I w SELBY'S SAFE. I1ENEVER I get a new jol that seems like a gold mine , ' observed Selby , "I immediate ly begin to look around for the draw backs. " "Kicking Bill , aa usual , " remarked his friend Eggleston. "By George , I ! > cieve ) you'd kick in heaven because your wings were like a swan's histem' of a peacock's. What in the work have you got to grumble about now ? ' "It's just like this , " replied SHby. "You see , I have some very hirgo col lections to make every Saturday night , which I have to keep in the house un til Monday. I don't like the responsi bility. It's wearing on my nerves , haven't a peaceful moment while the money's in the house and scarcely got R wink of sleep. There isn't a plare can put it and feel that it's secure. " "Well. " suggested Eggleston , "my advice Ls , first to take a nerve tonic , nd then to buy a safe. " "That's what I'll have to do , " as sented the other , "buy a pafe. The expense is somewhat heavy , but I can't stand the strain any longer. Look here , Eggleston , suppose you meet me to morrow noon at Devron's and help me 10 select one. " "Glad to do it , old man , " answered Egglcslon. "but I'll charge you a fee not only for ray professional knowl edge of strong boxes , but also for the advice I have given you to-night. " The next day the two met at Dcv- ron's. It was evident that the epithet * f "Kicking Bill" which his friends had long ago bestowed upon Sclby was not A slander. According to him there was iiot a suitable safe in the whole estab lishment. One was too large , another too small , a third not strong enough , u fourth had too easy a combination. After a couple of hours' examination of the whole stock , and when the weary salesman , having vainly extoll ed the merits of his wares with all liis trader's eloquence , at length de spaired of making a sale , Eggleston came to the rescue. "Come now , Selby , this Ls all non- ecnse. Here's one that tills the bill. ' ' Selby protested ; but Eggleston insist ed , and in the end carried his point. The safe was installed in the library , which adjoined Selby's bedroom. Like n child with a new toy , he spent the first few hours after its arrival play ing with the combination until he could almost work it with his eyes shut. The first Saturday after his purchase he brought home a fat wad of green backs , which he carefully deposited in the inner compartment of the safe , locked the door , put the key in his pocket , closed the outer door and twist ed the combination back and forth for five full minutes ; then opened it again to make sure he had locked the inner compartment , and repeated the whole process. He went to bed that night with the key to the inner door tied to his wrist. Nevertheless , sleep was as difficult to induce as ever. If the floor in the hall creaked he imagined that some one was stealing into the library , and a thorough investigation had to be made. But physical and mental exhaustion finally won the upper hand. When he awoke the next morning his first act was to feel for the key. It had not been removed from his wrist. Next he hastened into the li brary. No d3rnarniters had been at work on the safe , which stood as if gazing at him in silent disdain at his anxiety. He quickly opened the outer door , and , with trembling fingers , in serted the key into the lock of the in- .ner compartment. A twist , a pull and Us door was open. His heart leaped violently to his throat , then dropped exhausted and seemed to cease its Beating altogether. Only gaping , mock- Ing , hopeless , awful emptiness met his searching eyes. Not the slightest ves tige of the treasure remained. I Jut who had extracted it , and how ? lie reported the matter to the police , uiid detectives were sent to the house. As is their wont , they immediately sus pected the servants. Impossible : They had been in the family for years , and even if they were dishonest how could they have gotten into the safe , espe cially as the key had never left his possession for a single instant , and the dealer had assured him that there ivere no duplicates. What but no , it could not be ! Yet Kggleston had insisted rather deter minedly upon his taking that particular safe. No , he would not believe it of his friend. Still , such breaches of friendship were not unheard of. Could It be that Eggluston and the clerk wore In collusion , and that Eggleston had obtained a duplicate key ? But how could he have gotten into the house ? Perhaps hehad bribed one of the ser vants. Although he doubted him , neverthe less these suspicious made Sclby very uncomfortable. However , he did not communicate them to the detectives , who were utterly at loss for a clew. Another Saturday arrived without any hopeful developments. After much hesitation Selby again placed Ins collections in the safe , and personally examined every door and window before retiring. Not content with these precautions , he arose at various intervals during the night and examined the contents of his treasure box. All v/Hft well. In th small hours of * he s > "n tip to f il into it A oy sleep , from which he was awakened soint time after daybreak by a knock at thi door. It was one of the servants. Ai lie was never aroused from his slum bers on Sunday morning , he surmise < that something was wrong. In respona to his inquiring glance the maid stat ed that between three and four o'clocl she had heard footsteps descending thi attic staircase , that she had remained awake and listened attentively , bu1 heard nothing more , and that she ha < only at that moment dared to ventun out of her room. Selby's first thought was of the safe Rushing into the library , he hastily opened its two doors. Again it wai empty ! Next he climbed the attic stairs. lit found no trace of the thief up there The windows were not only all nailed shut , but none of the dust-covered cob webs which scaled them had been dis turbed. The scuttle to the roof like wise was fastened on the inside. A search through the rest of the housi revealed nobody in hiding , nor wai there any visible means of exit , all tin doors and windows being locked fron within. The servant who had awakened Sel by was put through a rigid examina tiou by the police , who were of the opinion that she was implicated in the theft and had concocted her story l < divert suspicion from herself ; but sh < was either an expert twister of the truth or innocent , for the ferrets ol crime , with all their skillful question ing and cross-questioning , could find IK ( laws in her testimony. Saturday came round again , and the letecthe in charge of the case had made no progress. Although it was not probable that a third robber tvould be committed , still he was go ng to try the only method remaining .o solve the mystery namely , concea limself in the library that night. Sel jy alone was apprised of his intentioi md admitted him to the house aftei .he servants had retired. When thej lad both made sure that the contents > f the safe were thus far intact , Selbj ocked the iron doors and went to hi * oom. But he was ill at ease. His nerves instrung by the worry of the past twc veeks , excited his imagination to the vildest vagaries. He became distrust ! ul even of the detective. What if lit ihould be an accomplice ! The corrup ion of the police force was notorious tfight not this man be one of the mosl : orrupt ? Reason dispelled these fears u part , but it was several hours be- ore sleep visited him. Suddenly he was roughly brought tack to consciousness by a shake from . powerful arm. lie struggled frantic .lly to free himself. "Calm yourself. " said a voice , which le instantly recognized as that of the letective. "What's the matter ? Ev- rything's all right. " Everything all rightHow happen- d it then that the detective was ir. us room and how had an entrance cen effected , for he was sure he hae ! acked the door before retiring ? How -but his thoughts abruptly changed heir direction. His wandering eyes iad gradually regained the power ol eeing concrete things , and he all ai nee realized that he was not in his oom. But where was he ? Befon ; im stood the detective holding a fiick ring candle. "Are you awake now , sir ? " asked the itter. "Yes , " answered Selby. "Look down at your feet , then. " Selby did as bidden. A loose board ad been removed from the flooring nd in the hole thus uncovered were tiree wads of greenbacks. Memoriei f childhood came back to him. Hou ften when a small boy had he bidder is youthful valuables beneath thai cry board , but he had long since for , otten its existence. In an instant hi omprehenelcd the' situation. It wa' u odd rase of somnambulism. HM ver-vigilant distrust had stolen \ larch on his sleeping consciousness. Tew York News. The Hope of Kings. 'UP Czar he rules a billion men ; He bids them five iu peace or strifui Ie makes them sad and glad again ; He holds dominion over life , 'rom where the snow enshrouds the poji To where the sun first brings its tirpj Jacli serf and noble plays his role. The Czar has all that he desires. n Rome tli Emperor , iu state , Rides forth to view the spreadia scene. ? o glad liis eyes are things ornate. And palaces of regal sheen , lis wishes are commands , indeed , His subjects fear the slightest frown inch happiness is but the meed Of him who wears a royal crown. md yet the Emperor and Czar All powerful each in his land i'ind that there are some things to m * -Their vistas and their outlooks grand far , on each palace gate is nailed A sign whose meaning is most clear , L daughter with delight IB h-iiled , But each sign reads' "Boy waute * here. " -Chicago Tribune. Intensive Hilarity. "Did he smile when you offered hiv he chance ? " "Smile ? Why he was an entir. rarce-comedy. " New Yonc limes. Agriculture in Country Sclioola. Enough spasmodic theorization on teaching practical agriculture and es thetic nature study in country districts has been expended to pay off the na tional debt , says the Rural World. Let us pass into the next stage of the argu tnent and get down to ways and means. If our children are to receive elementary instruction in chemistry , soil physics , vegetable biology , botany and all the rest of the list , it follows that some one must teach them. How many art really capable of teaching anything ieyond the "a , b , abs , " with their hands tied behind them ? It is aot enough that a teacher may call up the class in geography and perfunc torily conduct a recitation with her ayes glued to the book. A teacher should inspire pupils with the love of study. He should make the recita tion interesting. All this applies not only to the teachings of agriculture but to all branches taught in the coun try school , and serves to emphasize the need of adopting the central or .ownship school system. It is very lirficult for any teacher to develop the proper interest and enthusiasm in the work of any branch of study with only an attendance of two or three oupils. On the other hand , it is a jreat waste to employ good teachers for only two or three students when .hey can better instruct several times : hat number. Under the present sys- : em there is a large number of schools where the number of pupils is no arger than the above. When the cen tralized plan is adopted it will be , pos sible with the same outlay to supply a much better class of instruction in all branches and with 0-1 per cent of the schools eliminated we believe it would be possible to obtain an instructor for each of the remainder that would be competent to give instruction in the elementary principles of agriculture. We believe our agricultural colleges have the capacity to turn out such in structors as fast as they would be wanted for such positions ; and , as in all other things , whenever a demand is created the supply will be forthcom ing. The instruction may be crude at the start , as are most new enterprises ; but everything must have a beginning and strength is gained by growth and experience. Some of the European countries have been going ahead of us in putting these things into practice. For example , in the rural districts of Sweden a garden is attached to every school , and the children receive prac tical instruction in the cultivation of flowers , fruits and vegetables , and in the management of hot beds , green houses and so forth. Hsiiitly Crate . The following .sketch shows a farm er's handy gate made of Ix3-inch slats hroughout that need no braces and Iocs not sag. The posts at the center md on hinge end rest on slats fastened HANDY KAKMEK'S GATE. lo the posts , as shown in the diagram. The front has two slats extending five inches farther out than the main gate ; .hese drop in a slot or notch cut in a Ix3-inch piece nailed on the front post it right angle. This gate can be con structed and hung in an hour. E. F. Lsley , in Epitomist. How to Grind Kaffir Corn. I thought it might be of interest to many of your readers to know how to rind Kaffir corn , as most sweep mills .vill not grind it fine , and the millers want too much for grinding it. If the Imrr is quite worn , so much the better. Have the Kaffir corn dry , put a bas ketful into a good , solid barrel , chop with a long-handled , sharp spade ; add some more heads and chop , and so on. Fill your mill and continue to chop md grind. You can have it fine as [ lour if you like , and it makes fine swill to feed thick or thin. The Kaf ir corn stem keeps the seed from feed ing too fast and it grinds nicely , but not so fast as corn , probably about live bushels per hour. This depends jn how fine you grind it. C. J. Ilug- ; lns , in Kansas Farmer. Pusture foHo rs. The value of a good pasture for hogs -annot be overestimated. It furnishes icalth giving , succulent forage , to se cure which the hog takes early morn- ng constitutionals and is made healthy [ hereby. He eats much of the grass ind less of corn , and thereby is ex pense saved his owner , and he lays on Fat faster than if on a full grain ra tion. Disease does not bother the pasture fed hog. A healthy hog , well fed , means profit in its owner's pocket. A. good pasture insures this. Farm lourual. Storing Ice. When filling an ice house , place a layer of sawdust fully a foot deep upon the bottom , then put in the ice. pack- Ing it closely to within a foot of the iide walls , cutting the blocks carefully and evenly to make the mass solid and compact. A twelve-inch spacy should be allowed , and the sides should be lilled with sawdust. Do not fill nearer Lhau three or four feet of the roof , and put about six Inches of the sawdust on lop of the ice. If sawdust cannot be i' l. chopped straw , wheat chaff , or marsh hay cnii be used , but sawdust is the best material. New England Farmer. Selling Produce by Mail. It is not hard for a farmer to wort up an interest by advertising a desir able article In the right way and through the right means. But half the battle is in properly answering the in quiries received. By lack of prompt ness , clearness , defiuiteuess and tesl some letter writers will drive away possible customers about as fast as good advertising brings them in. Use a typewriter , which can be bought second L-and for a few dollars ; answer letters the same day received ; by nexi mail if possible. The first satisfactory reply that reaches the buyer is likely to get his order , and in making the reply satisfactory everything counts. Inclose a sample or picture of what Is being sold. If expedient , and try to fix his choice on a definite article or specimen at an attractive stated price , judging what he wants from his letter. It is this tact in adapting the reply to the prospective customer which counts as much as anything In securing or ders. Ills confidence is to be secured , his questions and scruples clearly and tactfully met , and his imagination aroused over some special and definite offer. American Cultivator. An Automatic Milker. Here is a machine for milking cows. It is a can-shaped reservoir of special construction , made airtight so that s vacuum may be produced by the air- pump on the cover. Rubber tubes con- HOW THE MACHINEVOUivS. . nect with the cow's teats , and th pressure , it is claimed , causes the mill- to flow readily. We know nothing ol the merits of the machine. The illus ( ration is given to indicate the contin ued efforts chat are being made alona the line of dairy inventions. Farm and Ranch. IIo\v Fru : ' Men Co-operate. Co-operation i fruit selling hai reached an advanced stage in the .Mich igan apple belt. For instance , in the case of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ludington , the stock amounts to fivt hundred shares , and each subscribei must take at least one share for five acres of orchard. The company owns a large packing house , with a siol * track on one side and a wagon drivt on the other. There is a wide veranda on both sides , enclosed with slats. Six roller grades , which separate the fniil into three sixes , are used. Baskets art stored in the second story , and clror down through chutes to the packing tables , which are covered with canvas Wlion the fruit is delivered , each mat receives credit for the proper ntiinboi of bushels-of the given varieties. Tut fruit is then graded and packed , and each person receives his share of the proceeds when the fruit is sold. The secretary of the company looks aftei the buying and selling , and has charge of the packing house. In this way a uniform product is secured which largt buyers can depend upon , and the mid Human and his exactions are excluded Massachusetts Ploughman. Revelations of the Seed Tester. In a test of five hundred varieties ol ettuce by the United States Depart ment of Agriculture , It was found thai 132 of them were Black-Seeded Tennis Ball under other names. A sample ol crimson clover seed , costing $5.75 pei nishel , contained so little live seed that ? 704 worth would contain onlj a bushel of good seed. Some Keiituckj Bluegrass was so poor that a pound ol ive seed would have cost $2.18 , and s sample of timothy tested at the rat * of $47 per bushel for the live seed Some of the seeds sprouted wol enough , but the plants were of th wrong kind. Thus a sample of allegec "lover seed contained 338.000vee < si'ods in a pound , or at the rate o ! twenty million per bushel. Such re suit ? explain the cause of some mys terious crop failures and equally strange invasions of new weeds. To Produce Good Wrol. Wool is affected by breed , clirnatt and food. Sheep will thrive in souu sections much better than in others and wool from some flocks will brlnj higher prices than other wools. Tc produce good wool a sheep must b < well fed , but not too much so. If th < food is not sufficiently nutritious tin wool will lack in strength , be dry harsh , flabby and rough to the touch Wool from sheep that are kept on pas tures which provide an abundant herb age is long in fiber , soft , white am strong. It is claimed that all nutn tious foods produce fine wool , but it is not necessary to make a selection o foods if the sheep have a variety. Food for Fattening Fowl * . Always fatten a fowl as quickly : possible. Ten days Is long enough \ get a fowl fat. and it should be con lined either in a coop or a number i a small j-ard. Give plenty of fres water , and feed four times a day , b ginning early and giving the last me : late A mixture of corn meal , fare parts , ground oats , one part , short.-- one part , crude tallow , one part , scald ed. Is the best for the first three meals with a-11 the corn and wheat that car he eaten up clean at night. Welgi the articles given , and do not fe d bj measure. Hints for the Housewife. Add a little soda when stewliig a fowl to make the flesh more tender. The remnant of stewed or preserved fruit left from tea will improve a tap ioca pudding the next day. Tinware may quickly be cleaned by robbing it with a damp cloth , dipped til soda. Rub briskly and wipe dry. To prevent new lamp wicks from imoklng , soak them thoroughly In vine gar before using , and let them dry be fore being put into the lamp. To skin beetroot easily and quickly put It Into cold water directly It Is cooked. Pass the hand down the root and the skin will come off at once. To prevent gravies from becoming lumpy , remove the pan from the fire while the thickening Is being stirred In , after which set the pan back on the Ire and cook thoroughly. An Important Discovery. Granton , Okla. , Feb. 9. After ten years E. H. Gosney of Granton has at last found a cure for Kidney Trouble. Mr. Gosney suffered very severely with Kidney Complaint and some ten years ago made up his mind to find a cure If one was to be had. He has tried and tried and expert * mented with every kidney medicine ho could hear of. Although he was always disappointed he kept on trying till at last his perseverance was rewarded and he found a complete cure. He is a well man to-day and ex * plains it as follows : "Everything failed to cure me and I was growing worse and worse till I tried a new remedy called Dodd's Kid ney Pilla and I had not taken many of them before I knew that I had at last found the right thing. I am entirely cured and I cannot say too much foj Dodd's Kidney Tills. " If vou would retain your friends don't ! remind them of their faults. Only the sympathetic are entitled to sympathy. Short-sighted people are naturally close ooservers. Mi- ? . AVlMlow'sSOOTHIMJ SVKOP for children tfetlilnjr. toltcns the ( rums , rodu-ea iullainatiun allnjtI'ain. . fines wind collie.5c bottle. Mania e arlds either to a man's happiness ur to his misery. If a man lins neither freinds nor enemies he has lived in vuin. When the aver me man tells a lie he is in a hurry to prove it. Kissing a woman's lips is consid ered a great iusulL in Finland. Leave your worries at linme when you travel. You can tjefa fresh sup ply anywhere. These crispy mornings Mrs. Aus iVs Pancake Hour tHStcs d licotiH. Ready in a moment. Buy from your Grocer. A caterpillar's eyes can see nothing at a distance beyond 2-5th of an inch For something good try Mrs Austin's famous 1'ancai-e Flouready ; in a jilTy. Your Grocer ha > it on h.md. i The waters of the Dead sea , where no rudder his ; heeu seen lor centuiius are nuw being plied by Gerinaa mo tor boats. Women clerks employed in the Ger- raau stLte railway ofiices are not al lowed to woik later than 10 p. m. or begin earliei than 0 a. in. Three hundred shne makers who jtiuck for higher wages in Phiadel- ( ihia in 1786 , were the liist wording- Ban to adopt such tactics in this : ouutry. Ac Swedish weddings among the niddle and lower classes , the bride- jrooiu carries a whip. This is an ojblem of his authority in the do- cirri-s. Mrs. F. Wright , of Oelwein , Iowa , is another one of the million women who have been restored to health by Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound. A. Young New York Lady Tells of a Wonderful Cure : " My trouble was with the ovaries ; [ am tall , and the doctor said I grew too fast for my strength. I suffered Ireadfully from inflammation and loctored continually , but got no help. I suffered from terrible draggingsen sations with the most awful pains low lown in the side and pains in the back , md the most agonizing headaches. So one knows what I endured. Often [ was sick to the stomach , and every little while I would he too sick to go to work , for three or four days ; I work in a large store , and I suppose stand ing on my feet all clay made me worse. "At the suggestion of a friend of my mother's I began to take Lydia E. Pinkhain's Vegetable Com pound , and it is simply wonderful. I felt better after the first two or three closes ; it seemed as thoutrh a weight was taken off my shoulders ; I con tinued its use until now I can truth fully say I am entirely cured. Young- girls who are always paying doctor's bills without getting any "help as I did , ought to tnk * your medicine. It costs so much less , and it is sure to cure them. Yours truly , ADELAIDE PRAII , 174 St. Ann's Ave. , New York CitV. " $5000 fo'frit if orlninctl of above letter orouing genuineness cannot be produced. WESTERN * CANADA IH attract inc more attention than any other district in Uio world , "TIIU OltAXAllY OF THE WOKL0. " THE L.AXII OF SCXSIIIXU. " ThoXVTn.vr.Fici LNo GKOUXDS for STOCK Area undT Croy In 5 002 t,98TR3' > Acre * . Yield in IDO'J ll , 'Jaaro Ahnnilnnce of Water ; Fuel , Plentiful. Cheap Build. Inn Muleu < tlGood Grn 3fori usturesatul lluy.n fertile Boil , u MifhciHiit rainfall , and n climuto Kivin 04 assured nud adequate fien-on of crcnvth. IIoitieMcni Luntlt of 1 Gl ) AcrcH Free , the only charge bmnn $11 antry. Oto e to Churches , Schools , etc. : Railways tap all FO ted ! districts. Sum ! tor Atlas and other literature to Superin. kpM i nt of Immi "Mtion. Otluwn , Cnnuda. or ta W V. Bennett , 801 New York Life lnd . . Omaha , Null , the authorized Canadian Government Agent ] WHO will biipply you with , coruiicalb giving you reduced railway rutex , etc. TO WOMEN To prove the healin * & cleansiiip power ol PAXTINE TOILET ANTISEPTIC we will mail large trial treatment with book of instructions absolutely free , rhis is not a tiny sample , but a larg package , enough to convince anyone : hat it is the most successful prepara tion known to medicine as a cleansing rairinal douche and for the local treat * merit of woman's special ills , curing iischarges and all infiamation , also f : o cleanse the teeth , mouth , and cure jatarrh. Send to-day ; a postal will do. Sold by drugiflntn or Kent postpaid bj ua , CO ceatl Brgchox. butiufkotlon guaranteed. l.PAXTOM SO. . 216 Columbus Ave. Boston Mate. In nider that ; a rainbow may be miduced the sun must not be more .ban . 42 degrees above the horizon. Panthers have appeared iu large lumbers at Kabylla , Algeria. A lommittee ac Algarii is organizing a mnt. Shortly after sewing her own hrnud , a woman named Mnsowska IId this week at Podol , Bohemia , , ged 107. CASTORIA For Infants and Children. The Kind You Have Always Bought Ageable | Prcparationfor As similating Hie Food anclBegufa- WJA4A&AJ.IV * A V/WM V l IVk A * V * * i ling theStoinaciis andBowels of Bears the Signature Promotes Digeslion.Cheerfur- nessandRest.Contains neither OpiumMorphine nor Mineral. of jNOT "NAH.C OTIC. . J&spe afOM.JDrSMUELPTCHER jllx.Suuia. ' . n ClnrifcdSugir Flavor ! Us Aperfecl Remedy forConsllpa- e Hon , Sour Stoinach.Diarrhoea Worms .Convulsions .Fevenslv ness and Loss OF SLEEP. For Over Pac Simile Signature oF G&ffiMS&H. Thirty Years NEW VORK. CASTORIA EXACT COPY OF WRAPPER