1
THE OMAHA DAILY HISE : V LIT DAY , MAT 'JO , 1H5MI. 5)
BY FIRELIGHT.
l y C. T. KEVIZKi ; .
( Copyright , ISM. 1 - C. T. Revere )
Persimmon Gap Is In Arkansas. H U
hidden away In thnt portion of the stntc
whcro the Impudent little Oznrks suddenly
seem to apologize for their prominence and
humbly drop out of slRht , or blend gradually
with the rolling prairies which fringe th *
Intermediate swamps of the lied river bet
toms. Hero nature mica supreme. The neil ,
which produces so luxuriantly , unfilled and
untcnded save by the primal husbandman ,
seems sulky when man tries his hand nml
dwindles In Its yield In a year or so to a
fourth of a bale ol cotton or five bushels of
corn to the aero. Then the. land reverts to
Its original holder and Is quickly seeded In
persimmon , sweet gum and Blunted pine.
Even humanity bowa to this omnipotent
forco. Take the Inhabitants , put them to
clearing "now ground" or thinning cotton ,
and they droop and fnlnt. Let them hunt
'possum or Invlto them to a log-rolling and
the step Is clastic , the voice has a trumpet
ring and the cyo gleams with a brightness
that would shame a diamond. Tourists passIng -
Ing swiftly through that small section ot the
country which the Iron Mountain railway
bisects dub them "natives" aa contemp
tuously as If they wcro speaking of the in
digenous fauna or flora of the locality. ' The
stray negro who has the hardihood to pcno-
trato the wilderness thus far calls thorn
under his .breath "IV whlto trash. "
Living away from the great centers of
trade , away from the busy llfo to the north ,
cast , south and west , these people are not ,
novottbtilc's , slmplo Arcadians , trusting ,
guileless and hospitable. The wayfarer re
ceives scant wclcomo among them. His
coming Is viewed with suspicion and hla do-
The newly filled pipe sent forth 'Its ' clouds
in Intermittent gusts. At times the smoke
curled lazily upward , expanding In little
bluish-white parachutes , twisting Itself Into
fantastic shapes , and finally melting away
as 'Its ' fire-born brother Issued from the bowl.
Then the stranger's "brow " VtoUld contract , his
firm Jaw would tighten its grip on the amber
mouthpiece , and angry llttlo puffs would
arise In quick succession and form rings
which resolved so fiercely that they soon
shook themselves to pieces. The stranger
was evidently In a bad humor.
Old Mort tied his horse and went around
to the woodpile. Dy way of salutation ho
grasped his mottled beard , ducked his hoar ] , j
dyed a cottonnood chip brown with tobacco
Juice , said "Howdy , " and sat down on the
saw buck.
The stranger nodded.
"l < 'lno mo'nln' , mister , I kaln't call ycr
name. Dunne cz 1 ever hccrn It. " And
Mort eyed him expectantly.
"Yes , It Is a flno day , " returned the
stranger , neglecting the Implied Interroga
tory uppermost In Mori's mind.
There came a silence. .Mort squirmed , ex
pectorated and threw a chip at the pups ,
"Couple o' mighty likely lookln' dawgs ,
Mister Mister what did I understand yo
to say ycr name wuz ? " Again Mort leaned
forward In anticipation.
"I don't think you understood anything , "
said the stranger with * crlsp Inclslvenes ? ,
and his cyo cowed his questioner with Its
fierce gleam.
"Wai , o' cou'so I dldn' know. "
Another silence , worse even than the first ,
for the pups had suspended hostilities and
Hero DIM extracted from the depths of a
capacious pocket a shining coin of the
commonwealth and held It up to view , as If
to settle all doubts of his veracity.
A short consultation followed and then
the questioner Innocently asked :
"When did he say ho'd want yo ter mall
another tur him ? "
"He never sny. He kin' o' mumble like
an' say 'cf thet thar don' he'p mailers Ihe
Jin's up. ' Acted like ho never seen mo an'
kin' o' groaned like. Then ho all brustled
up an' tol' me ter hurry cr I'd miss the
train. "
Within a few days after this eplsodo the
stranger began lo come lo Iho poslofflce al
Persimmon Gap. The opening and dlslrlbu-
lion of the mall was a ceremony which was
exceeded In Its obsequious solemnity only
by the cutting of the first watermelon of
the season. Those present sit around on
nail kess and tobacco butts and talked In
hoarse whispers or chewed their thumbs for
want of other provender. The postmaster ,
looking over his glasses , would read off the
names as If ho were announcing Ihe result
jot a prlzo contest. Ho who was lucky
enough to hear his name called would
stumble up and receive Ihe missive and
slouch back lo his seat , observed and envied
by all.
When the stranger came to the postofTlcc
the habitues of thai resort thought he did
It as an evidence of sociability. His taciturn
manners and Icy rcscrvo soon dispelled that
theory. He would listen Intently as the
rustic Nasby droned off Iho names In
pompous monotone and go home to return
the next day.
Ono day the postmaster united the llttlo
package of letters and was mumbling out
the superscriptions when ho came to a
square , scented envelope. Ho began spelling
out the name wrlllcn In bold perpendicular
characlcrs. The loafers present picked up
their ears at the unaccustomed combination ,
and then followed Iho Inevitable- expectora
tion that marks the awakening of Arkansan
faculties. With a quick movement the
TOOK HIS PIPE AND SAT DOWN BY THE WINDOW.
parturo often hastened by a curt request.
For the explanation or this conduct ask
of the Incense arising from some secluded
nook ; of the barrels consigned as "mo
lasses , " though no cano Is raised ; of the
streams redolent with Iho odor ot splrltus
frumentl. I say , ask them , for I will not
answer. Many a revenue ofllcer with moro
curiosity than discretion has failed lo report
to Uncle Sam the cause thereof. Some
times It was because ho did not stay long
enough ; sometimes because ho stayed too
long , but mainly It was because ho could not
dodge the bullets from the unerring muzlo
loader of the moonshiner. Yea
( \\o cry It not from the house
tops ) hero thrives the "worm , "
which Is probably a degenerate descendant
of that biblical reptllo which "blteth like a
serpent and stlngcth llko itn adder. " The
obstinate soil , which , aided by bucolic arts
alone , would scarcely feed a mule , Is able ,
with Ihe asslstanco of a "wildcat still" no
larger than a lunch counter coffee boiler , to
supply half the neighborhood , glvo employ
ment to four or five revenue ofllcera and
keep the community In a state of terror.
Poor crops , low prices and no market fur
nish the excuse for Illicit distilling , and woo
bo unto him who falls to BCD In this excuse
a god-given reason for the remission ot the
tax.
tax.Ono
Ono drizzling , soggy afternoon In Novem
ber a stranger arrived at Persimmon Gap
and engaged board at old man Yolilell's. No
ona know whence he. came except that the
fast mall had dropped him at the Merlon
water tank , twelve miles to the south. Ho
was evidently from the north ; first , because
his accent betrayed him ; second , because ho
ate sparingly of the pork , heavy biscuits and
corubread and drank thrco glasses of milk
with each meal. Ills whlto hands , his hnlr ,
which refused to stay parted on ono side ,
and a certain Ineradicable polish told In
spite ot Jean trousers and hickory shirt that
he waa a well-bred city man , Besides , ho
paid his board for a month In advance.
What northern city ho hailed from no ono
was able to decide. Many a guess was haz
arded , but the stranger smoked aromatic to
bacco In his short briar pipe and preserved
a Sphlnx-lilto silence. 1)111 ) Hornlday , who
had brought him over from Merton , was In
terrogated , but the Inquiry was nhout as
satisfactory as If ono of Hill's mules had
bec.n put on the stand.
"Wai , I dunne nothln' 'baout It , " quoth
Dill as ho toro off a largo chow of "home
spun. " "I taken a bale o' cotton down to
the dcppo when ths passenger como In. He
steps nn' axes mo wba' I wuz again' , I tol1
him an * ho ax mo at the town growc4 much
lately , I tol1 him 'twant no town , on'y a
bad place In the road , an' ho say ho gues ho
come , ail' ho came. "
"Wba did ho cpmc frum ? "
"Ho never say , 'Feared llko ho dldn1 ax
no questions an' dldn' answer none neither. "
And Dill shifted his quid uneasily.
The community receiving little Information
from this source , a few of the faithful depu
tized Mort need to take the stranger's con
fession and. In the absence of complete sat
isfaction , to hint moro or lesw pointedly that
Persimmon Gap was too small a field for his
abilities. Mori's position as the supposed
leader of the "wild-cats" made it eminently
fitting and proper that ho should bu the in-
quleltor general.
The stranger was sitting on the chopping
block of YelJell's woodpllo mucking his pipe
and tossing chips at a couple of pups that
\ were wrestling with one another. His flercu
palo face had an expression of dreamy medi
tation. His clear gray eyes had an Intio-
spoctlve look , and , while they were focused
on the festive canines , they seemed to bo
occupied with something entirely different ,
Ihcro was nothing to look at but a motley
array ot chips and an Ill-corded pile of
wood.
Finally , "Wha" ye frum ? Kansas ? "
'No. "
'Mlzzoury ? "
No. "
Texas ? "
No. "
Hero this sort of Inquiry ceased , probably
tecauso Mort's limited knowledge ot
geography prevented him from asking anymore
moro leading questions on the subject.
"Ain't In no reg'lar blznoss , I reckon. "
"Not at the present moment. "
"Hero fur yer health , mebbo. "
"Yes ; If you want to put It that way. "
" 'Pears kin' o' llko I got ter put a good
many things ez I want ter. Say , did yo
know this fwan't a very healthy place fur
a feller o' yer dellklt constllutlon ? "
"No. Isn't It ? "
"Naw. Too much ager and chills an *
fever. "
"I don't think those maladies are danger
ous In the winter time. Desldcs , I am well
provided with quinine. "
"A ticket fur Texarkanny Is a d d night
bolter. Now , looky hyer , stranger ; my name
Is Mort Heed , an' I don't keor who In h 1
knows It. I axed yo civil questions an' ye
didn't answer 'em. Now , I'll tell ye a lltllo
somelhln' fur yer own good. We're kin' o'
perllckler who wo 'socialo wllh , an' wo
want a man ter mind his own lilzness , an'
kcop his mouth shot , an' not go nosln'
aroun' inter other people's affairs. "
"It strikes mo , " said the stranger , rising ,
"that you arc setting a very poor example
before me. Hero you have been trying to
find out a whole lot of things that do not
In the least concern you. It Is none of your
business who I am , vhat I am , nor where I
como from. You will do well to attend
In your affairs as strictly as I do mine.
Now , Mr. Heed , as I am also rather choice
about the company I keep , I shall ask you
to leave or I shall use force to compel you
to do so. "
Mort gasped In amazement. Ho ran his
fingers through Ills streaked beard and
looked al his horse uneasily.
"Wai , I don' koer fur no fuss , leastways ,
not Jos' now. an' I raout ez well be a
movln1. " He- looked at the stranger wistfully -
fully , "Don't kerry no flat lerbacker , I
reckon ? "
"No , I don't use It. "
Moil mounted his horse and rode off , while
the stranger filled his plpo and watched
him disappear in Ibo woods that lined the
road.
"I couldn't niako nothln' outen him , boys , "
said Mort when ho reported to his fra
ternity. "I kaln't he'p It , fur ho'p ez closemouthed -
mouthed ez a Rod river mussel shell. They
ain't no doubt In-ray mind but what he's a
guv'ment spy , on'y we got ter be a leetle
Kocrful. " Having delivered himself ot this
opinion , Mort spat upon the ground and
"closed the Incident. "
The community was shortly afterward
thrown Into a state of excitement by the
announcement of Dill Hornlday that he had
mailed n letter for the stranger at Merton.
A meeting of the faithful was Instantly called
and Bill was brought before It with sham
bling gait and downcast look ,
"Heerna posted a 'letter ' fur that feller
over at ol' man YeJIdell's. "
"Yas" ( with a poor show of Indifference ) ,
"Wha' d'ye mall it , McrtonJ"
"Yns. "
| "Who wuz It fur ! "
i " 1 dunne , I kolnt read very neart , Fur
to nut woman , I reckon , kaze It had 'missus'
I In front. I seen that. "
"Why dldn' ho mall It hyer ? "
"Kaln't say. He ax me ter mall It on
the train , au' he gin me a elhcr dollar , "
stranger rose and took the letter tieforo the
astonished official could fully decipher the
name.
'It Is for me , " ho said quietly , and he
walked out of the door.
That evening at dusk a man with a heavy
brown beard called at old Mort's front gate
"You are Mort Reed , are you not ? " ho
asked , as that worthy came out In response
to his halloo.
"Yasslr. Thot's whut my ma called me , e
the feller sez. "
"Isn't there a stranger stopping la thl
neighborhood , I think at old man Yell
doll's ? "
"Seems ter mo they Is. Why ? "
"Well , he's one of the most dangerou
revenue officers in the service. I come from
Jordan , twenty-five miles up the road , ant
wo have Just heard that he was down here.
"Wai , I mlstruslcd ez much all along
The boys wanlcd ter bo a lectio brash , bu
I tol' 'em "ter " .go slow , fur we had rlgh
smart o' trouble over Link Cole klllln' tha
doplty. "
"But this man means business , and i
he stays around here there won't be muc
mountain dew to wet our whistles with. "
"What yo goln' ter do about It ? "
' 'We must get rid of him. "
"S'posln' ho won't leave. Ho's a perk
feller an' don't bluff worlh a cenl. "
"Well. "
The man with Iho brown beard eyed Mort
keenly. Mort looked cautiously around.
"Take him off by firelight , I reckon , " h
said In a low voice. The man with th
brown beard nodded.
"You know he has the southwcsl room
and there are no curtains. "
Mort bowed In assent.
"Now , don't fall to kill , for it's all u
with us , If you don't make a sure thin
of U. "
" 0 , I ain't so old but what I kin knoc
the eye outen a squlrml In the biggest tre
'roun' hyer with ol' Molly , "
"All right ! Try to make It at 8:30 : sharp
for I won't rest easy until It's done. "
That night the stranger wrote a letter 1
his room. That It cost him a tremendou
effort could bo seen from the tightly com
pressed lips and the slow , heavy tracing o
the pen over the paper. The anguish In hi
face was transferred to every hard-wrun
word. It was brief , though It told a stor
of suffering :
Marlon ;
Your letler destroyed ray last hope of for
glveness. My Insurance policies , enclose
herewith , are payable to you and will giv
you the competence which I failed to ob
tain , It Is to your interest not to Inqulr
too closely Into the circumstances of m
death , as It might vitiate the policies
Suffice It to say , I do not die by my ow
hand. My broken , mlsspenl life ends her
In the wilderness. u.
He put certain documents with the lette
and sealed them up In a large envelope
After addressing It he gave It to Yelldel
with Instructions to mall that night ant
paid him liberally for his trouble.
Then ho packed his few effects Into th
small valise he had brought to Perslmmo
Gap a few weeks before and walked abou
the room with a quick , nervous tread , Th
pine knots blazed upon the hearth with
snapping , cheery warmlh , but the rudd
glow Imparted a ghoslly pallor to th
stranger's white , stern-set countenance
He looked at his watch and piled more fue
on the fireplace. The flames leaped hlghe
as they licked the tinder-dry bark and th
shadows danced grotesquely on the walls.
He glanced at his wateh again. The line
grew atlll tighter about his mouth. Th
strident cries of the disturbed geese ouUld
care warnlne of some nocturnal prowler
ivoluntnrlly ho thought of Ihe tlmo when
10 hoarse-talced fowl had saved an cm-
Ire. Ho hesitated a moment. Then ho
round his teeth together and too' , his plpo
nd lit It with a cool as ho sat down by
ho window. The roaring tire cast a noonday
adlance about the room , and the weird
ladonc flung their arms with a wilder
rcnzy.
The pipe went out. The stranger 111 U
gain and leaned back In the cane-bottomed
ocklng chair. The sharp report of a rlllo
made the geese fly with rasping , discordant
rlcs of terror.
Old Mort was duly apprised of the news
ext morning , and ho went down to Yell-
ell's as a matter of form. The stranger
till sat In the chair by the window , but this
mo ho waited for the coroner. A charred
ilpo with an amber stem lay In the cold ,
; ray ashes of the hearth. On the low bed
as a false beard , brown In color. Mort
Ickcd It up and looked at the figure In the
chair. His eyes glistened and a softer look
ame Into his hard , weather-beaten visage.
"Wai , dorn my time ! Pore feller , never
lad no gun ter do It with , me-bbe. D'ye
enow whut I think o' ye , Mister whut's ycr
amo ? "
Out the stranger , with his peaceful
ountenanco and the llttlo red clot above
ho temple , neither knew nor cared.
ODD 1'UASIO.N OI-T1CI5 LIVI'THIIS.
lotiri ( > Niiic AurniintN of Worn on
Which AlililliMttlott * Art * HiiNiMl ,
"Wo probably file more queer letters In
ur department , " said a pension office clerk ,
o a New York Sun man , "than arc received
n any other branch of the government
ervlce , hardly excepting the postonVo.
Some of them are Intensely amusing , too.
have concluded that Imagination Is not
> ound down by Illiteracy , cither , because
omo of the most Ignorantly written let-
ers display lnvenll\o genius and cover the
whole range ot fact , flcllon and an Ananlas-
Iko propensity for lying. Men write lo
iavo their pensions increased. Neighbors
vrlto to help along the cause of a man
coking a pension. Wives wrlto to tell the
ommlssloncr why they ought to got pcn-
lous. Family troubles are aired for the
jcneflt of the office. Sometimes the letters
ro so odd that I have waived red tape long
nougb lo make copies of Ihcin. For In-
lance , Ihls la ono from a man asking for a
enslon , after all these years.
" 'The way I got my war Ingery was a-
kctchin of a hog. The hog wor a sow hog
nd our captain wanted her fur forage. Wo
was chasln Ihe sow and she crawled throw
heal In n ralo fence It war a big heal and
thot I were about the sis of the hog and
ried to crawl threw , hut I stuck and tryln
o wlgle out I throdo the rales off and ono
lit mo on my hcd and necked mo senseless ,
do not think the sow pig had nothing to
o with my line for duty , fer I did not ketch
ho hog. Wlch she never war caught. '
"A neighbor tried to do a pension seeker
a good turn In the following effusion ;
" 'I varlly ibellovo that Orvlllo Jameson Is
atlgued from carnln' his leavln' iccos he
s too fatt ways 200 pounds and hav a family
o fead the nabors think ho hav dropsy but
no ho hav no dropsy bejcos ho would bust
f ho had moar Insldes him than he now
lave besides wlch ho are without vitlous
mblts or references. 1 no ho hav solid fatt
and vltlels In him an no dropsy.1
"A New England farmer , who seems per-
ectly certain In his own mind that a pen-
Ion will bo forthcoming Just because ho
asks for It , writes to the commissioner In a
plrlt of vlndlctlveness against his wife ,
which seems a llttlo excusable after you
read his letter :
" 'I got blood plson 'by ' bclngo hit with a
ions eg which was not good when you send
my penscn I want the Deed made sos my
wlfo cant get none off H she throde the eg. '
"A Pennsylvania pensioner waives his de
mand for an Increase ot pension on consid
eration ot being otherjflea provided for , and
writes direct to Ihe secretary ot the Interior
o this effect : - ,
, " 'Now , i want you or the comesenlr of
p'onsens to give me a plals In your offlts
hen 1 won't ask for no moar raze In pcnsen
ius now. 1 can clurk o. k. but 1 can't la-ber ,
or 1 cud hoes the other clurks and malk
ihem stan roun an raze dewllo entltel pen-
sens keapo Ihem from loaflngo whesperln In
offes ours In fack akt as Janeter or supper-
vlser seelngo all Ihlng goan rile. '
"A widow , feeling herself entitled to a
largo pension , writes a detailed statement
of her husband's sufferings and death.
Among other things she says.
" 'My husbnnd was terrlbol bloated. H
didn't look like hlssel. Ho couldn't stoop
over and straiten up without helping hlssel.
To ham , beans , pork , mashtd potatoes , egs'i
> e.il , cabbage , his stummaih was repulsive.
Ills rumatls-m was the kind called lumbago
al ftir.it. His dropsy was terrlbcl.
" T. S. When my husband como back
from the war I supported him on my ncctllo
tell ho died. "
"A man from Delaware did not think that
the doctor's certificate he sent would have
sufficient Influence , BO ho supplemented It by
stating thai : 'I fusl got to bo a totul wreck
from liver and kidneys then I was totully
wrecked 'by ' consumllon wlch came on mo.
Now 1 am totully wrecked by army trubbles ,
sprains and hard marching. '
"Somcilmes , like Silas Wcgg , Ihcy dropjnlo
poclry , or al least they thrcalcn to do so. A
Massachusetts applicant Informs the com
missioner as follows :
" 'I am a granson of Iho revcllslon a son
of the war of 1S12 I will rllo you a peace ot
portry I made on myself and nnscster : My
mcmra > s carrys mo back to the day when I
was stout always able to roll -mjself about ,
but when I undertake It 1 feel the kcan pane
over Take me , It made mo think ot thirty-
three year ago It was the Enama thirsty
bullet that pearsf mo threw the leg it has
made mo wish that 1 was dead. I have al-
wnys been to proud to beg , It has made mo
drcd when I' had to walk upon my Leg , It
has gave mo such a pane , It has made mo so
Lame that I have wlsht that I was dead
then sorteii men would says , hearo sleeps a
herow ho suffered thirty-three years fore his
country know wonder wo can weep not only
that he was a granson of the revcllslon that
hope make the constclushun not only that
he was iv BOH of the war of 1812 that never
did rebell the caus of It I never could tell. '
"An old fellow from the west who had been
put off the rolls 'because of palpable fraud In
securing his pension couldn't stand being
outside the breastworks , and so ho sent Ihls
short communication to Iho commissioner :
" 'I pool In application too bee ro In Stated
bo Ing blinc In 1 1 dog Gen It. '
"Oh , yes , " said the clerk as ho put away
his copies , "If jou go Into Iho pension office
with n sense of humor jou'ro apt to find
plenty of matter upon which to feed It while
you nro filing away the letters. "
AWMIIIOICUKS IX JAi'AN.
Carloun I'luiNc of Dully Life AIIIOIIK
the Poor of Toklo.
Ono of the bills Introduced In the Japanese
House of Representatives , says the Japan
Commercial , Illustrates a curious phase of
everyday life among the lower orders ot
Toklo. The pawnbrokers' law uow In force
forbids a pawnbroker to revy a higher In
terest than 1 sen per month for a loan not
exceeding 25 sen. Thus a pawnbroker may
obtain 12 sen a year for a loan ot 25 sen ;
or ho may oven obtain 12 sen a year for a
loan of 12 sen. Such charges seem high
enough , In all conscience. Nevertheless , the
bill to which we allude denounces the re
strictions of the present law as unduly limit
ing the pawnbrokers' gains , and consequently
quently tending to prevent the people ob
taining useful accommodation.
Many folks , men and women , who subsist
by manual labor In Toklo find themselves
constantly without sufficient funds to buy
Ihelr dinner. They can pay for their break
fast , but money to get a dinner Is wanting.
It Is their habit , then , to put some ot their
cooking utensil's In pawn , thus obtaining
means to pay for their dinner and , when
they receive their day's wage in the evening
they are able to redeem the pledged articles
and also to procure their supper that night
and their breakfast and bath the following
morning. The pawnbroker , therefore , haste
to perform thirty transactions monthly In
the nature of taking pledges and paying and
receiving money. The sum Involved each
day Is very small , and the Interest , as we
have seen , may bo anything from 100 to 48
per cent , but , on the other hand , a charge
of 1 sen per mensem for such troublesome
services is certainly nol exorbitant.
Some of the results of neglected dyspep
tic conditions of the stomach are cancer
consumption , heart disease and epilepsy.
Kodol Dyspepsia cure prevents all this by
effecting a quick cure In all cases of dys
pepsla.
nollrotloiiH of nit Old Maid.
Detroit Free Press : Perfect love ant
perfect Justice arc synonymous. -
AVe live In our thoughts , and the flavor o
HOME JQOWN OP PALE GREEN VEILING FROM HARPER'S BAZAR
A very simple model and ono equally adapled for slender or full figures has a
bodice tucked vertically across tha upper part , both back and front , the tucks reach
ing around the body In an almost complete circle. At the left side of the bodice
under the arm occurs the break In the circle. Here the veiling Is plainly fitted over
the lining. The tucks across the bodice are an Inch deep , six in number , and ore
carefully marked In the pattern , These and the tucks upon the sleeve ( of equal
depth ) ore made directly In with the garment , wherein Ihey differ from the tucks
shown upon the upper skirt. In the latter instance fitted folds of veiling are made
to do duty as tucks. The depth of these folds is one and one-half Inches. Under
the lowest fold , or simulated tuck , is a slightly circular ruffle with scant gathers and
this Is finished by a fuller and narrower flounce , which Is also fashioned after the cir
cular model. This again Is finished with a deep hem. The skirt may bo worn o\er
a drop skirt of cream-colored taffeta , The position of folds upon the skirt ls marked
upon the pattern published by Haiper's Dazar , whcro the design appears. The bodice
Is fastened at the left side and finished In Greek scallops , which are utilized aa cuff
trimming. The plain collar is fastened at the left side of the front by three French
gilt buttons The costume design will prove a dainty one for evening use during the
summer and autumn.
To make this gown in veiling of one color forty-four Inches wide nine yards of
material will bo reaulred. , _ j
ur thoughts Is largely of our choosing
The lighter the heart the moro easily It
s laid at a woman's fret.
The past Is dead all through life , but In
10 moment of dying It Is all that Is alive
Better be Innocent and swing In n ham
mock than \lclous and swing another wa > .
The blind man's night Is less painfully
ark than the night of the contentedly IB-
orant.
Men are more poetic than women. While
10 bridegroom Is trembling with fear and
oy before Ihe snte of hU paradise , the bride
s considering her stores of lions 'hold
nen.
Tbe I'tmrr of Storm.
The Cayman Islands In the West Indies
ere nearly overwhelmed by the recent
; orra. Even apparently secure things are
ot safe. Even It you have health be on
our guard. Disease works stealthily It
indermlnes nnd trouble occurs where It Is
ast expected. An occasional dose ot
lostotter's Stomach Dltters will keep th.6
> owels regular , the stomach sweet and
Ifcnso at bay. It you have Indigestion and
onstlpallon try cures.
SOAPY i.m-Tniis rou Ani'i\\iio.
Vttrnilit -SimiRKlr u Cotiiuuiiilcntliin
TlirouurU the Anu-i-lcnn l.lnon.
In dealing with the Filipinos as enemies ,
a > s a Manila letler lo the New York Sun ,
ho United States soldiers Iiavo found that
hey are not doing business with a race ot
ullards. On the contrary , It takes n wide
wako sentinel to avoid being fleeced by ths
Btutu followers of Aglllnaldo. With a grcal
Ity full ot plotting natives and the lines
utstdo swarming with Insurgents anxious
o get In , the soldiers have had their liiuuls
ull. Arras have been found In every con-
elvable place by the jnovost police , nnd
iavo even been Intercepted while beliiR
mugglcd Into the city In coffins. There aio
crtaln roads leading out of the city Into
ho Insurgent Ifies over which the autliorl-
les deem It safe to allow a llttlo traffic be-
ween city and counlry- For Instance , Bhoui-
or cargoes of clgarotlcs for Iho Interior
nhabltants are allowed lo pass , but a bag
f salt Is considered contraband ot war. In
low of discoveries that have been made ,
t Is now the duty of sentries to squeeze
vorj' bundle that goes past them whether
t looks suspicious or not. Four copies Of u
clegram to Agulnaldo were recently dls-
overed by thrco members of the band ot
ho Colorado volunteers hidden away nicely
n cakes of soap.
For some reason or other a sentry , past
whom an aged old man Irlcd to hobble with
wo baskets full of produce failed to sec why
he Insurgents should be allowed to use
oap. Ho went through the old man's loart
nd unearthed several long bars of cheap
ooklng yellow lye soap. Tills ho throw by
ho roadside and then allowed the carrier tt >
pass on. The fellow gathered up his burden
nd took the highway with surprising alac-
lly. The swiftness of his movements was
xplalncd several days later by George Set-
le , Harry Culver and Ora Fcrrlll , all bands
men , wtien they became possessors of the
oap. The bars had lain under a tree un
molested for some time. Seltle wanted to
> aah his clothes and considered that he had
nado a valuable find when ho came upon
ho soap. Culver and Kerrlll disputed his
assertion that it was good soap nnd , during
ho argument , ono cake was broken In two
and out popped a paper , nicely rolled In tha
orm of a small cylinder.
It proved to bo ono full theet of foolscap
mper wrltlen closely In Spanish nnd glv-
ng a reporl lo Agulnaldo of Ihe acllons
of his soldiers who had been In the city
when hostilities began and were never able
o got out again. The particular event re-
erred to In the letler was Iho Insurrection
of the night of February 22 , when Filipino- ,
et fire to the Tondo district , Manila , nnd
Ired on tile provost police from the windows
dews of houses. It seems that Lcmonn
Lenas , colonel of the Dlancas armas regi
ment of the Philippine army nnd the writer
of the letter , gathered twenty men about
ilm that night to destroy Manila.
"Wo set fire to the buildings around the
Cuartel do Melslo , " the lotlcr read , "anrt
advanced to slaughter the American sol
diers ns they ran out. They carne In such
profusion , however , that wo realized that
nstant death awaited us and wo scat-
ered. "
In another place the colonel eald that
the fires wore 'raging so fiercely that there
was danger of their Joslng ttielr lives by
roasting nnd they preferred to dlo fighting
In a deliberate Ho at the close of the letter
the Insurgent colonel reports that hi *
twenty men had succeeded In killing eight
Americans and hnd thrre of their own
numlirr wounded. The fact li that onlv on *
or two Americans wcro Injured on Urnl
memorable night.
The band men of the Colorado reglmenl
Immediately made further Investigation ol
their laundry finds and unearthed threi
other letters , exact copies of the first , rach
In n separate bar of soap. It had evidently
been the Intention of the sender to smug *
glo the four copies through the lines , with
the hope that at least ono of thorn would
rtach Agulnnldo at M\lnlos. :
\vniMCiits or itoAI.TV. .
1''lie I ill AiloriiiiirnlK MON < AITei'ti'il 1)7
Sonic r.uropomi Monarch * .
The German emperor lifts lisued nn ordci
forbidding the officers of his navy to went
the mustache alone and commanding thai
they grow also full beard , It thu > wish tc
retain hair upon their upper lips clthoi
that , shave their faces clean or wear small
side whiskers , as Is the ruin In the Hrltlsh
nn\y. No other monarch In Uiiropo , sa > s tin
Detroit Free Press , has devoted o much
tlmo and attention to the subject of mus
taches and hair upon the face as has the
kaiser , and during the ten years ot his rclgit
ho has worn his own mustache in every
conceivable form , going to the length oveti
of cultivating n beaul. Hut that the cm-
press persuaded him to shave off , as It did
not In the least Improve his personal ap
pearance. Hut his present mode , that ot
waxing the mustache and giving it the up
ward twist , being closely copied by naval
officers generally , out of compliment to their
sovereign , looked so perfectly ridiculous , In
connection with their uniforms , that tha
kaiser wisely forbade them to continue It.
The beard of the prince of Wales Is of .a
kind known In Paris ns the Francois I , and
Is taken lo Indicate n mixture of chivalry
and Unity a fondness for prensure. with .1
capability , nlbo , of deep tooling generosity
and geniality on ono hand , quick temper ,
even anger , on the other , and this , It must
bo admitted , Is an excellent outline of the
character of the piescnt heir to Iho Ihrono
of nngland.
Another toll-lalo board Is lhal ot King
Leopold of Holglum , "tho stock Jobber and
speculator par excellence of nil the princes
of the blood. " For there Is nnno other
among them to capable of driving a tianl
bargain or of being so eager for ju-cuulary
gain as Is he of the long white beard who ,
with his phenomenal nose , cunning eyes and
hard mouth represents to us truly the mod
ern Shylock.
King George oC Greece always changes
the appearance of his mustncho to suit the
character of his surroundings and accordIng -
Ing to the locality that ho may chance to
bo In as , for Instance when with tils fam
ily In Athens or with his relatives In Co
penhagen his mustache assumes a down
ward curve most perfectly In keeping with
the domestic man , the father and the
grandfather. Hut during any of his annual
visits to Paris It Is transformed and
made more In keeping with the'llto In Hint
gny capital , for It takes on a decidedly moro
rakish twist , Is waxed at the ends and
stand's out at right angles from thb body.
The very finest pair of all the royal mus
taches to bo found In Europe- , though , In.
point of slzo and thickness , nro those be
longing to King Humbeit of Italy. They
aio enowCilto nnd Ihoy Indicate , rightly ,
that ho is a man possessed of dauntless
courage. Dut even magnificent ns his mus
taches are , they do not compare in beauty
with those of his father , King Victor Km-
mnnuol , which wcic so long and luxuriant
that ho could take the extremities and tlo
them with ease In a knot ut the back of hla
head.
The shaven chin nnd voluminous sldo
whiskers belonging to Emperor Francis
Joseph of Austria denote much charactct
and great couitllncss of manner , which
criticism also may bo applied to his lull-
mate friend nnd boon companion , King Al
bert of Saxony. The mustaches of , both
men , though thick , droop dejectedly at t ) ;
ends and tell Iho story of their lives , much
saddened by many disappointments and
miseries , both domestic nnd otherwise.
WHEN YOUR SYSTEM
needs a tonic nature advises you of that fact. There come
wakeful nights , days of weariness , and the inevitable run
down condition of health and spirits.
( a non-intoxicant ) will correct such
disorders. Is at once bracing and
strengthening. Quiets that nervous
feeling. Have you tried it ? Remember that you are to ask
your druggist for BLATZ MALT-VIVINE and that you want no
substitute. Won First Honors at International Exposition ,
Omaha , 1898.
Prepared by VAL BLATZ BREWING CO. , Milwaukee , U. S. A.
Omaha Branch : 1412 Douglas St. Tel. 1081.
JOBBERS AND MANUFACTURERS
OK OMAHA.
HARNESS-SADDLERY.
J HHaney&Co.
W JU'/'r *
HARNESS , HADDLKS AXD COLLARB
tTtbbtrt of Leather , Saddlmfy Hardware , Eta ,
solicit . 313-315-317 . .
We your orders. - - S. 13th.
BOILER AND SHEET IRON WORKS
Hrake ,
& Williams
SaccenKoriVllcuit & Drake ,
Manufacturers boilers , smoke ttncks nnd
troechlnRE , pressure , lendcrln/j / , sheep dip ,
lard and .rater tanks , boiler tubes con-
itantly on hand , tecond hand boilers
bought and sold. Special nnd prompt to
repair * In city or country , 19th and Pierce.
BOOTS-SHOES-RUBBERS ,
D merican Hand
1 V Sewed Shoe Go
M'frs 1 Jobbers of Foot Wear
WKS1EHN AOINT8 FOH
Til * Joseph Banietm Rubber Co ,
CHICORY
The American
V Chicory Gc.
Oiowtr end manufacturer , ot oil form * ot
Chicory Om ha-Vremont-O'Ntl. |
DRY GOODS.
E , Smith & Go ,
Jobtttr * ol
Dry Goods , Furnishing Goods
AND
DRUGS.
T Co
Druggists and Stationers ,
"Qu ta Bie" OpecUltle * .
CUrinv Wines und Urondle * .
Oornw 1Mb uid Uamey Btrtu.
ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES.
w
Company
Electrical Supplies.
Bleotrlo Wiring Bolls nnd Una Lighting
O. W. JOUNHTOW. Mer. 15ia Upward flu
John T. Burke ,
CONTKACTOlt J O
ELECTRIC LIGHT
and PO WER PLANTS
421 South 1 nth St.
HARDWARE.
Gass4ndreesen !
Wholesale Hardware.
Bicycles and Sporting Goods , 1218-21-23
ney Street.
SAFE AND IRON WORKS.
he Omaha Safe
and Iron Works ,
G , ANDKHKN , Prop.
Makes a specialty of -
ESUAPKB.
Uurglar 1'ioof faafofcanu Vault Doors , et
10 It. 14tU MM OtUKlitU.