f 0- - < * SSL'S VINDICATION * t K prc.ssud the fragrant note to his lip.and , with a serene binile , leaned back in his chnir. It was more , much more , than he had ever dared to hope. OnJ > a few words , written in a dainty feniKiine hand on a sheet of tinted note paper , yet Basil Vere , having read thought himself the happiest man alive. "Meet nif in St. Saviour's Church at noon to-morrow. MAUIE. " The messenger who had brought the epistle having gone , Basil gave himself up to an hour's sweet contemplation of his love. Marie Somcrville was tiie only daugh ter of a wealthy , but proud , lawyer , who had made up his mind that no one In the three kingdoms was too good for Marie. Marie , however , inheriting more of her mother's gracious sweetness of character than of her father's stern and harsh demeanor , thought otherwise , and would have none of the many suit ors that the latter provided for her choice. Tnen one clay she met Basil Vere , a 3'oung subaltern in an infantry regi ment , who from the very first time of meeting had determined to woo and win the pretty , blue-eyed daughter of the lawyer. Opportunities for seeing each other were not frequent , however , and many were the subterfuges to which resort had to be made in order that they might enjoy each other's society. But to-morrow ! Then Basil would pour out his whole heart to his love , quite undisturbed. . It was almost too good to be true , and he threw his cap high in the air. * * * * * * Half an hour before noon Basil sat patiently in a secluded seat , hidden be hind one of the massive pillars of the church , waiting for Marie. At every step he raised his head and watched those who entered. Noon came , and the great clock over head chimed out the hour. "She will be here in a moment" he said to himself , hoping that the next worshipper would appear in the person of his love , but all in vain. The suspense seemed long , and the quarter chimed ; still the subaltern waited. That she would come he had no doubt , but what had hindered her ? The half-hour struck. Almost before the echo had died away a voice sounded almost in his ear. "Basil ! " Marie had entered a small door be hind him , taking him unawares. " 1 could not come before , Basil ; I have been detained. " "My own Marie , pray do not excuse yourself. I am proud to wait" "Hush , Basil ! Remember , we may be heard here. My brother is coming. " "Your brother ? " "Yes. He said he would be back in half sin hour r''iey ' suspect me of rneet- " Would they prevent our intercourse , MiirieV" si siS "I f they could , " she answered. "But S we must not let them. If we are care h ful and ever on the alert we shall not arouse suspicion. " ir "You do not regret your love " "How can you ask , Basil ? That were t impossible ! " Marie answered with a tld soieuin look. "Should I be here other d wise ? " 01 "No , Marie , but I wished to hear it again from your sweet lips , " he an ir swered. irb Just at that moment the clock struck b one. With a start Marie arose. w "Look ! Francis has seen us , " she siP cried , as a young fellow rushed after P them when they walked out of the " church. They quickened their pace , but were ci too late. Francis touched Marie on the shoulder. u "What does this mean , Marie ? " he siS asked bluntly. Who. is this fellow " S "Francis ! " Marie's eyes flashed upon her broth er. Auger was plainly visible on her e features , the graceful contour of her m face becoming more visible in anger than when in repose. "How dare you speak of my friend like that ? " "Your friend , Marie ! You must be eiF mad ! Surely , girl " He could hardly utter his thoughts. He gave a fierce scowl at Basil , who stood near. "Surely , girl , you don't call that your friend ? " The insult did not pass unnoticed by n the subaltern. His hands Itched to d clutch Francis by the throat , but Ma rie's restraining influence held him iiw back. "Take no notice of him , Basil , " re n turned Marie with hauteur , turning her back on her brother. "He is not respon- siLIe for his words. " "Oh , oh ! " sneered Francis. "So IcI that's your game , is it ? I'll soon make the fellow cry 'Peccavi , ' I'll warrant" \ \ Basil turned upon him. "Basil , take no heed , there's a good at fellow , " whispered Marie to him ; "he is aB my brother , remember. " B The simple words were enough for the subaltern. With a sulky growl , he A walked on beside Marie , wishing hhn- sc1" for once without his love. P.tit Francis was not to be balked In his designs. Stepping up to Basil , he caaght him roughly by the shoulder. "I.ere , take yourself off ! " he cried. Basil took no notice. This aroused the dcT.ion in his'aggressor. He raised his fist "Will you clear offV" he cried madly. Marie interposed her body between ' the two men , clinging tightly to her brother. With a cry of rage he flung I her ruthlessly from him and struck out at Basil. At that moment Basil stooped slight ly to catch Marie and received the blow on his temple. He staggered back. All his wildest passions aroused at this mad attack , he doubled his fists and stood on his guard. Marie had by this time recovered her self and saw what Basil intended. Clasping her hands , she stood before him. "Itemember , " she whispeerd , "he Is my brother. " "Go now , Basil , " she whispered. lie needed no second bidding. He dared not stay in the company of Fran cis longer , else ho knew that he must retaliate upon him his ill words and blows. Oh , that Marie had not asked him to 1 do the all but impossible. j And as Basil Vere walked homeward his brow was clouded and his step heavy. * # * * * * Not a week had passed. Basil Vere sat musing in his boat on the Thames below Oxford. He had been boating alone , and had drawn his boat in among the rushes by the river bank. Thus , quite out of sight , he could watch the other parties that passed and repassed. Suddenly he heard voices. "The despicable cad ! " said one. "Yes ; the fellow actually had the cool cheek to meet Marie in St. Saviour's Church , " said a voice that Basil recog nized as belonging to Francis Somer- ville. "Great Scot ! " "Luckily I came upon them in time or I aon't know what might not hav < > happened. " "But what does Marie say about it ? " asked one. "Cut up quite nasty. Will not have a word to say to me now ! Says I've killed her with my Interference , and mopes all day long. " "She's a fine girl , Francis. " "And the old boy means to have her marry well , " Francis answered. "Noth ing less than a title will suit him. Be M sides - "So Vere is altogether too low ? " "The cad ! " muttered Francis again "I'd like to meet the fellow now. 'Pon my soul , I would almost drown the in solent puppy ! " he cried. But Basil heard no more. The boat had passed out of hearing. An hour later Basil was run into by two men in a boat His boat was upset and he was pre cipitated into the water. Being a good swimmer , he came to the surface in a very short time , and found Francis In the other boat taunt ing him. "Save yourself , you coward ! " he shouted with a leer. "Hands off our boat. We'll have none such as you among us ! " But he was too late. Basil managed to get one knee on the side of the boat Francis got out of his seat ( to prevent him from securing u hold , and overbalanced himself. Next moment all three were struggl ing in the water. It did not take long for Basil to swim ( the bank. The second occupant of the boat was soon by his side in a half- drowned ; condition , vowing venegance on Basil. But where was Francis ? They could not see him for the mo ment A minute had not passed , however , before his head appeared above the ' water. He threw his hands up with a supplicating gesture and then disap peared. < "Good heavens , the weir ! " cried Basil. "Nothing can save him once he gets caught in that current ! " With one glance at his helpless com- upanion ; , Basil threw off his Backet and swam for the place where he had last seen Francis. * * * * * * He lay on a couch and rubbed his " eyes. : It was several hours later. He heard the voice of Francis hi the next room. ' "Is It really you , Marie ? " "My dear Basil , how can I thank you enough ? Why , you almost died for i Francis ! " A glad smile lit up Basil's features. "I did it because he is your brother ! " answered simply. Marie smothered his face with kisses. "I will make it all right with the old man , Basil ! " whispered Francis next day , as he reclined on a couch at the inn. "You need have no fear now. I was a mean , despicable hound " "Hush ! " cried Basil. "You've made me happy , so why should I grumble ! " "A mean , despicable " "Look here , Francis , if you don't leave off talking such rubbish you and will quarrel. " 'We mustn't do that , Basil , must we ? " "Of course not ! " cried Marie , entering that moment "Can you forgive me , Marie ? " asked Francis. "Ten thousand times ! " answered Marie happily. And she meant it too. New York News. Value of Canada's Minerals. The total value of Canada's mineral iroduct in 19UO reached over $ < > 3.000- 100 , or $12 a head of the population. " If a man is general manager , he has n any friends that a more humble Ln- 'ividual lacks. IN THE CATTLE COUNTRY. Ranges Once Kich Are Now Com pletely Deserted. For ten years , more or less , say from 1874 to 1884 , and later than this in the northern range , there was uui-1 versal prosperity and lots of money ; to be a cow-man meant being a small but powerful king with a princely king dom , the boundaries of which were set by precedent and by the honor of cus tom as far as a man on horseback could see , and by water as firmly as if corner-marked and title-deeded. There was no rent and virtually no taxes to pay. A man might own a hundred thousand cattle and not an acre of land , though he claimed "range rights" to fifty thousand acres , and enforced those rights with blood and iron , says a writer in the. Century Magazine. Apparently this was a new sort or free life in which man had risen above the old slow rules of thrift It was a simple business ; turn the cattle to grass , and when money was needed , round them up and sell them. But the lucky dog sometimes has dif ficulty in enjoying his bone in peace. Lured by the stories of sudden riches in the cattle country , other men , as bold and hardy as the first , flocked in from all parts of the world , and be gan raising big and little herds. The building of the railroads across the continent stimulated immigration ; the great Texas boom followed the com pletion of the Texas Pacific railroad in 1S83. At first the early comers wel comed the new rangers , sold them cat tle at exorbitant prices , chuckled at their innocence , allowed them to come in on the ranges , and grew richer and richer. There were times when Texas steers , big and little , brought ? 23 each on the range. But the tide swelled , and the cattle continued to Increase enormously. Presently the first real settlers , the "nesters" of Texas , who wished to fence the land for farms , ap peared in numbers , and the early com ers , the original cow-boys , began to chafe. "Who's elbowing me ? " they in quired , and there was prompt and ef fective shooting and the wholesale cut ting of the new fences. Many good men lay down in the hot sand , never to rise again. But that , bad as it was , did not tell the whole story of destruction. If cattle had been killed instead of men , the trouble might have been averted , but the herds went on multiplying until they covered all the range , giving it no rest winter or summer. Each cow-man scrambled for all he could get ; he argued that if he did not take the grass his neighbor would. And who cared a rap for the future ! Life was short and money tangible. At first there had been enough grass to sup port one steer to every two acres of ! land ; in half a dozen years a steer did well to make his living on fi.e acres. After that the ratio steadily widened. So great was the struggle for new ter- itory that whole herds of cattle some times went twenty miles or more to water and then back again , galloping every step , and working hard between times to get enough from the failing ranges to keep life within their lean ' carcasses. And to-day there are many i parts of the range that will not support * ten cattle to the square mile , one steer j to every sixty-four acres , and it is a irood range indeed that will feed a steer to every twenty acres. There are whole ranges in Texas , New Mex0 ! ico and Arizona , once rich beyond be-1 lief , that are completely deserted and given over to the desert Diflioiilt Cas < > of A 3-naonth-old nylghau broke its left foreleg in two places in the paddock in he Central Park menagerie a month ago , and an uncommon experiment in ai animal surgery was tried to save its fr 'ife , writes a reporter in the New York Sun. | tl When a wild animal breaks its leg b it Is usually killed , as it cannot be kept K quiet long enough for the bones to p unite. The young nylghau broke its leg near the shoulder in leaping over a waj j u tering trough in the paddock while en- 1 [ in. " " "J gaged of a game "tag" with three other youngsters of the same species. bl Director John W. Smith instructed e" Keepers Snyder and Shannon to do up ' "he broken leg In a splint made of bandages and tar. The tar was put on hot , and the animal was quiet until the bl 'ar cooled and hardened. The bones . had first been properly set , and when he tar cooled the splint held them In > lace. The animal was able to hobble to about the inclosure on its game leg. Dr. Edmund B. Southwlck , the park D entomologist , and Park Commissioner .c Willcox watched the outcome of the : . experiment with interest i 'M The splint was taken off recently , af- ? ter being on four weeks , and the bones " were found to be thoroughly united. > The animal went skipping about the'l. paddock almost as lively as before the injury. Distrustful F uher. "Herbert nas a lovely disposition , " said Ethel. "Yes. " answered Ethel's father , "Her bert's disposition is too lovely. I should not like to trust your future to his hands. He Is the sort of person who . , : will be imposed on without resenting V it I have known him to go to a ball game and notrant to fight the umpire when he ga\e an unjust decision against the home team. " Washington E Star. A Lrvely Cninmonw "Kentucky is one of the liveliest " States in the Union , " remarked the s young man. "It is , " answered Colonel Stilwell , { f "beyond a doubt When I was last 1 ( there every man I met was running for oflice or for his life. " Washington tar. r OLD- . * I J- Nellie Gray. There's a low green valley ou the old Kentucky shore , There I've whiled many happy hours away , A-sitting and a-siuging by the little cot tage door , Where lived my darling Nellie Gray. Chorus : Ohl iny poor Nelly Gray , they have taken you away , And I'll never see iny darling any more ; I'm sitting by the river , and I'm weeping all the day , For you've gone from the old Kentucky shore. When the moon had climb'd the moun tain and the stars Wc-re shining , too , Then I'd take my darling Nelly Gray , And we'd "float down the river in the little red canoe , While my banjo sweetly I would play. One night I went to see her , but "she's gone , " the neighbors say , The white man bound her with his chain ; They have taken her to Georgia , for to wear her life away , As she toils in the cotton and the cane. My canoe is under water , and my banjo is unstrung , I'm tired of living any more ; My eyes shall look downward , and iny song shall be unsung , While I stay on the old Kentucky shore. My eyes are getting blinded , and I cannot see iny way Hark ! there's somebody knocking at the door ; Oh ! I hear the angels calling , and I see my Nelly Gray ; Farewell to the old Kentucky shore. Oh ! my darling Nelly Gray , up in heaven , there , they say , That they'll never take you from me any more ; I'm a-coming , coming , coming , as the angels clear the way ; Farewell to the old Kentucky shore ! Dauby. iLorena. The years roll slowly by , Lorena , The snow is on the grass again ; The sun's low down the sky , Lorena , The frost gleams where the flowers have been ; But the heart beats on as warmly now As when the summer days were nigh ; The sun will never dip so low Adowu affection's cloudless sky. An hundred months have passed , Lorena , Since last I clasped your hand in mine , And , felt your pulse beat fast , Lorena , But mine beat faster , far , than thine ! An hundred months 'twas Qow'ring May When up the hilly slope we'd climb To watch the dying of the day And hear the village church bells chime. We loved each other then , Lorena , More than we ever dared to tell ; And what might we have been , Lorena , Had but our loving prospered well ! Hut ! all is past , those years are flown. I'll not call back their shadowy forms ; I'll say to those lost years , sleep > n Sleep on , nor heed life's pelting storms. We've passed youth's golden glow , Lo rena , Those daj's are with the eternal past ; Our heads will soon lie low , Lorena , Life's tide is ebbing out so fa t ; But there's a future oh. thank God , Of life this is so small a part ! Tis dust to dust beneath the sod , But there , up there , 'tis heart to heart ! The Parrot and. His Pood. Parrots and toucans have no knives and forks to cut off the rinds of tropical fruits ; but as monkeys use their lingers , 5C the birds use for the same purpose their sharp and powerful bills. No better ( nutcrackers and fruit parers eould possibly be found. The parrot in particular ! lias developed for the pur pose ( his curved and inflated beak a wonderful weapon , keen as a tailor's scissors and moved by powerful mus- les on either side of the face which bring together the cutting edges with extraordinary energy. The way the bird holda a fruit gin- jerly in one claw , while he strips off tbe rind dexterously with his under hung lower mandible and keeps a sharp lookout meanwhile on either lide with those sly and stealthy eyes f his for a possible intruder suggests the observing mind the whole living irauia of his native forest. One sees that vivid world the watchful mon- cey < ever ready to swoop down upon he tempting tail feathers of his heredi tary foe ; one sees the canny parrot ever prepared for his rapid attack and ever ager to make him pay with Qve joints f his tail for his impertinent interfer nee with an unoffending fellow citizen f the arboreal community. Showed Profound Conceit. Phyllis Harry is the most conceited nan I ever met. Maud What makes you think so ? Phyllis Why , he first asserts that I im the most adorable woman in the Arorld , the most beautiful , intellectual ind in every respect a. paragon , and hen he wants ine to marry him ! SVashington Times. Obligations. "Do you think that dog is worth the noney you are paying for a tag ? " "No. suh , " answered Mr. Erastus Pinkley , "but you's got to go to some ixpense fob de sake o' social standin' , s'n' you ? " Washington Star. We have remarked that the Confcs- tions of a Wife are usually roasts of ler husband. As we grow older , we blame the less for having hysterics. "NEW" WOMAN ON THE FARM. is considerable signifi fllERE in the fact that this year over fifty girls have taken up the study of scientific farming at the Min neapolis College of Agriculture and have thus announced their intention to adhere to country life. The college , it seems , has been in existence for the past decade , but girls have only recent ly been admitted. The character of the instruction available to the girl stu dents is suggestive. The course pre sented emphasizes the sciences of bot any , chemistry , physics and geology requiring during the freshmen and so phomore j'ears at least two terms' work in each of them. Boys and girls work together , it seems , throughout about two-thirds of the entire course , which includes study in language , mathemat ics , science , civics , and considerable technical work. In the case of the girls cooking , laundrying and sewing are substituted for carpentry , blacksmithj ing and veterinary science. The girls , too , give more attention to household art , home economy and domestic by- giene than to the business aspect of farming. It is happily the chief purpose of the college to awaken in its entire student body a keen interest in fanning , farm life , the farm house and farm society. Both boys and girls are taught to plan farm buildings and how to lay out the grounds artistically. Considerable at tention is given to the furnishing of houses , to literature , music and social culture , with the general thought "of making the farm home the most at tractive spot on earth. " The result of the new movement is being watched with keen interest by agriculturists and educators. It is evident that should it prove successful the innovation will spread to other agricultural States. Its influence , one readily apprehends , is apt to be social as well as agricultural in character. Heretofore one great drawback to farming has been the dif ficulty of keeping the farmers' sons on the farm. With trained and educated girls enthusiastically taking up the pro fession of farming , it is pointed out that life in the country would take on a new charm and that the exodus of young men to cities would be materially les sened. It Is difficult to forecast the outcome. But It Is pleasant to think that we may be coming close to the long-sought solution of the problem of cities. Boston Transcript. Woman Holds OflTce in Alabama. For the first time in its history n woman holds a State office in Alabama. She is Miss J. Nicholene Bishop , and .she was recently ap pointed a member ) f the State Exain- i n i n g Board of School Teach e r s . Her selection for the position caused considerable s u r - prise and consider- able gratification , too , and now that the ice has been broken it is expect MISS BISHOP. ed that women of- ficeholders in Alabama will soon be- c come numerous. a The right to hold such oflice , however , does not imply the right to vote , the Alabama law apparently being the same as that in Indiana , under which wi men may hold any oflice under the school laws , but cannot vote for any mblic oflice. The only States in the \merlcan Union where the full right of suffrage exists are Colorado , Idaho , Jtah and Wyoming , and there women can vote for all public officers , includ- ng Presidential electors. Indeed in Utah and Wyoming woman suffrage is r a. constitutional provision. f "Where Women May Not Pray. There Is a practically universal pro hibition against women praying in Mo hammedan countries. They are not admitted beyond the thresholds of the mosques ; but , on the other hand , the xoran distinctly encourages women to pray in private. Some Hindoo congre gations deny the privilege of prajer to their women altogether. Among the Ainu , a race supposed to be the abo rigines of Japan , women are not per tl mitted to pray or offer sacrifice except u rare cases as the deputies of th2r husbands. The reason for this prac tice is that the Ainu women are not supposed to possess souls , and there fore their prayers would be quite un " availing. Among the natives of Mad agascar women are permitted to pray. but only to the powers of evil , a kind " of intercessory prayer. Only men are permitted to address prayers directly ; o the Supreme Being. System in Honaework. ir The good housewife makes plans lesi over night for the work which must si siw be done the following day. Probab y w i considerable share of it falls to a g < special day in each week , but there h : will be a number of things to do which fl fldi ire out of the regular routine , aiiJ for di dihi these she must plan so that she will hi not have them all crowding upon her ed it once and either being neglected bew cause they are so many or taken inN hand and carried through at the cost on of health and spirits. ; tt A desire pr economy sometimes will | si incite a woman to a most foolish ex penditure of energy , which is really a very bad kind of extravagance. For instance , she has been particularly busy all day and is feeling tired , when In comes a neighbor who tells her of the great flannel sale. In a moment she thinks of little Popsy's fluiuel : pet ticoats the child really must have new ones and off she rushes to se cure the material and returns , delight ed to have got It at a few pennies un der the usual price. As a matter of fact , that flannel was a dear purchase. It was like the proverbial straw which broke the camel's back , for the next day tho housewife is cither moping | about , feeling incapable of work , or she is prostrated with a severe head J ache. Planning would save this kind of thing and prevent the crowding into one day the work of two. In planning and estimating a day's ] work some allowance should always < be made for interruptions and for the j work taking louirer than was anticipat- ' e 1. With too many "irons in the fire" such hindrances as a visitor or having \ to console a crying child in some little trouble make it difficult to keep that calm , sweet temper which is necessary to the woman who Is not merely the ! mainspring of the machinery of the i household , but its good angel , who makes it home indeed to all who dwell there. , > ' Wooden kneading boards for bread are declared unsanitary. Nut and fruit sandwiches should go into the school lunch basket. Pour boiling water over raisins be fore seeding them. It's easier. Dates stuffed with uiarshmallow paste make a tempting dessert. Sugar added to tho water used for basting meat adds to the flavor. For quick breads and batters baldug powder instead of yeast is used. Almost any cold vegetable makes a delicious salad if attractively arranged. Cooking adds to the digestibility of nuts , and many sorts should be ground before being eaten. For an appetizing lunch have scal loped tomatoes , beef croquettes , peas , and apple fritters. Crystallized strawberries are among the most liked fruits. Served in ice cream they are delicious. Mushrooms are sometimes pickled only in brine and are useful in gravies in the winter and sometimes in vine gar. gar.A A fine cranberry jam calls for one quart cranberries , three-quarters of a pint of water , one pound white sugar. Boil twenty minutes. If you wish delicious fried halibut cut the steak into pieces two inches square ; season with salt and pepper and dip in a beaten egg and then bread crumbs ; fry in deep fat. drain on paper , and girnish with parsley and lemon. This Great Mistake. To the average woman her husband's work is a black letter book which she rarely attempts to open. If it renders unto the house and the necessities of life the things that she looks upon as net dful , rib" is content. Wbe-i the man wants sympathy with h s plans or as pirations he is too frequently compell ed to go to his men associates or to some other woman I have seen the rocks < poke their heads out of an other wise pleasant matrimonial sea solely for this reason. The woman looked upon the work which made the man's place in life as nothing more than a certain capacity for a earning money. To train her mind to a proper understanding of that wo.-k , to enter Into its joys and failures with unqualified and wise sym pathy , never grew in her mini as one of its sweetest duties. The attitude at once created a barrier hard to break down , spreading every day until eack thought It a necessity. "Men will never talk to women vMtk the rough frankness which they use between themselves. Conversation be tween the sexes will always be par tially insincere , " says Harnerton. I hope to see the day when "never" and "always" can be stricken from these two sentences and woman will aim to be a real comrade , without being any less a woman. How to Go Upstairs. The wrong way to go upstairs , accord ing to a physical culture teacher , is to lean over , contract the chest , hoop the shoulders and bend the whole body for ward from the waist The person who goes upstairs in this way will be ex hausted at the top of even a short flight Yet stair-climbing , properly done , is considered a good exercise. The head should be erect , the chest expand , the shoulders back , with no bond whatever of the body at the waist With this poise put the whole weight the ball of the foot and do not touch the step with the heel and note the springiness felt at every footfall.