i
Tii
HIS REVENGE
ifcCV
ZJ
M S RATAGER had met
-ii nn npHrient Steaming
X JL nn channel during the night
she had collided with a bark out from
and though no one could quite tell
how the mishap occurred it was per
fectly clear that the bark had gone
down and that the ram of the warship
condition H M S
was in a damaged
Ravager was accordingly put into dry
dock for repairs
As very often happens at this place
where the vessel was docked convicts
were at work upon the quays They
were a mixed lot but being
men they all enjoyed a greater
rreedom of action in the discharge of
their duties than is ordinarily extend
ed to the enforced working guests of
the nation Yet notwithstanding this
unspoken testimony to their compara
tive worth the commander of the Rav
ager was less disposed than usual to
jplace trust in them He was in a
humor for that little affair with
ithe bark was not unlikely to interfere
twith his promotion There would be
an inquiry of course and what Chris
tian ever could tell what confounded
foolishness and injustice -the finding
might yield He cursed the bark and
-the ill luck and the navigating lieuten
ant whom at one time he had left on
the bridge each with impartial fury
and put a double guard of marines
ashore with fixed bayonets and ball
cartridge and an emphatic instruction
o play the very devil with those jail
birds if they tried on any of their curs
ed nonsense
The extra precaution was- scarcely
necessary To do justice to these un--willing
residents within the shadow of
the broad arrow they had no evil de--signs
upon her Majestys warship
Their hostility to an unappreciative
-country did not rise to quite so great a
height as that All the same the com
mander might very easily have justi
fied his course of action had such been
inecessary by the fact that many of
the convicts were working only a few
yards from the dock side and some
what removed from the warders imme
diate watchfulness though it would
have been possible to show on the other
hand that being men whose term of
servitude was almost completed these
prisoners were perfectly reliable inas
much as they could not afford to com
mit any indiscretions calculated to
jeopardize their expected early release
on ticket-of-leave
These considerations did not in any
way concern the commander of H M
S Ravager however He was merely
resolved to blow the convicts to the
mischief individually or collectively if
they tried on any tricks with his ship
and in the choicest of quarter deck En
glish gave orders accordingly
One of the prisoners was working
quite near to the dockside and almost
in the track of one of the sentries from
the Ravager Though rather a refined
person in appearance the degradation
of his position by no means overwhelm
ed him with melancholy or distress It
may have been the consciousness of
innocence that enabled him to whistle
softly an air which had served the
street organs some seven years be
fore and enabled him to view with un--concern
the close proximity of his fellow-man
Perhaps he reflected that
those aboard the Ravager were harder
worked prisoners than himself and
that he could afford them a trifle of
He did not disdain moreover to take
advantage of the situation in which he
found himself nor was his sensitive
ness hurt by the silence of Tommy At
ikins when he endeavored to engage
that worthy in conversation He was
mot discouraged by Tommys dignity
rand did not hesitate to try again when
jguard was changed late in the after
noon and Private Robert Smith com
menced his monotonous sentry go
As it happened Private Smith was in
tensely interested and excited by the
presence of the convicts He had good
treason to be for he remembered with
-a vividness and horror that set him
shuddering how near he had been some
-eight years before to just such a deg
radation as these men were enduring
He was a different personage
- er now different even in name to the
slip of a boy who had thought it a dis
tinction to be the boon companion of
so clever and so dashing a man as
Louis Yaudois The service had made
-a man of him had effected a complete
change in his personal appearance
while the narrow escape from the con
viction for forgery during the period
of Yaudois influence had so frightened
Mm from wild ways that there was
now no steadier member of her Majes
tys red marines than Private Smith
-sometime Roger Yanbrugh But in one
respect he did not alter He remained
-stanch to a savage hatred agaiast the
iman who had certainly brought ruin
-into his life and by scoundrelly insin
uating manners and methods had al
most sent him into surroundings like
unto those upon which he had gazed
with such fascination ever since the
Ravager had been floated into dock It
1 Is true the charge against him at the
Old Bailey had not been sustained
through a defending counsels clever
- manipulation of evidence imperfectly
presented by the prosecution but he
hated Louis Yaudois no less passion-
ately on that account for he had but to
uxecall those terrible hours spent before
his judges the miserable twistings
tellings and haltings of the evidence
and above all the justness of the
charge to fill his heart with such fierce
enmity as even now set his pulses leap
ing and boiling with the wildest desire
for revenge
A thrill of excitement went shivering
down his spine for an instant trav
eled icily through his veins as he found
himself ashore and pacing so closely
to the convict who had made vain over
tures to Private Atkins and who was
now softly humming a once favorite
music hall ditty
The mans back was turned toward
Private Smith To all appearances he
was wholly engrossed by his work And
the soldier though fascinated for a
time was gradually becoming accus
tomed to the others presence when as
he passed the man for the twentieth
time a few words falling from the con
vict in a whispered undertone caused
his heart to give one great startled
bound and set all his nerves in a more
painful quiver than ever
Say old chap
But Private Smith passed on mechan
ically after faltering a moment under
the shock Every sense was on the
alert with excitement as he turned and
came back toward the convict his
heart beating so fast that he felt near
to suffocation He was waiting with
every sense in his body listening for the
man to speak again
A bit of tobacco old chap will you
Again Private Smith passed on This
commonplace request almost caused
him to burst out into a loud hysterical
laugh It was so foolish to get into
such a state of serious excitement over
the presence of a ruffian whose only de
sire was a bit of tobacco And he
continued upon his march with a stead
ier and more confident tread
But when after again pacing for
ward he once more came back towards
his sentry box his mood was changed
A cloud was upon his face and his
brows were knit in a vain endeavor to
recall some memory from the locked
up places within his mind A repetition
of the request had fallen upon his ears
but the ring of the mans voice was
louder than it had been and stirred
Private Smith strangely He stood in
his box gazing upon 1he stooping con
vict and striving to remember where
he had heard such a voice before But
he ransacked his mind in vain at last
dismissing his effort to -remember with
a rueful reflection that perchance the
fellow was some old college chum who
had fallen upon evil days or may be
some old comrade In aims who had
come to grief He inclined most to the
latter impression and himself know
ing well he luxury oF tobacco and the
wretchedness of a solitary man with
out it his sympathies went keenly out
to the poor devil v ho but for the
interposition of a merciful Providence
might easily have beu a felon comrade
with himself Though well knowing
also that he was running considerable
risk by giving the precious weed to the
convict he resolved to give him just a
little for the old acquaintance sake
which the mans voice vaguely sug
gested
It happened that he had in his pocket
a cake of tobacco purchased for a trifle
when the Ravager was on the West In
dian station This he cut in two pieces
observing as he did so that the convict
was watching him furtively When he
resumed his limited parade he held one
of these pieces in his left hand and
swerving so as to pass nearer to the
man he loosened his hold of it and it
fell at the convicts feet
The man clutched at it with almost
savage swiftness and Private Smith
kept upon his way congratulating him
self on having done a kindly thing and
on escaping detection
But the sight of the tobacco and the
odor of it excited with the convict a
furious covetousness He had seen
Private Smith return the second piece
to his pocket and he desirod it with all
the greed that was in his nature Thar
second piece he would have
Private Smith was expecting a mut
tered word of thanks but that was not
what came when he once more strode
past the recipient of his precious gift
The convict shifted his position ever
so slightly yet sufficient to enable htm
to glance over his boulder with an ugly
scowl at the approaching soldier
That other piece he demanded
fiercely or Ill split on you by heav
en
Private Smith saw his face clearly
for the first time and at the sight his
heart stood still for an instant and
then commenced beating at a madly fu
rious and painful speed A flash of in
tensest hatred ran through his blood
for there was no longer any mystery
about the mans identity and as he
moved out of hearing of that now well
remembered voice he cursed himself
with the most savage fury for the folly
which had once more placed him in the
power of Louis Yaudois
His first belief was that having rec
ognized him Louis Yaudois had done
this thing with the mere desire to bring
misfortune down upon him When
however he presently recalled how al
tered in personal appearance he had
become since that day when last he had
seen Louis Vaudois this fear cleared
away leaving only black hate within
his soul So he decided the giving of
the second piece would satisfy his once
friend and enemy He had nothing to
fear or to lose beyond that But he
was reluctant to do this it maddened
him to think Yaudois under even such
conditions was able to overreach and
compel him to an act he would of his
own will leave undone
And yet there was apparently no
other course before him than to acnede
to the ruffians demands He had ar
rived at this conclusion and with a sav
age reluctance was preparing to sub
mit to the inevitable when a thought
flashed through his mind and set his
pulses leaping with a sudden hope of
retaliation Would Louis Vaudois be
fool enough to fall into the trap That
was the only question
Swiftly he made his preparations and
then strode firmly yet with pulses
beating with an excitement stronger
than before once again toward the cou
vict As he advanced Vaudois face
was turned toward him with a ferp
clously threatening expression
Box great coat get the lot
smart Private Smith jerked - out
hoarsely as he passed
He marched to the end of his pa
rade and there stood with his body
only half turned toward the sentry
box But out of the tail of his eye he
saw Vaudois creep stealthily in the
other direction Almost shivering in
his excitement and eagerness he
watched his enemy slip into the box
and emerging therefrom a moment
later with a swift movement make for
the place where he had been working
Now was the time for Private Smith
to act Turning to resume his march
he made pretense of observing Vau
dois doings for the first time and with
a roar of rage called upon the convict
to halt He covered the man with his
rifle
Halt there he shouted Hands
up or Ill fire
And Vaudois speechless with amaze
ment and white with apprehension
obeyed
The commotion that ensued was as
tonishing A warder came rushing for
ward and a number of blue jackets and
marines hurried from the Ravager In
an instant the warder had Vaudois
handcuffed and then demanded an ex
planation Private Smith lowered his
rifle and went forward towhere the
others were standing
Well whats the matter demand
ed the warder sharply
I saw that fellow coming out of my
box thats all Private Smith an
swered My greatcoat is there
And in the pockets
Two pieces of tobacco and a half
crown
Vaudois after darting a glance of
fierce rage upon the soldier with impre
calions upon his tongue was taken
struggling to the guard room and be
ing searched the articles named were
surely enough discovered upon his
person As Private Smith had hoped
the temptation to take the silver piece
had been irresistible
The soldier fellow gave them to me
he cried sullenly
But PrivateSmith only smiled Nowy
why should I give a convict half ar
crown he demanded with quiet prol
test
That was sufficient The soldier
turned to depart and as he did so he
bent upon the convict a sly glance and
gave a dry little chuckle just after the
manner of Vaudois own chuckling
laughter--which lie had imitated a
thousand times in the days long past
Yaudois started and stared By
heavens you are
But a door closed between them1 and
the soldier heard no more
Yaudois was punished He was
drafted to the heavy labor gangs and
the much desired ticket-of-leave had to
be worked for over again
And I fear Private Smith felt more
delight at having overreached his old
enemy than compunction for the rather
tricky way he had managed it Cham
bers Journal
Fable Up to Date
One morning a horse that had its
mane and tail done up in curl papers
and was eating oats out of a gilded
manger in a padded still turned and
whinnied disdainfully at a bicycle that
was leaning against the wall feeling
too pneumatic tired for expression
You are a mere drudge said the
horse You are made to scorch along
dusty roads you are never fed on any
thing more substantial than wind and
nobody loves you as I am loved See
how I am fed on fresh oats hay and
condition powders while you never
even have your bearings oiled until
you squeak and besides you have
wheels With that he gave a horse
laugh and went on with his feeding
But the patience of the bicycle was
punctured and he proceeded to make
some scorching remarks
You pampered relic of barbarism
he replied you think because you are
fed and cared for that you are of some
importance I take my master to and
from business I give him exercise and
cost him nothing for my keep and I
never run away I am a faithful serv
ant while you are merely a curiosity
kept to amuse the children Your use
fulness ceased a century ago
At this point the horse gave the bi
cycle a kick that punctured both its
tires and pied its spokes and sprockets
Moral Somepeople argue like horses
Truth
Sized Up
Uncle Theophilus what is a gross
absurdity
Well it is a 40-year-old woman who
weighs 200 pounds and calls her father
and mother papa and mamma -
Louisville Courier Journal
No Thanks
Host about to sing Would you like
the Barber of Seville
Absent Minded Guest No thanks P
always shave myself Exchange
A Chinaman of Walla Walla Wash-
answers to the name of Shoo Fly
y
iiHHaHHHBHHHaHnilBBHHiHHMIHBMHMiH
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JK til JWCMrles KslseyC wejf
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IsW
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wft Vom vAnirn ro ft YKrikf rkwt
SKnedde tunlinkt nr Kpy keArta
Lyjijaes that svvtetentd aJUskee 5 dele
Hiquite ire aTd dymbledchitme
JtamtU fcre5 that wel 1 wy
Ake not jewelW 0 ky WM
rker Jome 1x55 5 ye - QAj
HMirunyno mrdsj tfvt check irv flyt I
Cwmor lit witk tfebjae nore fyte J I
ubydey z vourd keAwmomg
TVvAncsincJ icK Kic lAbirvrf
But vainli tylle tkeir arrowy 5itje
kf ctcke ker Payrvfare witk mye
fy ruviirvu5is name my rari
SWEETHEART OF MINE
When the morning breezes blow love
Blow softly oer the sea
They murmur faint and low love
A song I send to thee
A tender truthful token
Borne on a zephyrs wing
Bend low In words faint spoken
The morning breezes sing
Sweetheart of mine remember this
Thro all the years to be
True love that never never dies
Lives in my heart for thee
When storm clouds dark and drear love
Obscure your noonday skies
And a nameless shadowy fear love
Brings tears unto your eyes
When the fierce wild tempest mutters
Forget yourdoubts and pain
For the thunder only utters
My song and its refrain
Sweetheart of mine remember this
Thro all the years to be
True love that never never dies
Lives in my heart for thee
WDen the world is rocked to sleep love
In twilights cold embrace
And the stars their vigils keep love
In Gods own heavnly place
When the night winds sigh around you
With voices sweet and low
There I know my song has found you
In the moonbeams silvry glow
Sweetheart of mine remember this
Thro all the years to be
True love that never never dies
Lives in my heart for thee I
Bessies Valentine
Clara Willie little Bess
All around the table press
Writing pleasant little lines
Which they mean for valentines
Now said Clara we must write
Something to our hearts delight
Just a little verse will do
Saying well be ever true
Willie writes to Charlie Bates
Jolly fun for all his mates
But he has enough of wit
Not to sign his name to it
All art done Says little Bess
Shyly This will do I guess
Grandpa dear how I love you
Tell me that you love me too
All these crosses xxnxlna row
What they mean now do you know
Every one and this x and this 2
Stands for little Bessies kiss
Now that they are all complete
They are sent the missives sweet
When they hear the postmans ring
Some for them hell surely bring
When grandpa gets his valentine
How twill make his old eyes shine
And if hes like me and you
Well we know what he will do
CHEAP VALENTINES
How Clever Boys and Girls May Make
Their Own Valentines
A sheet of rough water color paper will
prove the most useful foundation upon
which to build For the first style cut
two cards from this sheet each 2x4
inches in size Upon each of these near
one end outline a butterfly in different
positions These you can trace from pic
tures which will be easily found if you
are not accustomed to drawing Now
with a small brush color these with water-colors
perhaps one yellow the other
light brown Add a few dots and dashes
of deeper color and paint the body brown
If you have some gilding add a few
dots of that to the wings and print with
it in odd letters the words To my Val
entine across from one card to the oth
er Finish by tying the two cards to
gether with a narrow yellow ribbon
through holes cut with button hole scis
sors The result will be very satisfactory
If you have not the paints and have a
set of Brownie stamps a very funny little
valentine may be made in the same man
ner as the one just described by stamp
ing two or three of the Brownies in place
of the butterflies Each corner of the
cards may be gilded and the same letter
ing may be done with pen and ink Red
ink is pretty for this purpose
Another card five inches square has
the edges gilded and a Brownie stamped
diagonally on the card near each corner
1 while through the center runs the words
in gilt lettering With best wishes to my
Valentine If the four corners are occu
pied by an artist a musician a policeman
and a dude no matter the recipient can
count them upon her buttons after the
manner of the rich man poor man beg
gar man thief and decide thereby which
her future husband is to be
A card about four inches square is cut
heart shape the edge is gilded all around
with irregular strokes and the surface
within is covered with dots of the gilt
Then with gilding of different shades as
bronze or blue green or with a pretty
shade of water colors the words Each
dot means love for you are traced in fan
ciful lettering with a small brush Two
smaller hearts may be cut and tied to
gether with ribbon and the edges finished
like the larger heart while lettering
stamps or outlines may be added
A pattern which may be familiar is
that of a shoe sole A row of small dots
near the edge indicate the nails and the
words I love you from the bottom of my
sole are straggled over its surface
A plain card or one cut in heart shape
which cannot fail to delight the recip
ient if she have a spark of fun in her
make up has two raisins glued or better
still fastened to its surface with a few
short stitches and the words added I
love you for two raisins
Munkacsy Was a Waif
On the northwestern boundary or
Hungary is a small town called Mun
kacs In 1848 the rebels drove the
Austrians out After a battle in the
streets among the wounded and dead
was found a baby boy crying and
shivering He was unable to give an
account of himself so the authorities
sent him to a public institution and
christened him Michael because it was
the day of St Michael and Munkacsy
because he had been found in the
streets of that town Apprenticed to a
cabinetmaker he neglected his bench
and chisel to cover everything within
reach with charcoal Imitations of pic
tures His master complained to the
town that the boy was too lazy to live
hearing which a rich man as it is in
the storv book took Michael out and
sent him to art schools In 1867 he took
the lead in the Paris salon which he
has held ever since
An ordinance against the use of nar
row tires on vehicles is to be intro
duced in the City Council of Xew Or
leans
Sponge out what you can of the old
Make room what you can for the new
But do not efface from the old corner plact
The heart that beats warmly for you
YOUR VALENTINE
FOfcDS IN MANY LANDS
Nations Differ Widely in What ThcT
lake to J3at
Taotes certainly differ vastly In the
matter of foods with various nationSy
and so do appetites An Italian for
Instance would be content with a piece
of bread and grapes for a days food
while an Esquimaux in the same time
would demolish twenty pounds of
flesh and a Tartar perhaps even more
However quality and not quantity Is
the matter of greater interest and cer
tainly here we have plenty of variety
The nose of the moose deer is con
sidered a great delicacy by the New
Brunswicker while the fins and tail
of the shark are esteemed as specially
nourishing and delicious by John Chi
naman The Celestial has ajso a fino
taste in nnhatched ducks and chick
ens sea slugs fish maws birds nesta
and many other delicacies unknown in
unenlightened Europe
In Polynesia raw sharks flesh is
much relished and it is openly sold
In the market of Havana On the Gold
coast the negroes rank shark among
such highly esteemed delicacies as all
gator and hippopotamus We our
selves revel In turtle and yet we de
cline to have anything to do with tor
toise though a very large amount of
the soup in Italy and Sicily is made
of the land tortoise boiled down to a
strong essence Land tortoises are also
much appreciated in some of the West
Indian Islands and in North America
the eggs of the close tortoise are reck
oned a great delicacy In both North
and South America the flesh and egg
of the salt water terrapin are consi
ered a luxury Skillfully cooked even
the hideous scaly iguana is rendered
very palatable for its flesh resem
bles chicken with the flavor of turtle
If stewed or curried it is as good as
rabbit or chicken and the soup made
from it is excellent
The eggs of reptiles are wonderfully
good and none are better than those
of the iguana and the land tortoise
Crocodiles lizards and frogs are all
eaten by various people and the first
is very often excellent food resem
bling veal or pork but some kinds
have a fishy flavor that is exceedingly
disagreeable Alligator tastes some
what like sucking pig and at Manilla
is sold for good prices while the Chi
nese greatly value the dried skin for
making the gelatinous soups to whicb
they are so partial Home Notes
Princess Tom of Alaska
Prof L L Dyche of Kansas has re
turned from Alaska Prof Dyche went
to Cooks inlet and especially in search
of natural history specimens He as
cended to the source of the Enik river
with an organized expedition which
was a success although the obstaacles
to be overcome were appalling He
met Princess Tom a famous Yakutat
princess wealthy beyond all other
Alaskans She has 15000 in 20 gold
pieces On her right arm she wears
five bracelets each hammered out of
a 20 gold piece and on the left arm
she wears ten bracelets each made
from a 10 gold piece She has
flrnfla nf lilnnL nte conlelino o nnfl
she owns a schooner and two sloopiy
Shells uoj earsoid ami nas just mar
ried her fifth husband a young man
of 20 years for whom she has paid
500 blankets The relationships are
traced back through the mothers side
It is in fact almost a savage realiza
tion of Lyttons Coming Race Bal
timore American
He Raised Them
A few nigbts ago a miner from the
north who had lately sold a claim had
money to burn and was in an incen
diary mood came down to Spokane to
make the currency bonfire He was
rather rusty looking when he struck
Spokane but he was hungry and be
fore going to a barber shop or a bath
dropped into an up town restaurant
to get something to eat There was
but one waiter and he busy carrying
champagne to a party at another table
paid little attention to Mie hard looking
miner Finally the waiter was called
over when the miner said
See here kid Do I eat j
Sorry I cant wait on yon now
was the prompt reply but the gentle
men there have just ordered a 50 din
ner
Fifty dollar dinner be hanged
Bring me 100 worth of ham and eggs
ana be qnick about It Do I look like
a guy who can be bluffed by a mesa
of popinjays He was waited npon
promptly Spokane Review
Sadljoss to the Queen
Society in New York will be pained
to learn that the Queen is about to
lose her coachman He did not strike
and he was not discharged He wa3
retired with a handsome silver tea
pot presented with the Queens own
hands and a substantial pension He
has driven the Queen for fifty three
years and his name is Thomas Sands
Probably no coachman living has driv
en so many Kings Queens Emperors
Empresses Czars and Czarinas as has
Tbomas There will be much sym
pathy with the Queen in New York3
exclusive social circles over the fact
that she has been obliged to part with
v old and tried a retainer
Egypts Ancient Labyrinth
The most ancient labyrinth accord
ing to Pliny was that called the laby
rinth of Egypt It was existing in
his time after baving stood Jfor 3600
years He tells us that it was formed
by Petescns or Tithoes Herodotus
however ascribes it to several Kings
it stood on the banks of the Lake Moe
sis and consisted of twelve large con
tiguous palaces containing 3000 cham
bers 1500 of which were underground
The only love In the world that seems
to amount to anything is the lore be
tween mother and daughter We al
ways go to the depot the day before
S
X
nhrtatmas to see mothers and daugh
ters raeet
Hf
