"Wfc-W.-, THE BED CLOUD CHEEP. I DR, FALCONER'S TEMPTATION, X j (Continued.) "A soldier:" cried Mary. "Oh. Rich ard, you must try if we can't do some thing for him. I never. hear of au old soldier without thinking of ray poor brother, Jack, who, you know, ran away and enlisted while I- was quite a Httlo girl, nnd how miserably he died In Africa. Oh, what u pot I uhciI to be of poor Jack's! If wc had heard o( any ono who had been good to hlni at last, bow wo should have bleed him! Do tell mo nil about this poor fellow, and t us ace If we can dcvlBe any way of helping him." "I am afraid .he Is protty well past htlp," said Richard. "I left him un-. conscious, nnd I should not be In tho least surprised If he should never come to himself again." "But surely ho enn't be left to him self In an empty house, nichard! It would be a sin and a shame to leave anybody so. Ho must be got to the lu flrmary." "Ho won't go. I have tiled my best to malco him, but he Is obstinate." "Then wo must bring him here. Wo have more than one empty room, for the houae is far too big for us. Do let me get a bed put up In ouo of them." "Why, Mary, you know well enough we can't even keep ourselves! How are we to keep and feed a stranger as well?" "Oh, we must, Hlchard!" she cried Impulsively, her tender eyes filling with tears. "Think how forsaken and wretched ho is! Suppose it were your brother and ho la your brother, oven If he bo what you call a stranger. We muatn't shut our door on him 'I wa3 a stranger, nnd yo took me not In' how could you bear to hear that?" She ran lightly out of tho room to glvo her orders and see them carried out, leaving Richard sitting conscleuce etricken In his chair, all his subtle ar guments scattered to tho winds by a elnglo word. "Took him not In!" ho echoed with a bitter laugh. "No, Lord, I didn't tako blm In! I knew a trick worth two of that; bo I robbed and murdered him Instead, and then Bworo lies about It at tho Inquest. And tho best of It was that I did It all from tho most exalted motives to promote tho greatest hap piness of tho greatest number, at no expense excopt of Ihe llfo of a wretched miser of whom tho world would bo well rid, who was only a burden to' himself and a nuisance to everybody else! How clear it all was! but I dare not ay It to Mary, and should hate her If eho could listen to It for a second." Ho lay back In hla chair for a mo ment with closed oyes, a thousand old world dreams and half-forgotten ideals and aspirations crowding back upon bis memory and circling round the Imago of his wlfo as he had lrrst seen and loved her. Thore wore unaccus tomed tears In his oyes as he opened thqm to bco her standing before him In bat and cloak. "Come, Richard," she cried, "you must take mo to the place at once. There was some wine left, nnd I have it In this basket. I havo told Alice to make up a bod In the back room and to havo some hot soup ready In an hour. Now get your coat on and take mo to tho house. Wo shall need a fly to bring him hero; but wo can order that on tho way." Her bright; quick eagerness carried blm along; In another mlnuto they woro passing through the streets and had hailed a crawling cab. Richard regarded his wlfo with a kind of dazed surprise All tho wan depression of her face, which had weighed upon his spirits for weoks, wns gone, nnd a bright and almost Joyous energy jsecmed to possess her that reminded him of tho Mary of brighter days. Ho seemed awakened from a nlghtmaro as he looked after her, and sprnng lightly down to holp her as the fly drew up In tho wretched street beforo tho empty houso. Already tho early evening was closing in, and It looked doubly desolate and forbidding In tho twilight. "Why, surely there la no ono living hero!" she exclaimed; "ho must Indeed bo In a wretched plight, poor fellow!" Richard triod the door, but found it locked. Ho had no recollection of his departure from tho house in tho morn ing, but on putting his hand in hla pocket ho found tho key, which ho must have slipped into it on leaving. They entered tho baro outer room, and bo could hardly hear his wife's ex clamation of pi' nnd dismay, his own heart was thumping so loudly with tor ror and suspense. Should they find him still alive? His liitml shook as he laid It on tho handlo of the Inner door, tho lock rattled, and for a moment ho recoiled as from a living thing. Nerv ing himself with an effort, ho pushed onen tho door and went In. Tho room Ac Iroolso,y no lmd ,eft ,l m tno Caviling; tho patient lay in a profound sleep, breathing heavily, and bathed In gt profuso porsplrntlon. Richard bent over him nnd folt his pulse, then shook hlm sharply by tho shoulder nnd called loudly on him to awako, but without rousing him in the least. Slapping his fnco with a wet handkerchief, raising him off the ground, produced no better offect. Taking tho little bottle of wlno .from Mary's ready hand, Richard forced a few drops Into his mouth, A SHORT STORY They were awnllowcd with a convulsive gulp, but miulo no change In the pro found unconsciousness In which tho patient lay. "It's no use," he snld at last. "He's too far gone to awake. And yet his inline id very good, and If I had him at home there nro one or two other things thnt I might try. So Just tell the driver to come In nnd help mo carry him to the fly." He wrapped around him the rug ho had sent tho evening before, which was tho only thing nbout him not In rags, and with tho driver's assistance carried him nut and propped him up in the fly. Before quitting tho place Richard turned the bed over with his foot to bo suro nothing of value was left be hind. A heavy revolver, which preved to bo loaded, rattled upon the floor, and an ho stooped to pick It up a yellow gleam caught lite eye among the rngn. "What! more money!" ho exclaimed, but on looking closer he found thnt It was only the gilt caso of an old-fashioned, faded daguerreotype portrait Nothing else was to bo found, and slip ping It Into his pocket with the- re volver, he returned to the cab, locking the door behind him as ho left. A few minuted' driving brought the party back to Itlchurd's house, and with tho assistance of tho cabman, tho still unconscious patient was carried up to ono of tho empty rooms, whore a bed had been prepared to receive him. Mary was ready with hot soup and cof fee, and felt n little disappointed when Rlchnrd turned her from the door. "No, no, Mary. It's no use trying to give it to hlra that way. Make a little very 3trong becf-tea; I will find a way to administer that. Send mo up the bottle of Coud.y's fluid, and a slaw anil a Jug of water." Left to hlniscU, he proceeded with a fierce anxiety, very different from his usual professional coolness, to take such measures as his knowledge dic tated to awaken his patient from his stupor, and these not proving Imme diately successful, to sustain life, If possible, until the effect of tho drug should pass off. It wus late when, nfter having exhausted nearly every means known to him, he left him still lying unconscious, and went down-stalrd. Mary had prepared a Jlttle supper for him, nnd was anxiously awaiting his appearance. "A good, Htroug cup of tea for me, Mary." "Why, Richard, you know tea nt night always keeps you awake. You would not sleep n wink after It." "That's what I want. I am going to sit up with my patient tonight, nnd before Allco goes to bed you had better tell her to light u fire In his room." "Oh, Richard, mayn't I sit up along with you? I am sure I shall not close my eyes the whole tlmo for thinking of you. I novcr can sleep when you arc away from me at nights." "All tho moro renson for you to be resting quietly In bed, then," said Richard, who had his own reasons for wishing to bo alone with his patient In the event of his recovering conscious ness. When tho household had retired, Richard sat down In an oasy-chnlr bo sldo the fire, having llrot mado n care ful examination of his patient, who moaned and muttered in his sleep ns he turned him over to sound his heart. Reassured of these signs of reviving consciousness, ho oponed tho latest works on "Poisons," on which ho had recently expended a guinea which he could very 111 spare, turned to tho sectlou on "Morphia," and settled him self in his chair to study it attentively. About four hours later ho was awak ened from a (Jeep sleep by a loud cry uttered near him. The book had fallen to the floor beside tho chnlr; tho flro had gono out, but the lamp was burn ing brightly. Tho sick raun wns sitting up In bed, from which ho had thrown off tho covering, and was wildly grop ing among the bed-clothes In search of somcthlug. "Lost, lost!" he shrieked. "Holp! thieves! Police!" Richard was at his sido in n moment and caught him by tho shoulder. "Thank God, you nro better!" he ex claimed. "But what aro you looking for?" "What, doctor, Is It you? Where am I? What has been tho matter with mo? I feel na If I had slept for a hundred years!" "You,nro In my house," said Rich ard, "and everything you have is safe. Now pull yourself togethor and lot mo have a look at you. Pupils normal, heart all right. Why, you are a mira cle! Just swallow this cup of cof fee; It's cold, but your throat must bo llko a chimney. Down with It!" "More, more; I could drink up Eell!" ho cried, holding out the empty cup to bo refilled. "You must bo a magician, doctor, to havo brought mo round so quickly. I'm accustomed to theso attacks, as I told you, nnd tho worst is always over In thrco days. But there Is always BlckncFs nnd prostration afterwards, and this tlmo I positively feol bettor than I havo dono for years. I havo had such a sound sleep as I thought I should never enjoy again. Hpw did you. do It, doctor?" v "Morphia!" said Richard grimly. "A. heroic dose; I saw yon vera pretty bad and It had to be either kill or curt. Till within fire minutes ago I was greatly afraid it was going to be kill. You have slept about twenty hours." "I can never thank you enough for your courage, for It hae put new life Into me. I must have bean aa sound aa a church If you have removed me with out iar knowing It. But are you quite sure you left nothing behind, for I missed something' Just now that must not bo lost ou any axcount?" "I know," said Richard, quietly, hut keenly watching tho other's face na ho spoke. "You had a belt around you with several thousand pounds' worth of money nnd Jewels in It. You had also a loaded revolver, for the purpoBO, I presume, of defending your wealth. Don't te uneasy about them; I havo them both safely under lock and key." (To be Continued.) LIMITS OF MARRIAGEABLE AOE When Couple May 1U United Accord lug to Lawi of Various Nation. It mnkes considerable dlfferonco lu the matrimonial advantages of a per son whero ho may havo been born or Is a citizen. This remark applies with peculiar force to tho minimum ago which -renders a union legal. It in a mcasuro implies the consent of parents or guardians In all tho Instances cited, although onrc united the law sustains tho marriage maugro dissent of tho parents, etc. In Austria 14 years is looked upon as miMlclent to entitle a person of either sex to tako on tho burdena of mntrlmony. Germany re quires tho male to bo 18 and tho fe male 16. In Frauce and Belgium tho man must be 1C and the woman 15. In Spain the Intended husband must havo passed tho 14th year and the woman her 1'Jth. Tho law In Hungary for Ro man Catholics Is that tho man must bo 14 years old and tho womnn 12; for Protestants the man must be 18 and tho woman 16. In Greece tho man mutt have Feen at least -14 Bummers and the woman J 2. In Russia and Sax ony they are more Be'nslble, and a youth muBt refrain from matrimony till ho can count 18 years and a women un til Bho can count 1C. In Switzerland me from tho age of 14 and women from tho ago of 12 aro allowed to mar ry. Tho Turkish law provides that any youth and maid who can walk properly nnd can understand tho neces sary religious service are allowed to bo united for life. Anuconda Standard, POINTS ON FOOD. Coffee is to bo cheaper. Thla Is to be one of tho results of tho war. Near ly hnlf of tho world's coffee crop comes to the United States. Wo consumo almost twelve pounds per annum for every ono of our population, nnd spend on an average nearly $90,000,000 a year for coffee. Two-thirds of tho world's supply of coffee comes from Brazil, which places an export duty of 11 per cent upon tho fragrant berry. The Un cst coffee In tho world Is grown In Porto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines, and under tho stimulation of Amer ican entcrprlso theso countries will, within a few years, bo ablo to supply tho world with coffee. What thla means to tho coffee consumer he can clearly understand. After all that has been said about the large.quantlty of vnluablo food that is going to wasto In the shape of edlbto mushrooms, recent Investigations mado by Prof. L. B. Mendel of Ynlo show that the nutritive valuo of tho mushroom Is not so very high after all. Science describes Prof. Mendel's ex periment as follows: "Chemical anal ybes were combined with experiments in artificial digestion and special at tention was given to tho amount of avnllablo (digestible) proteid present. The latter was found to bo not over 2 or 15 per cent In fresh mushrooms, which shows that tho prevailing Idea of the great nutritive value of mush rooms la not yet Justified. Thoy may bo valuable as dlotctic accessories, but they do not deserve tho term 'vege table beefsteak.' Their nitrogen is largely In the form of nonproteld bodies. The amount of fat, cholcstcr In, soluble carbohydrates, crudo flbpr nnd inorganic substances contained in them, corresponds in general with that fouinl In other vogetablo foods, such as peas, corns and potatoes." Rico bread Is tho staple food of the Chinese, Japanese nnd a large portion of the Inhabitants of India. In Persia tho bread is made from rice flour and milk; It is called "lawash." The Per sian oven is built In tho ground about the size of a barrel. Tho sides aro smooth mason work. The flro' Is1 built at the bottom nnd kept burning until tho wall or sides of the oven aro thor oughly hented. Enough dough to form n sheet about one foot wldo arid about two feet long la thrown on tho bench nnd rolled until about as thin as solo leather; then it Is taken up and tossod and rolled from one arm to tho other and flung on a board nnd slapped on tho aldo of tho oven. It takes only a few moments to bake, and when baked it is spread out to cool. This bread Is cheap (1 cent a sheet); It Is sweet and nourishing. larcrit Itoora In tlio World. Tho largest room in tho world under one roof nnd unbroken by pillars la at St. Petersburg. It Is C20 feet long by ISO in breadth. By daylight It Is used for military displays, and a wholo bat talion can completely maneuver In it. By night 20,000 wax tapers glvo it a beautiful appearance. The roof Is a single urch of iron. It it Is truo that tho smartest man makes tho most munny, then tho men hoo allow themselves to bo skint aro fools. Does It tako a very smart man to .3k In a lot of fools? TERRIBLY STRANGE. TARANTULA'S VICTIMS DANCE FOH THEIR LIVES. Molt lUmarknlil 1'Iimv i( l.lfw In Houtliurn Italy Tho MlnRlinlmia Dnvll Itancar Who Krmaia Klt Spirit In Thtlr Ml ml. HE historic ami once highly civiliz ed little town of Rrlndlsl, lu south ern Italy, la a wild place, lu which tho Ileitis and commons abound with 'scor pions, vlpera nnd tamntuhui, which ure dally killed by Hcorca, but still multiply their raco to the terror of tho Inhabitants. Whatever skeptics may lay, the tarantula's bite does cause that terrible exhibition, or series of Jumps and distortions, which glvo rise to tho lovely and graceful dance. A rocont traveler writes from Ilrln dlsl: "I havo seen u tarantula and can bear wltnnss to It. It was when visit ing the Pugllo province a few years ago that I came across a tarantula dancer. Her eyes were staring wildly, as If alio saw tho tarantula still hoforc her. Ev ery second she, would stretch forward her hands, then hurriedly clasp them together, as If to crUHh tho horrible beast. Tho only menus of healing from tho bite, or sting, 1b dnnclng, nnd for thla musicians nro engaged by the vic tim's family." There 1b nlso a sacred well about hlrty-slx miles from Brludlsi, dedlcnt- rr ULD fil 13' 1 y - A VICTIM. cd to St. Paul, tho protector of taran tula victims, nnd every year theso poor creatures make a pilgrimage thither on SL Paul's day, which occurs at tho end of June. Tho water of this well Is sup posod to euro tho tarantula's atlng. During tho Journey tho victims aro a prey to violent convulsions. Those who cannot undertako tho Journey perform tho ceremony at homo In a room hung with colored handkerchiefs or bits or colored rags, and they danco, Jump and scream as long us their strength lasts. Another traveler, who visited the sacred well, says: "Sometimes It takes Beveral days to euro them.' The girl I saw waa a hand sumo poasant girl. Her hulr, which was magnificent, fell over her llko a cloak. She was sitting on a chair In front of the houso, and was surrouuded by a crowd of relatives nnd neighbors. I asked what was tho matter, and wus told 'It Is a tarantula.' The girl's head was moving from cldo to aide, as If lis tening to something. In fact, an organ wns heard approaching. Little by lit tle, as the organ drow nearer, tho girl rose from her Heat and began to dance wildly. Then, when her strength was spent, sho gavo one long, loud cry and fell as if dead In her mother's 'urms. "Tho following day sho danced, again, and for over twelvo hours, without ceasing, excepting for short Intervals. Tho musicians engaged to keep the girl company wero paid 10 francs caoh for tho day, and the family consisted only of poor peasants. 'But how can you afford this?" I asked tho rather of tho girl. 'Well,' he answered, 'It must be dono, othorwlso our girl would dlo of tho tarantula's poison. Aud you would not havo us see our girl dlo beforo our eyes for tho snko of a few francs? Wo must starvo afterward, hut our girl must havo music to help her iu her dance. I always think of this poor girl at tho approach of St. Paul's day." , Tho real Slnghaloso devil dancors In Ceylon aro ferocious and savage fel lows. Tholr dances aro revolting and horrible. But their profession Is popu lar nnd affords a royal living for tho men who go Into It. Thoro Is a super stition among tho Slnghaloso that when a man falls sick ho is supposed to bo afflicted by a devil. In order to rid him of tho dlscaso tho devil dancers aro called In to propltlato tho demon. Two or more of them go by night to tho sick man's houso, in front of which a email, square Inclosure, about six feot high, has boen mado of grasses and palm leaves. This answers the purpose the greenroom at a theater, 'fa men appear at first without masks, and with long yellow 'truss streamers hang ing from tiiulr heads nnd wulsta. 'luo only light cam on the scene Is by torche made of (sticks, round which pteceu of cloth are wrapped, Uppcd In oil. To tho music of a tnni-ti, kept up on one note, the dancers sing a pe culiar, wild funeral dirge, lu whlcJ the spectators often Join. The dancers begin by slowly mov ing nbout, stretching tho right foot and bringing the left up to It, and appear as If they wero searching for some thing, during which the pinging sounds like crying. They are then asking tho dnvll to appear. There nro twenty-four different sorts of devils, nnd, after tho firm part, tho dancers ure constantly changing their clothes to represent tho uuttre species; ruiiu wenr masks, sooia dou Jaws and terrible teeth reaching to tho ears. The Jaws open and elaao In a very realistic manner. A dance lasts over two nlRlits. aa the whole twenty-four dovlls have all to be personated beforo tho particular demon who 1ft uflllctlug the Mick man Is pitch ed on. When he gives signs of his presence the dauceis go Into a sort of frenzy, which Increases aa ho takes possession of them; the tnm-tum beats faster anil faster, the chanting grows Into yells, the men whirl and stamp and tho bells ou thair ankles Jlnglo and clash. At thla stage the dancers appear to be looking for some object to give the devil In mirrlflre, unit Into which he may pass. A chicken Is usually offered by tho friend of the sick man, and this unfortunato bird Is seized upon, twist ed and tormented and bitten between the false tenth, until the duncors, worn out, move slower aud alower, and the chicken slnka into u sort of trance, which Is a slgu that the devil has ac cepted the sacrifice, and Is willing to pass from tho man into the bird. Naj Man Came from Ape. At the meeting or tho Cambridge congress or zoology in London last week Prof. Haeckot, In n pnpor on tho present knowledge of tho descent of man, declared that science has now established with nbsoluto certainty thut man descended through various stages of evolution from the lowest form of animal life during n period es timated at 1.000,000,000 years. After going deep Into the scientific features of his Investigations, Prof. Haeckot says that man Is a primate, and that all prlmutcs, monkeys, apes and man, descended from one common stem. When a man onco thoroughly under stands tho Ins and outs of u wheat cor ner ho Invariably stays out. of X . ,- i SINQHALE3E ASCENDED GRAND TETON. Ilitr-Halilng t'vat Accomplished at IHmjt notation. Vwo remarkable feats lu mountain climbing havo Just been accomplished. In one enso Mrs. Cobum, wlfo of th pastor of Trinity Episcopal church, Denver, Col., was tho first woman to step foot on the top of Mount Evoni, Colorado. In tho other, tho nBcent of tho Grand Teton, on tho border lino be tween Idaho and Wyoming, often at tempted unsuccessfully anil by many thought to be Impossible, was accom plished by a party made up of tho Iter. Frank S. Spalding, formerly of Denver and now of Erie, Pa., u son of Bishop John. F. Spalding of the diocese of Col orado; W, O. Owen of Cheyenne, Wyo.: Frank S. Pctorson of Jackson, Wyo., ami John Shlvo of Elk, Wyo. The ac cent was exceedingly difficult and dan gerous. It was by crawling upon their abdomens In ono place over a ledgi to Insecure rock overlooking a precipice with a drop or 3,000 feet, that the sum mit of tho Great Teton waa reached. Tho path In sonic places was so narrow that progress was mado only by seek lug out with tho lingers crevices In which to secure a hold to drag tho body along. The ascent rivals thn moat dlt flcult feats of Alpine climbing. Tho Grand Teton la the subject of hundreds of legends among tho In dians, and Is still a mysterious tomplo of the Great Spirit to them. It had always been regarded as folly to at tempt to reach tho summit. Waitilnr Htrftet for Diamond. Perhaps the moat Interesting fact In connection with' Klmbcrley, tho dia mond city, 1h tho "street washing." which has been a recognized IndUBtry for some time past. With tho excep tion of two or three, or tho principal thoroughfares, all tho streets havo been subjected to tho washing process, nnd Bomo of tho debris wnshcra bave done very well. The "wuBhlng" con sists of overhauling tho earth for dia monds. At nearly every meeting of tho borough council applications for permission to wash streets, or portions of Btreots, are received. The would-be washer has to obtain the consent of persona resident In the street or road, to put the latter luto sound rcpnlr again, and pay tltho to the municipal ity In tho shape of ten per cent on the gross finds. Last yenr 900 was paid to the municipality in lUlu way, a good proportion or which represented com mission ou street finds. In the early days of the diamond fields tho ground was washed In a very primitive style, ninny diamonds being thrown away in tho debris, ns It Is called. This debris was subsequently UBod for street-making purposes, and now, years after, with better muchluery at their dis posal, people find It pays to "wash tho streets." Many houses built ou "mai den" debris nro removed In ordor to wush the latter, and stones of compar atively large size are frequently found by the energetic debris washer, who literally works from morn till night, from sunrise till sunset. Pcarson'a Weekly. Tim Duel In We.t Vlrirlula. In West Virginia, a duol meuna something. Two citizens of Slsterville. that state, had a grievance to settle, and the other day they mot faco to face on the street. Both drew guns and blazed away, and each received two shots from tho other's weapon. Nclth- l er will live. Nor wns that all the dam- ago done. A crowd gathered to wit ness tho affair, nnd five other persons received wounds, from tho results of which two will die. With four fatally wounded ntid three moro slightly dam aged, wo presume West Virginia honor Is vindicated. In Franco the affairs would havo been managed differently. Tho principals would have appointed seconds, who would havo selected a quiet, unfrequented spot, to which the duellists would have replircd. An agreed number of paces would htfve been counted ofT, thoro would have been two quick reports, nnd tho entire party would have pledged eternal friendship over n bird and a bottle, the only dead thing being tho bird. If the object is to kill, tho West Virginia method seems to be the most effective. But If tho idea la moroly to, satisfy wounded honor in tho most pleasant way, then tho bird and bottlo niothod or tho delicious French is to bo pre ferred. Philadelphia North Amcrlcau. DEVIL DANGER. HI' mi I I Ffi & Wi ':'M mmmmmMt!iaBffi8i K , .--t S .At