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' . ' " v . . r < ' 1 . . . YORKVILLE ENQUIRER. XSStJBS TWIOB-A*iWaaHjK?WBTOTHSiDAT ANT? PRIDAY. l. h. 8bi8t * 80n8, PnbiiAeri. } % Jfaroilj; g(rospptr: 4?r promotion of the golitigal, ?*pl, g-grinultunal and (forontetirial Jntcrssla of thg ffoitth. {"'ra^'coreTmnicraraCE' VOLUME 42. " YOBKVILLE, S. O., FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1896. NUMBER 24. BY RODRIGUES St. ' _ Author of "A Conflict of Evlc Copyright, 1885, by G. P. Putnam's Sons. CHAPTER XVTL A NEW YEAR'S DINNER PARTY. The 1st of January arrived, and Mr. Mitofael had heard nothing from Mr. Barnes. Inquiry at his office was met by the simple statement that "the chief b u out of town." When he would be back or where a communication would reach him oould not be learned. A few days before, however, a formal engraved invitation to the dinner party naa oeeu mailed to his home address. Mr. Mitcbel was annoyed ait not having any notification of whether or not the detective would be present However, be was oompelled to go ahead and depend upon > the slight chance that at the last moment he would appear upon the soene. He hoped that this would oocur, as otherwise his scheme for the evening would be incomplete. The dinner was to be served at 10 o'clock that night at Delmonico's, where a private roomhad been engaged. It lacked ten minutes of the hour for sitting down, and all the guests had arrived except Mr. Barnes. These were Mr. Van Bawls ton, Mr. Randolph, Mr. Fisher, Mr. Neuilly, Who had decided to spend the winter in New York; Mr. Thau ret, and several other gentlemen. > It lacked barely half a mimxto of 10 when Mr. Barnes Was announced and entered in handsome evening dress. Mr. Mitchel's face Won a look of triumph as he saw him, und he hurried forward * to receive mm. Eivery one present, understood why the detective Was invited, for it was by this time well known that . It wager Was to be decided at 12 o'clock. After the exchange of greetings Mr. Mitchel gave the waiters the order to, open the doors of the dining room, and in the moment's interval managed to get a word with the detectiva "Tell me quickly, have yon suoceed7 ed?" ' tea, thoroughly," "Good ! Write the man's name os a; card, and I will give yon one upon which I have written the name of my man." Mr. Barnes did so. Then they exchanged cards, glanced at them and grasped each other's hands significantly. The cards bore the same name. With * the others they went into the dining room. Mr. Thanret found himself seated next to Mr. Barnes, while on the other side of the detective sat Mr. Fisher. It need scarcely be said that the din ner was enjoyable and enjoyed, though it must be admitted that all awaited anxiously the hour of 12. It will be as ** well perhaps, therefore, to come immediately to the denouement, for which all were assembled. The last course bad been served, and coffee and nuts were on the table, when the olock chimed the hour for which all were anxious. Promptly at the first stroke Mr. Mitchel I arose. There was a silence till 12 was tolled, and then he began: "Gentlemen, you have all kindly uc _ oepted my invitation to see me win a rash wager made 18 months ago. It is Odd perhaps that I should have won? for I announce that I have "won?when we remember that the time was 18 months, which number, as we all know, superstitious persons are inclined to connect with misfortune, lo show, k. however, that I do not harbor such It childish ideas, I purposely made the time of that length, and tonight at the decisive moment we are IS." Here he V Daused a moment, and one might have I noticed that a&veral persons quickly counted those present to test the fact. Continuing, be said: "The superstition in connection with 13 at dinner is a well defined one, and the supposition is that one of the number will die within | the year. I offer as a toast, therefore, 'Long life lo all present?who deserve it.' " The last clause, after a slight hesitation, made a decided effect. However, the toast was drunk in silence. "As some present may not entirely ^ understand what my wager was I must explain that 13 months ago tonight 1 was in a Pullman sleeper with my friend, Mr. Randolph. Mr. Barnes here had just accomplished a neat 'capture of the criminal Pettingill, who has since been convicted. The papers were praising him, and Mr. Randolph did so to me in glowing terms. I ventured the % assertion that detectives run down their prey largely because the criminal class lack intelligence sufficient to compete with their more skilled adversaries. I offered to wager that I could commit a crime within a month and not be detected within a year thereafter. The amount was to be $1,000 and was accepted by Mr. Randolph. I stipulated for conviction, though had I been arrested within the stated period and convicted afterward I should have considered that I had lost the wager. That is why I awaited the arrival of Mr. Barnes en anxiouslv. I had not seen him for 6ome time, and it was possible that at the last moment he might be prepared to arrest me upon evidence that would later convict me. However, gentlemen, I have escaped both arrest and conviction, yet I committed the crime as wagered." "You must prove that," said Mr. Randolph, "and, according to our agreek? ment, it must have been a crime which was much talked about." "Quite right, my friend, but I shall be able to demonstrate all that. By a curious coincidence a rjjbbery was com OTTOLENGUI. > . lenoe," "A Modern Wizard.' mitted on the very night and upon the Bame train npon which we made our wager, while another robbery was committed almost at the moment when the Btipnlated month expired. Thns two crimes transpired within the time allowed me, and with both of these my name has been connected in the mind of the detective, Mr. Barnes. Now, that yon all may better understand the circumstances I must go to what I might oall the beginning. Years ago certain circumstances in my earlier life gave me an intimate acquaintance with tine methods used by detectives, and I then acquired the idea which led me into this undertaking?that where the criminal has succeeded in escaping actual watching during the commission of his crime, so that there is no witness to the act, the deteotive is almost powerless until he learns the object for wbioh tbe crime was undertaken. Am I not right, Mr. Barnes?" "To know the object of a crime, of course, is a great assistance, but muoh would depend upon the attendant circumstances. " "True. The object then is important From this point I reached the conclusion that if a man approached another, totally unknown to him, at night in a lonely neighborhood, struck bim on the head, killing him, and then, unseen, reached his own home, it would rest entirely With himself whether or not he would ever be caught I wanted u chance to try this experiment?that is, to commit a crime solely to test the ability of the detectives to discover me afterward. The difficulty was that U gentleman of honor would scarcely wish to engage in such a reprehensible piece of business. ?*or years, therefore, I could think of no w&v to have my wish, till the merest chance threw the opportunity within my grasp. Waiter, fill np the glasses.rt He paused a moment while this was being done. The men went around with champagne, and when Mr. Thauret was reached he asked to have his burgundy glass filled also. Mr. Mitchel was again speaking.when.fchft waiter..returned with the red wine and did as requested. Mr. Barnes also presented his glass for the 6ame liquor, saying in an undertone to Mr. Thauret, "I cannot take too muoh "One of my hobbiea," continued Mr. Mitchel, "as you all know, is the collection of jewels. A few years ago I heard that a magnificent eet was offered for sale. A rich. East Indian nobleman, so the story goes, had procured the gems as a present to his wife. They were of the choicest quality and of each exactly two, matched precisely in size, cutting and coloration. In time he had two daughters, twins, the mother dying at their birth. Eventually these girls grew up and were married, the ceremony being a double wedding. The father took the set of jewels and divided them, giving to each girl one of each. This greatly diminished their value, for the matching of gems adds to their price. "Reverses of fortune tempted one of these women to offer her jewels for sale. They?were taken to a Paris dealer, who chanced to be a man through whom I had made many purchases. He undertook not only to dispose of thegems, but to reproduce them with a high order of imitation, so that the woman retained the original settings and continued to wear what her friends sup posed to be the genuine gems. I bought the unset stones. Subsequently her sister, learning the secret, and seeing that there was a way by which the jewelry could be retained, while the jewels themselves could be turned into money, engaged the same dealer to serve her in a similar way. Of course I was doubly ankious to obtain this second lot, for by <1nino cn T onhnnnoH tha volna nf fhnon which I had already. I therefore bought them also." He paused a moment, to allow the company to recover from the surprise at learning that the stolen jewels were his. "This lot was sent to me through the BostOD custom house. I instructed the dealer to do this because I had found that goods can be received with less delay in Boston than in New York. Being notified by my broker there that they were reudy for delivery, I went to Boston and obtained them. I placed the wallet in a peculiar satchel which had been made to order for me, and carried it to my room at the Hotel Vendome. Later in the day I met Mr. Randolph, and went with him to a theater. He was to return to New York by the midnight express, and I went with him to the depot. As Ave stood awaiting our turn to purchase tickets you may imagine my utter astonishment to see a woman pass and board the train having my satchel in her hand. There could be nc mistake whatever, because the satchel was peculiar, both in shape and color. Of course I saw at once I had been robbed. It was useless to go back to my hotel, for that would be time wasted. II by any miracle there were two such satchels, mine was safe in the hotel. J therefore astonished Mr. Randolph bj offering to accompany him, and I did so, occupying the same section with him. "While I was thinking what action 1 should pursue, knowing that once the train started my truer wouia db saie as far as New Haven, Mr. Randolph began to nraise Mr. Barnes, and like a dash il "He had my satchel." came to rue that this was my chance. I would rob the thief of my own proper; ty. The8 if caught I con Id not be imprisoned, while if not 1 would not only Win my wager, but 1 won lid have the excitement and the satisfaction for which 1 had wished. One thing threatened to upset my plans. Mr. Barnes by -1 -3 AL. an oaa cnauce came aouaru me mttue coaob, was given the section next to ours tud overheard ottr -conversation. This of course I coald not have oonhted nprtn " "Ton did take it into yottr account, though," interrupted Mr. Barnes. "You mean that I Tefused to tell Mr. Randolph what I meant to do, saying that I might be overheard, dad that I might even be tatting for the benefit of ; a listening detective? True, but I had no idea that this was so. It was merely extreme precaution, and only shows that we can never be too cautions in an endeavor to keep a secret. Later, however, I heard yon get rip, rind peeping through I the curtains I Saw yon sitting rip or rather lying in a berth opposite, With the curtains drawn, I at onoe supposed that you xriust be a detective. Hy companion Was soon asleep, bnt with $100,. 000 worth of jewels in the balance 1 could not sleep. I was busy wondering what I should do. I think, though, that : 1 must have dozed, for I know that 1 was startled to discover suddenly that we were not moving. I looked out of our section window?fortunately I was next to it?and found that we bad ran into the depot atr 'New Haven. Like a flash it came to me that the thief might leave the train here. I was about to get up, when to my astonishment 1 noticed a man sneaking along by the side of the T am ^Ua tKut UUUlt X VYTUJ UU UiO OiUC UJJJAK3IVO IV IMiHV from which the passengers would alight, and the suspicions actions of the man forced me to watch him. He passed so close to me that I could have touched him had my window been open, and as he did so the light of an electric lamp disclosed the fact that he had my satchel The thief had been robbed already. The man approaobed a coal bin, and stooping shoved the satchel behind it Then he returned to the train and came aboard. "I said to myself: 'That fellow is an artist. He will remain on board till the robbery is discovered, if necessary, and even allow himself to be searched. The^ he will quietly come back and get the satchel and jewels.' Thus it was mycne to act quickly. But if I left the train I knew that the detective would see me. I therefore gently raised the sash and deftly let myself to the ground out of the window. I quickly took the satchel, ran to the end of the depot, and found a place where I could shove it far under the platform. Then I climbed back into the berth, and after that I assure you I slept very welL" The company applauded this description of how the robbery had been committed, and Mr. Mitcbel bowed. "Wait, my friends; we are not through yet. The woman who had robbed me had the supreme audacity to report her loss, or perhaps we ehould say that she was so angry that she became desperate. 1 have reason to believe that she bad an accomplice in this man, and that snspecting him of robbing her she would have been willing to give testimouy against him if caught and trust to escape herself by turning state's evidence. When we were running in to New York, Mr. Barnes directed that all should be searched. I enjoyed that, 1 assure you. It seemed so amusing to look in New York for what I knew was in New Haven. At the same time I was anxious to get back to New Haven as quickly as possible. With that end in view I invited Mr. Barnes to breakfast with me. I tried to make it appear that I was anxious to have him agree to be the only detective on my track, but in reality I wished to discover whether be would be able at ouce to place a spy at my heels; that is, whether he had a man at the Grand Central already. This I found was the case. I therefore was obliged to go to my hotel as though having no desire to leave town again. Then subsequently I eluded this man by the convenient bridges across the elevated railroad. I went to New Haven, four" the satchel, and then depos| ited it at u hotel near by for safe keeping. My object in this was plain. I knew that the robbery would get into | the newspapers, and that by behaving suspiciously at the hotel?of course, I | was disguised?attention would be attracted there. This did happen, and the result was that the jewels were given 11(0 the custody of the police authorii. s, the very safest place for them, 60 far as l was concerned, uenuemen, rnai . is the story of the crime which I com) mittcd. I have only to show my receipt . from the Boston custom house and my i bill of sale from the Paris dealer to be able to recover my property. Are you ^ satisfied, Mr. Randolph?" ( "Entirely. You have won fairly, and j I have a check for the amount with me, which you must accept with my con. gratulations upon your success. " "1 thank you very much,"'said Mr.. Mitchel, taking the check. "I take this because I.have immediate use for it, as you will learn directly. Now I must tell yon the true story of the other robbery." At this all were very much astonished. Mr. Thauret appeared a trifle nervous. He placed one band over the top of bis claret glass, and let it rest there a moment, after first having taken a sip from it "You all recall the fact that I was sick in Philadelphia," continued Mr. hlitchel, "at the time of the Ali Baba festival. I flatter myself that that was the most artistic thing that I have done throughout this whole affair. Any one seeing me would have been satisfied tl^at I was truly ill, yet, in point of lacvmy cougn WOS uruugui uu ujr uxugo adm\istered to me by my physician at my ekpress desire, and for purposes which I had explained to him. I guess-, ed that I had been followed to Philadelphia and took care that 1 should not be; too closely watched, as Mr. Barnes knows. Yet I expected that after the j affair Mr. Barnes himself would come; t^s Philadelphia to see me, and my artificially produoed illness was to baffle b^m. But 1 am anticipating events. ; ' 4fter the train robbery the woman was j murdered. By what seemed an odd chance she was in the same bouse where1 my wife then lived. I knew that I had been followed from the theater to that | house on the night of the murder. I Wmw that other oircutnstances pointed : strongly to my gnilt. But I bad the ad! Vantage dv?r the detective, (or I knew i that the man who bad stolen the .jew; els from the woman, not finding them Wheb he tetutnbd to New Haven, meet have been fntfions. Judging the Woman by himself, he would suppose that at least it wan possible that she bad taken them from the satchel herself. Then on that slim chance might he not have returned to the woman, -and, admitting the theft of the Batchel, have Endeavored to make her confess that she still had the jewels? bailing in this, might he not either in a fit of anger or to prevent bet from 'peaching, ' Sb they call it, have cnt her throat?" "You are Wrong there, Jit. Mitchel,'* : laid the detective. ''Th" woman Was | Killed while she slept T^ere was no Struggle. "Even bo, we can imagine the sneak going into the house and killing her that he might search for the gems undisturbed, and also to rid himself of a companion for whom be no longer bud ' any need. At least, that was the view that I took of it, and, more than that, I felt convinced that I knew the man." At this moment Mr. Thauret nervously reached forth his band toward his glass of wine, but before be could get it Mr. Barnes bad taken it up and drained it to the bottom. Mr. Thauret seemed livid with wrath, and a dramatic incident occurred, unobserved by the rest of the company. Mr. Thauret turned toward Mr. Barnes and seemed on the point of making a demonstration, when that gentleman just tipped back his chair slightly, and meaningly exposed to the view of his neighbor the gleaming barrel of a revolver, which be held in bis band below tbe table, in is only occupied a moment, and immediately afterward both men seemed, like tbe others, simply interested listeners to the narrative. "When I say that I thought that I knew the man," continued Mr. Mitohel, "I make a statement which it may interest you to have me explain. In the first place, 1 saw the fellow who hid the satchel at the New Haven depot Still I obtained but a momentary glimpse of his face and would not have been sure of identifying him. I will call your attention now to the fact that very slight incidents sometimes lead the mind into a suspicion, which, followed up, may elucidate a mystery. Prior to the train robbery I had met a man at my club one niaht. or rather I had seen him playing a card game, and I conceived the notion that the fellow was cheating. "Within a few dayB of the robbery 1 met this man again, on which occasion Mr. Barnes was present, and an interesting conversation occurred. I was standing aside, pretending to be otherwise engaged, but really puzzling over the face of this man, which now seemed to me strikingly familiar. Of coarse I had seen bim at the club, yet despite me there was an intuitive feeling that I had seen him elsewhere also. In a moment I heard him admit that be bad been aboard of the train on the night of ; the robbery, and that he had been the first one searched. Awhile later he of- | fered to wager Mr. Barnes that various theories which had been advanced as to , the thief's method of secreting the jew- j els were all erroneous. This one remark satisfied me that the thief stood before , ma I had not then neara or iue ujuider. Now it must be remembered that I was insnared in the meshes of circum- i stantial evidence myself, so that, be- I sides any duty that I might owe to so- | ciety, it became of vital importance to my own safety that I should be in a po- j sition to prove this man guilty. I form- j ed a rather bold plan. I made a friend of the fellow. I invited him to my room ; one night and then accused him of hav- i ing cheated at the card game. He at first assumed a threatening attitude, but I retained my composure and perJiar?o ctartloH him hv nrnoosincr to form a partnership by which we conld fleece the rich clubmen. I hinted to him that I really possessed less money than I am credited with, and that what I did have I had taken at the tables on the continent. He then admitted that he bad a 'system,' and from that time we posed as good frieuds, though I do not think he ever fully trusted me. I learned from him that his partner in the game where I caught him cheating was en tirely Innocent and made him promise not to play with him again, for I had discovered that the detectives had been told of this game, and therefore knew that they would be watching both men when playing cards. I therefore preferred to be the partner myself upon such occasions. "Having somewhat won the fellow's confidence, I was ready for my great scheme in baffling the detective so that I might win my wager and at the same time entrap my suspect. I had conceiv ed the Ali Baba festival. I showed Mr Barnes one day the ruby which I afterward presented to my wifa At the same time i told him that if he should come to the conclusion that I was innocent of the train robbery, he. might as well remember that.l would still bare to commit the crime as agreed upon. Then I arranged that the festival should occur: on New Year's, night, the very t!ay on; which my month Would'expire. i knew j that all this would lead the detective to believe that I meant to rob my fiancee,. a crime for which I might readily bavOj i escaped ptmishmeht, 'With her assist-; ance. There he misjudged me. I would > j not for treble the sum hate hWd her 11 name mixed up in such a transaction. ; She kqew absolutely nothing of my intentions; though being at that time in | ignorance oi the aetaus or me tram roDbery, I left her Wind in a condition hot \ to offer resistance to the thief, who She i might suppose to he myself. Then, after hying my trap, at the last moment i i baited it by asking toy fiancee to wear i the rnby pin in her hair. I went to Philadelphia, end .feigned sickness, . Then 1 eluded the spy and came on myself. Mr. Barnes I supposed would be present, and I had arranged that if so | ae would necessarily ke in one of the iominoB of the Forty Thieves. 1 bad invited my suspect to aSbnme the role of ( Ali Baba, but he shrewdly persuaded some one else to take the costume, him- ( self donning one of the Forty Thieves' dresses. This compelled me to go around speaking to every one so disguised, and , to my satisfaction, by their voices, i , discovered my man and also Mr. Barnes. In the final tableau Mr. Barnes, who evidently Wan watching Ali Baba, attempted to get near him, and by chance , 'was immediately behind my taan Fearing that he WdAld interfere Wicb tiay phms, 1 fell in just behind him. ' I Iaiv.l.. my uesigii was wj uuiiin iuc uuui* ?u steal the ruby, which, if he did, wcrald satisfy at least myself that toy suspicions were correct It was perhaps a mad scheme, bat it succeeded. I had so arrfahgi d I hnl M>Opifln?ahna1d pass the sultan and make obeisance. In doing this, as my fiancee was seated on the floor, the rnby in her hair wonld be jnst at baud, and one who knew its high value conld easily take it I fully expected my man to do this, and I saw bim gently withdraw it Immediately Mr. Barnes stepped forward to seize him, but I held the detective from behind, then threw him into the advancing crowd, and, in the confusion, escaped from the house." Mr. Mitcbel paused, and silence prevailed. All felt, rather than knew, that ~ * ?Ko of Vian/3 Mr Than. a ua^cujr UJJgiJV %ro MU UIUJU. ret, however, in a moment said: "Are yoh not going to tell us the name of this sneak thief?" "No," quickly responded Mr. Mitchel. "But yon are wrong to call my suepect a sneak thief. If crime were a recoguized bnsiness, as gambling in Wall street is now considered, this man would be counted 'a bold operator.' I confess that I admire him for his cour- ' age. But it would scarcely do for me to mention bis name, when I am not in the position to prove that be is the ( guilty man." "I thought you said that you saw , him steal the ruby?" said Mr. Thquret. , "I did, but as I myself had been suspected of that my unsupported word would be inadequata Let me tell you ( what I have done in the matter since. The most important step forme perhaps was to prevent the sale of the gem. , This was not difficult, as it is known the world over. I warned all dealers and let my man know that I had done eo. Next, I wished to delay a denouement until tonight, the time when my wager with Mr. Randolph would be j settled. 1 soon UJ6UUVC1CU tuau iaij nunpect would not be averse to a marriage with a rich American girL He qnes- j tioned me adroitly as to the fortune which would come to my little sister- [ in-law, and I replied in such away that I knew he would bend his energies in that direction. Then I did that which perhaps 1 should not have done, but I ' felt myself master of the situation and 1 able to con* <1 events. I made a wager ! with Dora nat she would not remain unengaged until tonight, and I stipulated that should she have offers she ! should neither accept nor reject a suitor. I also told her, though I declined to ' fully explain how, that sue wouia materially assist me in winning my war ' ger." I This explains what Dora meant when 1 she asked Mr. Randolph if money would j count with hijn against her lova When ' she accepted the wager with Mr. Mitch- 1 el, she had been feeling resentful to- ' ward Mr. Randolph, who, as long as he 1 suspected his friend of the graver crimes, hesitated to become connected with him by marriage. This made him less attentive to Dora, so that she had not thought ' of him as a suitor when making the 1 bet. When he declared himself, she rec- 5 ognized her predicament and was corre- ' SDondingly troubled, yet determined to win, and eo acted as related. < By this time, though Mr. Mitchel * had not mentioned the name of the < jriminal, several present knew to whom J he was alluding. Mr. Randolph eaid t impetuously: 1 "Then that explains"? Here he stop- < pedj confused. ' ""Yes,-" said Mr. Mitchel, smiling, "that explains everything that has perplexed yon. Be reconciled for the tame yon have been made to wait, far yoa will now not only win the lady, tat will recover this check, for I most pirn ft over to her as a forfeit. Gentlemen* shall we drink tc the health and success of Mr. Randolph?" This was done in silence. The gneets felt a constraint They knew that move was yet to come and anxiously waited for it. , , ' Mr. Mitchel continued: "Gentlemen* that ends my story, except that I en-. gaged Mr. Barnes to take np the threads of evidence which I gave him and to disentangle them if he could. 'Shall we hear his report?' TO BK OONTINUED. J SjftisceUanMmji ftodtog. TSvelve Conundrums.?What is that which in encases, the more yon take from it??A bole; . ttti 1_ i_ r j UL. a.-. wny are cuhis iu uuouuu u&e wwns given up to .plunder??Because the> are sacked and LurnU, , Why is a gatepost like a potato?? Because they are both put into the ground to propagate. What word may he pronounced quicker by adding a syllable to it ?? Quick. . ... .? i-.; i i What 1b that which Adam nevet saw, never possessed, and -yet gave, two to each of his dbildfen??Parents, What is that which \ve often seg made, but never see after it is ipade? Anoiae. ,. . What is that whioh no one wishes to have and no one wishes to lose ??A bald head. : %t, , What is the difference between a sailor and a beer drinker ??One pats his sail up and the other puts his ale down. . , What is that which is ahoye all human imperfections, and yet shelters and pfoteOts the weakest and \yicked: est as well as the Wisest and pest. pf mankind A hat. What is that which is often brought to. the table, always cat, and never eaten ??A pack of" cards. ,u What are the most unsociable things in tbe world ??Milestones, for yon never see two of tbem together. The Bicycle In Japan.?An American wheelman who has recently been , in japan, says: "Heavy iron bicycles, weighing from 46 to 60 pounds, are used by a few. of the Japanese in some of the larger cities of the empire, and when the people hear tbem comibg in the distance a general scattering takes place so as to give the rider a wide berth, for he frequently comes in forcible contact with pedestrians, and sometimes collides with the houses, shaking tbe flimsv structures to their very foundations. At Tokio I became acquainted with a Japanese bicyclist, who occasionally accompanied me on excursions to places of interest about the city. Owing to the fact that the roads are very narrow and without sidewalks, he often had the misfortune to run down an imprudent spectator, and both would roll in the mud. Then victim and rider would get up, and each would profusely apologize to the other for the mishap. There is a Japanese bicycycle factory in operation ?in Yokohama, but as yet the vehicles turned out are very cumbersome and little used." Telephoning a Dog.?Jack is a coach-dog who found bis master by telephone. In some way Jack got lost, and fortunately was found by one of bis master's friends, who went to bis office, and asked by telephone whether the gentleman had lost his dog. "Yes; where is he ?" was the reply. "He is here. Suppose you call him through the telephone." ,The dog's ear was placed over the ear-piece, and the master said : "Jack, Jack ! How are you Jack ?" * Jack instantly recognized the voice, and began to yelp. He licked the telephone fondly, seeming to think that his master was inside the machine. At the other end of the line the gentleman recognized the familiar barks, and shortly afterward be reached his friend's office to claim his property. t@T Everybody is said to be miserly in some one direction. The anecdote is told of a well-known millionaire who supports a uews-boys' home, but he will never buy a paper without trying to get it for half-price. If he succeeds, quite likely he gives the boy a quarter. Baron James Rothschild, who did not mind bestowing thousands of dollars jpon a hospital, was so miserly with postage stamps that he often sent his private letters at the expense of the Brm. Fredrika Bremer's mother would make presents of bouses and lands to her children, but nothing would induce her to part with a bit of lace. Her hoarding propensity lay in that direction. ggT Notwithstanding the rapid advance of exploration in various parts jf the globe, a recent estimate by a member of the Royal Geographical 'ociety shows, that no less than 20,000,)00 square miles of the earth's surface yet remain unexplored. The largest unexplored area is in Africa, 6,500,000 square miles, but even North America contains 1,500,000 square miles of virgin territory. Some readers may be surprised to learn that there is three times as much land awaiting the foot )f the pioneer in North America as in South America. . <