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YOL.XLIY. WINNSBORO, S. C., WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1888. y?- 30? \ "tj ~ " ~ ~~ ~ -- - : : : f nv v<vi>iv/: I HftVHK THK FARMERS. .Dorcas Caledon, THE HEIRESS OF CALEDOE HEIGHTS. AX AUTOBIOGRAPHY. *? ? "T r?T-"P"Vr"R K. DIAMOND. f CHAPTER X. W "VThat happened next I do not know, but when I regained consciousness I was lying on the pavement and the keen winter wind fanned my temples. I was alive, yet some one held my head. I turned to see who it was and uttered a cry of surprise. It was Oliver Dudley! I could not see plainly in the glare of the burning building. I sat up at once. "Mr. Dudley !'* I cried, but could , say no more, so overcome was X by the terrible scene through which I had passed. "You are better now, Dorcas," he said, his tones calm as though wo had met but yesterday. "I must look after Miss Armund, for I fear she is hurt. We should never have escaped but for her," he added, as ho rose to his feet and assisted me up. "But for Miss Armund?" I said, breathlessly. "Was she here?5.' "Yes, it was her who found the side win dow and forced it open," "he answered. J "Surely she sprang through after us. Still I I can find no trace of her." "We searched through the- different corners, going as near the burning building as we dared, but no trace could we find of the missing woman. The crowd had somewhat clearcd from the front; there was a quiet settling down on those who had escaped, M FLETO HEK OCT THERE." :*he dumb anguish of grief to the. most, for few families had escaped entire, while the i shrieks from the burning building- had all been hushed when the great walls fell in. I was still searching among the crowd foi . ^ a trace of Miss Armuad, when a call from Mr. Dudley summoned me to him." I found him bending over the still form of the poor old woman, whose white face looked still and set as if in death. Her clothing waa badly bifrned, but her injuries must have been mainly due to her fall on the brick pavement. I raised her head and fanned" her face, meanwhile rubbing the cold hands; 1 but no sign of life returning, I begged Mr. . ' Du&ley to get a carriage, if possible, and : havener taken to a house. Ee did so, but it was when attempting to help the driver lift her in that I observed his right arm was helpless. I ran to help in his stead, inquiring if he was hurt. "It is my arm," he said, steadily, thougi ne was aeacuy paie. "i lear it is oroxen. ' : I could have knelt down at his feet in the cold street and begged his forgiveness for .all the unkind things I had ever said of him; but hVmotioned me to enter tlie carriage, 'and, after giving the driver orders to"drive"" to Mrs. Leiberg's, I did so. We entered the great house that I had left a short hour before in such gaiety and splendor, in sorrow and mourning. Mr. Leiberg had escaped , unhurt, but his wife had been severely injured by the crush, we found. She was lying on a couch, pale and still, gasping faintly, when we bore Miss. Armund into the room. The doctor who was attending Mrs. Leiberg had the satisfaction of seeing her soon appear a little revived; but Miss Arrnund remained unconscious for ten hours, despite the combined efforts of Mrs. Kent, the doc^ ; tor and-myself to arouse her. But just at L dawn she revived. I txsnt over her, asking R softly if she was better. She looked up into S my eyes, a strange gladness in heps, a sort of dumb joy that made my heart ache, but she did not answer. The d >ctor gave her a sleeping draught and then bade us sill leava ^ the room except Mrs. Kent, who would n watch with the sick woman. I went to my H& room and, after throwing off my rich dress i B and donning a calico wrapper, I went down again to inquire about Mr. Dudley, who I :J found was being attended by the physicians, | who pronounced his arm broken in two places, and ho was now lying in the west parlor, looking strangely pale and ill; yet j be smiled faintiy ana endeavored. to maKQ ? light of his injuries when I inquired and ex- i t pressed my regret at his misfortune. ; For the next few days little else was attended to except the wants of the three invalids at the Leiaerg mansion. I devoted' myself almost entirely to Miss Armund, who seemed ill at ease whenever I left her sight. Her injuries were of a very serious character, and the doctor gave little hope oi her recovery, even from the first, and at the end of three days he expressed his very grave doubts as to her surviving tweatyfour hours longer, and hinted that if she had any business affairs to settle she had better attend to them at once. The doctor .'was then eloseted with her for some time, at the end of which he came out looking extremely grave and concerned. Ee motioned me to his side. "Miss Armund," he said, ( "is much worse, but she seems in more ani guish of mind than body. She desires ms to telegraph at once for Mrs. Clayton, who, ebesays, is a friend of hers; and she also desires to see Oliver Dudley at once. I wnll " Vt/i of AT*AO +/\ fV??> UV WUWliUVaj C*V W wuv vv*w graph office and send the dispatch. Will you, Miss Lynn, be so kind as to deliver her message to Mr. Dudley'" "I -will at once," I answered, and the doctor hurried away. "Then all at once it flashed upon me that now most likely was to be revealed the mystery that surrounded me, for that Mr3 Clayton and Miss Armund possessed a secret that was of more or less value to mo I never doubted. But would the dying woman reveal it? or would she die and the precious secret be buried with her? I felt my brain whirl at the thought. Surely fate would never be so crueL Miss Armund had seemed to find my presence agreeable in the last few days, though her injuries had prevented her from conversing. I clung to the hope that she was my friend, after all, and this helped to calm, somewhat, my^ excited feelings. I delivered her message to Mr. Dudley with tolerable composure, and then rushed off to my own room to wait in strange, shivering suspense the arrival of Lena Clayton. An hour passed, two, three and then there was a summons from Miss Armuna;s room, i was sent for. I went in and was struck at once by the change in her & few hours had wrought; her face was gray and drawn, her ayes sunken, yet glittering with a deadly brightness. Evidently this world and its troubles were nearly over with her. I went in softly. Mrs. Kent, Mrs. Leiberg and Oliver Dudley were in tne room, but they withdrew at dncc, leaving us alone together. A strange, solemn hush brooded overall at first; the bright fire crackled and blazed on the hearth, sending a warm glow over the richly-furnished room; the tich damask curtains, drawn aside, re? vealed the snowy world outside, where the keen winter winds whistled shrilly. A few ^_v^hettering snow-birds few wildly about, and now and then a passer-by walked swiftly past. All within was warmth and luxury; outside cold and bitter wind; but to the pallid face on the pillow snow and sun were alike unheeded. She had passed the line where earthly elements cease to vex us. t I s^t dowa near the ^ea,d q? bed a?d MS1-'- > -* ->' . ; ? . >. 1 took one of the cold hands in mine. She smiled np in my face. "You are kind to me, Dorcas, little Dorcas that I wronged so fearfully," she murmured, dreamily. "Yet he was cruel,"' she cried, suddenly. "He knew how madly, how fiercely I loved him; yet he did not heed me. I was poor?so poor, and he was rich; ah, me! how rich and handsome was Phillip Caledon, with that dark bonnie beauty that wins women's hearts so easily." She paused. I listened breathlessly. Of whom was she speaking? My heart beat hard and fast with expectation, but she was silent. She seemed to have been talking more to herself than to me. But presently she started up suddenly. "I helped to save her; surely that will be part atonement for my crime, yet Lena was as much to blame as I, and I hate her! , - y_L "PHILLIP, I RIGHTED THE WIU)XG." I hate her, with her false, cruel faco and sneering ways, and I will not, I can not, I shall not die with so great a wrong unrighted. It is righted, Phillip! I did it for revenge upon you, but I have righted it; surely you will forgive!" Her voice had risen to a shriek almost as s^e continued; but at the last she fell back upon her pillow quite white and still. I was terribly frightened by her words, so strange and wild, and by her ghostly appearance; but I applied restoratives to her, and, finally, she breathed again, but faintly, and her eyes did not unclose. " Phillip," she murmured, softly, while a smile of ineffable peace settled over her wan face. " Phillip, I righted the wrong. I am so glad now?it was for love I did it." I the farnt voice trailed away into silence, and again she was still and white. In* vain I tried to arouse her. I opened the window finally, and the keen air filled the room; the light wind lifted a tress of her gray hair and tossed it over the still face. But no wind or warmth could ever stir the still, shrunken figure to life again. Miss Ar mund was dead, I lound. w nen unaoie to revive her again, I summoned the rest of the family. I stood for some time ijazin^ down on the still form, so quiet and peaceful looking in death. The hard lines were softened down now, and death had kindly smoothed out all the many wrinkles, and her toil-hardened hands were folded calmly as a childs on her bosom. I doubted not but some great trouble had wrecked ''his woman's life, some poignant grief bad broken her heart and embittered her nature; but what that had been I could not guess; something in connection with Phillip Caledon, doubtless, for it was his name that was last on her lips in life. But what wrong could she have committed to him or his? He was dead, had died years tie girl, the baby heiress of Caledon." Had" I not heard often enough the story of her death from the servants at the Heights? Surelv her thoughts had been wandering, for wrongs to the dead can hardly be right, I said. CHAPTER XL I -went tip to my room and sat down by the Ere, in a dreary, unhappy mood. Miss. Armund was dead, and she had died without revealing the secret of my birth, which I felt sure she possessed. She had only babbled meaninglessly of people who were, nothing to me. TThat mattered it? I said? her talk of Philip Caledon; he was naught to me, sureiy. I was awakened in the afternoon from a light sleep, into which I had fallen, by some one announcing' that Miss Clayton and her daughter had arrived. Mrs. Kent came up to my room in some excitement. "You had better go down, Dorcas, aril greet them," she said; "Mrs. Lieberg evidently thinks you are acquainted with them, and has sent up word for you to meet them." I hardly knew what to do. I dreaded to 50 down and enoounter their haughty, insulting manners which I felt sare they would exhibit, and I dare not stay away lest it look suspicious. 'Accordingly, urged by Mrs. Kent, I descended to the parlor, whesre I found assembled the Leibergs, Oliver Dudley, Mrs. Clayton and her daughter, beside the physician and one or two others. It is not to be wondered at that I felt Borne trepidation on entering. But, rcsoIntelv s-ti-allowinc mv fears. I crossed to where Mrs. Clayton was standing with her daughter, proud, beautiful Irma Barrett at horsido. I bowed and extended my hand to them in token of friendly greeting. But what was my amazement and chagrin when they only returned my salutation with a haughty, inquiring stare, as if we were the most distant strangers. I felt ready to sink with shame and mortification, for I saw all eyos were fixed upon me, and my first impulse was to rush from the room and hide myself, drown myself, any thing only that I might be spared the insults this family had heaped upon me. But the next moment my proud r-pirit asserted itself. I would not be quelled or beaten without a struggle. I etepped back cooly. D "You may or you may net recognize me, "Mra- Clayton," I said, "but we are not strangers, you and I, however much you 4w iwTSrAco tV?oc^ ywytOo tn that. ILLay VYIVIX IV ^/vv^v w v*~~w effect." Mrs. Clayton colored and bit her lip. Irma endeavored to annihilate me -with a glance, but I did not falter. Just at this critical moment, when all were viewing me with amazement, Mr. Dudley stepped forward, imiiing and bowed in that courteous way of his, saying lightly, as if it were the most natural mistake rn the world, though I un derstcodit ail: 44 Is it possible, Mrs. Clayton, that yon have forgotten our mutual friend, "Miss Lynn?" ? I felt rather than caw the meaning glance 1)0 threw at her from his brown eyes. But Mrs. Clayton understood at once, evidently, fts she gseatad me, in a rather constrained manner, however, and Irma followed her mother's example. I accepted it, for I could not do otherwise with those inquiring eyes upon me; but my anger was roused and my cheeks burned hotly while my heart beat fast and hard with a passion of rage and grief. Silently we visited the room where Miss Armund was lying, slum" -ring so quietly. Mrs. Clayton expressed grief at her friend's death, but I saw that it %vas only assumed for there was an undercurrent of joy running through the whole of her affected grief, and I saw she gave the orders for the neccssary arrangements attending the interrment of her friend with evident satisfaction. Mrs. Clayton had changed somewhat in the past ten years. She was stiu nanosomc, j but there were dark lines about tho proud ; mouth, and heavy rings, that told of sleep- ! less nights, under the large liquid eyes. Irma, too, looked -worn and haggard; but 1 no wonder, I thought, when her twin brothI er is imprisoned on the awful chix je of mur- i der. The funeral of Miss Armund was over; the still, withered form had been consigned to mother-earth, and we were all again as- J sembled in the dull, fire-lighted parlor j at Mrs. Leiberg's. A, strange hush fell I f OTer the room at first, as if all were waiting to hear something of importance; but presently Mrs. Clayton arose and spoke somewhat hurriedly and sharply: ' Mr. Dudley," she said, "you informed mo that my presence and my daughters (indicating Irma, with a nod toward her), was necessary here to attend to some legal matter pertaining to the will of Miss Armund, What they are I ana sure I can not imagine, or how they can interest us; I am willing to hear them, however, but please be as explicit as 1 -sible, as I have important business to attend to yet to-day." She-sat down, and Mr. Rathbun, a little, | white-haired old gentleman, arose. He an| nounced himself as Miss Armund's legal adviser, and also that he held in his posses j biuii Liur will aau u^ucr uu^uiuculo ui value he presumed. Mrs. Clayton smiled, It was a smilo of j triumph and disdain. Wha; did the will of the old, unloved woman amount to, anywaj1-'( it said. "I have no wish to cause you unnecessary delay, Mrs. Claj-ton," said the old gentleman, politely; "I will therefore proceed at once to business." He then began to read the will of Agnes Armund, which bequeathed to an asylum for indigent widows her entire fortune, which consisted of ten thousand dollars, i which amount would be found deposited in the B bank, and it also appointed Mr. Rathbun and Oliver Dudley as executors,. rrru - 1 11 T??Vian "Ko J. lit; ltfcYVJfCi" 1<UU ClUVVJUL tuo VViiVAX AX^ had finished reading it. Sirs. Clayton made a movement to rise and leave, but he detained her with a motion of his hand. Be patient, please, he said; "this other paper I have here is probably the one in which you are concerned." He held up a sealed packet. "This," he continued, "was given me by Miss Armund about a year ago; of its contents I know nothing, but she requested me to read it at the same time I should her will; I will now do so." He tore open the packet, disclosing several sheets of note paper closely written. Mrs. Clayton turned pale, I saw her gasp suddenly, as if choked; but the next instant she regained her self-composure. The lawyer began to read slowly?every word being distinctly heard in the dead stillness that reigned, even the clock ticked less loudly than before it seemed. "Years ago," the letter or statement ran, there lived in A a family known as the Caledons; they -wero a proud race, rich as "OF ITS CONTEXTS I KNOW NOTHING." fV>o-tr v\w\tiA olcn Vmt. Irinrl-h^n rtf-rl withal, and hospitable as one could wish. But this race, though once numerous, was fast dying out, so that at the tune of my story there was only one family that bore the old name. They had four daughters, but only one son, young "pet"0f^trts^?ister9-,-Toe Kha-trf-iiis-parciits, - was the only one left to bear the fine old name and inherit the grand estate. He was a kind and moral young man, and sensible, too, in spite of all the spoiling he had received. Yet, like all young men -who are a good deal sought after he was a little inclined to flirt with the fair sex, though not by any means a lady's man or a dandy. He was so courteous, so kind and so pleasant that more than one fair face blushed at his glance, and more than one heart ached when they discovered that young Phillip was still heart whole and fancy free. But time wore on, and it was at last declared that Master Phillip had at last fallen a victim to the tender passion. Pretty Senora Eldridge, with Iter black eyes and winning smiles, had awakened a feeling of love hitherto "unknown in that manly bosom. This is what the gossips said, but whether there was any truth or not in this report at the time of its spreading I know not. But that it was wrong was evident when, a month later, as Mr. Caledon, in company with Miss Eldridge, was out on a pleasure excursion in company with a large crowd, a young lady accidentally fell overboard and must have drowned had it not been for the timely aid of Phillip Calodon, who springing into the water, rescued her and brought her safely to land. She, it proved, was a young teacher who, intent upon a holiday, had come unattended on board the yacht. She was not handsome, $s heroines are generally painted in novels, but she was wonderfully attractive. At least so Phillip Caledon found "her, for he devoted himself to her from that day, and in less than three months they were married. She was an orphan, and he took her at once to live in his grand country seat, where he had every rm iv? Act. ct.T-liv ar?r? thp.v ULLUAg AiUV-AJ. fci^r tw. WMV were as happy as two birds, they said, being entirely devoted to each other. But how fared it with Lenora Eldridge, who had firmly set her heart on being mistress of Caledon, and whom rumor very kindly pointed out as the jilted fair one of Phillip Caledcti. That she was angry, mortified and wounded we have no doubt, but she did not choose to please her many admiring friends by wearing the willow even for Phillip Caledon. Accordingly the wedding bells had hardly ceased ringing for Phillip Caledon and Dorcas Welby when they rang again for Edgar Barrett and Lenora Eldridge. Then all seemed settled for awhile for everybody except for Agnes Armund, the poor widow's daughter, who lived in a little cottage on the Caledon estate, and who had loved and worshiped Phillip Caledon as neither Lenora Eldridge nor Dorcas Welby ever did. It was the love of a life time, the love tha? is the curse of some, that she poured, all unasked, at his feet. And hewhy a careless not a kindly smile, a helping hand, was all he ever dreamed of bestowing on the coarse, lonely hireling who would have given her life for him so gladly. "But with Agnes Armund, as I said before, all seemed, strangely unsetuea, ana peopie were wont to shake their heads when they passed her, for 'twas said she was a little queer. Howbeit, a year passed away, and there was born to Mr. Barrett a beautiful twin boy and girl. They were the joy of their father's heart, he said, and if rumor spoke true, he had need of something to comfort him beside the cold, unfeeling woman who had married him simply for a I subterfuge from gossip, and who made his I life a burden by her sharp complaining about their poverty; for he was only a struggling young barrister, and could not afford many luxuries to his beautiful, but unhappy, young -wife. But, suddenly, just as prospects were beginning to brighten for them, Sir. Barrett died, leaving his young "wife in poor circumstances, with her two children only a year old. Simultaneously with his death was the death of Dorcas Caledon, Philip Caledon's young, much-loved wife. She left a tiny babe only a day old; a little girl?Dorcas, they called her, after her mother. Mr. Caledon was nearly crazed with grief at the loss of his wife; but gradually he began to look upon the babe with some interest and to find comfort in watch* ? -Tay* > + lllg- IIS prtJLLy ttl-lCLLlpli ciU luiu^ooj aut au was a strong, healthy child, and grew fast. "But what was the horror and anguish of the father and the grief and consternation of the servants, when one day the little crib was found empty, and no trace of the babe could be obtained. The nurse had left it quietly sleeping in its little bed, and when r * * she returned it was gone. In vain they searched; in vain offered immense rewards for even the faintest clue; none could be gained. It remained a mystery, as if the ground had suddenly opened and swallowed her up, so suddenly did the baby heiress of Caledon disappear from her home and the loving hearts that cherished her.' Sir. Caledon was never the same man again; he grew silent and sometimes harsh. Even tho presence of his father and mother failed to cheer and comfort him, as of yore, though they strove to the utmost to change his grief for his wife and child and set his mind in different channels. tt*qc +)i?c iTia+ T eno faiin/1 T*nm on her return from her parents, with whom she had been living, and she at once set about devising means for winning. the master of Caledon for a second husband. In this she succccded, for Mr. Caledon, urged by his parents, who feared their son's reason -would become impaired by his grief, finally married the beautiful Widow Barrett, and installed her as the future mistress of Caledon. "Now, indeed, was Lenora Caledon triumphant ; the porition she coveted was hers; she was supremely happy for a season. But there is a crease in every roseleaf, 'tis said, and Mrs. Caledon found hers to be no exception to the general rule, for she had been married but a short time when -who should appear but Agnes Armund, who simply asked to see Mrs. Caledon, and in the interview that followed gave evidence of a very correct knowledge of the v,-hereabouts of Dorcas Caledon, for whom the sorrowful father was then mourning his life away, praying ever for only one glimpse of baby Dorcas before he died. "It would have been naturally supposed that Mrs. Caledon would have caught eagerly at this clue of restoring to her husband what would have been such a stimulant to his failing state, the restoration of his beloved child. But far from it. indeed, were her intentions, she had no idea of being second to little Dorcas in the affections and generosity of the master of Caledon; besides her own children were just gaining favor with their stepfather, and there was no doubt if he died without leaving an heir, they would inherit the Caledon property. To the fulfillment of this wish Mrs. Caledon bent all the energies of her strong, passionate nature. "By skillful bribes she secured the promise of half-crazed Agnes Armund to keep the knowledge she possessed a secret. She also worked upon tho fears of the poor creature, declaring if she were to reveal the whereabouts of the babe or even r >store it to its father, she would certainly ba imprisoned for abduction, and no doubt a long term of penal servitude would b?3 her reward. She took care, also, to enlarge upon the debt of revenge that Agnes owed Philip Caledon for the slighting of the great love she bore him. "All these combined sufficed to bewilder and confuse the already tortured mind, and so with evil tenacity she tugged the precious secret to her bosom, and lived on, ever unhappy and wretched, yet bitter and unrelenting. "But in a few ySars, worn by grief and vain searching for his lost child, Mr. Caledon sank into his grave, and Caledon Heights was without a master, and the old name extinct, except for old Mr. Caledon, whose heart was broken at his son's death, and for whom he had neverceascd to mourn. "Mrs. Caledon, though she mourned her husband, it seems was not inconsolable, as she married again shortly after hi3 death. Irma and Irving Barrett, on opening the will of Phillip Caledon, were found to be his sole heirs with one clause only in the will?* that was should the lost heir of his estate, his beloved daughter, Boi'Cas Caledon, ever be discovered, then the estate should be hers will! the exception of a legacy to "It was after the cieaul ol yiiuap^alccScir that a glimpse of the great wrong she had committed to this man began to dawn upon the mind of Agues Armund. But even then the desire for revenge was too strong to allow her to make reparation. She loved to think of the heiress of Caledon as a dependent among strangers, to gloat over the thought that' when she should have grown she should go out into the hard world and be a poor, oppressed, hard-worked drudge for the same pitiless world that had treated her (Agnes) so cruelly. "So the years few 011. Dorcas Caledon was still an inmate of an orphans home and Caledon Heights still was the property of the Barrels. It was when Dorcas Caledon was ten years old that Agnes Armund conceived the idea of bringing her to her right ful home and there have her educated and reared as were the Barrett children. Perhaps it was a desire to annoy the mistress of Caledon, whom she hated, or perhaps a feeling of remorse prompted this act Howbeit it was done, and Dorcas Calodon became an inmate of her rightful home. How she was treated by the inmates of Caledon I can not justly say, but in a not too indulgent manner, I should infer, from the fact that at the age of fifteen the girl ran away and could not be traced or again heard of, though strenuous efforts were made to discover her whereabouts both by Agnes Armund and Oliver Dudley, a young man who had always felt a strong interest in the little waif who wa3 maintained at the Heights in so strange a manner. He had justre. turned from abroad, and determined, as he kad promised the child, to see after her welfare ; but ehc, ovidently tired of her dull, unhappy life, had fled just at the moment when her presence was most desired, and scarch as they might no clew could be obtained of her." "Here the lawyer paused, and Mr. Dudley handed him a folded paper. He opened it and again read on: "One, two years passed, and Agnes Armund and Oliver Dudley were beginning to despair of over finding the girl, concluding she must have died unheard of, when, what was Agnes' surprise and delight, one day, while driving in the park, to suddenly meet the long looked-for one, and not poor, wretched or haggard, as her feverish fancy had painted her, but blooming,beautiful and happy, and richly dressed and in company with ladies of unmistakable wealth and high standing. Little more is there to tell; you are all familiar with the burning of the opera house. Agnes Armund and Oliver Dudley i. -v? -1 1? ^ <3 ?< / ?/ > *? atwI fhp were prtjsuiio iiiiu iiuu. juou uiowt person they sought when the alarm of fire was given. By a mere accident they succeeded in saving her life and their own. Tl: is the end. I Agnes Armund, on my dying bed, have freely confessed the crime I committed seventeen years ago, and for which I have suffered a living death ever since. But what reparation is in my power I make. The rightful heiress of Caledon is, or should be, present in the person of Dorcas Lynn, adopted daughter of Mrs. Kent Her rightful name is Dorcas Caledon, and she is'the only living descendant of Phillip Caledon. Having made this reparation I rest content, trusting an all-merciful Providence will not judge me too harshly, for the crime committed in a moment of frenzy, and concealed afterward by fear, revenge and avaricious influence." The lawyer paused, laid down tho paper and sat dovni. A deathly stillness remained for several moments over all. Surprise, wonder, horror held every one speechless, for a time. But the silence was broken by Urs. Claytor.. a strange wild cry came from her lips; she ;osc, tottered a moment and then fell forward on her face. All rushed to her assistance. Irma lifted her mother's head, her own face white as the dead, her lips drawn, but outwardly she was calm. Restoratives were applied, but it was long before Mrs. Clayton regained consciousness, and then she was not herself, but raved wildly of false statements, of plots to rob her children of their inheritance, of Phillip Caledon, Agnes Armund and others, mixing up names and people in strange con fusion. Mrs. Leiberg insisted on her being put to bed and a physician sent for, "which was at last done, though Irraa ^t first declared her mother must leave v/ith her, as it -was verr impoatant they should be at R? ' that night; but seeing how violent .her motherwas becoming she finally C0ns<s?Sa, 4 j p t t ) but prepared herself for leaving alter soliciting Mrs. Lieberg's attentions to her mother.- E She would not allow the carriage to be brought, but started on foot for the railway station, though it was snowing and the wind blew fiercely. Mr. Leiberg, afraid to trust her alone, accompanied her in spite of ? her protestations, and saw her safely on y board the train and then returned to con- p gratulate mc, to wonder and talk and won- p der again over the strange events and C; startling revelations of the last few days. [to be continued] r. I 11AISE YOUR OWX HOGS. Ci Capt. Peterkin Says that the Bent Meat in the Yporld is Raised in South Carolina. ^ (From the News and Courier.) a Capt. J. A. Peterkin, the well-known sj planter from Orangeburg county, vras in n the city yesterday. He can always say h something that is interesting and in- & structive in regard to agricultural mat- b tars. f( In conversation with a representative w of the News and Courier yesterday, n Capt. Peterkin said that there was.no 0: doubt in his mind that as fine tobacco ti can be in South Carolina as in any ^ other State in'the Union. The soil and climate and conditions of temperature are all felements in favor of the crop in p ~ <rr?V? at* irt tin fli bills WUCli. ID OO KJ U1U A T Ot TTAUJU. IJJV Q care that -would ordinarily bo bestowed p upon other crops. U Capt. Peterkin also said that there is n only one other place in the world, and t! that is one of the farming districts of jz England, where as fine meat can be pro- ? dnced as in South Carolina. The hogs r? that we raise here are slops, are just like e] slop hogs that are grown anywhere else, c< and there is no difference in the flavor ^ of the meat of corn-fed hogs in South tl Carolina and of corn-fed hogs elsewirere. r( But the ordinary farm-raised meat in 0. this State is superior to anything of the 41 kind produced anywhere else. Our hogs here fatten on crabgrass; they are 0j grazers, and the food that they get S( make their meat very sweet and of a tl most captivating flavor. Our home- g] raised side meat always has & streak of e] ? 1 1 * # <? a ii. _ "xt i_i_ lean ana a scream 01 iat, wnue uie _> oruiweatern meat is nothing but a mass of a] fat. tl The pity of it is that greater attention ]j is not paid to meat raising by the farm- jj ers of this State. In one of ids ecstacies ^ of souse Henry Grady recently exclaim- SI ed: "Why is it we cannot buy now the sweet, old-fashioned country ham ? Jnage tl Sambel Lumpkin lately sent to the p, writer a half dozen from his private Ti smoke-house of the vintage of 1881, that p, are simply poem3* in ashes. Any self- 0j respecting pig would have died gladly to tl have been so idealized. In these hams tc you catch the flavor of the smoke of the y, half-covered oak chips above which they e: drifted with the seasons into perfection, ti And the red gravy, clear, consistent, flavorous; it is the gravy you used to find on your mother's table when you came home from a long day's hnnt in the De- p, cember wind. I would rather have a smoke-house with its loamy floor, its w darkened rafters, its redpepper pods, its sj festoons of sausage odorous of sage and ^ a hundred such hams suspended between a] eartji and roof, like small Mahomets, p( than a cellar of dust-begrimed bottles of 0] Madeira of '23." e: Capt. Peterkin raises his own meat. g. He thinks that smoke rather spoils its ]_> ? -and believes in caring it after 0 another fashion, whicE"makes it sweet S( and tender the whole year round. What h Capt Peterkin succeeds in doing on his ^ model farm in Orangeburg can likewise CJ be done on every other well-conducted r( farm in this State. When the time comes ^ that every farmer raises his own meat g and provisions, then will South Carolina o; indeed be independent of Western y smoke-houses and Chicago stock pens. WAR ON THE TKUSTS. ^ Congressman Rayner's Fiercw Attack on ^ the Monopolies. ^ CFrom the Philadelphia Times.) g Representative Eayncr, of Maryland, in an argument recently before the com- j mittee on manufactures on liis anti-trust j ^ monopoly bill, gave a very interesting ^ and incisive presentation of this sys- a] tematic robbery of the people. After showing that the bill is constitutional p under the power to regulate commerce, "will you delay," said he, "a report ? upon this bill one moment longer, in p view of everything that you know upon these infamous combinations to bankrupt ^ private enterprise, to depredate upon the business interest and to plunder the 1 people of this country ? There is not a day that some iniquitous trust of this sort is not springing to existence. What ^ do you want to investigate? You might ^ cs well investigate as to whether larceny, rp or highway robbery, or bribery is a ni benefit or a detriment to the people. ^ They have never hesitated to buy Legis- g( latures and courts whenever the occa- a sion required it. and the opportunity j presented itself. I point to the history of the Standard Oil Company and all the j other trusts that are now following in ^ its track and emulating its example. The wealth of this monopoly to-day is ^ one hundred and fifty millions and still growing. The profit last year was twen- ^ ty-five millions of dollars. Ic started w with less than a million dollars. How did it acquire the one hundred and forty-nine millions? By a system of highway robbery and crime such as no civilized country ought to tolerate, in-1 ^ dividual enterprise, honest competition, , transportation lines, refineries and pipe j lines were all trampled to death under ^ its merciiess march to aggrandizement. "Look at the sugar tru.-t to-day. Do you want to investigate that? Summon ? the Havemeyers -with their books. Ask a] them two questions; first, what was the value of their plant when they went into ^ the trust; second, what are the profits j they are receiving out of it? Why, the ^ total plant of all the refineries only amounted to sixteen mi:lions. To-day ^ it is sixty millions. And then when you are done with the Standard Company and the cotton seed oil trust and the sugar trust, take up the rubber trust, . with a capital of fifty millions of dollars, .. and then take up the le^d trust and the ilinseed oil trust and the slate trust, the n. oil cloth, salt, steel and scores of other trusts and combines organizing daily with all the speed they can in order to anticipate any action 01 Congress in the premises. The country is looking to Congress for relief. Realize the magnitude of the subject and listen to the voice of a 0 suffering people resounding through the p homes and business centres of this coun- p try and through the medium of an en- u lightened press appealing to their repre- ti sentatives to rescue them from the p clutches of the most dangerous monopo- d lies that have ever raised their forms ti nnnij onr soil. A maioritv of both ? houses of Congress are favorable to o action and are impatient to get the subject in shape to give it prompt and effective concurrence." It is said that wasps remember their nests ninety-six hours. When a boy gets near D a wasp's nest he is apt to remenlber it for a " longer time than that. u Mrs. Belva Lockwood, of would-be Pres- b idential fame, will lecture at Sumter on next Monday next. t< XK. BLAINE DECLINES. te Docs Not Want to l>? President, bnt Thinks His Party Will Win. Florence, Italy, January 25.?To B. \ Jones, Chairman of the Bepublican rational Committee?Sir: 1 wish through I on to state to the members of the Bp- . ublican party that my name will net be 1 resented to the National Convention, , ailed to assemble in Chicago in June j ext for the nomination of candidates )T President and Vice President of the United States. T orn fvmsfrrfl/med to this decision bv Dnsiderations entirely personal to mv- j rlf, of w-liicb. you were advised move < lan a year ago. But I can't make the j nnouncement without giving c-xpres- j ion to my deep sense of gratitude to ^ lany thousands of my countrymen who : ave sustained me so long and so corially that their feeling has seemed to l o , eyond ordinary political adherence of { illow partisans, and to partake some- ' hat of the nature of personal attach- { lent. For this most generous loyalty j f friendshiD I can make no adequate re lra, but I shall carry the memory of it fcile life lasts. . - : Nor can I refrain from congratulating ^ le Republican party upon the cheering + rospects which distinguish the opening * f the national contest of 1888 as cora- f ared with that of 1881. In 18S2 the y iepublicen party throughout the Union r iet with disastrous defeat. Ten States < lat had supported Garfield and Arthur ' i the election of 1880 were carried by " emocrate, either by majorities or plu- t dities. . The Republican loss in North- ^ :n elections, compared with the pre- ^ jding national election, exceeded half a ^ lillion votes, and the electoral votes of t le Union, divided on the basis of the * isult of 18S2, gave to the JJemocrats v rer 300 electoral votes out of a total of * 31. There was a partial reaction in ' ivor of the Republicans in the elections ^ E1SS3, but the Democrats still had pos- r ;ssion of seven Northern States, arid on le basis of the year's contest could ,J iow more than 100 majority in the f ectoral colleges of the whole country. But against the discouragement natur- j ly following the adverse elections of j lese two years the spirit of the Repab- t can party in the national contest of z 584 rose high, and the Republican ^ tasses entered into the campaign with xch energy that the final result de- * ended on the vote of a single State, and "c lat State was carried by the Democratic c arty by a plurality so small that it rep- \ rented less than one-eleventh of one * er cent, of the entire vote. * The change ? : a single vote in every two thousand of le total poll would have given the State > the Republicans, though only two jars before the Democratic plurality cceeded one hundred and nipe-two lousand. The elections of 1SSG and 1387 have smonstrated the growing strength in le Republican ranks. Seldom in our Dlitical history has a party defea ed in a itional election rallied immediately ith such vigor a3 have the Republicans nee 1884. No comparison is possible aftT70?in Hia crv-'rif. nf r>o.rt.v in 1AS2-SI id its spirit in 18SG-S7. The two , eriods present simply a contrast?the ae of general depression, the other of j ithusiastic revivjd. Should the parry v iin in the results of 18S8 over those of 386-87 in anything like the proportions [ ? lSbi over 1882-83 it vonld j of the most remarkable vicio- \ es of its entire existence. But victory ? oesn't depend on so large a ratio of iu- j \ rease. The party has only to maintain j , ^ ' -i ? _ _ e i oo/> nr x_ : 1 siauveiy its prestige oi jlooo 01 w give k ) its national candidate every Northern ,c tate but one, with far better prospects j I carrying that one than it has had for \ le past six years. ] Another feature of the political situa- j on should inspire the liepublicuns with ^ resistible strength. The present Na- ? onal Administration was elected with, not upon, repeated assertions of its sading supporters in every protection ( tate that no issue on the raritf was in- , Dived. However earnestly the Eepub- j cans urged that question as one of con- , oiling importance in the campaign, j ley were met by Democratic leaders + ad journals with persistent evasion, con- , jaiment ana denial. luai resource me resident has fortunately removed. Tlie sue which Kepublicais maintaia^d and emocrats avoided in 18S-A has been rominently and specifically brought >rward by the Democratic President id cannot be hidden out of sight in 588. The country is now in the enjoy Lent of an industrial system which in a aarter of a century ha:j assured a larger ational growth, more rapid accumuiaon and broader distribution ci wealth lan were ever before known to history, he American people will now be openly ^ id formally asked to decide whether ( lis system shall be recklessly abandon- t i and a new trial be made made of an 2 x v _i_ i : 7 ia experiment, which juhs uuuyiiuij- ^ id to national embarrassment and wide- ; >read individual distress. On the re- ^ xlt of such an issue fairly presented to j le popular judgment there is no room >r doubt. One thing only is necessary > assure success, complete harmony and )rdial co-operation on the par'-- of ail republicans; on the part both ol' those r ho aspire to lead and of those v no are 2 iger to follow. The duty is not one s lerely of honorable devotion to the 1 arty whose record and whose :dms are a .ike great, but it is one demy, .ded by t le instinct of self-interest, and by the r ill higher promptings of patriotism. A ? oser observation of the conditions of i fe among older nations gives one a \ tore intense aesire ccc.i me -ajnencan s eople sliail make no mistake ;n choosing t policy which inspires labor with hope c id crowns it with dignity, which gives a ifety to capital and protects its increase, s hich secures political power to every a tizen, coufort and culture to every t ome. To this end, not less earnestly a ad more directly as private citizen than t 5 public candidate, I shall devote my- r ill with the confident belief that the 1 ^ministration of the Government will be 1 ;stored to that party which has demon- 1 rated the purpose and power to wield c for the unity and honor ox the Beuub- t c and for the prosperity and progress I the people. I am. verv sincereJv vours. 1 JAMES G. BLAISHE. j FIAMOb*.M) OHUAXis. t We are prepared to sell Pianos ana ] rgans of the best make at factory ( rices for Cash or easy Instalments. j ianos from S'210 up; Organs from ?'2i ' p. The verdict of the people is th it 1 ley can save the freight and twenty-live ^ er cent, by buying of us. Instruments elivered to any depot on fifteen days' rial. We pay freight both ways if not t itisfactory. Order and test in your ? vra. homes. Kespectfully, * s N. W. TRUMP, i * Columbia. C. < ' < "Ya'as," said youug Mr. Sissy, smoking { ic head of liis cane: "I'm an ADgloina- \ lac, but only in a mild form, y' knaw." ' Yes," she responded, by way of keeping J p the conversation; "sort of an Anglo inatic, as it were." < There is not so much failure to be charged 1 ) "poor luck" as to bad management. : J i A L.J1 -\\jt TJ I */aa.' \^. Se Thinlcs it Wouldn't be 3Thc1i Use for Women to Vote?The Question of Trains a Woman's Property. "I would like to see all women vote, md watch tho result," said the Hev. Dr. faimage Sunday, in his sixth seroion to the women of America. His subject was "Wifely Ambition, Good and Bad," and i great crowd of people listened attentively to the discourse. "I do not know that it would change my thing for the better," continued the preacher. "Most wives and daughters rad sisters would vote as their husbands ind fathers and brothers voted. Nearly til the families that I know are solidly Republican or Democratic or Prohibirr^AfA -Frt*v?-?Koo oil xrAfin T TPflTlM .XvJil. JLJulamuiW nu. ?v v. nake more votes but no difference in the result. Besides that, as now at the polls ; nen are bought up by the thousands, i -vomen would be bought up by the thousands. The more voters the more op- : portunity for corruption. We have t >everal million more voters now than are !or the public good. "We are told that female suffrage ^ vould correct two evils?the rum busi- < less and the insufficiency of woman's vages. About the rum business L have t ? say that multitudes of women drink, < tud it is no unusual thing to see thtm in i - 3 he restaurants so overpowered wiai ; vine and beer that they can hardly sit ip, while there are many so-called re- : ipectable restaurants where they can go 1 md take their champagne and hot toddy i ill alone. Mighty temperance voters < -hose women would make! Besides that, < he wives of the rumsellers would have o vote in the interest.of their husbands' i jusiness, or Lave a time the inveise of < elicitous. Besides that, millions* of resectable and refined women in America i vould probably not vote at all, because 1 hey do not want to go to the polls, and, 1 >n the other hand, womanly roughs * vould all go to the polls, and ti.at might ] nake woman's vote on the wrong side. Chore is not in my mind much prospect ) >f the expulsion of drunkenness by < emale sufirage. 1 "As to woman's wages to be corrected '< >v woman's vote, I have not much faith < n that. Women are harder on women J han men are. Masculine employers are : nean enough in their treatment o f women, < )ut ii you want to hear beating down of ; irirtfts and washes in perfection listen how ' ome -women treat washer women, ana ' Iressmakers, and female servants. Mrs. ' >bylock is more merciless than Mr. Shyock. Women, I fear, will never get i ighteous wages through woman's vote, J ind as to unfortunate womaohood, wo- I nen are far more cruel and uuforgiving : han men are. After a woman lias raacL ihipwreck of her Character men genera - : y drop her, but women do not so much i i;rop her as hurl her with the force of a < :atapult clear out, and off, and down, i md under. 1 "I cannot see what right you have to : :iake a woman pay taxes on her property to he Jo sypport city, State and nationii fjoveriiment, ana yet deny her the jpportunity of helping decide who shall >c Major, Governor or President. ^ "Is the wife's ambition the political preferment of her husband'? Then that rill probably direct him. "What a Godorsaken realm is American politics those >est know who have d-iobled in them. Ifter they Lave assessed a mun who is a sanuidate for office whic h he does not or assessed him for some office at-ained, and he has been whirled round lcu round and round and ;c and among he drinking, smoking, swearing crowd vho often get control gi public afiiirs, ! ill that is left of his self-respect or moral 1 stamina would find plenty of room on a 1 geometrical point which is said to have leither length, breadth or thickness. : Vlany a wife has not been satisfied till jcr husband went into politics, but ' vould after ward have given all she posiessed to get liim out. "borne of us could tell of what influ- I :nce npon usjias been a wifely ambitioi | sonsecrated to righteousness. As my ; vife is out of town and will not shak<j : lcr head because I say it in public, [ ; fill state that in nv owd professional ' ife I have often Ik en called of God, as I houglt, to run i^co the very teeth of 1 public opinion, and all ot toilers with vhom I advised told me I bad better ! lot; it would ruin me and my church, md at the same time I was receiving 1 lice liitle letters threatening me with lirk and pistol and poison if 1 persisted : n attacking certain evils of tae day, 1 fV.a. rinniniiosinner nf TViKnja Port- ! ;idered it his duty to take his place in >iir Sabbath services with forty officers ' ottered through the house for the pre- i -ervation of order. But in my home ; here has always been one voice to say: ; Go abiad and diverge not an inch from 1 he straight line. Who cares if only ; jod is on our side?' And though some- ! i.mes it seemed as if I was going out . igainst nine hundred iron chariots, I vent ahead cheered by the domestic 1 oice: 'Up, for this is the day in which } lira T,ni-A raintrs thinh lands/" " ; Remarkably Free from Crim . The "'.Torid asserts that "for a great i natropcjlitan city New York is remark- : ,bly free from crime. When it is con- i idered that this cit\ lias a floating pop- 1 ilation of fully 250,000'a day, who enter ] :nd leave by tLe different means of 1 ravel, and that many an unknown tbief ' nay slip in and commit rob'oerhs and i ret out, the wonder is hon inspector \ 3yrnes keeps the crooked element so j fell in hand: But thieves will seek the 1 ooiety of crooked people as a rule and < htough his system no new or old thief < an move about town twenty-four hours s nd fail to be known. If the thief is a ] tranger he is brought to some place by 1 4- T-? ^ /if Aw%?Awi\rtfl it A?,r1 Ka l c 4 i iCl1UW-L1UV1, a)jpa.L%ZU.vij, auu JLLV^ AO ? here looked over and photographed by < , vest camera, aud described by one of < he Inspector's keen detectives as 'Tomay Mugs.' The effect of Inspector ijrnes's system is seen and felt, but his nothods are fully known to no one but limself. The unseen hand of the great : ietective is a strong factor in the life of ! :very thief." i Truly this is an age of progress- Well < ?! ^ T" * I, nacie pants irom an wooien gooas ior : >nly $3 to your own measure! Scientific 1 )lanks, 25 samples of cloth anil a linen 1 ape measure are sent to any address for J > cents in stamps by the X. Y. Standard 1 ?ants Co., of titi University Place, N. Y. 3iiy. Goods sent by mail. This firm | s doing nil enormous business from ilaiuc to California. You will actually ( >e surprised at iLe rt-tul*, if you -will , vrite them. * ( A. meeting of Indiana Republican edi- i ors at Indianapolis drew out a large attend | tnee from all points of the State. General ler timent favored making the campaign in avor of protection, a free ballot and a fair i lounl, the latter features being givun pre- < ;edenee. While no official expression was , riven, it was p'riin that there w:is a strong ; Reeling in favor of pushing Ex-Senator j - - i- 1.*. 4i.. rlarrisor as intiianu s canaiuaie ior me Presidency. It is the habitual thought that frames itrclf into our lives. Our confidential friends nave not as much to do in shaping our lives is the thoughts which vre harbor. . Show Them the Respect They so Rightfully Deserve. , (George II. Sargent in the Epoch.) It lxas been said that there is nothing about which the American will not joke, and it may be affirmed with equal truth that there is nothing in life too serious to be ridiculed by the American newspaper. So when it is no: the sleepy policeman, or the mother-in-law, or the tipsy husband who comes home late at night, it is the American farmer who is made* the butt of ridicule. One can count on the fingers of one's hand those ionrnals which discriminate in their col" umns between legitimate humor or wit, and that ill-timed levity which makes "fun" at the expense of higher and better things in onr natures. J am^glad to see that the Epoch is one of the3arefqlly edited papers. *** * > This subject may seem trivial, but it is more important than appears at .first sight. Not that the ridicule of the pregs _ ' * will injure the farmers of the country, but the constant harping upon "the mythical ignorance and Jollies of thi-j class has a tendency to place more riprid : ,. barriers between the city and the country and create caste. And if anyone considers this result desirable, let him- * . .; tell us how much caste has helped India in her progress. So long as the country villages and the rnral districts furnish the boys "to make the merchants and bankers and railroad magnates of the city, every true American should scorn to speak derisively of dut agricultural population. One thing is needed in this country i4-1 f TO on orst\v/?Aioftmi AP A UU isllC**/ XOj ;UVJ.V^A^V\A ?^iVV??WVU Vfc the real value of patient, plodding toil. Hie average man lias somehow formed :he idea that there is sometliing very ludicrous in the efforts of men content frith tilling the soil, and working quietly md humbly in the lowly fields of usefulless. We, as individuals, and as a nation, aec-d a better appreciation of the Ainerilan farmer's life -md labors. The time tvas, perhaps, when it was thought that myone had brains enough to be a farmer; but that time, in this country at [east, is past. Any useful class ? of citizens working for the advancement of _ yjr national welfare is not a proper subject for ridicule; and the low humor which finds for it3 object our agricultur il laborers is not the best matter with which to expand our literature. It is the duty of the press to do all in its power to elevate and aid the- Jarmers, md to spread right ideas concerning their social and intellectual position, and cot to belittle them. There are many who do not care what they write. They lim to construct "readable" articles regardless of principle. Bnt surely Wo uught to expect better things of our great metropolitan papers, which, from their circulation of and their occasional. recognition of higher things, are styled "representative American journals." A. IVlJL.Lr.iJ Brack Cornelt, the Notorious Train Robber, Shot Down by a Deputy Sheriff. St. Louis, February 14.?Brack Corustt, better known as Captain Dick, the clesuerado and loader of the notorious train robbers, was shot and killed yesterday afternoon while resisting arrest by \ Sheriff Allee, of Trio county, Texas, eighteen miles west of Pearsali Station, on the International and Great Northern Railroad. Cornett was a noted outlaw ? and a year or two ago organized a band of horse thieves or "rustlers," as they are called in the Southwest, for the purpose of robbing express and mail trains iu Texas. ThAi* /svnlAif A/>rtr>rrn/l An flin iXXOU VWUXXVU VM VUW Southern Pacific Road at Flatonia, Tex., in the spring of 1887, in which they spared neither express, mail nor passengers. They realized about $65,000 in cash and other property, one item being $35,000 worth of diamond jewelry belonging to an Eastern firm. Two weeks later they captured a train at McNeil, on the International and Great Northern Road, and p^cured about $18,000 from the express, the mail and the passengers. After this robbery large rewards were offered for the arrest of the gang by Wells, Fargo and the Pacific Express Companies and the Southern Pacific and International and Great Northern Kailroad, and also by the State of Texas, and jreat efforts were made to capture the ?ang, but without success. Governor Ross, of Texas, took a very active interest in the matter. The gacg nfxt struck a train on the Texas and Pacific, west of Fort Worth, and secured valuable booty from the express car. The desperadoes then split up for a while, but soon after reorganized and commenced operations igain under their old leader, Captain Dick, and pounced down on a Southern Pacific train a second time. Since then they have been scudding under bare* p-waI/io ort/3 mnninfr fmrn r?la/>?> + n rilo/?<a keep out of the clutches of the officers, who have recently been closing in around ihem. Cornett had been at AUee's ranch the evening before, had eaten supper there ind then disappeared. Next morning he showed up for breakfast and was given a neal. After eating he took a chair in ;he yard by a camp-fire. Allee approached him and demanded that he :hrow up his hands. Cornett replied, "The you say," and fired at Allee with his left hand, tbe ball passing ;hrough Allee's hat. illee then fired md continued firing for four successive 'imM T-inffin-nr fVcrtua ohnt.i; irtf.n Ti+al rmrfa >f Cornett's body. All four shots took effect. Comett managed to fire a second shot, but missed his mark. Allee is a Deputy Sheriff of Trio county and has jeen engaged in several scrimmages of ;his kind, but he has never before roleceived the plaudits of the people to the rxtcnt he is now receiving them. Senator Sherman feniile*. A Columbus, Ohio, dispatch says: "Senitor John Sherman, who is in the city, on learing that Mr. Blaine would not allow his lame to be used before the Chicago Conrention, said that he had been expecting some such utterance Jrorn Mr. Blaine f?>r some time. He had understood it would be forthcoming. Mr. Blaine was one of ?e foremost Americans whom the Republicans would delight to honor. Mr. Sbernan did not care to talk much about tbc Blaine letter, but thought it would cause a number of other candidates to come to the front. He proposed to make the race for Lhe Ohio delegation and would contest honorably for the nomination. Mr. Blaine was a Republican who could sweep the jountry if nominated, but he had understood all along that he would not agnin seek the nomination. It was on this hypothesis that he (Sherman) had entered tbc lists. Within the- next two years the Xorth Carolina State Board of Education cou templates doing a good deal in the way of drainage and opening of the vast bodies of lands it holds, aggregating very nearly 300,000 acres. Gen. Frank Horey, member of the Re publican national executive committee for Louisiana, says that the' preference of his State for presidential candidates will be Morton, of New York, for President, and rTirri?c,n nf Indiana, for Vicp PrpsMont . ?- ' V;||