Nebraska Newspapers

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THE RED CLOUD CHIEF
A. C. HCSIWcR, Publisher.
RF.D CLOUD.
N'EKUASKA
"I LOVE THE WOODS."
I lovo tl'.O WOOlt I.
Oh. give mu but tlint cra of rock
On whieh tii build my simple cot.
And I'll not nslt for (winces.
Nor murmur tit my lonely lot.
I do tint need the silken gnrb,
The cushioned couch, or Hennonnl food',
I do not neul the Ioiikuo of men
To voleo tho word tlint "Life Is good."
1 do not need tho amber scent.
Tliu lioneed (tmllo mid tutored song,
Or crowd nf illltcrltu sycophants
Tlmt In the halls of Cru.us throng.
I lovo the woods.
When o'or the distant line of hills
Tho ro.sy morning peeps Its head,.
And 8tirH that through the night havo
, watched,
Now quench their light mid go to bed,
I rlio from couch of perfumed plno
And seek the purling lirool: that flows
llctwoen Its fringe of vrlvct moss.
Where tiny lunruotsu blossom blows.
I nt ed no mnrblo founmln rare
To purify and lnvu and clean,
And when I nay my grateful prayer,
'TIs in UU mighty dome of greeu.
I lovo tho wcods.
My silent friend, my faithful do?,
Tho borne that hasten to my call, '
Tho birds that nlng above my head
They constitute my all in all.
I breathe tho forest's tlltrred nlr,
Tho breeze that cools the mountain brow,
The snow-clad summit's atmosphere.
And praUe tho Lord I'm living now!
I love the woods.
Itlehard Manstlcld, In Harper's Weekly.
THE LILAC WITCH.
An Artist' 3 Adorntlon for Hia Won
derful Mnstorpioco.
"It enn't be as bud tis tliut, Sophie.
Must your father havo twenty thou
Kami francs by the first of January?"
"Yes, Henri, or else" her lip
quivered a little "or else the mort
gage will be foreclosed and father will
lost! all his laud, and wc shall be home
less."
"Not if I am around!" said Henri,
Btontly.
Sophie looked proudly at him and
then around at tho wall of the studio.
"What an artist Henri was!
She eame to him and laying her hand
gently on his shoulder, gazed sadly into
Ills eyes and said:
"I know, Henri, I know. Hut then
you arc poor now."
"1 will rise get a picture into the
Salon make money "
"Yes, dear, but if papa loses all his
property, and besides" and her gray
eyes grew moist and -she looked wist
fully away.
"And besides?" repeated Henri, with
anxious Inquiry.
"And, besides, pupa has been hinting
nt tho marriage proposals of .lean
licrtrand, an old playmate of mine,
who offers to pay off all tho mortgage
pn the day of Ills betrothal to me."
"To you, Sophie.! you don't mean that
you that your father"
Sophie looked down sadly at a pair of
neat Uttlo feet.
"Henri, you know I lovo you, and
that I havo promised faithfully to be
your wife; but think of poor papa, nnd
think of all I owe him oughtn't I to
be ready to make any sacrifice to save
him from ruin?"
Then they both looked sadly awny in
Bilenee. Suddenly Henri squeezed So
phie's hand so hard that she started
violently.
"Wait, Sophie!" he exclaimed. "I've
got a plan! We, yon and I, can earn
that twenty thousand."
"Yes, yes; how?"
"Why, you be my model, nnd I'll
paint you."
"Oh, will you? Hut but you couldn't
sell a picture of vie for twenty thousand
francs."
In answer Henri drew her before a
little square mirror, hung between tho
two windows, nnd made her look at her
own reflection.
"Seo there, Sophie! just look at your
eyes nro they not the deepest gray,
with golden lights in them? nnd aro
not your lips ns red us this carmine?
and just sea that little pointed chinl
how I could paint that! nnd those pink
checks fresh as a baby's!"
Sophio began to blush nt Henri's en
thusiasm, nnd, turning from the gluss,
looked into his dark face, which was
lit up with the glow of un almost poetle
inspiration.
'"And, you know," he went on,
"somuthing tolls inn that I shall paint
you hotter than I ever painted any
thing before that you will bo my
muse, my inspiration. You must wear
a loosely-fitting lilac vory soft Mac
robe, and you will havo your linir
down, hanging over your left shoulder,
which will peep through your curls like
a white dove in a golden cage. And
you must hold a spruy of lilacs in your
hand and be reclining under a lilac
bush, and I'll call you tho Lilac Witch.
Didn't you over hear of tho logend of
tho Lilac Witch? Grundmu used to lovo
to tell mo about her; she was a vory
beautiful fairy and men came around
to catch a smile from her red lips, nnd
tho man sho smiled on was mndo bold
to do high deeds; but if his heart was
drawn away to another woman, in a
moment she spoiled nil ho had done,
and made a beggarly wretch of him.
Besides, you know, tho lilao will go so
well with your complexion und hair
and oyes."
And so it wns planned. The sittings
wero dally. Sophio was a very patient
model, and Henri was full of inspira
tion nnd worked with a certainty of
Biiceoss. Uv made studies of her faco
in ull possible moods and expressions,
till by culling what was most entranc
ing in each, ho began to creato au ideal.
He throw tho wholo vigor of his poetls
Mini into his work, striving to get that
longiug, inspiring look in tho largo
gray eyes, which, mingled with nn ex
pression, half of pity, half of triumph,
in tho rest of tho face, was to mnko up
tho Ideal of tho Lilau Witch. Ho found
tho look of longing and inspiration in
Sophie's eyes, but the pity nnd trinmph
that divine mixture of pride in vic
tory and sorrow for tho conquered
were wanting. Hy his own talent Henri
created thoiu, inspired by his lovo and
the prize set before him.
One day in December he wns work
ing awny with his brush while Sophie
reclined on tho model's platform. Ho
could sec how tired she was. His own
face showed tlint, but for the ludomlt
able flro in Ills black eyes lie would
have given out long ngo. Hut the day
of foreclosing tho mortgage drew on
apace. Still to-tiny was u luippy day
Henri had a surprise for Sophie, nnd ns
ho occasionally searched his palette for
colors, the corners of his mouth
twitched with Ills suppressed secret.
Sophio was just saying how .loan
l'rrirutid kept repeating his offer to her
father, and how, as tho days wont by
and tho first of .lnnuury approached,
her father seemed mom nnd more In
clined to accept. Henry smiled sweet
ly. "Very good for M. liertrand," ho
said; "Hut 1 have something to tell
you. Something splendid superb,"
nnd he hissed lilshand with u theatrical
gesture.
"Ohl what is It?" exclaimed Sophie,
jumping up and spoiling the folds of
her carefully-arranged drapery.
Henry forgave her that for tho
sake of tho news. Then he told her
how the agent of nn oil magnate, just
over from Amerlcn. was looking nil
over l'aris for paintings of beautiful
women; now lie bad seen the "Lilac
Witch;" now nuarly finished, and how
lie had, with un American's extrava
gance, offered the fnbulous sum of thir
ty thousand francs. That ended thu
sitting for that ilny, for Sophio Insisted
on taking Henri at once to her father,
telling him the news, and making him
break off all further negotiations with
lean licrtrand.
And it was so arranged. Henri vn
to pay off tho mortgage as soon ns tho
picture was transferred, .keeping the
surplus of ton thousand to start life
with Sophie, while her fnthordismlssed
lenn licrtrand, with the precautionary
hint that, in case the American should
fail them he would immediately accept
Hortrund's offer. ,
It was the evening before the great
day when tho picture was Jo bo for
mally sold, tho thirty thousand francs
handed over, nnd Henri nnd Sophio
married. Henri wns In the studio,
sttindliig before the picture. In one
linnd he held n lighted cigarette, In the
other tin acutely pointed paint brush.
He was scrutinizing the face of ills be
loved "Lilac Witch" with a look of in
tense exultation. Kvory now and then
ho would make an infinitesimal stroke
with the brush, after which he would
take a long pull nt the cigarette, let
ting the smoke slowly exudo from his.
mouth und nose in a manner that bq
spoko keen satisfaction, lie wns put
ting on what lie called tho last
touches before ho said good-night to tho
picture nnd wont to call on Sophie. Ho
looked at his watch. It was already past
nine nnd he had promised to be thero
nt eight. Still there wero only a few
inoro tiny touches needed nnd then he
would go. Ho lit cigarette after cigar
otte. he walked up and down tho room,
changed tho lamps nnd surveyed tho
painting from twenty diflcrent points
of view. Finally he seemsd satisfied,
throw down tho brush, drew a sofa up
in front of tho easel, and lay there,
watching tho witch's faco with a lov
er's rapture. Ills chest heaved, his
oyes grew bright, the muscles round
his mouth softened into un expression
of supreme delight.
Suddenly ho htarled and looked at
his watch. It was twelvo o'clock und
lie hnd forgotten, nnd Sophio had prob
ably gono to bed, wondering why he
never eame. Ho blamed himself for
being so thoughtless.
This changed the current of his
thoughts, reminding him that to-morrow
ho married Sophio and they would
always live together; a bright smllo lit
up ids face, but it was a commonplace
srailo compared to his look of n fow sec
onds ago. Yes; to-morrow Sophie would
bo his, and they would come and pay him
thirty thousand francs and tako away
the "Lilao Witch." "Lilne Witch?"
Why, of courso; ho had only painted it
for tho sake of marrying Sophie.
Henri looked away from tho picture,
with iv dull nclia &t his heart. Some
how, life with Sophio, when tho "Lilac
Witch" was gone, did not seem so
sweet as it used to in tho old days
when they hnd tho first sittings. Then
tho picture only meant to him tho por
trait of his dear Sophie. Now, when
ho was gazing Into that fair, urch faco
on the canvas, so triumphant und yet
sopitying and tender, ho novur thought
of its boing Sophie's faco at nil. He
scorned to seo there something that was
all his own and had come out of his
own soul. How could ho bear to part
with it? Hut ho was winning Sophie
by giving it up. A horrible doubt came
to him. What if after all ho should
lovo the picture bettor thun the model?
lie shook his head resolutely, and
went to bed. All tlint night in his
dreams that awful doubt tormented
him.
On tho morrow Sophio appeared be
fore the hour of tho business transac
tion so as to tidy up the studio und make
it look more festive. Shu found Henri
thero beforo the picture as usual. He
hud wheeled tho easel up near tho
window und wns devouring the paint
ing with his eyes. He never so much
ns turned his head to grcot her. He
saw there, on n bank of moss, hnlf sit
ting, half reclining, a beautiful woman,
the imugo of his sweetheart, yet wear
ing an Intnnglblo something about the.
eyes and mouth, something that Henri,
with feelings of misgiving, felt that
Sophie had not. Tho wavy, light brown
hair, hanging in ringlets over tho baro
shoulder, and the vermeil tint of tho
pure cheek, wero simply a clever copy
of Sophlo's charms, lint in the gray
eyes was a look that seemed to tell of u
grout, unsatisfied longing, for lovo or,
perhaps, victory while tho dolicnte,
slightly curving lips had a tender, pity
ing expression that wns strangely con
tradlcted by the pointed chin, which
bodied forth a scornful joy of triumph
perhaps tho very triumph which the
eyes wero longing for, and whose vic
tim the mouth pitied. Tho very- com
posltctioss of thu face, full of contradic
tions, was tho origin of its charm.
Henri looked long at tho face, nnd
then turned nnd glanced half timidly,
half hopefully, tit St phlo. She thought
she euught Ids meaning und smiled
back nt him.
"Is it like?" sho laughed.
Henri's face lost tho look of hope.
He turned eagerly back to tho picture,
looked at It a minute, then turned
away with n sigh. Sophio cimo to him,
ami looking over his shoulder nt the
lovely reflection of herself, asked him
why ho sighed. He answered:
"Ah, Sophie, you cannot understand,
you cannot know tho feeling of adora
tion which nn artist has for something
into which ho has poured his wholo
soul. This is my masterpiece. 1 shall
never do anything us good, no rich, as
expansive again! no, never! All tho
strength, all tho purity, nil tho poetry,
of my Inmost soul ore embodied in that
one painting, ami now now, 1 must
pnrt with It must say good-by forever
to what lias been nient und drink to
mo for months past. You cannot know
what It has eoiue to menu to me; how,
like Pygmalion, I have worshiped it as
I created It. It Is more than n portrait.
It is un ideal In whidh I havo lived for
months. Oh, where where shnll I
II ixl anything to take Its place?"
And Henri, kneeling beforo tho V'c"
ture, spi end out his hands In supplica
tion. Sophie knelt besttlo him, and
gently passing one iirni over his shoul
der whispered softly to htm, as if they
already knelt beforo the ultur:
"Here, Henri, hero I am! hnvo you
not me? Ditl you not paint turn picture i
to marry mo nnu now us none, aro wti
not to bo married, und you are to havo I
tnealwiiys?" , I
She' paused. Henri slowly looked
around and gazed long and steadily,
with a blank, searching look. Into her
sweet, pale face. Then he turned to
ward the "Lilao Witch," shuddered
ntul sorrowfully shook his head. Ho
noticed Hint in u spot near tho edgo of
tho ennvas tho varnish had worn a lit
tle rough, lie got up from his knees,
anil pushing usido it curtain, went into
a side room to get a pot of varnish
Sophie remained motionless, kneel
ing befove tho picture, her bosom heav
ing, her eyes Hushing, her hands clutch
ing convulsively tit her dress. Sho re
peated hia last words; "Where hhall I
find anything to take its plneo?"
lealousy, cruel as tho grave, jonl
ousy of her own idealized self, jealousy
of tho imago of her own person ra
llccted in thu artist's imagination, wus
taking hold of her. Oh, how sho hated
the picturo that hud stolen her only
possession! had cheated her of Henri's
love. She arose anil looked savagely at
the lovely "Lilau Witch." Then, glanc
ing wildly around the room for a
weapon, she spied on a little table
Henri's mixing knife. It was of steel
and quite sharp. Sho ran to it, scizctl
it, and then coming up so closo that
her hot breath made the canvas moist,
she hissed:
"There, you thief, you" nnd with a
few strokes of the knife she cut and
slashed the lovely faco und toro out tho
gray eyes, and hacked tho poor head
and bosom into shreds. Then, throw
ing back her head, sho stood upright,
panting und trembling, beforo her dis
figured rival.
At that second it seemed as if thu
scornful, pitying, triumphant look of
tho Lilao Witch had passtid to her own
face.
Just then cumo a rustle ut tho curtain
und a rattle at tho door. Henri slipped
in quietly, from tho inner room, and
Sophie's father came bursting In from
thu hall. Tho two men c nine forward
and greeted ono another cordially; then
they turned toward Sophio und the
picture.
With n Blinrp cry Henri bounded for
ward, nnd, pressing his forehead against
tho mutilated painting, cried liko a
child.
Sophio looked wildly about, and
staggered towurd her father. Ho rough
ly led her to a chair. Then, pulling
his hat down over his cars, ho said
hoarsely, half aloud:
"1 must go and find Jean liertrand."
Charles W. Shopo, in Harvard Advo
cate. STRANGE APPLICATIONS.
l'oeutlur WunM of Tropic Who Vlilt the
ltiireau of Information.
Tho Salvation Army has In London a
bureau of Information where ladles
may obtain servants and those in need
of employment find work. It has been
extraordinarily successful. During tho
first yeur thirteen hundred employers
found servants, and aUiousnnd girls
applied for work.
Strange applications como to the of
fice. One, lntly recommended her de
parting servant as "clean, tidy, honest,
sober, truthful und a good worker."
Wondering why rauid nnd mistress
should part under thoso conditions, tho
bureau found that a terribly bad tem
per wns tho cause of separation.
"Hut, strangely enough," said tho
chief, "it happened thut a lady hud
just applied to us for a servant with u
bad temper, believing that such girls
make tho cleanest handmaids.. So w.o
aro'ablo to meet every requirement."'
Some of the wants sent to the bureau
aro of a peculiar naturo and oddly ex
pressed. . ' '
"Kindly send mo a girl who is a veg
etarian," writes one lady, "or who is
willing to become one."
"A red-hot Christian, but not too
old."
"Not taller than flvo fcot two. A girl
who docs not talk loud. Sho must not
sing or laugh loud."
Neither aro tho servants who upply
easy to please.
"Get mo a place with two quiet, el
derly people," says one. "I like to bo
nlone."
"I nm a good singer und a good
speuker, und I want u goo.: place,"
writes unothor.
"I have hnd a gootl education, and
can play tho plauot"
"I'leuso get my daughter a place, us
sho is unmanageable at home nnd lias
nn awful temper," usks a fond and
candid parent. Youth's Compuulon. J
SHAN'T keep
tho money In
the house any
longer'n 1 ' in
oblcogod to,"
su itl Farmer
Darius .lones to ills better hnlf, as ho
got up from the supper table, and with
great deliberation lllletl his briar-wood
pipe front it tin box which looked us If
It liutl seen hard service. "Deacon
Sykos will tuko the hull tm't as soon'.t
his payment comes duo, and that's
loss'n a. fortnight, so don't worry uny
more' about if." With this, Farmer
lones settled himself lit his big arm
ohulr to enjoy his evening pipe.
"Well, Darius," said Mrs. .lones, "tho
sooner that money turns Into a uood
mortgage bearing six pur cent, tlio bet
ter it'll be for my pence o' mind. 1
hain't forgot the desperlt doin's of
them nlr tramps over to Jeff llowman's
less'n a year ago, when they most killed
poor old doff a torturln' him to make
him tell where his money wns hid," utitl
she. shook out her snowy tablecloth
w,(h m,rvmh Uttlo joriBt 11S u
she saw
.i, ,..,,, w illtt, iwl (
0..0
)a,.;
tips then mill lucre, in Iter mind's
ins hail sold the "west lot'1 for
three thousand dollars in crisp bank
notes. This he had that day brought
home und carefully placed within the
llttlo wooded chest that had longsorved
us n repository for sundry deeds nnd
mortgages, tho fruits of u life of stern
est toll and unceasing frugality. Gift
ed by nature with n strong constitu
tion, Darius hud. ninny years before,
j titled in a comparatively new region
in western Pennsylvania, und nf tor tuk
Ing to himself a helpmeet, the pair had
devoted themselves with uneeuslng en
ergy to thu task of redeeming their new
hiutl to a statu of cultivation. Slowly,
but surely, tho black-skirted forest re
ceded from tho humbla log cabin, the
unsightly stumps and brush-hcups guve
place to broad Holds of waving gruin,
and nt last the old log house, with nil
itssucred associations, was torn down
and replaced by a modern dwelling
quite pretentious in its architecture.
Children they hud, but ull were mar
ried and hud loft tho parental roof.
And, now on tho shady side of sixty,
Farmer Jones und wlfo decided it
would be bettor to sell u part of the
farm and so relievo themselves of a
portion of their burdens and responsi
bilities. Joslah Pendleton stood ready
to take the west lot (fifty acres) at six
ty dollars an acre, and when Darius
called ono day and announced that he
was ready to draw "wrltln's," tho con
veynnco wus quickly made and tho
money paid over. Threo thousand dol
lars! Quito enough to tempt tho cupid
ity nnd excito the avarice of certain
worthless characters of thut neighbor
hood. So reasoned Mrs. Jones, nnd al
though Darius did his best to reassure,
that nervous little body, his efforts
wero far from successful.
"Tlturo ain't n soul as knows n thing
about it, 'cent Joslur nnd his folks, an'
I cautioned 'em, over and over ngl'n,
not to say a word about It."
"Whut can't bo cured, must bo en
dured," wus Mrs. Jones' philosophic re
joinder. "1 shun't enjoy n night's rest,
though, till wo'ro well rid on't."
Furmor' Jones wus not In tho least
addicted to nervousness. On tho con
trary, ho was thu very soul of self-
possession and reliance. Tho feminine
timidity of Mrs. Jones was, however,
not without a certain effect on her hus
band. "I b'l'ovo I'll just put a charge down
tho old gun nnd set it where it'll Ue
handy," ho remarked, just before bed
time, and stepping into an adjoining
closet ho brought out a formidable'
looking musket, n big powder-horn, a
bag of shot and some water-proof caps.
Darius examined tho gun critically,
blowing into tho muzzle with such
force thut his checks bulged out like
tlio.se of tho fat man in the dimo mu
seum. "If uny o' them turnips try to burglo
mo I'll make it mighty interesting for
'em," said our hero, us he finished his
inspection of tho arm and poured a
heavy charge of powder into his broad
palm. ,
"Dj bu kecrful, Darius," expostulated
Mrs. Jones. MI was in hopes I'd seen
the last o that gun last spring when
you ctuno in with your noso bluedln'
and your lip nil swelled up after
shootin' that cat."
"I killed tho cat, anyhow," said the
old man, u llttlo testily. "An' I killed
u b'ar with it, ono't too. Tha old gun
will kick a luetic, but it'll shoot equal
to uny of their new-fangled ones." And
drawing out tho Iron rod, lie drovo tho
paper wadding homo with a vigor thut
was positively startling, and fitting the
cap on tho tube ho stood tho weapon
against the bureau in tho bedroom nnd
Where ho could reach it from the bed.
"Thar, 'mother; 'forewarned is fore
armed.' Mebby your stewin' huln't
took the exact form of a wnrnin', but
it'll answer tho purpose jest us well, I
reckon," nnd Darius guzed thoughtfully
into tho flro.
The conversation naturally turned on
thu uhange their business affairs had
taken, und before they worn nwuro of
tho lateness of tho hour tho big clock
In an adjoining room had struck twelve
with Its slow nnd measured strokes.
Tho old furmor gave vent to his surprise
in u long-druwn whistle. "I declare,
mother, I hadn't any idoa it was so
lute," ho remarked with a sleepy
yawn. "Guess we'd bettor go to bed,
or I'm 'fruld you won't gut much sleep,
to-night."
"1 don't expect to," said Mrs. Jones,
with an air of meek resignation. "Have
yon fastened tho cullur door?"
"No, I huio't, but I'll seo to it this
minute," and Farmer .tones went out
to attend to tho outside cellar door,
while his nervous little wife gnvo her
personal attention to other doors and
windows, not stopping until shu hud
visited every door and window In the
house.
"I'll feel better about it If I seo to It
myself," sho sollloquled. "Darius Is
that eareless't he'd forglt to lock the
door.s, t' say nothln' 'bout seeln' to. tho
winders."
Her round of Inspection was ended nt
last, and, with u sigh of relief, shu
sought hur sleeping npartinunt. Dnrltts
hsul preceded her some llttlo time, and
his heavy, regular breathing gave
tun pie evidence of his entire freedom
from earthly cares and iinnoyuuces.
"Dear me," sattl the troubled woman,
as she quietly reclined besldo her nn
conscious husband, "If I could only
sleep like tlmt, it'ti bo wortli while goln'
to bed, but I don't b'lecvo 1 can sleep a
wink to-night,".
Tick, tack, tick tack; the big clock In
the kitchen sounded unusually loud,
and It seemed to Mrs. .tones that sho
hnd never known tho hours to tlrng
quite so slowly. Three o'clock and still
the situation remained unchanged,, Da
rius snored peacefully on, but sleep
caniu not In the weary eyelids of tho
troubled woman who had nlmost con
cluded to get up anil begin liar house
hold duties, when she thought she heard
a strange nolso outside, nnd, listening
intently, she soon heard It repeated,
this time so loudly that there could bo
no nilstnho iibout It. With wildly
boutlng heart slm sat bolt upright try
lug to luualn tho sound. It was lit tho
back kitchen door.
"Darius, Darius," sho trembllnirlv
whispered, but Darius was not easily
wakened, and It was not until sho had
shaken him with might und main that
he uwoko to a realizing sense of hia
surroundings.
'.'There's sotuebodv at the back
kitchen door," sho gasped. "I heard
him walk on the plunk."
It was now Dnrlus' turn to listen,
and presently his ears wero grcetetl by
a rasping sound at tho rear of the
house. ISuke, rake, rake, It sounded
through the house with startling dis
tinctness. "He's sawln' or lllin' the door lock,"
moaned tho frightened woman. "Wo
shall bo murdeied In cold blood," and
sho dropped back on her pillow In ab
ject terror.
Darius wus now thoroughly aroused
und iciidy to give thu tlcsperato house
breaker a warm reception. Stepping
"TIIUNDKIIATION! IT'S OLD IllllNI)I.KlM
cautiously to tho bureau, ho seized his
trusty musket, nnd, clad simply in his
role ile nuit, he glidod stealthily out into
the kitchen, looking for all the world
like the apparition of iho vcrltublo
spectral huntsman. Tho noise censed
for n moment nnd Darius listened In
tently. Pcrhnps thu fellow hud detect
ed his cautious movements and lied, but
no, tho filing was boon resumed nnd
our hero could cvou henr tho heavy
breathing of tho burglar as ho worked
Industriously at the lock, lie could
wait no longer. Raising the old gun to
his shoulder, he pulled the trigger and
with a terrific roar it belched forth its
contents.
"Thar, tako thnt. dura ycr sneakin'
hide," shouted the Intrepid Darius, ns
soon a ho could regain his equllbrlum.
."I'll teach ye to come sneakin' round
my shebang." y
"Have you shot him?" came in horri
fied tones from thu bedroom.
"I've stirred him up a llttlo, I reck
on,' grimly responded Darius, as ho
caught tho Bound of retreating foot
stops, and groping his way through tho
smoko ho drew aside tho curtain and
looked out. At a dlstunco of perhaps a
dozen yards stood old Crlndle, Darius'
best cow. .Hor noso was elovated nt nn
anglo of forty-five dogrecB and hur bond
was swnylng to and fro In bovine dis
tress. '
''Thundurutlon!" ejaculated the as
tonished fanner, as tho truth suddenly
dawned upon him. "Mother, It's old
Hrindfe, and I've filled her chock full
o' shot," ho continued, us ho unlocked
tho terribly shattered door and stopped
out into tho cool nlr. It was only too
true. It was old Hrludle. Sho hud
broken out of tho pasture lot and dur
ing her wanderings had chanced to ap
proach tho buck kitchen door. Tho
rasping sound hud been raude by her
tongue whllo licking the door.
"Come, boss, come, boss," said the
crestfallen farmer, as ho attempted to
approaah.tho strangely-acting unlmul;
but old . Itrlndlo's conlldonco in the
Tones family had been rudoly shat
tered, and catching sight of his white
robed figure she plunged madly off
into the darkness.
"A dnm pretty mess 1'vo mndo on't,"
ejnculatcd Farmer Jones, as ho rueful
ly watched hor retreating figure until
it disappeared in thu gloom. "I've
spoilt that door, an like ez not killed
tho best cow 1'vo got, too, an' thur
hain't been n burglar in forty miles o'
here. Sny, mother, if ye hear nny
more suwin' or fllln' I wish you'd keep
it to yersolf."
"Well, ye ncodn't be so cross nbotit
It. If you hadn't thought it was u bur
glar yon wouldn't have shot thiough
tho door."
And Darius felt that ho was again
vanquished. II. J. Holllstcr, in Yankee
llludo.
Don't llvo an
Horn.
aimless life. Ram's
MISCELLANEOUS.
Treebag-"DId .Tohlots,,16avl5,nny
last request?" Ilutnptnto '.' Yes) ho
'wanted the funeral procession to drive
nroitntl by the wny of the ball grounds."
Wife "John, do look nt thut poor
waiter; whut makes him so oiic-sldcd?"
Husband "I guess It Is bocniisu ho has;
been so frequently tipped."--! utei'Oconn.
A Sunday-school Surprise. "Now,
you're iv nicely dressed llttlo glrL !-
your father Independent?" "No, thlr.
Ho Hit In Jail." Ilrooklyn Fugle.
A little miss hud .prepared to rcclto
In Sabbath-school the lino "Search tho
Scriptures." When the teacher usketl
for her verse, however, she hesitated,
then hrnveby uttered thu words "Hunt
for the proscription."
When Harry anil Luclnda go out
rowing lliey lovo to work thu sumo our.
It Is so sociable, you know, ntul then it
reminds them of the words of the, poet.
"Two souls with but a slnglu IhwiirL"
Itostoii Transcript.
The Swoitl Swallower "I havo hail
notice that they don't want t'ne any
longer In thu museum." Fat Woman
'Well, who will tuko your place?"
Sword Swallower "Why, a girl from
lltvston Is going to swallow her words."
I liter Occult.
An original method of Inducing tho
residents of Alsace-Lorraine to becomo
Germans has been discovered by tho
Volk, the orunfi of llerr Stoeckor.
This Journal proposes' that tho state
shall give a dowry to every nuttvo of
Alsaeu-Lorraluu who marries a Gorman.
It vtns on Friday that Columbus sot
will from I'ulos. Friday ho first, saw
thu now world, Friday ho reached Pulos
on his return, the four hundredth anni
versary of tho discovery fulls on Friday
nnd on Friday this country was chris
tened after Ainerlcus VonpueluH, thu
FlorentlniMllseoverer.
An eriioinons school of barracuda
was sporting In Monterey bay, Cali
fornia, the other duy, when, with tho
sudden turn, they 'headed straight for
the beach without diminution In their
npeed, und were soon landed high ami
dry upon the shore. Thu bullet Is that
tha barracuda were driven ashore by tv
school of whales.
0. L. Walker, chief olerk of tho
Central railroad nt Macon, Gn., has an
old bill In his possession. It Is a 910
note of the state of North Carolina,
printed In 1778. On oitu sldu Is the in
scription, "Persecution the lltiln of
Umpires." On the other sldo appear
tho words, "Death to Counterfeiters."
Tho Idea of manufacturing power
on n moving chr to run u t'lyiiumn to op
era to u motor to propel' n car seems to
bo ti roundabout way of getting at tho
result of electric ttHietlon, and yet'thut
is wiiat n western Jiiun is sum to bo
doing. He used gasoline to produco
steam for power; but why not use tho
htenm power direct?
Tho famous story of tho word "sir
loin," or, moro properly, "surloln," is of
recent creation. A king of Knglnnd
the "merry monarch" most likely
coming in hungry ono day from tho
ehuse, had served up to him a savory
loin of beef. So delighted was tho fam
ished king ut thu sight of his favorite
dish that ho knighted it on tho. spot,
and It Is now known as "sir loin" even
to this day. k
President Harrison's most formida
ble rival for the hand of Miss Carol Ino
Scott, who afterward became his wifo,
was a rollicking Irish boy who fell in
lovo witli liar, as did her husband, whllo
they wero both attending her father's
school. Ho is Thud L. Cojinnt, and ho
is living now In Kvansvlllu, Intl., where
ho is river editor of tho Standard.
Ono of the model co-operative asso
ciations of tho country is th? Fruit
Growers' union, which wns organized
In 1S07 and incorporated in 1088. Its
membership is fi74, nnd it hud issued
4, 1(H) shares up to January last Its ob
ject Is tho protection of tho grower by
obtaining the highest prices for his
fruits. Shipments arid sales nro at
tended to, and necessary articles aro
supplied nt the lowest rates possible.
Tho total amount of last year's busi
ness was 9114,301. Tho not assets of tho
society aro :W,5S)0.
Petroleum, when sUjrod.ln bulk,
cither in tank steamships 'or In tanks
on shore, must bo provided with means
for expansion when the tempuruturo
rises. A drawback in1 appliances has
been tho admitting of air ou tho eon
traction of tho oil. Tho manager of
largo works in West Hartlepool, Bng
land, has devised an apparatus thut
will prevent tho uccessof air. In cylin
drical domes on thu top of the tanks ho
fits pistons, tho rods projecting throagh
the tojM und moving freely, Tho
pistons rest on thu surface of tho oil
and rise and full when it expands and
contracts. '
Tho liwlepondonqo of Iturmeso
women is remarkable. They manage
th'olr own affairs, lord stalls in tao
bazar, with which no ono interferes,
marry when they choose, nnd dlvorco
their husbands us soon as they please.
No jealous veils cover their faces; no
melancholy purdoh seclusion provonts
them from mixing with the inulo sex.
They first dance and laugh with aa
ninny udmlrors as tliuy'choosu, and last
of nil thoysmoko not dainty olgnrottos
on tho sly, taking a whiff whllo they
read the latest French novol, aa their
European sisters. do; no, but cigars!
Cigars longer than men u&u in Europo;
oigurs a foot long and two inches in cir
cumference, tho prico about two cents,
and they smoko them all duy.
Why Wo Ned Two Kara.
Hound travels by wuvos, radiating
from a central point of disturbance,
just us waves rudiato when u Btono is
thrown Into still water. So far as tho
hearing of each individual ia concorned
those waves move in a direct lino from
tiio cause of tliodlstur banco to thu ear.
This being tho caso, the impact la
greater In tho car nearest tho sound.
Now, a person who has totally lost tho
hearing of ono car cannot 1 oca to tha
direction of a nolso to save his life, oven
when tho center of disturbance is quit
near, lillnd persons learn to estimate
distance in a surprising brief period
ufter losing their sight, but experts on
diseases of tho ear say thutn-.'rsona
wholly deaf in one oar c.in never learn
.the direction from which u sound vuimctw
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Philadelphia Press. .
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