The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, July 28, 1886, Image 6
SWEET OI.D WORDS,
The sweet old words, whose ring caressed;
Whose sound was something like a spell
To us, who used to love so well;
Come, let us bear them to their rest!
They served when love was full and blest,
They shall not blend with its farewell?
The sweet old words!
R/\ in nnr fair Past's fairest dell.
Lay them on withered rose leavos pressed,
The roses red we prized the b st;
"While tender Memory tolls their knell?
v The sweet old words!
?All the Year Hound,
LILIAN.
They had been engaged a month. The
village had buzzed audibly over the
news that Jack Murray had come home
from Arizona to marry his old playmate,
Janette Prayn, and had furthermore
bought an interest in Gray ton Mills, and
infA Kncinncc with oil KlQ />ncr(TV
e wedding was arranged for October, I
and meanwhile
Yes. lie was bound to Janette. There
was no forgetting nor ignoring of the
fact?but Lilian? His heart tugged at
its chain each time she spoke to him or
looked his way. The silken bond had
become a fetter. Janette w;:s the Janette
he had always known?a womanly presence,
gracious and gentle; but he had
come home to find Lilian a beautiful surprise.
Bright, audacious, wilful, almost
reckless, nhe darted about from gayety
to gayety like a humming-bird among
roses. A dance here,a ride there,a moonlight
row, flowers, music, littb notes of
invitations, boxes of bonbms?from
week's end to week's end the bright
routine went on; and Jack, whom it did
not in any way concern, kept up his impatient
protest.
"Can't you see, Janette, that it is
wrong for you to allow Lilian to go on
In this wayf A girl of sixteen should not
bj permitted such entire freedom. You
ought to curb her a litt'e. It is wrong to
the child?an injustice. You stand in
the place of a mother."
"..ack, dear! As if I possibly could
curb he>T'
'Weil, her f.ither?some one ought
to/'
"But she doesn't do anything wrong.
* 81ie likes to be gay?that is natural; and \
these young people about are boys and j
girls tliat have grown up \Wth her? |
neighbors and clas.-mates. I do not sne ;
how she possibly could be harmed."
"But she is away from home nearly j
every day, and all her evenings are taken '
up with Tom, Dick and Harry. Her own 1
people scarcely get a glimpse of her."
"Well, it's vacation now, you know, |
and beside, in a little while, when I am !
gone, Lilian will have to settle down.
6he will know the weight of care soon
enough."'
lunette was smiling tenderly, but she
c mid not smile away the gloom from her
lover's face.
'I have scarcely patience with you, :
Janette,'1 he said, almost angrily. ''Settle
down? The girl is utter.y spoiled for
anything like domestic life. Do you suppose
she will ever till your place to your
father and the children? It was very j'
unfortunate for her that she was left with- [
out a mother."
Tears fil'ed Janette's eyes. She bit
her lip hard in the effort to restrain them.
Why was Jack always so severe in his
censure on Lilian, and through Lilian on
her# v\ hy d:d he alone seem to rcgarl .
with intolerance this bright young crcature
whom all the world lo ved?
This sad questioning had been growing
daily in Janette's meek, loving heart.
Suddenly Jack flu- * himself down beside '
her and kisud he. ch ek.
"Don't be sad, dear. I only meant
that she?that Lilian seems to indepen- :
dent of us all, and for so young a girl 1
but of cours?, it is not your '
fault, Janette?and sha 1 I?shall I rea- 1
ion with her? Do you think it would do 1
*nv good?"
"Not the least bit in the world, dear;
but, you might try."
Jack did try the very next morning.
Jauette took the children and went down
to the v Uage, to g.ve him an opportuaity
to deliver his lecture in good form. 1
He found Lilian dawdliner over a late 1
breakfast, untidy as usual, but as usual
xquisitely ciean. Her wrapper had a
torn sleeve th..t showed the ivory of one
rounded arm?her hair was tumbliug
from its silky braids. She looked like a
fresh-crushed rose.
Ja-.k had dressed himself with unusual
care; but, then, he was going up to the
city on business presently.
"Well, Lilian!"
'How nice you look!" she said, with
a smile, bright and indifferent. "I am
?o tired. We did not get home till three
this morning. I waltzed my feet right:
through my slippers."
"We?"
"George Archer and ITarry Chase came
home with me. I'm .<-orry I'm so tired. :
We arranged to go up to Eagle Rock
this afternoon. I don't see how I can.''
"I don't see how you can." He had
walked away to the window, but n ,w
came back and seated himself near her,
At the breakfast-table. "You are a puzele
to m , Lilian."
"A puzzle, am I? Will you have some
co.Tee. It isn't very warm. Why am I
puzzle. Jack?'
"Well, not a puzzle, either; only it
erms stra.ige you are so different from ,
Janette."
"Should you wish me to be more like
her?" she a^ked, with a curious halfsmile,
balancing a spoon carefully on tho
edge of her empty cup.
"In one respect, yes. Janette would
not spend her time running about with a
crowd of insignificant young men, for
ejample."'
"But I am a very insignificant person,"
ihe retorted, calmly.
"You will let yourself become insignificant."
he said, gravely. "You are
wasting your thoupht and time on people
who are no way worthy?"
Lilian's spoon fell with a clatter into
h r p. She rose and crossed the room
qui-kly.
"Ah, now you are an^ry," Jack said,
leauing hack and looking after her. "You
are offer ded."
"Not a bit offended. I only thought I
could l sten to you lecture with some
comfort. This is Harry CI ase's ^love."
8he had begun to mend the torn finger.
"Is he one of the ins gniticant people?
Surely."she looked at him archly, "you .
can't say that of a millionaire's son?"
I should not say it in any car-e if I
thought he was really dear to you."
"Harrv? Oh, no. He's a good boy?
1 . -I _ 1 1. . I...1 T 1." U . I
L> '8 ue oicu iw ui: j yui i miuuiu never
think of m irrying him."
"The other, I suppose, is the favorite."
"WhLh other? George Archer? He's
lovely, isn't he? Yes, I like George, but
I like him so much that I can't love him.
Don't you see? Well, then, there is
Louis Best, the two Whittakers?they ,
certainly go into the list?and? Shall I ,
name any more?"
"It isn't necessary." Jack tva* looking
straight across the table, trying to
keep back the angry flush that he fe!t
rising to his chcck. "I see you have no
use for my advice. You resent my ii> !
terfcrence."
"I don't resent anything. Come hero
and sit by me. I am willing to hear all
you may have to say about my friends.
Of course you won't be just to them;
that's not to be expected.
"Not to be expected? I should very
much like to know why I have any motive
to be unjust to your friends!"
"Oh, well," she said, resignedly, "the
trouble is, Jack, you're in lo.e with me
yourself."
With a^tartled air he looked at her an
instant. Then a smile broke slowly over
his face.
"Well, that is a singular assertion,"
he remarked, after a rather long silence.
"Yes; but the mot singular thing
al?out it is, thnt it's true,"she retorted,
with a perfectly unmoved air. "That's
where the singularity comes in."
He bit his lip, still regarding her with
a sort of puzzled yet tolerant look. Suddenly
his whole expression changed.
"Lilian," he said, abruptly crossing to
where she sat, "I wish to God you were
more of a womau or?more of a child. I
can't understand you. Do you try to
bewilder me?to make yourself a mystery?"
"I don't try to make myself anything,"
she retorted, raising her free,calm glance
to his troubled face. "I don't see why
you can't understand me. I understand
you. I have only been afraid that J a- 1
nette would understand you, too."
"But if this that you say is true?if I 1
have be?n so unfortunate as to give my ;
heart one way and my word anothei ?
surely you might have some thought for
me, some consideration! Why do you 1
delight to make me suffer?"
"Why? Because you ought to suffer, i
Jack. Becau-e if I met you half way, 1
you would throw Janette aside without a i
qualm of conscie Ice?Janette, who is <
worth a do?en such wo ncn as I am. I
may be frivolous and trifling, Jack; but 1
I have my own id as of honor, too." ;
"You area miscrab'e flirt!" he said, 1
slowly and bitterly. i
"That 8 not true, Jack!" but her young
face wore a strange, hard 9mile. .
'"" * * A-ll_ - / 1 4
"l'aiK or nonor?you iaitt ui uuuun i
You have neither heart nor con- <
science " !
"Jack!" i
Her voice stopped him half-way in the '
sentence. A 'mining flush hid spread 1
over her face, and the next instant she 1
burst into a wild passion of tears, and 1
rushed out of '.he room sobbing like a
hurt chil i. That was the end of Jack's i
reasoning with Lilian. When they met 1
at dinner she was her bright, pleasant (
self again, smiling and talking gayly;
but Jack felt that the distance between fi
them had widened to a deep, impassable 1
gulf, that neither word nor smile could i
cross.
Lilian's terrible frankness had defined 1
his position and plnced it openly before c
his eyes. And it had also shown him an
undreamed of force and courage in her 1
character. With the restless pa?sion her
inemVorl f Ti irfl fft ?
II1LTU UOUUtV UUUL iUO|;itb\if iu..iv - ?
minsrle a higher fo:m of admiration, and
for the fir t time the thought of breakirg
his cn^aijement to .Janette took form in i
his mind. This, too, mig'it be done with 1
her full consent, if he could make up his I
mind to throw himself entirely on her r
generosity an 1 tenderness. She had been t
so good to him always?a friend, a sis- 1
ter, since he could remember, almost, t
Would she be less good to him now, if <
he came to demand from her the willing
sacrifice of her dearest joys and hopes?
He knew she loved?had loved him al- t
ways, and man's logic, by degrees 1
made it very clear in his mind that
this love should flow to the making of 1
his happiness, ana 10 me torai rcnun- i j
ciation, if need be, of her own. Why 1
else were women made compassionate as <
angels and heroic as martyrs? Kiud, 1
happy Janette. little dreaming that she 1
was expected to pose in either or both
of these di ticult positions, wondered at t
Jack's strange, restless manner, and went
on smiling securely above her lace ruffles ?
and embroideries and her happy dreams, t
It is not to be wondered at that Jack
put off from day to day Janctte's disil- lusionment.
But a time came, after one
of Lilian's rare evenings at home, when
she had been more lovely, more gracious,
more tender, subdued, thoughtful
and loving than he had ever known her, *
that Jack mode up his mind, with mas- J
culine vigor, to a final and determined J
effort for his freedom before another sun , J
should set. He had seen of late an un
mistakable sr.dness in Lilian's eyes, a:
wistful anxiety thnt not all her pretty 1
smiles could cover; and on this especial ?
evening her hand had lingered lonsj in \
his, and her glauce had met his own 3
with responsive kindness. He left her, 1
thrilled and restless, his heart beating (
wildly at the thought that to-morrow 1
would bring him at lea4t the right to
throw himself at her feet. (
But to-morrow brought him something 1
widely different. By breikfast-time the J
whole household was in wild consterna- ]
t on: Lilian had disappeared, nerpreuy ;
white bed was unruffled; but on its pil- '
low lay this little note, addressed to I
Janette:
'Don't be troubled or unhappy. I have
gone away, of my own free glad will, to be 1
married. Tell papa?tell every one to for- i
give me, and love me until I come again. I \
will surely return in tirm for vour wedding, ,
dear, dear, precious, darling. Janette 1 You '
will not miss mo much. You have your (
kind, good Jark to comfort you t
And papa will not miss use for he hai you. ]
But you must all love n e, :>nd know that,
wherever I am, I must always be your own
true, loving Lilian." 1
And this was the end of Jack's fever j
ish dreaming, of his plans and hopes and !
strong resolves! His high-l.uilt castles I
lay in ruins round him; but no one knew, j
thank (iod! of the wreck and havoc in j
his life! Janctte hung sobbing on his j
shoulder. lie shuddenl as he kissed her, j
thinking how closely she bad passed to '
keener and more lasting sorrow. lie
could not comfort her, he was too deeply
hurt himself.
As the days went on the fact of Lilian's
3ig'nt wa< followed by the discovery of i
another fact?that George Archer and
Harry ( ha e were both misMng. This
established at once the personality of the
bridegroom. Archer had always been a
favored admirer of 1 iiian's, and as Harry,
though an admirer also, was Archer's
bosom friend, the sequence, of course,
seemed very pla n. Harry who was exceedingly
wealthy, and the soul of generosity
besides, mnst have placcd money
at the disp ;sal of the young couple, for
Archer was not Known 10 nave any Visible
means of support.
"But what a rash step it was for Lihan
?bo young, too- -to leaveher comfortable
home and go off with one who might be
a worthless a.lventurer for anything that
was known of him in Grayton."
And so the tongues wagged, until Lilian
came hack and stopped them.
It was the day before the one appointed
for her sister's wedding. Yet they had
received no word from her, beyond her
little farewell note, uutil they heard her
voice in the porch. It was nearly twilight.
Tci was just over. The children
were dawdling :st the table, Janette was
talking to her father near his desk, Jack
was smoking, and the rose3 from the
porch wero trailing over and nodding
their pretty red faces through the window.
Ko one heard the gate click, nor the
footsteps, but they all heard Lilian's first
wood: "Home! home!'' she called out,
in a gay voice, that broke into a sob.
Wicked, heartless girl ! Unfenling
daughter! The tempest that met her
was a storm of kisses -and embraces?
of sob3 and laughter. But what was
Harry Chase doing, holding hi* hat
apologetically, in the background, with
his usual little mild air of wonder? He
was doing nothing, ouite contentedly,
. * .1 1 ? r j ill. U.I.L
until .Lilian arew mm iorwara wiui uum
her pretty hands, and sa:d: "My h isband,"
when he proceeded to kiss, shake
hand3 an 1 even embrace his new relatives
with prompt enthusiasm.
"Harry Chase!" cried Janette, in ut!er
amazement. "You don't really mean that
yo'.i'ye married Harry Chase? Is it a
joke, Lilian?"
"I think it an excellent joke for me,"
said Harry, radiant.
"Of course I've married Harry. You
didn't suppose I'd marry any one else?"
Lilian a<ked, reproachfully.
"C'ertninly not," said Jane!te, still bewildered.
"But you were always playing
off little pranks on Harry. You know
yuu wure.
"She has played the final one," said
Harry, with an air of fond ownership;
"there are no more pranks to belaid at
Mrs. Chase's door."
"Mrs. Cha el Mrs. Chase!" The children
seized on the name instantly and
began a wild dance of delight around Its
owner. It was altogether such a wonderful
idea that Lilian should be Mrs. Anything.
Tack had kissed her heartily with the
rest; he had shaken hands and congratulated
Harry, and then stood apart, looking
on like one in a dream. He noticed
the large, beautiful diamonds that glittered
from the bride's fair neck and
ears.
"Poor, empty, worthless heart," he
thought, bitterly, "you have brought
your price!" Through all these years of
bis life he never knew why Lilian had
married Harry Chase.
But Janctte knew in time. When
Tack was dead, and she had lived
through her widowhood, and her chiliren
and Lilian's children were courting
pVq Iftornnrl flit* lin.
1UU UClUg tVUUWl, CUW ivut UVM VMS- v...
written romance of her sister's life.
They were talking, asgray haired women
will, of love aud marriage, and the
leart's deep joys and sorrows, when
Lilian said, earnestly:
"You must have wondered often,
ranette, about my marriage, because you
cnew me too well to believe, as many
lid, that I married Harry for his wealth."
"Oh, never for that, dear," Janette
laid. "I know you never did, but I
lave wondered, sometimes?if?you
narried him for love."
"No," said Lilian, simply; "I married
iim 'hfinnnsA T lnved some one else: be
:ausc I loved Jack."
"Jack!"'said Jnnctte, blushing as she
ooked at her. ".My Jack!"
"Your Jack." She smiled softly as
ihe said the words.
' Oh, Lilian 1"
"Yes, I loved him dearly; so dearly,
Tanette! I can tell you now?it is all so
ong ago! Janette, I su} pose a quiet
lature like yours could never realize all
ny poor, wild, foolish heart endured
,hrough those weeks after Jack came
jack from Arizona and before I went
iway with Harry. I went because I
:ould bear it no longer. I was so glad
when he asked me to be his wife."
"Oh, my poor Lilian!" Janette's tears
ire flowiug fa6t as she holds her sister's
land. "And I never dreamed?'*
"No one dreimed of it, dear?Jack,
enstofall," aaid Lilian, calmly. "Ilived
t down, years and years ago. And I
lave been happy with my dear, Harry, in
>ur comfortable, common-place way.
Sfet, you see I've had my romance, too,
ilro r>fhr>r nftnnlft."
*"v v""v' i r
She smiled, but her eyes were full of
ears.
"Lilian, dear! And you loved Jack,
tnd?you knew that he loved me. Oh,
hat was hard I"
"I am glad I loved him," Lilian said.
?Madeline S. Bridget.
Great Rubies.
The finest red or oriental rubies have
litherto como from the neighborhood of
jyriam, in Pegu. In Ceylon great numjers
are found in the alluvial deposits,
>ut the.original rock out of which they
lave decomposed has not been searched.
" J T
were mis uouu, suya tuc liunuuu uwui?ird,
there is little doubt that many more,
ind of much finer quality, would be obaincd.
At Badakshan, in Baetria, there
s said to be a ruby mine, and the treasuies
of many of the oriental monarchs
jontain, or did contain, gems far sursassing
any known in Europe.
A former King of Ancan possessed
>ne in the form of a six-sided prism,
ibout an iuch in diameter, and terminated
by a six-sided pyramid; while,
if Tavernier, a traveler of two centuries
igo, aud a jeweler by trade, is to be
bclieverl, the throne of the Great Mo?ul
was adorn d with 108 rubies of
from 100 to 200 carats each. Marco
Polo affirms that the King of Ceylon
owned one a span in length, as thick as
n mnn'o nrm nnrl without, ft flaw. This
truly remarkable gem bas been lo>t, for
assuredly no man has been able to set
eye9 on it. and the story was an old
one long before the Venetian traveler
began roaming in the Enst. It had been
floating about in India from the sixth
century, and not improbab'y was even
more ancient than that era.
For at least twelve centuries one chroniclcr
tried to excel another in tales of
this magnificent ruby. Kublai Khan offered
a city in e change for it, and Iba
Batuta, the Moorish traveler of the thirteenth
century, goes so far as to declare
that he saw in the posession of Arya
Chakrnvarte, a Tutnul chief rui ng at
Patlam, a ruby bowl as big as the p :1m
of one's hand. What grain of truth was
in these stories it i* now too late to inquire.
It may be that they were not altogether
baseless, though we are not
called upon to credit Sir John Vaudeville
when he declares that the Fmperor of
China "hath in his chamber a pi lar of
gold in which is a ruby and carbuncle a
foot long, which lightcth all his chambers
by n:ght," or I.uiz Bartholomew,
who relates how he saw a ge?.n in th:> palace
of the King of Hugo so light that in
a dark place it made all the byslanders'
bodie3 transparent.
Largest Bridges and Tunnels.
There is now in process of building, a
bridge over the Volga river, which, when
complete, will be nearly four miles long.
the longest bridge in the world. The
time longest bridges now complete are
the Parkersburg bridge, YV. Va.. 7,04.3
feet, St. Charles bridge, Mo., 0,506 feet,
and the New York and Brooklyn bridge,
5,1)80 feet.
The longest tunnel in the world is that
through Mont St. Gothaid, in the Alps.
This is 9 1-2 miles long. Next comes the
Mont Cenis tunnel, over 71-2 miles in
length, and the Hoos;ic tunnel, through
the IlOusatonic Mountains, in Massachusetts,
4 3-4 miles long.?Inter-Ocean.
It is estimatod that since 1850 the
oce in has encroached upon the shore at
Long Branch an ciihth of a mile.
CATCHING A SPY.
SCENES IN ATLANTA IN THE
TURBULENT B AYS OP '61.
How Abolitionists Were Detected?
Story of a Virginian Who
Was Regarded With
Suspicion.
The first blood spilled in Georgia durthe
war was right here in Atlanta, says
the Oonntitutioriyoi that city. There was
no battle, not even a riot, but it was a
very serious affair at the time. Patriotism
was at the bottom oi it?patriotism
and apples.
It was in the early part of '61 just before
the State seceded or a little latter.
We were in a regular stew in those days.
c30 many siartnng tumors were nuoui tuit
even the most conservative of our citizens
felt it their duty to keep a sharp
watch on suspicious-looking strangers.
Atlanta was th?n about one-third its
present sire. People knew each other,
and it was an easy matter to spot a
stranger. Visitors who were here for a
day or two were in the habit of spending
much of their time in a reading-room
annexed to a publishing house on Alabama
street. The reading-room was on
the second floor, and was iurni hed with
desks running aiound the apartment.
There were no cbairs, and the readers
had to stand up. At this place several
abolitionists were spotted while the secession
excitcment was at its height.
Their appearance drew attention,and patriotic
citi/ens were readily found who
made it a point to lounge about the room
while the suspects were present. In every
instance the simple abolitionists gave
t hemselves away. They eagerly devoured
the southern papers, especially those
j' a?ii. 1:..??,q
j rum ouuLii Laiiruiia; auu nuiu itmo wv
lime copied in their note-books such
choice extracts as they thought could be
used to advantage in the North. After
ntufling themselves with information
these pilgrims were quietly taken in
chargc by a committee and conducted to
a secluded place, where they were
iiearchcd and interrogated. It &pjaks
well for the community that there was
no resort to violen, e. In every case the
offensive interlopers were given a chanco
to leave town, and they never failed to
go without delay.
One case, however, was peculiarly calculated
to excite bad feeling and provoke
violence. We were just drifting into
war. We dreaded the secret work of
op:es ftr.d craDkd of the John Brown
Htamp. It seemed that self-preservation |
demanded vigilance and decisive action.
It was whispered around the hotels one
rainy nfternoon that a Yanke abolitionist
had been in the reading-room nearly all
day, reading the papers and taking
copious notes. What settled the matter
was the fact that hi wrote his notes in a
kind of shorthand or cipher that could
not be understood by several patriots
who l?d been sufficiently public-spirited
to peep over his shoulder. "When this
came out, there was general indiguation.
Those who hal seen the stranger swore
that he was a Yankee. His pink and
white complexion and his brogue made
that plain.
Gradually stray citizens dropped into
the reading-roQm until there was a considerable
crowd. The spy, with singular
stupidity, contiuued his work. He
w istled as he read, and frequently
paused to scribble in his note-book.
Finally, just about dusk, he put up his
book and turned with the evident intention
of leaving. By that time everything
had been arranged. The spectators
stood, some of them in the room and the
others in the hall leading to the stairway.
A young man approached the suspect,
who, by the way, was a good-looking,
mild-faced youth, and said, with an air
of authority:
uSi:r, wo know who you ire, and we
know your Lusiness here. If you will go
with us quietly, it will be better for i
you."
The stranger was simply dumb)
founded?paialyzed, as it were. Un
fortunately, this was against him. It |
was mi taken for the brazen self-possession
of a malignant enemy.
''Come, sir." said the leader of the
Citizens' Committee, "we do not desire
to use force."
The prisoner said not a word. A des-;
perat.: glare flashed from his eyes, h:a j
face hardened, and he suddenly backcd
into a corner.
''Look out I" exclaimed two or three;
voicesi.
The warning was not a second too
early. The man thrust his right hand
behind him.
This action was entirely unexpected, j
Nobody had dreamed that this public |
enemy would have the madness in the
rery heart of the South to attempt re-1
i ii. . / r J -j 1
sisiauce in tne iace 01 a score 01 aeserminejl
mep.
"He's drawing a pistol!" shouted a
do1 ec. citi ens.
'Two cr three yelled "Murder!" Sev-!
eial volunteered th3 statement that they [
were going for the police, and the entire ;
crowd backed precipitately into the
dark hall, where they came in contact
with the outsiders, who were doing their
best ko get into the room. In half a j
minute the bewildered members of the
crowd were pummeling each other, pull-!
ing hair, and yelling in the most blood- j
curdling way imaginable. Each man ex-,
pected a bullet in his back from the mys-'
terious outlaw, and at the same time he
was afraid of being knifed by the latest
comers, who appeared to be in: apable of
understanding the sutuation.
So, with yells, cries and curses rival-.
ing pandemonium, the vigflantes strug-;
gltd n the gathering darkness to the
stairway, and went thundering down,
kicking and fighting and spluttering, until
they landed?.some of them headforemost?on
the pavement. Here they were
picked up arid separated. Reinforce
ments arrived, explanations were made,
and in le^s than five minutes from the
tims the racket began everything was i
ready for another attack upon the aboli- j
tionist. Four or five men with broken I
nose::, arms, and cracked skulls were left
behind. The others, with half a dozen |
well-armed men in front, ascended again j
to th3 reading-room. When they entered,
they fo'.ind it difficult to believe their
senses. The desperado stood thoughtfully
in the middle of the floor munching
a bi^; red apple.
'Vo you surrender?" shouted the vigi
lantes.
"Surrender? O yes, I suppose so," (
was the answer. Then the fellow took
another bite at the apple and said:
"What's all this about?"
His insolence was irritating, but it was
thought best to answer him.
"You are a Yankee spy, and we want!
your documents and the extracts you !
have copied from these papers."
The man burst into a fit of laughter. I
He laughed until he was blavk in the !
face. Several started to handle him
roughly, but he bn.ccd up and said:
"It's all right, gentlemen. I may have
unintentiona'ly acted suspiciously, but I
will explain. v name is John Shuttles.
I live at Dar i le, Va., and am in the
tobacco buair s. I stopped over a day
j here, and hav, bstn ruumng over those \
?
papers here for the quotations of tobacco
everywhere. Hero is my book. Some
of the notes are in shorthand, but you
can make out those figures. ? regret
having caused all this excitement."
A dead silence fell upon the crowd.
""Why did you draw a pistol?" said
uue.
"1 did not. I drew thia apple from
ray coat pocket. I was so confused that
I did not know what I was doing, and
almost mechanically I commenced tugging
away at the apple, which I could
hardly get out of my pocket."
It was recollected then that no one had
seen him draw a pistol.
141 am goiug down now to the store of
Blank & Blank," said the stranger, "and
if the gentleman will accompany me he
will receive assurances from the firm that
I am a true Virginian and an original
secession man."
He laid his hand on the arm of the
leader of tho vigilantes, and the two
walked off together, the others standing
aside to make way for-them.
It turned out that the tobacco man was
0. K. He was a good fellow, and took
in the town with the boys thit night.
But his reticence, confusion and peculiar
conduct placed him in a position of great
danger. If any of the vigilants had been
armed, he would doubtless have been
:ii- L-ii-i 1 i L-Ji
nuuieu wim uuueis wueu lie reacucu uehind
him for that apple.
A Smart Wasp.
A Richmond (Va.) Utter to the New
York Iribune contains the following interesting
story of insect life:
A few days ago two men who were enjoying
an outing came upon a green
worm which was slowly crawling across
the highroad. As the walkers rcached
the creature they saw the aforementioned
black wasp swoop down upon it, straddle
it with its four legs, put its arms?
or what were in the place of arms?
around the worm's body near the head
and proceed to sting it several times,
finof irk olrln fVi nn i n tVio loff
*** l,"? "5"" ?'*?> ?"?- "??
The worm writhed as if in great pain
and in its struggles to escape the wasp
suddenly flew away.. The two men sat
down beside the road to await a renewal
of the strange conflict. Soon the attacking
party reappeared, more full of fight
than before. It was a pigmy fighting a
giant, but the little creature with the
sting had the advantage of wings, agility
and weapons, and the worm soon showed
signs of defeat. After three more onslaughts
it straightened out its pretty
body, became rigid, quivere'l and died.
The victor walked around the conquered
foe three times, and after making sure
that death was not feigned, disappeared.
After the space of a minnte it returned
and proceeded to straddle the worm as at
fir.it, putting its arms about the dead
animal and lifting it bodily from the
arnnnd Tt was a wonderful siffht. The
wasp was not more thau three-quarters
of an inch long, and its body in the
thickest place did not exceed one-sixth
of an inch through. The worm was
three and a half inches long ^and onethird
of an inch in diameter. And yet
the wasp actually lifted it up and partly
dragging, partly carrying it, crossed the
dusty road and traveleJ some twenty
paces through the stubby grass and
weeds. At length a small e'earing was
reached, and dragging its burden to near
the centre of the spot the wa?p dropped
it and ran quickly around the place as if
in search of something. The something
proved to be a pebble the size of a robin
egg half buried in the ground. Brushing
the loose earth away the -wasp cast the
st^ne aside, revealing in the ground a
hole into which the smart creature dived
head foremost. It came up with an armful
of fresh earth, and depositing it an
inch from the hole went back after another
and another until a little mound
began to grow be3ide the front door of
the warrior's castle. In an incredibly
short time the hole was perceptibly enlarged,
aud the mason, having taken the
measurement of it, went to the dead worm
to see if it would enter. Satisfied, the
inject caught the grub by the head, and
backing into the hole pulled the prey
afte.- it. But the worm was too tight a
tit, so out it came, the wasp pushing it up
with its head.. A little more diggin?,
another measurement and
again the worm was drawn in;
this time until only half an inch remained
above ground. Was there another entrance
to the hole ? How would the
wasp get out, or aid it intona to remain
below ? The creature put an end to
doubts by squeezing out of the same hole
in which the worm was so tightly wedged.
It was & hard job but successfully accomplished.
Then began a laughable
butting process in the course of which
the half-inch of worm above ground was
gradually driven into the hole. When
quite in the wasp sprinkled fresh earth
upon it, trampled it down carefully, replaced
the p.bble, drew some dry surface
earth around it, and then hermetically
sealed the hole. This sealing wa* evidently
done to keep awav other insects
or prowlers of any kind. The wasp
gathered from a certain weed dose by
something which it spread over the pebble.
Repealed trips to the same weed
were made for this purpose, an. I though
the substance so gathered was invisible
there was no doubt of its u=e.
While the wasp was absent on one of
these trips one of the men placed a stick
upon the now well-hidden hole. The
impatience, not to say wrath, with which
the insect tossed it aside bxle l no good
to any creature of rea:onable size which
might presume to interfere with the storehouse
or burial ground. After the sealing,
with one good look around the
nrprnthis clever wusd snrcal its
wing* and disappeared, leaving those
who had watched the workmanship un-able
to decide whether the fighter and
mason was endowed with instinct or |
reason.
Not Used to Expensire Diet.
There is an old tradition that during
the great war at the commencement of
the century prize money was so plentiful
with English sailors that they would e it
bank notes for wagers. A contest of
this kind, although not so easy of accomplishment,
has just taken place at
Lure. Two small farmers, in a fit of
drunkenness, defied each other to swallow
the greatest number of silver fivefranc
pieces, each adversary to
supply the coin to the other.
One achieved his twelfth dollar;
but the other stuck at hi* second, which
got fixed in his throat, and be ha'i to be
removed to a hospital at Ifancy, suffering
fearful pain.?Galignani'ii Messenger.
Silk Hats of Chinese Origin.
It is a curious fact, unknown to the
vast majority of people, that the first silk
hat was made about fifty years ago, that
like so many other articles which are
common and of every-day use, it was of
Chinese origin. The story ruus that a
French sea Captain on the coast of China,
desiring to have his shabby beaver hat
replaced by a new one, took it ashore,
and as they had not the material, they
made him a silk one instead. This, it
appears, happened in 1832, and he carried
the hat to Paris that same year.
Here it was immediately copied, and in
a few years became a regular style.
I THE DIAMOND. I
FACTS ABOUT THE MOST VAli- I
UABLE OF PRECIOUS GEMS. t
c
Diamonds Ampne the Ancients? ..
Their Form?Where Diamonds a
are Found?The Origin of Dia- i'
monds?The "Grand Moiful."
U
Speaking of the diamond, the Chicago x
Herald says: At a very ancient day it
attracted notice, though not clearly dis- |
tinguished by the ancients from other ]
less precious gems. In India it has been ^
used from the most ancient times as a 1
gem for personal ornamentation, aud i
especially as a jewel for religious para- c
phcrnalia and decoration. It was the i
third gem in the 82coud row of the high
priest's breastplate, and was callcd Ja- j
halom by the doctor?. Among the fl
Greeks it was used at any rate three cen- j
tur'es B. C. and was called adamas, the ..
unsubduable, from its hardness and as *
well from its quality of resisting fire.
The fullest ancient account of the stone j.
is in the writings of PliDy, who says that j
its value surpasses all human things, and r
its use is confined to Kings, and few even a
of them. Its peculiar hardness and the
extreme difficulty of working it for many 3
centuries uruiteu 119 uno auu iu laiuc,
and it was not until 1476 that one Ludwig
yon Buqucn discovered the present
method of working and cutting it.
Even in the sixteenth century a ruby or
a garnet was far more esteemed, as they
were more readily cut, and hence more
available for use.
With its form and chemical character
every one is of course famil'ar. Diamonds
crystallize always upon the tesseral
or cubic system. Few have ever
been found that were perfect cubes.
Generally they are in the form of double
four-sided pyramids or twelve-faced
crystals. Its chemical character is that
of pure crystalized carbon, easily demonstrated
by the application of the strongest
possible heat, when it vanishes entirely,
leaving only traces of carbonic
nr?irl traq
India was the oldest and the most p-o- *
lific source of gems for commerce. The (
eastern part of the Deccan contains the J
principal districts for the mining of ?
jewels, the exports having been enor- c
mous. They are found only among the 8
alluvial or more recent rocks, and mostly c
in the beds ot loose sand and gravel. To 1
tind them tho miner must dig through t
the top strata and pass a second of sand c
perhaps eighteen inches in depth, i
Then succeeds a strata of stiff t
black mud or clay perhap3 four fe&t
thick, and then the diamond bed, dis- c
tinguished by the presence of large t
rounded stones. Shallow pits are ex- i
cavated a few feet in diameter when the j
workman, accustomed by practice, has t
most hope of success. He digs to the j
of ft few feet, and then searches i ?
the bed he considers most promising. If s
he is not rewarded by any find he ex- \
cjivates another cavity. Tnere are acres j
and acres covered in this way with de- a
ssrted pits. Brazil has more lately come ^
into notice as a diamond mining loca'ity. c
In 1727 they were discovered in the I
Province of Minas Gereas, where the na- a
tives used them as counters for games of t
cards. When first bought, Brazilian r
Diamonds were considered inferior to s
the Indian, though without any cause, c
The mines are esteemed crown property. r
Upto 1818 about 3,000,000 carats,estiir.ab t
ed at about $35,000,000,have been found, i
Since then the yield has been possibly j
8,000 or 9.000 carats per year. None oJ b
the Brazilian stoucs is very la ge, though I
all are remarkably brilliant. Gems hav? j
been found, too, in New Mexico, small
j ones in California and in Georgia and
| South Carolina, and in some sections oJ
; Arizona.
Tffere has been a great deal of specu- 0
lation concerning th; method of the ori- f
gin of these stones, but with little defi- t
nite result. Newton declared that it was t
some "unctuous substance congealed.'1 t
Jameson thought that it might be "the i
secretion of some ancient tree, like am- i
ber." Many distinguished chemists have t
held to the theory that it was of vegeta- a
ble origin, comparing the ashes of a E
burnt diamond with the ashes of plant s
tissues. No less an authority than Goep- t
i rr?t lQft?
pen, id 1119 iiaiicm coouj iu j
argued long and learnedly fpr this view, j
Leibig ascribed its origin to a slow vege- j
table decomposition in some peculiar a
fluid rich In carbon and hydrogen. The j
fact that of later years diamonds have r
been largely discovered in the very heart ,
of rocky masses that show every trace of c
igneous origin rather shows that fire I ^
must have been the chief producing t
agent. The ytfSrs of chemical ex pen- ?]
ment are full of the h'stories of enthusi- t
asts who spent time and fortune in a vain i
attempt to produce diamonds. One of c
these, DeLaunnert, a Frenchman, ex- j
hausted a large fortune in building fur- c
nace3 and blasts, and in bringing carbon f
formations from all parts of the world, c
endeavoring that from them he might t
produce the shining gems of much prico. t
Not only the rarity but the extreme i
difficulty attending the polishing of the -v
diamond produces its extreme costlincss, a
The trade has vibrated between Nurem- c
berg and England, both Holland and j:
Brita:n having made important discav- I
eries in the art. The work is done al- s
! most entirely by hand, and consists oi t
I rubbing one stone with another, or ol s
grinding it against a wheel coated with a
' J ? tin nM4 ,
Iliamona powuer. tr UI'U laryc uicvca ill* c
to be removed th y are sawed off bj h
means of an iron wire coated with th< j
powder, or by a quick blow from ham a
mer and chisel along the line of cleavage, ij
There is great danger, however, from thii a
method, and it has lesulted in the ruiu f;
of several magnificent stones. ji
There are six large diamonds called p
pnragons. which, like the work? of _
master painters, are valued at fabulous 0
sums. The largest is the "Grand n
Mogul," belonging to the Shah of Persia, k
I weighing, cut, 280 carats. It is an In- v
f dian diamond, and was brought to a
Persia in this very crafty way. One of n
V.O fipaf nf tho Sh:L>19 W;I9 on the lOUmeV /I
through the tributary provinces of
India. The petty chieftains were afraid f
of their thrones, if not of their lives, and
were anxious to preserve pcace at any
cost. In one of the cities the Shah was
received by a chieftain who wore in his
turban a most magnificent diamond. In ^
response to his salutations the Persian f(
monarch coolly responded that it was ?
customary in Persia for visiting rnon- jj
archs to exchange turbans, ana complacentlv
he'd out his owrv, richly Sj
jeweled, to the chief. He, glad to re- sj
ceive so marked a favor from the vie- e
torious Persian, quickly in turn handed j
forth his turban with the blazing jewel, ?
a QV?rtV* Kaha ntttott ir% frlnmnli
Willi; U IUU uuail UUl V unuj AH hiulu|/u,
ei
There is a Dakota statute which im- $
poses a fine on the farmer who does not w
destroy the Canada thistle, cockle and
other noxious weeds on his premises. ?
tl
The United States have nearly three ^
times as many doctors as England, anil
nearly four times as many as France, in ^
proportion to the population. *!
POPULAR SCIENCE.
The Pittsburg observers say that the
jatural gas interferes more with their
elescopic operations than smoke ever
lid, the heat so agitates the atmosphere.
Among the wonderful products of Art
n the French crystal palace was 'shown
. lork whir.Vi admitted of 3.637.385 com
(inations. Henre passed 120 nights im
ocking it. Ficbet was four months in
inlocking it. Afterwards thej could *
teither shut nor open it.
The peculiar varnish-like lustre of the
>etals of the buttercup is attributed bj
3r. Mobius, who has recently been investigating
it, to a highly refractive yelow
oil existing in the epidermal cells,
ncreased by the fact that the layer of
:ells of the mesophyl is densely filled
vith minute starch grains.
The ice of arctic regions, according to
rlajor Greeley, does not usually form to
i greater thickness than five feet, but
n Baffin's Bay, the Greenland Sea and
mrts of the Arctic Ocean thicker masses
ire produced by the jamming together
?f files', which are thus piled up and
>ecome irozen togetner. ine ice oi mo
'olar Sea is of almost inconceivable
oughness, and it is doubted whether
my explorer has ever seen 300 square
aids of it that is level.
French scientists are discussing the
teculiarities of Gambetta's brain, which
veighed only 1,161 grammes,- while
Cromwell's weighed 2,000 grammes and
Cuvier's 1,829 grammes. The distinguishing
feature of Gambetta's brain
vas that it was particularly well devel>ped
in that portion of its structure
vhere most undersized brains are found
o be defective, that is, in the third
rontal circumvolution. The fold? in
his portion of it exhibited uncommon
ichnesi and variety of complication.
The recent French surveys have shown
hat the magnitude of the Algerian sea
)roject has been greatly exaggerated.
STo large part of Northern Africa can be
looded, the desert of Sahara proving to
lave an average height of 1,100 feet, and
he only area below sea level being com*
>rised in two "Chotts" commencing
ibout one hundred miles due west of the
Julf of Gabes and covering only about
1,100 square miles?less than half the
irea of Lake Ontario. The flooding of the
lepressed region would give a lake averting
seventy-eight feet in depth. The
sreation of a new sea of such size could
iard!y produce the great effects upon
he world's climates and upon the depth
>f the ocean which have been foreseen
n the speculations of some scientific
raters.
Professor Cerehotani, of Vienna, haa
O" inoreninn* insfrnm?nfc for aS
:ertaining the distances of accessible and
naccessiblc points from the observer
md from each other?in other words, an
>asy method of range finding. The ap~
jaratus consists mainly of a pair of tela-?. ....
copes mounted 011 a stand and fixed on
k tripod for use. The telescopes are
)Oth brought to bear on the object, and
i reading is then taken from a graduated
icale on the instrument,which, compared *
vith a set of printed tables, gives the
listance. Distances can be measared
>etween far off objects, and, by means of
i sheet of paper fixed on a drawing
>oard, a rough plan of the country under
neasurement may be sketched. In the
ame way the distances of ships at sea or
' ' 1?J 1 J .4*.
it moving ODjects on iaua can uc uvteiniacd.
Thus the contrivance appears to
>e well adapted not only for land surveyng,
but particularly for military pur>oses.
In fact, it is stated to have been
.lready adopted in the latter connection
>y the German government, and will
>robably be by that of England.
The Falconer.
A falconer who has the exclusive caw
>{ half a dozen trained birds, whether
alcons or hawks, or loth, finds littla
ime hanging heavily on his hands. . By
he time he has movei out his charges to
he lawn and set their nocturnal abode
n order, he will ha c got an appetite foi
lis own breakfa t. Then there is the
m^iness of feeding those hawks which
ire not to fly, aud perhaps exercising
uost of them to the lure, in the manner
o graphically d scribed by Isnak Wal*
on. Then the bath or baths must be
illed, and the hawks which are to b2 inlular-d
with that luxurv moved to a
o w
)lace where they can jump in and splash
ibout to their heart's delight. Then the
>lan of the day's campaign must be aranged,
having regard to wind and
veather, and the chancs ot where the
|uarry is most likely to be found, and
vhen the day's work in the field is over
he falconer's day is not nearly done,
["here is the "feeding up" of the hawks
h?t have not been allowed, or have not
lad time, to "take their pleasure" on the
[uarry. Everything depends upon metng
to the hungry creatures just that
piantity of food whi h will keep them in
ull health and strength, but without
vergorging them or making them inac*
ive on the morrow. If a feather has been
>roken by some accident during the day
fc must be mended at once; if a jess is
vorn out it must be replaced. The feet
.nd beaks of all the hawks should be
leansed, their hoods seen to, and tha
ures made ready for use on another day.
'for let it he forgotten that there is
uch a thing as losing a hawk. When
his disaster happens the country ia
coured till dark in search of the truant,
nd if not found, the falconer, before
ireakof day, is again on the lookont with
lis lure in hand. A successful falconer
ies on no bed of roses. Only con-tant
ttention will make his hawks fond of
,im. But when they are so, he stands
mong them a friend among faithful
riends. At a sign from him they will
amp toward h:m; nay, at his first apearance?in
words of the old sportsman
* ?* i?
-"tney rcjoyce." i ne caaruutci ui cam
f them?for hawks differ in character as
luch as men and women?is as well
nown to him a3 his own. He know,f
rhat can or cannot be done with each;
nd thus he is able to carry on the
lost difficult of all sports without the
isiippointments that have frightened
way from it less patient and perserving
pros.?English Illustrated Majaziru.
Mountains of Rock Salt
At Sand Springs, in Churchill County,
rev., there is a deposit of rock salt
jurteen feet in depth, free from any
article of foreign substance, which can
e quarried at the rate of five tons a
ay to the man. The great Humboldt
.ii aKai^ -fiftor.n milpa lnnrr by
lit ilUIU 13 tti/uu* uivwu - -J
ix wide. "When the summer heats have
vaporated the surface water, salt to the
cpth of several inches may be scraped
p. and underneath is a stratum of puro
jck salt of unknown depth.
Soda, borax and other valuable minrals
also exist in large quantities near
aese localities, and branch railroads
'ill sooner or later bring them into
larket. A considerable business ifi
athering borax is already established oil
ic line of the Carson and Colorado
iailroad.
Sliillalahs, they say, are never seen in
le hands of Irishmen in Ireland new.
t is the tourist who swings the stick.