beginning, but beastly luck had swooped down upon him, and he was having a hard pull at present, though nothing could crush his jolly spirits. This pleased his companion more than words could tell, since it opened a way for him to assist his old friend. “Worry no longer, McGregor, for there is a bright future ahead. I am in a way to put you in a position where money will flow into your pock ets. God bless you for a true-hearted friend. There is my card—call on me at ten to-morrow, and you can have anything you ask. Meanwhile take this for a temporary loan—not a word against it—I won't hear a murmur. Go home to your wife and babies, and remember me in your prayers. Such luck to meet you after searching in vain—it must have been an especial act of Providence. When you come to the hotel to-morrow send up your name to the Marquis of Montezuma." Whereupon the McGregor was actu ally compelled to lean against a house for support, so wonderful was the in telligence thus communicated. “It beats a’,’’ was all he could mut ter. w nen sareiy lanueu in ms noiei ne resolved never again to be caught napping in such a reckless way. After all, it had been an eventful day. and brought both joy and regrets. The marquis had a strange feeling as though that for which he had yearned all through those dreary years was about to be snatched away from him in his hour of victory. The little germ was working, and in due time it might leaven the whole lump—a few more such rude shocks as lie had received when those two little cherubims captured him in Fedora's house would certainly complete his discomfiture, and if he had hoped to continue cruel and relentless he must take no chances in that direction. CHAPTKK XIX. Mazette Makes a Discovery. Affairs could not continue much fur ther without coming to a crisis. There came the day when the mar quis found he could no longer blind one pair of eyes, at least. Mazette had remembered. The marquis was taken by surprise when, upon entering the little studio, he found Mazette In tears. •■Come, what lias gone wrong?” he exclaimed in dire dismay, for. like all men, he felt his utter impotence under such conditions. She came toward him, smiling through her tears—there was upon her face reproach, delight and keen artis tic disappointment. "Why did you not tell me before?” she asked, as he took her hand in his. “Tell you—indeed, if l only knew what you meant 1 would only be too glad—this is, I—then you have dis covered all?” for it dawned upon him that she was no longer blind. "Oh, Jack, how dreadfully cruel of you," as she dropped her head in order tnat ne snouiu noi see me tears or mortification. • To conceal my identity all thi3 time—yes, in one sense it was. but I had an object in it all. I assure you,” he declared sturdily. She looked up troubled. “What docs it all mean—I hope, I pray you are doing what is right— that is—” and there she stopped con fused. Upon which ho laughed almost bois terously and possessed himself of her other hand—they were such good friends, such old friends, there could be no harm in this natural and inno cent action. “Have no fears, little woman—my patent of nobility was issued in the regular way at Madrid, for the usual round sum—I am the genuine article, the Marquis of Montezuma. As to my wealth, you have heard that I pos sess amazing gold mines in the new world. I assure you my money has ail been honestly acquired and also taken from mother earth, a present from tlie old Montezumas of Aztec time.” They talked of old times, and the many memories they had in common— since the flight of years how precious these recollections became—a halo seemed to surround each incident in those days of yore, making romantic what at that time had been exceeding ly prosaic happenings. Really the marquis enjoyed the half hour in Mazette's society more than he might have cared to confess while still hugging that determination for vengeance in his heart—while that grim spectre haunted his life he could never be wholly happy. And when he said good-bye he must needs take both her hands in his and press them—as such an old familiar friend should have the privilege of doing, though it startled him a little to see the lilush that flashed athwart Mazette’s cheeks. The Marquis of Montezuma whlstV'J softly as h* ran down the steps from the studio. It was the first time in many a long day he had felt so light hearted and cheerful. As the lower steps were a little gloomy he almost ran over a lady in the act of ascending Of course an apology sprang to his Ups. for his awkwardness seemed to have alarmed her. The next instant the Marquis uttered an exclamation of astonish ment in which thpre was also a trace of alarm, for, as he turned to the lady he found himself looking into that beautiful but dangerous face of the Senorita Juanita. Why the sight of a lovely face should cause the marquis to tremble might seem a mystery, but he knew the reason—it was not that he feared this Spanish girl so far as his own personal safety was concerned, but there were others: Mazette! That Dona Juanita had been dogging his footsteps of late he had no doubt, and her motive in doing so was no mystery, since she had vowed to dts nover who the authoress of his wrongs in the past might be in order to avenge them. But what had that to do with Ma zette. since she was not concerned in liis misery of the past? “Ah! the interest of this jealous woman had more to do with the pres ent—the future. And that was why he trembled, be cause suddenly overtaken with the overwhelming consciousness that Ma zette’s happiness was precious to him. The shock did more to tear away the cobwebs with which he had concealed the truth than anything else that could have happened. Besides he could not forget the blush that had swept over her face as be said good-bye. Dona Juanita was the first to speak —she had made a half-frantic struggle to lay hold of her veil, doubtless in the expectation of lowering the flimsy gauze In time to conceal her face, and when she found it was too late, her hand fell to one side, and she met the astonished gaze of the marquis with a defiant smile, saying: I have not nan the pleasure or taiic ing over old times such as you promis ed, Senor Jack. I sadly fear you find other attractions too great a tax upon your time." “Ah! I am a very busy man. srno rita; you can readily understand that. They shower attentions upon a suc cessful man in London—once 1 might have starved to death upon the streets, and a few lines in the morning Times would have been my poor obituary. Now, it takes columns to chronicle my most simple doings, how I live, what 1 think and such stuff; Bah! I am disgusted with it all.” "Tell me, Senor Jack, have you giv en up your design for vengeance?" she asked, fixing her great black eyes upon him as though there might be much more in this question than appeared upon the surface. “Not yet," he answered slowly. "Ah! then there is still hope,” she muttered, and he did not comprehend at tne time just what this meant, tnough later on the full importance of it burst upon him. Hope for what?—her designs were all selfish, since it never entered her head to think of others, and the future as connected with her own fortunes was all that concerned her. The marquis was glad when at last he saw her into a cab, and raising his hat, pressed her hand in adieu, hoping that he might set eyes no more on the belle of San Jose. CHAPTER XX. How Fedora Heard. The Livermore* had vanished from the sphere which they had for some years adorned, but it was no mystery to the marquis, who had kept track of their movements through those who served him well. (To be continued.) AFTER HUGO, SILENCE. Tim Great French Author'* Immenae Appreciation of Himself. It was a quarter of a century ago that the writer of this paragraph first saw Victor Hugo, the centenary of whose birth was recently celebrated. It was at a congress of European au thors, assembled in Paris to discuss the question of international copy right. Nearly all the distinguished authors then living were present at this congress. Hugo presided. On his right was M. Leon, the French min ister of public instruction, and on his left was Turgenieff, the great Russian novelist. It was the opening day of the congress, and Hugo delivered an address of welcome to the delegates. At the conclusion of his address, a delegate arose and began to discuss the question before the congress. He had not spoken a dozen words when the presiding officer rapped him to or der. “Silence!” said the president. "Nobody speaks after Hugo. The con gress is adjourned until tomorrow!” There was no dissent from this ruling of President Hugo, and the delegates dispersed. It was an impressive demonstration of Hugo’s tremendous appreciation of himself, as well as of the profound re spect in which he was held by bis lit erary contemporaries. Sawmill ltun by a Woman. A sawmill is successfully run by a woman near Plainfield, N. J. Mrs. David Blackford carries on this in dustry, performing the part of engi neer, and hiring a man and boy for rough work. Her husband spends six months of each year in South America searching for lumber, and thus he i-rofit3 of the lucrative business are kept in the Blackford family. Mrs. Blackford is a comely young woman, who supervises all the financial and mechanical parts of the sawmill, turn : ing out extra fine work. FARMERS' INTERESTS, IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSIFYING AGRI CULTURAL INDUSTRY National (.rune* l’rote»t* Agulntt Tariff Krd ni t Ions Wliove IlfToct Would *i« to l)lMOur»K* Hie tirowing of Sugar Heats 1q the t olted States. Evidently the legislative committee of the National Grange believe witn the New York Farmer that the sugar beet industry of the United States should be developed, and that the surest, safest and quickest way to develop it is to leave the present tar iff on imported sugar undisturbed. In an address before the ways and mpans committee of the house of repre sentatives in Washington. D. C., on January 23, on the subject of lowering the tariff on sugar imported from Cu ba, National Grange Master Jones took exactly the stand taken by this jour nal. He showed how important it is that our overdone agricultural lines shall be relieved by turning a part of our land to the growing of sugar beets, and thus keeping at home the immense sums of money we have been spending on sugar grown by foreign farmers. We may not agree that protection is necessary or desirable in any line of production, but we cannot evade the record fact that protection enabled this country to build up most of its great industries. T'ne Inference from the records is that a tariff on sugar imported from foreign lands will pre vent foreign manufacturers from smashing our beot sugar Industry by flooding our markets with their cheap sugars, long enough to discourage our beet farmers and sugar manufactur ers and drive them out of the field. With our factories shut down and no sugar beets growing on our farms, the foreign manufacturers would have us in their power. By doubling their price for sugar, they would in one year make enough to repay them over and over for all the sugar they send to glut our markets anil smash our in dustry. National Grange Master Jones and the othpr members of the legisla tive committee are justified in protest ing against any action by congress on the tariff that will tend to ruin what will, if developed, become one of the most important of our agricultural lines, namely, the growing of sugar beets.—New York Farmer. FARMERS NOT TRAITORS. Would Not Favor I)lsunlont»n> for tlif> Nak« of tlio Hoot Sugar IndnHrj. The editor of the Review of Re views should be fair and consistent. Generally speaking, he is so. But in dealing with the question of Cuban (Sugar and Tobacco trust) relief he falls out of his habit of fairness anJ consistency. Thus: “These same beet sugar fanatics would, if they could, at once expel Louisiana from the the Union, because that state has the effrontery to produce cane sugar. Such a policy is protectionism gone mad.” To gravely assert that the sugar beet growers of the northern states “would, if they could, expel Louisiana from the union because that state has the ef frontery to produce cane sugar" Is un worthy of a publication of the char acter of the Review of Reviews. It is not argument; it is not truth; it is mere rant, fanatical free trade rant. Thousands of farmers now raising sugar beets are the sons of men who fought to keep Louisiana in the UDion, and the men of to-day would, if oc casion should arise, fight as their fathers fought. They are to-day fight ing in the same ranks with the farm ers of Louisiana and for a common cause—the cause of justice and fair play. They ask that they be not sac rificed on the altar of Cuban sym pathy, or sugar trust rapacity, as the case may be. They believe in what William McKinley called "the great est free trade system ever known, the free trade between the forty-five states of the American union;” but they object to a free trade in lower priced foreign competing products, whether these products come from Cuba or from any other foreign coun try. They urge that if we owe Cuba anything it is the whole country that owes it, and should pay it, and not alone the American growers of sugar cane, sugar beets and tobacco and the manufacturers of American cigars. But they are not disunionists or traitors. The Review of Reviews assertion to tue contrary is undignified and dis creditable. Not the most rampant ad vocate of sugar trust Interests has said a meaner thing or a falser thing. End the Reciprocity Tlntnluig. Information from Washington is to the effect that the House ways ami moans committee has unanimously agreed upon the wiping out of the en tire war taxes. If this move is agreed to it will end all efforts at reciprocity. The reduc tion of the revenues will be so great that a further decrease of tariff du ties will be impossible. The country is to be congratulated upon this action. Reciprocity is a beautiful thing in theory, but in prac tice it is but the advance courier of free trade. The world doesn’t buy from us because of any sentiment. It purchases here because it must come to us for many of the goods it wants and because our prices arc lower than those of the rest of the world. Reci procity on the other hand means ad mitting to America duty free many lines which can be produced or manu factured here. Thus we throw down the bars of protection and help build up some other nation at the expense of our own. Reciprocity also means an in terminable tangle In the revenue laws and many attempts to palm off as duty free gooiis whirh do not. come from countries with which we had reciproc ity trusties. In fact, reefproeMy would be unfair to America and un fair to many other countries. When we are prosirering so well under pro tection it seems foolish to deliberately put gaps in the fence.—Philadelphia Item. M'KIINLEY’S WISDOM. Reciprocity Only With Countries Whmt W tiKv lute la Ki|iml to Our Own. One day. writes Eli I’erkins. Dingley asked McKinley what the tariff should be on a certain article? McKinley thought a moment, and then said: "Mr. Dingley, here is our whole tar iff theory in a nutshell: If we can’t make or produce a certain article let it come free; but if we can make it let us put the tariff against the low wage country just high enough so that we can make it without lowering our wages." “And when shall we see reciproc ity?" asked Dingley. “Whenever we are dealing with any nation whose wages are as high as ours, then we will exchange products— that is, sell and buy with no tariff at all." This is our whole tariff theory in a nutshell. This theory has captured our own home markets. We make all our own iron, cutlery, tin. cloth, glass, pottery, machinery, woolen and cotton cloth, carpets and shoes. This theory is making us wealthy. Wealth, inventions and combinations now enable us with our high labor to furnish other nations cheaper than they can make these things themselves with their cheap labor. We will soon have the markets of the world. This year 1902 we will probably sell $1,500,000,000 worth of stuffs, and only buy $500,000,000. and put to our credit a billion dollars! Should we change this tariff? W hen ineu are sick we should give (hem medicine; when well, never! This nation is well. It was well when Cleveland commenced doctoring it witli the Wilson tariff and made it sick. It is dangerous to give a well na tion medicine. Let tue present tariff alone! Explosive Possibilities. Principle* lloit Be Preserved. As far as Cuba is concerned, there is no reason, either in law or equity or politics, why the United States should sacrifice a single domestic in dustry, in order to extend its philan thropy to Cuba. If Cuba has a gov ernment of her own and a tariff of her own, she will soon be self-sustaining. She can sell a large portion of her sugar in this country and abroad even with tariffs against her, for her labor is eheap. Cuba prospered under Span ish rule—why cannot she prosper now? If protection is to sacrifice on the altar of foreign trade, it is well to re call the fact that our foreign com merce has increased enormously un der a protective tart IT. Protection is no bar to foreign trad a. While tariff schedules may need changing ooea* tonally to suit the times, the. fact remains that the prin ciple of protection must be preserved to maintain prosperity.—Kalamazoo Telegraph. Could Not Stand It. The steel trust can stand Mr. Bab cock’s bill. But the steel trust's com petitors, feebler concerns, with small capital, cannot stand it. If the bill were enacted, instead of crippling the steel trust, it would really strengthen its grip upon the home market, and give it a virtual monopoly of the iron and steel trade of America. Congress men who want to do this will support Mr. Babcock’s bill. Newspapers that want to bring this thing about will call for its immediate enactment.— Boston Journal. Sound Bu»lne»* View. So far as the business interests of the country are concerned, they are radically opposed to tariff revision by the present congress. It is generally conceded that duties on certain articles can be reduced without impairing the principle of protection, but the intelli gence of the country is opposed to opening up the tariff question for the sake of applying a few remedies and at the same time disturbing business conditions by the fear of extensive changes.—Green Bay (Wis.) Advocate. No Bond. There is no need to hope for any thing from it; » o good will come. The trust wants to get in more of its su gar. and the only benefit the public would get would be when the trust re duced its price to stop the production of beet sugar. It is well to be clear about it.—Birmingham (Ala.) "ledger * MONEY IN SKATING RINKS. Four Surc«»fnl One*, raying I.arge Dirt* drnd* to Stockholder*. Hollpr skating rinks, once the most popular resorts of young folks, have been run at a loss for several years, but there Is money In real ice 3kattng rinks. There are four in successful operation ami the'- yield satisfactory dividends to their stockholders. One is in Manhattan, one in Brooklyn, one in St. I»nis and one in Pittsburg. Preparation of the floor is the most expensive item. The ice is formed on i floor of special felt-covered boards laid in prepared asphalt. Underneath, in a filling of ground cork, run the pipes conveying the refrigerating brine. The pipes are usually 'aid only three inches apart. Though the buildings can he heated by steam to a tempera ture of 40 degrees or thereabouts the surface of the ice can be kept hard at all times by the frosty brine under neath. The Brooklyn rink represents an in vestment of $60,000 and has been a paying enterprise from the beginning. I -asst year the stockholders received 16 per cent. The Pittsburg rink, which Is on a larger scale, represents an Investment of $300,000. It was built four years ago and lias never paid less than 11 per cent. The two other rinks are pro portionately profitable. BREAD AND BUTTER STATE. Now Nani* Dallied for Minneanta by Ha Dairy Product* and Flour. Minnesota has heretofore been known as the Gopher State. Now it is beginning to be called the Bread anil Butter States. The reason of the change becomes clear when it is said that last year its mills turned out 26, 620,000 barrels of flour and there were churned in the state 50,000,000 pounds of butler. In the produce of spring wheat, Min nesota stands at the head of the states of the country and its flour mills are noted not only throughout the North west, but in foreign countries as well. The extensive development of its dairy interests is comparatively recent. The combination of wheat and flour with milk and butter is more clearly marked in Minnesota than in any other state. New York and Illinois are im portant dairy states, but the value of the wheat crop in New York is less than one-third the value of Its oat crop, and less than one-eighth the value of the hay crop, wheat being now one of the minor agricultural products of New York, oneo the chief - wheat state. Illinois raises a fair amount of wheat blit the corn crop, which is of very much more importance, yields in a year $K to every dollar received from the product of wheat. Delivering Coal In London. V proof of the conservative ways of the English people >s the manner in which coals for the household fires are distributed and stored. Instead of the American coal cart, which is loaded in less than five min utes from an elevated coal bin, the American visiting London finds an ordinary wagon made to carry about a dozen large hags of coal, which are tilled one by one at an expense of much time and labor, and then lifted Into the venide like so many milk cans. When an American coal cart reaches the house where its load is to be dumped the cart is backed up against the side of the pavement, the chute is drawn out like the barrel of a tele scope, and the end inserted In the coalhole, In a few minutes the entire load, with the rush of water falling over a small cataract, runs down Into a heap on the floor of the coal cellar. In London, on the other hand each bag of coal has to be taken separately from the wagon and emptied as near as may be in the coalhole; and when the task is at last finished the coal which has fallen on the pavement has to be laboriously shoveled into the coal cellar.—Nineteenth Century. French Woman BsrrUtcr. It is just a year ago since Mile. Cbau vin, the lady barrister, made her flrsl appearance at the Paris bar. Inter viewed on her experiences, she states that the fact that she is a woman seems to be forgotten by both bench and bar. and she no longer excites the slightest curiosity at the law courts She has appeared in some fifty eases during the year, including a divorce case, when she represented the hus band and obtained judgment against the unfaithful wife. She far prefers equity work, however, and never wants to enter an assize court. In the first place, she says one has to tell too many untruths there, and secondly, for her part, she resolutely refuses to ac cept a brief unless absolutely con vinced of the justice of her client's cause. Mile. Chauvin looks upon the sick ening leniency meted out to murderers in Paris, and especially to murderesses with disgust and stupefaction, and add ed that no woman need trouble to gei a divorce; she only need kill her hus band to obtain her freedom and be come a popular idol.—Paris Corre spondence London Telegraph. From Palace to Foorhouae. The Duchess Rio de Rias, who was one oiL the foremost figures in Parisian society in the time of Napoleon III. died recently in the almshouse a< Simferopol. She entered the alms house several years ago, after suffer ing the most abject poverty. During the time of her glory in Paris she if alleged to have squandered in gambl ing and otherwise a fortune of thre* millions sterling.