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* ISSUED TWICE A. WEEK--WEDKTESDAY AXD SATURDAY. ^ I. M. obist & SONS, Publishers. } %, ^amitg ^cuisppcr: 4or the promotion of the political, gociat, ^jricuttural, and Contmeiieiat Interests of the .South. {TER^opy^bhe^c^^^ VOL. 42. YOitK VJT,TA<:, S C., WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1896. NO. 85. TOLD IN CONFIDENCE. By OELIA ELIZA SHUTE. . [Copyright, 1896, by the Author.] "Got that fire built yet, Ory?" "No, marm." "Well, if you ain't the beatum for dallyiu, Ory Pease. Can't you step round a little livelier for once?" A loud rattle of the stove lifter and covers convincingly testified to an attempt being made at more energetic action. "Put on the big biler, Ory, an fill it up to the brim. Mis' Holman's wash this week's a marster one, an we've got to work spry to git it out early. Did Jake draw a-plenty of water?" 11 HI a? ft ricut)'. The voice of the invisible Ory was in harmony with the clang of the stove utensils. In the interval of silence that followed the brisk, jerky tones from the room adjoining announced: "There, I'm a-comin at last It's took me longer than usual this morn in to git my hair bobbed. That plaguy neuralgy takes me so in the shoulder every once in awhile, seems as though I must hpller right out" and a middle aged woman, whose figure was composed of billowy layers of flesh tied in at the waist line by broad gingham" apron strings, appeared, and with an inclusive glance inspected the preparations made. " 'Twon't take water long to bile on top of 6uch a fire as that" she said approvingly. "That biler'll hold more without slopping over. Where's the dipper?" Ora thrust it within her mother's reach, and putting the cover of the boiler on noisily, walked to the kitchen door and looked vaguely around. There was a look of discontent on her small brown face. Tho little house stood alone on the crest of a pygmy hill, which on the right sloped gradually to a winding river', from which it was separated by a thick growth of trees and shrubbery. In front the hillside was smooth and green. On the two remaining sides fruit trees, currant bushes, flower beds and vegetable patches spread themselves about with a gratifying lack of disposition to crowd each other. There was a walk from the seldom used front door to tho gate at the foot of the hill, bordered on both sides by whitewashed stones, heaps of which, piled in pyramidal form, decorated the smooth plots on either side of this walk. The freshness and cleanness of early morning were everywhere present. There were exhilaration and inspiration in the view presented of valley, river and mountain. "Nioe day, ain't it?" remarked Mrs. Pease, cheered by the glimpse' of summer beauty that greeted her as she passed tho open window. 'Nothin wonderful about it as I see," answered Ora almost savagely. "It's fit as any day to work in. I don't see as it makes any difference what kind of a day it is when we've got to slave over washtubs an suds. I'm sick of it all." | Mrs. Pease made no answer, bnt glanced furtively at her daughter's clouded face whenever the exigencies of work brought her near the kitchen door. "It's all her see in Charlotte Frost racin by arter Steve Judkius last night," she said to herself. " 'Twon't do no good to speak of it, though, for she'd deny it up an down. That's got to be straightened out, or Ory'll be down sick with worry in." "Don't stand there any longer, Ory," ahe called peremptorily a moment later, with a change of sentiment born of the demand for action. "We've lost a good quarter of an hour waitin for that pesky fire." The girl came back into tho room, dragging after her by one end a heavy wash bench, on top of which the two women placed a tub of wet linen. Another was already resting cu a broad topped stool, and Ora and her mother plunged their bared arms into the soapy masses without further deluy. Ora's mood was inimical to conversation, and no sound was heard for some time except the swish, 6wish of the linen as jjiuuu uitci piow was uiug^vu imuu^u k the suds to take its place on the zinc ribbed washboards. "Soon's we git 'em rubbed out once y we'll have breakfast," 6aid Mrs. Poase ' at last, pantiDg a little from her violent exertions. "S'pose you run out, Ory, an see if there's any fresh eggs in the nest I'll finish rubbin out" "I'm mo6t done," answered Ora, snapping a handkerchief through the air as she spoke "Ain't this a pretty one, mar?" She held the embroidered web up to view. ' 'I don't see why I can't have such things as well as Mis' Holman." "What earthly good would they do you?" asked her mother - scornfully. "Them things is just for show. I'd rather put my money somewheres else " Ora shrugged her shoulders pettishly. She was in a mood where sympathy would have been as irritating to her as opposition. Her lips opened as though she were about to continue the argu nit*iii, uui uiuwu a^ttiu lis uiu lruui gate squeaked 011 its hinges and hasty footsteps were heard coming up the walk. "Who in natur' can be comiu at this time in the mornin?" inquired Mrs. Pease excitedly. "You don't look fit to go to the door," she added, rapidly surveying her daughter's splashed apron and steamy face. "I'll have to go myself, though I don't look any too trig." Ora looked calmly indifferent, but no sooner had her mother left the room than she ran behind the door that opened into the little front entry and listened eagerly. "Why, good mornin, Steve," she heard her mother say in a loud crescendo. "Come right in. Yes,Ory'sup. We're early risers here," and her cheeks blazed with sudden color as she flew into the bedroom, tidied her hair, wiped her hot face and quickly substituted a neat white apron for the gingham one she had on. Ora had a face that was very attractive in spite of freckles and reddish hair. Her eyes were brown and bright, her teeth unusually tine. As she came timidly into the little parlor, in answer to ner mother's summons, Steve Judkius i made up his mind that he had hitherto ' failed to realize fully what a very pret- J ty girl sho was. 1 "I'm goin to drive my Dew horse i down to tho beach this afternoon," he explained promptly, "an I came round ] to see if you wouldn't like to go too. i You ca.i, can't you?" i "Well, I don't know about it," an- i swered Ora hesitatingly. "There's all them clothes to do today anyway. Mon- i day's the hardest day in the week al- i ways." "Of course you can go, Ory," hastily ' interjected Mrs. Pease. "We can leave some of the things over till tomorrow i as well as not, an the ride will do you 1 lots of good." < "You give me a turn I shan't git over s in a hurry," she said to her daughter, i when Steve, after a few remarks, had gone off smiling at the success of his J errand. "Charlotte Frost would have ] stood a mighty good chance of gittin i that ride if I hadn't spoke up for you. i You act dreadful senseless about some things, Ory.'.' i Ora made a petulant movement She i understood her mother's allusion, but 3 Knflrtnliuvlw ooticifivrfi chtT TTOtHq f pVVUilttiAJ OVUOAVA* V MUM U V ??v did not come easily to her. Now she i hastily divested herself of her company ] splendor and went back to her work, i but her face had brightened wonderful- < ly. Mrs. Pease caught its radiant expression by cautious, surreptitious I glances, but said nothing. To have open- 1 ly recognized the dawning content J would have been fatal to its continu- 1 ance, she knew. 1 Punctually at 2 o'clock (the earliest i hour at which it would be passible to I expect Steve) Ora was ready for her drive and fidgeting about from one front window to the other. Nothing but ? Mrs. Pease's extreme gratification at i the coming event prevented her from t commenting cuttingly on this uneasi- | ness. In the back yard a whirligig 1 clothes drier, stationary from lack of a i breeze, bore on its concentric lines the i morning's work. Ora's conscience was I clear, her face bright. Her pretty little figure in its blue dress climbing over f tne Duggy wueei win ^umuvo ropvuxo t into her mother's heart On one thing this hardworking woman had set her heart. She meant that Ora should marry Steve Judkins if it could be brought about by any means possible to her. Steve had a fine farm and considerable money, and his parShe ran behind the door. tiality for Ora had been sufficiently marked to have been the subject of comment in the village. It was the mother's strongest desire that Ora should bo 1 U<*A Bparcu WJC ILLU ux U1 uugci; ujuv uuw been her own daily portion. "She's a pretty girl, my Ory," she 1 said to herself with a curious tighten- ^ ing at her throat as she watched Steve * tuck the gray lap robe over Ora's dress and straighten himself as he took the ? reins. "Charlotte Frost shan't have ' him!" Her pale eyes lighted with sud- 8 den determination. "Somehow I know a as well as I want to that Steve means somethin by takin Ory out this arter- s noon. If I could only do somethin to <3 help it along! I might as well go up an i see Susan Frost by an by. Perhaps I can b find out if he's been goin there lately, i Guess I'd better go as soon as I can git i things reg'lated, for it looks thundery ? over in the west" t The afternoon was fast waning when 1 Mrs. Pease came out, locked the door, hid the key under the upper step, shook I the gate violently to be sure she had ? hasped it after her and started on her t journey with a briskness that was us- c tonishing considering her physical pro- I portions and the upward slope of the t road. s The thunderclouds were piling higher and apparently absorbing all the air. c The afternoon grew hot and breathless, r On the tall elms that bordered the vil- f lage street down which she passed the 8 leaves hung as heavy and motionless as if carved of malachite. The roadway, c with its grass fringed sidewalks, lay 1 white under the glare of the brilliant a sun. Mrs. Pease's face was crimson I when she stopped in front of a little a brown house with a front piazza shel- i tercd by two umbrageous horse chestnut trees. The promise held out by their 1 clustering branches stirred the tired f woman to ascend the steps with many c gasps and sighs. "Good land 1" cried a voice from an 1 upper window. "If here ain't Mia' 1 Pease!" t The narrow green shutter that had t swung open to admit of this remark's 1 descent was drawn to hastily and a mo- 1 ment later the door blinds flew open a with a jerk and a quick motioned, C shrewd faced little woman, clad in a 1 Mother Hubbard wrapper of brown and 1: white calico, as smooth and fresh as c water and smoothing irons could make r it, appeared. g "Whatever made you stare oat on a such a day?" said sho reproachfully, i " ""OT1 t-i?it a nfllm loaf fail. "Not but \ piUOVUVAUg U ?VVM. what I'm always glad to see you, Mis' j Pease, but seems's if you'd 'a' been more i comfortable if you'd waited until after sundown." e "There ain't much doubt about that," ^ admitted Mrs. Pease, whoso breath ? came wirn startling aud.'blenesa "If h 'tain't too much trouble, I'd like a a glass of water, Mis' Frost. My throat's E terribly dry, waliu through all that dust." * The alert little woman darted through a the straw carpeted entry way as rapidly as though the thermometer had been more creditably employed than in gratifying a ceaselessly aspiring ambition, and was back again as promptly. "Drink this tea instead," urged she, producing a blue willow pattern cup and saucer from which a dtlightful odor arose. "Water's dangerous when you're 30 het up." "That's real kind of you, Mis' Frost," 3aid Mrs. Pease gratefully. "There ain't nothin I like better'n a cup of tea when I git overheated, but, of course, I wasn't goin to speak of it" "I relish it more'n anything myself rach days," said Mrs. Frost, watching the red patches grow paler on her visitor's forehead and cheeks. "This piazsy's real comfortable when the sun gits round behind the house." "Ory often wishes we had one on our bouse," said Mrs. Pease contemplatively. "It's the fust thing we shall have if we ever git rorenanaea, dqc i Deneve in lettin well enough alone." "Ory's notions are a little high," anjwered Mrs. Frost, with a certain meaning, scanning Ora's mother's face narrowly to discern any indications of resentment at her freedom. "You've had i hard time to git your place clear, an [ never favored gittin into the mire ivhen you can keep out. Why didn't Dry come round with you?" "Steve Judkins carried her to the aeach this arternoon with his new lorse," replied Mrs. Pease, trembling it the opportune inquiry that enabled ler to state the news she had come so !ar to tell without absolutely forcing t into the conversation. "It's a reg'lar jeauty. S'pose you ain't seen it yet?" "La, yes! Indeed I have." Mrs. Frost spoke the truth, for Steve ludkins had driven by that very afterloon with his new possession on his way :o get Ora, but with the perspicacity jeculiar to certain minds she divined Sirs. Pease's uneasiness at the indeflliteness of her reply and determined lot to lessen it by any explanatory renark. "He always said Ory should have the ust ride," added Mrs. Pease, unconicious how much anxiety was being nanifested in her florid face. "I ain't sayin she didn't" Mrs. Pease did not lack in penetraiou and could see that Mrs. Frost was indeavoring to annoy her. She was anpry, and, straightening herself, made a >old and unconsidered stroke. " 'Twould be funny if she hadn't," laid she, coloring with the effort she vqs making. "I s'pose some day 'twill >e hern." The rockers on the chair occupied by lirs. Frost made a wide scratch on the tainted boards of the piazza as she gave in involuntary lurch forward. Two litle spots of red flamed in her sallow heek, and her eyes snapped visibly. "Do telll Well, I hadn't s'posed it vas so serious. Then Ory's really aught him at last." Mrs. Peaso was conscious of a tumuluous beating of all her pulses as she tared her questioner in the face. To iear the inference drawn from her preumptuous declaration voiced in such tlain and unmistakable terms almost taralyzed her. "I ain't at liberty to say anything nore yet, "she stammered confusedly. 'An you .mustn't mention it to a soul lutside till I give you leave." "That's queer. I should think you'd ?ant it spread," said Mrs. Frost, liftng her thin eyebrows. "Steve's the atch of the place. If 'twas my Charntte. I wouldn't let the crass crow un ler my feet before I'd circ'late it pretty reely." "Ory's queer about them things. She'd be awful mad if she knew I'd old," returned Mrs. Pease, whose brain eemed to be spinning around erratically. "I shall tell Charlotte anyway," inisted Mrs. Frost. "Steve Judkins took [uito a shine to her one while, an he's nvited her to ride with his new horse ome day. If he an Ory are goin to git narried, he ain't no business to be takn other gals to ride, an sho shan't go. She'll have to have a good reason, hough, or there won't be any stoppin ler." Mra Pease's resources seemed on the joint of deserting her. Diplomacy was is foreign to her as the telling of unruths. Her pale blue eyes were full if a perplexity that mystified Mrs. frost, though the latter had not venured to doubt the truth of her visitor's tatement, disagreeable as it was to her. "There's a parfic'lar reason why I ian't sav anv more iust now." feeblv eiterated Mr& Pease. "Promise mc aithful you won't tell what I said to uiybody, not even Charlotte." The request, which partook strongly ?f the nature of entreaty, had scarcely >eeu voiced when the green shutter ibove flew back with a bang that sent >oth women half out of their chairs, aid a sharp young voice called out triimphautly: "I've hearn it all without bein told, klis' Pease! You ought to be more careul about tcllin secrets under open winters. I'll be down in a minute." The tones of the sarcastic voice fell ike lashes on Mrs. Peuse. She sank into ler chair as helpless as a wounded creaure, her face ashy, her heavy mouth witching pitifully. The quality of Mrs. rrost's questioning gaze made her draw ler breath with difficulty, but that was is nothing compared to the prospect of Univlnfto'c f-nniincr n.t.rnr>lr Thev OOtlld i ear her bounciug through the uppc mil unci down /he stairs, like a herald if the approaching stoma, and in a monent more she came out. She was a tall ;irl with a massive frame and big hands ind feet Her abundant yellow hair rose n a fuzzy mass round her pink and vhite fuce. Her white teeth wero exlosod in a smile that bordered on the ualicious. "I've been sittin at the winder hearir very word yau said," she began; "so ou sec it ain't any use to warn mar lot to tell me. I'm s'prised enough to iear about Ory. From things I've seen n heard I didn't think Steve would aake up his mind so quick." The girl's audacity acted on Mrs. 'ease like an invigorating douche. It roused her to self assertion. The saucv tone, the self conscious smile, the fieflant attitude, all hod a part in her partial restoration. "I never hearn of Steve's pnyin any -particl'r attention to anybody besides Ory," she advanced, with some spirit "If ho has I'd like to know who 'tis. Speak up, Charlotte, if you've got anything to say." "Well, I have. Steve Judkins has paid me as much attention as ever he did Ory. You needn't s'pose that because he's carried her to ride off an on he ain't carried no other girls. I guess I've been as often as she has, an he called here reg'lar all the spring till 1 went up to Aunt Maria's You needn't tell me Oiy's caught him in that little time, because I won't believe you if you do!" "Charlotte!" remonstrated Mra Frost, scandalized at her daughter's plain speaking. "Don't Charlotte me, mar Frost! 1 know what I'm a-sayin." The girl's large face was scarlet with excitement She had stationed hersell directly in front of Mrs. Pease, her hands on her hips and her tall body swaying as she talked. Her eyes had sparkles in them. Even Mrs. Frost quailed under their growing fierceness. "So, there's a partic'lar reason you don't tell more, is there?" she went on jeeringly. "It's my private opinion you can't tell anything that's true! I don't believe they're engaged any' more'n I am!" "Well, now! For the land's sake! Be you a-tellin me I'm lyin, Charlotte Frost?" "Don't seem'8 if you could make anything else out of what I said!" A silence as profound as that which dominated an uninhabited region followed this audacious statement. Charlotte's two listeners sat rigid with astonishment at her daring. Mrs. Frost's look of frightened amazement was tinctured with a certain admiration of her daughter's fearlessness, Mrs. Pease's with insulted dignity. For one dreadful moment she had been completely overcome at her wickedness in proclaiming as true that which had no other foundation than her own strong hope, but the skeptical sneer on the angry face before her, the tone of defiant accusation in the vibrant voice, aroused her naturally combative spirit to defense. "I've got to believe it's true now," she kept saying to herself. "It is true I'm sure of it." Charlotte's eyes seemed to possess the quality of augers. Their pitiless scrutiny was almost unendurable Mrs. Pease's inwafd perturbation was such that she scarcely knew what she was oAvinir She was simnlv conscious, in a dim, indeterminate way, that ahe must support the statement she had been led into making however indefensible it might be. "I had no idee it would touch you so deep, Charlotte," she remarked, feeling that she must say something to prevent herself from thinking. "If I had, I wouldn t have thought of mentionin it, even to your mar." "Well, of all things!" screamed Charlotte. "I ain't said I cared a row of pins about Steve Judkins, have I? I only said he'd give me as much encouragement to think he liked me as he ever did Ory. I don't want him, but I ain't goin to turn him over to anybody without good reason, if I don't. So, now!" "Prob'bly you'll have to make up your mind to it sooner or later," replied Mrs. Pease, whose faith in her own prediction was growing unaccountably. Charlotte's refuge in generalities had lightened her burden wonderfully, and her courage waxed valiant "You really give me a turn callin me a liar, "she added reproachfully. "You acted kinder strange, anyway," put in Mrs. Frost, who had not hitherto ventured to interpolate a remark since she had been so brusquely silenced by her daughter. "How long's it been since they fixed things up between 'em?" The natural question aroused Mrs. Pease's sickening dread by reducing her to plain facts, for which she was unprepared. "I ain't goin to say another thing about it," said she resolutely. "I " You needn't tell me Ory'8 caught Mm." hadn't ought to 'a' spoke at all, but it can't be helped now. All I ask of you is to keep it close till I give you liberty to tell it round." "Well, I s'pose we can promise that," said Mr*. Frost reluctantly. "What do you say, Charlotte?" The girl had seated herself on the top step, trembling with the reaction from the passion that had mastered her. She lifted a fnce no longer red and a pair of eyes in which dwelt a curiously unsatisfied and puzzled expression. There Was something incomprehensible to her about the matter still, and she wrapped her arms round her tall knees and hesitated before giving the desired assent In the distance tho roll of carriage wheels could bo heard approaching rapidly. The pace was so much more rapid than was customary in that vicinity that tho three women were conscious of a thrill of curiosity even in the midst of their personal excitement Each turned her head in tho direction whenco tho noise came, and the carriage and its occupants burst simultaneously upon the vision of all. 'Massy sakesl There they bo themselves!" said Mrs. Frost, rising and going close to the railing to see to better advantage. "How under the light of the sun do you s'poso they happened round this war? Hail 'em. Charlotte I" sne added authoritatively. 'Ten ury her mar's here." Mrs. Peaso gave an ineffectual clutch of desperation at Charlotte's sleeve as i the girl flew past her. She could make no sound. The impending crisis had rendered her dumb. "They can take you home as well as not," continued Mrs. Frost, turning to i her visitor. " 'Twould be a pity if they i couldn't arter such a tramp as you've had. Land alive 1 Have you got a pain? i You look real mizzerble." i "It's a crick in my side,"gasped I Mrs. Pease. "Seemed's if I couldn't git i my breath for a minute " "Ploorisy," asserted her companion. "Put on a flaxseed poultice as soon as you git home There ain't anything to equal 'em. There! They're drawin up. i Charlotte's stopped 'em!" Mrs. Pease shivered visibly, but Mrs. ! Frost was too much interested in watching what was going on before her to i notice it "1 can't make out what ' they're up fo," she announced in a puz1 zled tone. "They aiu't a-gittin out, but they're talkin at a great rate. Hadn't we better bo down to the gate i and speak to 'em?" "I'd rather set still," said Mrs. Pease, in a faint voice. " Well, if you don't mind bein left, I'll run down. Think you'll be all right i if I leave you a minute?" "Yea" As soon as the brown and white calico > had fluttered over the lost step Mra i Pease raised herself in her chair, and gripping its wooden arms tightly looked toward the carriage, which was drawn up by the roadside near the gate. She could see that Steve and Ora were bending forward listening to Charlotte, who, leaning on the rail of the white fence, seemed to be talking with animation. "She's a tellin 'em," groaned the poor woman, stung for the first time into a realization of the enormity of her offense. "What shall I do? Seems's if the very old boy got into me an driv mo to tell that lie. It'll mortify Ory to death. She'll never git over it, either. Oh, what am I goin to do?" She was a sad spectacle as she sat there, her big body cowering in the roomy rocker, her face, framed in a large black bonnet much askew, white with anticipation of Ora's humiliation and despair when Charlotte should have finished her startling revelation. "An right before Steve, too!" she thought, with anguish. "She must have beam it all by this fimo " aho fVinnchtT?resentlv_ "Wonder what they'll say to me fust?" "Mis' Pease!" "Mis' Pease!" "Mar-r-r!" The voices breaking in upon her tormenting thoughts nearly forced a shriek from Mrs. Pease. "I can't go, noway,"she groaned. "I don't see how I can face 'em!" "Mis' Pease, come along down; they're a-waitin for you," called Charlotte's sharp voice, as she advanced a little way up the walk to make herself heard. She put her hands to the sides of her mouth, sailor fashion, and called again: "Hurry up, Mis' Pease. They're waitin to drive you home. " "Drive me home!" Mrs. Pease rose in bewilderment "Why?why?they can't be so dreadful put out then." She adjusted her bonnet with hands that trembled so it was more one sided than ever when she had arranged it "I can't think what it means, unless Ory's too dazed, or too proud, to say a word before the Frosts. I'm thankful they ain't goin to take me to task here! Don't seem's if I could stand that before Susan Frost an that sassy Charlotte!" She tottered a few steps. ' 'S'poso I've got to git down there someway, but my legs don't seem to have a mite of strength in 'em." But Mrs. Pease had been too long ao customed to domineering over others to be wholly crushed by any kind of calamity. Appalled as she was at the difficulty into which she had gotten herself, her lifelong habit of self reliance acted as a brace to her weakened nerves. With a praiseworthy assumption of that capableness which she felt that she had perhaps forfeited forever, she got down the steps in spite of an uncertainty in regard to her extremities to which she had hitherto been a stranger. Her anxious eyes scanned the faces she was nearing with something so desperately imploring in their glance that Ora noticed it at once. "Why, mar! Ain't you feelin well? You hadn't ought to come out such a day. 'T^'as too warm to walk so far." "Dunno how you'd 'a' managed to get home if we hadn't happened to come L? " ""' ^ iAAnlnvlfT TKnrO trflfl vyt OttlU OW5VO JVA/U4UA4J. f> MU noticeable buoyancy in his hearty voice, nnsuppressed happiness in his pleasant, rustic face. Mrs. Pease looked uncertainly from him to Ora, whose little brown face wore a blissful expression that her concern for her mother was powerless to subdue. Charlotte's felicitations had produced a most unexpected, most inexplicable effect The attendant humiliation seemed to have been transferred to tho unlooked for side, for Mrs. Frost stood by tho wheel with a disappointed countenance, and Charlotte was twisting her big hands together with an unsuccessful effort at lightness and indifference in her demeanor. Mrs. Pease found speech quite beyond her. She took refuge in her accredited pain, and kept one hand pressed to her side. "Git right in, mar," said Ora. "We'll have you home in no time." "An don't forgit that flaxseed poultice," urged Mrs. Frost, as she and Charlotte assisted their fleshy visitor Into the buggy; Steve, while facetiously suggesting a derrick, having all he could do to hold in his frisky animal during the formidable operation. "You sit on the 6eat, mar," said Ora laughingly, "an I'll git down in front" "Wait a minute, an I'll git you a cricket," suggested Mrs. Frost. "Run in, Charlotte, an git tho one that's at the foot of the lounge." But Steve's horse was determined to wait no long' r and bounded forward with a jerky motion that momentarily straightened Mrs. Pease's remorse bowed shoulders. *^V, "What's that jial been sayin to you?" sue UHKeu, Willi ucapcmw; ucici miuanuu to know tho worst at once. Ora rested her head against her mother's knee and cast a sidelong glance at Steve, who , was not so deeply absorbed in his duties as to neglect to repay the coquettish lit tie glance with a broad smile of very particular meaning. "Just the thing to hit us off exact, though it beats me holler ho^y she found it out," said he, laughing loudly. "She was just playin a game on us, I s'pose, tryin to find out if there was anything between me an Ory. 'I want to congrat'late you,' she began, with more ' J She reached out and suddenly seized the reins. air than you could shake a stick at Tell you, Mother Pease, it set her down pretty low when I said we'd be mighty glad to have her. Slio was too flustered to speak for a minute, an then? Hello I Ory 1 Your mar don't seem to take it in yet!" "What's he mean, Ory Pease?" demanded her mother, grasping her daughter's shoulders and shaking her nervously. "What's he mean? Speak up, Ory." "He means wo got engaged this afternoon," said Ora, coloring, but making the announcement with a youthful dignity that was most attractive. < Mrs. Pease sat bolt upright She re- i nounced her pleurisy and drew the first i comfortable breath she had inhaled since i her arrival at the Frost cottage. Her face was even more jubilant than those i turned toward her. ] ''Thank the Lord for all his massies!" | she ejaoulated devoutly. Then, as a | painful thought assailed her, she reached > out suddenly, seized the reins from , Steve's hands, and with one movement t of her strong wrists pulled the restive | horse to an abrupt stop. , "You ain't goin a step further," ahe | declared vehemently, "till you solemnly { swear, both of you, nover to let out to Charlotte Frost, or her mother, or any body, when you settled it" The odd demand had little signifl- { cance for them, but they recognized that for somo reason-compliance with it { was of moment to Mrs. Pease, and gave j the promise with a sincerity that guar- j onteed absolute and enduring silence. THE END. ^lisccUanrous Reading. SHIPS OP TODAY. [ Do Not Dlfler From Those of the Ark In 1 Principles of Construction. ] "The shipbuilder of today imagines that he has far advanced," said a representative of a shipbuilding firm, i "but when he looks back he finds that , he has in reality made but little prog- , ress in the matter of proportions over ( the original ship by Noah 40 centuries ? ago. The lines laid down in the con- g struction of Noah's ark are followed ( today in the best examples of ship- t building. Those proportions are that ^ a ship should be six times as long as , it is wide, and with a depth one-tenth t of its length. The Taest authority gives the measurement of Noah's ark t as 300 cubits in lengin, ou cuous id ^ breadth, with a depth of 30 cubits.' 8 "Though the cubit varies io differ- s ent parts of the world, the Eoglish t cubit, which is 18 inches, prevails io < most couDtries. All kinds of changes 4 io proportioos have beeo made sioce c Noah built the ark, but shipbuilders, r to get the best results, have been com- f pel led to go back to these proportioos. e Nearly all the flyers oow od the oceao in the passeoger traffic are built od t the lines of the ark. Shipbuilders s thought they would improve on these r proportions and have built thousands t of ships since on different lines, but they have been forced to return to the original lines to get the best results. "The ark's lines are also followed r today in the matter of decks or sto- ' ries, if you may call them such, and ^ the best ships here have three decks, F or stories, upper, lower and middle. r All of this goes to prove the assertion s that there is nothing new under the 3 sun, at least in shipbuilding. The F cigar-shaped boats for which so much 9 was nromised. where the length was c x 1 w 10 and even more times as much as 1 the width, failed to fill the bill."? ^ Washington Star. 8 c SHAVING. J It Whs First Done by Order of Alexander I the Great. * The confessor of Francis II of ? France refused him absolutely until he 1 had completely removed his beard. ? An ancieut German was by tribal enstorn not allowed to cut off his flowing * beard until he had killed his first man v in battle. About the year 200 B. C., ? the Roman Emperor Scipio Africanus . inaugurated the custom of shaving among the Roman nobles. Henry I of England wore a beard until a courageous preacher leveled his eloquence i at him to such good purpose that he t submitted to be shaved. From the ] time of Julius Ceasar until the advent t of William the Conqueror the Britons t wore mustaches, but the clergy, after t the conversion of the islanders, were a forced to shave by law. One of the e early Popes established the shaving of e Roman Catholic priests to distinguish r them from the patriots of Constantino- c pie. The priests of the Greek church t still wear beards. Peter the Great of t Russia laid a tax on beards, and de- ] Iinquenta were forced to have their faces shaved with a blunt razor or to have the hairs pulled with pincers. So everybody shaved. The first shaving was done by order of Alexander the Great, who forced the Greek warriors to cut off their beards, as he found them awkward impediments in the hand-to-band contests of that time.?Current Literature. Faith In Humanity.?Never let us lose oar faith in human nature, no matter how often we are deceived. Do not let the deception destroy confidence in the real honesty, goodness, generosity, humanity and friendship which exist in the world. I have lost 25 per cent, of all I have ever made in lending money and endorsing notes, and have incurred generally the enmity of those I have helped, because I did not keep it up. But every once in awhile there was somebody who did return in such full measure the credit for the help which was rendered, that faith was kept alive, and the beauty and goodness of our human nature were made evident. I have bad appointed about a thousand men to employment which gave them support and a chance to climb to positions of greater responsibility and trust, if they bad tbe inclination and ability. About 9 out of 10 of them threw stones at me because I did not do better for them, and keep pushing tbem; and yet there are a hundred cr so who, by the exercise of their cwn ability, their own grasp of the situation, have gone on to the accom- * plishment of such high ambitions and ' successes, and have appreciated in so many ways the help extended to tbem iir helninor nt.hflrs that, ?tr?i n mv "J MV,r"*o ?? ?o ? / faith in human nature remains undi- finished.?Chauncey M. Depew. Kaffir Dentistry.?The method jf extracting teeth among the Kaffirs s barbarious in the extreme, and re- * Binds one of the tortures of the dark iges. The patient is placed on the ground ind four men are employed to hold aim down, two taking his arms and /WO his legs. Then the operator tneels down beside him, and taking a piece of sharpened ivory, steel or wood, he calmly proceeds to hawk iway at the gum until the offending ;ooth is loose. He then extracts it with finger and thumb, the patient saving suffered naturally unspeakable igonies. The time occupied in the operation s often of long duration, .sometimes extending over as much as 30 minutes, but, of course, this varies accordng to the strength of the tooth. Persons in this country who make a practice of taking an anesthetic when laving a tooth extracted would probibly find the operation as performed sy the Kaffir dentist a little troublesome, to say the least of it. Of course, the Kaffirs dwelling in or sear the towns go to the ordinary ientist, but those living far away from civilization have no alternative but to esort to the method described above.? London,Spectator. A Millionaire's Pet Economies.? fVhile the late Enoch Pratt of Baltinore was most generous, he had a , . lumber of pet economies. He was in he habit of walking between his home tnd bis baDk, and when some one suggested that be ought to use the street :ar, as the fare was only five cents, he ejoined: "Only five cents. Don't rou know, sir, that $100 will have to vork nearly a whole week to earn hat five cents?" He had a grim sense of humor, and he state got a lot of fun out of him vhen he was summoned by the county authorities for an increase on his tax issessment. He appeared as a downrodden farmer. "Don't," he said, 'put it on us poor devils who only get tO cents a bushel for our corn. We :an't live. It costs me $500 a year to un my place, and I can get no income rom it. I have two cows, and they ire both dry." He went on in this strain for some ime, ending by telling the coramisioners that the taxable basis wa3 aleady too high. But they raised his axes just the same. United States Pensioners.?The ~C tKn nnmmioomnar nf npnqinns UpUM/ l/A lUOVVUiuiiSBiwuv. w or the fiscal year ending June 30,1896, lasjust been made. From this it ap>ears that "there were added to the oils during the year 40,374 new penioners; and there were restored 1,873, who had been previously drop>ed?a total of 44,247. During the ame period the losses were 29,393 by leath, 1,141 by remarriage (widows) .,684 by legal limitation (minors,) !,552 because of failure to claim penion for three years, and 9,223 for tther causes?an aggregate of 40,493. rhe net gain over the previous year vas only 154. The whole number of >ensiouerson the rollou June 30,1896, vas 970,678. While the rolls show a light gain in numbers over the year mmediately preceding, the amount lisbursed for pensions was $138,214,'61?a decrease of $1,592,575 as com tared wilb the previous year. There vere 495,664 pension claims pending it the close of the fiscal year, 234,337 teing applications for increases made >y persons now on the rolls." VST There are in the United States, t is stated 200,00(F machinists, 10,000 ool makers, 25,000 boilers makers, 0,000 pattern makers, 750,000 car peners and joiners, 200,000 masons and tricklayers, 50,000 contractors and tuilders, 50,000 plumbers, gas and team fitters, 150,000 stationary engin;ers and firemen, 100,000 locomotive tngineers and firemen, 50,000 electric ail way and light employees, 50,000 :abinet makers, carvers and woodvorkers, 50,000 civil, mechanical, elecrical and |miniug engineers.?GlobeDemocrat.