Breeding Tortoises. An enterprising Mexican has rent ed a lake in the Island of Cozumel, off the east coast of Yucatan, from the Mexican government for the pur pose of breeding the shell-producing tortoise, and expects to make a for tune. He pays $100 a year for ten years. The tortoise lives to a great age, and its growth is nearly as slow as its movements. Its shell consists of thirteen plates, which are surround ed by twenty-five smaller plates as a protective margin. As a new layer of horny substance is produced each year, a plate at its exposed edge marks the age of the animal. Tor toise-shell in the arts and for use as combs is coming into favor again, notwithstanding its easy imitation in celluloid. free to Twenty-Five Ladies. The Defiance Starch Co. will give 25 ladles a round trip ticket to the St. Louis Exposition, to five ladies in each of the following states: Illi nois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri who will send in the largest number of trade marks cut from a ten cent, 16-ounce package of Defiance cold water laundry starch. This means from your own home, any where in the above named states. These trade marks must be mailed to and received by the Defiance Starch Co., Omaha, Nebr., before September 1st, 1904. October and November will be the best months to visit the Exposition. Remember that Defiance is the only staren put up 16 oz. (a full pound) to the package. You get one-thini more starch for the same money than of any other kind, and Defiance never sticks to the iron. The tickets to the Exposition will be sent by registered mail September 6th. Starch for sale by all dealers. The frontispiece of the April St. Nicholas is a half-tone reproduction from a Copley print of ‘•Dorothy,” aa winsome a little lass as ever sat for her picture. The original portrait was by Lydia Field Emmett. Temple Bailey's stories always please young readers, and “The General’s Easter Box” is seasonable and cheery, well worth the second reading it is sure to have. Anne McQueen's “A Work of Art” is a quaint story of a quaint little maiden of long ago, a tale good enough to be true. Every girl and boy, of whatever age, will be intensely interested in the two Robinson Cru soe articles, “The Author of ‘Robinson Crusoe’,” by W. B. Northrop, and “Robinson Crusoe’s Island Two Hun dred Years Later,” by Francis Arnold Collins. A girl has an idea that a man’a suspenders go all the way down to his socks and that his trousers stay up with a button. Defiance Starch is put up 16 ounces in a package, 10 cents. One-third more starch for the same money. The confidence a woman has in her husband may be the result of his very boldness. The heart of a woman can stand more bruises than she is willing to admit. Some people seems always sure they are right and then do the other thing. Singers shouldn’t drink, and yet the tenor «ften indulges in a high ball. I would rather be Jpeaten in right than succeed in wrong.—Garfield. A dressmaker says that fitting a dress is a mere matter of form. The vice of envy is a confession of inferiority.—Theodore Roosevelt. Chance gives us relations, but we fcust make our own friends. It is safer to take time by the fore lock than a mule by the tail. The only man fit to die is the man fit to live.—H. W. Beecher. Men of shiftless habits are never of immovable character. When a woman loses her temper she shows her age. The self-conceited are bound to suf fer from solitude. There are solemn sinners as veil as solemn saints. He who rebels against conscience ruins character. There is no merit in sacrifice de void of service. Lessons are for our learning rather ^han our liking. A little vim in religion is worth a lot of vision. Heart keeping is the secret of happy housekeeping. Try me Just once and I am sure to come again. Defiance Starch. The trifling man never attends to the great trifles. Some men make positive failures even of their mistakes. Every man is willing to declire he has sown his wild oats. Men often buy experience at the ex pense of someone else. When a man talks too much he dis likes to be informed of it. Women who wish they could swear wonder whv men laugh at them. A woman in love Is always blind to her own folly. The old sea dog is easily known by his barque. Love is always a door into larger life. Lofty souls never despise lowly ser* ▼Ice. Misery is not a synonym for moral ity. « Circumstances cannot stunt the soul. Sorrow Is only our side of their Joy. JOHN BURT By FREDERICK UPHAM ADAMS Author of “The Kidnapped Millionaires,’* “Colonel Monroe's Doctrine,” Etc. Copyright, l‘J03, by Fredxhick Upuam Adams All rights reserved COPYBIGHT, 1903. BY A. J. Dhexkl Biddle CHAPTER SIX—Continued. “Isn’t it good to be an American?” asked Jessie, as her hand stole Into John’s. Just then a full-rigged ship, making from Boston Harbor, spread her sails and stood out past them. Jessie looked at her as Lohengrin might have looked at the swan, and whispered: “Wasn’t it Longfellow' who stood here and felt with us: “My soul is full of longing For the secret of the sea: And the heart of the great ocean Sends a thrilling pulse through met' ‘Yes, Jessie, not only Longfellow, but Emerson, Hawthorne, Thoreau and Channing dreamed here,” said John. But, Jessie, poetry makes poor feeding. I’m hungry.” "So am I,” laughed Jessie. “Come on, I’ll race you to the inn!” and she sprang to her saddle before John could assist her. Picking their way carefully down the steep hill, they reached the hard roadbed. Then Jessie spoke to her hoise and dashed ahead. She was a good rider, and, though it was a close race, John gallantly conceded defeat. In the dining-room were many guests from Boston and they united to make a merry party. It was three o'clock when they started again for Nantas ket. The five miles they covered at a canter. As John helped Jessie from her horse at Nantasket some one touched him on the shoulder. John turned. "Haou de ye dew\ John?” exclaimed a strange figure of a man, standing there all grins. “I sw'an. I’m glad ter see ye up an’ ’round agin! Haou de ye dew, John? Haou air ye?” “All right, Sam,” said John shaking hands. Sam was the country sport of Rocky Woods, with a fame extending to Co hasset and not wholly unknown in Hingbam. It was Saturday, and Sam was in gala attire. He was tall and three hours it had been rainin’ eats an’ dogs! “Old man Shaw was plumb scared ter death. He ran all the way home. Every time he ldoked at a gutter-spout he nearly fainted away. He come tew his place an’ ran ’round the back way. He looked down the hole an’ saw noth- ■ in’ but water. “’Sallie! Sallie!’ he hollered. “The old woman was standin’ on top the bottom of the pail, up agin the wall. The water was up tew her chin, but she was mad all over, an’ she hadn't lost her voice. “ ‘Ye’ve come at last. Bill Shaw, have ye?’ she said. ’You haul me outer here quicker’n scat, an’ when I gets up I’ll scratch yer eyes out! Ye done this on purpose! Ye haul me out, an’ I’ll fix ye fer this day’s work!’ “The old man lowered a rope, an’ after a hard tussle hauled her up. The neighbors say she mopped him ail over the yard, an’ I say it sarved him right.’’ Sam related several other incidents in the career of the Shaws, and Jessie laughed until the tears ran down her cheeks. They bid Sam good-day, and watched him until he disappeared with the famous trotter in a cloud of dust. After supper they waited for the ris ing of the full moon. They saw the stately orb of night break above the ocean’s rim and blend its white light with the pink afterglow of sunset. Bathed in her flood, they turned their horses homeward, riding through a | shadowed and shimmering fairyland. The gnarled and wind-wrenched ap S pie trees were etched in lines of weird ! beauty against the sky. The rugged stone walls were softened, and faded away into dreamy perspectives. In the years which followed, how the scenes and incidents of that summer 1 came back to John Burt! Under many : skies he recalled the happy hours i spent with Jessie Carden. Again he "fixocr Ac yzrappk cxx&r? uxocs^p ye*?* awkward. His large, good-natured mouth, wide open, displayed rows of white teeth; his small blue eyes twin kled shrewdly, and his ears stood clear of a mass of red hair. John glanced at Jessie and the laughter in her eyes was a sufficient hint. “Miss Carden, let me present Mr. Rounds, a schoolmate and neighbor.” Sam doffed his cap with a sweeping bow. “Delighted ter meet ye, Miss Car den,” he exclaimed, with a sincerity which did not belie his words. He ex tended a huge hand. “Have often seen ve ridin’ by and heerd all erbout that lir runerway. I swan, that was a mighty ticklish shave fer ye, Miss Carden. Tell ye what let’s do! Let’s have some sody water an’ ice cream. It’s my treat to-day! Sold a hoss this mornin' an’ made forty-two dollars clean profit on him. I’m great on hosses. Miss Carden. John, here, runs ter books an’ studyin’ an’ all that. But, as I say, my strong holt is hosses. They say we all has our little weak nesses—present company, of course, expected. Let's go an' gjt that sody an’ ice cream.” And Sam led the way to a pavilion and impressively or dered the suggested refreshments. Jessie engaged Sam in conversation, laughing merrily at his odd remarks and stories. He pointed to an old farmer wrho drove past in a rickety wagon. “There goes old man Shaw,” said Sam. “He lives down the road from I our house, an' he’s a great character. | Yesterday mornin’ Mrs. Shaw told the old mr.n the cistern orter be cleaned out. It hadn't rained fer so lone that the water was ail gone, and she ’lowed it was a good chance tew clean it out. Old man Shaw 'lowed she was right, but said his rheumatics was so all fired bad it wouldn’t dew fer him tew go down intew no damp place like a cistern; so he lowered the old woman ! an’ sent her down a pail of water an’ some soap an' a scrubbin’ brush. “ ‘I'll go down tew the postoffice an' see if thare's a letter, an' then ;orne back and pull ye out,’ ho hollered town the openin’. She said. ‘All right,' an’ went tew work. Old man Shaw went tew the postoffice, asked fer a letter, an’ of course, thare warn’t none. He started back, an’ was just passin’ :he cobbler’s place, when he met Jones. “Whare ye goin’?’ he asked old man Shaw. “ ‘The old woman's cleanin’ the cis tern, an’ I've got tew go home an’ haul ner out,’ says Shaw. “ ‘She ain’t got it done yet,’ says this no-account Jone6. ‘It takes a pow erful long time ter clean a cistern out proper. Bill an’ Gus is down stairs waitin’ fer ye. I^et’s plajt^em one game, an’ then ye can go home an’ pull the old woman up.” “As I said before, it’s always dark down in Jones’ basement, anf none on ’em took any account ,on what was FOin’ on. You know how it rained yesterday mornin’? It started in tew pour ’long about nine o’clock.” Sam paused to laugh. “When old man Shaw came out er Jones’ basement, the gutters was full of water an’ the rain was cornin’ down in sheets. For drifted with her in a boat, floating at will of breeze and tide, her hand trail ing in the water, and the murmur of her voice in his ears. Again they walked down the wooded path, while the black of the night stood like a wall in front of them, and Jessie clutched at his arm when an owl sounded his solemn cry. Jessie was going to Vassar, and John had passed the examination which admitted him to Harvard. He found that he could study much better under the shade of the Bishop trees than in any other spot, and Jessie held the text-books while he recited. The weeks glided by like a dream. One day in autumn he stood by her side on the station platform in Hing ham. As the train rumbled in, some thing rose to his throat and a film stole over his eyes. “Good-by, John!” “Good-bv, Jessie!” The train glided out from the sta tion: a little hand fluttered a lace handkerchief from a window; a sun burned pair waved in reply. Jessie had gone back to Boston. CHAPTER SEVEN. Arthur Morris. When Randolph Morris had amassed a couple of millions in New York bank ing and stock manipulation, he decided to establish a New England country place in keeping with his wealth and station. He selected a site near Hing ham, overlooking Massachusetts bay, with a distant view of the ocean. For years workmen were busy with the great stone mansion. Terraces, ver dant in turf, gave beauty to the sur #rth more than he’ll be j again,” said Randolph Morris grimly. “He’s in L. & O. stock up to his neck. If you knew as much about stocks as you do about trousers, that would mean something to you—but it doesn’t. Carden is supposed to be worth half a million. When he gets through with L. & O. some one else wijl have the money and he’ll have experience. What do you want to know about Carden? ! Has he a daughter?” The old man looked sharply at Arthur Morris. (To be continued.) MONKEYS EARN A LIVING. Manipulate Fans in India to Cool Masters’ Parching Brows. Monkeys are more than pets in some parts of the world. At Malabar, India, they are taught to work, and have actually made themselves al most indispensable in the homes of the wealthy. The Malabar monkey is of the fine species known as the lan gur. It is very warm in Maiabar, and there is a fan called the punka, which used to be kept in motion by a slave. It required a slave to work each pun ka, but now every punka is worked by a monkey. It was an English officer who con ceived the idea of making the langur work in that manner. The fan is a movable frame, covered with canvas and suspended from the ceiling. The motion is caused by pulling a cord. The officer tied the hands of the lan gur to one of the cords, and then by means of another cord put the machine in motion. Of course, the monkey's hand went up and down and the ani mal wondered what kind of a game was being played. Then the officer patted its head and fed it with candy till soon the langur thought it fine fun to work the punka. The experiment was successful and now thousands of monkeys are in harness. One on Senator Overman. Senator Overman was recently In North Carolina to act as attorney for defendants in a murder trial. He climbed into a bootblack's chair in Salisbury one day. The negro boy was rather bright and the senator en gaged him in conversation. “Who is the governor of this state?” asked the senator. “I doan’ no’, boss,” was the reply, for which the senator chided the boot black. Gov. Charlie Ayeock is very popular in the old North state, and Democrats think everybody ought to know his name. The polishing of the senator's shoes proceeded, and the negro lad seemed to be in a mental abstraction. But he soon broke the silence. “Boss,” he inquired, “who am the gubehnor of Mississippi?” The senator had to admit that he could not remember.—Washington Post. Advisers of the Czars. The great czars of Russia, somebody said, when they want a man, go out into the street and find one. It is another way of saying that the czar’s ministers spring from nowhere. It is almost true. Russia has had an em press who began life as a peasant and married a Swedish dragoon, and it was an Armenian who all but destroyed the autocracy of the czars and set Russia among the progressive nations. Sergius De Witte, descendant of a Dutchman, started at a wayside rail way station, on a career which has brought him almost at the head of the state. So, too, with the man who to day holds the key of all the mysteries of the great Russian war machine. Alexei Nicholaievitch Kuropatkin be gan life as a sublieutenant.—London Answers. Privilege of Chinese Officers. Chinese commanding officers of reg iments have a privilege which they rather prize. Whereas all inferior ranks may be beaten with bamboo sticks, the commanding officer who of fends may only be chastised by the hand or fist of his general. If he prefers to be beheaded he is allowed to suffer this punishment. Spring riat Trimming. Leather strapping is a popular trim ming for spring hats. The simplest of sailors have no other decoration than a band of leather and a buckle, while the more pretentious affairs are strap ped around the crowns, brims are caught up or down, wings and quills are held in place, and even bows are made secure, all with the aid of dainty straps of leather and brass buckles. The same form of decoration may be seen on the newest spring suits. Cuffs collars and belt of bright colored leather make an elegant as well as simple trimming, and a very beautiful effect may be obtained by having the leather stamped with a conventional pattern in gold and using gold buttons’. Child's Double-Breasted Coat. The double-breasted closing circular capes and box-plaited back are charac teristic features of this nobby little coat, which may be used for either boys or girls. It is a style that is par ticularly becoming and one that will not go out in one season. The coat is shaped by shoulder and under-arm seams and one of the capes may be omitted if desired. The strapping down the front gives a pretty finish, and may be co\ered by braid like that on capes, if one chooses. These little military coats are among the newest designs and are deservedly popular. The coat is particularly full and has a style about it that can not be had in the every-day modes. Red lady’s cloth or corduroy with white or black stitch ings and gun-metal buttons would make an attractive design. Other de sirable selections which will find favor are velvet, melton, kersey cloth or peau de soie, if a heavy coat is net de sired. i^itchen Don't allow grease to burn on the outside of your frying pan. Kettles may be thoroughly cleaned by boiling potato peelings in them, says the Chicago News. Never put a table linen that has fruit stains into the hot soapsuds. It sets the stain. Don’t throw or drain vegetables in the sink. It will necessitate your call ing the plumber, as pieces will get into the pipes. To have a custard pie of an even, nice brown when baked, sprinkle a lit tle sugar over the top just before put ting into the oven. When cooking green vegetables a small particle of soda added to the boiling water just before putting in the vegetables will keep them in fresh color. New Style for Trimming. One material laid on another by way of trimming is a marked feature of the fashion of the day. Cloth hands of applique designs of cloth on velvet gowns, or the precise reverse, velvet cut out in points or patterns laid upon cloth, or silk used for edging cloth, or hands of cloth, looking a little out of place in themselves, but indubitably up to date, on silk skirts—here is a fancy of the moment which is likely to maintain its popularity. Such decora tion is seen on the capes or collars or pelerines of the bodies, as well as in the shape of bands round or clown the skirts. In the last mentioned situa tion. too, scallops of the material of the gown, bound round with the trim ming fabric, as, for instance, cloth edged with silk, are adopted. Ribbon makes good strappings or bands, and can be had in such variety that there is no difficulty in meeting the require ments in the w-ay of color or relief of the dress material. Bands of embroid ery are often applied to smarten a blue serge dress. Tempting Outlook for Spring. Ribbon embroidery is much used as a trimming for the fancy separate waist. Some dainty design often dec orates the front of the blouse or out lines the deep yoke. Shirred ribbon if formed in artistic designs and pret ty effects, are obtained by having the ribbon the same color as the blouse, only a tint lighter or darker. Silk voile, Swiss embroidered mull, ombre chiffon, lace and printed Brussels net. as well as the new soft taffeta with a messaline finish, are the materials most used for the blouses which are now being worn. A little later on the lingerie blouse will outrival all oth ers. It will be a mass of fine lace and hand embroidery, and for its founda tion the finest India lawn, organdie and batiste will be used. Very many of the blouses button up the back and are made with a deep yoke and cuffs. Dressy Frock of Simple Design. Dresses worn by children to sfter noon parties for outdoor play are plain, just of white linen untrlmmed or of madras made French fashion, with the short full skirt; the sort of frocks that can be cheerfully consign ed to the washtub after one afternoon of “real fun.” And many sainted mo. ners let their children go to out door afternoon “plays” in plain gala tea or gingham frocks. For how can a child be merry with a fear of a spot shadowing the horizon, and where withal shall she be comforted if there is grass stain on her ribbons and laces early in the games? r_ Gold and silver appear in laces for spring. Braiding of all kinds is used ex travagantly. Stockings positively must match the gown, says fashion. The newest raincoats are very smartly made of men’s suitings. Strawberries appear on a few frocks and they are generally hand-made. Russian embroidery Is here for a long stay, possibly the entire summer. The trimming on the full skirt is nearly always put on in running about lines. Hand-painted lace is going to be worn by those who can afford perish able things. A new trimming is a braid which is made of punched velvet with satin ribbon run through the openings. Large lace collars have a rival in those made of passementerie, some times worked over a foundation of lace. Earrings Worn Again. The wearing of earrings is a custom that should be adopted with caution and the form of the earrings left very much to the individual taste of the wearer. They have never quite gone out of fashion, and they certainly have not quite come in. A tall woman can wear longer styles than a short one, and perhaps the increased height of the English women will give an im petus to the wearing of longer ear rings. Americans have a great predilection for them. Parisians are fitful in their appreciation. At present it is pearls and diamonds that are most worn and some women are wearing odd ones, a white pearl in one ear and a pink one in the other, or a white and a black one. Pear-shaped pearls are well suit ed to earrings. Studs of colored stones. ! quite minute^ are a favorite style of j fashiouable earrings. Wood alcohol rubbed on a polished table stained or marred by a hot dish will restore the finish if followed by a polishing with linseed oil. The odor of wood alcohol is not pleasing, but it is cheaper than medicinal alcohol. As starch is very apt to rot clothes they should be wrashed, rough dried without starch and pressed out smootlily when they are laid away for the winter. To remove panes cf glass lay coft soap over the putty which holds them and after a few hours the putty, how ever hard, w'ili become soft and easy to scrape away. Chocolate Wafers. One cup brown sugar, one cup granulated sugar, one cup butter, one egg. one cup grated chocolate, one teaspoonful vanilla; sifted flour to make stiff. Roll thin. One may use two-thirds cup good cocoa and a pinch of soda instead of chocolate, but don’t use soda or baking powder with the chocolate. The Spring Fashions. In the spring fashions it is interest ing to see the two varying types of skirts which will be worn. There is the trotteur skirt, one inch from the ground and shorter, which is the ack Violet crepe de chine, with lace dyed to match. Bow and girdle of deeper violet velvet. Hat of violet spangles, with purple tips. knowledged fashionable skirt for gen eral every-day knock-about wear. And then there is the soft, full, trailing skirt for dress occasions, with its in troduction of plaits and shirrs and gathers. With the short skirt it is imperative that the foot has an up-to date appearance, and every girl who wears the walking skirt knows this and is acting accordingly. That's why shoes are interesting her more than ever before. The new Oxford tie is made without a toneue this rpring. It is ct kid or patent leather, with a sensible, prettily shaped Cuban heel, and ribbons are used instead of shoe lacings. Some of these ties have but four big eyelets—two on either side of the shoe—and the ribbon used is wide and ties in a big bow.—Woman’s Home Companion. Gown of Mixed Colors. Gown of rough mixed stuff—red, green and blue. The skirt is trimmed on either side of the plain tablier with stitched tabs of white cloth. The bod ice is draped and crossed at the bot tom, forming all the girdle there is. The guimpe is of guipure, and over this is a deep cape like shoulder col lar, opening widely in front and fin ished around the neck with a band of the white cloth, forming straps in front. The sleeves, very full at the bottom, are drawn into wristbands of the white cloth. Decorating Skirts. Skirts are no longer decorated with patches of trimming in the way of applications of lace or of passemen terie, or with streamers of any sort. The correct style is to place all the decoration around the hem. Two stitched folds of taffeta silk the exact shade of the gown sewed on half an inch apart make a pretty finish on even the thinnest fabrics. For heav ier cloths an unstitched band of velvet seven or eight inches wide headed by tucks of the cloth is a new French idea for the bottom of skirts. This Season’s Stocks. The stocks are as interesting as the waists themselves this season, for they, too, display many new modes. A stock of white silk had a big silver buckle in front. And through this buckle there was drawn wide ends of scarlet taffeta, three inches wide, hemmed upon each edge and the whole abundantly stitched in red silk. These ends were pulled through the buckle in such a way as to look like a great bow at the throat. White Waists Made Dressy. White waists are made very elegant by the woman who will take a little trouble to fix them up. One white waist, after it came home from the laundry, for it was a wash shirt waist, was trimmed with buttons covered with gray suede. They were very large and were set in rows of two down the front of the waist, down the sleeve and arranged upon the yoke. Then there was a wide suede belt and a suede stock. Styles that Demand Taste. Some beautiful effects have been ar rived at with shot taffetas, decorated with floral patterns in silk and che nille. Such trimmings, however, are apt to look old fashioned unless they be very cleverly manipulated. Still they play a part in the fashions of to day and to-morrow and therefore have to be considered. Royal blue peau de sole revers and cuffs of emerald green panno velvet and white lace. Blue panne velvet hat, With green parrot.