* " ..... I . — ____ _ _________ . _ __ ____________
?!l
CHAPTER VI.—Continued.
“A dreadful railway accident has
taken place on the Southeastern rail
way. A goods train from London to
Maidstone, which contained two wag
ons loaded with petroleum barrels,
through some mistake In th«' signals,
ran into the 4:30 up train from Do
ver. at the point where the lires cross.
The engine, tender, and three first
class carriages have been smashed up
and burnt by the petroleum. Twen
ty-three passengers are either dead or
dying.”
The perspiration stood upon his
brow as he read this—this grim and
ghastly paragraph—over and over
again.
“How could 1 possibly let them see
this?” he groaned to himself. “They
would go out of their minds with the
horror of it. And yet,” the thought
struck him, “what is to prevent them
from reading it all, and more beside,
in the morning papers? Though, of
course, there is hope—there must be
a gleam of hope! Some must have
escaped! How slow this train is. And
yet, why should I want to travel fast
er? How do I know what awaits me
at my journey's end?”
When the traiu reached London
Bridge, a little before ten. he foutvl
all was bustle and confusion. T*
news of the accident had spread like
wildfire, and a momentarily increas
ing throng of agonized friends and
relatives besieged tho officials, at
tacked the telegraph office and hurried
hither anti thither, backwards and
forwards, in search of something defi
nite in the shape of information.
Ted Burritt forced himself through
the crowd which was gp‘hered round
•some person in authority, and put
the same questions which burst from
so many lips at once.
“Was anything more known about
the accident? When would the line
be clear, and when would a train be
allowed to run to the scene of the
disaster?"
clue, no possibility of recognizing or
identifying any.
Ted Burritt approached and looked
down upon one; then staggered and
nearly fell.
"Are these ah?” he asked, in a
dreadful whisper. The man who was
fn charge of this ghastly detachment
answered, briefly, "There be a heap
more on ’em in the church yonder!”
CHAPTER VII.
In the Vestry.
There was very little sleep for any
one at Magnolia Lodge that night.
Mrs. Burritt was at last persuaded to
go and lie down upon her bed, where
she was ministered to by her daugh
ter and the cook.
So in lamentations and torturing
suspense, together with brief intervals
of broken rest, the night wore away.
The servants, with scared faces, crept
about the house and prepared the
breakfast,'which nobody touched.
May Burritt came down stairs about
eight o’clock, and the first thing that
she saw was the daily paper lying in
its accustomed place beside the urn.
“Ah!” she gasped, "now to know
the worst!”
The account she sought was as
signed the most prominent, position,
and was headed in large capitals,
“Terrible Railway Accident! Thirty
two lives lost! Numbers roasted to
death! ”
She read the brief paragraph, into
which so much horror was condensed,
and stood ns though turned to stone.
Then coming back to herself, she mur
mured: "Mother must never see this,
it would kill her!” And she left the
room, taking the paper with her.
“After all, though," she ventured to
hope, “there have been some saved.
Why may not he be among them?
Surely Ted will send a telegram soon.
Poor boy! I wonder what he is do
ing?"
A little later in the morning, when
“What’s that? Run, May, and see!"
And the answers, repeated over
and over again, and passed from
month to mouth, were:
"No further details of the accident
had been ascertained, and no names
of the victims had yet been published,
as the telegraph lines had been brok
en.
The first train to Bannock Bridge,
the scene of the disaster, would be
run as soon as the line was clear, and
that could not be for some hours long
er. The unfortunate people who
craved to know what might be the
fate of some of their nearest and dear
est, could do nothing but wait, hour
after hour, every minute of which
seemed an age, and each separate
hour an eternity.
And so, at last, (he hours wore
away, and very early in the morning
a train started, bearing its weary, hag
gard load of men and women, each
hoping that God had at least been
merciful to him, or her, whoever else
He might have bereaved.
Ted Burritt sat in his corner of the
carriage, and let his thoughts wander
where they would. All at once the
thought occurred to him, What had
become of the friend? The friend
whom his father went to meet, and
who was to return with him? But
what did it matter about him? Why.
but for hhn, though the accident
would have taken place all the same,
it would have had nothing to do with
that pleasant, peaceful home at Dul
wich!
By the time he had recovered him
self a little he saw that the day was
beginning to dawn. Surely they must
be very near the scene of the disas
ter.
Even in the faint early light, which
was all they had to illumine the
scene, signs of the recent catastrophe
began to appear. By the side of the
line they saw drawn up some of the
ruined carriages, Another moment,
and the train drew up at the pictur
esque little country station, which
had now been converted into a tem
porary dead-house. The mournful,
wild-eyed cavalctde, which alighted
at the platform, were met by the sta
tionmaster, whc. merely motioned with
his arm, and st.id, “In there.”
The whole crowd, with one accord,
poured in the. direction indicated.
A dreadful sight met their eyes. In
the waiting toom end booking office
a dozen charred >eninants of human
beings were laid cut on tarpaulins—
each one of wbtoh had lost all sem
blance to- humarlty. There was no
Mrs. Burritt was just being coaxed to
take a little beef tea. the fateful
double knock once more re-echoed
through the hou ?e.
"What's that?” cried Mrs. Burritt,
sitting bolt upright. “Perhaps he’s,
come back safe after all! Run, May,
and see."
The housemaid met her on the
stairs, bearing a yellow envelope.
“The boy is waiting to know if there
is any answer, miss,” she said, and
lingered in the expectation of hearing
something of the contents.
The girl seized it and tore it
open-!
To return to her brother, who had
been told that there were yet many
more bodies in the church, for which
room could r.ot be found elsewhere,
j and who, accompanied by a detaoli
I ment of other seekers, thereupon left
{ the station for the sacred edifice. It
i was a relief to find themselves again
in the open air, after the ghastly
sight that had just met their eyes.
Tint there was horror in the thought
that they were only exchanging one
such scene for another.
"Could he have been one of those?”
was the awful thought which pursued
the young man—“one of those fearful,
indescribable objects! And was it
such a thing as that that he must
take home with him. if it should prove
by any means possible to separate the
Identity of the one from the other?”
He came is sight of the church,
which was not far from the station.
Arriving at the porch, the foremost of
the party discovered that the door
was locked. Here was a sudden check
and they began to consult together as
to where the key might be found.
As they did so, a window of one of
the little cottages opposite the church
was thrown up, and an old man. In a
quaint, old fashioned nightcap, stuck
his head out.
"I be a-conun. ne cried; ye must
jest bide a bit, and I'll be with ’ee.”
This was evidently the clerk or sex
ton; at any rate, he war. the individual
required, and th^re was nothing to
do but to “bide,” as he had desired
them.
At last the churchyard gate clicked,
and a shriveled, bent figure made its
appearance, dangling a bunch of great
keys in one hand. He threw the great
door open with a clang, and the people
entered the church. It was very dark
inside. The windows were most of
I them of colored glas3 and high up. and
the old fashioned pews and the thick
squat columns which supported tie
l
nx>r seemed to swallow up wnat i.ttle
light there was.
"They've put ’em all inside the chan
eel rails.’’ said the old man, who had
constituted himself a sort of ghoulish,
master cf the ceremonies.
No one seemed to care to be the
first to approach that part of the holy
edifice.
At last Ted Burritt, with a grim
determination, approached the railing.
Inside, the bodies, or what had once
been bodies, were disposed in two
row*.
Those on the right hand lay In cof
fins which had been hastily gathered
from all parts of the neighborhood;
those on the left were mere groups
of ashes collected together on pieces
of tarpaulin.
Ted Burritt began at the right hand
side. The other people followed his
example, and the old clerk acted as
cicerone.
“This ’un.” he said, indicating the
terrible contents of one coffin, "is sup
posed to a-bin a young female, as
they found a thimble and a bit. of a
dress among the ashes. Thimble 'ad
the name o’ ‘Lizzie’ scratched on it."
A man who was craning his neck
over Ted Burritt’s shoulder gave a
sharp cry: "That’s my girl! That’s
my Lizzie! And her mother waiting
for her at home, and won't believe as
anything can have happened to her—
Oh, Lord!" and he broke out into wild
outcries.
Some of the others, forgetful of
their own concerns for a moment,
gathered round him and made an at
tempt at consolation.
"At least you know which she is—
that ought to be a little comfort to
you."
•'But I thought she might have been
saved. She was such a good girl—
and look at her there!” and he gestic
ulated towards the open coffin.
“I can’t stand much more of this,”
murmured Ted Burritt, as he wiped
the great drops of perspiration from
his forehead.
They left the bereaved parent moan
ing over his child's remains and again
passed on. The next three coffins
were examined, shuddered at and left.
The mutilated corpses which they con
tained possessed neither head, feet
nor hands. They could never have
been taken for anything human had
not the fact been established beyond
all doubt. Was either of those his
father?”
There only remained one or two
more belonging to that row, and they,
too, were unrecognizable. After that
nothing was left but the poor heaps of
ashes on the other side.
"This is all, ladies and gentlemen,”
said the old man, with a sort of char
nel-house cheerfulness, “ ’sides one
more In the vestry, as was put there
In consequents of bein’ very little
damaged, ’cept. about the legs; and
passon did say as 1 w»as to show ’im
fust, though bein’ easy recognized.
Hut my pore old ’ed’s bin all of a
jumble since th’ accident, and I clean
forgot ’im. But anybody as likes can
jest step into the vestry and see ’im
for theirselves. They’ve laid ’im out
on the Jable, through bein' of a hextry
size, and runnin' short o’ coffins. ’E
was found buried under a lot o’ rub
bidge, and they ’ad a deal o' trouble to
git ’im out.”
There was a general rush in that
direction on the part cf all those who
had a male relative missing.
(To be continued.)
Were "Dandy-Lions.”
He had been in the Dark Continent
for two or three years, and when
home on a visit lie delighted to spin
his "tall'' yarns about his experiences
in Africa. The hunting of wild lions
was his specialty—how he could shoot
them, how he could go out and be
sure of finding one, how it was done,
etc., etc., and he generally wound up
by saying that lie never yet saw a lion
that he feared.
One night after he had finished
varning he was a little taken aback
by one of his audience, who said;
“That’s nothing. 1 have lain down
and actually slept among lions in their
wild, natural state.”
“I don't believe that. I’m no fool!”
said the great hunter.
“It’s the truth, though.”
“You slept among lions In their wild,
natural state?”
“Yes, I certainly did.”
“Can you prove it. Were they Af
rican?"
“Well, not exactly African lions.
They were dandelions.”
Practical Toys.
Toys, whether useful or as a pas
time as instructors, are fascinating.
However, the up-to-date toy is prac
tical. Children have miniature work
ing autos. A make-believe train, a
splendid toy, is a real train of cars
with real locomotive and real track.
There are children out West on
whose fathers* property small streams
cross. These boys imitate the things
they see going on about them. They
build dams, cheek the water, con
struct miniature systems of irrigation
in exact copy of the plan used by the
farmers of that country. *l'ie water
thus damned nourishes a garden plot
of their own.
In this play there is the dignity of
education.
Thought Ade Needed Schooling.
The following story is going the
rounds of Highland Park, where
George Ade spent the summer. The
aforesaid was walking along the
street one day when he met a mite of
humanity, kindergarten bent, one of
Mr. Ade’s summer colleagues and
friends.
Mr. Ade called out: “Hello! Goinn
to school?" The prompt reply came
in the same tone of good comrade
ship, without the least suggestion of
flippancy, but just as Mr. Ade would
Yave It: “.No; are joa?"
THE FRUIT IS 1)1 STM
FLORIDA GROWERS OPPOSli CU
BAN RECIPROCITY.
They Protest That They Will Be
Driven Out of Business If Preferen
tial Tariff Ratec Are Granted in
Favor of their Cuban Competitors.
The letters which appear below will
serve to show the intensity of feeling
which exists among Florida fruit
growers regarding the favoritism
which is contemplated toward their
Cuban competitors. Finding it impos
sible to obtain from the Democrats
who represent their state in Congress
any measure of recognition of their
claims to protection, these Florida
agriculturists naturally turn to the
Republican party for aid and comfort.
The South is full of Democrats who
believe in and want protection, and
who would like to turn to the Republi
can party on that account. There was
an excellent prospect that this tenden
cy would become inure and more gen
eral, and that ultimately protection
would do in the South what it has so
effectually done In the states of the
Middle West, the Rocky Mountain
States and the Far West. But this
wretched blunder of promoting agri
cultural prosperity in Cuba at the ex
pense of our own farmers seems like
ly to check the trend in the South
toward Republicanism. It may do
worse than that. It may prove costly
to the Republican party in regions not
long ago won from Bryanlsm and now
counted as safely Republican.
The case of the Florida fruit grow
ers, like that of tho cane growers of
Louisiana and Texas, is ono that
ought to appeal to fair minded protec
tionists. These people have invested
all ihey possess in agricultural Indus
tries that are absolutely dependent
upon protection against the cheaper
lands and tho cheaper labor of com
peting countries. They have relied
upon the continuance of that protec
tion. They cannot understand upon
hot skies of Cuba than In this ‘Land
of Flowers.’
‘'Cuba has long been known as the
richest Island in the world; its fertile
soil making unnecessary the use of
expensive commercial fertilizers; its
orange trees and garden fruits and
vegetables bloom and bear without the
aid of the irrigation ditch. Already
Cuba Is not in need of aid from the
United States; her vast resources are
opening up under the Impetus of flee
ing American capital, deserting the
mother country because the island al
ready offers better inducements than
the United States.
"Shall we aid this capital at the
ruin of our own interests?
"There is now a tariff of twenty-two
and a half cents upon a crate of pine
apples from Cuba. Add this amount
to the rate of transportation from Ha
vana to Chicago and wo have a total
of 74 1-10 cents, less than we pay In
freight rates to the same destination,
it costing the growers of Florida 89Vfe
cents. In this a protection tariff that
protects?
"We feel that a reciprocity treaty
with Cuba in her favor in regard to
those fruits which are commonly pro
duced here and there would end in
irreparable disaster to the interests
of an infant industry in our state that
has already reached to mammoth pro
portions.
"The present tariff Is actually inop
erative and should bo trebled in
amount. Yours very truly, Fletcher
A. Russell, A. B. Hamor, S. A. Brown,
Mrs. D. N. Mott, Win H. Tancre, R. V.
Ankeny, A. E. Saeger, George A. Sae
ger Fred G. Saeger, P. D. Ankeny,
F. L. Hamor. Will I-fl Frantz, Mary
H. Oridley, Marlon A. Patrick, C. W.
Kirk. H. G. Stouder, Ella S. Frantz,
and John N Waller."
Farmers Are Interested.
Under the present tariff law, Ameri
can farmers need not fear the impor
tation into this country of competitive
farm products. But what interests
our farmers most is an industrial con
dition which creates a home demand.
Take work from the great army of
“THEY THAT ARE WHOLE NEED NOT A PHYSICIAN.
WiECARjLM-lfr
N82
FREE
TRADE
Doctor Reciprocity—“My dear Mr. Samuel, your blood la too rich, you
are feeling too good, and I want you to take these medicines in order to
reduco this high prosperity fever now raging in your system. So, take bot
tle No. 1, first, as a laxative, and then bottle No. 2, which will effect a
radical cure. If you follow my directions faithfully, I am sure it will
change your condition in a short time. After this course of treatment, you
will be obliged to use Dr. Cleveland’s Celebrated (1896) Soup House Tonic,
for some time. Dr. Cleveland s Tonic is not a very nice medicine to take,
but it is the only one we use in our practice to meet the conditions that
confront us.”
what principle of justice or equity
'hey are to be driven out of bus'ness
for the benefit of alien competitors—
for that is precisely what it amounts
to in Florida and Louisiana In *ho
event that the Cuban growers of cnne
sugar and fruits shall command the
United States maraet with their Mwer
priced products. Florida fruit grow
ers put the case strongly in the fc low
ing letters:
‘ Anltona, Fla., Oct. 19, 1903 - The
American Protective Tariff League,
New York City.—Gentlemen: You v ill
find Inclosed a letter with a few signa
tures from the leading men of *'ur
community. A few years ago, o wing
to the good ofiice3 of Senator Cuay,
who is only interested in Florida as
a winter tourist ami resident, we wore
enabled to get a tariff of twenty two
and a half cents upon pineapple?, or
anges being already adequately pro
tected through the efforts of our 3111
fornia contingent of growers, organ
ized and powerful as they are.
“Our representatives from Flori la,
at the time Senator Quay so kindly In
terested himself in our behalf, would
not work for the pineapple duty, hut
actually voted against It in bi*th
bodies of Congress. Such bull-headed
stick-to-it-iveness is only commend
able when used with discretion, but It
is odious when employed agalasl right
and justice.
“You are at liberty to usa both
these letters should you see fit. Yours
verv trulv.
“Fletcher A. RusaelL”
"Ankona, Fla., Oct. 17, 1903.—The
American Protective Tariff League,
New York City.—Gentlemen: We em
phatically demand that the Congress
of the United States be not radical in
its desire to ratify tho reciprocity
treaty in favor of Cuba. Should lids
romantic desire be consummated It
would be far better to live under the
wage earners In this country, and our
farmers soon feel the effect. If agri
cultural countries elsewhere have
abundant crops there is naturally no
foreign demand, and with no local de
mand, because of the impoverished
condition of the consumers our pro
ducers have little show to realize on
their investments and thelt toil.
The Republican cannot see why a
single American farmer can conscien
tiously be a free trader. From 1893 to
1897 the free trade policies of the
Democratic party were tried, and agri
culture suffered with othoy industries
It would be the same again were the
Democrats to gain strength enough to
enact a tariff law. As we have said
American farmers are vitally interest
ed In a continuance of present condi
! tions.—Davenport (la.) Republican.
A Few Questions.
Will it be possible for Mr. Cannon
to hold Congress as completely in
check as he hopes to do? Will It be
possible to pass the Cuban reciprocity
bill at the extra session? Will it be
possible to prevent congressmen from
injecting the tariff into the debate?
Mr. Roosevelt would answer "yes” to
all these questions; but the Republi
can politicians, who know a great deal
more about politics and Congress than
lie does, are not at all sure on any of
them; and for that reason they ad
vised him against the extra session.—
New Orleans Tiines-Democrat.
Memory of Dark Days.
Senator Hanna says he thinks the
voters of Ohio are not likely to favor
a change this year. He knows what
he is talking about. The memory of
the dark days from 1893 to 1897 is to<
fresh to permit^of the commission of
any act of folly this year.—Cleveland
Leader.
EASY TO KEEP HOUSE.
No Problem at All in the Jungles of
the West Indies.
Tho negro housewife in the West
Indian iunglo finds housekeeping very
easy. Fruit and vegetables grow wild
all about the hut, and the river
abounds with fish.
On wash day all she has to do is
to pick a few of the berries of the
soapberry tree, take her clothes to
the river, and use berries as she
would use ordinary soap. Even her
cooking pots grow on the trees, the
calabash cut in halves being used for
this purpose. Calabashes are used
also for bowls, basins and jugs for
carrying water from the river, while
the small ones mako excellent cups.
In the afternoon, when she is ready
for her cup of tea, the negress picks
half a dozen leaves from the lime
bush growing at her door, boils them,
squeezes the juice from a sugarcane
for sweetening, and the cocoanut sup
plies tlie milk. Thus she has a de
licious cup of tea without depending
on the grocer for it.
She makes the mats for her floor
out of the dried leaves of the banana,
plaited ami sewn together, as tho old
country people in this country make
their ragmats.
LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE.
Recent Benedict's Declaration as to
His Infant Son.
A man—we'll call him Brown—war.
last >oar receiving congratulations be
cause of the fact that he had at last
succeeded in finding a member of the
opposite sex who was willing to cook
and make his bed for him for the con
sideration of a wifely title.
Brown was last wee.i being con
gratulated because of (he arrival of *
son and heir.
Now, Brown, by the way, waf
thirty-nine years of age when he mar
ried, and consequently was well quali
fied to give his opinions as to tha
state of matrimonial affiliation.
"When do you think Is the proper
time for a man to marry?" he wa;i
asked one day this week.
Brown looked wise. "Twenty-one."
he replied. "Look at all the years ot
1 happiness I've missed. Great Scott!
if that son of mine does not get mar
ried when he is twenty-one 111 horse
whip him."
In such channels run the thoughts
of newly made parents!
Haw to Do Without Servants.
It behooves all house mothers to
meet the question of how to do with
out servants. And in order to ke’p
up the standard of meutal, spiritual
and physical excellence In women,
they must be willing to consider th it
it would be better to live on plainer
food, to have few'er ornaments to dust
in their homes, to wear less elaborate
gowns, and to have more time to re vt
with their children, to walk out under
' the beneficent skies of this fair laud
and to reflect on those things that are
| so abundantly set before the citizens
of the twentieth century; that will
make for an elevation of class, an
entire leveling of conditions that de
pend on the grade of mind that meets
them.—Florence Jackson Stoddard, it.
Sunset Magazine.
Brown Knew.
Senator Bacon of Georgia has for
his hobby the natural sciences, iri
which he is unusually well versed.
He was talking one day about the
effect of heat and cold, explaining
with great thoroughness the rule that
"heat expands and cold contracts.”
Suddenly he smiled. "I am remind
ed of a story,” he said. •‘There was a
' boys’ class in physics before which
this rule came. The rule was discuss
ed in its various aspect and hearing
and finally the teacher said:
“ ‘Brown, suppose you give me a
good example of the rule. Can you
do it?’
“ ‘Yes, sir,’ said Brown. ‘In the sum
mer, when It's hot, the days are long
er; and ir. winter, when it’s cold, tho
days are short.’ ”
On Our Knets.
Lord. what u change within us one short
hour
Spent in Thy presence will avail to make!
What burdens lighten! what temptations
slake!
What parched grounds refreshed, as with
a shower!
We kneel, and ull around us seems to
lower;
We rise, and all the distant and the
near
Stand forth In sunny outline, brave and
clear;
We kneel, how weak!—we rise, how full
of power!
Why, therefore, should wo do ourselves
this wrong.
Or others, that we are not always strong?
That we are ever overborne with care—
; That we should ever weak or heartless
be—
Anxious or troubled, when with us Is
prayer,
; And Joy. and strength, and courage are
with Thee.
—Trench.
Fair Play in Business.
It is of vast importance to the fu
ture manhood of this country that
scorn of unfairness should be univer
sal. Above all, let it be applied stren
| uously to unfairness in business. We
are a commercial people. Our boys
must go into commerce. Our profes
sions ure so mingled with commerce
that it is often hard to distinguish
if they be professions. If we are to
wink at unscrupulousness in commerce
(hen we are doomed to become a race
of tricksters and manhood is dead
within us.—McClure’s Magazine.
Mercantile Fleets.
Compared with the year 1901. the
German, English, Danish, Dutch,
French, Italian, Austro-Hungarian and '
Greek flags show an increase, espe
cially the two latter; the Norwegian.
Russian and Spanish flags show a de
i crease. Non-European flags are sel
dom seen at Hamburg. In 1902 only
1 one American ship, of 2,147 tons; one
Brazilian ship, of 121 tons, and one
Argentine ship, of 1,068 tons, entered
| the harbor.
l
