Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 15, 1916)
V RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF The Rroken Coin A Uory of Mystery and Adventure y EMERSON HOUGH From the Scenario tiT NovcIImU From tho Motion l'lcturo Drama of tho Bnmo Nnmo. Produced by the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. 8YNOP8I8. I to them ho roapponrod, tlio man in whom thoy hau coniiuonco, anu 1110 man who had confldoncn In hlmsolf. F .! Jrtl m Kitty Gray, newtpnper womnn, finds In curio uliop lialf of n broken coin, tho iitiilllnlml Inarrlntlim nn tvlltcll liroURPH lior curiosity and lends her, at thn order of her inunuKlnc editor, to ko to thn prin cipality of areUhofTcn to pleco out tho story BUKKi'Sted by thn Inncrlptlnn. Hhn In followed, nnd on nrrlvnl In (JretxholTon her adventures whllo chasing tho secret of the broken coin bnxln, FIFTEENTH INSTALLMENT CHAPTER LV. Tho wldo wings of tho air craft roao gracefully nnd Htoiullly from tho peril ous dip which It had mado nlmost to tho Burfaco of tho nca. Undor tho Htoady hand of tho pilot It twung up and around nnd headed back toward tho nhoro. Llolow tliom now lny tho towers of arotzhoffen. Tho roar of tho motor mado conversation Impossible, but tho tbroo occupantH of tho car looked at ono anothor happily. Rolonu, wot and weary, but smiling, had curled hlmsolf down ns bent ha could, nnd no oeptod this last phnso of his udventuro with hln uhuuI philosophy. To tho rollof of all throo, at longth thoy Baw tho groan Bhoroa of Grot-s-boffon waterfront rlalng up to moet thorn. Tho aoroplano, eklllfully ban dlod, splrulod gracefully down. Safo at length, thoy stopped from tho car. Frodorlck and Kitty faced each other. "Aro wo thon at tho ond of our perils?" asked Kitty. "Daro wo bo llovo ItT I am weary with It all I Bcarco know whether I am not in some harassing droam. Aro wo thon safo gain?" "Lot us hopo It, madomolsollo." said Count Frodorlck. "But Btay," Bald ho. "How can wo know what may havo transpired at tho palaco In our absenco? Only ono thing 1b to bo dopondod upon, and that is that Sachto will not rolont. Ho will have Bomo plot on foot ho will not admit hlB defeat." "Lot us go thon," Bald Count Fred erick, "and boo. After what wo havo ondurod why troublo overmuch re garding what fato may havo In addi tion? It all seems to mo to havo boon In tho hand of fato itself. Even I am of tho mind that our llttlo fears do not In tho IeaBt alter tho idans of tho gods rognrding us." "That Is tho fatalism of a bravo man," Bald Kitty, smiling. "What! Thon you call mo nt least bravo, mndomolscllo? Would that I might find Homo other merit in your oyoB and would I might blot out my own souse of umvorthtness In tho con duct I havo shown towards you. Madomolsollo " "This Is no tlmo for such matters, monBiour. Lot us haston." Sho Bpoko composodly, nnd oven thon wus turning toward tho palaco. Roleau, apart at a rospectful dis tance, for tho timo mado no attompt to Intrude Count Frederick and Kitty hurriod off toward tho plaza in front of tho palaco, whoso grounds so ro contly had been tho scono of tho dos porato oncountor botwoon tho two ar mies. A cortaln poaco had rolgned thero but now, yot it had boon but the poaco of exhaustion. Tho army ot Grahoffen had withdrawn, that was true, but lod by dauntless minds Its retreat had boon chocked. With thorn dofeat was but a relative term, a tem porary condition. Even now thoy had summoned up tholr courago, and those but recently vanquished had sot on foot a counter-attack against tho capi tal ot tholr recently victorious foo. As thoy advanced thoy found tho plaza onco moro filled with arn'.od mon, the forces of Grahoffon again upon tho aggrosslvo. Uy stealth now, rapidly and without tho Bound of martial mu sic, thoy had stolon into tho unguarded portion of tho city. Tho courago ot despair porhaps nnimatod them In this undertaking. Yot now contldonco and not dospatr Boomed to rulo among them as thoy gathered In front of tho palaoe which still so grimly hold its anclont secrets. "Come quick!" exclaimed Freder ick as this scono broko upon tholr gaze. "Wo aro alono our forces aro scattered thoy are upon us again In thousands. We must tako rofugo In the palaco only In Its hlddon recesses can wo And any bolp now." Carefully as might bo, and as quick ly, thoy gained access onco moro to the boleaguorod palaco ot Grotzhoffen. In tho anteroom thoy mot nono less than Michael, tho puppet king hlmsolf. He was tho imago ot torror now, and willing to babblo to any of his woes. "What shall wo do? Whero Bhall we go?" he exclaimed almost In do spalr. "Thoy aro at us again thoy have no morcy on us thoy do not stay defeated, my doar count Yon dor Sachto docs not rolont ho will havo our hearts' blood. It is terrible. Where Bhall wo fly from him?" Much of theno broken utterances had truth la them. Tho Grahoffon troops wore Indeed In possession ot tho cen tral defenses of tho town. By vlrtuo ot tho magic of porslstonco and speed ot action Count Sachlo hlmsolf onco moro had won to tho hoad of his troop, From some place unknown With such an adversary King Mlchaol, or ovon tho stouter bouI now at his sldo, might well llnd pauso. "Soon It will bo Indood too lato, your majesty," exclaimed Count Frodorlck. "Como wo must find bodjo Bafoty In tho inner chambers of tho palaco, Luckily it was built for precisely nuch a crisis as this In Its fato. Como, madomolBcllo, your hand, quick. Your majesty, It Is not honoath your dig nity to haBten now." Pursuod by vaguo nolsos of combat nnd by countless vaguo fears conjured up by tholr surroundings, dcop In tho hlddon fastnoHses, thoy wont on until at longth thoy woro far bolow tho lovol of tho rooms dovotud to tho usual puposcs of the dally Ufo of tho pulaco. llolow them, boforo them, all was dark ncss and gloom. Thoy woro well among tho subterranean dungeons which had held so long tholr secrets against all comors. Mlchaol was tho proy ot yot added apprehonslons as ho found himself thus leaving tho light of duy and von turlng among theso regions whoso tra ditions held thorn so potent In ter ror for tho human mind uu onco thoy had offered terrors to tho human body. Yet ho could do no moro than follow tho guldanco of tho bolder mind which now lod on. Thoy wcro followed In somo part by tho rofugecs of tho palaco, as anx ious as themselves to find somo ref uge. So at length thoy halted in an abiding placo which for tho timo at least was silent a dcop dungeon where light and sound nllko woro cut off. Such had boon tholr hasto that all woro well-nigh exhausted Mi chael spent most of all and voicing most ot all tho babbling of his mor tal anguish. Thus circumstanced, thoy found such places of rest as offorad and waited for what might como. Moanwhllo tho relontless Sachlo was searching somo entranco Into tho pal aco, tho hiding placo of his enemies, and, as ho supposed, also ot tho wom an whom gladly ho would havo called his friend tho woman whom ho feared most of all. "llronk In tho door, mon," ho crlod. "Smash lu any window. Enter, In tho nnmo of our own king. Wo havo them defeated now, and thoy must not es capo thoy nro trapped hero, nnd wo will soon havo them In our hands." Ills men obeyed. There enrno soon tho splintering of wood, tho crashing of glass nt tho pnlnco windows. Be foro many momenta had passed tho legions of Grnholteu woro pouring through tho hi each and overrunning tho Interior ot tho palaco. Sachlo, with somo hurried instructions to an nido, led on tho advnnco. All through tho upper portion of tho palaco tho echo ot hurrying footstops rcsoundod. "Thoy aro coming," said Kitty at longth quietly to her companions. Thoy havo taken tho palace. We can not cscapo. This must bo tho ond. Thoy will havo us out now at any cost." "What Bhall wo do? Whero shall wo hldo? What will becomo of mo?" walled Michael. "Save mo, Frederick, savo mo. What Bhall I do?" "You shall keop silent, your ma JoBty, it you pleaso. You can go no where bettor than this. I will do whnt I can," rojolnod Frederick. "Most boloved majesty, you aro In a hard enso, but pray you, troublo us not too much in tho work of doing what wo can for your majesty and ourselves." Trying now this door, now that, ad vancing, receding, tho mon ot Gra hoffon camo on. Thoy llllod up tho corridors, all tho reception halls ot tho front and rear of the Gretzhoffen palaco. Count Sachlo, his king, his loaders and tholr soldiers all now Joined In tho last dash upon what thoy thought to bo tho finish ot their en emy's last citadel. Aloof and apart, concoalcd for tho tlmo In tho romoto coll which had ro- colved them, Count Frederick and his companions hoped against hopo for yot a llttlo whllo, but hoped In vain. Again camo the crashing ot doors, tho rush ot foot on tho stono floors. Uso Iobs to contend against tholr numbers tho last door was broken through. Discovered, surrounded, trapped, Count Frodorlck and his companions tacod tholr assailants, "So," laughed Sachlo, as ho stood panting but triumphant, after his last attack. "So, at last! You havo run far, my friends, and dodged us vory nimbly. Whero shall you go now, my good count whero shall you go, my pretty ono nnd you, your august ma jesty ot Gretzhoffen, boforo whom I must tremble what Is tho noxt placo of retreat for you?" His taunt had truth under It. Tho last card sootuod to havo bcon played, and played to an awful loss. Thoro seemed to bo no further ro treat; the llttlo resistance which Frederick and Kitty could offor would servo tor naught against such odds; as best thoy might thoy endeavored to pro corner of thn room, half moaning la helpless terror, "Arid yet now, at tho last Instant, It was Count Frederick himself to whom It was given to dovlso a, plnn, despcrato in itself, yot, as it chanced, offertlvo. His oyes fell upon n grcnt wheel, rusty and long disused, which thrust out of ono cornor ot tho room. As ho saw it his gazo kindled with tho 'sudden thought which It suggested. Ho know what It was and what it meant what hopo it offered now. "Koop them talking," ho whispered to Kitty, in a quick nsldo. "Engngo thorn for Just a momont keep them busy wait." Count Frederick know that this wheel and tho lovers boyond con trolled tho drnlnago outlet of tho great moat which surrounded tho roar portion of tho castlo. Thoso low er gates onco opened, thero was noth ing to provent flooding of tho subter ranean passages. Tho moat watorB had boon used for that very purposo in tho past bo ran tradition and groat had bocn tho slaughter wrought upon nnclcnt enomlos of Grotzhoffen through that vory means. Hero thoy woro living in tho past horo they do tnandod of tho past Its secrets horo thoy woro surrounded by all tho grim memorials of tho past. Why, thon, thought Count Frederick, why not uso that past nnd tho means that onco had bcon sufficient to it? Ho lnld his hand upon tho whcol. It had not yielded to an arm loss pow erful than his, nnd oven his strength was noccssary to Its limit boforo ho could forco It to ytold, long disused as It had been hero. But at length It did turn a llttlo, and then moro and yot moro. Tho result was boyond nil calcula tion. Thero camo tho sound ot rip pling, and thon ot rushing waters. It camo In tho passages back of tho In vaders. It filled tho stono floors along tho corridors. It lapped their feet. It bathed tholr ankles. It roso swiftly to their knees. And then consterna tion seized upon all thoso who but now hnd stood triumphant, taunting, men acing. Of a truth, tho trapped crea tures had turned and wrought their own vengennco. "Quick, got to safety," commandod Frodorlck now. And oven as ho and his companions found a llttlo higher level In another chamber whonco thoy could sco tho work of tho wa ters on their foes, thoso foos them selves began to cry out In terror at tho mysterious enemy against which thoy could not battlo. "Your Majesty," exclaimed Count Sachlo now to tho tall figure at his side "your majesty!" King Cortlslaw It was who had beon summoned to see the last struggles of Wo do not want you to cumber our corridors with your dead. Lot it bo peace then, nnd this tlmo let your word bo kept. Begono then, and thank good fortuno, and not your Just do sorts, that you havo Ufa loft for you, If any of you remains death shall bo his fato at onco. Decldo quickly, my good Sachlo. You havo not long to livo. Tho moat waters aro not yet touched thoy will flood theso chun nols In tho rock to tholr vory roofs. Decldo then." "Enough, enough," cried Sachlo, holding up his hands. "Wo submit wo surrender wo agree" Count Frederick rovcrsed tho whcol. Llttlo by llttlo, tho gurgling and rush ing of tho waters ceased. Thoy reached tholr own lovol again. Onco moro tho old moat was locked, nnd onco moro a drawn battlo had been fought ovor that secret which still re mained hlddon deop aomowhoro in thoso rock cavernB. Llttlo by llttlo, slowly and in deop humiliation, tho forces of Grahoffon found tholr way out as best thoy might or at least most of thorn did, including Sachlo and Cortlslaw, his king. Presontly Frederick, Kitty and King Michael woro alono onco moro, res cued as much by fato, by chance, as by their own wits keen as thoso had been. "So, your majesty," Bald Count Frederick to King Michael, "whero thero is will thoro Is way It Bccms tho proverb is proved truo onco moro. Wo wcro not far allko from death and burial hero ourselves. Had our friends tho oncmlcs remained much longer, wo would havo tnkon toll of thorn to tho last man. 'Twos lucky, my recol lection of tho old tradition about tho wheel and tho water gates. "But como now, perhaps your maj osty will rest," Bald ho in conclusion. "I think wo shall now havo bettor op portunity to do so. Unless I am now far mistaken, our friends of Grahof fon will leavo us. Not only with Hro and sword, but with tho waters under tho earth, we havo smitten them. As for you, madomolsollo," said ho when at length thoy had escorted tho monarch to a placo ot groator safety, "I congratulate you also on tho oscapo. You aided handsomely as over. But for your courago wo could not havo succeeded." "It was nothing," said Kitty. "Tho trapped animal fights dosporatoly." "It Is of no importanco," said Count Frederick calmly. A peril passed is passed, and noed give us no moro concern. But stay, there was somo unfinished business betwoen you and mo, mademoiselle Toll mo, why should wo bo enemies still, slnco wo havo learned to fight shouldor to shoulder against the enemies of our Under the Steady Hand of the Pilot the Aircraft Headed for Shore. his adversary. Ho stood now trapped liko tho meanest ot thoso retainers about him, nnd neither could llnd hopo. "Tho whoel, the wheel," called Sa chlo at length. "Stop him, men ho is opening tho wator gates stop him at once." Hlmsolf and a few men endeavored to go at Frederick, but met tho lrato Kitty, who put up a tlgcrllko resis tance to protect her comrado at his work. The Bound of shots camo, tho mluglcd sounds ot much confused lam entation from thoso now threatened with drowning In theso deep subter rauoan passages. "What," exclaimed Cortlslaw to Sa chlo, "Is It my fato to drown liko a rat horo In their palaco? Quick, Sa chlo, offer them poaco offor thorn treaty." Even the sonso of chagrin was lost to Sachlo now In his torror for his Ufo nnd that of his sovereign. Ho ad vanced through tho water as best he might until ho caught tho attention of Frederick, still busy at his task. "Halt, Count Frcdorlck," ho cried. "Walt wo offor parley we offer a truco wo offer you ponco, It so you will protect tho Ufo of our sovereign." "So then," exclaimed Frcdorlck, "your Boverolgn is horo?" "I admit ho is," said Sachlo. "I ad mlt also that you have tho upper hand ot us onco more. We cannot perish liko so much vermin horo Btop your cursed whool and glvo us respite, or soon It will bo too late." "Aro you slnccro, Count Sachlo?" demanded Fredorlck "niay wo bo llovo your word? We havo had cause to doubt it moro than onco." "Doubt It then no moro. Cut off thoso Hoods which aro drowning us Inch by Inch, and wo will leavo your palaco and leavo tho town. I glvo you my word nnd that of my sovereign." city? We havo been together In moro than ono peril we have well-nigh per ished togothor a scoro ot times and together we have avenged ourselves. Do you find no augury in that? Sol diers who fight together and who win to safety together usually are friends why should not wo be friends?" Ho advanced toward her now, his arms extended, in his face all his awakened passion as ho saw her once moro so closo at his side. "What!" oxclalmod Kitty, pushing him back. "Surrondor you ask mo to BUrrendor! Why should I? Wo nro but now out of a situation which loaves mo disposed for anything but light matters. Why should I think ot you at all, monsieur lo comto, who havo been indeed the cnuso of so many of those perils which you men tion now. Until I find tho missing half ot my coin I have another mis Blon in Ufo, and othor matters to con sider, than to talk of such things as those you now suggest." She turned from him. Ho stood look ing after hor, baffled and unhappy, smiling sadly as ho saw hor go. "One tlmo, mademoiselle," said he to hlmsolf "somo dayl Tomorrow may bring anothor day " CHAPTER LVI. "Why, then," Bald Count Frcdorlck, tect tholr king, who coworcd la a smiling, "agreed, and Tory cheerfully, King Cortlslaw, safe at last from the dangor ho had encountored In the sub terranean passagoways of tho palaco, was grcoted with cheers by his men when at length ho emerged. Sur rounded by his soldiers and his offi cers, ho passed out in retroat from tho sccno which but now had boon a triumph for his arms. His officers attended him nil savo ono. Count Sachlo, indomitablo oven in defeat, lingered for just a time behind tho others in tho oscapo from tho submerged pas sages. Hurrying hero and there, he sought as best ha might, ungulded, for that ancient torture chamber somo whero bolow tho palaco, In which, n3 ho know, thero rested tho secret ot Grctzhoffon. But slnco ho was un gulded, how could ho know when at length ho was closo to tho door which barred him from that secret7 Ho did find a closed door, in a part ot tho Biibterrancan chambers not yet flooded by tho waters of tho moat, Ho could not llnd entrance tho door wafl locked ho hnd no tlmo to seek for any koy. Looking about hhn hast ily, ho saw only upon tho floor a Bcrap of paper, an old, stained, charred, dis membered pleco of parchment, loft thoro by whoso hand ho could not guess. Curiously regarding It, ho picked It up to examine It moro closely. It horo Bomo anclont inscription which ho could but ill declphor an Inscrip tion in Latin. Count Sachlo cudgolcd his wits to bring to his aid such storo ot knowlodgo of dead languages as onco was his in his college days. Hur ried as ho was, and disjointed as tho inscription was, ho could make but llttlo of It. "By tho rood," oxclalmod ho, "hero Is something strange enough a parch ment from God knows where, by God knows whom. It Bays something about a king or an heir to a kingdom It says something about nn abduc tion. Why, horo wo como upon a pret ty story. I'll warrant half my chance of reward in this war this paper has something to do with tho secret of Gretzhoffen. At least I will tako It with mo." Ho thrust It into his pockot nnd hur ried on Into tho open to Join his flee ing comrades. Even as thoso loft be hind In tho palaco began to tako coun sel of restoring somo order after tho ruin which had boon wrought. Count Sachlo, in possession of ono moro un finished secret, was outsldo tho walls. As ho passed from tho front of tho palaco, ho camo dlroctly In tho line of vision of Kitty, who was watching tho retreat of the Grahoffon forces. Somothlng in Sachio's haste his air of uncertainty withal, attracted her at tention. "I'm sure," said Bho to herself, "thoro Is somo mischief in his mind. As a rule It has been safo to follow yonder rascal I will do so now." And that sho did. Sachlo hastened out through tho pal aco grounds, bound for somo path which without question was familiar to him, and which now ho fancied would offor him quick ogress from a situation bo lacking in attractions. In Sachio's mind was but one thought. Ho was cogitating even aa ho Hod upon tho contents of tho pa per In his pocket. Halt he drew It out as ho hastened. "A king," said ho "abducted; who was ho? What was his ago what king? 'Tis indeed a cunning plot to vex my soul yot further" In Kitty's mind, as sho followed htm with hor oyos, and presently followed him in person, thero was no inkling of this problem which was troubling good Count Sachlo. What concerned her was some indeflnlto feeling that sho must keep him In sight, Onco more her Instinct proved of service Count Sachlo passed among tho shrubbery of tho place eager to find such shelter as ho might concealment which would offor him safety and an opportunity to cxamlno yet moro thor oughly this curious bit of paper which ho had safe in his pocket. Ho thrust this way and that, A button of his coat entangled in tho branch ot a shrub. Ho detached it hastily and pasBed on. As ho did so, ho did not notico that his cherished bit ot paper loft his pockot and fell upon tho ground. Trust oyes as keen as Kitty's to noto this incldont of his flight. An Instant later Bho had pounced upon it and was hersolf hurrying for conceal ment. Once more hor wits wcro at sword's point with thoso ot the dough tiest of her foes. Kitty hersolf, glancing hastily at that papor, could make no more of it than had Sachlo. "What can it mean?" thought sho. But whatover it meant, of ono thing she was Bure Count Sachto would return for it. She had not long to wait to find this suspicion conflrmod. Soon sho heard him hurrying hack-saw him bending over the placo whore ho last had bocn euro of tho possession of tho paper saw him look about horo and there hastily, hurriedly, eagerly. Now In deed she was confirmed In her own suspicions. "Aha, Count Sachlo," said sho to her self, "onco moro I havo something which you covet." Sho had occasion to find once more that tho possession of something Count Sachlo coveted carried with it a cer tain danger to the possessor. Looking this way and that for some placo ot safety, Kitty Baw a thickly branching troo which to hor notion might offor a Bholtor. Without hesi tation she cllmbod up hand over hand, tho paper with hor, and sought such concealment as she could In tho branches. From this placo of vantago she could look down and cover the country to some distance She could boo thoroforo a llttlo guard of Grahof fon soldiers who wero returning, hunt ing evidently for tholr leader, Count Sachlo. A momont lator and they had mot. "It was horo," said Sachlo "but hore I dropped It. It must havo boen taken somoono has followed mo Bomoono Is concealed not far from hero. Como, men, wo must search. 'Twas a bit of papor of no valuo to any but mo, but I must havo it, do you hoar?" Liko somo hounds questing for tho scont they scattered hero and thoro among tho trees. It was loft for Count Sachlo hlmsolf to discover Kitty's hid ing placo. Ho stood laughing as he looked up. "What, maaemolsolle, soon you do mo tho honor to follow me porhaps you did mo tho honor to tako Into pos session somothlng of my property. Prltheo como down, my dear." "I will not," rejoined Kitty "If 1 chooso to stay hero 'tis nono of your business." Tho dark flush of anger enmo to Count Sachio's swarthy features. "Listen, my sweeting," said ho, "I havo no tlmo to waste words with you or anyone You havo what Is mine, and whnt I want. Como down you must either allvo or dead. Ono day you will find that Count Sachto is not ono with whom you can idly trifle. Quick now, tho papor." Palo and terrified, for a momont al most unnorved, tho unhappy girl mado no answer. "Heady, guards," commanded Sachlo to his mon. "Tako aim. You, thoro drag her out of yondor treo." (TO BE CONTINUED.) TELLS OF PREHISTORIC EGYPT Lecturer at the British Museum scribes Face Paint Found In Ancient Graves. De- Mr. Handcock has Just delivered a lecture on prehistoric Egypt at the British museum, tho first of a course ot four lectures. After a detailed discussion of tho dynastic Egyptians on tho ono hand and tho prehistoric aborigines on tho other, In tho courso of which ho showed a large number of ivory, slate, bono and clay figurines recovered from early Egyptian graves, togothor with a number ot skulls, ho proceeded to cxamlno somo early ceremonial slato palettes, which aro Illustrative ot the fauna of the country at that period, as well as ot tho artist's skill. Theso palettes wero used for toilet purposes, tho malachite which was used for faco paint bolug ground upon them, and it Is interesting to noto that traces of paint are still visible on somo of thorn. They aro of further importance In asmuch as they Illustrate plctorlally the traditional conquest ot tho North by tho South prior to tho unification of all Egypt under ono monarch, the legendary Mona, cno whoso histori cal counterparts would appear to have been Ann-Men. The early predynastlc Egyptians were Neolithic, and tho flints of their workmanship are tho finest wrought flints in the world, but lator on copper came unto use The Semitic clement in tho Egyptian languago proves conclusively that there was a Semitic elemont in tho blood ot the dynastic Egyptians, but this fact does not seem to havo much bearing on tho connection between the early Egyptian and Babylonian civilization as illustrated by tho uso of cylinder seals and similar shaped mace heads in both countries In tho very earliest times, for at tho period In question tho Sumcrians and not the Somites wero in nil probability tho ruling factors in Babylonian civiliza tion. Mr. Handcock concluded his lec turo with some remarks on tho paint ings on early Egyptian pottery, which showed that thoy know how to build and navlgato sailing boats us well as rowing boats from tho earliest times. Art of Japan. A certain fastidiousness, a certain lovo of scrupulous and cleanly order, belongs to tho Japanese character; wo find it in their manners, tholr habits, their furniture in all tholr workman ship. Tho word oxqulslto, so ofton vaguely misapplied, is an epithet truly applicable to tho art of Japan. Tho faults of this character aro a tondency to tho smallness which often goes with neatness. Tho Japanese do not work under tho pressure ot abuudant Ideas and torrential emotions; thoy do not fall Into tho excessive extravagance which Bometlmes besets tho Chinese. But tholr unfailing sense ot stylo com pensates in great moasure for their lack ot more gonial exuberance Taste with thorn, as with artists like Velasquez and Whistler, bocomes no mere negative avoidanco. Ono might well compare tho Japaneso genius in some aspects with tho Latin gontus, as it is shown in much of tho poetry of tho Romans and ot the French, whero a tolling economy ot words and fineness of handling aro mado to com pensate for a sllghtnoss or ovon com plete absence of matter. Lauronco Blnyon, in tho Atlantic. 8afe Servers of the Race. Brilliant! Thoro Is safety In me diocrity. Brilliant men and womon aro always carried away by their ambi tions, for which they will sacrifice everything. A dray horso for a long pull and a race horso for a spurt. A plodder to solvo problems and the ven turcsomo to try tholr fortunes with fate. Tho statesmen whose names sur vive and whoso achievements mako splendid pages in recorded history were tho careful, earnest, studious men of affairs not the comets that shot across the sky, nor tho skyrock ets that leaped high into tho air, leav ing a trail of sparks and a stick that fell to tho ground. Leslie's. Not Concerned With Him. BUI Nyo used to toll this story ot tho lato Myron W. Reed ot Denver: Reed was a bright and original preach er, and many curious pcoplo camo to hear him. Onco a man from tho Gun nison country arrived at his church rathor lato Sunday morning whllo Reed was making a low but earnoBt prayer. "Loudor," yellod the lato comer. Mr. Rood ceased his prayer for a momont, looked at tho gentle man from over tho rango, nnd Bald: "My frlond, I wasn't speaking to you; I was addressing God." f A.T - 4 r