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J ATALI 0r nit' CUMN W 'M
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Copyright . l8n , by J" Tennyson Neely
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CHAPTER II.-Contlnued.
"Volly inched smasheo up , " replies
the Celestial , with nn angeHc smile.
.g "And n gentleman was hurt ] ? "
"Yep , belly sure ; he talked In air , "
responds Ah Sin , nodding eagerly.
"And they carried him to the hasp 1.
. tal ? " -
"Takee to dead house , all samee , "
declares the Mongolian , rather flip
Imntlyj , ; for the heathen Chlnee has
no heart for anyone outside of Jac1e.
H'm ! Well , that settles Itj ; but I'm
hardly able to believe It happened
even now. 'Vhere's your proof , All
Sin ? "
"How's this " and the man from
the Antipodes holds t \ small package
nlMt.
"A packet of letters tied with n
string Where under the sun did . ) ' 0\1
get those , my good man ? "
. 0" street-fall from pocket of
n Howard , alive samee. "
, "Tho deuce yeti say ! Then why -
, JUl never mind ; I'll take charge of
them and see that ho gets his property .
ty 1n the morning when I hunt him up
I at the hospital. At any rate , this Is
ti , proof enough I wasn't dreaming
t "I wish I could 1m as sure about
his raving My ghost , ehVell , I
like that-rather cool , to say the least.
Haunted by my name , Is he ? Well ,
I I'm sorry , but I never thought It was
6o atrocious as that. What else did
ho say about going on /-bad an ap-
polntmcnt at twelve that be must ful
fil. Rather unfortunate , but he seems
more In a condition to keep l one In
the other world A fortune at stake ,
eh ? Why , that's something In my own
. line. Deuced odd we bout should have
. . . ,
, visited the Canongate at midnight on
errands Involving the filthy lucre !
Show him the house with seven gables
at the corner. That was where he
had the appointment , I reclwn. Is
there such n house near hero ? I'vo
a charitable notion to saunter on a little .
tlo bit and see. It would , perhaps , be
doing the poor devil a favor if I
dropped In and explained to the good
i folks just why Howard failed to turn
. 1 . up. ,
"It wasn't his fault , goodness Imows
Wheels will sometimes fly off their
base , and give an unexpected twist to
It man's fortunes. I've hull such
' .1
l1
,
I \ '
1\
, , a /
# 1I ° '
"Why , he's dead-and I'm his ghost ! "
things happen m 'self. He. lsalll all
might he lost unless he IIIt there.
That would be a pity if a fm minutes
elf my time can save the d'1Y.
. " , .I\h Sin , my boy , do you see that
building \ over 'onder-tbo house of
+ ; even ga.bles-U house to which the
poor j u t1cmin WM driving when his
s .
. Copyright , 1899. by Street ntlll Smith.
tire was lJunctul'ed ? Well , I'm going
over to sound a tatoo on the door , and
let them know why Howard ails to
show up. "
Ho gives the knocker several ress
onant blows , which echo along the
quiet street. ,
Someone Is heard advancing on the i
other side of the door , and a hand I
fumbles the chain Evidently the in
mates of this queer house with the !
gables do not put Implicit confidence :
In their neighbors , or else they come ;
from a country where locks ! are a !
neccssity.
Then the door opmlS.
The hallway Is dimly lighted , and
he can just see the figure of a man
before him-a man as striking In his
general appearance as one would meet .
'
In the Quartler Latin at Paris , where
art students abound-a man who has
long Iron grey hair that falls to his
shoulders , a snow.whito heard , and
who wears the conventional black v0- ]
vet jacket of an artist.
Jack Is a little struck hy the appear-
ance of this gentleman , who has
swung the door hack rather hastily ,
and IB observing him with what appears .
pears to he a burning gaze , so that for
the moment he forgets to speak.
During this brief space of time ho
feels rather than sees the eyes : of the
other fastened upon him. Nor IB the
explanation difficult to seek , If , as bo
believes , this Is time house where Howard .
ard had his appointment.
He finds his volco.
"Pardon me , sir ; but were you expecting -
pecting someone ? " he aslts
To his surprise the old gentleman
Immediately puts out his hand j his
whole demeanor changes , since ho no
longer frowns and looks suspicious ,
but smiles ; and Jack , not to be outdone .
done In politeness , meets that palm
hlll1vcy , believing he can at least hold
'hls own when It comes to a squeeze ,
if given his favorite grip.
The bells clang out the midnight
hour just at this moment , and between
the strokes : ho hears the other say ,
with , \ .al } happens to be a foreign accent .
cent to his English :
"Welcome , welcome , to my house !
You keep the appointment barely to
the letter ; still , ns wo say In sunny
Spain , Mas vale tarde quo nuncn ,
which is . Better late than never. I
have waited-wo all have waited
anxiously. Per Dies ! you are here.
Again I say , with all my heart , welcome -
come on this happy night , Mr. Jack
Travers-ha-ha ! "
-
CHAPTER III
- -
Hypnotized by a Look.
The young man from the States
p.tmdsthere - as if petri fled.
Several times during the short address .
dress of the elderly and plctul'wquo
gentleman with the long slIver locks
and velvet sack coat he has endeavored .
ored to break in . eager to disclose the
fact that a mistake has been made ,
for Jack Is not the man to feel at ease
in borrowed plumage ; hut strange to
say , when the other finishes his peroration -
oration with the utterance of Jnclt's
name , all desire to thus disclaim any
connection with the matter passes
away
lIe Is lice ! a man partly under the
Influence of ether. He sees things as
through a glass , darkly , and yet endeavors -
deavors to grasp the truth aB a drowning .
Ing man grasps a. . straw.
A dozen things flash through his
mind at once. First comes the
tnought that by some accident he has
stumbled on the house to which his
unknown correspondent with whom
he had the appointment In the Caon
gate meant to lead him , but this he
speedily : dismisses as less plausible
than others.
Uccrn hip bewildered mind liMb
,
. .
.
the remarkable things uttered by i
Howard In his confused utato fo1H' . . v-
lug the smash-up. That Is why ho
does nol make any resistance when
the Spanish gentleman draws him
over the threahohl Curiosity Is
aroused , and even 011 the Instant there i
has arisen a desire to discover why ,
they piny at battledore and shuttlecock .
cock with his name.
Given an active mind and Jack
Travers may ho expected to soon .
solve the mystery 'j ; hut it will take a
little time , to gain which , without
arousing curiosity , ho must carry out
his part of time program naturally.
Probably It would bo hard to find a
man more willing to meet Fortune
hnf.wuy stud dance to her merry hmo
until the hour for unmnnltlnr comes.
lie Is bold hy nature , fearless from
constant association with danger ,
T . ) ' ; ' ; '
? _ V ,
.
Syr t +
± _ k ,
ti Fs t , t
1\ ! \ r r r
ll _ I' I
"Welcome on this happy night , Mr.
Jack Traversl" !
since familiarity breeds contempt , and
not averse at any Unto to engage In
nn enterprise the outcome of which
piques ! his curiosity.
"ha ! what you ? " sUddenly exclaims
I
the elderly gentleman , as ho brings
the door to and nails poor Ah Sin In
the jam-Ah Sin who , seeing Jack enter -
ter , attempts to slip across the thresh-
old , believing it to be his duty to fol-
low where the master leads
The wretched CelestIal Is In a way
to feel the power of the press , since
his captor shows no signs of relenting .
lng , when Jack hUl'rles ] to hit relief ,
and hastily explains that the heathen
Chlnee Is his valet , his shadow , without .
out whose watchful presence ho would
scarcely dare to breathe ; upon hear-
ing which the muscular old gentleman
suspends the pressure , and Ah Sin , relieved
lieved though considerably flattened ,
slips In.
Jack hears voices somewhere near
by , and his nerves are tingling with
an eagerness to discover the mean-
Ing of it all , which desire has been
brought Into existence by the mere
mention of his own name by this remarkable .
markahlo foreign artist.
"Follow mo , Senor Jack , " says the
party In question , ns he turns and
walks In the direction of the stairs
leading aloft.
Jack unconsciously allows a hand
to slip round to the pocket where 110
usually carrieR a small revolver. For
years he has lived among the wild
cowboys oC the Texan plains or the
lawless miners In the Cripple Creek I
region , where a' mnn's existence alien
depends on his possessing a shooting
Iron , and his ability to handle the
, same In the smallest possible fraction
of a second. Old habits are difficult
to break away from , and Jack has not
vet grown to feel at ease without being .
Ing "heeled. "
As he strides past the parlor door
hn has a glimpse of several parties In
the lighted ; room and somehow dls ,
co"cr himself taking an unwarranted
Interest In the graceful figure of a
young lady who chances to have her
back toward him.
The . faithful , If wondering , Ah Sin
fellows at bit heels , apparently deter.
.
, . . . . . . , i
mined ! . t o watch over hlB beloved master -
tcr at all coatt' !
Having surrendered to the condl
lions by Wl11ch ho has 110 suddenly
been f \1l'1'OU1H\ed. \ .Tace ] fancies himself -
self really to tallow the lead of thlll
dancing will-o' . tho-wlsp of fortune at
least to the very danger IInu.
They enter a room. A light stands :
on a table. Jack , giving a hasty
Blanco nrol1lld , Bees nothing more
dangerous than hairbrush on the
dressor.
"Allow mo to help you off with your
outer coat , " chatters time other : "no j
trouble , I assure Y011. 1 am so pioasCl1
to think our plaus have como out 80
beautifully , and that this night wo
Aecuro-l a fortune , you a portion of
the same with a lovely - Carrambal
Senor , your gal'lnents-lJ\rdon mode -
do not exactly suit the occnslon But
I forget ; yon have been 1\ long jour-
uoy on , and there has little time 00"
currel1 for such things ACtor all .
what does It matter ? I doubt very
much whether the fact of your wearIng -
big a traveling suit will bo at all observed -
served hj' your wlfo "
Poor Jack reels a cold chill chasing
UIJ and down his spinal } column. . "Pal'-
don ino , Senor , " ho gasps , "but 'OU-
OI'-Bahl something concerning my
wife , which I-el'-hl\l'111 under- i
stand. "
'l'ho good . nntured old gentleman 10
the velvet artist's coat bursts Into It
laugh , aR though lie finds the subject
very comical , and , of course , Jack , to
ho I1Ccol1\1IIJll1.tln . . laughs too though
his merriment miGht he net down uu
strained Ah Sin simply grins while i
ho whlslw the hand brush over lily
nmster's clothes , but he in inking
hotter headway at solving the riddle
than Jack gives evidence of olng.
"Of course , " chuckles the host ,
"very foolish on lilY part , n merry
bachelor UR yet ; hut wo calculate ,
Senor Jack , on having . yeti tied In the
tightest knot possible before half nn
hour leas ) gone by . "
"ThQ devil you do ! " mutters the In.
vidual In question , vaguely wondering .
lng , now that matters have reached
this critical point , whether ho had not
better kick over the traces , declare
his Identity , and call the game off.
( To bo con tinned. )
WORDS AND THEIR USES.
About 5,000 Only Are Used by Edu
Gated People.
No one can say how many words
there are In the English language , because -
cause there are so many words of
doubtful standing , says the Springfield . '
field Republican The Century dlc'
tlonary contains about 225,000 word ! : ! ,
and the new edition oC the Standard
dictionary lays claim to over 300,000.
Of these many are obsolete , and many
others are rarely uBed. Science has
added n vast vocabulary or polysyllables '
bles that are scientific formulae ratlt-
or than real words They have no
place In general literature. The ordi
nary English vocabulary mar be said
to contain from OOOO to 50,000 words ,
the latter estimate being large. No
single writer of literature has used
as many as the lower number named.
Shakespeare , whose vocabulary III
larger than that of any other English
poet , unless It ho Browning , used
about 5,000 words , while Milton ,
whose range was narrower , employed _
only about halt that number. The
vocabulary of the illiterate has been
set as low fiS 30 words , but this must
1'0 ' exceptional , It's more likely that
the "ordlnal'Y worldngman" uses from
2,000 to iOO words , while , of coarse ,
ho Is familiar with several thousand
more , which ho recognizes In print
but docs not himself use The comp
men estimate of the average vocabulary ,
lary of educated people Is from 0,000' ' '
to GOOO , but In this case the number
of words which are not used Is enol' :
mOHa1y increased A woll-read eel-
lego graduate should be familiar with j
perhaps 00,000 words , while In the'
course of a year ho might not nEO 6.
000 or them In his . + tlIlIg ! or convcr.
satlon. Shorthand repnrtrirz find
about 2,600 word signs and contractions '
tlons ample for roprcsol1t1ns the
words which are commonly : tined Su
public 1:11oaklng. _
.
t