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7
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STRIKING A MATCH.
"Well, Miss Ilildcbum, I must Cay
I'm real sorry you and Mr. Songster,
liavo fallen out like that."
"Oh, Mrs. Collins, indeed you nro
mistaken. Thero has been no 'falling
out' between Mr. Snngstor und my
self. Indeed, I am not on sulllciently
sociable terms withanyofyourgentle
men boarders to have a quarrel."
Saying which Miss Ilildcbum, n
slight, delicate-featured girl of 18,
walked out of tho room with even
more than her wonted dignity of
mnnner and carriage.
"Nevertheless, notwithstanding,"
pursued Mrs. Collins, resuming her
ironing, "I do boliovo there's been n
misundorstandin' between those two;
and a renl pity it is, for he did ad
mire her amnzin'Iy. Hecouldn'toon
ccnl it. Only they seldom knows
what is good for 'em, and she'H a
let tin' her prido stand in tho way of
her happiness now."
"Pride, indeed!" sneered Miss Jano
Humphries, Mrs. Collins' niece and
assistant, a tall, red-hnired, stylishly
dressed damsel of flve-and-thirty." I'd
like to know what right a girl who
cams her livin' by givin' music lessons
at HO cents an hour has to be proud;
and as for Mr. Songster, I don't be
lieve lie ever had a serious thought
ubout her."
"La, Jane, I don't know where
your eyes kin be, if you didn't seo
how fairly wrapped up in her ho wns
about two weeks ago. lie's a splen
did young man, anyhow, and I'll see
if I can't mend matters between 'em.
"You'd better bemindin' your own
business, I think, Aunt Martha,"
said Miss Jane, with a spiteful laugh.
"Never you mind, Jane," persisted
the warm-hearted Mrs. Collins; "I'll
manage it some way. You say she's
afraid of ghosts, poorlamb!"
The following evening tho kind
hen rted landlady tapped at tho door
of tho scantily furnished fourth-story
room occupied by Lucy Hildeburn,
and from which now proceeded tv
melancholy strain.
"Studying your piano at nights
aenin?" queried Mrs. Collins re
proachfully, when tho young girl
opened tho doc.
"I am very busy just now, and
must put all the time-1 can into
study.'
"Well, but you mustn't forget what
the doctor told you about overwork
in' your brain," said Mrs. Collins.
"However," she added, "I won't
detain you longer'n I ken help. I'm
come to ask ti favor. I'm goin' to
thethenterthisevening.' So is Jano.
So's everybody in the house,Ib'lieve;
and tho girl has gone to bed with a
toothache. So I'm goin' to ask you
to givo an oyo to tho furnace. J'vo
hist put on fresh coal and opened tho
lower doors; but will you pleaso go
down at 8 o'clock and close tho
doors?"
"Certainly," assented Lucy, upon
which Mrs. Collins produced a lan
tern, saying:
"Just take this down with you.
Tho cellar's all dark, you know."
Lucy took the lantern, closed tho
room door and returned to her piano,
while Mrs. Collins walked awuy,
chuckling to herself.
"That lantern '11 go out just five
minutes after she sets it down, and
she'll find herself all in tho dark. And
slio's afraid of ghosts, poor Iamb!
But what if somebody who ain't a
ghost should happen to bo goin'
down thero about the samo time, and
be obliged to strike a match to calm
her fears?"
And even while indulging in this
pleasing reflection, Mrs. Collins
tapped tit a door on thesecond floor.
Her summons was responded to bj
a pleasant-looking young man, who
just now, however, wore a very de
jected countenanco.
"La! Mr. Sangster, I didn't expect
to find you at home this evening."
"I didn't feel liko going out to
night," replied the young jnun in a
weary tone.
" ell, sinco you nro going to bo at
homo," said Mrs. Collins, "would you
bo so kind as to look after tho fur
nace? I've left tho lower doors open
but I'll bo very much obliged if you
go down at about 8 o'clock and
close 'em. And you needn't take a
light. There'll bo one down there,"
Mr. Sangster readily promised to
comply with tho request, nnd Mrs.
Collins went awny, hoping for what
she considered "tho right results."
Mennwhilo, poor Lucy Hildeburn,
sitting at her piano, continued to
draw forth such melancholy strains
thnt thetenrs rolled down her cheeks.
"I must pro away from hero," she
paid, halttdoud,"I can't boaritmuch
longer, indeed I can't, seeing him
day after day, loving him as 1 do,
nnd knowing that matters can never
be adjusted between us. Hois ns
proud as I but, oh dear! what am I
thinking of It wants just, two min
utes to 8. I must go down and close
the furnace doors,"
Thereupon sho lighted tho lantern
nnd proceeded down stairs.
Ugh! What a chill draught was
blowing in through ono of the grat
ings! And there were strange noises al
around.
Lucy's heart thumped so violontly
she was tempted to turn and run op
stairs again.
, Hut, goodness! Tho furnace was
ff - dreadfully, dangcruosly hot.
Lucy summoned up all her resolu
tions, and, stooping down, closed
the doors.
Thov swunc to with a bniur. and
when she essayed to open them
again she found tho effort beyond
her strength.
What was to bo dono in tho case
of tho fire needing moro draught.
She might, after a while, find it
necessary to put on moro coal, and
that it would be well to put on more
draught. '
But while sho was debating with
herself a moro serious mishap oc
curred, for the caudlo inside tho lan
tern suddenly achieved tho most in
explicable Bomersault and sho was
left in utter darkness.
Moreover, to complicate tho mis
eries of her situation, sho now henrd
stealthy footsteps descending tho
cellar stairs.
Poor Lucy stood quite still, while
hei hands clasped together over her
heart.
This was a burglar, undoubtedly.
IIo had seen all tho malo inmates of
tho honae going out and tho lights
lowered, nnd had thus chosen his
opportunity to como in and conceal
himself in the collar.
The first idea thnt suggested it self to
hrr was to creep under the stops and
remain thero until Mrs. Collins' re
turn. Ere she had time to do this, how
over, a man's form beenmo visible in
tho dim, semi-twilight thnt was shed
from tho kitchen door above.
Lucy, with a desperate instinct of
self-preservation, put up both hands,
exclaiming:
"Have pity on mo! Oh, have pity
and span my life!"
Upon this the burglar drew back,
very much surprised.
"Miss Hildeburn!" !io exclaimed, as
he struck a match. "What are you
doing here, and how can I servo 3-011?"
Now poor Lucy, completely un
nerved nnd dreadfully ashamed of
herself, sat down on a reserved coal
scuttle und burst into a fit of weep
ing. Then Mr. Sangster knelt down be
side her, nnd a confused interchnngo
of explanations of various kinds en
sued. The result wns that at tho expira
tion of a half-hour Mr. Snngster'took
Lucy in his arms and kissing tho
tear-stained face, murmured:
"God bless you for this promise,
my own darling!"
When Mrs. Collins camo homo two
hours later the house was very quiet,
the furnace in good order, and
neither Mr. Sangster nor Miss Hilde
burn visible. But the following day
Lucy confided to her a secret, and
Mr. Sangster absented himself mys
teriously for about three weeks,
After that, Miss Hildeburn also dis
appeared. "Gone to visit her aunt at Swath
more," Mrs. Collins explained to the
other boarders.
But n fortnight later the carrier
brought some wedding cards to tho
house.
"It was all brought about through
tho furnace," said Mrs. Collins, with
a gleeful chuckle.
But Miss Jane was infinitely disgusted.
The Ifuiubug of Free Ships.
Tho Providence Journal contributes
its quota of misinformation to a
debate that has been going on for
several years, and which never fails
to bring out a liberal supply of in
eptitudes: "A few years ago and tho United
States was the most formidable rival
that Great Britain had for tho com
merce of tho world, and now the
American flag is practically banished
from the high sons. What did it?
An absurd law prohibiting tho pur
chase of ships in a free market."
And mighty lucky it is for Ameri
can capitalists that they aro no
longer owners nnd navigators of
snips on tlio Jugli seas. l or many
years, under high-pressure competi
tion, British, Ge-man, and Scandina
vian, and with the pauper wages of
those countries, tho business has
been carried on at a constant loss.
Except the Canard Company, which
paid one &mnll dividend in 1887,
110110 of the great English lines of
steamers has" paid a dividend for
yea re, and nono is likely to pay a
dividend.
By heavy subsidies tho Govern
ment of Germany, liko that of Fronce,
maintains these lines with a view to
ultimate military purposes; and it is
impossible that outside ship owners
should compote with them. If our
navigation laws were altered so that
wo could buy in what tho Journal
calls a free market till the ships we
could undertake to run, wo should
only lose money by tho operation.
In fact if ships woro given us, wo
could not run them at a profit, un
less the coast of repnirs and tho
rates of wages for snilors, stokers
and laborers were brought down
with us to the lowest limit of Eng
land, Germany or Sweden.
We aro ti groat deal better off for
being out of that business than we
would be jf wo were in-it. Meanwhile,
thanks to our wice old laws, our
American coasting trade is fairly
profitable and bigger than ever bo
fore. No English need apply. N. Y.
Sun.
Little Things Will Tell.
We went to spend a day in tho
country, and hnd a fine treat of fried
chicken for dinner. Then wo took a
walk with children, who led tho way
to the chicken coop.
"All our best chickens nro dead,"
said ono of the children, sadly.
"Why, what killed them?"
"Papa did; but they aro going to
dio anyway, 'cause thoy had tho
pip."
"What became of them?" (This
with a heavy heart and squoumisli
stomach.)
"Wo fried 'em for dinner," answered
tho ehild, sorrowfully.
Tho National Pio Enters.
Wo have been called a nation of pio
enters. From tho humblest Ameri
can citizen to tho President of the
United Sttites pie occupies a promin
ent plnco in the household lnrdcr.
Who invented pio is not yet known,
nor exactly how tho nnmo orignated
It is generally supposed that tho
word pio has its origin with tho print
ers, but just how islost in obscurity
Talking about tho consumption oj
pies, a good many of them tiro coir
sumed at tho capitol by our ablo law
makers.
Just off from the rotunda isalunch
stand presided over by a soldier's
widow. Sho is familiarly known ns
Jennie. Jennie is well known by all
tho members und Senators, and
every day the stroll from their soatfl
in the halls of legislation and visit
tho little Btand to satisfy tho inner
man.
Oa the stand, displayed in a tempt
ing muniicr will bo found a variety of
cakes, apples, peaches, bananas,
sandwiches beef und tongue milk
and pie.
Tho last named article has a strong
hold on tho appetite of tho Bolons,
and they'll eat pio in preference to
anything else.
Tho Critic reporter stopped at tho
stand the other day to partake of a
littlo repast, when his attention was
attracted by tho usual largo number
of Congressmen who rely on Jennio
to prepare them a small lunch.
As a rule tho members go to tho
House restaurunt when hungry, but
it frequently happens that they can
not spare tho time, so they run over
to Jennie's lunch counter.
"Jennie," asked thoreportor, "whnt
kind of pio do tho members eat?"
"What kind of pio? Why, any
thing, so it's pio. These are grand
pies; they never givo .you dyspepsia,
nor the like. But don't you ask mo
any moro questions, becauso I won't
answer them; you reporters aroso in
quisitive, always findingout things."
"Does Congressman Vance eat pie?"
"Yes, nearly all tho members eat
pie. If they don't eat pie they cat
something."
While tho reporter was asking
questions Hon. Amos J. Cummings
came along and said: "What kind
of pio to-day Jennie?"
"Apple, plum, pinnenpple, black
bony, cocoanut, poach and custard.
I keep custard pio for Mr. Vance."
"Well, give 1110 a slice of peach and
n glass oi milk."
Air. Cummings took the pie in his
right hnnd and gracefully put it out
of sight. IIo doesn't lose much time
in masticating a slice of pie.
M. O'Donnell of Michigan does not
stick to one kind of pio; he changes
off. One day ho'll prefer apple, the
next cocoanut or blnokberry, and so
on. Ho eats his pio with a fork.
Very seldom does tho Hon. Joe
Cannon eat pie, but occasionally ho
stops by for a piece of applo pie.
Mr. Buchanan of New Jersey is ono
of. the House pio eaters. He gener
ally lunches on tho grape pio. When
the crust is rather firm ho cuts tho
pie into littlo squares and washes
them down with a swallow of milk.
Mr. Fitch and Amos Cummings aro
very fond of the German dishZwiawil
Kuchnn, and Jennio keeps it for their
special benefit.
Chairman Mills of tho Ways and
Means Connnitteo now and then
patronizes Jennie to the extent of a
half of a lemon pie. IIo uses a fork
with his pie.
Mr. Guenther, Vice-President of
tho P. F. 0. N. Organization, is an
other ono passionately fond of pio.
Ho eats his pio about two o'clock in
tho day.
"Gif mo some pio milk," he'll say.
"I don't care, so it's pie."
Mr. Boothmnn of Ohio, like all tho
Western members, is fond of tho
seductivo pastry. IIo frequentlygets
onthooutbido of two slices of pine
apple pie.
Mr. Funston of KanBiis, who rep
resents an agricultural constituency,
like huckleberry pio nnd Jennie always
has a slice put by for him.
Mr. Burrows of Michigan oats his
pio as he would apiece of cake.
Judge Barnes of Georgia is also a
slavo to pie.
Tim Campbell eats his pie with a
knife. Ho is very partial to mince
pio when in season.
Sunset Cox says a man's digestivo
organs tiro out of repair when ho
can't enjoy pie.
Mr. Baker of Now York always uses
a spoon when ho tackles a slice of
custard pie.
The New England members as a
rulo will eat no other kind of pio than
apple,
Big Tom Beed usually eats pio in
tho House restaurant.
New varieties of pio aro constantly
making their appearance. The oth
er day Major McClnmmy of North
Carolina wanted some oruugo pie,
while Major Martin inquired for
grope.
"Charlie" Mason of Illinois is known
in tho House as tho groat Chicago
pio eater. He eats nothing but co
coanut pie, and generally he con
sumes a lialf-ono for lunch He says
that any man who doesn't like pio is
worse than a liar.
"Epoch; Old Lady (to grocer's boy)
Your store, boy, seems to bo very
full of flies. Boy Yos'm; I guess it's
that lot of flypaper tho boss jest
bought that draws 'em in here. Do
you wnnt somo of It?
Tho Idea: Mrs. Lovctolk So Mr.
Gray tipples on tho sly? Poor Mrs.
Gray! Well, well, every family has a.
skeleton in tho closet. Tho Doctor's
Son (in forthoovening) Wohaven't.
My papa keeps his in tho office down
town.
UNDER CHURCH EAVES
Harris Holbrook, college grnduato
of a week, prospecting around in
hnruni-8caruni fashion to work off
sotno oxubernnt sense of freedom, did
uot count upon an adventure when
ho ascended tho roof of tho old brown
church where, the workmen were chip
ping nnd hammering and jabbering,
lie had climbed up for a view of tho
buildings of tho city, and "the glory
of thorn."
Ho was a good-looking, compactly
built fellow, in a cool linen suit, as ho
balanced himself up on tho staging,
indolently, and exchanged civil words
with tho workmen. His eyes camo
back from Trinity and tho "New
South" to his immediato surround
ings. A park and two tall family
hotels bounded three sides of tho
church. Directly below him were tho
roofs of dwellings, with blooming
back yards. The staging extended
up to tho brown east wing, which
folded itself against tho body of the
church. From his point of view, ho
could look into tho back third story
windows of the wings which had boon
converted into a home-like boarding
house. He had a fleeting glimpse of
airy muslin draperies, which be
tokened a feminine occupant. His
curiosity was excited at once. Ho
could see pictures hnnglow against a
delicate wall paper, a well-filled book
case, and a pale green and salmon
carpet. A writing desk littered with
papers stood near tho farther will
ow. IIo wns weaving a bit of romance
around tho occupant when a shapely
arm ana shoulder appeared in tho
winuow next him, aim
a slim white
have almost
hand which ho could
touched, drew down
the curtain
quickly.
Feeling ns if his curiosity had been
rebuked, he turned and walked along
tho staging slowly to tho rear of tho
church. An he rotrnoed his stop ho
had another glimpse of the arm and
shoulder clothed in cool lavender at
the desk, writing, but ho could seo
nothing of tho face except the tip of
a pink ear, nnd brown frizzes stirring
in tho breeze over her temples. He
felt something of the Btudent reck
lessness of his sophomore period,
urging him to vault into the room
his perch, and apologize afterward
for tho intrusion, lie had been in
vulnerable to tho smiles of "sweet,
girl graduates," but. he wns possessed
to nmko tho acquaintance of this
denizen of the wing under tho church
eaves, who kept out of his range ot
vision, and gave him no chance for a
bit of sly llirttvtion. She had an at
mosphere. Ho felt its iniluonco in
widening circles around him. Ho
half bolieved sho was not pretty.
Pretty women were not apt to have
this magnetic, far-renehing atmos
phere jfo could see tho arm moving
as she wrote. Was she novelist, or
poet, or copyist, ho wondered.
Ho directed his glass over the city
nnd watched tho window, alternately.
Presently ho could mjo tho pen laid
down, impntiently it seemed. Then
tho shoulders and frizzes disappear
from tho desk, and soon he felt sure
ho heard tho door open and shut.
She had gone out.
"If it wasn't for tho eyes of these
workingmon I'd climb into tho room
and leave-11 note on her desk, or a
couplot to hor shoulder and frizzes,"
ho thought daringly.
Just then a paper sailed out
through tho window, whirling and
turning somersaults ns if mad with
delight, in its mission. II circled
round tho chimney on a roof below,
peeped into a skylight, dipped down
like 11 bird upon a vino creeping
over a ttvllis in tho yard, flow back
to tho oppn window as if to return
homo, changed its mind and gyrntod
within range of the linon-elnd figure
with n tantalizing "cuMi-me-if-Aou-enn"
expression. At tho risk' of
losing his balatico, he captured tho
hulf shoot of note, with words upon
it, and was debuting whether to
read or not to read, lest he should
emuoach upon a private matter,
when he became awnro that it wns
merely a prosaic receipt, for some
monoy paid to Brown & Co., furni
ture dealers, by Kate Goo0i-hase.
(ioowehtwr! ye godb! Tho name
wunlikeu dash of ice water. Could
it belong to tho graceful arm and
shoulder and erimpling brown hair?
Should ho nmko the paper nu excuse
for calling to return it? But he
couldn't make up his mind to nsk
for Miss Goawehase. The romance
seemed to bo oozing out of his littlo
adventure. Perhaps it didn't belong
to her. It seemed to be an insult to
the shoulder and pink oar tip to
couple t hem wit h such a nnmo.
Suddenly he romomborcd thnt ho
was to moot his cousin Bertha at the
depot on the 11-J50 train. There
was no tinw to spare. Ho slipped
tho paper into his linen vest pocket,
nnd hurried down to the sheet. In
tho excitement that followed Bertha's
arrival, and the drives und harbor
excursions to bo planned, ho forgot
Miss Goobechaso and tho folded re
ceipt, which bided its time quietly,
in tho unused linen vot-pooket. until
Harris and the rest of the Holbrook
family got back in September from
their summer sojourn in their "cot
tage by the sea."
The very tiibt night ho got back to
the city ho dreamed he was standing
on the pale grocn and salmon carpet
of tho pretty room under the church
eaves trying to compose a poem to
tho lavender-draped divinity of the
plnco and racking his brain to find a
word thnt would rhyino gracefully
with Goosechaso. Ho awoke with a
feeling that, directly or indir&tly, his
dream wns to uiHt with verification.
A week passed, Harris' chamber
wns to bo newly furnished, and ho
set. out ono morning commissioned
to select something that would suit
his rather fastidious tasto. As ho
walked up tho large furnituro rooms
of Brown & Co. ho caught sipht of it
roll of carpeting, tho identical pot
tern of that in t lie chamber of tho
brown wing. Deciding at onco that
it would suit, his chamber also, ho
passed along looking at furnituro
and balancing the comparative mer
its of oak and walnut.
Ho stood before a pretty dreBRiiig
case, that took his fancy, testing tho
truthfulness of the oval mirror, as it
reflected his embrowned fnco and
clear blue eyes, when ho heard voices
on tho right near him, tho owners be
ing hidden by n tall cabinet.
"Mr. Brown, I am positive I paid
that instalment," tv clear, decided
leminio voice Wns saying.
"Durell says ho knows nothing
about it. IIo keeps tho bookB, you
know," returned an unpleasant nins
culino voice. "It is st range you emit
not show tho receipt, if you had
one."
"I did have a receipt," returned tho
first voice, slightly tremulous, yet
with a touch of iloflnnco. "1 went
out that morning I paid it, feeling
annoyed with the noiso ot workmen
repairing tho church, and carelessly
lelt. tho window open near tho desk
where tho receipt was lying. It must
have blown out, for 1 novor saw it
afterwards.
"You must produce tho receipt,
Miss Goosoohiuie, if von expect us to
believe you returned tho denlor inso
lently. The nnmo made ussurtinco doubly
sure to linrris. Ho wheeled round
from the mirror, as ho saw tho two
figures, who had stopped from behind
tho cabinet, reflected behind him.
He overlooked tho man nnd saw only
u tall, slight graceful younglady with
a refined, interesting face, which had
11 Hush of something liko indignation
upon it at present.
"Miss Goosochnso?" ho questioned,
lifting his hat nnd ignoring tho wiry
furnituro dealer oonplotoly.
"Yes," oho returned in somo sur
prise. "I beg pardon. 1 luivo overheard
your conversation. 1 was on tho roof
with tho workmen that morning.
I caught t ho receipt that blow out
tho window, and must apologize for
not returning it to you at ouco. It
slipped my memory afterwards.
You shall have it now without any
delay.
Tho dealer eyed Harris with a half
beaten, half-iucredulouslook, and tho
bright, sweet smilo with which Miss
(loosechnso thanked him banished
his dislike of the name forever.
He ascertained that sho still occu
pied tho same room, and rode up
town, iiifioiuooxcitemont. lie rushed
to hia room and bundled out the
linen suit with fear and trembling
lest tho receipt should not bo forth
coming. Ho waltzed across tho room
with an imaginary partner, when ho
found it folded away in thesmal! vest
locket. It seemed to wink at him
knowingly ns ho unfolded it. Tho
suit hiidiiutln.cn worn on account
of some misfit, sinco that morning on
the church roof.
IIo would not trust, to tho mail,
and within an hour he delivered the
papor to her in tho pleasant parlor
of the brown wing of tho old church.
"1 was paying for my room furni
turo on installments," sho remarked
with a smile. "1 thought tho firm
was fair and squaro in its dealings,
but it seems there is something
wrong. I cannot thank you suffi
ciently for tiding 1110 over this un
plonsanlness." Harris found her atmosphere so
rare and magnotio upon a nearer
view that ho wont out from her with
his head turned completely.
Sho smiled a littlo when his noto
came asking permission to call up
on her.
So it et'ino about at length, that
Harris w.is admitted into tho pretty
room whoso owner had so tantalized
him that June morning and found it
permeated 1.1th hor gracious atmos
phere, just ns ho had expected. Thoy
boontno fast friends. Sho confided to
him her literary ambitions, successes
and defeats, and he told hor how ho
was buckling on his business armor
in his father's eountingroom.
Miss Goosochaso has lately prom
ised to marry Harris, although sho
declares archly sho is only induced
to do so by tho opportunity to
chuugo tho namo that had boon hor
cross from childhood. Harris, for a
man, seems Htrutigoly satisfied with
tiio situation, Pittsburg Chronicle
Telegraph,
Western Freedom.
Tho editor of a Western pnper has
thin to say: "The dcad-gernniuin-leof-oared
spoilol, whom futo has
willed shall wither and blight tho
weekly Dreadful around tho corner,
refers to the editor of this flourishing
and influential journal asapinfonthcr
journalist and a can't-get-therodudo.
Ho also goes on to say that as a
newspaper freak we aro probably tho
finest specimen of the kind ever cap
tured u live. Brethorn of tho press,
this is till wrong. Let us be courteous
to 0110 another. In this work-a-day
world of ours there is no influence so
tioothingatid lofiuiiig as that cour
tesy. The soft, low-spoken word, tho
gentle smile, the kindly reference
who has not felt their balm, been
helped over somo rough place in life's
pathway by their beneficial effect?
Brothern of tho press, again wo sny
let us bo courteous to ono anothor,
and let the miorolm pull his number
fivo lint deep down oyer his eyes and
ponder upon theso words, Selah!"
Tid-Bit.
A Dob'h Sense.
From tli Boston Itcrortl.
A young girl was crossing tho Pub
lic Garden the other morning upon
tho mnin path which crosses tho
bridge. She was accompanied by n
magnificent mastiff, who strode
along beside her in tho most com
pnnionnble sort of way, looking up
into her flico occasionally as if to re
mnrk cnBually that it was a very fine
morning, or to nsk if there was any
thing ho could do for hor.
The two crossed tho bridge together,
and finally came to tho Charles street
gate. Hero the young girl, evidently
not wishing to have tho caro of the
dog in tho busy stroote, . turned to
him and said:
"There, that is far enough noy,
Marco. You need not go with mo
any farther, but turn about and go
back home."
Sho did not tnko hor hands out of
her muff to point tho way, and she .
sp6ko aBshowouIdtotiHinnll brother, ,
in a pletisnnt, convcrsntionnl voice.
Marco looked at her with his largo
eyes, then looked across the Co mm on t
wagging his tail slowly, ns though '
ho was thinking how very plensnnt
it would be to go tho rest of the way.
Finally he turned back to her again
and with ti movement ofliis head and
eyes asked as plainly ns though the.
words hnd como from lib? mouth:
"Please let mo iro a little farther, it
is such a fine morning."
"No. dear; I'mgoingBhopping, you
know, ' answered tho girl, explaining
tho difficulty, as if Marco were human.
"There 11 tie crowds of people, and
I shall not know what to do with you.
But go along now, thore's n good
follow, and I'll be buck soon."
Without nnothorword Marco turn
ed and walked back across the gar
dens, lie did not Mime nway, as
somo dogs do when sent back, but
marched leisurely along with his head
in tho air, stopping a moment on tho
bridgo to watch tho children sknting
below, then trotted on toward Com
monwealth avonuo. The Athenian
watched him until ho hnd disappeared
beyond tho gates, then resumed his
own way, wondoring whether Darwin
loved dogs or not.
- ' ' t - BMi.
Havy Moliollzntion.
From all I can see the Admiralty
nro about to perpotrato a practical
joke of unprecedented dimensions in
this much-advertised "mobolizntion
of tho navy." According to -tho
official theory, as I understand it,
the object of tho proceedings is to
show tho public and tho world exact
ly what wo candoinarenlemergengy.
All in a moment tho message is to bo
flashed forth from Whitehall that'
war has been unexpectedly declared
against us and that tho enemy's fleet
is already at sea. Within such nnd
such a time every mnn Jack is to bo
embarked nnd every ship is to take
its place either on the coast or in lino
of battle. It sounds very pretty.
When you come to look uttho liuils
it is nothing short of sublime. For
about three months past this im
promptu effect has been inactive pre
paration. Whitehall has been oudgel-i
Simply becauso.after all this time
not the word been given weeks ago?
when the word is given. And why has
water's edgo ahd told what to do
has been brought down to tho
mission, every avuilablo blue joakofc
that will float has been put into com
been stroiningovery nerve, every ship
ing its brains, tho dockyards linvo
arid all these ofibrta.weuro notready.
When wo are, and not till then, tho
obliging enemy will declare war. Tho
button will be pressed in Whitehall,
tho lleets of Britain will go forth nnd
sweep tho foemnn from the sens, and
tho First Lord will turn round nnd
say to the dumbfounded panic mon
ger: "Observe. There is no deception.
This is what we can do at twonty
four hours' notice!" As aj'oke it'is
not bad, though a littlo out of plnco.
Loudon Truth.
Dog Fnnulnir In China.
Tho rearing of dogs for their skjns
is pursued in China just ns sheep
farming is in Australia. There are
thousands of small dog and gout
forms scnttered over the northern
districts of Manchuria and Mongolia.
Nature has provided a magnificent
protection to withstand the cold of
these northern latitudes, where the
thermometer (Fahrenheit) goes
down to twenty-fi ve degrees belo wzero
that is, fifty-seven degrees of frost,
and it is doubtful if the dogskins of
any other part of the world aro to'
bo compared witli those from Man
churia or Mongolia, either in size,
length of hair or quality. The fur
is at its best during tho winter, nnd
the dog is killed before tho thaw sets
in, which is effected not by the kuife,
which might injure tho fur, but by
strangulation. Last year tho value
of tho' skins fell off, owing to the
Btocks of previous years being unde
livered. It is difficult to understand
how tho farmers can reurthennimuls
for the price they obtain for the hides,
To provide a well-made dogskin rug
at lenst eight animals must be
slaughtered, which, at three taels
per rug of eighty inches by sixty
eight inches, would allow not quite
fifty-five cents per dog, including the
sewing, choc sing, etc., lor the skins
must fairly mutch in color. The
flesh, however, is no doubt used for
human food, and the market value
thereof enters largely into the furm's
profit and low uccount. When a
girl is mairied she receives, perhaps,
six dogs as her dowry. Pall Mall
Gazette. - -
lJ""iLiaiBn)-"--"' iiMifi
