A WARRIOR BOLD.
By ST. QEORQB TtATHIJOIiXE,
Author of "Little Min Million!“The Spider'e
Web," "Dr. Jack’» Jlidoto’," "Ifiu Caprice,” etc.
Copyright. 1901. SUMtand Smith, Now York.
CHAFTEK VI.
Captain Brand, of the Hespasia.
^he young girl heard her companion
»Ake this declaration with an interest
she did not attempt to conceal.
“Many times that thought has come
to me, but I dismissed it as unworthy.
He brought several things my father
had with him when he went away, and
he resembled the only picture I had of
my father—that is. in a general way.
You could not expect very much after
his cruel years of hardship in the
desert. Besides, he knew all about
our family matters, the quarrel with
mamma's people on account of her
marriage, and many little things con
nected with the past,”
“I shall devote myself to the task
of discovering the truth. Heaven alone
knows who he is, or how he came into
possession of the facts he has uspJ to
such advantage; but 1 Intend to sat
isfy my curiosity in that respect, at
any cost.”
“Something tells me you will suc
ceed,” she said eagerly, so that Char
lie flushed with pleasure.
“Thanks for your faith in me. It
will go a great way toward assisting
me. Of course, you would be gratified
should I find the means to expose him
as an imposter?”
“So long as I still believe him to
be what he claims, I cannot find it in
my heart to turn against him. He has
told me so many awful stories of the
cruelties practiced upon them that 1
sometimes feel as though possibly his
mind had been a little affected, and
that he could hardly be held account
able for his actions.”
Charlie seized upon a slender cue,
quick as a flash to discover a vulner
able point.
“Ah!" he said, eagerly; "you speak
of their suffering among the Arabs!
Then he had a companion in exile, I
Imagine.”
“Oh, yes—three at first; but later on
there was only one left.”
“And the name—do you remember
“Yes. It was hli mate, Ben Hazen.”
"Ah! that is a substantial point
from which to work. Our friend. If an
Imposter, may be very cunning; but
I doubt if he has been able to cover
his tracks so that we may not learn
something of Ben Hazen's past: Ship
ping books and shipping masters may
tell the story of identification if all
else fails. By the way, what does he
say became of Ben Hazen?”
“He was shot while defending a
wretched woman slave against her in
human master, and died of his
wounds.”
"Well, the incident may be true
enough; but the chances are that it
was your own father who gave up his
life in this chivalrous fashion, and
that what papers he had hidden on
his person he confided to his fellow
prisoner in the hope that at some day
he might escape and carry the news to
those he loved in old England.”
Arline heard him with both wonder
and delight.
Her confidence had apparently gone
out to him in the start, and now she
felt it growing he was so earnest, so
positive that his logic seemed to have
the faculty of convincing others.
“There is one thing I meant to ask;
you gave me the wrong card by a
singular accident, but at the same time
intimated that you were known by an
other name than Arline Brand at the
hotel.”
yes; 1 snouia nave explained.
When my aunt adopted me I assumed
her name of Wallis; and as her title
was hereditary, and could descend to
the next of kin after her demise, I be
came Lady Arline Wallis. As such I
have been sometimes known.”
Charlie cringed somehow, at this.
It seemed to raise a wall between
them—wealth and title. What few or
dinary young Englishmen dare aspire
to win a bride from behind such ram
pat U?
Never before had Charlie Stuart
wished for fame and fortune as now;
nothing could be too grand to lay at
the feet of such a royal princess.
And while he was thus battling with
his thoughts, she suddenly caught his
arm.
“He Is out yonder! I heard his
laugh! Now, come to the door, Mr.
Stuart, and take your first look at
Captain Brand of the Hespasia, be
fore you meet him face to face.”
Nothing loth Charlie followed her
to the door, whence they could look
Into the office of the hotel.
Several men were in sight; but al
most Instinctively his gaze settled
upon one who seemed to command
general attention; and no sooner had
Charlie clapped his eyes on this re
markable individual than he uttered
a little ejaculation of surprise and
pleasure.
Possibly he had seen this same lo
quacious Captain Brand of the Hespa
sia under other and more exciting c*r
cumstances.
“Tell me,” he said quietly, to the
girl who was hovering over his shoul
der, “have you given him any particu
lars as to how you chanced to escape
from the Steen dungeons?”
“Only that just in the nick of time
I was discovered by some tourists who
had come down to see the awful place
for themselves.”
“My name was not mentioned?”
“To the best of my recollection, not
at all.”
“Good! Then, if I meet the ogre,
you can introduce me as one of your
friends.”
"I trust such is only the truth," shy
ly.
"An old, old friend, let us say. for
whom you have always entertained
feelings of profound respect."
“It shall be as you say. I am sure
you have some motive in this action.”
“I certainly have. Truth to tell, I
believe I have seen this gentleman be
fore, under other conditions. I shall
know to a certainty after I have been
in his society a while. At any rate,
there is reason to hope for the best.”
"Shall we go out and meet him?”
asked Arline.
“Yes, indeed. The Fates have decid
ed that Captain Brand and I shall
come together for a trial of strength,
and it might just as well take place
now as later. I am ready.”
So they went out.
The ex-sailor quickly Bighted them
and "bore down with all sails set.” as
he would have nautically expressed it.
Charlie played his part well.
He met the captain in a blult,
friendly manner, just as a young man
might wish to receive the father of a
lovely girl he admired.
Plainly Captain Brand found no es
pecial reason for alarm.
«e set out co oe even more joviai
and debonair than usual, with the idea
of creating a good impression on
his daughter’s old friend, whom he
wished to study at close range.
When he set out to entertain. Cap
tain Brand of the Hespasia was a
howling success, relating the most as
tonishing incidents connected with his
long captivity in the desert, his perils
on the sea. and the deep fountain of
love for wife and child that had sus
tained him through all his trials.
Charlie was no mean actor himself,
thanks to the splendid control which
he was able to exercise over his facial
muscles.
Although he now had not the least
doubt as to the fellow being a fraud
of the first water, Charlie felt that he
owed It to Arline’s respect for filial af
fection to prove this fact.
This was the task he cut out for
himself.
He laid his little trap.
Captain Brand was so much engag
ed with his flow of oratory and the
charming of this friend of the family
that he did not notice the pit so deftly
dug.
Thus, almost without an effort.
Charlie had him admit that he knew
considerable about Valparaiso, In
Chili, and had been there, in the
course of his wanderings, many years
ago.
In Charlie’s mind this settled the
matter. He was confident he knew
with whom he had to deal, and when
the time came he would be ready to
dare all in defying the adventurer.
While they sat thus, speaking of
the sights of Antwerp, there came a
messenger from the hotel office inquir
ing for Mr. Charlie Stuart, whom a
gentleman uutside desired to see.
As he went, directed by the clerk,
to the spot where he would find the
gentleman who had asked for an im
mediate interview on serious business,
he was making up his mind to tell
Peterhoff the whole story and enlist
his favorable consideration for Arline,
so that when the denoument came the
doughty captain could be taken care
of.
Judge of his surprise, then, when,
upon coming upon the party who
wished to see him, he found it was no
other than Artemus Barnaby. with his
honest face clouded with an air of the
darkest mystery.
It did not require much prophetic
skill on Charlie’s part to tell that his
erratic friend had news of some im
portance for him.
He pressed a forefinger on his lips
to Indicate dead silence, when he found
that Charlie had recognized him.
Charlie stood there waiting while
the other crept on his tiptoes to the
corner, in the regular orthodox stage
fashion, and looked this way and that,
to assure himself that there could be
no eavesdroppers near.
Then he approached his friend, his
warning finger still on his lips.
Reaching the other, he placed his
lips close to Charlie’s ear, and solemn
ly said:
l ut3 luasi is l icai .
“I see it is," said Charlie, aloud.
“What I am about to disclose to
you, will give you a cruel shock, my
boy."
"Shock away then, only make
haste.”
“I am about to make a disclosure
that will. I regret to say, knock away
the foundations of your belief in hu
manity."
“Ah: that’s a serious thing indeed.
Does this disclosure concern the world
at large or one individual specimen of
mankind?"
“One shining light.”
"Then fire away, and be hanged to
you.”
Artemus assumed a look of extreme
gravity, although Charlie was sure he
heard a chuckle.
"You have met the father of the
young lady of the Steen dungeons. The
hotel clerk has been entertaining me
with a wonderful story of his return to
life and civilisation. It reads like a
romance, and would find a worthy
niche in my notebook, only, my dear
boy, it is so very ancient, a veritable
stage chestnut, as it were.
"But let that pass. I imagine this
Captain Brand is a character worth
knowing, something unique, I could
hear him out yonder, and the dulcet
tones of his voice were soothing
enough to conjure with.”
“Yes.” remarked Charlie, "he is a
wonderful man, and could charm most
people by the quaint manner of his
speech."
Artemus again bent forward.
"Beware of Captain Brand!” he
whispered, and then sprang back to
note the stunning effect of his an
nouncement.
But Charlie, though Interested, ».*■
fused to be stunned. #
“Why, what has he done?"
"He is a bold, bad man!"
Charlie was inclined to say ‘■Amen!"
to that, but he kept his own counsel
as yet. seeking more light.
“See here! You have known this
wonderful modern Baron Munchausen
at some past date?” he said.
Artemus nodded.
“It would be impossible that two
such men could ever exist Yes, I
knew him.”
“Where?"
"In New York.”
“When?"
uei me see, scratcning ms neaa.
as a comedian must always do when
desirous of arousing memory. “Ah!
yes, just a little more than two years
ago.”
“But at that time he swears he was
in the heart of Africa, a prisoner at
Dahomey.”
“Well—he lies," coolly.
Charlie liked that.
It was so fresh and original, at the
same time so very emphatic.
"Who was he when you knew him?”
he asked, determined to get down to
the facts now.
“A fourth-rate actor, on his uppers
half of the time. One of these howl
ing barnstormers, a heavy villain of
the piece, at home in ‘Uncle Tom’s
Cabin’ or ‘Ten Nights in a Barroom.'
He was the joke of the season on the
Rialto, in Gotham. I even thought se
riously of utilizing him in my great
play as the seedy actor who carries
the mysterious secret with him
through five acts, but when he found
there was a chance of him being im
mortalized, his price for sittings went
away up. and I discovered something
better than Hamfatter.”
"Good Heavens! was that his
name?”
“Certainly not. That’s what they
call all heavy tragedians of the barn
storming variety. Let me see," plac
ing a finger alongside his nose, a la
Irving, “now I have it—bend your
head lower, for that fellow has keen
ears—it was Frederick Davenport Ma
cauley.”
"Indeed! Very suggestive, consider
ing his occupation in life. What a
man he is, to be sure; capable of hav
ing so many names, and filling such
various stations in life. Why, when 1
knew him, four or five years ago, he
was called Captain Nathaniel Hedge.”
“What! you knew him, then?”
“I saw him—that is, I am almost
dead certain it is the same man; and
I expect to prove it presently.”
“Where was this?”
“In South America.”
“In Valparaiso?”
"Come, what makes you ask that?”
in surprise.
“I remember him talking of being
concerned in a little war scare that oc
curred down there—he has always
been the same boaster, you know.”
“Well, that seems to prove the iden
tity. I never in all my life heard of
so stupendous a rascal.”
“Say what was he doing down in
Santiago, or was it Valparaiso?”
“The latter, on the coast, the most
enterprising city along the Pacific,
south of San Francisco. What was he
doing? Well, about the last I saw of
him, he was dancing a Scottish horn
pipe.”
“Yes, he has his merry moments
when the liquor is in.”
“But this was a unique affair—before
an audience that must have numbered
thousands.”
“God! that would spur even so
poor an actor to do his best.”
“And Captain Nathaniel did his very
best. If, as you say, he has been an
actor, as well as a miner, sea captain,
coffee planter, speculator, and Heaven
knows what not. he certainly had the
chance of his life to bring out bravos.
However, I don’t think he took half
as much interest in the affair as some
of the rest of us did.”
“He didn’t, e;i? I never knew he
was acquainted with modesty. How
was that?” asked Artemus, eagerly.
“Well,” said Charlie, dryly, “you see,
he was being hung!”
(To be continued.)
UNIQUE FISHING DONE IN JAPAN
Black Cormorant* Thara Taka tba Placa
of Rod and Lin*.
“At the farmhouse, commodious and
hospitable, likewise clean and charm
ing, after the fashion of Japan, we
send for the boy who brings our fish
ing tackle.
“They came waddling Into the yard,
the three birds with which we are to
do our fishing. Black cormorants
they are, each with a white spot be
hind its eye. and a hoarse voice, come
of standing in the water, with which
it says y'eagh whenever a stranger
makes a friendly overture. The cor
morants answer to the name of Ou,
which In Japanese is something like t
the only word the cormorants can say.
The boy puts them In a box together
and we set off across the drifted grav
el to the Tamagawa. Arrived at the
stream, the boy takes the three cor
morants out of the box and adjusts
their fishing harness. This consists of
a tight ring about the bottom of the
neck, of a loop under each wing, and
a directing line.
“Two other boys take a low net.
They drag it down the stream, driving
the little fishes and all the rest before
it. The boy with the cormorants goes
in advance. The three birds are eager
as pointer dogs, and apparently full
of perfect enjoyment. To the right
and left they plunge with lightning
strokes, each dip bringing up a shin
ing fish. When the bird’s neck is full
of fishes down to the level of the
shoulders the boy draws him in, grabs
him by the leg and shakes him uncere
moniously over a basket until all the
fishes have flopped out.—Outing.
HEROES OR THE RAIL
Sublime Bravery of Two Western Trainmen Saves a
Passenger Train and Many Lives.
[ From Victor, Col., comes a story of
such a remarkable combination of
heroism, coolness and judgment that
it la a matter of regret that there does
not exist a national board of award
to decorate the central figure* In recog
nition of their worth as men of nervo
and grit. At Eclipse, on the Florence
and Cripple Creek Railroad, away up
in the dangerous part of the moun
tains, where tracks seem to cling by
some miraculous means to the steep,
rugged slopes, a loaded freight car
broke from a train, with Urakeman
Lund on top. He applied the brake,
but the chain broke and down the In
cline he went at a frightful speed,
yet bravely staying at his post, with
almost certain death ahead. A sub
urban passenger train was due to
leave Anaconda at about the same
time. Conductor Blondy. on an engine,
sped in pursuit of the runaway car.
As he passed Eclipse station like a
streak of lightning he hurled a mes
sage, wrapped around a piece of coal,
through the window to the operator.
It was caught and flashed to Anacon
da just in time to stop the passenger
train, and the engine, with the fear
less conductor in the cab, whirled on
in the pursuit of life and death.
Those who have traveled in the
mountains of Colorado can imagine
the deadly peril as the freight car and
engine rounded treacherous curves
with speed undiminished, riding on
one track at times, now apparently go
ing over the side into some canyon,
now rearing and threatening to hound
up the hillside at some sharp change
in the roadbed. The serpentine track
was followed with a fierce determina
tion. Just four seconds before Ana
conda would have been reached the
freight car wras overtaken. Leaping
through the window and climbing
around to the pilot. Conductor Blondy
made a hazardous coupling at full
speed. The air brakes were applied.
The runaway was brought to a stop.
The brakeman remained at his post.
The conductor resumed his engine.
The car was taken back up the hill.
Those who sat In the passenger coaches
at Anaconda probably never knew how
near they were to death. The conduc
tor and brakeman? Well, they knew
—yes, but it was a part of their daily
existence. They recognized a duty,
they had the nerve to perform it, they
had the presence of mind and the grit
and the brawn to make it a suc
cess.
It was a thrilling incident. It should
be handed down to posterity as an
example of what is possible with a
man who Is equal to the occasion.
SAW SEA SERPENT
Captain of Veaael Arriving at deorgla Port Telia a Remarkable
Story.
A monstrous sea serpent, vicious
and awful looking, was the sight that
brought fright to the crew of the
schooner Samuel B. Hubbard only a
few days ago. says the Atlanta Con
stitution. This vessel, of which Capt.
Mehaffey is master, has Just arrived
In port from New York. Her com
mander, who is well known to all of
the north Atlantic ports, vouches for
the authenticity of the story, and the
facts are corroborated by his first
mate, Mr. Coverdale. Capt. Mehaffey
says:
"It was on the 23d instant. In north
latitude 34 degrees 41 minutes, and
west longitude 76 degrees 10 minutes.
The ship was lying becalmed about 13
noon, when the chief mate called my
attention to something In the water
Just abeam, a quarter of a mile off.
A long, slim object, moving from side
to side, and coming toward us with
such great rapidity that it looked like
an old thresher at work. It very quick
ly worked under our quarter, and In
the clear water we saw the queerest
fish out. As it lay quiet within fifteen
feet of the vessel It appeared to be
about thirty feet long by three feet
in circumference. A smooth body,
showing no fins but the dorsals, three
of them, one short, one, say, about a
foot long, near the head. Then half
way down the body a long, tail-Ilke fin
about seven feet long and about five
inches wide, and near the tail a small
hind fin. The tail was unlike a fish,
ending at a point, without a fin. The
body was a deep pink color to the
middle, and darkening to a light brown
at the tail.
“The head was fully three feet long,
the mouth close to the top. The eyes
were large and close to the top of the
head. We had a good look at the fel
low, as he stayed by fully liaif an
hour. Then the mate got a shotgun
and as the fish lay with half of his
upper body exposed, sent a charge of
small shot In. It evidently hurt him,
for he leaped out of the water half hiB
length and sounded like a whale. It
came to the surface in a few' seconds,
and if it kept up the gait it started
with, the serpent is near the western
coast of Africa by this time.
He makes no friend who never
makes a foe.
SA^AAA/VVVVVVVVWV>A^VSAAA^AA
Sioux Falls Divorce Colony
Novel Community That Has Brought Prosperity to Mercharts of
the Dakota City.
The Sioux Falls divorce colony la
growing into quite massive propor
tions. It is estimated that at the pres
ent time in the neighborhood of 300
females and males, who have attach
ments to them in the shape of hus
bands and wives, are either in the
city sojourning or are paying for room
rent here, while enjoying the luxuries
of the far East, says the Sioux Falls
Journal. Some of the divorcees are
going on the theory that so long as
they pay room rent and claim their
residence as Sioux Falls, they are
exempt from living here during the
seven months necessary to get the
decree of separation from uncongenial
spouse.
There are all grades, kinds, colors
and degrees of divorcees here; from
the kind that are compelled to work
for a living in order to make both ends
meet to the aristocratic German count
and prominent citizens of New York,
the latter generally preferring to re
main In New York to residing here.
Then there is a prominent coach for a
famous football team who is repre
sented in eastern papers as visiting
occasionally at Sioux Falls to look
after some patients he has there.
Among the male seekers for divorce
THE TROUBLES OF ARMLESS MEN
Tkrw Woti That Ciwt Them the
tirtatHt Annoyance.
Three common incidents of every
day life worry men without arms more
than many of the graver questions of
existence. In the first place, the arm
less man seldom finds any one w'ia
can put his hat on so that it feels com
fortable, scarcely no one is able to
adjust his glasses, and, lastly, he ex
periences great difficulty in getting his
shoes laced in such a way that his
nerves are not set going.
•‘They’re small things to complain
about,” said one armless man, “but
they worry me more than even the fact
that I have no arms. My wife has
made a careful and conscientious study
of my peculiarities with reference to
my hat, my glasses, and the lacing of
my shoes, yet even she does not give
satisfaction, and as for strangers, they
are simply unbearable.
‘‘When my hat is set on my head it
never seems to touch the right spot. It
is either too far down over my eyes
or too far back, or else, if tie posi
tion happens to be somewhere near
correct, the hat sets too lightly or is
there are some that certainly need to
be caged. It would undoubtedly be a
disagreeable experience for them if
they should be riding out in the coun
try and meet some farmer lad who was
out hunting. The farmer lad would be
justified In thinking he saw some new
species of something and took a shot
at it. Then there are the divorcees,
nearly all of whom are good-looking.
Some are quiet and demure sort of in
dividuals, and have their brothers (?)
with them, while there are others who
are trying to turn the heads of some
of the traveling men and gay members
of this city, who are apparently suc
ceeding In pretty good shape.
The divorce colony as a whole la a
pretty good thing for the merchants of
this city. They are all money spend
ers, and those who have the coin want
the best going. They are naturally a
restless lot, having nothing in particu
lar with which to Interest themselves
during their sojourn here, and are
naturally ready to do anything that
will pass the time, which accounts for
some of them getting reputations for
giddiness.
Even rough men can be gentle when
they meet a real woman.
pushed down on to my ears. I always
wear a 'stiff’ hat, so I can butt my
head against the wall and adjust my
top piece to my own satisfaction.
“My glasses cause me even more
worry than my hat. I've tried all
kinds and styles with the same result.
I'm now wearing old-fashioned spec
tacles, so I can by rubbing the bridge
against the sharp corner of a door or
the bottom of a table adjust them at
least half way correctly.
“My strangest trouble is with my
shoes, and they cause me the most
worry because I have not yet been able
to remedy the annoyance caused by
them. My wife usually laces them In
the morning, and frequently she is
compelled to make two or three trials
bafore she gets them properly drawn
together. If they are a bit too tight
or a bit too loose, they set my nerves
on edge, and make my life miserable.
I don’t know whether I’m a crank or
not. Sometimes I think I am, but of
this much I am sure--I can't help It.-’
Those who are in the habit of mak
ing capital out of the mlsfortuneg of
others will And themselves with a lot
of worthless assets *«oner or later.
CR0S3-EYED MAN MADE TROUBLE
How Ills Visional Oefect Discomfited t
Lecturer.
"I have faced a thousand audi
ences. '■ said a well-known lecturar
the other day, “add I have never been
able to shake off my nervousness of
the first 10 minutes. Scores and scores
of times I have wasted to run away
as the moment approached for me to
step out and be introduced, and doz
ens and dozens of times I have had
close escapes from breaking down
after making a fair beginning. The
merest trifle will sometimes put a lec
turer clean out.
“The flattest failure I ever made
was In a town in Ohio. I had been
speaking for 10 minutes when a cross
eyed man came in and took a front
seat. He at once crossed his legs,
folded his arms and looked me full
in the face. I tried not to see him,
but in spite of myself I found my
glance wandering in his direction, and
he soon began to Irritate me. I got
to wondering if his children w'ere also
cross-eyed—which eye he saw the best
with—why he didn't hate them
straightened, and I felt myself getting
tangled tip. I fought against the in
fluence and wont on all right for 10
minutes, and then I noticed that the
cross-eyed man had a pimple on his
nose. 1 thought I saw him trying to
look at it, and I Just stopped dead still
in my lecture to watch him. For two
minutes the audience was as silent as
so many dead people, but then they
caught on and began to laugh, and
for another two minutes the hall was
in an uproar.
"I hadn't meant to call attention to
the man’s misfortune, of course, but
his feelings were not at all hurt. It
appeared that he had bought a new
neck-tie at a bargain that day, and as
I stood there like a stupid he rose up
and bowed to me and said:
“ Thankee, sir. If you want one too
I can tell you where they are sold for
17 cents apiece, and they are the big
gest bargains in Ohio!’
“Then we had a hearty laugh all
around, and I found my lost wits and
went ahead again, and 1 do believe
that was the most enthusiastic audi
ence of the year.
MONKEY IN UNITED STATES ARMY
Tnulj-Thlrd Regiment HMOot Un
harmed by Mullets.
Fritz, the mascot of company H, 23d
regulars, and veteran of the Philippine
war, Is known to the boys of the com
pany as "comrade,” and to them he is
away above the average of his kind.
Fritz enjoys the rare distinction of
being the only one of twelve monkeys
able to stand the long ocean voyage
from Manila. Frank J. Knoffkey is
the owner, and the soldier has never
gone into an engagement since April
14, 1900, when Fritz was brought Into
camp, without the faithful monkey
either on his shoulders or trudlng
along close by his side. Fritz has been
on every island in the Sulu archipel
ago, nnd suffered without a murmur
the long and trying campaign.
When Knoffkey lay wounded on tha
Held on Cebu island, his comrades In
uniform pressed on, but his comrade
Fritz nestled close to his side and
guarded him through the watches of
the night.
On the regiment's forced march
across Latey island, Fritz divided his
time between walking and riding on
the shoulder of the men all along th©
line. It was on this occasion that he
came near losing his life, at the hands
of several wild monkeys, because he
had no tall. A monkey loses his social
standing in the Philippines when he is
minus a tail. Fritz escaped from his
indignant relatives only by leaping to
the shoulders of his master.
Morphine Floods Increasing.
At least 10,000 persons In this coun
try are victims of morphine and 10 per
cent of American physicians are slaves
to opium In some form, according to
a statement adopted by the Medical
News. All recent estimates, the same
authority asserts moreover, indicate
that the use of morphine not only as
a drug to allay pain, but also as an
intoxicant, is daily becoming an in
creasing evil. A physician recently
said:
"The demand for morphine in the
drug stores is increasing at an alarm
ing rate. Traffic In the drug is re
stricted by law, but the law is practi
cally ineffectual. Any morphine fiend
who needs a supply knows how to ob
tain it, and does obtain it readily
enough and apparently one user of the
drug makes many more,
"Before long there is sure to be a
cry for increased restriction. What is
needed, however, is not so much a new
law, but the stricter enforcement of
the present one and vigorous prosecu
tion of those who connive at the illicit
traffic In the stuff.”
_ ... .
American Ulr:» Win.
The number of American girls who
are now holding important positions
in French opera has caused no little
discontent among the Paris public.
Not that there is any personal preju
dice against Americans, but simply
because it is considered that French
artists should have the first showing
where engagements at their national
theaters are concerned. Yet it is un
questionable that voices are beginning
to be scarce In France, whereas Am
erica is advancing steadily as the
country for good material which re
quires only classical training abroad
to develop all the qualities necessary
for operatic success.
Artlfleal Indian.
The manufacture of artificial Indigo
was started in Germany thirty-five
years ago, with less than forty work
men all told. It now employs over
6.000 men, and has a stafT of 148 scien
tific chemists. ^
