University of South Carolina Libraries
I 111 I ? ? - ' Tss SUMTER WATCHMAN. Established April, 1S30. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Ainis't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TRUE SOUTHRON. Established jane, 136(5 Consolidated Ang. 2,1881. SUMTER. S. C., WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26.1899. New Series-Yol. XVIII. No. 39 Kay co ill dreams disturb my rest Nor powers of darkness me molest! -Evening Hymn. One of the few advantages that Indi has over England is a great knowabili ty. After five years' service a man i directly or indirectly acquainted wit] 200 or 300 civilians in his province, a] /. tiie messes of 10 or 12 regiments am batteries and some 1,500 other peopl nf the nonofficial caste. In ten year his knowledge should be doubled, an< at the end of 20 he kncws, or know something about, every Englishman i] the empire and may travel anywher and everywhere without paying hot < Dills. <xlobe totters who expect entertain *mentas~ai^ jnemory, blunted this open heartedness ont none the less today, if yon belonj to- the inner circle and are neither ; "bear nor a black sheep, all houses ar open to you, and our small world i yery, very kind and helpful. .Rickett of Kamartka staid wit] Polder of Knmaon some 15 years ago He meant to stay two nights, but wa knocked down by rheumatic fever, am for six weeks disorganized Polder's es tablishment, stopped Polder's work anc nearly died in Polder's bedroom. Polde: behaves as though he had been placee under eternal obligation by Ricket* and yearly sends the little Ricketts box of presents and toys. It is the same everywhere The men who do not take the trouble to conceal from yon theil opinion that yon are an incompeteni asa and the women who blacken youl character and misunderstand yom wife's amusements will work them selves to the bone in your behalf if you fall sick or into serious trouble. ' Heatherlegh, the doctor, kept in ad dition to his regular practice a hospital bn his private account-an arrangement of loose boxes for incurables, his friend called it-but it was really a sort of fit ting np shed for craft that had been damaged by stress of weather. The weather in India is often sultry, and since the tale of bricks is always a fixed ' quantity and the only liberty allowed is permission to work overtime and get scthanks men occasionally break down and become as mixed as the metaphors "^in this sentence Heatherlegh is the dearest doctor that ever was, and his invariable pre scription to all his patients is, "Lie low, go slow and keetfeooi. " He says that more men are killed by overwork than the importance of this world jus tifies. He maintains that overwork slew Pansay, who died under his hands about three years ago. He has, of course, the right to speak authorita tively, and he laughs at my theory that there was a crack in Pansay's hea and a little bit of the dark world came through and pressed him to death. "Pansay went off the handle," says Heatherlegh. "after the stimulus of long leave at home. He may or be may not have behaved like a blackguard to Mrs. Keith-Weissington. My notion is that the work cf the Katabundi settle ment ran him off his legs, and that he took to breeding and making much cf an ordinary P. and O. flirtation He certainly was engaged to Miss Manner ing, and she certainly broke off the engagement. Then he tock a feverish chill and all that nonsense about ghosts developed Overwork started his illness, kepi it alight and killed him. poor devil! Write him off to the system one man to take the work of two and a half men. * I do not believe this. I used to sit up with Pansay sometimes when Heath erlegh was called out tc patients, and I happened to be within claim. The man would make me most unhappy by de scribing in a low. even voice the pro: cession that was always passing at the bottom of his bed. He had a sick man's command of language. When he recov ered. I suggested that he should write out the whole affair from beginning to end, knowing that ink might assist him to ease his mind. When little boys have learned a new bad word, they are never happy till they have chalked it np cn a door And this also is liter atura He was in a high fever while he was writing, and the blood and thunder magazine diction he adopted did not calm him. Two months afterward he was reported fit for duty, but in spite of the fact that he was urgently needed to help an undermanned commission stagger through a deficit he pref erred to die. vowing at the last that he was hagridden. I got his manuscript before *ie died, and this is his version of the affair, dated S85 My doctor tells me that I need rest and change of air It is not improbable that I shall get both ere long-rest that neither the redcoated messenger nor the midday gun can break, and change of air far beyond that which any honie ward bound steamer can give me. In the meantime I am resolved to stay where I am and, in flat defiance cf my debtor's orders, j o take all the world into my confidence You shall learn fer yourselves the precise nature of my malady and shall, tco. judge for your selves whether any man born of woman on this weary earth was ever so tor- . men ted as I Speaking now as a condemned crim inal might speak ere the drop bolts are drawn, my story, wild and hideously improbable as it may appear, demanda at least attention. That it will ever re ceive credence I utterly disbelieve. Two months ago I shonld have scouted as I i mad or drunk the man who had dared & tell me the like. Two months ago I was int nappiest man in maia, x ouay, uuu Peshawur to the sea, there is no om more wretched. My doctor and I an the only two who know this. His ex planation is that'my brain, digestioi and eyesight are all slightly affected giving rise to my frequent and persist lent "delusions." Delusions, indeed! '. call him a fool, but he attends me stil I with the same unwearied smile, th< same bland professional manner, th same neatly trimmed red whiskers, til I begin to suspect that I am an ungrate ful, evil tempered invalid. But yoi shall judge for yourselves. Three years ago it was my fortune my greet misfortune-to sail iron Gravesend to" Bombay, on return fron long leave, with one Agnes Keith Wessington, wife of an officer on th< Bombay side. It does not in the leasl concern you to know what manner oj woman she was. Be content with the knowledge that, ere the voyage hac ended, both she and I were desperately and unreasoningly in love with one an other. Heaven knows that I can make the admission new without one particle of vanity. In matters of this sort there is always one who gives and anothei who accepts. From the first day of oui ill omened attachment I was conscious that Agnes' passion was a stronger, a more dominant and-if I may use the expression - a purer sentiment than mine. Whether she recognized the fact then, I do not know. Afterward it was bitterly plain to both of us. Arrived at Bombay in the spring of the year, we went our respective ways, to meet no more for the next three or four months, when my leave and her love took us both to Simla. There we spent the season together, and there my fire of straw burned itself out to a piti ful end with the closing year. I at tempted no excuse. I make no apology. Mrs. Wessington had given up mn ch for my sake and was prepared to give up all From my own lips, in August. 1S82, she learned that I was sick of her presence, tired of her company and weary of the sound of her voice. Nine ty-nine women out of a hundred would have wearied of me as I wearied of them; 75 of that number would have prompt^ avenged themselves by active and obtrusive flirtation with other men. Mrs. Wessington was the hundredth. On her neither my openly expressed aversion nor the cutting brutalities with which I garnished our interviews had the least effect. "Jack, darling," was her one eternal cuckoo cry, "I'm sure it's all a mis take, a hideous mistake, and we'll be good friends again some day. Please forgive me, Jae!:, dear!" I was the offender, and I knew it. That knowledge transformed my pity into passive endurance, and, eventual ly, into blind hate-the same instinct, I suppose, which prompts a man to sav agely stamp on the spider he has but half killed. And with this hate in my bosom the season cf 1SS2 came to an end. Next year we met again at Simla she with her monotonous face and timid attempts at reconciliation and I with loathing of her in every tiber of my frame. Several times I could not avoid meeting her alone, and on each occasion her words were identically the same-still the unreasoning wail that it was all a "mistake" and still the hope of eventually "making friends." I might have seen, had I cared to look, that that hope only was keeping her alive. She grew more wan and thin month by month. You will agree with me at least that such conduct would have driven any one to despair. It was uncalled for, childish, unwomanly. I maintain that she was much to blame. And again, sometimes in the black, fe ver stricken night watches, I have be gun to think that I might have been a little kinder to her. But that realiy is a "delusion. " I could not have contin ued pretending to love her when 1 didn't, could IY It would have been un fair to us both Last year we met again-on the same terms as before, the same weary appeals and the same curt answers from my lips. At least I would maire her <=ee hew wholly wrong and hopeless were her attempts at resuming tbe old relationship. As the season wore on wo fell apart-that is to say, she found it difficult to meet me. for I had other and more absorbing interests to,a.ttend j to. When I think it over quietly in my j sickroom, the season of ISSI seems a confused nightmare wherein light and | shade were fantastically intermingled- j my courtship of little Kitty Mannering i my hopes, doubts and fears: our long rides together; my trembling avowal of ' attachment; her reply, and now and \ again a vision of a white face flitting ! by in thc rickshaw with the black and ! white liveries I once watched fur so | earnestly: the wave of Mrs. Wessing ton's gloved band, and when sin.' met me alone, which was but seldom, the t irksome monotony of her appeal I | loved Kitty Mannering honestly, heartily loved her-and with my love | for her grew my hatred for Agnes. In August Kitty and were engaged. The next day I met those accursed "mag pie" jbampanies at the back of Jakko j and, moved by some passing sentiment of pity, stopped to tell Mrs. Wessing ten everything. She knew it already. 1 "So I hear you're engaged. Jack, drar. " Then, without a moment's : pause "I'm sure it's all a mistake-a hideous mistake. WJ shall be as good friends ^some day. Jack.-^^ we ever were.'' M Mv answer mieht have wade even a ll limn -?il.Ullin ian ??munni.mm m. ma:a wince, it cut the dying vom before me like the blow of a whi "Please forgive me, Jack. I didn mean to make yon angry. But it's tm it's true!" And Mrs. Wessington broke dov> completely. I turned away and left h to finish her journey in peace, feelin but only fer a moment or two, that had been an unutterably mean bonn I looked back and saw that she he turned her rickshaw with the idea, suppose, of overtaking me. The scene and its surroundings we: photographed on my memory. The ra: swept sky (we were at the end of tl wet weather), the sodden, dingy pine the muddy road and the black powdi riven cliffs form ed a gloomy backgroui against which the black and white li eries of the jhampanies, the yello paneled rickshaw and Mrs. Wessinj ton's down bowed golden head stoc out clearly. She was holding her ham kerchief in her left hand and was lea] ing back exhausted against the rici shaw cushions. I turned my horse up bypath near the Sanjowlie reservoir ar literally ran away. Once I fancied heard a faint call of "Jack!" This ma have been imagination. I never stopp to verify it. Ten minutes later I can across Kitty on horseback, and in tl delight of a long ride with her forg< all about the interview. A week'later'Mrs. Wessington die< and the inexpressible burden of her e: istence was removed from my life, went to Plainsward perfectly happ] Before three months were over I ha forgotten all about her, except that times the discovery of some of her ol letters reminded me unpleasantly of ot bygone relationship. By January I ha disinterred what was left of our corr spondence from among my scattere belongings and had burned it. At th beginning of April of this year, 1SS5, was at Simla-semideserted Simla once more and was deep in lever's tali and walks with Kitty. It was decide that we should be married at the en of June. You will understand, then fore, that, loving Kitty as I did, I ai not saying too much when I pronounc myself to have been at that time th happiest man in India. Fourteen delightful days passed a] most before I noticed theirfliglit Ther aroused to the sense of what was prope among mortals circumstanced as w were, I pointed out to Kitty that a: engagement ring was the outward an visible sign of her dignity as an er gaged girl anc} that she must ferthwit come to Hamilton's to be measured fe one. Up to that moment, I give yo' my word, we had completely forgotte: so trivial a matter. To Hamilton's w accordingly went on the loth of April 885. Remember that-whatever rn; doctor may say to the contrary-I wa then in perfect health, enjoying a we] balanced mind and an absolutely tran quil spirit. Kitty and I entered Hamil ton's shop together, and there, regard less of the order cf affairs, I measure Kitty for the ring in the presence o the amused assistant. The ring was sapphire with two diamonds. We thei rode out down the slope thaff leads t< the Combermere bridge and Peliti': shop. While my waler was cautiously feel ing his way over the loose shale anc Kitty was laughing and chattering a my side ; while all Simla-that is to say as much cf it as had then come from th< plains-was grouped round the read ing room and Peliti's veranda, I wa; aware that some one. apparently at : vast distance, was calling me by m} Christian name. It struck me that had heard the voice before, but whei and where I could not at once deter mine. In the short space it took to ccvei the read between the path from Hamil ton's shop a d the first plank of the Combermere bridge I had thought ove: half a dozen people who might have committed such a solecism and had eventu' lly decided that it must have been some singing in my ears. Imme diately opposite Peliti's shop my eye was arrested by the sight of four jham panies in "magpie" livery, pulling a yellow paneled, cheap, bazaar rick shaw. In a moment my mind flew back 1;o the previous season and Mrs. Wes sington with a sense of irritation and disgust. Was it not enough that the woman was dead and done with with out her black and white servitors reap pearing to spoil the day's happiness? Whoever employed them now I thought I would call upon and ask as a personal favor to change her jhampanies' livery. I would hire the men myself and if necessary buy their coats from off their backs. It is impossible to sa}'here what . flood of undesirable memories their presence evoked. "Kitty, " I cried, "there are poor Mrs. Wessington's jhampanies turned up again! I wonder who has them new':" Kitty had known Mrs. Wessington slightly last season and had always been interested in the sickly woman. "What? Where?" she asked. "I can't see them anywhere." Even as she spoke ber horse, swerv ing from a laden mule, threw himself directly in front of the advancing rick shaw. I had scarcely time to utter a word of warning when, to my unutter able horror, horse and rider passed through men and carriage as if they bad teen thin air "What's the mattercried Kitty. '.\Y]j.-;t made you call out so foolishly, Jack? if I am engaged, I don't want all creation to know about it. There was lots of sp, ce between the mule and the veranda, and it* you think I can't ride-- There!" Whereupon willful Kitty set off, her dainty little head in the air. at a hand gallop in the direction of the band stand, fully expecting, as she herself afterward told n e, that 1 should follow her What was the matter? Nothing. indeed: either that I was mad or drunk or that Simla was haunted with d< vils 1 reined ju my impatient cob and tum <\ round The rickshaw had turned, too. and now stood immediately facing me. near the left railing of the Combermere bridge. "Jacki Jack, darling!" There was no mistake about the words this time They rang through my brain as if they bad been shouted in mv ear "It's j some hideous mistake, I'm sure. Please i forgive me. Jack, and let's be friends j again. " The rickshaw hood had fallen back, j and inside, as I hope and pray daily for j the death I dread by night, sat Mrs j Keith-Wessingion. handkerchief in i hand and golden head bowed on her j breast How long 1 stared motionless 1 do j not know. Finally I was aroused by my j syce taking the waler's bridle and ask j ing whether I was UL From the horri I ble to the commonplace is but a step, j I tumbled off my horse and dashed, half j fainting, into Peliti's for a glass of j cherry brandy There two or three cou i pies were gathered round the coffee ta bles discussing the gossip cf the day Their trivialities were more comforting to me just then than the consolations of religion could have been. I plunged into the midst of the conversation at once, chatted, laughed and jested with a face (when I caught a glimpse of it in a mirror) as white and drawn as that of a ccrpse. Three or four men no ticed my condition, and, evidently set ting it down to the results of overmany pegs, charitably endeavored to draw me apart from the rest of the loungers But I refused to be led away. I wanted j the company of my kind-as a child rushes into the midst of the dinner party after a fright in the dark. I must have talked for about ten minutes or so, though it seemed an eternity to me, when I heard Kitty's clear voice out side inquiring for me. In another min ute she had entered the shop, prepared to roundly upbraid me for failing so signally in my duties. Something in my face stopped her "Why, Jack." she cried, "what have you been doing? What has happened? Are you ill ?" Thus driven into a direct I lie, 1 said that the sun had been a lit* ! tie too much fer rae. It was close upon J 5 o'clock of a cloudy April afternoon, i and the sun had been hidden all day. I I saw my mistake as soon as the words ; were out of my mouth, attempted to j recover it. blundered hopelessly and followed Kitty in a regal rage ont of j doors amid the smiles cf my acquaint ! anees. I made some excuse (I have for ! gotten what) on the score of ray feeling j faint and cantered away to my hotel, ! leaving Kitty to finish the ride by her self. j In my room I sat down and tried j calmly to reason out the matter. Here j was L, Theobald Jack Pansay, a well i educated Bengal civilian in tbs year of ! grace 1885, presumably sane, certainly I healthy, driven in terror from my j sweetheart's side by the apparition of a j woman who had been dead and buried I eight months. These were facts that I could not blink. Nothing was further from my thought than any memory cf Mrs. Wessington when Kitty and I left Hamilton*^ shop. Nothing was more utterly commonplace than the stretch of wall opposite Peliti's. It was broad daylight. The road was full of j people, and yet here, look you, in defi ance of every law of probability, in di rect outrage of nature's ordinance, there had appeared to me a face from the grave. Kitty's Arab had gone through the rickshaw; so that my first hope that some woman marvelously like Mrs. Wessington had hired the carriage and the coolies with their old livery was lost Again and again I went round this treadmill of thought and again and l again gave up bafHed and in despair, j The voice was as inexplicable as the ap parition. I had originally some wild notion of confiding it all to Kitty; of begging her to \n: rry me at once, and in her arms defying the ghostly occu pant of the rickshaw "After all," I I argued, "the presence of the rickshaw is in itself enough to prove the exist ence of a spectral illusion. One may see ghosts cf men and women, but surely never of coolies and carriages. The whole thing is absurd Fancy the ghost of a hillman !" Next morning 1 sent a penitent note to Kitty, imploring her to overlook my strange conduct of the previous after noon. My divinity was still very wroth, and a personal apology was necessary. I explained with a fluency born of night long pondering over a falsehood that I had been attacked with a sudden palpitation cf the heart, the result of indigestion This eminently practical solution had its effect, and Kitty and I rode out that afternoon with the shadow of my first lie dividing us. Nothing would please her save a can ter round Jakko. With my nerves still unstrung from tba previous night I feebly protested against the notion, suggesting Observa ory hill, Jutogh, the Boileaugunge road-anything rather than the Jaliko road. Kitty was angry and a little hurt. So I yielded from fear of provoking further misunderstanding, and we set out together toward Chota Simla. We walked a greater part of the way and. according to our custom, can tered from a mile or so below the con vent to the stretch of level road by the Sanjowlie reservoir The wretched horses appeared to fly. and my heart beat quicker and quicker as we" neared (he crest of the ascent My mind had been full cf Mrs. Wessington all the afternoon, and every inch of the Jakko road bore witness to our old time walks and talks. The bowlders were full of it. the pines sang it aloud overhead, the rain fed torrents giggled and chuckled unseen ever tho shameful story, and the wind in my ears chanted thc iniquity aloud. Tl BE CONTINUED. Goverfccr Kiierbe U reported a- be lid able to !tke a drive bf hil. d Silly" s: (.> '.!'!.: il <> titres kttnpi J f. If is BT b:T :.:.;:] 'ha* S? . cen h i IIUprCTCS : i ; : : e tn -tc he vtW'x go tc; bis old lc ixe in Marion fr n rest Wi :! . we: sympathize with ihr G eve rc cr we v. <t i say hr.! he t.u^'h: to v cat bi? t5c<\ j a '.c::-t. fenjporsriiy. tn favor o frc; Lieutenant Govcrncr. Thc ( ;.?.-::. r' - , i Hi :c ia no place for a t-L:: maa---! (> Ir, o, L dg< r. Thf happiest Iwdies are those usio^ toe Vlf bite sewing aiacbioe / Freight Discrimination. The Wilmington, N. C , Traffic Association has begun ao action before the United States Interstate Railway Commission to secure relief from discrimination in ^freight rates from western points to \\ ilmington in favor of Norfolk and Richmond, and Judges J. C. Clements and James D. Yeoman?, of the aboved camed commission, came ro Wilmington and began taking testimony in the matter on last Thursday. Ab e legai counsel for both sides were in attendance, and besides he Atlantic Coast Line about forty other railroads interested in traine to Wilmington from St Louis, Kansas City. Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, New Orleans and other points, were rf presented. Frcm the report of the first days proceeding, published in the Messenger, it appears that Judge Clements intends to make st thorough investigation, as he announced, when letters and telegrams were presented from witnesses giving excuses for non-appearance, that it may as well be understood that witnesses wonid' be compelled to obey the summons of thc court and stated that thia matter would be taken up later The first witness caliea by the complainant was Mr Geo. D. Shore, of Stmter, S. C. He testified upon examination by Judge Day that he is a merchandise broker at Sumter, 149 miles from Wilmington, and handles heavy groceries, provisions, etc. Formerly he sold the traduc s of the m i il s of Boney & Harper, of Wilming ton-giits, meal and corn. He bandied their goods for several years, but not for the past two or three years* He bandies goods of the same class from other shipping points, but none frcm Wilmington now. He testified, however, that he /had occasional demanda for Boney & Harper's products, but could not supply them, j because they could not meei the prices ! from ether points, a3 be was informed ; by Messrs. Boney & Harper. He I h o 'ed gcods for them a VT bile, but Enaiiy they could not get satisfactory r eight rates to Sumter, and they had to withdraw their trade from Sumter. The reason was because Richmond and Norfolk made lower prices and they could cot meet the rates. He said he ccu d still sell their goods if they could get rates. His customers were satisfied I with their gcods and preferred to bay j in Wilmington because it w*s nearer to them and they could get their ship meats quicker and they could thus afford to run their stocks iower. Mr Shore testified that be sells meat, lard, grai , hay, etc and coal Be tried to get a satisfactory rate on coal from Wilmington, hut could not do so. Un der cress examination by Mr. Davis, he said be tow sells these goods from Nashville, Richmond and Baltimore. Mr. T. M Emerson, tra a manager of che Atlantic Coast Line, was the next witness. He explained that there was nc such a corporation as tbe At lantic ('oast L-ne, but it was a trade mark used for advertising several rail roads cc-eperatiog together as a noe There sas DO parent iine, to bis kncwl edge He named the various terminais of what is ki.cwc as the Atlantic Coast Lice, and stated that as near as he recollected the system contained about 1,500 milos of track. Messrs. Day and Meares both examined Mr. Emerson as to the Coast Line and its' trafila ar rangement. He said be was the au thority for the system as to freight rates and be reports and commends to the president. To interrogations, he answered tbit bis line does not fix rates from western points. Rares from wes tern points are made to Richmond acd Norfolk and mileage and proportional rates and added on by the Cost Line on goods shipped into its territory from the weet He explained that through rates are made op by the various conncctirg railways who would have to come to an agreement on tbe basis of rates He testified to ques tions by Judge Day, that there are organizations of the traffic managers in the south, ote knowu as the Southeast ern Tariff Asociastion and poe as the Sou'hero States Freight As-rocistioo. He stated that he was a member of the cs later, and its purpose was to mee: and discuss and reconcile freight matters. He explained that when it is desired to change a rate, notice is given to the president of the association, and ali the interested traffic managere take up the proposition for a chance of rates, either favoring it or urging reasons against a change. Utilese the chang of rates is agreed to it cannot be put into effect. He said he had never placed before the association a propo sition to rJnce the rate frem western ; points to Wilmington. So far as bis ! lice is concerted, he explained that! their rates fizod are such a? thc read j can fr-jrd without incuring loss i.i the cacagemeot of too property. Mr. j Emerson was examined at considerable ieretr cs to rate.-, and be explained | them & far as he could from his tc ! election. Mr. B. G. Worth, of thc v.hJcPa!e| grocery house of The Worth Company, ; was coiled to tho etarjd by the plain- j tiffs, l o stated thar Lad been a wholesale greer in Wilmington since 653, and with tho exception :;f a small intermission bad r.ince rr:d:d in I Wilmington. Hf stated that be re members when Norfolk ari Richmond ^7. ro pivot: ti e Baltimore rates ct: . heavy goods, when the \ hesnpeak and Ohio railroad wa completed into N ;r folk. He stated tbat for fifteen years thc territory in which he wholesaled goods had constantly grown smaiitr because his house could no? reach the j points because of freight rates. He I said the consequence was that Wil Ejiogtoo was doing less wholesale j husicess than for fifteen years. He I said at one time his house sold goods to Raleigh aod points on the Southern railway as far as Charlotte, bat he can't now sell goods to the points where he formerly had customers. He testified that Wilmington's commercial importance was that she had several railroads aod a steamship Mae to New York. There were formerly two steamship lines, ooo io New York and one to Philadelphia, bat thc latter iise has been withdrawn. He attributed the withdrawal cf the Philadelphia lice to the decline io business. Menstruation made Regular and Painless, aod Pains in Side3, Hips and Limbs cured bj Simmons Squaw Vine Wine or Inlets. The "White" is the best oo earth. LOVE EXCHANGES. The captain had not been married long when he was ordered into camp, says the Cincinnati Enquirer The long expected call had come at last. To be sure, the camp was in plain sight of the captain's residence, which was some mitigation of the hardship ; but still it was separation ; and to 'lighten this terrible condition it was arranged that the bereaved husband and wife should signal to each other often with handkerchiefs. It was on the second day thal the young wife was seated on the porch reading. "Tell me, Jane," she said, "is Arthur still signaling ?" "Yes, ma'am,'7 answered the maid. "Then keep waving your handker chief. I wane to finish this novel " At the same moment in camp an officer from an adjoining company stepped up to the captain. "I 6ay, old man," he asked, "why do you keep that m n out there wav ing a handkerchief?" "Oh, it's merely a bit cf signal code practice for him." he answered. "Say. I've got some good stu if in side." --ass* - <-? -crin - Pfpcr Delis, dressed cr otherwise at H. G Ostcen & Co's. j S. C. Office-Holders in Wash ington. A number cf changes have been announced in the treasury department this week. Among them is the appointment of Robert S Williams, Jr., of South Carolina, who has beeo certiSed by the civil service commission for appointment, at 1,000. Mrs. E Moses, of South Carolina, office of internal revenue, has been promoted from gi,OOO to $1,400. William B. Cole, of South Carolina, has beeo orooaoted from $1,000 to 1,200. Miss Liilie E. N;erosee, of Sooth Carolina, effile of the auditor for the pcstcfficc department, promoted from 1,000 to 1,200. Mrs. M. F. Ogden, of South Carolina, office of the auditor for the Dostoffice department, promoted from 840 to 900. XK=> -cc The Plague in Paris. Pins, April 21.-Tho Froude pub lishes a report that three casos of th9 piagu3 occurred among the employes io one of the big shops in the city to which the oisease was brought by carpets of eastern manufacture. Toe paper demands a severe investigation. The police aonoaoce there is no foundation for the report. Liquor Constables Dis charged. The governor today discharged four of the dispensary constables, leaving fifty sis yet on the pay roll. The idea is to reduce them more and when any of there die or resign not fiil their places. Resigning and dying constables are as scarce as hen teeth. -Col Record, April 20 . The mind of the American people is now made up on the question of the army beef scaldal It has been pro ven that the navy inspection was effective, while the army inspection W38 inefficient What aclion will Secretary Alger take to meet this issue Not only bas the criminal in capacity of the war department been ! exposed, but it exhibits the packing j interest of the west in the character I o those who wouid take advantage of tho stress of the war to cheat their own government and sacrifice the ives of soldiers to contibute to their money prdits. ANNOUWGEMEWTT MISS MCDONALD Would as-sousce to ker customers ic town and country, as weil aj the pcbHc geaerallv toat she ia now prepared to display a FULL LN E OF MILLINERY Consisting cf the newest desiffos in Trimmed Work, also the latest novelties in Flowers, rtrccy Gncses Je;*ed Nets, W OC &C. MISS MCDONALD'S 1OP experience in this r.vc ot Cosiness, a? well ss her quick dis cernment cf the wants of ca terners, wi'} prove a guarantee tor the eatisfaciioB ci' pur chasers. * A WOST EFFICIENT MILLINER An-i capable salesladies are teady to respcod to the vrants of customers. Greers by mail will be promptly and ac cirately filled.