f A0 - 1 -
M IJtme fatal re quest
ML I O R F O JJN POUT
Rl I By A L Harria Author of Mine OwnFjHgyS
S4V CHAPTER XXIV
i
it
i
i v
4
4
0S
c
The Enigma
He turned and saw behind him
none other than that same James
Ferrers whose narrative and confes
sion he held in his hand and again
lurking behind him in the shadow
ol the doorway lie saw the pale
narrow furtive countenance of Per
kins the housemaid For a moment
there was an intense silence dur
ing which both seemed to hold their
breath and nerve themselves for the
struggle that lay before them
The letter he cried advancing
towards the other threateningly
The letter or
There are five chambers in the
revolver still undischarged was the
calm reply Is that what you are
thinking of
The other man fell back a step
and his face became ashen in hue
What do you mean he gasped
Who are you and now do you dare
to defy me You a thief a
You asked my name this morn
ing was the answer and for rea
sons of my own I refused to give
it you Those reasons no longer ex
ist Do you still wish to know it
The master cf the house contem
plated the man he had that morning
discharged from his service with feel
ings he could not have put in words
Such utter fearlessness such a total
disregard of the consequences of the
act in which he had been caught red
handed seemed to point either to the
most hardened criminal or to one
who knows he is possessed of some
secret power His voice failed him
and once more with a mingling of
suppressed fury and incomprehensible
apprehension he gasped The letter
I insist and your name
The young man advanced a few
steps My name he said is
and he whispered ihe rest in his ear
No need to ask whether he knew
such unmistable physical weakness
What is that you say he repeated
And how can you deny aught in the
faco of this confession which I hold
in my hand And he shook the
envelope in his face
This action stirred the other power
fully
Give it me he cried I com
mand I implore That confession
though how you know it be such
I cannot tell is sacred Or no
with a sudden change keep it and
read it after I am dead I am a
dying man no hear me out Not
long ago an eminent physician utter
ed my sentence He gave me a year
to live a year that is if I kept my
self free from all excitement and re
ceived no sudden shock To night I
feel has reduced my term of exist
ence to days or hours It is not for
my elf that I ask this it is for my
chil 1
He had touched the one responsive
chord Ted laid the envelope which
contained the secret down upon the
table
If I consent to spare you the pun
ishment due to the deed he said
slowly I must first know all Your
written confession to be perused after
death will not satisfy me How shall
I know then that you have not lied
1 must have it from your own lips
now or
And have you not already had it
from my own lips exclaimed Mr
Ferrers with sudden passion Have
I not declared to you that I am not
your fathers murderer Am I not
ready to swear it however much ap
pearances may be against me I
swear I never murdered him The
young man put his hand to his head
bewildered
Do you deny that you are the man
who wrote the letter which summon
ed my father to Dover or that you
are the other passenger who traveled
by the 430 train and occupied a com-
Cruel cowardly cold blooded murderer
it No need for further explanation
With a sudden cry his hand press
ed to his heart and a ghastly grey
ness settling down upon his face
Mr Ferrers dragged -himself to the
nearest chair
The medicine the medicine he
whispered in a dreadful tone point
ing with one hand towards the man
tlepiece The other following with
his eyes the direction ol his gesture
saw a bottle and glass
Ted made a couple of strides in
the direction signified and was back
again with the medicine bottle and
glass He read the directions on the
labed measured out the proportion
prescribed and held the same to the
i ips of what seemed the almost dying
man
Mr Ferrers apparently revived by
the draught he had swallowed partial
ly recovered his voice
Lock the door he said to his
old friends son He obeyed and the
two were left alone face to face
They confronted each other in silence
the one still seated the other stand
ing opposite to him with folded arms
looking down upon him
What have you to say to me
asked the former in a feeble broken
voice
What have I to say to you re
peated the latter never moving his
eyes from the face of the man before
him What should a son have to
say to his fathers murderer
Mr Ferrers rose from his seat as
the infamous title was hurled at him
and despite his pallid countenane
and evident weakness there was a
natural dignity about him now as he
faced the furious and menacing coun
tenance opposed to him
This is not the first time you have
applied that shameful word to me
he said This must net be
What cried the young man
After having once admitted the
crime do you now seek to deny it
Then hear me repeat it again and
rising his right hand he emphasized
each word by pointing with his fore
finger Murderer Cruel cowardly
cold blooded murderer
The other man staggered as though
struck and supported himself with
one terembling hand on the back of
his chair
It is false he said false I
am guiltless in thought if not in
deed
He spoke with difficulty and again
his hand was pressed to his side
What is that you say asked his
opponent who had not caught the
last worurt but who involuntarily
lowered hla voice in the presence of
partment in the fourth carriage from
the engine
The other man bent his head I
do not deny it
And you deny that the bullet that
was discovered in the padding of the
same compartment which the fire
only partially consumed was dis
charged from the one empty chamber
of the revolver which lies yonder
I do not deny it was the same
monotonous answer
Then tell me cried the vounsr
man in a frenzy tell me whose
was the hand that fired that shot
Mr Ferrers raised his head and
answered clearly and without hesita
tion Mine
The effect of the answer was elec
trical
What in a tone that thrilled
through the hearer you admit all
this and yet in the same breath
deny that you killed my father
I never denied that I killed him
was the calm reply of the elder man
as his eye encountered that of his
inquisitor without flinching and he
seemed to have cast aside for the
moment all agitation and alarm
Edward Burritt tried to frame the
next question and failed His lips
moved but no voice proceeded from
them until
Liar he muttered hoarsely with
his eyes glaring to try and fool me
like this How can you have killed
my father and yet not be his mur
derer
Because said the other I shot at
his own request
CHAPTER XXV
The Narrative
These remarkable words were fol
lowed by another silence during
which the younger man seemed turn
ed to stone and the other who ap
peared completely exhausted by the
strain of the last few minutes let
himself fall back into his chair and
breathed heavily
Then the first recovering himself
and speaking in a hoarse strange
voice which even to his own ear
sounded unnatural asked
What do you mean What horrible
story is this What foul lie
The other man pointed to the let
ter lying on the table between them
Read it he said with an effort
and even as he spoke those two
words the greyness began to return
and deepen and his face seemed to
fall in
Thus adjured Ted stripped off the
outer cover
Within were several sheets of pa-
per covered with writing in the
heavy scrawling hand which he now
knew well
THE TRUE NARRATIVE AND
CONFESSION OF MR JAMES FER
RERS OF THE STRANGE TRAG
EDY OF THE 25TH OF APRIL
I arrived in England on the 24th
of April after having been absent
twenty years The reasons for that
prolonged absence I do not propose to
enter into at length Sufiice it to say
that I had committed an act which
brought me within reach of the law
and but for the influence of friends
I might have expiated the deed by
transportation
Reckjess extravagance betting and
gambling with a mad attempt to re
cover my position by speculating with
money which was not my own
brought me to this shameful pass
The matter was allowed to blow
over to be hushed up and the actu
al sum made away with was reim
bursed But I was a Pariah an out
cast shunned and despised by all
but one One friend stood by me
one man still gave me help of his
countenance and extended the right
hand of fellowship towards me and
he was my old Jriend Silas Burritt
He alone was there to bid me fare
well as I left England a disgraced
man He alone bade me hope for bet
ter things and look forward to re
trieving the failure of the past in the
promise of the future So I set sail
for America with the expressed re
solve of not returning until many
years had elapsed and those who
were acquainted with my shameful
history were either dead or else had
forgotten it and me
At last the term of years which I
had set as the limit of my voluntary
exile having all but expired I ven
tured to return I lingered purpose
ly on my journey so that when I
landed at Dover it was twenty years
to the very day I had first set sail
At Dover I waited the arrival of
my old friend
He came and the meeting was a
painful one on both sides
After so long a parting there was
a sense of restraint between us such
as there could hardly have failed to
be But after a while this feeling
became less noticeable We had much
to say and I for my part had many
questions to ask and much to learn
One thing I did learn the most im
portant of all which was that with
one exception I might consider r
self free from the fear of any w
nesses of the past appearing to
blight the prospects of the future
It was agreed that I should spend
the next night under his roof and
make the acquaintance of his wife
and family and we agreed to travel
by that ill fated train known as the
4 GO express
To be continued
WILL SHAKE NO MORE
Savage Handgripping Now the Fad in
English Society
I have made up my mind absolutely
to shake hands no more The stupid
custom never appealed to me but I
have complied with it hitherto in
order to avoid hurting peoples feel
ings
Now that the grip has become
fashionable however I shall have to
be callous After an it is far better
inat I should hurt someones feelings
a little than that they should hurt my
hand a great deal
At a reception I attended the other
night there were three acquaintances
of mine sitting in a group I went up
to them and shook hands all round
The first man ground together all
my knuckle bones The second
squeezed my fingers until they were
reduced to a mere pulp The third
not to be baulked twisted my wrist
and almost jerked my elbow out of the
socket
I cursed them root and branch and
hurried away to the far end of the
room When I looked back they were
regarding each other with open
mouthed astonishment I could see
that they had meant well the new
fashion Avas to blame
A few years ago you will remem
Made Speech to Amuse Wife
A great many speeches have beer
delivered in the house of representa
tives without any apparent excuse at
all so the New York member who
spoke merely to entertain his wife
undoubtedly had ample justification
The New York member was in the
gallery with his wife but the lady
grew tired of the humdrum proceed
ings and announced her intention of
departing He coaxed her to stay
but she was insistent until her hus
band made a proposition
If you will stay an hour he prom
ised I will go down on the floor and
make a speech
She agreed to stay and the New
York member kept his promise mak
ing in fact a very creditable argu
ment about something in which he
had nothe slightest interest
Might Be Worse
Biffbang They say Meeker leads a
regular dogs life at home
Cumsoe Unhappily married I sup
pose
Biffbang Well not exactly but his
wife shares her affection equally fee-
tween him and her poodle
Brief But Pointed
Say ra queried little Johnny
Bumpemiciile whats a fool killer
A fool killer my son replied the
old man is the gun he blows in
w
BUILDING THE NAVY
WHOLE COUNTRY A UNIT
THE PROPOSITION
ON
Senator Gormans Opposition to the
Creation of a Proper National De
fense Will Be Condemned His
Own Party is against Him
The naval appropriation bill report
ed to the house authorizes the con
struction of one first class battleship
two first class armored cruisers and
three scout cruisers at a total cost of
2S000000 The bill authorizes also
an increase of 3000 in the number of
sailors The construction of so many
cruisers is recommended because it
is desired to give a better proportion
to the navy Last year provision was
made for five battleships
The committee says in its report
If we judge public sentiment cor
rectly it is in favor of the continuance
of the policy of building up our navy
If we stopped now we would be left
behind the leaaing countries of the
world The American people will not
indorse the policy of sacrificing the
American navy for internal improve
ments nor is there any such neces
sity
It is not mistaken in its judgment
The people do not wish to see the
policy of building up the navy aban
doned That is not because they are
bellicose and desire naval wars but
because experience and reason have
brought them to the conclusion that
the country must have a respectable
and growing navy tor purposes of
national defense and the maintenance
of American rights President John
Adams began the construction of a
navy Under Jefferson the work was
stopped He thought a navy unneces
sary When the war of 1812 came
this country found itself at a terrible
disadvantage because of that Jeffer
sonian policy wnich has an advocate
now in the senate
What is true of the people generally
is not true of all the Democrats in the
United States senate The Demo
cratic leader in that body Senator
Gorman has put himself on record
against naval expansion He would
spend money lor internal improve
ments which his party once deemed
unconstitutional but not for warships
He said
We have naval vessels everywhere
Have yeu not enough now Everybody
will answer yes unless it is true as
was floating around in high naval cir
cles that we are marching around the
globe with a chip on our shoulder
looking for the one great nation that
troubles us more than any other in
our trade relations to get up some
trouble
In his address at a Lincoln day din
ner in New York the secretary of the
navy quoted and commented on that
repellant demagogical statement He
confessed that he was surprised by it
for he had thought that the pchcy of
naval progress was not at all open to
partisan attack He had hoped that
that policy would be continued no
matter which party was in control of
the national government but his faith
has been shaken by Senator Gormans
factious and unprtriotic utterances
If that senator were as astute as
he has been given credit for being
there might be cause to fear that he
had gauged the sentiment of his party
and truly represented it when he in
veighed against an increase of naval
force But he has lost his astuteness
or his cunning Ho is blundering
around blindly in quest of a partisan
issue He says the navy is getting
topheavy There are too many men
too many sailors too many guns
afloat He cannot persuade the mass
of the Democrats that this is true
The navy will continue to be increas
ed despite the unworthy opposition of
an incompetent and aiscredited sena
torial leader
The Salvation of China
Secretary Hays Note suggesting
that Russia and Japan limit the area
of hostilities as far as possible and
that the neutrality and administrative
ber it was considered rather smart entity of China be respected has borne
to hold your hand high in the air and
wave it to and iro in gentle contact
with the hand of your acquaintance
That fashion too was idiotic enough
but it was infinitely more civilized
than this furious insensate grip
Sketch
truit it is believed that ins views
commend themselves to the two gov
ernments to which they are specially
addressed and they assuredly do to
most if not all of the neutral powers
of Europe When the substance of
the note was made known there was
some questioning and caviling in Eu
rope In some quarters it may have
been due to vexation that the United
States should have taken the lead in
a matter of such general concern and
importance or there may have been
a misconception of the scope of the
secretarys proposition
Of course the voice of unfriendly
criticism was heard at once in the
United States Whatever the admin
istration may suggest to protect the
interests or to enhance the reputation
and influence of the country is at
tacked directiy or by innuendo It
was insinuated that Secretary Hay
was about to drag the United States
into war that he was seeking to form
a compact with other nations to com
pel China to remain neutral and to
compel Russia and Japan to respect
that neutrality or that he had made
a move unfriendly to Russia dictated
by a desire to help Japan
The vindication of a disinterested
policy dictated solely by a desire to
keep China out of a conflict which
almost inevitably would end in the
partition of the empire is at hand Ja
pan has acceded to the suggestions of
Secretary Hay and the formal con
currence of Russia is momentarily ex
pected The Russian government ap
pears to have been slow to move be
cause of its uncertainty as to the
exact meaning attached by Secretary
Hay to one of the phrases in his note
It is confidently believed at Washing-
ton that the concurrence of France in
the American proposal has removed
whatever doubts may have been enter
tained by Russia and that the United
States has achieved a great pacific
victory
The Chinese government has issued
a proclamation of neutrality No
doubt it wishes to be absolutely neu
tral but it may be beyond its power
to regulate the conduct of the fanati
cal uncontrollable elements in the
population of northern China Even
if there should be local outbreaks
they hardly will interfere with the
workings of the beneficent plan de
vised by the American secretary of
state which will in all probability be
accepted and loyally observed by the
belligerent powers
The Consular Service Bill
No one expects much enthusiasm
from politicians for measures dimin
ishing spoils opportunities or limiting
the area of their activities The
Lodge bill for the reorganization of
the consular service of the United
States has been indorsed by numerous
industrial and commercial organiza
tions Indeed the business interests
of the country are practically a unit
for the adoption of the merit system
in the selection of consuls and the
abolition of the fee system
Notwithstanding this fact and in
spite of the further consideration that
the bill has been recommended by the
Senate committee on foreign relations
all sorts of constitutional objections
are now raised by its opponents The
measure they say is unnecessary
and no president would feel himself
bound by its provisions The right of
the executive to appoint consular offi
cers cannot be abridged by regula
tions prescribed by congress it is
gravely argued and it is undignified
to enact laws which must be purely
advisory All this has been heard be
fore ad nauseam and to consider it
seriously would be a waste of space
and time
The truth is that the opponents of
the bill do not want merit in the con
sular service They know the defects
of the present system and they know
that the service is maintained under
the provisions of a law passed in 185G
which is necessarily antiquated and
entirely inadequate to existing condi
tions But the defects do not injure
the political side of the service They
affect foreign commerce for which
congressmen having friends and hangers-on
to reward for actual or imagi
nary aid care very little If the ex
isting law relating to the consular
service is constitutional the Lodge
bill cannot be unconstitutional AS
any rate no executive would deem it
safe or expedient to disregard a merit
bill in obedience to personal and
spoils politics
The enactment of the Lodge bill by
the present Congress would bo a de
parture from the do nothing and
stand pat policy but it is a departure
which the business interests will not
only cheerfully stand but gladly
welcome The friends of the measure
are not hopeful are they sufficiently
energetic and earnest
Reciprocity With Canada
The agitation in favor of reciprocal
trade relations between the United
States and Canada has been renewed
by the Detroit chamber of commerce
The aim is to have the joint high com
mission reconvened for the purpose of
negotiating a reciprocity treaty
There is much to commend the idea
Both countries have many interests in
common Properly drawn a reciproc
ity treaty would benefit both
The first Canadian reemrnnitv
treaty was made in 1854 and termi
nated by us in 186C American senti
ment over the Canadian protection of
Confederate emissaries and the large
balance of trade against us led to our
withdrawal In 1S74 another treaty
was negotiated but failed of ratifica
tion by the senate
In the two years 1865 and 1SGG
under the old treaty the balance of
trade was largely in Canadas favor
but the conditions that immediately
followed the war were principally
responsible for this In the main the
treaty promoted our commerce and
was beneficial to both countries
Mr Bryans Prize Platform
The Commoners offer of 100 for a
Democratic platform is surrounded
with conditions that make the compe
tition a cruelty which should call for
police interference The rule that the
prize platform must be agreeable tc
ten Democratic newspapers is enough
to fill a whole incurable ward with
men made loony by the attempt
The generous offer of an extra 55 for
a letter from Mr Cleveland Mr Gor
man or Judge Parker indorsing any
platform any one of the newspapers
named can draw is likely also to have
a violent effect on weak hearted edi
tors Mr Watterson who rails
against the money power and the
other gentlemen invited to the joust
will be so agitated at the temptation
to the corruption of Democratic edi
torial morals opened up by the Com
moners reckless liberality that they
probably will decline to take part in
it
Protectionist and Prosperous
A free trade contemporary remarks
that every industry of France enjoys
a high degree of prosperity and asks
Has France made her tariff rates ex
orbitant France has always been a
protectionist country The savings of
her people are proportionately the
largest in the world St Louis Globe
Democrat
Novelty of Possession
Col Bryan admits that while abroad
he secured one new idea but he is
keeping it to himself until the novelty
INTERESTING TO AMERICAN3
Western Canada Will Soon Becomo
the Supply Depot for Wheat for
Great Britain
During the past yjar about 50000
Americans went from the United
States to Canada Most of these sot
tied upon farm lands and the writer
is informed by agents of tho Cana
dian Government that tho greatest
success has followed tho offorts of
nearly all To their friends on this
sideof the boundary line the fullest
assuranco is given of the prosperity
that is in store for them There will
always be a splendid market for all
tho grain cattle and other produco
that can be raised in Western Can
ada and with the advantages offered
of a free homestead of 110 acres of
land and other lands which may bo
bought cheaply an excellent climate
splendid school system educational
advantages of the best what moro
is required Tho husbandman gets
more return for his money than in
any other country in the world
On the occasion of Sir Wilfred Lau
riers visit to the Corn Exchange Lon
don England Colonel Montgomery V
D made several important state
ments The function he said which
you have just been assisting in con
nection with a kindred association has
doubtless shown you the importance of
the provision trade of Liverpool In Its
relationship with the Dominion and
the enormous possibilities of the fu
ture development of that trade Well
he grain trade of Liverpool has in
terests with Canada no less important
than those of the provision trade
When it is borne in mind that SO per
cent of the breadstuffs of this groat
country has to be brought from
abroad you v ill readily appreciate
with what great satisfaction we view
the large and steadily increasing sup
plies of grain which are annually avail
able for export from Canada and I
challenge contradiction when I say
that of the wheats wo import
from Russia India the Pacific
and tho length and breadth of
the United States none gives moro
general satisfaction none is moro
generally appreciated than that
raised in the Province of Mani
toba We cannot get enough of it
and it is no exaggeration to say that
there are before us dozens of millers
who hunger for it This is not tho
time to enter into statistical ques
tions but we look forward with con
fidence to the time at which with tho
present rate of progress the Dominion
of Canada will have a sufficient sur
plus of wheat to render this country
independent of other sources of sup
ply I think I may with justifiable
pride remind you that this is the chief
grain mirke of t ilsh Empire
and through it j OvloIiV geographical
position as wM uh the cnter
priai or its miners it is now the sec
ond milling center in the world
Send to any authorized Canadian
Government agent for cpy of Atlas
and information as to railway rate
etc
Hope is the mainspring of life
Socrates
The Useful Camel
The Somaii camel can eat every
ting and drinks nothing it will make
a meal where even the country pony
would starve Daremo mimosa aca
cia all come alike to it and when
shoots and leaves are withered it can
tail back on roots thorns and bark
That sort of digestion makes it of
course valuable in a country when
the bill of fare seems compiled in thu
interest of the carnivora but its in
difference to liquid is its especial
virtue While the Arab camel needs
drink daily bis Somali brethren when
on a march are watered only every
fifth day and when drouth prevails
may be left for ten When grazing
they are supposed to be watered ev
ery srth day but such regularity de-per--
on the energy of ihe herders
and the condition of the grass tho
herds when the grass is green being
often left without wrter for as long
as three months
Japanese Singing Insects
Among tne natural curiosities of
Jspan are its singing insects The
most prized ot these tiny musicians is
a black bettle named susumushi
which means insect bell The sound
that it emits resembles that of a lit
tle silver bell of the sweetest and
most delicate tone
The Palest Common Disease
Yorktown Ark Feb 23th Leland
Williamson M D a successful and
clever local physician says
There is scarcely another form of
disease a physician is called upon so
often to treat as Kidney Disease I
invariabily prescribe Dodds Kidney
Pills and am not disappointed in their
effect for they are always reliable
I could mention many cases in which
I have used this medicine with splen
did success for example I might re
fer to the case of Mr A H Cole
Age 31 greatly emaciated some
fever great pain and pressure over
region of Kidneys urine filled with
pus or corruption and very foul smell
ing and passed some blood Directed
to drink a great deal of water gave
brisk purgative and Dodds Kidney
Pills The pills were continued regu
larly for three weeks and then a few
doses eery week especially if patient
felt any pain in region of Kidneys
Cured completely and patient per
formed his duties as farm laborer in
four weeks
Dr Williamson has been a regular
practitioner for over twenty years and
his unqualified indorsement of Dodds
Kidney Pills is certainly a wonderful
tribute to this remedy
It is with men as with horses those
that do the most orancinu make the
of possession wears off a little J least progress Baron de Stassart
Washington Post -
i
