B
K
4FIVE THOU
dear girl youll have to let
MX off Im awfully sorry but
the Governor wont give way
Im really fond of you and I think you
are of me but
0 why didnt I want to marry a
decent barrister a doctor or even a
journalist instead of an Earls younger
son said Miss Muriel Mallett with
a frown on her pretty face and a tear
or two in her large limpid eyes eyes
which made all the men think wrong
ly that she was poetical and sentiment
al But seriously can you give me
UD
The Hon Bob Martindale looked at
her She was just his ideal tall well
built but with a saucy face in which
the big black eyes seemed out of place
if fascinating- There was in her coun
tenance the strangeness which accord
ing to Bacon is necessary to great
beauty She affected a tailor made
gown and was always well groomed
yet though her dress was a trifle man
nish in the brusque movements which
showed that she was fidgety glimpses
of gossamer stocking and fine Valen
ciennes revealed themselves and show
ed that she had a conscience in costume
that would have delighted the hero of
Gautiers novel with the famous pre
face
My dear girl if it were a question
of risking my life or anything like
thatI wouldnt hesitate if it were even
one of those affairs of fellows who
for a few hours of of well you know
gladly die Id be there but but I cant
be a cad They have brought me up
as a swell without any profession and
Im abit of a fool and I couldnt live
on your earnings as actress so there
you are
Miss Muriel sighed Bob was a hand
some fellow and manly and he would
have the title and- estates some day if
two obstacles were to disappear
I did like you1 Bob and do and
you were always straight I should like
to have been your wife If only wed
some money to run a theatrical com
pany with
Yes if I hadnt been such a juggins
as to blue the five thou old Uncle Tom
left me I didnt know you then
Yes if wed the five thou she
started a little You will marry v me
if ever I have 5000 O youd have
to work have to be my manager
He nodded j
Its a promise for two years
Yes
Honor bright
Yes of course if
If I run straight Well look here
weve been engaged honorably and
you want to break it off
He lowered his head
Im young only 24 even at Somer
set House Id like to have married
you and I should have been a good
wife too However some day I may
want to marry some one else
The man shuddered
A broken engagement isnt a cer
tificate of good character you must
give me one Thats fair
She got up and wheeled to him a
little round table on which was a crocodile-skin
writing pad with silver
edges She opened it took out writing
paper and found him pen and ink
-Now then write this
My Dear Miss Mallett It is my
painful uty to tell you that I have
made fruitlessly a desperate effort to
gain my fathers consent to our mar
riage He utterly refuses saying that
he is so old fashioned as to object to
have an actress as daughter-in-law
Therefore I am compelled to break
off my engagement with a woman
whom I still love and esteem
The Hon Bob signed the letter sad
ly
Now be off Ive to go to rehearsal
No you mustnt drive me down Once
more if within two years I have five
thou as capital you promise you will
marry me
Yes darling on my word of honor
With a swift movement she threw
her arms around his neck and kissed
him passionately A minute later he
found himself in the street sad and
bewildered
That evening there was rejoicing in
the big mansion in Belgrave square
and the Earl of Hexham drank too
much in honor of the return to re
spectability of the prodigal Bob
Well soon find you a wife my boy
lie said over the port which he drank
in honor of the affair and in defiance
of gout and doctors orders None
of your rich American trash but some
one of decent family and the sort of
solid reasonable dowry that a younger
son deserves
Next morning at 12 oclock when
the Earl was vainly trying to put on
his boots without swearing at the pain
the Hon Bob entered the library with
a document in his hand I never
thought shed have done it sir he
said
Done what
Look the beastly thing says The
plaintiff claims damages for breach of
promise of marriage
Bring me my slippers shouted the
Earl damn the horse send round the
brougham
ghtt he went to Lincolns Inn Fields
Youd better settle said Mr Pon
der the old family lawyer
Settle he shouted settle Ill
show up the baggage the Ill put
every detective in London on the job
Im not afraid of court and when the
jury hears what she reahy is
But the scandal
Dont talk auout scandal enter an
appearance and leave the rest to me
My dear Governor interrupted
Bob who had accompanied him be
fair to the girl I didnt think Muriel
would have done it but shes perfectly
straight Id stake my life on it
Nonsense Bob Youre a fool and
youd better stay abroad till the af
fairs over Ill attend to it Ill show
her how to fight The Earls eyes
gleamed Well teach her wont we
Ponder what litigation means Then
he told a lengthy stale tale of his suc
cessful lawsuit about right-of-way a
success which added a new mortgage
to the family collection
Its all very well said Mr Ponder
but that was chancery this is com
mon law Im sure we should make
a mess of it One of my articled clerks
has set up in business in Bedford Row
hes a smart fellow and will fight hard
and just suit you
Bob went off to the Riviera and lost
all the money his father gave him
During his absence the old gentleman
employed a detective a fellow with
splendid imagination but very poor
powers of observation and the skir
mishing was done under the Earls
supervision Bob was to have staid
away till after the trial however an
urgent letter from a club friend of
his father brought him home in a hurry
He arrived in the evening and going
to the Carlton learned that the ease
was in the list for next day When
he reached Belgrave Square and was
shown into the library he found his
father with Mr Hicks his Bedford Row
solicitor There was a row going on
at a high pitch
Pray tell your father he must set
tle said Mr Hicks
Settle be damned interrupted the
old boy
Settle I say rejoined the solicitor
You see Mr Martindale Sir Edward
says he wont cross examine the plain
tiff as to her character He suggests
that the material is absurd and he
does not believe a word of the detect
ives story he says hed sooner return
the brief
And the check gasped the Earl
Yes and the check He says theres
no decent defense and he wont try
to support the detectives tissue of lies
Moreover he insists that if he did hed
fail and the damages and disgrace
would be awful
What does it matter to me shouted
the old gentleman Its not my case
its my sons
a bit steep observed the
son
My retainer is from you my lord
urged Mr Hicks
0 Ill pay your confounded costs
but where will they get their damages
from
Bob groaned
Theyve told me theyll make him
bankrupt replied Mr Hicks and his
discharge will be suspended for two
years at least
What has that to do with me said
the Earl grimly
Bob interposed Lord Salisbury has
many claims on his patronage and in
my bankruptcy hed find a decent ex
cuse for leaving me out in the cold
The Earl had no gout but he man
aged without its help to use very vig
orous language concerning sons solicit
ors advocates and actresses
They will take 5000 for damages
with a full apology and withdrawal in
open court said Mr Hicks and 500
for costs
An apology A withdrawal
A withdrawal of all the charges
on the record
Next day to the infinite disgust of
the reporters and the crowded court
Sir Edward in a graceful speech made
an apology of the most ample char
acter withdrew all imputations and
announced that 5000 would be paid as
compensation for the injury to the lady
together with her costs
The Morning Post on the morrow
announced that the Earl of Hexam had
gone to Buxton
When the honorable Robert a day
later received a letter from Muriel
saying she was most anxious to see
him he took a cab to Brompton Cres
cent and grew more and more per
plexed every inch of the way
Miss Muriel looking very neat nat
ty1 handsome and piquant with a pro
digious glow of life in her eyes shook
hands with him warmly and made him
sit down on the sofa by her side For a
quarter of an hour she stimulated his
curiosity by talking about nothing in
particular At last his patience broke
down
Look here Ella he said brusquely
stow the cackle and come to cues
Im delighted to see you and dont
bear malice but what on earth put it
into your pretty head to send for me
She laughed loud long and heartily
r so loud long and heartily that at last
he laughed with her
Well you are a goose she said
I know it e answered I dread
Michaelmas
I think your brain is developing
youre growing witty O you havent
got there yet
Well but
Listen to me The Hon Robert
bot Hiesmes Glareuce Martindale made
a promise to Mis Muriel Mallett that
if within two years she hadE5000 to
finance a theatrical company with hed
marry her
He gazed open mouthed
She wheeled up the little round table
to him opened the crocodile skin writ
ing pad with silver edges and look a
bundle of crisp flimsies from tha
flap-
One two three four she counted
out up to fifty fifty brand new Bank
of England notes each for 100 beauti
ful shining sovereigns You see Ive
got the five thou
He stared mentally paralyzed
The damages she shouted byste
rical with laughter
The damages
Yes and your promise
Yes but
There are no buts about it youve
promised and you love me
He nodded
And I love you If the Earl hadnt
played it so low down in the defense
I might have chucked up the game As
it is I hold you to your word as a man
of honor Will you marry me
She looked into his eyes He really
loved her She took hold of his left
hand his right arm wandered round
her waist
Will you marry me she repeated
her lips an inch from his
He replied affirmatively without a
word
There is now one obstacle the less
between the husband of the fascinating
Muriel Mallett and the earldom of Hex
ham for his lordship died suddenly
from apoplexy on getting a tetegram
from an old club friend concerning
his sons marriage with the fascinating
actress The Sketch
ILLITERACY IN THE NATION
Percentage Now Greater in New
England than in the West
The report of the Commissioner or
Education presents some curious and
interesting facts with regard to
eracy in the United States This infor
mation is derived mainly from official
records and deserves careful attention
It appears that the number of persons
over 10 years of age who cannot read
and write is 0324702 or 133 per cent
of the total population according to the
latest statistics In 1880 the rate of
illiteracy was 17 per cent and a de
crease of 37 per cent since that time
is gratifying in the sense that implies
gradual improvement but the situation
is still lamentable and no good citizen
can contemplate it without experi
encing a certain degree of humiliation
The government is based upon the
idea of popular intelligence as an as-
surance of political safety and prosper
ity and vast sums of money are ex-
pended for educational purposes There j
is really no excuse for ignorance in a
country where free schools abound and
instruction is within easy reach of all
classes Nevertheless over -thirteen j
out of every 100 of the people are nna j
ble to read and write This great army
of illiteracy is a standing reproach asj
well as a menace and there is no more i
important duty than that of reducing it
as rapidly as possible
There was a time when New England
led all the rest of the country in thei
general average of popular intelligence j
but this is no longer true It is now in j
the West and not in the East that the J
best showing is made of the education i
of the masses Nebraska stands at the
head of the States in point of literacy
only 31 per cent of its population be
ing unable to read and write No State
west of the Mississippi River with the
exception of the four Southern States
ranks as low as Massachusetts in the
number of illiterates in its population
This means of course and the fact is
a very significant one that a large per
centage of the educated element of the
East has removed to the West thereby
materially modifying its wild and
woolly condition and it means further
more that the West has been doing a
great deal in the enlargement of it
educational facilities
The public schools of such States as
Minnesota Iowa Kansas Nebraska
and the Dakotas are equal in every re
spect to those of any of the Eastern
States and their academies and univer
sities are rendering effective service in
the sphere of higher learning So fai
as the South is concerned allowance
must be made for the presence of the
colored race the illiterate members oi
which constitute nearly one half of the
total number of illiterates in the United
States but even with this serious draw
back the Southern States are making
substantial gains in education and the
conditions promise an acceleration oi
such progress from year to year Mitt
neapolis Times
A Long Shot
James Shields was elected to the Sen
ate in 1S4S defeating his predecessor
Senator Breese Shields had distin
guished himself in the Mexican Wart
and at the Battle of Cerro Gordo he
was shot through the lungs the ball
passing out at his back His recovery
was one of the marvels of the day
Shields war record is believed to have
secured to him his triumph over Breese
When the news of Shields election
was received a lawyer named Butter
field was speaking of it to a group
of friends when one of them remark
ed It was that Mexican bullet that
did the business Yes retorted But
terfield that was a great shot The
ball went clear through Shields with
out hurting him and killed Breese one
thousand miles away
Microphones
A recent invention consists of an ap
paratus by means of which a micro
phone suspended over a childs crib
automatically rings an electric bell
situated at any convenient point on
the least noise made by the child The
microphone as is well known is a
very sensitive form of a telephone
transmitter capable of detecting the
faintest sounds
Lots of people are afraid of a cyclone
who are not afraid of the deviL
S0LDIEES ST0EIES
ENTERTAINING REMINESCENCES
OF THE WAR
Graphio Account of the Stirring Scenes
Witnessed on the Battlefield and In
Camp Veterans oi the Rebellion Recite
Experiences of Thrilling Nature
Custer at the Surrender
Every tvar has its ideal hero and the
conflict betwen the States was no ex
ception to the geneial rule for there
was not only one but many heroes
writes a Confederate soldier in the
New York Sun
There were however two one wear
ing the blue and the other the gray
around whom clustered a halo of chival
rous daring and ronmnce which will
ever cling to the names of Custer and
Stuart It is of the former of these two
that we propose to relate a characteris
tic incident
The night of Sunday April 2 1SG5
will never be forgotten by any ex-Confederate
who was encamped in front of
Fort Harrison on the north side of the
James River eight miles from Rich
mond Va
For several days before a heavy can
nonading heard in the direction of
Petersburg had indicated that some
thing unusual would soon break the
monotony which had reigned supreme
ly in the Confederate camp on the
north side for nearly four months But
whether another bloody struggle to cap
ture the fort named would be made or
whether another retreat would be
sounded was soon decided in favor of
the latter
About sunset on the day of which we
are writing orders were issued to cook
three days rations and be in readiness
to march at midnight Orders were
also given for the strictest silence as a
whole corps lay in front of us only a
quarter of a mile distant and for it to
have been apprised of our departure
would have meant disaster to the small
force of only 8000 men in their front
Silently but quickly at the appointed
hour the line was formed and the
march taken up in the direction of
Drewrys bluff about two miles distant
This point was soon reached and here
a pontoon bridge was laid and the
troops marched over by twos to the
south side
Day was now at hand and of course
sleep was out of the question Also it
was now become a question of speed
between the two detachments of the
Union and Confederate armies respec
tively the former straining every
nerve to prevent the Confederates from
overtaking the main army under Lee
and the latter using their utmost en
deavors to do so
The race was kept up without inter
mission for three days and nights Our
troops never slept over two hours at a
time during that period Their rations
were exhausted and they devoured ev
erything eatable which came in their
way without so much as subjecting it
to the suspicion of fire
But in spite of every exertion the
boys in blue gained upon and at last
overtook us about 11 oclock a m on
April G It was not the infantry how
ever but a detachment of cavalry un
der Gen Custer
Preparations were at once made to
receive the charge which we knew
would follow
The battle began by a vigorous shell
ing of our wagon train to which no
reply could be given as we were with
out artillery The Confederate infantry
was massed behind a hill which com
pletely shut it out from the Federal
commander A heavy skirmish line
was thrown out on the hill in order to
deceive him and allure him into the
trap
As everyone knows Gen Custer nev
er would take a dare He at once
formed his lines for a charge and on
they came How gaily the trumpet
sung How merrily the boys rode to
their death as they came on at a swift
trot amid the booming of cannon the
rattling of sabers and the heavy thud
of their horses feet
Arriving at the top of the hill they
were met by an appalling infantry fire
and many a gallant trooper bit the
dust The action was short sharp and
decisive and Gen Custer soon recalled
his troops It was in vain to throw a
small body of cavalry against a solid
mass of veteran infantry
But the end was near only a matter
of a few hours for at 5 p m the Union
infantry arrived the battle of Sailors
Creek followed and Gen Sheridan
took S000 prisoners
So much as background to the pic
ture so much as a setting for the inci
dent we now give and which ever after
endeared the memory of Gen Custer
to every one who was a witness to it
The morning after the battle the pris
oners were ordered to fall in line Soon
Gen Custer and his staff appeared on
the scene and this was the signal for an
outburst of uproarious applause The
sky was fairly darkened with caps
thrown in the air the band plaj ed
Yankee Doodle and altogether it was
a sight to sadden the captive Confeder
ates more especially as they beheld
eighteen of their battle flags which had
ben torn with shot and shell on a hun
dred battlefields now adorning the
train of the conquerer
Gen Custer seemed to realize this
and with a delicacy of feeling and mag
nanimity of spirit which only true chiv
alry can appreciate as soon as the
applause had subsided and the band
ceased he turned to its leader and said
Give the boys meaning the prisoners
Dixie
As the sweet strains of the Confed
erate war song rolled in waves of liquid
melody through the air Gen Custer
took off his hat and waved it as a sig
nal and the aplause was deafening
The Union huzza and the rebel yell
blended into one and shook notes as
well as hearts and hands across the
bloody chasm
Yearj afterward when the cfevai
rous Custerrode gallantly to his death
in his last charge it sent a thrill of pain
throughout the length and breadth of
our land for in his death one of the
most daring and unselfish of men had
perished nor can it be doubted had he
been spared he would have been one
of the most potential factors in bring
ing about that golden era
When heroes of the blue and gray
Shall each to each due homage pay
And scorn with all their martial souls
The cowards base am venal ghouls
Who shunned the conflict they had bred-
And lived but to malign the dead
A Tribute that Means Something
There could be no surer sign that the
old wounds are healed and the old bit
terness is passing away than the refer
ences of Southern newspapers to Presi
dent Lincoln incident to his last birth
day That he should be loved and held
in esteem by those whose beliefs he ex
pressed and whom he led to victory is
not surprising but that his memory
should be honored by those wliom he
strenuously opposed and who owed to
him the downfall of their dearest hopes
is not alone a remarkable testimony to
his greatness it is quite as much a
token of the honesty and magnitude of
the Southern people
In thus recognizing the purity of Lin
colns character they honor themselves
A writer in the Atlanta Constitution
says
Much of misapprehension on the part
of the South regarding the character
and career of this great man has been
removed by the facts of dispassionate
histoiy Lincoln has been shown to be
a genuinely great man with a lofty soul
and an honest heart Gentle and ten
der as a woman he had also the rugged
virtues of a Roman tribune No act
of cruelty stains his fair fame With
opportunity to be a tyrant he stood for
liberty and fought with the lance of a
knight in a fair and open field
Why should we of the South begrudge
to him the meed of his fair fame When
Northern men can build a monument to
Lee and their orators praise his genius
and character with unstinted eulogy
it is time for bitter and narrowminded
partisans to be relegated to the rear
The brave and true recognize worth
and sublimity of character everywhere
and are willing to crown the hero with
his merited honors even though his
sword was drawn in the -battle against
them
The Vicksburg Commercial Herald in
an editorial said
Long ago the Southern people became
acquainted with some of his elements
of greatness that caused general ac
knowledgment that his death so deeply
mourned in the North was profoundly
calamitous to the South And now there
is growing up in all minds of all sec
tions or rather without regard to sec
tion a recognition in Abraham Lincoln
of a grand character a great and a good
man Such development and growth of
change in the estimate of a man by his
enemies is wonderful and awe-inspiring
It suggests the thought that the
hand of Divinity shaped such a char
acter for the great work to which he
was so strangely called
Coming out of the deepest obscurity
and of the humblest origin his walk
through life has been tracked and
marked in its every stage and step The
whole of his lifes record has been laid
bare and it is the simplest truth to say
that no other character of history has
come out of such a crucible so absolute
ly unalloyed He has been shown to
have been equal at all times to the occa
sion and its demands standing success
fully the severest tests to which mortal
man could be subjected
Elevation from the lowest and hum
blest station to the rulership over a
mighty nation failed to turn his head or
swerve his principles Ever true to
duty honest and just toward all in tri
umph or adversity and trial Lincoln
stood unshaken and settled in his fidel
ity to right and fixity of purpose The
strifes and contentions of personal mo
tives the envy and rivalries of his co
workers and lieutenants did not reach
or involve him With such an adver
sary is it strange that the South failed V
A Soldiers Frisht
Col Johnston of the Union Veteran
Legion tells of an incident during the
war that nearly frightened him to
death It was at Ships island He
was detailed to lay out a man who
had recently died and together with
two others he carried the body to a
deadhouse As they entered the house
they were just placing the body at one
end when they heard a slight noise
The room was very dark and close
Col Johnston thena mere boy light
ed his lantern and peered into the fur
ther corner where two other laid out
corpses were resting He observed one
of the forms move
Almost frozen witli terror he watched
and saw the shroud rise and from un
der the white sheet a face appeared
A grizzled head loomed in the yellow
light of the lantern and ponderous jaws
opened in a wide yawn It was too
much for the young boy and with a
scream he ran from the deadhouse in
to the night
As he ran he fell over a tent guy
holding up a hospital tent and he
thought surely some ghost had grabbed
him
It was his worst fright of the war
Buffalo News
A Double Headed Turtle
L E Hudson tells about a freak tur
tle he found on the shores of Lake On
tario among a lot of newly hatched tur
tles This turtle was just emerging
from its shell There were two heads
and necks to it and each head was
apparently independent of the other
and each seemed to have contrary ideas
of the proper way to go Both heads
would be asleep when one would wake
up and start the body off according to
its own ideas That would rouse the
other head and then there would be a
mix up or motions It died after a
while
all
Lemon Pie
i
Boil one quart of water with one cup
ful of canned fresh or dried apples
three quarters of a pound of granu
lated sugar until apples are soft then
stir into it three ounces or five table
spoonfuls of dissolved cornstarch re
move from the stove and when cqdl
add five to six eggs one half teaspoon
ful of salt the juice of three lemons
two grated lemon peels and one table
spoonful of butter strain all through
a colander and fill into pie dishes lined
with plain pie crust If jou want
French lemon pie line flat pie dish
with American puff paste scallop the
edge with your fingers or a knife fill
in the cream and lay four bars of the
same paste over the top and four mora
crosswise over them
A Good Sandwich
A good sandwich is made from rare
roast beef chopped fine and well season
ed This is improved by first spread
ing the bread with the following mix
ture Add to half a cupful of Mayap
nnicn trififln voii tliiolr hvn tn TYlpsrinWV
fuls of whipped cream a dessertspoon- ifW
ful of grated horseradish and two
spoonfuls of cucumber chopped very
tine After spreading the bread with
a layer of this spread with the chop
ped beeL The bread should be thin
and evenly spread All sandwiches
except perhaps those made of very ten
der tongue arg jzicer for having the
meat used in tbem cut fine and sea
soned A
Table decorations
Small flowers with short stems may
6e made into beautiful table decora
tions by arranging them in a low rather
flat dish of glass or silver with the
top covered with chicken wire Cover
the wire with fringy green of some
kind so as to conceal the edges of the
wire and dish putting the stems
through so that they reach the water
beneath Then arrange your violets
pansies or other blossoms that look
best in a mound in a solid mass put
ting the stems through the ineshe
of the wire into the water
Settinc a Yonnsr Orchard
The most important point to observe
when setting out a young orchard is
to secure strong and healthy trees
Many fruit growers import diseases on
their farms at the time of purchasing
their young fruit stock Trees one
year old will often thrive better than
those that are older and thej are
also more easily examined Every tree
should be carefully inspected from the
tips to the roots and should be pro- J
cured from nurserymen known to bft
reliable-
Farina or Indian Meal Pnddingr
One half pound of farina or mem
fitirred into one quart of boiling milk
and leave on fire until it thickens set
away to cool stirring into it when
cold one half pound of sugar yolks
of four eggs the grated rind of a lem
on and the stiff froth of the whites
of four eggs then add one even tea
spoonful of good sifted baking powder
and one half nutmeg grated Mix in
well and bake one half hour not to
hot
Many Varieties of Beans
A surprising thing to Northern visit
ors in the Georgia and Alabama ex
hibits at the Atlanta Fair was the
variety and quantity of small beans
or as they called them peas on ex
hibition and recommended for feeding
purposes And from what was said
of the values both as food for stock
and for the soil it is questioned wheth
er our Northern farmers are using the
legumes for all they are worth
Nnts in the Lunch Basket
Nuts rather than sweets in the form
of candy are a good food to addrto
the lunch basket taken to school espe
cially if it is a lunch somewhat defi
cient in nutrition Roasted peanuts
are a valuable food and may some
times be used for the lunch basket
sandwich instead of meat Powder the
nuts and sometimes spread them with
o liffla mn Torino 5r 1 -5 - - i
-a IlbUC LXiU J JUUi4JC UlCOOJUgi
Tn Tipatmv Tfata 1
To destroy rats cover the floor near
their holes with a thin layer -of most
caustic potash When the rats walk on
this it makes their feet sore These they
lick with their tongues makes
their mouths sore and the result is they
not only shun this locality but it seems
to prevent others coming so that the
-house and neighborhood is entirely
abandoned by them
Hints of All Sorts 4
To freshen leather bags seatsretc
rub them with the well beaten white of
an egg
Stains en linen can be removed by
rubbing them persistently with saland
lemon juice
Flour should always be kept in a dry
place by the fire before it is used for
cakes or pastry
When ironing always wear old loose
kid gloves and you will thus save many
sore places on the hands
Steel that is exposed to the weather
may be kept from rust by having a
Thorough coating of copal varnish
Colored print dresses should be soar
ed In strong salt and water for an hour
before washing so as to set the colors
A very good fly paper is made in the
following way Take equal part3 of
boiled linseed oil and resin Melt these -together
and add some treacle Soak
some brown paper in a solution of
alum and dry before apply
above mixture