BY I ARY [ppEVEREUX WTH ILLUSTRATIONS BY DON C. WILSON CCopyrr^t, /pea, Sntnr*. err/ Company) 0*1/ £>,&, Peter**/) SMARTER XIV. The island of Grande Terre, off the coast of Louisiana, runs parallel with the mainland; and at its western end is a secure harbor, reached by the Great Pass of Barataria, whose water is from nine to ten feet in depth. Here, on Grande Terre, were sold the captured cargoes and prizes; and people from all parts of Louisiana came hither to purchase them, with no apparent attempt or desire to con ceal the object of their mission. Jean Lafitte was, with Pierre, sit ting in the dining-room of his own house, of which, however, the latter was nominal master. ' And so Laro is dead, and the Barra er since her whipping here, trying, without appearing to try, to obtain another hold upon it. She never seems to really know when she is well thrashed.” It was now Pierre’s turn to nod. “If war came,” continued Jean, his eyes sparkling as if with satisfaction at the idea, “do you know I think I should go to the governor and offer all I have for his assistance,” "Ah?” said Pierre, with a slight elevation ot his heavy eyebrows. “Yes; for you and I, with our men, could then fight like any respectable citizens in defence of this country against the English.” “That might be,” was Pierre’s spec ulative remark. But his tone changed as he added, bending his eyes, filled w ith a meaning look, upon Jean’s im * passioned face, aglow with a new and better- enthusiasm, “And England hates Bonaparte.” “Hates—yes; but fears, as well. Oh, if I can but help lay low his most hated enemy, I shall feel, in dying for it, the greatest happiness I ever knew.” Pierre whistled softly, and reaching for a flagon of wine, filled two glasses. “Here. Jean," he said, lifting one of them, “let us drink to the overthrow of English power in any land wherein we may abide, and long life and pros perity to him you love.” Twilight was coining when Jean La fltte took his way to the house of Count de Cazeneau. Up the avenue of live oaks, upon whose branches the gray moss draped filaments looking ghostly in the twi light, he passed to the pillared portico of the count’s residence, and, as was his privilege, entered its wide door unannounced. The low strumming of a guitar from a near-by room drew his footsteps to ward it, and he was soon standing on its threshold. No candles were lit, but a woman's ] white drapery gleamed from the far ther end, in an alcove-windowed re cess looking out to the western sky, where the evening sky was glittering In the day’s gray ashes. It was the Island Rose; and the song was one her mother had taught her—one Lafitte had heard the girl sing during their journey from the Choctaw country. "Mademoiselle Rose,” he said, speaking very softly, as the sweet voice died away, breathing the final words like a sigh from a breaking heart "Who is it—what do you wish?” she Inquired timidly, and not a little startled. "It is I, mademoiselle. Do you not remember me?” | pelled her, after a brief hesitancy, to say. speaking very softly, “There seems to be some mystery about my surroundings — something in my grandpere’s life I cannot understand; and this makes me uncomfortable. And he has such strange associates.” It was well for both the girl and the man that the darkness hid the look of the face when he heard these words. “On the island, where we spent the summer, such rough, dreadful-looking men came to see him, and then disap peared suddenly. I never spoke with them, for he bade me keep out of their way; but they frightened me, for they looked wicked and cruel, and many of them were as dark-skinned as our slaves. Some of them were dressed so oddly, with red caps on their heads, and rings in their ears. I could not but wonder why he should permit such men to enter his house, and what could be their business with him.” "There are many strangers and rough-looking men about New Orleans, little Rose, and we are obliged to come into contact with them in busi ness matters,’’ said Lafltte. “I know these of whom you speak, and I know they would never harm you.” And he patted reassuringly the hand she had not offered to withdraw. "But,” he added, "you had better keep away from such men, as your grandpere bade you; for you must be lieve that he loves you, and knows what is best for you. Remember, too, that so long as I live you can rely upon me to keep you safe from what ever might harm you or make you un happy.” "Ah, that is pleasant for me to hear and to know. Captain Jean,” she re plied, with childish frankness, releas ing her hand and laying it on his arm. "But.” now with some anxiety, "how can you ever be able to do much for me. should I need you? It is long since I have seen you. or known where you were; and now you tell me you are here but for a few hours, and will then go away again, I know not where.” Although seemingly “ ’twixt smiles and tears.” she spoke with an arch naivete that affected Lafitte most curi ously. "You know Zeney, the one called a witch, your grandpere’s slave!” he in quired with apparent irrelevance. “Yes, of course,” answered Roselle, surprise showing in her voice. "She is a dreadful-looking old woman, with big black eyes. At first I was afraid of her, but now I am not, for she knew and loved my mother, and has talked to me of her.” “So? Well, that is quite as it should be. And now, little Rose,” again taking her hand, "remember al ways what I say to you now; Should you ever wish to tell me anything, or need any service you think I can ren der. all you need do is to tell Zeney, and then allow three days to pass In which to see me or hear from me. Will you promise to do this?” He bent toward her with an earnest ness in his manner that caused her to wonder at the time and afterwards. “Yes, I promise, and I thank you,” she answered softly, and left him. A few moments later the Count de Cazeneau entered the room and greet ed Lafitte with a cordiality he accord ed to few men; but the Island Rose did not return. (To be continued.) WRITTEN BY MARSHAL BLUCHER Interesting Letter From Great Soldier to His Wife. There has just been discovered in the family archives of a landed pro prietor in Mecklenburg a hitherto un published letter written by the cele brated Marshal Blucher to his wife on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo. The letter is couched in the unique style and spelling peculiar to the old soldier, which, however, are partly lost in the following translation from the German: “Comprenne, June 17, 1815. “Here I sit in the room in which Mary Louisa spent her bridal night. It is hard to imagine anything more beautiful than Comprenne. What a pity that I must part from here to morrow, jecause within three days I must be in Paris. “It is possible, and most probable, that Bonaparte will be handed over to me and W’ellington. Do not think I can do anything better than to have him shot. This would be a service to mankind. In Paris he is wholly de serted; everybody hates and despises him. “I believe this will all be over in a short while, and then I shall hasten home. There are many pretty things here, but I must not take anything away. “BLUCHER.” —Dundee Advertiser. Hard on Foreigners in Mexico. “Once while sojourning in the City of Mexico I happened to call upon a friend at one of the principal hotels of that capital.’’ said Representative Southard of Ohio. “While in his room I noticed a very fine revolver, and, making some com ment upon it, he picked it up and be gan to explain how, although it was of single action, he could fire it as fast as though it were double action. In some way his hand struck the ham mer, causing the weapon to explode In a second my friend turned deathly pale and became so agitated that he could scarcely speak. “Having noticed that the bullet struck a rug and took a downward course, I didn't see and cause for ex citement, and, lifting up the rug, showed him where the lead took lodgement. He became calm pretty soon, and then he explained his agita tion. ‘Had that bullet gone into the court,’ all the hotels down there open into a court, ‘instead of the floor, and had it struck any Mexican, my life would not have been worth a ten-cent piece. I have lived down here long enough to know how swift is the pun ishment meted out to foreigners, even in case of accident, where a native is injured. Indeed, had I been unfortu nate enough to have caused the death of one of them, it is quite probable that you, as well as myself, would have been executed. The fact that you had nothing to do with the shoot ing would have been of no avail, for your presence here would have con demned you.’ ”—Washington Post. Misunderstood. During the inauguration of Flavel S. Luther, the new president of Trin ity college, a student said: “I want to tell you about a mishap that befell Dr. Luther one morning last month. “He boarded one of our Hartford street cars, rode a mile or so with his eyes fixed on his newspaper, and, close on the end of his journey, looked up and spied one of his students crumpled in a corner. “The student was In a wretched plight. His clothing was stained, his linen soiled, his hair unbrushed. His face was pallid, and his eyes were bloodshot and dull. He looked ill; he looked a wreck, and it was easy to see what the trouble was. “Dr. Luther, fresh and vigorous from his bath and his good breakfast, rose to get off. As he passed the unclean student he said, grimly: “ ‘Been on a drunk?’ “The student’s sleepy eyes rolled languidly toward Dr. Luther, and in a dull and listless voice, the young man said: “ ‘So have I.’ ” A Difficult Position. Rev. M. A. G. Himalaya, whose sun machine has been one erf the features of the St. Louis fair, was talking the other day about the troubles of the St Louis aeronauts. “My friend,” he said of one of the aeronauts, “was placed, as it were, on the horns of a dilemma, for on one side was the peculiar construction of his balloon, and on the other sdde were the peculiar rules of the com mittee. “My friend’s plight resembled,” said Father Himalaya, “the plight of a certain clergyman in Lisbon. This clergyman, in the midst of a ser mon, suddenly paused. He looked about him thoughtfully. Then he said in a strange voice: “ ‘Now, my beloved brethren. I find myself in a position of some difficulty; for if I speak too low those at the farther end of the,church will be un able to hear me, and if too loud I shall awake our honorable fellow townsman, Don Alfonso Gonzales.’” Three Balls and Out. “So you refuse to give me the money, eh?” said the profligate son. “Yes,” replied the' stern parent. “Not another cent of my hard-earned coin for you.” ‘Then here goes." cried the youth as he seized a silver-mounted pistol irom hi* father’s desk. "Unhappy boy!” exclaimed the old man as he sank helplessly into a chair, “what would you do—take your life?” “Not so you could notice it,” re plied the wayward offspring as a die bolical grin chased itself over his beardless phis. “I’m merely going to loan this lead pill dispenser to my OLD CROSS OF LOUISBURG. Interesting Relic Owned by Harvard University. In a closet in the library at Har vard college is stored one of the few existing relics of the campaign of Sir William Pepperell and his New Eng landers against the French stronghold of Louisburg, in the year 1745. This relic is an iron cross that is be lieved to have adorned a church in Louisburg. How it came into the pos session of Harvard is not known at this time, a3 no antiquarian has ever taken the trouble, it appears, to estab lish its history since it became a col i lege possession. About sixty years ago Mr. John L. Sibley, then librarian at Harvard, found the cross in a lot of discarded articles stored in one of the smaller buildings on the college grounds. It was marked with a tag on which was written the statement that the cross was brought from Louisburg by one of Pepperell's soldiers. Mr. Sibley at tempted to trace the history of the relic in order to discover under what circumstances, and by whom, it was presented to the college, but so far as his successor knows, he made no headway in his quest. In 1841, shortly after its discovery by Mr. Sibley, the cross was stored in a small building that stood back of the Charles river national bank, near the college. The building was burned in 1845, and the cross was found in its ashes, undamaged except for slight pitting caused by the heat. Taken in hand by Mr. Justin Winsor, then librarian, the cross was given a heavy coat of gilding, such as it had borne originally, and was fixed to the east wall of Gore hall, in the library building. Here it remained for many years, until alterations made its re moval from the wall necessary. It was next stored in the cellar of the library, remaining there until the early 80s, when it was firmly fixed in the stone peak of the gable over the entrance to the library. The cross is made of soft iron and appears to have been the work of a Louisburg blacksmith, the workman ship being rougher than would have been produced by the skilled iron mongers of France. The cross to-day weighs about ten pounds. Its cross-piece is 21% inches long, terminating in fleur-de-lis, which are 4% inches wide by 6 inches long. An ornament of similar propor tions caps the upright, or standard, the total length of which at present is 29 inches. Before broken off the cross was about 40 inches long. Both cross piece and standard are 1 inch wide and % inch thick. FOR LEGS OUT OF SHAPE. . Pneumatic Rubber Forms Available Now to Make Them Beautiful. Pneumatic ruber leg forms are now on sale. Advocates of these first aids to the unshapely man contend that no more violation of material propriety is involved in their use than in the em ployment of padding to correct droop ing shoulders or in using braces to remedy the effect of a stooped back. The forms may be so inflated as to round out unnatural bends. They can be had from stock or made to indi vidual measurements. They are light in weight, comfortable and invisible, being worn on the inner side of the trousers leg, and they allow of easy adjustment. Tailors view this innovation approv ingly, as it assists them in producing proper results. Jumping Egg. A little patience and a lot of lung power and you can perform the mar velous trick of making an egg leap from one wineglass into another with out using your hands. Place a hard boiled egg in a claret glass (as shown) with a second wineglass close alongside. Now blow sharply down in the direction of the perpendicular ar row, and you will see that egg vault safely into the the other glass. A china egg is lighter, better, and, if your egg is not properly hard boiled, cleaner! Conditions a Century Ago. A copy of the New Hampshire Ga zette published at Portsmouth, N. H.. in September, 1810, informs us that there were at that time 29,474 slaves in the territory of New Orleans on which a tax of $22,000 was paid. In the election returns it shows that Lis bon, then called Concord, had 145 vot ers and was strongly republican. Give Wild Creatures Liberty. Because the state of Vermont re moved the bounty from wildcats and l.r>.T. Jesse Bentley, a trapper, living at Sunderland, in that state, deliber ately released three lynx which fell into his traps. NURSE OF JAMES G. BLAINE. Colored Girl Who Watched Over Him in Infancy, Stili Lives. After living for 55 years in an old house in Union town, Pa., which has just been torn down to make way for the march of progress, “Aunt Keziah” Jackson, for years a nurse of James G. Blaine, has gone to live with her son, Charles Jackson. She is now aged 83. The childhood home of “Aunt Ke ziah” was at Brownsville, about twelve miles from Uniontown. The Browns were among the most highly respected colored people of that section, and Keziah Brown, in her youth, was al most constantly at the home of Ephraim L. Blaine, father of the fu ture “plumed knight” of American politics. At the time of the birth of James G. Blaine. Jan. 31, 1830, Keziah Brown TkZmt JKezimfr" was a girl of eight years, and from the time that the future statesman was five months old until he was two years of age, the little colored girl looked after him almost constantly. When young James was old enough to go to school he was led there by the little colored girl, and “Aunt Kezi ah” now frequently says with pride: “Jim Blaine, even when he was a lit tle boy, was the smartest one in the school, and his father used to say, ‘He is the smartest boy I have and he will live to be a senator or congress man.’ ” Another incident concerning the Blaine family which is related by “Aunt Keziah’’ is that when Gen. An drew Jackson passed over the old na tional pike through West Brownsville in 1833 on his way to Washington to be inaugurated a second time as presi dent, she was then a girl of eleven years, and with other children went out to see the president pass, and the children shouted, “Hurrah for Jack son,’ and James G. Blaine’s father, who was a stanch Whig, reprimanded them for thus greeting a Democrat. KILLED DEER WITH FIST. Cook Had Little Trouble to Secure Game in Honduras. “A few weeks ago. just before I left for Denver, we had venison for dinner which our cook killed with his fist Game is so plentiful that all one has to do is to stand on his back porch and use a revolver to obtain almost any thing in the way of meat that one could wish for.” H. W. Lang, vice president of the Denver-Honduras Banana company, was telling of the attractions of his Honduras home. “The manner in which our cook ob tained the venison was this,” contin ued Mr. Lang. “We had been having high water in the Ulua river, which flows through our plantation, and one morning our cook noticed a herd of half a dozen deer swimming across it. He jumped in a canoe, and killed one with a blow of his list. However, deer are not the only game which we have a chance to try a shot at. “Leopards, alligators, beautiful trop ical birds of every description, snakes of wonderful hues, are all numerous. Wild ducks can be secured in plenty— a few hours’ shooting brought me fif ty the other day, and parrots, which make excellent eating, having much the flavor of squabs, are also plenti ful.’,jt-Denver Post. Mounted Coffee Cups. Silver mounted coffee cups on the order of those in which certain confec tionery shops serve hot chocolate or coffee are utilized these days for the dining table. They add a decorative note, particularly if Coalport, as in the illustration, or some other fine porcelain, be the ware selected. A cup and saucer complete the set and spoons to match the silver mount are added, when it is desired to have everything in accord. Salmon Dammed Stream. A heavy fall of snow in Scotland a few weeks ago caused the River Tay to rise suddenly. One of the big dams in the stream overflowed with the result that the salmon lying in the numerous pools at once made a rush to get higher up the stream. A work man. engaged in carting stones from the bed of the river, was astonished at the moving mass of salmon passing. So phenomenal was the shoal that the carter deemed it wise to stop his charge in the middle of the ford to allow the flsh to pass. The salmon swam like lightning through the wheels of the cart and around the horse’s legs. In the space of a tew minutes several hundreds passed this particular point. Hat Sword of David Garrick. White Whittlesey of Danbury, Conn., has been presented a sword, worn up on the stage by David Garrick. The handle is ornamented with jewels and the blade bears evidence of many spin ited fencing encounters. Nature's Wise Prevision. The boaes of- flying birds are hol low and fl'led with air, thus combin ing the greatest strength with the least weight ONE YEAST CAKE IN TOWN. Sag Harbor Grocer Had It and His Store Was a Storm Center. There was but one yeast cake in this village on Tuesday evening, says a dispatch from Sag Harbor. I>. I., and it was viewed almost as a priceless thing. So great was the demand for it that the store having it in stock was the storm center of a crowd of men and boys, sent out by wives and mothers with instructions to buy a yeast cake, “and don't you come back without it.” When it was learned that this par ticular store had just one cake, the crowd made a rush for it. A small boy who was second in the race dived under the outstretched arm of an ex cited man, who reached out to open the door, and hurling himself into the store, gasped out: “ Gimme a yeast cake quick; mall lick me if I don’t bring one home.” The grocer knew he could charge al most and old price for his valuable pos session, but he had been a boy once and recalled how it felt to be tanned with the parental slipper wielded by a vexed mother, and gave the boy the precious yeast cake in return for the usual 2 cents. The boy departed for home at top speed, and the grocer did his best to mollify the disgruntled crowd who swarmed into his Btore af ter the yeast cake that was no longer there. There was a run on the bakeries for bread and rolls for the next morning's breakfast, and in many homes "riz bis cuits” and flapjacks were substituted for bread. Ship Elevators. etwin liners are oegmnmg to in stall elevators connecting with theii numerous decks for the convenience of passengers. Monocles for Women the Fad. No longer is the lorgnette the badge 01 the New York grande dame. The newest fad in this direction Is thf monocle for women. Of course, the woman of fashion could not risk hei “make-up” by sticking the glass ir her eye. Instead, she has the len? set in gold and holds it to her eye Mrs. Oliver H. P. Belmont invariably uses a monocle at the opera, and hers is set in a gold filigree frame. Poising the single glass, she surveys the othe. women in the parterre. Mrs. J. Fret Tams, famed as the mother of the beautiful Violet Cruger, also uses he monocle on all occasions. The glas: dangles from a chain set with pearls Few of the younger women havt taken up the monocle, because it im plies imparied eyesight. There is Mrs Astor, for instance, who never use? any optical aid in public except he' opera glasses. Joy Dethroned Reason. Hugging to her breast a big stort doll that breathes artificially. "Queer Esther” of the East Side crooned ant sang as she sat in the psychopaths ward of Bellevue hospital. The doctors say that the girl i! hopelessly insane—her reason de throned by the sudden joy of her life as “saleslady” at the doll counter of a great New York department store. Esther Bloomstein is her full name Her life was that of suffering and sor row in the gloom that hangs like a pal over the tenement house district Sh« never had a “dolly” of her own; sh< never had any childhood. She secured a holiday position ir a store. The sudden joy at the transi tion overcame her.—New York Ex change. Steeplechasing on an Ox. Attempts are being made in Francr to train oxen for saddle riding, ant several races have been organized tc test their capacity. They have beer trained not only as racers on “thf flat,” but also as successful jumpers The above illustration is from a photo graph of a well known French sports man riding his ox at a leap-off. The bride and saddle used are similar in general design to those used for hunt ers, with the exception that a very powerful bit is employed. As in their excitement the animals are disposed to lose their temper, the precaution is taken of studding the points of their horns. Prolific Wyandotte Hens. E. O. Sterling of Keene, N. H., re ports that he received during the year ending Dec. 5 a total of 1.692 eggs from a pen of twelve white Wyandotte hens. This is an average of 141 eggs to a hen. Town Hall Sold for Debt. The town hall of Oldtown, Me, was recently sold on execution tc satisfy a ludgment of S350 against the town. . '< HERE’S THE NEW WALK. Coming With the New Year—Is at Least Striking. A new walk is coming in with the new year. It is already here, but it will take until the dawn of 1905 to become perfect in it. It is different from any other walk that was ever seen, though in certain ways it resem bles the Grecian bend, which was the ambition of our mothers and grand mothers in 1870. The new walk requires these things: Wide shoulders and a little waist High-heeled shoes with wide $oles. Big hips and flat back. A certain carriage which is known as the military carriage. *. • The girl who is getting the 1905 walk would do well to visit sotne near by military station and study the sol diers. If she can get a West Point cadet to teach her so much the better. The new walk will be the military walk with certain Improvements and changes. To get ready to walk stand erect and throw back the shoulders. Now expand the chest. Now square the el bows, holding them down to i youi sides, not out. Now draw in the ab domen, lift the feet high, and walk. The first time you tfy this you will feel like a trussed chicken. The sec ond time it will not be quite so bad After a while you will get the hang of it just as you get the hang of the bi cycle, and you will be able to work it all right.—Washington Times. . PALM LEAF HAT TRUST. Exporters Form Combination—Prices Will Ascend. Palm leaf hat exporters, who have for years past engaged in almost daily commercial strife while purchasing hats from the rural makers, have formed a combination, with the resfilt that one price now prevails for the different grades instead of several as heretofore, reports Consul Birch of Malaga. Spain. The export of these hats to New York, which is their only market, numbers between 3.000,000 and 4.000,000 a year. They are made from the narrow leaf of the palm grown in the adjacent country dis tricts, where thousands of families, from grandfather to children not jet in their teens, are from January to December engaged in working the leal into shape. These people compose, by the way, probably the most Indus trious end prosperous working class of southern Spain. They bring the hats and Malaga on the backs oi mules and dispose of their wares to local merchants. Prior to the formation of the “trust” hats were sold to the highest bidder, but under the present arrangement one house buys all of them at a fixed price and divides with other dealers The combination pertains, however, only to the purchase of the hats, each merchant offering them to New York buyers at his own figure. “God Reigns and All la Well.*' “God's in his heaven—all's right with the world.” —Robert Browning. No sparrow falls, no flower lives its day Without His loving care that guards al way. Who shall His wonders tell? God reigns and all is well! The stream of living water ever flows. The wilderness shall blossom as the rose. Love conquers death and helL God reigns and all is well! His love accepts His children’s sacrifice. To blend with angel-tones our praises rise. Our songs of triumph swell God reigns and all is well! None asks in vain for help to bear the cross. The poverty of life, the pain and loss. The solemn passing-bell. Of youthful hopes, their knell Rings in our hearts; yet love and mercy sweet In benediction make our lives complete. God reigns and all is well! —Martha A. Kidder. Lillian's Thoughtfulness. It is not absolutely certain that Lillian Russell expects her audience to join in singing the choruses of .her songs when she returns as a star in “Lady Teazle,” but it is positive that she wants them to understand what she is singing about. For she has.an nounced that she will have all the lyrics printed in pamphlet form and distributed nightly to the audience. Miss Russell explains that she wants her auditors to be as familiar with.the lyrics when they leave the theater as they are with the airs. The pamph let will contain an introduction by John Kendrick Bangs, who, together with Robert Penfleld, is responsible for the book of “Lady Teazle.” ' * ♦ Straw in Egyptian Brick. The ancient Egyptians had a proc ess for making bricks which rendered them very hard yet easy to work. An American engineer, Mr. Acheson, thinks he has discovered their secret, says the London Globe. The Egyp tians used straw, and by boiling straw In water and mixing clay with it he found that it gave hard, shapely bricks that did not crack nor deform in bak ing. Analysis proved the effect -due to tannin dissolved in water. Further experiments showed that from % to 1 per cent of the tannin of commerce added to the resistance of the hrick. The process also economizes water, and such bricks dried in the sun are even more solid than those of the kiln. Toothpicks Too Expensive. A commercial traveler who has Just returned from a trip to the eastern states tells of a hotel In a small town of Massachusetts where he usually “puts up” and which at his preceding visit had just been taken by a retired sea captain, who desired to “do- things up to the knocker.” Among other im provements the bagman then noticed was the presence of heat quill tooth picks on the dining tables. This time he found none of these adjuncts erf modern civilization at all. Inquiring of the host why he had ceased this at tention to his patrons, he was startled by the reply: “I had to quit. It cost too much. They forgot to put them back after using them!” Piutes Run Town. Recently the Southern Pacific com pany cut Wadsworth, Nev., off its main tine, and since then the residents hare been abandoning the town, the Piute Indians taking possession. Now they are threatening to burn the place un less the remaining white residents furnish them with fooa and moner