Nebraska Newspapers

    YEAR ago , when
1 the smoke of battle
rose from the sur
face of the Bay of
Cavite , when noth
ing remained of the
proud Spanish fleet
but a few smoking
hulks of junk some
so far beneath the
waves that they will
remain there to rust
and rot forever , oth
ers still burning and
sending up a reek of smoke , not of battle ,
3but of abject , helplessness and surrender-
Ibis republic of ours sprang at one bound
Irom a naval power of the sixth class to
an acknowledged equality with tbe most
powerful on the globe. Tbe name of
George Dewey , some time of Vermont ,
had been placed along * with those of
Drake , Nelson , De Ruyper , Collingwood
and Farragut.
When Dewey , theretofore almost un-
'known. hoisted.the signal to "Remember
the Maine" the American jackiea took it
to mean the same as the words of Nelson's
famous sentence. They cheered the flag
and cut loose with a smothering fire which
made it impossible for the Spaniard to
serve his guns with any accuracy. When
the fight was ended the Spanish fleet was
not surrendered to the victors ; it had ceas-
cd to exist. The commander had little to
surrender but himself and the few remain
ing uninjured men under his command.
The victory was a glorious one and was
won without damage to th'e victor. Six
mi en hi all that fleet received injuries , the
anost serious being a broken leg.
When day dawned in Mirs bay , a little
laud-locked inlet on the eastern coast of
China , thirty-five miles north of Hong
Ivong , on the morning of April 27 , a mist
5iid the face of the sun. Heavy banks of
.clouds covered the gray hulls of the fleet
: resting at anchor there for the coming of
the news of the outbreak of war. A cold
drizzle soon came to add to the discom
forts , to increase the gloom of the anxious
watchers. Every moment of delay meant
BO much grace aud so much preparation
an Manila. Would the news never come ?
Morning mess had hardly been sounded
when a sudden call to quarters roused ev
ery man aboard ship. A faint smudge of
smoke had been made out at the mouth of
tin * bay. Was it a tug with the important
jiiews. or had the Spaniard anticipated the
"Yankee ? Men sprang to their positions ,
jguns were scaled and everything cleared
lor instant action should it be needed. Up
-to the gray Olympia steamed the little
vessel , which proved to be the loug-looked-
for tug. Consul General Williams went
-aboard the flagship and soon the signal
was bent on the halliards calling ship com
manders to a conference with the comino-
vdore.
Soon the signal was seen to up anchor
- and drop in the wake of the flagship. Out
steamed the Olympia , followed in turn by
the Baltimore , Raleigh , Petrel , Concord
-and Huston in one line. Abreast of the
flagship ( he little cutter McCulloch steamed -
ed on. followed by the Nanshau and Za-
fire in the second line. The formation for
the descent upon Manila had been made.
JS'o matter if it did rain , another kind of
train would soon envelope that little fleet
of warships. Silently , in regular order ,
with u way of but six or eight knots , the
.fleet put to sea.
Then a strange ceremony was enacted
on the decks. Each crew was piped to
.geneVal quarters. When all had assem
bled the executive officers stepped to the
front and informed officers and men that
the commodore directed that the proclama
tion of war issued by Spain be read. Slow
ly and impressively the words were read.
"Then hearty cheers rose on the heavy air
JIB the men dispersed to their several posi
tions. On speeded the vessels , now di-
To.sted of almost
everything needless in a
"hot fight. Six
hundred miles away was
Manihi. but who could tell where Montejo
and hi * fleet might be lurking ?
What land is that to the south and east ?
That is Bolmoa cape. It is a part of the
island of Luzon. Manila is on that island.
, See it is about six miles off. It is a bright
morning , this April 30 , what will to-nior-
row be like ? One thinks of the green
rshores and broken headlands of the south
Atlantic looking at that dim line off there.
i j : See the Boston and Concord have put on
steam and are far in advance. What is
their mission ? They go to explore Subig
bay. The don may have a vessel or two
there and if so he can come up behind and
smash the transports Nanshau aud Za-
iiro. The commodore will smash him first.
Hot. hot beyond belief. The vessels roll
( lazily along , seeming to make no way. At
this rale it will be late in the afternoon be
fore the inhospitable shores of Corregi-
dor are sighted. Xw the Baltimore gets
up speed and disappears ill the wake of
Hhe two gunboats which have gone for
ward as scouts. It needs her big eight-
: .inch guns to add to their lighter ones to
.give the possibly waiting enemy an object :
-lesson. Hig guns count in naval warfare
mow ; just wiit and see until the clash :
when the hostile armadas meet. But what
of the rapid-fire guns , the little fellows ?
Good to keep ofl" torpedo boats ; they won't
be needed. Wait and see. .
The afternoon is long and very hot. Why
/so slow ? Manila is but thirty miles away. >
: See , there is Subig bay and there the :
Asmoke of one of the scouts , or is it that of
& hostile vessel ? Scarcely the latter , or
' ve would have heard the guns. The scouts
will not give in without a hot fight , mind
you Here come the Boston and Concord ;
.that K the Baltimore behind. What ?
: Stop thc > engines ? Yes , the old man wants
; all commanders to come aboard to consult.
iSo ht-re off Subig the fleet must lay until
the final plans are adopted. All right , as
well here as anywhere else.
Six o'clock and once more under steam.
"Battle ports are taken out aud all lights
inboard ordered extinguished. The line is
-.taken up as before , the Olympia leading
-.and the Boston closing the main line. Only
a single light gleams from the sterns that >
the following ships may not foul the for-
nvard ones ; that is all. Down upon the en
trance bears the fleet in two columns as >
before. Sailors in groups with here and
the- an ofiu-er move about the decks like
'ghosts in the fading light. They are uneasy -
-easy ghosts , too , for they are full of the
tcoming of fierce battle. Night falls , grim
dark , so dark that even the hulls of
the ships are lost in its impenetrable
gloom. But 400 yards part them , yet one
cannot see the vessel in front , nor the one
directly aft.
Quietly , with not a sound on board , the
fleet approaches the entrance to Manila
bay. The old man has determined to pass
Corregidor , the dreaded island which
guards the entrance , to the south. What
does he care if the pas3age be mined and
filled with torpedoes , he will pass the isl
and in the secrecy of darkness or fight his
way by if need be. He goes to Manila to
fight the Spaniards and such little things
as mines and torpedoes will not stop him.
He does not send in the little gunboats to
blaze the way and hunt for torpedoes a
duty they might well undertake from their
lighter draught but he leads the way
with the biggest ship in his command. The
huge Olympia , with over 1,000 tons great
er displacement than any other vessel in
the fleet , is in the van a d the old ma-n is
on the bridge.
The Olympia , Baltimore , Raleigh , Con
cord and Retrel are well beyond the isl
and as midnight chimes. The Boston and
McCulloch' still under the fire of the
land batteries on either side. Success for
the commodore's plan of slipping by in
darkness seems certain. But just as this
thought enters the mind a column of fire
rushes from the funnel of the little cutter.
For a couple of minutes it hisses and
roars , then subsides. The after 3-inch
gun is manned and loaded , and the crew
stands by to fire , but no shot comes from
shore. Once more upward shoots that
column of flame. Over on the shore a
light flashes for a moment and then !
A flash of fire , a puff of white smoke and
a shell screams over the little cutter. The
order to return the fire is about to be giv
en , but is withheld for a moment. Once
more the dull report is heard and once
more a shell flies over the little vessel.
"After bridge , there , " calls the com
mander of the Boston.
"Aye , aye , sir. "
"Clear away those after turret guns. "
"Aye , aye , sir. "
Silently but for the sharp words of com
mand the men work on the big guns. Cart
ridges are sent home , breech locked and
fired only deliberately. Men cannot ban-
die the enormous shells , so steam winches
are used. But the Petrel and Concord ,
with their small-bore guns , can * fire with
dazzling rapidity. The smaller calibers
on all the vessels in the fleet are hot at
work , sending out a continuous hail of pro
jectiles.
A six-pounder shell is not big to look at ,
but it travels nearly as far as a six-inch.
When it reaches its destination it expands
into a peck measure of hurtling missiles ,
busily looking for victims. Over into those
vessels of the don these peck measures are
bursting at the rate of several hundred to
the minute. Small wonder then that he is
unable to handle his guns with any degree
of accuracy. Slowly the American ships
move in the form of a wide ellipse. Turn
ing , they put their port batteries into ac
tion , giving the boys on the other side of
the vessels a rest. But it is but a brief
moment , for once more the starboard bat
teries swing into range.
Thrice the ships wheel in the ellipse ,
drawing ever nearer to the enemy.
Flashes of fire are seen emerging from
hatches on several of the ships of the lat
ter. At 1,500 yards the American fire
riddles the enemy. The Cristina steams
out to ram the Olympia , but , receiving the
concentrated fire of the whole fleet , is glad
to retire to cover. As the attacking fleet
turns to steam out and take a rest the
Olympia pumps an eight-inch shell into the
flagship of the don and rakes her fore and
aft. The huge fabric goes up in smoke
and flame as a magazine explodes , rending
her into pieces. Dewey draws off his
ships after two hours' fighting to take ac
count of damage. In all that fleet after
these two hours of fierce conflict none is
hurt. In all the crews but six men have
been injured , not one dangerously. A
marvel in sea fighting has been accom
plished and a nation scorned and reviled
is now feared by all , for she has a navy
and men who can fight it.
A couple of hours resting that the men
might breakfast follows the first battle.
Then the little Petrel , which had dodged
in and out , * fought at short range with
vessels superior in weight and armament ,
flashing here and there , is sent in behind
the arsenal where her heavier consorts
cannot go. In goes the stanch little craft
while the others resume the battle. But
it i ? no longer a battle , for the enemy ,
though Vvave and defiant , has been so
fearfully crippled that longer defense is
fruitless. But for a couple of hours the
shells hiss and explode over the sunken ,
burning remains of the Spanish fleet. Then
again the Americans draw off. By noon
the fighting is all oveff the opposing fleet
utterly wiped out and not a vessel of the
Americans injured above or below.
No commander ever put to sea with the
purpose of seeking a fight who did not ex-
THE HERO OF MANILA.
the officer reports all ready. Then comes I j
the order to fire. Out from the muzzles i (
spring the first big shells of the battle of \ c
Manila ; the war1 has commenced in earn- !
pst. But the projectiles do no damage on : j
either side and soon the lines of ships are , ,
nit of range , seventeen miles from Manila. '
All hands go below and take a sleep , for in
the morning we fight the don.
Day dawns clear and bright May 1. The
Beet is standing past Cavite for Manila ,
looking for the enemy. While the men are
waiting for the morning mess call the
Spanish fleet is seen snugly ensconsed in
behind the arsenal. The Reina Cristina
is in front. The Castilla is nearly abreast
if her and is protected by barges so shells
cannot pierce her sides. So the don was V
ready. Well , so much the better. AI- {
bough the Americans are four miles away
i puff of smoke conies from the forward ,
urret of the flagship of the enemy and tii- \
Sght commences. Dewey turns the pro\v ' !
3f the Olympia sharp to starboard ami ! ' ,
bears directly down on the enemy. The i M
ruisers aud gunboats follow in order ex-1 v
: epting the Boston , which steams in to- n
vard the point and engages a shore bat-
ery. Not a shot is fired in reply as the
ressels still steam rapidly toward the en-
Miiy. Shells are shrieking all around them. i .
At last the Olympia sheers up and * '
rosses the line of fire. The commodore ,
sedately standing on his bridge , still pre
serves his reputation for placidity and si-
ence. In the conning tower Captain ( Jrid-
ey peers out at his superior in an agony
f desire to get into action. When the line
las swept almost clear across the admiral
-he flies the flag of that rank turns to
he impatient commander of his flagship
ind remarks slowly : "You may begin as
loon as you are ready. Grid ley. "
"Aye , aye , sir , " is the grim response.
L'he words are scarcely spoken until the
ig eight-inch forward guns belch forth
lame and smoke. The battle of Manila
las commenced , although it is the hour for
nrly mass on shore. But above the roar
f the huge guns comes an incessant rattle
is if a thousand drums were beating the"
louble drag. What is this and what does
t mean ? It is the rattle of the rapid-fire
ind secondary batteries on those ships. I
) u the flagship the main battery can be ( s
wet to get a run for his money. Dewey
lid i not underestimate the strength of his
.Mieniy , for he .sailed slowly and took every
possible precaution all the way from Hong
Kong to Cavite to avoid surprise. His
hiring ] has never beeu excelled , for he
lashed into a narrow channel command
ed on both sides by heavy laud batteries
ind mined throughout its extent , as he
supposed. That this was not so takes
lo'.hing from his fame. He djd not know
t. Had it been true he in his flagship
ivouid have been the first victim of what
i few have been hardy enough to call his
ecklessness. But to fight he must get
ivithin striking distance of the enemy. His
lassage of Corregidor under cover of night
vas but a proper precaution to avoid possi-
, Ie crippling before meeting Montejo.
What a difference in the estimation of
hi1 uorld of the republic of America be- Q
ween sunset of Saturday , April 30 , and
he dawn of Sunday , May 1. As the ships ,
UT-.v near the mouth of Manila harbor the to
vord ! watched with eagerness , fearing
ind some hoping that the daring American a
ommnder would be whipped. lie attack- fts
d a force stronger than his on paper s
ind could at best , the critics said , make it S
drawn battle. But with the smothering si
ireof his rapid-fire guns , the accuracy ot sin
tim for which Americans on land and sea
m > noird. he bore down on the Spaniard
ind not only won , but annihilated him in
es < than half a day of fighting.
That battle changed the face of the
rlobe. That bnttJ < ? taught the scornful
ords of Europe with their enormous mili-
ary and naval establishments , to respect
he starry banner. With fewer ships than
nest other nations , a few Deweys and a
ew such men behind the guns as fought
it Cavite. would he formidable opponents
iress their wondering admiration for the g
sail who dared and the men who executed
smler his direction. To be an American
vas no longer a thing to disguise in cafe
r playhouse over the ocean. It was to be
ourted and flattered by those who once
ikened a Yankee to a pig. The battle of to
Manila is a landmark in history for the
tudy of the nations of the earth.
THE STAY-AT-HOME.
There's dress an' hood to buy f'r Jane ,
A pair o' pants f'r John ,
A whole outfit f'r Buster Bill ,
An' winter's comin' on.
But baby Nan , the stay-at-home ,
Jis laughs , an' never knows
That all on earth she has to wear
Is ole made-over clothes.
There's books to buy f'r them at school
It makes a pore man sick
To hear 'em holler "joggafy"
An' "mental 'rithmetic. "
But , thank the Lord ! the stay-at-home
Is not so hard to please ;
Jis gits the fam'ly almanac
An' reads it on her knees.
An' writin' books an' drawin' books
They never seem to think
How much it costs to buy sich truck ,
An' pencils , pens , an' ink.
But little Nan , the stay-at-home ,
She knows her daddy's pore ;
Jis gits a charcoal pen an' writes
Her lesson on the floor.
There's boots to buy f'r Buster Bill ,
An' boots to buy f'r John ,
An' shoes f'r Jane an' ma an' I'
Till all my money's gone.
So Nan , the last , the stay-at-home ,
Is left to do without ;
Jis wears her home-made moccasins ,
An' crows , an' crawls about.
'Pears like that all I rake an' scrape
Won't hardly satisfy
The pressin' needs o' Bill an' John
An' Jane an' ma an' I.
But baby Nan , the stay-at-home ,
Is full o' sweet content ;
Jis cuddles up.in daddy's arms
An' never wants a cent.
Century.
THE MIDDY'S CAPTIVE
I.
LUBBERING won't
do auy good ; you had
better report the
matter to Captain
Wilson at once , " said
the navigating lieu
tenant of her majes
ty's ship Triumph ,
as he gazed quizzing-
ly down at the chub-
by-faced midship
man who stood in
such comical dismay
before his superior oflicer. "Come with
me ; I'm going to his stateroom now , "
the speaker added , not unkindly , as he
noted the lad's evident distress.
"I'm not blubbering , and I don't care
if he does stop my leave ! " indignantly
responded the youngster , drawing him
self up to his full height.
"What is it , Stuart ? " inquired the
captain , as the twain entered his cabin.
"I merely wish to say that we are
ready to get under way whenever you
please , sir ; but Robson has a report to
make , " said the lieutenant.
"Not seasick yet , I hope ? " ejaculated
Captain Wilson , ironically. "AVell , I'm
listening. "
"Please , sir , it's the 'First Lord ; ' he's
bolted ! He ran oft" while we were ship
ping the soft tack I mean the bread ! "
incoherently stammered Robson.
"The 'First Lord' bolted with the soft
tack ! " exclaimed AArilson in astonish
ment. "AA'hat does he mean , Stuart ?
Who's the 'First Lord ? ' Is the boy a
raving maniac ? "
Lieutenant Stuart had perforce to ex
plain that the cadet , being in charge of
a boat sent ashore to ship proA'isions ,
had lost oue of his men an able-
bodied seaman answering to the name
of AVest , but Avho Avas , by reason of his
superior bearing , nicknamed by his
companions "the First Lord of the Ad
miralty. "
Charley Robson meekly endured the
reproaches of his commander , AAIO Avas
stern martinet , and made no allOAA'-
anco for youthful inexperience. "But
at any rate , " mused the young felloAA * ,
Avhou ho Avas at length dismissed , "he
said nothing about stopping my fur
lough. " And then his volatile spirits
throAV off the recent discomfiture as
only youth knoAvs IIOAV to , Avhile his
thoughts Avandered far aAvay to that
pleasant country home in Surrey , Avith
all its attendant attractions , from
which he had boon separated for one b
long year. And if among the dream s
faces conjured up there Avas one which v
eclipsed all others , the fact should not s
cause undue surprise. P
The usual stops taken to secure the ii
iiAA
arrest of the deserter Avere of no aA-ail. AA
His description Avas circulated by the AAf
police throughout the country , and all SI
the ma jest } ' of the laAv invoked to cap SIt
ture the runaway , but the man disap
peared as completely as if the earth tl
had opened aud swalloAved him up. He tly
was of a strangely reserved nature , y
mixed but little Avith his companions , T
ind had evidently once occupied a far n
superior station in life. tl
tlc
There Avas one person , however , AVIO c
flicl not forgot the ruuaAvay. Robsou A\
often in imagination ran the scoundrel Atl
earth. tlSI
Little did Charley Robson imagine as SIt
tit the commencement of his long-de
ferred leave he lounged in a first-class b
smoker : on his Avay to Guildford how 13
13tc
soon ( , or under Avhat strange circum tc
stances he Avoukl meet the villain of his
melodrama. a
"And you have come home : Alice n
will be able to resume her interrupted nd nn
country AA-alks , " said the mother of the n
youthful sailor next morning. "But of b
course , " added she , addressing the 1 *
girl , "Charley has not heard of your fi
latest admirer. I don't knoAv Avhether ;
the girl's nerves are out of order , " con fiv
tinued Mrs. Robson , "but she declares
that a strange man has boon following v <
her about during the last feAv Aveeks al G
though no one else has ever caught a tc
glimpse of him. " tcb ;
"I shan't be afraid of any loafers tl
while Charley is with me , " responded tle <
the maiden. "In proof of which , he it
shall convoy me for a AA-alk UOAV. " And ittl
Alice Westerne buoyantly danced off tl
array herself for the proposed jaunt. tlbi
The eyes of mother and son followed bi
the girl with a wistful .look as she
quitted the room.
"I suppose nothing has been heard of
him ? " queried the latter.
"No ! Your father thinks there never
will be. Doubtless Sir Richard died
abroad , belie\ing to the end that he
Avas a murderer. "
"And Allie is still ignorant of her
father's sad history ? " queried the lad.
"Yes. We have decided not to say
anything to her until she is of age , un
less some contingency should arise ,
such as your obtaining a sublieuten-
aucy , and being of the same mind as
you are now. "
Robson colored at the hint delicately
conveyed by his mother , and so well
understood by himself. To see their
only son mated to their ward was the
dearest Avish of Admiral and Mrs. Rob-
son , yet they had the good sense to re
strain the impetuosity of the youthful
couple until both arrived at years of
maturity.
II.
With the course of true love running
thus smoothly , and the crisp , frozen
ground under their feet , the twain
started upon their ramble.
AVith buoyant steps they breasted the
"Hog's Back , " from which favorite
vantage ground a splendid A'iew of the
surrounding country could be obtained.
"Yes , there's the dear old ToAvers , "
said Alice , "where I should be liA'ing
now if the pater had not died. "
"You've found another home , " whis
pered Charley , "and other parents. "
"I knoAV that , dear , " responded the
girl. "But you cannot imagine what it
feels like to have one's birthplace given
over to ruin and decay , and to know
one hasn't a single living relative. Only
to think I cannot even visit my father's
grave , because he died in some far
away outlandish place ! " Then , Avith
returning viA'acity , she added : "Don't
you'remember that day in your school
holidays Avhen AVC walked over there
and rambled through the disused
rooms ? HOAA' we thought there Avas a
ghost in the hall , and ran all the three
miles back home Avithout once stop
ping ? "
"I should just think I did , " said the
young officer. "You caught a chill
through i being overheated , and the gov
ernor said he Avould make a tailor of
me for being such an idiot.v
"You Avouldn't be afraid now ? "
queried the girl.
"No fear ! " laughed her companion.
"Life on a man-of-war soon knocks all
the fear of spooks out of a man. "
"Let us pay another A'isit , then ! "
A sharp Avalk soon brought the twain
to the rusty lodge-gates of Westerne
ToAvers.
"HOAV dreary it looks ! " said the girl.
"I Avonder If that scullery AvindoAV is
still unfastened ? "
Charley tried , and to his surprise the
sash slipped up without difficulty. "It's
a case of gentlemen first this time , "
said he , stepping through the aperture.
"Conic along , tomboy. If you're not
careful you'll tear your dress. - The
AvindoAv's no bigger than the lubber-
hole of a brig. " .
The casement being negotiated in
safety , together they Avandered through
the cobAAeb-festooued rooms of the once
palatial residence. Ascending to a sec-
oud story , Robson carelessly threw
open a door of a room Avhich faced the
landing. Here an unexpected sight met
their gaze. Sitting before a AAood fire
AAas an elderly man , contemplating the
fiames Avith a ruminant air. At the
sound they made he turned his face to-
Avard them and started in alarm.
The next moment the youth was
across the room and grappling with the
stranger. "You A'illain ! " he panted ,
"I'A'e got you at last ! Run , Allie , bring
some one quickly ! I can't hold him .
long ; say he's a deserter from the
uaA'y. "
The trembling limbs of the girl failed
t
to carry out his behests as she stood
fascinated , Avatchiug the unequal strug- f
gle , Avhich Avas speedily ended. Youth
Y
and agility Avere no match for the sail-
t
or's sincAA-y aruis , and in a short time
liobson Avas ignouiiniously pinned
against the Avail.
u
AATith loAvering brows and eyes , which
boded no good to his captive , AArest
c
stood staring at the lad as if undecided
t
Avhat to do AA-ith him. Then , catching
sight : of the pale face of Alice , AA'ho Avas
petrified with horror upon recognizing
in her companion's antagonist the man
who had so persistently dogged her
g
'
footsteps'of late , his own features as-
e
sunied a softer expression , and he mut ii
tered ( : "It is kismet ! "
iiT
After a pause of breathless silence T
the ex-sailor , addressing his captive , a
said : "You are not so muscular as was
your father in his j outh , young fellow. s
The Charley Robson that I knew would
never have allowed an old man to get n
the better of him ; but let that pass and
L-onie < to the crux of the matter. You
sl
want to arrest me for deserting from
ai
the navy. Very well , you shall , if you aicl
still wish to after hearing what I have
say. " la
Releasing the grip upon his would-
be captor , the elder man , in a strange ?
cultured voice , addressed his audi re
tors.
"Years ago. " said he , "I was known u
ind : respected ir this neighborhood , a
man of substance , aud a member of the j ,
liplomatic corps. Unfortunately , in '
1113- official capacity , I became em
broiled in a quarrel with a political opi1 (
oiicut , aud , as was more common even tr
Sfteeu years ago , the result was I had
io alternative between fighting a duel
jibeing dishonored.
"Not to make a long story , my adversary - :
versary and our seconds journeyed to PiU
Guildford with me late one night , in ip ]
tending to setle our differences at day
break , on the following morning. AVith a
the courtesy that such affairs demand- tl : h
tlal
, I offered the whole party hospital al
ity for the night.
"From the moment my head touched
:
the pillow until I was awakened the
next morning my mind was an entire
blank , but judge of my horror when , oi
I * * *
essaying to rise , I found the bedclothes
dabbled with blood , and at the foot of
ray couch a gory hunting knife belong
ing to myself. Simultaneous with my
horrible discovery the servant found
the man I was to have fought lying
foully murdered.
"Although conscious of my innocence ,
'I dared not face the inquiry which was
sure to follow , as who would believe
my own theory of the matter , which
Avas simply that I committed the terri
ble act in my sleep , as from childhood
I had been subject to attacks of som
nambulism. Hastily caressing my in
fant daughter , the only pledge left me
by my departed wife , I left the house
like a felon and fled the country , and it
was hunger for a glimpse of my dear
child's face that has worked my undo
ing. My faithful secretary connived at
my escape , and subsequently sent me
the news of the charge of the willful
murder against Sir Richard AA'esterne.
Yes. You will be able to deliver up to
justice a more important person than
the deserter AA'est. My devoted retainer
Burton , who assisted me at such great
risks to himself , is not here to help me
now. He is dead. "
"He was a villain , Sir Richard ! " cried
Robson , in wild excitement. "It was
he himself who killed Lord Marcus ,
aud artfully foisted the blame upon you
in order that you should not discover
his defalcations. My father possesses
his dyiuy confession to that effect. "
The sudden revulsion of feeling was
almost too much for the baronet. Tot
tering to the nearest chair , he buried
his face in his toil-worn hands. Silence
reigned in the room for a few intense
moments. Then Sir Richard , feeling
a gentle hand upon his shoulder , looked
up into a sweet but still-scared face and
two half-frightened gray eyes.
"Daddy , dear , " Charley heard a trem
ulous voice murmur softly as he stole
from the room. * * *
Powerful friends at the admiralty
soon glossed over the delinquencies of
the seaman West , and Sir Ilichard
Westerne once more assumed his prop
er rank and station. As time wore on ,
and the vividness of his past misery
faded , he could even afford to joke
about the matter ; and sometimes , upon
the rare occasions that he saw a certain
young officer , would , much to the
amusement of his daughter , simulate
extreme terror and cry in affected dis
may : "He has come for me at last ! "
When some few years later a very ex
cited youth , with a golden circlet upon
the arm of his new uniform coat , burst
unceremoniously into the room , he was
greeted by the same old joke , and in re
sponse blushingly replied : "I'll let you
off this time if you will give me Alice
as a hostage. " And as the girl seemed
to be a willing sacrifice , Sir Richard
gave them his blessing.
THE YOUNGEST DEPOSITOR.
Flaxen-Haired Girl to "Whom Someone
Is Always Kind.
Once every month , in the long line of
men and women that forms in front of
the teller's window on "open day" at
the Union Dime Savings-Bank , a tiaxen
head appears at the height of their
elbows. Looking down , one sees that
close against the breast of a shabby
frock is tightly clasped a bank-book
and then , says the New York World ,
the secret is out. The flaxen-haired lit
tle girl is the bank's and New York's
youngest depositor.
Alice Metz is her name , and her home
is close by Hell's Kitchen. She is bare
ly eight years old. How she gets the
money nobody knows , but each month
j
there is a deposit of fifty cents to swell
her account , which has now reached
the sum of three dollars. There she
stands patiently in line till some one
less hurried and preoccupied than the
rest bends to question her.
"Will you help me ? " asks the little
maid , breathlessly. "I have fifty cents
two quarters. Johnny got it changed
for me ; there were fives before. And I
want to put it in there , " pointing to
the window , "and they write it down
here in the book , " finding the row of
figures. "But I don't know how by
myself. Will you do it ? O , yes , I can
put down my own name , 'cause I
couldn't bring my money till I learned
to do that. "
She is so engaging in her pretty
youthfulness that men or women , as
the case may be , forthwith fill out the
deposit blank. Alice laboriously in
serts ( her name , and is in a state of
ecstasy when she is lifted up to give
those precious quarters.
Her December helper was a woman.
When the ceremony was over it was
already dark.
"Where do you go now , little one ? "
she ] said , fearing for the child's safety.
"Oh , Johnny's waiting across the
road , " replied the little depositor.
So they traveled in company , and
sure enough there was Johnny , sturdy
ind fat , one year older than his small
charge.
"It's in ! " Alice cried , gleefully. "The
lady did it ! She's ever so good ! "
"Somebody's always good to you. I
uess , " was Johnny's comprehensive
reply. "But did 3-011 count ? " and to
gether the two heads bent over the col-
jmn. : Over and over they counted.
"Three dollars , that's it , " concluded
Tohnny , at last , with a sigh of relief.
'It's in for keeps , Allie. "
She clutched the book once more to
ler bosom , and hand in hand the two
Totted off into the darkness.
New English Dictionary.
Dr. Murray expects to have more
han half of the new English dictionary
nil "ished by the end of the century
the middle of the letter L.
I.u'.f the people in the world are un-
: : i y because they can't afford the
' "js that make the other half miser-
ill. .
Tist- wire trust lacks the ability to
outr-J political wire pulling.
< etuis queer that an Intelligence
L _ c should supply stupid servants.
/