The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, January 15, 1908, Image 3
r ",&.&! -v r r - - t .- . hr r v V JS7G' . ""OC-SB BBT OSS "H i H fc SYNAPSIS. Burton II. Barnes, a wealthy American ourins Corsica, rescues the young Eng lish lieutenant. Edward Gerard Anstruth er. and his Corslcan bride. Marina, daughter of the Paolls. from the , mur derous vendetta, understanding that his reward is to be the hand of the girl he loves. Enid Anstruthcr. sister of the Eng lish lieutenant. The four fly from AJac cio to Marseilles on board the French steamer Constantine. The vendetta pur sties and as the quartet are about to loard the train for London at Marseilles. Marina is handed a mysterious note which causes her to collapse and necessi tates a postponement of the journey. Barnes gets part of the mysterious note and receives letters which Inform him that he is marked by the vendetta. He emplojs an American detective and plans to beat the vendetta at their own game. 1'or the purpose of securing the safety -of the women Barnes arranKes to have Lady Chartris lease a secluded villn at Nicf: to which the party is to be taken in a yacht. Suspicion is created that Marina is in league with the Corsica ns. A man. believed to be Corregio Danella. is seen passing the house and Marina is thought to have given him a sign. Ma rina refuses to explain to Barnes which fact adds to his latent suspicions. Barnes" plans for the safetv of the party are learned by the Corsicans. The carriage carrying their party to the local landing is followed by two men. One of the horsemen is supposed to he Corregio. They try to murder the American. The cook on the yacht a Krenchman is sus pected or foinplicity in the plot. The party anchors at St. Tropez. The yacht in followed hv a small hoat. The cook is detected giving signals to the boat. Barnes attempts to throw him overboard, but i. prevented by Marina and Enid. The cook is found to be innocent of the supposed plot and is forgiven. The party arrive at Nice and find Ladv Chartris and her daughter Maud domiciled in the v:il:i rented with Barnes money. Barnes is smazed to find that Count Corregio is at Nice and is acting the role of admirer to Lady Chartris. Barnes and Enid make arrangements for their marriage. The net tightens about Barnes. He re ceives a note from 1m Belle Blackwood, the American adventuress. Barnes hears that Elijah Emory, his detective, has been murdered by the Corsicans. He learns that the man supposed to be Cor tegio. who followed the party on their way to the boat, was Salicetl. a nephew of the count, and that Count Corregio had been in Nice for some time prior to the party's arrival. CHAPTER VIII. Continued. "Will that woman never let me -alone?" thinks the American, and pushes the note back in his pocket. "I'll forget Sally Spotts forever by go ing and seeing the minister." But at the entrance to the residence of the. divine a suspicion enters his mind that he is being followed. He makes his interview with the minister of the church of England a very short one, and coming rapidly out of the house, his quick eyes perceive two men on the opposite side of the street These turn casually toward the traffic of the busy avenue from the railroad station and are lost in the crowd from an arriving train. Now that his footsteps are being dogged, he thinks he had better see Perrier, the French detective recom mended by the Pinkerton mau. There fore, keeping his eyes about him sharp at any dark corners of the streets, he walks' to the Rue Palermo, and rings the bell at the house mentioned in Emory's letter. Here an old woman concierge in forms him that Monsieur Perrier's room is number four on the second floor. Barnes, pushing his way to number four on the second floor, is confronted at the door of this apartment by a man of very brisk manner, sharp, penetrat ing eyes and a nose whose peculiar aquiline formation impresses itself on Barnes' memory. "In order to avoid any mistake," whispers the American, "I simply men tion to you the word 'Vendetta. " "And I simply reply 'Marseilles,'" answers the man, "but I don't wish o have anything to do with the affair." "You are Monsieur Perrier?" "Yes. of course; you know by my re turning the word of recognition to you," remarks the Frenchman. "I must have a reason for your de clining to aid me. This matter is too important for you not to listen to me." "I have been informed," answers Perrier, "by my poor friend Emory's letters of this peculiar and most un fortunate affair, but I do not wish to engage in it" "Why not?" asks Barnes, shortly. "Don't you think I have money to pay for it?" "Of course. I know Monsieur is rich," answers the Frenchman, depre catingly. "But my life is my onlj- as set I have a wife and children. I saw one vendetta in Corsica a few years ago, and I don't want to get into an other cat fight where cats are armed with stilletos. Your enemies already know your location at Villefranche, Bernardo Salicetl has come from Cor sica hoping to win the election in his island by vengeance upon you. He and -Enrico Danella, the dead Musso's nephew, are in Nice." "Has Enrico a scar upon his fore head over his yeft eye?" asks Barnes, eagerly. "He has." "Then I've the name of the scar faced gentleman, thank you," remarks Burton. "Now it is necessary you come into this affair. Perrier. You've got to aid not only me, but two women." The answer that comes causes Barnes to look aghast "I dare not" answers Perrier, short ly. "The fate of my poor friend Em ory Is too horrible." "Fate! What fate?" "Why, he was to be here two days ago, according to his letters to me, to arrange for guarding your villa. He is not here even to-day. His last note from St Tropez indicated he was close upon the track of those who have sworn this bleod fend against vou and all who aid you. That letter was written four days ago and what has become of Emory?" "How can I tell?" matters the Amer ican gloomily. "But I can," answers the private de tective. "Madame Blackwood, for whom I have executed some little com missions, called on me two days ago excitedly. 'Perrier, she said, In her American abruptness, 'I want yon to bring to jastJce some villains who ! aar4ejar77 iaor JKEDJXZ?Scr&. MK HWWM Ut ! murdered a Yankee detective named Emory, the other day near St Tro pez.' 'You saw him killed?' I asked. 'No, but I've got evidence a few words from she checked herself; but added, 'I don't dare to tell Mr. Ruggles of this; he's so impulsive he'd spend his money and his blood, too, to bring a murderer of one of his countrymen to justice. So you just go on and get the evidence against these fellows and trot them to the guillotine.' But the fate of EmQry warned me, I determined to give up the whole affair," adds Perrier. "Thank you again," sneers Barnes, and coming out the American laughs to himself. But the mention of Ma dame Blackwood reminds him of her letter. "By George, m Sally's note hint ed at -grave danger to me. It must be this Emory business!" and without more ado Mr. Barnes, hurriedly keep ing bis eyes alert for sudden daggers, ma.-3s his way to the promenade, by the sea and shortly after enters the luxurious Hotel St. Petersburg. It is ten in the evening. He is about to send up his card to Madame Blackwood and request an interview when she enters. As she comes in by the ladies' entrance, the Kansas cattle king, who attends her, chances to glance into the office and calls out: "Whew. Barnes, that was a lucky ad- rirtss vnn cavp nip in Paris fiv weeks ago," and, taking him aside, whispers, j "Why He Was to Bo "I caught the lady. The goods came high, bnt they're worth the money. Step up and have supper with us." This invitation Barnes finds it im possible to politely decline, as Sally Blackwood has already put her beauti ful eyes upon him and said: "So glad you're here. You mustn't refuse. We saw so little of you in Monte Carlo." A moment later Barnes finds him self ushered into La Blackwood's priv ate parlor, where supper is shortly served to them. Several times Burton is about to hint at the purport of her note, but the expressive eyes of the adventuress warn him to hold his tongue. Coffee, however, is no sooner served than the fascinating creature says: "Now, Dan, supposing you run downstairs and have your smoke there. I want to talk with Mr. Barnes of New York something I don't want you to hear. That needn't make you jealous it's about my parents in Ohio." The minute the cattle king disap pears the lady's manner changes. She cries airily: "Guess what made me write to you?" "Hate," mutters Barnes, between puffs of his cigarette. "No, though I ought to hate you. What I want to see you about " La Blackwood's ey. become intense and her voice falls to a whisper' "is to save your life if I can. Do you know that half of a commune in Corsica want your blood?" "I've guessed it in the last few days." observes Barnes grimly. "Are you acquainted with a certain Count Cipriano Danella?" "Nevei have seen him." "No, bat you've heard of him?" "Oh, yes, he's a brother of the Da nella who was killed in Corsica." "Yes. Now, this gentleman, who is a very good man and very tender hearted, obtained an introduction to me about three days ago on the des Anglais. From some words of a Lady Chartris, a cousin of yours, he has learned that you are to marry very shortly the pretty girl whose lips I threatened to kiss at Monte Carlo. Well, this Cipriano Danella, who looks quite romantic in his Corsican mourn ing, while making love to me till Dan got jealous," she laughs slightly, "hint- ed to me that it would be very unfor- kfH9Hfflh5?EvfvEflHMf?jN4n9KHHfiK llu 9SBc 4 I -IHHHIBBBBlBMHHBHilHaiHHHHHIl LLLLLLLLLLEln iBsBsBsBnmL BrHH K.1 mm 0-"1 at If 1 mIbV'J - i innate fcr Miss Anstruther should she ! become Mrs. Barnes of New York; that, as your wife, she would be drawn into this blood feud that has been declared ' against you. 'Now,' suggested Count Cipriano, 'you are the lady-best fitted by past friendship and present charm, to prevent this dan ger to the pretty English girl, by de stroying the wedding.'" "You have brought me here for this?" says Burton, his eyes growing angry. - "Walt! Listen! As an American, my desire is to protect you from death. I appeared to accede to Clpri ano's request to fascinate you again. I wonder if I could do it?" .She looks at him roguishly and laughs through her white teeth. "Don't be frightened of me. So I pumped the romantic Corsican, who made half love to me while he tried to persuade me. I found but that not only was the commune of Boco Bocognano or something of that kind anxious for your blood, bnt that several gentlemen from that neighborhood were here in order to obtain it and to make their task easy, they had done up in some way or oth er a detective you had employed to shadow them, a Yankee named Emory, I believe. Therefore, I said to myself: 'I'll take care if possible to inform Mr. Barnes of the dangers that surround him, and if he is the man I think him, he is about as well able to protect himself and his coming bride as any one I know." "Hold up a moment. I want to ask you a question," interrupts Barnes. "What makes you think the devils have done up poor Emory?" "Well, a careless expression of Count Danella only this: 'He won't bother them again,' something of that kind from Cipriano." "I must be going. I'm deeply grate ful to you." Burton rises. "Mr. Rug gles" "Don't be afraid. Dan won't be jeal ous." She extends to him her beautifully formed white fingers dazzling with Here Two Days Ago." rings. "Good-by, I hope you'll be hap py on your wedding trip, but don't let love make you careless, mon Bayard." Barnes takes her hint His pistol is ready as he throws open the door of her apartment and passes cautiously out; so all the way down the stairs of the hotel he is careful as to corners, and out on the street well peopled as is the Des Anglais, the American has a wary eye about him. Lady Char tris has doubtless told Cipriano Da nella of his visit to Nice and that he returns with her to her villa this even ing. He therefore breaks his appoint ment with Prunella and taking a hired carriage watches till the lady, tired of waiting, drives angrily home, then jogs along a few hundred yards be hind her, ready for any emergency. But nothing of a threatening nature is seen. As the vehicle enters the grounds of the villa, the sight of a Scotch tar on the lookout gives the coming bride groom confidence in the sailor's watch. As he wakes up in the morning, not withstanding the thought that it is his wedding day is dominant in his mind, he reflects over the matter. What has this Cipriano Danella done except 'to arouse his suspicions? "Even the count's conversation with la Belle Blackwood didn't disclose that he meditated any attack upon me or my bride," he reflects, moodily, "only that Cipriano wished to prevent an Inno cent young girl being drawn Into this frightful feud. Hang it I can't shoot the cuss on suspicion and yet!" The American closes his jaw with a snap i and goes down to breakfast to meet as charming a bride as the sun has shone upon. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Lightning in Rots of Jailer. In playing pranks about a house a bolt of lightning locked Wallace, fourteen-year-old son of William J. Wheel er, in a closet at Worcester, Mass., but failed to release him again. The boy was in the house, when a bolt completely wrecked, the dining room, forcing the windows out onto the lawn. He sought refuge in his favo rite place, the cupboard, and had no sooner entered it than the bolt bit the door and locked it He remained there until his parents came home and heard his shrieks for help. The State Capital Matters '! Geaeral Interest HOM Merchandise is Defined. Attorney General Thompson, answer ing questions of the State Railway commission, has given an opinion holding that the Sibley act in refer ring to "merchandise" means merchan dise in its general sense and not as used in the classification by the ex press companies. Therefore the bill provides for a reduction on all com modities of merchandise In the broad est sense, including butter, eggs, cored and fresh meats, fruits, vegetables, commodities which Commissioner Will iams claimed were not covered by the act Mr. Thompson finds that the act does not provide for the reduction of the money rate, as contended by Com missioner Williams. The attorney general upholds the contention of Commissioner Clarke as expressed in a warm discussion at a recent meeting of the commission. Mr. Williams had asked the commission to ask for a re duction on articles which he, said the Sibley act does not cover. The mat ter was referred to the attorney gen eral. The attorney general finds that the only class of merchandise to which the 25 per eent reduction In the Sib ley law does not apply to is merchan dise weighing one pound or less, where the rates of transportation are paid in advance) and the carriage of merchan dise consisting of cream, milk or poul try contracted to be carried for a spec ial rate, where the contract was in force when the act in question took effect, and for the transportation of merchandise where the rate on a par ticular shipment, in force January 1 did not exceed 15 cents. Barker Again Faces Death. The supreme coure took no action at the request of Judge F. G. Hamer on behalf of Frank Barker, the Web ster county murderer who is to be hanged Friday of this week at the penitentiary. Judge Hamer appeared twice before the judges of the court in their consultation .room. Grant Martin, assistant attorney general was called in to represent the state. The order of the supreme coure issued the day before affirming the proceedings of the district court of Lancaster county which resulted in a verdict of a jury that Barker is sane still stands as the last utterance of the court of last resort The court has not ad journed, however, and .Barker's attor ney may have another opportunity to present his claim that the court should wait for a bill of exceptions from the insanity inquiry and issue a stay of sentence until the bill is ex amined to ascertain whether or not the court of inquiry erred. The su preme court has thus far intimated that the inquiry into the sanity of Barker and the verdict of the jury, being in all things according to the statutes, ends the matter. Its order affirming the proceedings and the or der of the district court setting Jan uary 17 as the date of execution is so construed. Judge Hamer did not have a bill of exceptions when he applied for a stay of sentence, but did file a transcript. He has had several months to get a bill of exceptions. Barker has been sentenced four times to be hanged for a double murder. Constitutional Amendments. The last legislature provided for the submission of two important constitu tional amendments to a vote of the people, one to increase the number of judges of the supreme court from three to seven, giving them a salary of $4,500 each and increasing the sal aries of district judges from $2,500 to $3,000, and the other providing for the Investment of state trust funds in school district warrants and such other securities as the legislature may direct To secure the republican party endorsement of these amend; 1 ments so that straight party votes at the general election will be counted for them, the supporters of the pro posed amendments are planning to submit them to the general primary election this fall. The party endorse ment can be given only at the primary and not in the platform convention. Guardsmen Mustered Out Captain Penrod was here from Beat, rice to discuss with the adjutant gen eral the matter of mustering out cf the guard the Beatrice company. Cap tain Penrod said th e company in tended to disband and the talk of the business men of Beatrice raising money to keep up the company was hot air, as practically none of the "business men were in the movement to raise the necessary funds. The company receives $225 from the state and its pays out $600 annually, which Captain Penrod said was entirely too frucb to ask the members of the com pany to pay. f Protest on Increased Rates. The State Railway commission re ceived a request from the Independent Telephone company of Kearney, ask ing permission to advance the rates for telephone service. The proposed false would give the company $3 per faonth in place of $2 for business telephones, and $2 instead of $1.50 for resident telephone service. Frank Beeman of Kearney telephoned to' the commissioners that he had written a letter protesting against such an ad 'Vance in rates and fully set forth his objections. Kruger Case Reversed. ' The supreme court has reversed a 'judgment for damages obtained by Mette Kruger against the Omaha Street Railway company. The girl, who is under 14 years of age, became frightened and jumped off of a moving car. The court holds it to be the duty of a street car conductor to use due care and diligence to prevent a fren zied person from alighting from a mov ing car, bnt in this case the court erred in instructing the jury that the Blaintiff might recover damages even 1 though she was negligent in her act a Nebraska's Seat of Geverataeat Railroads and a New Law. Several county assessors have called on George D.1 Bennett, secretary of the State Board of Assessment, to consult him about the provisions of the ter minal tax law. Mr. Bennett has al ready prepared the sample blanks to be sent to the various county clerks, who in turn are to have blanks print ed for the use of assessors. A meet ing of the assesors is to be held during the winter and Mr. Bennett' will ex plain the provisions of the bill to them. The railroads are making blue prints of their local property in every town in the state and sending one copy to the local assessors, one will be sent to the state board and one will be kept as the railroad offices. The Un ion Pacific is also attaching to its blue prists the value of lots adjacent to the railroad lots. This will be a par tial guide to the assessors, but the fig. ures cannot be taken as a sure guide, because all read estate will be reas sessed this year. Just how the state board is going to equalize the value of the lots with the lots adjacent has not been figured out, as the county assessors return the total value of all lots in a county and the average value: No item is contained in the schedule for the value of lots adjacent to rail road property. The board has figured that it cannot take the average value of the lots in a county as the average value of a railroad lot. Balks on Oil Inspection. Whether the Nebraska law intends that oil shipped into the state and used by a company or individual which does not offer it for sale, should be inspected or not will be the point in question in a frienly suit by State Inspector Allen against tha Burlington Railroad company, which has refused to pay a bill for inspection of oil at its shops in Lincoln. Some time ago the state oil inspector sent a bill to the Burlington railroad for a consider able sum for inspecting the oil used at the shops in Lincoln. State Oil In spector Allen received a letter from General Manager G. W. Holdredgc in which Mr. Holdrege said the company refused to pay the bill, and did not believe that the law providing for the inspection of oil intended that such oil as was shipped in for the use of a company or corporation, and not of fenft for sale, should be subject to any inspection. Mr. Holdrege suggested that if the oil Inspector desired to test the law en the point, he would be glad to have a friendly suit brought against the Burlington railroad company for the collection of the bill. Inspector Allen announced that he would bring a suit at once. Largest Number of Convicts. Warden A. D. Beemer reported that he had 407 convicts under his care. This Is the largest number ever in the Nebraska penitentiary. Only once be fore did the number reach 400. W. H. Dorgan of Lincoln, formerly prison contractor, tells how that high mark was made. It was during the time Wyoming state prisoners were kept at the Nebraska state penitentiary. When the number reached 399 report came that another prisoner was on the way. It was also known at the prison that one convict would leave the same day by reason of expiration of sen tence. The man whose term expired was kept in the penitentiary until noon. By that time' the new prisoner had arrived, and thus the number reached 400. Warden Beemer's month ly report shows 404 prisoners on the last day of December. Telegraph Companies Report. The Western Union Telegraph com pany, against, which suit was filed some time ago for failure to furnish the railway commission with informa tion, filed its report for 1907.- to gether with a list of those who held frames last year. The list includes Omaha, Lincoln and Norfolk newspa pers and a number of railroad offi cers, who held the privileges at the time the law forbidding them went into effect. None was issued in 1908, ac cording to the report The statement shows the capital stock of the company to be $97,370,000. The total revenue of the company in 1900 was $30,675,645.53 and in 1907 $32,856,406.25, an increase of $2,180, 751.72. The profits in 1906 were $5 742,607.88, and in 1907 $4,904,149.05, a decrease of $838,458.83. The total property was $157,378,971.95, includ ing the franchise. Commissioner Ames Resigns. Supreme Court Commissioner John H. Ames tendered bis resignation to the supreme court and it was accept ed. Mrs. Ames is in poor health and Judge Ames will leave with her at once for the south. This was the rea son given for the resignation. No one has yet been appointed to fill the va cancy. Cut in Laundry Blli. The state will not pay for the laun drying of the shirtwaists, corset cov ers and other female wearing apparel for which a claim was recently filed with the state auditor by the secre tary of the board of regents of the state university. President Ernest' of the board of regents has withdrawn his approval of the voucher. Omaha Gets Convention. Omaha is the place and Thursday, March 12, is the date for the republi can state convention which is to se lect the delegates-at'Iarge and alter-nates-at-large- to go to the Chicago convention. The time and place of meeting of the congressional district convention to select district delegates and alternates was left to the congres sional committees of the different dis tricts, with the recommendation that they fix the same time and place as the state convention. Judge Sedgwick Honored. Chief Justice S. H. Sedgwick of the supreme court was given a magni ficent gold headed cane. It was pre sented in an informal manner by Judge J. B. Barnes on behalf of the judges of the court and the court commis sioners. Chief Justice Sedgwick re tired from office and his associates, most of whom have been with him for the past six years, took this as a fitting occasion to show, their regard for' him. He left for his home in York, carrying with him the best wishes of the entire bar of the state. A MATRIMONIAL V THE.MCHWAY AMD BYWAY tOyrht,Mfc.bytAr,W..l Scripture Authority 1 Kings 3:1; 11:1-4. SERMONETTE. "Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and took Phareah's daughter and brought her into the city of David." Hero was the first stop in a course which was to work the ruin of Solomon's life. "Be yo not unequally yokod to gather with unbelievers," is the Scriptural admonition. It was one of the 'laws of the Jewish dispensation on which great em phasis was laid, and it is ono 'of the admonitions of the Chris tian dispensation which is clear ly and positively set forth by the 'Apostle Paul. Why should this be so? Why cannot we have happy success ful union between the Christian and the non-Christian? "i he apos tle answers the question when he goes on to ask: "for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with dark ness?" There is no relationship in life so intimate and close as that of husband and wife, and hence if such relationship is to be endur ing there must be fellowship and communion between the lives thus linked together. It is then a question as to what direction such fellowship -j -..:... -u.ti -l. vu:il nu wuiiiiiiuiiiwm siiii Mite mil the righteousness dominate the unrighteousness, the light the darkness? Or will the heart of the worldling 'lead away from God the one who has pledged himself to God? Will the world- liness stifle and quench the light of God's truth which has shined in the heart? Almost invariably the mar riage of the Christian with the non-Christian works disaster to the faith of the former. Solomon's union with Phara oh's daughter was a brilliant political mlrriage, with every reason from a human and world ly point of view to commend it It gave him a powerful ally to the south, assuring not only pro tection from attack from that quarter, but strengthening his hands with the nations to the north and east It gave a bril liant aspect to the reign of King Solomon and was the beginning of that splendor and magnifi cence which marked his entire reign. And further, it brought into the national life of Israel a liberal, progressive element which was broadening in its in fluence, commercially and so- And yet in spite of all the tern- o porary advantages which were to accrue, it was an unwise, un safe, and unholy alliance. Unwise, because counter to the explicit command of. God, or, ou, IF and certain it is that vi of God's command ul brings ruin. Unsafe, because it was not only weakening the national ideals of a people wholly set apart to God, but a weakening also of the individual ideals which were going to make the second step away from God easier. Unholy, because a violation of a righteous principle absolute ly essential to the. moral and spiritual uplift of the human race. Not even a king could transgress the .sacred obliga tions to God and escape the consequences. "Be not unequally yoked to gether with unbelievers, is a command as binding upon those who occupy the exalted places of life as it is upon those of more humble station. THE STORY. THE choosing of a wife is one of the most important steps of life. It is a matter which must not be considered hastily. Sentiment must not be allowed to run away with judg ment or expediency cover up the ob ligation which one owes to God and God's law. Where love is based on something deeper than mere physi cal beauty, and on something higher than mere human attainment; in other words, where love includes in its inspiration and its expression the thought of loyalty and devotion to God, then and then only is love a safe guide. Sentiment and passion are not love, and expediency and convenience are sign posts which point to the matrimonial whirlpool of disappoint ment and ruin. Man was intended for woman and woman for man, but God intended that they should be mated and not mismated. What God joins together is never put asunder. It was no secret in Israel that a wife was being sought for the young and handsome King Solomon. Since his coming to the throne it had been recognized as one of the important matters requiring solution. With the chief men of the nation and those close to the king in the administra tion of the affairs of the nation it was a question as to where they should look for a consort for their king. More than one of the chief men of the nation secretly, wished that his own fair daughter might be the one selected to be queen, but each with becoming modesty refrained from openly advancing the claims of their respective daughters, so that appar ently no progress was made in the quest for a wife for Solomon. And perhaps the one least con cerned over the .matter was Solomon himself. His had been a busy life' r I since coming to the throne. earnest, devout spirit in which ho had entered upon the great obliga tions of ruling a kingdom had. kept him steadfast and faithful to his task. He felt his youth, his inexperi ence, his limitations? and with the benediction and blessing of the Godly David resting upon "him and bis ex ample pointing him to God as the source or all wisdom and strength, he had sought the Lord with a great yearning to know and do the divine will. This had become known to all the nation, and after his return to Jerusalem from' Gibeon after his re markable vision la which God had promised him wisdom and riches aad honor, he found the chief mem. aad leaders of the people and the people themselves moved by one spirit of love and devotion to the apheiMlag of the kingdom. So it had cosse to pass that the aatioa was solidified aad strengthened aad immediately be gan to feel the stimulus of that ag gressive spirit which was to mttbamte ly make of Solomon's kingdom the richest and most prosperous and most enlightened of any of the nations about. Sack- remarkable development and progress could not but arouse the in terest if not apprehension, of the neighboring kingdoms, and eagerly steps were taken to show friendly spirit towards the nation of Israel aad to invite exchange of treaties whereby both the commercial and the politi cal interests of the two would be served. Thus rapidly did there de velop a system of trade relationships, so that there was a constant "stream of merchantmen passing to and from Jerusalem. And in this way the mat ter of choosing a wife for King Solo mon became known .to the nations about,, and it was not long ere bril liant embassies were arriving at Jeru salem with proposals of marriage with the princesses of the neighboring cations, even Egypt sending an offer of the hand of the daughter of Pha raoh. Good old Nathan, the prophet, was not a little perturbed by this latest devcTopment of the situation, and lost no time in reminding King Solomon of the restrictions which the Mosaic law placed upon marriage with the nations about He would have been glad if the king would have sum marily bundled the whole company of ambassadors . back to the kingdoms from which they had come, but Solo mon was too keen a diplomat for that, and while he did not ignore the ad monitions of Nathan, he felt attract ed by the brilliant prospects which a foreign alliance offered. And where the soul comes face to face with the question of religious duty or expe diency which promises rich and glori ous present reward, there is apt to be the struggle which only too often is decided finally in favor of expediency, with the hope and pur pose that the religious obligations shall not be forgotten or neglected. So it was with Solomon, and whea the messengers came from the king of Egypt they found him more than willing to listen to their proposals. And again the good and faithful Na than came to the king and urged up on his heart the absolute claims of God, and with a last parting appeal he left him just as the evening shad ows were gathering. Long the young king sat while the struggle went on in his heart He was too devout and loyal to God to willfully and absolutely violate the command of God, but he let question ings arise in his heart as to whether the word of God meant just what Nathan urged it did. Was' the law of God intended to narrow the life aad limit the possibilities? Was serving God a hindrance to success and pow er? And so as he let the questions and doubts arise it obscured his vis ion of right until the heart became Tess sensitive to God's claims and more alive to the advantages to be gained by following the course which desire and reason ladicated. "Why cannot I make this alliance and still maintain my loyalty to God? And what a splendid opportunity it will be of bringing the knowledge, of the true God to the Egyptians. See how such alliance will not only ad vance the material prosperity of the kingdom of Israel1, but how it will ad vance the cause of the God of Israel." Thus there grew upon his vision the picture of what Israel was yet to become and again he asked himself the question whether he would be do ing right not to take advantage of every opportunity of advancing the material prosperity of his kingdom? And as the matter became settled in his own mind, gradually the voice of God ceased to struggle with him on that point, and so a peace came and a settled conviction that the policy of expediency was the right policy. And so to Nathan the next day the king sent saying: "This thing seemeth good to me. See what glory and honor it will bring to the nation of Israel." And King Solomon dismissed the messengers of the king of Egypt with rich presents for the princess, and sent his courtiers to prepare for the approaching nuptials. BOAST OF OUR CONTINENT. America Has the World's Supply of Humming Birds, Though the art museums of Europe may have some treasures of which America cannot boast our continent has the distinction of a monopoly of the world's supply of humming birds, the gems of all the feathered creation. Of these there are said to be some 4to species the 400 we may call them! nearly all of which are peculiar to the tropical regions. Only 18 cross the borders of the United States from Mexico, and occur only in our south western states. The popular idea is that the hum mer lives only on honey, gathered from flowers. This is a mistake. The bird does secure some honey, bnt Its food consists mainly of the small in sects which frequent the flowers. Some of these insects are injurious to the blossom, and the tiny bird fulfills a useful function in destroying them. That the hummer is insectivorous is also shown by its habit of catching tiny- insects on the wing, which Is occasionally observed. H. K. Job, la Outing Magazine. "i , 1ft f r s-il..- .?& r , 1 iiirossff?iWitf4---:-J'--a-- -.- .-. .:. ft-Lj. -.!. - 'Mm. ;$alk3?3iz$tf-s: -j.x,, -.-:. -Vt- .V.- v- n ? V- r-- ,r.Tt i .- VrA r t ... . -. l.U 4 4 -a ,rK jt