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THE FATAL REQUEST
OR FPU N D O U T
By A L Harris Author of Mine Own Familiar Friend etc
Copyright 1891 by O a e i el I Publtihing Company
Copyright 10 0 2 bystreet fc Smith
The Secret Lies Between Us Two
Next morning Mr Silas Burrltt and
his friend whose incognito is still pre
served were seated at breakfast to
gether
In the clear light of day in the
presence of the most appetizing
viands the former gentleman found
his mind completely divested of all
those gloomy and distrustful thoughts
and suspicions which had caused him
so much disquietude previously to say
nothing of having ruined his nights
rest It was astonishing what a wide
ly different view he took of the mat
ter as he discussed this early meal
His heart warmed anew toward his
old friend who sat faciag him and
who also appeared to more advantage
under these mere cheerful circum
stances
y
also say that I have not done badly
myself I have made my pile too
not such a large one as yours prob
ably but at any rate I have the sat
isfaction of knowing that if anything
should happen to me this with an
accession of seriousness I should
leave ray family well provided for I
have had my ups and downs as well
as others but I have no fear of the
future
He spoke these last words quite
confidently unconscious of the ignor
ance and rashness of the assertion
By the way he continued after a
while are you a bad sleeper as a
rule or was last night an exception
as in my own case
It was no exception unfortunately
for me was the answer I am a
wretched sleeper and last night was
worse than usual At the same time
with an air of restraint or awkward
ness I had no business to disturb
you in the way I did
Dont mention it said Mr Burritt
carelessly forgetting the very differ
ent light in which the affair had ap
peared to him at the time of its oc
currence Though you gave me
rather a start at the moment on
waking up suddenly as I did and from
a very bad dream
I thought you seemed rather rest
less and uneasy in your sleep was
the reply
Insomnia is one of the greatest
curses I know though as a rule I
do not suffer much from it myself But
if like Macbeth you have murdered
sleep you are much to be pltied
The other man started at the ill
sounding word
Murdered he exclaimed then I
beg your pardon he muttered some
what confusedly I did not take your
meaning at first in fact I have al
most forgotten my Shakespeare
I beg yours said Mr Burritt the
quotation was most inapt I had also
torgotten for the moment that it was
to the murder of Duncan that Mac-
Good Heavens What are you doing
It is quite understood that you re
turn with me and stop at least one
night he remarked genially In
fact there is no escape for you as I
have already dispatched a telegram
to let them know at home that I am
bringing a friend back with me
You are very good Silas was the
reply and for one night at least I
will accept your hospitality
And you must come and stay with
us while you are looking about for a
house make us your headquarters
you know Ive no doubt that the two
girls yours and mine will be bosom
friends in less than no time and as
for my boy Ted hell be head over
heels in love your daughter if shes
anything like your description be
fore we know where we are Ha ha I
shouldnt be a bit surprised the
young dog and his father laughed
aloud delighted at his own perspi
cacity By the way Jim relapsing
into a more serious vein that would
not be a half bad idea your girl and
my boy eh
The other looked at him intently
You mean it he asked
Mean it Of course I do Why
not
In spite of of everything that has
gone before
Good heavens man what has the
past got to do with your innocent
daughter That would be visiting the
sins of the fathers upon the children
with a vengeance
The other man looked at his friend
and his habitually stern face softened
You are very generous he said
more generous than I have a right to
expect
Come come answered Mr Bur
ritt dont talk like that for heavens
sake dont let us begin it all over
again Your secret such as it is
arri this is the last allusion I intend to
irike or allow yea to make to it
lios between U3 two which is the
same thing as spying that it is perfect
ly safe
Then mce for the sake of giving
the conversation a more cheerful turn
than for auy other reason he said
I think you made some remark
last ght to the effect that you had
mad a large fortune If so I am sin
cerely glad to hear it
Yes was the indifferent reply I
am comparatively speaking what you
would call a wealthy man and my
daughter will be an heiress in her
way
I am very glad to hear it said
Mr Burritt heartily and at the same
time not that I wish to boast I may
beth referred the assassination
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CHAPTER III Continued
Mr Burritt was puzzled and ex
pressed as much by his looks Why
on earth did the man come stealing
into his room inthat strange uncom
fortable manner and at that hour and
for no apparent purpose
His friend seemed to read what was
passing In his mind I am sorry If I
havo disturbed you he said slowly
but I could not bear my own
thoughts any longer and so I He
turned to leave the room
Mr Burrltt followed him with his
eyes He still seemed to him to be
part of his dream his strange hor
rible dream
Then as the other man reached
the door and passing through it
closed it behind him he gave a gasp
of relief The next moment he had
crossed the floor and turned the key
in the lock
I could have sworn I had locked it
before he said to himself At any
rate there shall be no mistake this
time as he shot the bolt to make
matters doubly sure
CHAPTER IV
of
the poor old man in his sleep
Later on in the day just before
starting to the station Mr Burritt on
looking at his watch noticed that it
had stopped Then he remembered
that he had forgotten to bring his
watch key and had consequently
been obliged to omit the ceremony of
winding it up the night before It
occurred to him that his friend who
was packing his portmanteau in the
next room might be able to supply
the deficiency
He left his own room and knocked
at the door of the one adjoining But
the occupant of the apartment whom
he heard moving about within appar
ently did not hear the knock so after
waiting a few seconds he turned the
handle and entered
The other was standing in front of
the dressing table and with his back
to the door so that his actions were
reflected in the mirror He was dress
ed all but his coat and was carefully
examining some article which caught
the light as he turned it over in his
hand He wheeled round suddenly
with a quick frown on hearing the
sound of the opening of the door and
Mr Burritts involuntary exclamation
ot alarm when he saw how his friend
was employed
Good heavens he exclaimed
what are you doing with that thing
My dear fellow said the other
regaining his composure instantane
ously what on earth are you making
such a fuss about Did you never see
a revolver before
Of course I have answered Mr
Burritt somewhat indignantly But
there for goodness sake put the thing
down I hate to see you trifling with
it in that way It gives me the cold
shivers
You alarm yourself unnecessarily I
assure you I have not the slightest in
tent on of blowing my brains out
Why on earth should I I was mere
ly examining the thing to see that it
was all right
But but stammered Mr Burritt
far from reassured you dont mean
to say that you are in the habit of
carrying firearms about with you
My dear fellow mimicked the
other I dont merely say itf I do it
But why was the question
Why he replied In case of
emergencies You never know when
you may need it and I should never
think of traveling without something
of the sort
You mean to say persisted Mr
Burrltt that you carry it aDout four
person
The other nodded Look hire
ho said Ive lived a rough 3ort of life
In a wild part of the world for the last
twenty years Ive seen men shot
down by my side in a refreshment
saloon more than once and more
than once had a narrow escape from
a similar fate myself In fact sink
ing his voice I dont mind owning
to you that on one occasion I have
killed my man in self defense mind
he added hastily seeing the look oi
horror which for a moment over
spread his friends face In self
defense he repeated with emphasis
and with the odds three to one
Where should I have been then but
for my revolver As it was I cleared
the world of at least one ruffian
And no one I mean
No one thought any the worse ol
me I assure you Indeed with a
faint smile the first Mr Burritt had
seen upon his face lurking for a mo
ment round the corners of his mouth
I even had a testimonial presented
to me by some of the leading citizens
of the place thanking me for ridding
them of such a pestilent character as
Black Jake which was the name the
villain went by
Mr Burritt heard him throughout
vith astonishment mingled with a
faint sensation of horror It seemed
hard to credit that the calm middle
aged well dressed man before him
his own contemporary had passed
through such an experience as this
and that the hand which he had shak
en with so much cordiality had blood
upon it
Thank God he cried that we
have nothing of this sort in England
There is no shooting people down in
refreshment saloons in this country
Perhaps not was the caustic re
ply but for all that it struck me
on looking at the paper this morning
that you had got your own share of
most of the crimes going and plenty
of Black Jakes or their equivalents
too
Very likely said Mr Burritt
with eyes still fixed on the revolver
By-the-way would you mind telling
me is that the same weapon that you
used on that occasion you were speak
ing of I mean when you shot the
other er individual
Meaning Black Jake Yes Im
happy to say it is the very same
Mr Burritt felt that he somehow re
garded the article in question with
less favor than ever
I suppose there isnt the least like
lihood of its going off unexpectedly
he inquired diffidently
Not unless I pull the trigger was
the careless response and Im not
likely to do that unless you attack
me first
The joke if joke it were struck
Mr Burritt as being in singular bad
taste
I must say he repeated with a
little perceptible irritation in his man
ner that in this instance I dont see
the necessity for
Very likely you dont interrupt
ed the other resuming his coat but
if you had been in the habit of carry
ing it about your person for as many
years as I have and always been ac
customed to sleep with it under your
pillow you would think no more oi
carrying a revolver than you would
an umbrella or a watch
This remark served to remind Mr
Burritt of his original errand He
therefore explained the reason of his
intrusion and having been accom
modated by the loan of the desired ar
ticle turned to leave the room again
He hesitated for a moment on the
threshold and cast another glance
over his shoulder at his friend whe
was doing something to the cherished
weapon with a bit of oily rag The
latter looked up and met it
You dont really mean Silas that
you are afraid to trust yourself in my
company now that you know I carry a
revolver he asked with another sud
den frown You dont surely
To be continued
A Cure for Sissies
One way for college athletes to earn
their expenses nowadays is by acting
as sort of male governesses says the
Chicago Inter Ocean Wealthy par
ents whose young sons are being edu
cated at home by governesses fre
quently apply at the employment of
fices of universities for the services of
some athlete who can give their boys
five or six hours a week of compan
ionship They are afraid that the edu
cation of governesses alone may make
their sons sissified
A number of athletes paying their
own way through the various colleges
have such jobs Three or four morn
ings a weeic they go to the boys romp
with them play ball and during the
winter skate and coast Usually they
are also employed in vacation to stay
with the boys at their parents sum
mer homes One Northwestern stu
dent has held such a position for three
years
When Charles Lamb Said Grace
Recently when Edmund Clarence
Stedman was visiting in New Eng
land he was called upon by the head
of the house while at dinner to invoke
the divine blessing
I was rather surprised and for half
a minute sorely tempted said Mr
Stedman in relating the incident
Then I rose to the occasion and
asked a grace which I remembered
JiUt Mr Stedman demanded a
young woman of the party eagerly
to what were you sorely tempted
To do as Charles Lamb did under
similar circumstances
And that was
He looked about the board and
asked in his surprise Is there no
clergyman present The host shook
his head Then Lamb prayed Tor
this and all other mercies O Lord
make us truly thankful New York
Times
PANIC AND NO PANIC
TRUE CAUSE OF THE DISASTER
OF 1893 1897
Although Subjected to Far Greater
Strain In the Past Two Months
Business and Industry Have Been
Upheld by Protection Prosperity
Rehashing a puerile argument long
since discredited and dropped by fair
minded people the Washington Post
wastes its editorial space in reminding
Senator Foraker that
The panic of 1893 came on almost
a year before the Democratic tariff of
1894 the only Democratic tariff which
the generation knows anything about
was enacted And of course he
knows that Democratic tariff was high
ly protective It was in fact a stimu
lus to our industries if we may judge
from its effects Under its operations
there was a very considerable revival
of business a great improvement
over the paralysis that came on in
1893 under the McKinley tariff of
1890
Every person in this country who in
1893 was directly or indirectly con
nected with productive enterprises af
fected by foreign competition and
every other person of fair Intelligence
too for that matter knows perfectly
well that the terrible panic of that
year was brought on almost entirely
by the election of a free trade admin
istration supported by free trade ma
jorities in both Houses of Congress
The absolute certainty that Grover
Cleveland would recommend and that
Congress would enact the repeal of
the McKinley protective tariff and
bring in a tariff framed on free trade
or tariff-for-revenue lines had more to
do than all other causes combined
with precipitating the tremendous in
dustrial and financial crash of 1S93
While the threat was not put into
execution until eighteen months after
the inauguration of Cleveland and
while it is true that the Wilson-Gorman
abomination was much less
MAINE DOES NOT WANT IT
Strong Opposition to the Canadian
Reciprocity Scheme
There arc few men In Maine who
are bptter qualified to speak on the J
subject of reciprocity with Canada
than Hon William Engel of Bangor
a man who knows what Canadian com
petition means who is familiar with
the points at issue between the two
countries and who knows the condi
tion of the workingmen on both sides
of the line Therefore his remarks
before the Maine Board of Trade at
Blddoford were full of interest With
out laying any claim to represent any
body except himself Mr Engel said he
believed that the reciprocity which
Canada sought with this country and
which the free traders advocated
would bo of Infinite harm to the in
dustries of Maine and particularly so
to those of Eastern Maine Free lum
ber from Canada Mr Engel said
would mean running our mills at a
loss and an early closing of any at
tempt to manufacture lumber or to
make pulp It would mean that our
farmers must sell their oats potatoes
beef eggs hay and poultry much
cheaper than they do now It would
mean more abandoned farms more
boys and girls going away from the
state to find work more cases of bank
ruptcy more poverty and more de
cay in every industry and in every
trade
Continuing Mr Engel gave a very
vivid and most truthful picture of the
good times which prevail in Eastern
Maine to day owing to a continuance
of our protective tariff policy Not
only are all the laboring men who re
side along the Penobscot river em
ployed at good wages but local mill
men and manufacturers are sending
away for new help In our mills the
men employed at the same kind of
work as those In New Brunswick re
ceive from 25 to 50 per cent higher
wages This money not only makes
our citizens more comfortable and
better dressed but it puts money in
our savings banks and enables our
laborers to own homes and puts them
J Bull Im beginning to think this st ick is very little protection in a storm
like this
Adapted from tho Philadelphia Inquirer
cal and drastic in its free trade fea
tures than had been feared and ex
pected the shock came with the elec
tion of a president and a congress
nledsed to abolish protection The
worst was anticipated and all indus
trial production in any manner de
pendent upon tariff protection was
pither checked or wholly paralyzed in
consequence
The financial element entering into
the causes of the panic of 1S93 was a
minor element It would have been of
slight and temporary consequence if
industrial production had not suc
cumbed to the impending adverse ef
fects of hostile and destructive legis
lation by a political party committed
to the policy of unrestrained foreign
competition The financial world has
within the past six years safely with
stood several shocks of far greater vio
lence than the shock of too much sil
ver in the treasury in 1S93 In the
past sixty days there have been some
very severe jolts and disturbances and
strains which have proved short lived
and relatively harmless Why Sim
ply and solely because the country
was on a sound safe footing of indus
trial productive prosperity protection
prosperity in short Does any one
suppose that under Wilson Gorman
tariff conditions a shrinkage of over
3500000000 in the stock values of a
single corporation could have occurred
inside of a fortnight without produc
ing a panic Shrinkages amounting
to billions of dollars have lately
squeezed the gas out of a market over
loaded with inflated securities and
yet there has been no panic Why
Because the country is now doing busi
ness under Dingley tariff and protec
tion conditions
The plea of the Washington Post
that the panic of 1893 occurred under
the McKinley tariff estimated in the
light of indisputable factyand history
appears childish and absurd
in a way to become capitalists
Bangor News
Cobdenism and the Silk Industry
England was once the home of a
flourishing silk manufacturing indus
try which thrived until protection
was removed Ever since that event
it has been steadily declining and now
its proportions are insignificant Mean
while the importation of silk fabrics
into Great Britain has attained large
proportions their value reaching as
high as 70000000 in a single year If
there is any raw silk now imported
into the United Kingdom the quantity
is too small to receive especial men
tion in the table of imports furnished
by the Statesmans Year Book The
avowed object of the Cobdenites in
killing off the domestic silk industry
of Great Britain was to make silk
fabrics cheaper by opening the British
markets to foreign competition but
rhe figures of consumption show that
this aim was not ar complished There
is mere silk per capita worn to day in
the United States than in any other
country on the globe Its use is not
confined to any class the housemaid
as well as her mistiess arraying her
self in silken fabrics The develop
ment of the silk industry in the Unit
ed States under die circumstances
may be set down as one of the great
est triumphs of the protective policy
San Francisco Chronicle
Diamonds and Duties
Thirty millions dollars worth of dia
monds and other precious stones were
imported last year During the year
1S97 our last free trade year the im
portations were valued at 2500000
The duty paid this last year exceeded
32000000 or enough to pay the sala
ries of the entire House of Represen
tatives The tariff enables us to wear
diamonds and its provisions help Un
cle Sam to pay his bills without bur
dening the people
THE RISi NG FLOOD
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2llliBH Z0C i S 7
THEY WERE BOTH STOLEN
How Smart Slave Proved the Truth
of His Statement
Jerome S McWado said Bookoi
T Washington seemed to mo when
I was a boy to bo the smartest colored
man in tho world
Jerome was a slave Ho lived In
Virginia at Hales Ford One day he
appeared in a red velvet waistcoat
and straightway ho was seized and
taken to tho office for this waistcoat
was the masters property Tho mas
ter had worn it on his wedding dny
Well Jeromo managed to prove
that he had not stolen tho waistcoat
Calhoun Hamilton had stolen It and
Jerome had bought it from Calhoun
for a small sum
Now Jerome tho master said I
admit youre not a thief but youre a
receiver of stolen goods and thats
just a3 bad
No no sir said Jerome No
no That is not just as bad by ho
means
Why isnt it just as bad said the
master
Because you wouldnt receive
stolen goods yourseh sir if It was
bad
How do you mean Me a receiver
of stolen goods Explain yourself
the master commanded
Why sir said Jerome you
bought and paid for me the same as
I bought and paid for that red velvet
waistcoat Well wasnt I stolen same
as the waistcoat was Wasnt I stolen
out of Africa
GOOD HAUL OF RATTLESNAKES
Thirty six Bagged In One Week by
a Connecticut Man
John C Reeves of Portland famil
iarly known as Del and having a
national reputation as a rattlesnake
hunter has recently gained fresh lau
rels
Last week thirty six rattlers rang
ing from fifteen inches to four and a
half feet in length were killed by
him in the Somerset mountains situ
ated in the eastern part of Portland
Seventeen of various lengths were
killed within a space of about fifteen
square feet
Some of tho large snakes had nine
or ten rattlers while some of tho
smaller had but one or two The
snakes were beautifully striped Ten
baby rattlers were found huddled to
gether near their nest which was a
rock crevice
Mr Reeves captures his snakes by
stealing up to them while they are
basking in the sun and pinning them
to the ground with a forked stick four
or five feet in length He then uses
a club
Mr Reeves finds much sport in rat
tlesnake hunting and also finds it
very profitable One dollar an ounce
is realized for the oil The skins net
him from 25 cents to 2 and occasion
ally more for an unusually large one
Hartford Courant
Regardin Sin
Sin so they say is mans great foe
But still I sort of doubt it
For candidly Id Mice to know
What life would be without it
And while too much is not so nice
A little bit wont hurt you
For I maintain without some vice
There couldnt be mucn virtue
Now sposin every one you know
And all your friends and brothers
Was all precisely thus and so
And good as all the others
Why earth would be youd soon find out
Ons long dull dreary level
If no one ever went about
A kickin up the devil
The sight that makes a saint feel glad
Is jest a few good samples
Of folks distressed by bein bad
Some horrible examples
And less we keep a few on hand
To illustrate our teachin
Well have to close our churches and
The preachers give up preachln
By closely tendin to my fields
I find for all my labois
Im gettin bigger better yields
Than are my lazy neighbors
But still the pleasure would be small
To sec my crops a grovin
If crops growed jest the same for all
Regardless of the hoein
And so I say some streaks of wrong
A lurkin in a system
But serves to make a fellow strong
A fightin to resist em
For while the saint all sin destroys
And walks jest to the letter
The sinner all the while enjoys
The hope of doin better
Hank Spink in Boston Herald
When Trees Were Valued
Harry C Piercy member of the
Republican Club House Committee
overheard an amusing conversation at
the ladies reception in the new club
house last week A very pretty girl
was talking to an elderly man They
were standing by the window in the
lounging room facing Bryant Park
Oh Colonel said the young lady
just look at those trees Arent they
beautiful
Yes to some extent replied the
old warrior but
Why dont you like trees inter
rupted the girl
Indeed I do There were time3
when I positively loved them during
the war New York Times
The Prince and the Painter
Swji the animal painter was re
entlj introduced to the Prince of
Yales The poet Swinburne made the
ntrouuetion
Allow me he said to present to
-our Highness John Macallan Swan of
A cacia Road
Mr Swan said the Prince I
tm delighted to maice your acquaint
mce I was always very fond of am
Hals
Morgan Is Religious
Few men go to church mere regular
y than J Pierpont Morgan who is
rery fond of religious exercises When
it home according to report he in
variably passes his Sunday evenings
xl singing hymns
