The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, August 07, 1889, Image 3
I HAD MARRIAGE;
I OR.
The Heiress of Law-:
rence Park..
!
i STORY OF ABSORBING INTEREST.:
BY MRS. E. B. COLLINS.
CHAPTER IV.
MUBDERED.
Silence?awful, cieatniiKe silence? :
md?then! Who can describe Ihe
icene which followed? Cries, sobs,
sonfused ejaculations, as the servants
locked to the room, pile and terrified,
ecoiling at the fearfvJ sight with lioror
and alarm.
It was a scene which they who saw it
Fere destined never to forget. The
>iazing chandelier threw a strange,
mearthly glare over the beautiful dis>rdered
room, mocking the early sunight
which crept in at the windows,
ihe blinds of which had not been closed
ill night. The door of the room had
>een burst open by the frightened
lervants, disclosing confusion.
The pretty bronze clock which had
itood upon the white marble mantel
lad been tlirown upon the floor, evilently
in the struggle for life, and had
itopped at half-past two. Upon a mar- .
ble table in the center of the room, '
just under the blazing chandelier, were
Rrriting materials, and a sheet of note
?aper upon which these words had been
iraced, "Gabrielle, I have made my will
n favor of "
And here the sentence broke off, un- i
iuished; the pen had fallen upon the
iable; and the secret?if secret it was
?remained untold. For the hand that
lad traced those lines was still forever
?the master of Lawrence Park lay !
ihere dead and cold, with a great, gap- !
ing hole in his breast from which the
life had ebbed, his white face upturned
? the garish gaslight, set and stony;
lie sightless eyes fixed straight be- .
'ore him in a vacant stare.
Tho furniture was disarranged, and >
& chair overturned near. Beside that
ijhastly figkre lying there'in such pa-j
ihetic silence, Mrs. Chillingworth? j
iroused from slumber by the old house- j
keeper ? knelt, pale and hysterical.
She had been an old and valued friend
of Gilbert Lawrence, and the chosen'
chaperon of his motherless daughter.
Yet she knew little of his past life, and
nothing of that secret of hidden sin
[which he had carried with him to the
grave. At her side stood the old fam- j
Sy physician, silent and grave, bending
over the dead man with eager inter"Dead
for hours!" he exclaimed,
tersely, at last. "And?good heavens!
?stabbed to the heart evidently. Yei
I see no trace of the weapon with which
the deed was done! A cold-blooded
murder!" he went on, shaking his head
ilowly ? "a most atrocious murder!
Perhaps it?but?I must wait until the
Coroner arrives, Mrs. Chillingworth!"
Btooping to lay his hand upon Mrs.
Chillingworth's arm, "has the awful
news been broken to?to?baa any one
told Miss Lawrence?"
Clarice Chillingworlh lifted bei
white face with its look of intense sufing,
and an expression of liorroi
dawned within her eyes. For the moment
she had forgotten the poor motherless
child up-stairs, who must now
learn that she was fatherless, too! Mrs,
Chillingworth uttered a low cry.
"No! no! Good heavens! no!" she
moaned. "TVbo can tell her? Who
dares tell her? There never was such
love before between father and daughter
as the love wh>^h Gilbert Lawrence
and his child bore for each other! I
would not dare to tell her! I would
not be the one to break the news to
Ruby Lawrence?not for the wealth of
"the round world. And " pausing
with a groan of horror. "Good heavens!
I believe that?she is coming!"
Down the broad staircase a slim,
white-robed figure came tripping lightly,
all unconscious of the dark shadow
ItLat had fallen over her young life like
a pall. And as she came flitting down
the stairs?poor child!?she was singing
softly to herself?the last song
that touched her lips for many a drear?
day:
And 111 give my heart to my lady's keeping,
And ever her strength on mine shall lean;
And the stars shall loll, and the saints be weeping.
Ere 1 coase to love her?my queen?mj
qaeen!"
Half way down the stairs she hesitated.
A glimpse of the crowd below, the
unusual bustle, dawned upon her; the
song died upon her lips; she caught
her breath with a gasp. One swifl
jglance over the carven balustrade; a
mad rush down the stairs and into the
library; then a piercing shriek fell
iupon the silence?a err which they
who heard it never forgot to the day
"they died.
A moment's pause; "a dead, low
hush, as of a soul departing, and
epirits kneeling over it," then the liti
tie white-robed figure fell upon hei
knees beside that still form-thai
ghastly, awful form, with its whitd
marble face upturned to her own;
'never to brighten at her coming, thej8ilent
lips never to utter loving words
'again?never any more.
In her trailing robe of snowy cashmere,
with her long gold hair afloat,
looked like a wraith as she knolfc
H* re; her arms wound around the
Kent form, while sho moaned in bitter
Hguish:
"un, papai papa: papa? apeak t\
me, darling, just one word! Open
your dear eyes and look at me! It is
Buby, your Kubv, your own little girl!
Oh, papa! papa!"
And the wild cries would have molt
ed a heart of stone.
Dr. Hall turned aside and wiped his
eyes. Mrs. Chillingworth crouched in !
a corner, crying softly to herself, while j
the anguished lamentations went on. j
All at once there was a subdued i
bustle in the entrance hall outside; the j
slow, measured tramp, tramp of feet, a !
monotonous whispering. Dr. Hall
laid his hand gently upon the be -*ed
v<uu1
"My dear!" (how his kind voicg
trembled). "My dear Miss Ruby,
come with me, will you not? It is i
best that you leave the room for a
time."
She lifted her wild, white face, with 1
its great violet eyes, dry and brassy? j
(or she could not weep.
"There are necessary forms to be j
coba throucrh with." Dr. Hall went on. ;
Slowly. ''"My dear, the?the?coroner j
has arrived 1"
A. strange, dazed look crept over her
fieath-white face. The doctor went on,
gently:
aA mere form, Miss Rubv?necessary
routine to be gone throujjy witk We
must leave no stone unturned, that we
may discover how and by whose iiand
your father died!"
She started to her feet, as with an
electric shock. Into the white, set
face, a look of resolution crept slowly, j
"How, and by whose liaod?he died?" j
she repeated, meokanically. "That is
what?I?must know! Dr. Hall, I ,
shall not leave tHis room! Surely, it j
is my place to?to know I"
So she was permitted to remain, and
the coroner commenced his sad task.
It was a strange affair, shrouded in
mystery. The post mortem resulted
in the verdict that "Deceased came to
his death by a wound in the region of ,
the heart, inflicted by a sharp weapon j
in the hands of a person or persons un- \
known."
But, there was no trace of any !
weapon to be found in the room, or
upon the premises without?none. No
clew to the presence of any intruder.
All at once, Mrs. Chillingworth's eyes
fell upon a spray of purple pansies lying
uj)on the velvet carpet at her feet,
near where the dead man lay. Dr.
Hall stooped and picked them up.
"They must have fallen from Ruby's
bouquet last night!" observed Mrs.
Chillingworth. "She was in here with
her father!"
T 1?? ?:t-V. 1? aoi'/l
L ta, X WttJJ UCID WllU
Ruby, mechanically; ''but, Aunt Clarice,
I did not have any flowers with
me! Poor paj>a! he looked so white j
and worn! And?I fancied that I i
heard some one speaking to him before
I entered the room!" she added, as
though she were speaking to herself.
"Mis3 Lawrence!"
She glanced up with a 'start, to find |
Arthur Wynne standing at her side, j
And so they had met again. Met, with 1
this awful, this hideous shadow resting j
between that time and now 1 He bowed |
lowly.
"Dear Miss Lawrence!" he began, in j
a low, pained tone, "pardon me! 1 I
would not have dared to intrude at this j (
dreadful time, but I have something to j j
say to you! |:
"You are probably not aware that 1 j ,
have been by profession a private d<>? I i
tective officer. I no longer work at my j
profession, because I have Lad a for- j
tune left me, which occupies my atten- 1
tion to the exclusion of other objects, j ]
I have therefore retired from activo
service, but I wish to offer my assistance
in this horrible trouble. j
"Henceforth my time, talents, and j
professional skill shall be devoted to ! .
th;s object, the unmasking of the i i
villain who ha3 done this foul deed; tha
exposure and punishment of the wretch {
who is guilty of this dastardiy crime! }
Miss Lawrence, will you allow me to
help you ?"
i *
Olie illDtU uei ejft'B u.10 iauc a j
look of terror, and a strange tremor ,
passed over her slight frame. Then ,
she bowed her golden head*
"I accept your oiFer gratefully, Mr. ,
Wynne!" she faltered. "I have no othei j
hope in life but to track my father'e (
murderer down to justice! I have j
nothing else to live for, now. j
Eer voice faltered, and broko into si- ]
lence. Her slight form swayed li'.ce n ]
lily in the wind. Mrs. Chillingworih
sprang to her side and put her arm
about the trembling figure.
Then, with Dr. Hall's assistance,"she j
led Ruby slowly from tho room, and up- '
stairs to her own chamber.
As they reached the head of the staircase
they heard the door of' Ruby's}
chamber open and close hurriedly, and '
a rustling noise followed, like some
one hastening down the corridor, eagei
to get out of sght. But, when the
corridor was reached, there w&3 no one
there.
Once in her own room, Ruby fainted
quietly away.
While Dr. Hall hastened down staird 1
for restoratives, Mrs. Chilling worth be- j
gan to chafe the girl's slender wrists, '
Vvfti-lxA rtnlri wln'fa Iwniv
ttllU. UtllUC UJUC7 uvxu TT uno
All at once her eyes fell upon some- 1
thing "which made her start with an
ejaculation of surprise. The dress
which Ruby had worn to the theater
the night before. It had been flung
across a satin chair, and its violet velivet
folds swept over the carpet. And,
,upon the jiirt of the costly robe, some- !
!thing dark?a hideous stain. <
Mrs. Chillingworth dropped the cold 1
!white hand that she hold, and flew to 1
the spot. i
. She stooped and examined the stain, j
falling back with a groan of horror, as
she saw that it was blood?half congealed?upon
the velvet skirt. And,
upon the floor beneath the chair, a :
point lace handkerchief literally soaked
in fresh blood?the very one she had
seen in Ruby's hand last night at the
theater. What did it mean ?
Trembling in every limb, Mrs. Chillingworth
carefully lifted the dainty
web of lace-trimmed muslin. In one i
corner the name of Ruby Lawrence in
full was daintily marked.
Entirely overcome by this strange
occurrence, Mrs. Chillingworth stood, j
pallid and half swooning, when the !
sound of Dr. Hall's footsteps returning j
to the room fell ujron her ears. She
turned swiftly, and rolling the velvet
dress and blood-stained handkerchief
up together into a ball she opened the
door of the wardrobe, thrust the bundle
within, and closed and secured the
wardrobe door, just as the physician
made his appearance.
A little later Ruby La#vrence came
DaeK to me once more, oacK to exist- i
ence, -which, in the long, barren future, i
she was destined to curse.
Ah, poor Ruby! bettor for her had
she died then and there!
Jus'o then the sound of carriage
wheels was heard driving up the avenue
at full sjiec^d. There -was a bustle j
in the hall belowt followed by a -wild
shriek that rang through the house; a
woman's voice, in a cry of anguish and
despair that was horrible to hear.
CHAPTER V.
A MAD PASSIOX.
"Adele! Listen to me I I must
sp ak! For the love of pity, give me '
a little hope to cling to; hope for the
future 1 I cannot live without you,
Adele! And you have led me on with
your sweet smiles and tender words
until my heart lies under your feet! I
am desperate, maddened with the love j
I bear you?Adele St. Cyr!"
She drew back with a gesture of disdain.
"Adele Lawrence!" she corrected,
Bofily. "You forget, Mark, that I have
a claim, though as yet unacknowledged, i
to that name! xou iorget fhat the"
poor ballet-dancer will be a lady some
day, and will hold her own with the
best! That wealth will some day be
mine, and with it social position, and ,
the proud ladies who to-day pass me |
by, as though to touch me were contamination,
will some day be proud to
claim my friendship, will sue for my
favor! it is with this hope that I live?
yet you forget!"
An inarticulate cry rushed to hia
lips; his dusky faca was working with
passion; he drew nearer bar side, his
lithe form trembling ince a reed which '
the tempest bjnds in its grasp.
She was seated at the piano in her
own little drawing-room. She wore a
rich house dress of warm brown velvet, 1
with rare lace at the wrists and throat, I
fastened there with a single diamond, '
which gloamed like a drop of dow amid
th9 meshe3 of costly lace. Diamond
solitaires were in her ears; no other
ornament did she wear. She was beautiful?exceedingly?as
she sat before .
the instrument, her white fingers stray- J
ing lightly over the white keys.
To tho man who watched her, with I
eyes full of adoration, she was the most
beautiful, bewitching creature, upon
whom the snn bad ever suone. Jle nad
known her long, and this mad love had
grown and strengthened, until it was
the very mainspring of his existence. '
?Thero was no mad act that he would
not do, no sin that he would not commit
to win her for his own.
The white fingers swept the keys
with a light touch, and the sweet
strains of Mon Eeve floated upon the
silence, while he stood watching hei
" * * - TT. 1..J
with ins soul id dis eyes, ne auu come
to keep liis appointment with, her mother,
but she was Dot there, and it was do
hardship to wait. At last, hurried footsteps
without, the door opeued quickly
?it was Gabrielle St. Cyr!
Her face.as white as a dead woman's,
wore a looR or trlumpn. wnat nad'happtDed?
She closed the door behind
her, and turned the key in the lock;
then she came to the piano, and laid
her hand upon Adele's arm.
"Adele!" she cried, her voice trembling
with strange emotion, "I have
wonderful news! Listen! Adele?
Adele?the fortune of which we have
dreamed, and for which we have toiled, j
and schemed, and suffered, is ours at j
last! If only you have nerve and j
courage sufficient to play your part. If
only you will "
'I will do?*and dare?anything!" interrupted
the girl, fiercely, her dark
eyes flashing like fire. "Mamma, there
is nothing in the world that I would
not do for money; aye," her voice
sank to a sibilant whisper, "even crime 1
Try me and see!"
Mark Alleyne's dark face flushed, and
liis eyes shone with an awful light. He
turned aside, lest his face should betray
him.
"I'll remember that, my lady!" he
muttered softly, between his set teeth;
'and when I am ready I will remind
[ier of her own words. What would she
say, I wonder, if she knew?if sheknew?all?"
Ho wa3 breathing hard, like one in
pain, as he began to pace up and down
the room, in an absent, preoccupied
way.
ZfXT 1- III T1 nrnn /^trtTvviA! 1 A Tirl^A
iUiirh. ? JLV uaviicuo nnuj |
>poke. "Stop! You, too, must hear
my story. Strange, "wild, incredible
is it will seem to you, it is all true,
nevertheless! I will tell the story, and
when you have heard all, I will unfold
my plot! Then we shall see of what
itufi' Adele's nerves are made, and if
she will dare to play a part upon
:he world's stage that would appall a
brave heart even to contemplate!
Listen!"
She sank into a Beat and began to
ipeaK in a low, eager tone, in nei
dustv gray alpaca dress with her small
head" haughtily lifted, and that strange
new light, the light of victory, in hei
eyes, Gabrielle St. Cyr was beautiful
beyond compare. She looked like an
empress issuing commands to her cour?
tiers, as she went on speaking swiftlj
and softly, that victorious light deep
ening upon her face, a look whict
boded ill to the enemy who mighl
chance to fall into her merciless hands
The moments passed. A half hour
Tas spent in the telling before the tale
vas told. Then she came to a halt,
jlancing swiftly into the faces before
ler.
"Adele! Mark! We three must
TT/vwV fnrrotKnT T)r? vnn hpliftVfl that
rou two can carry oat your share of
;his plot, without failure or flinching ?
f here is one thing more. It seems
that there was a paper; that Gilbert
Lawronce wrote a full confession of the
iruth last night after his daughter had
[eft him, wrote it for her benefit, that
jhe might know the evil that he had
ilons. This confession is also his last
will and testament; it is all in one!
That paper is all we have to fear! We
must get it into our hands, and all will
bo fair sailing. And then "
Mark Alleyne arose to his feet and
faced the two women before him with
pale face and eyes which held a look
not good to see.
"Wait, Gabrielle," he said, decidodly,
"there is something to be settled first
before I can pledge myself to help you.
E have a question to ask Adele, and it
must be answered without further delay,
and us well now in your presence.
Have I your permission to speak'?" he
added, his burning eyes upon her face.
She nodded.
"Go on," she said, slowly, "you know
that I am your friend. Mark."
?ie snult'd faintly, a smile which belied
the savage glitter in his dusky
^ycs.
"^dele!" he cried, passionately, turnlug
to her, "I want my answer; I must
have it now. I have loved you, aye,
worshiped you, for long years! I have
been your humble slave I Must I expect
no return? Adele St. Cyr, will
vou be my wife? No one has ever
loved you as I love you! Be mine, and
we will work together for this fortune."
"And if I refuse?" she queried,
lightly.
"It will be the worse for you," he
cried. "I have it in my power to make
you suffer in a way of which you little
dream. Answer me. for I must know.
Will you marry me, Adelc V
Sho swept him a long, "slow, careful
glance from under her silken eyelashes,
and her red lips curled slightly.
"Marry you? You must be mad!"
she cried. "It is absurd?out of the
question 1"
He bowed mockingly.
"Absurd! Out of the question!"
he repeated, his voice quivering perceptibly.
"Adele St. Cyr, you will
rue the day that you spoke those
words to me! If you knew, if you
dreamed of the power that I hold over
voucyou would tell a different tale."
one cnccKea mm witn'a liauglity
gesture.
"You have said enough," sho was beginning,
freezingly, but her mother
gave her a warning look and she hesitated.
"But," intervened Gabrielle, "my
plot can never be carried out without
Mark's assistance."
Then, in a low tone, she added, as
Mark moved away to the window, and
stood gazing upon the scene without:
"Do not reject him now. You will
ruin all. We can do nothing without
him."
Down in her heart Adele was saying
over and over:
"I hate him! I hate him t And I
love Arthur Wynne! Every throb of
my heart is for him, and him alone! I
ahull Via bia. OX HQ imin'al*
?? -
"-v. <*.
[ But aloud she "said, softly:
"Mark!"
He turned swiftly, liia dark face all
aglow, his eyes shining with rapture,
at the sound of that low, tender tone.
"Forgive me for being so naughty,"
she went on, slipping her small, white
hand into his.
A look of happiness flashed over his
face, and crept tenderly into his eyes.
He lifted the little hand to his lips, and
covered it with kisses.
"I knew that you could not be so
cruel," he cried, eagerly. "Oh, Adele,
you will be my wife ?"
Her eyes drooped before his passionate
gaze.
"We will not speak of that now," she
said, softly, "not until our plans aTe
carried ' out, If we succeed (and we
must), come then to me again, and I
will answer you."
"But you will be mine, my beautiful
darling?" he pleaded, rapturously.
She gave him one long, silent look.
- "She spoke no words, but he was satisfied.
Fools' paradise was heaven to him
henceforth.
His dream of blis3 was broken by Gabrielle's
voice.
"Time is flying " she said, eagerly.
"The hour has come to strike. I must
go at once to Lawrence Park, or I will
miss the chance of a lifetime. Go now,
Mark, and order a carriage while I
dress for the expedition. I shall wear
deep mourning, and my forlorn state'
will appeal to the strongest heart present.
Adele, you will remain in your own
room, and it shall be announced that
you are ill?serio\?ly ill?of a contagious
fever; therefore you will not be
troubled with visitors. This is the
first act in the play. The curtain rises,
the drama begins! Ah, me! it may
prove a tragedy befora we are done."
[to be continued.]
Servians and Their Piga.
Servian men and women alike wear
huge saudals with a wilderness of strapi
about the leg up to the knee, and the
women display multi-colored aprons
worked by themselves, short skirts, and
short, thick-quilted jackets,with a gaudj
kerchief over their hair. The aprons
aforesaid arc among the few pretty objects
a traveler can take away with him
from Servia as specimens of native industry.
They are worked in a sort of Turkish
style, and, though rough in materia*
and crude in color, are effective as chair
or small table covers. The best product
of the country is the Pirot carpet, worth
about a ducat or twelve shillings a square
meter. The desigps are extremely pretty,
and the rugs, without being so heavy as
Persian, or so ragged and scant in the
?Tt-rtnf oa f^nromnninn. wear for
aiiVX liuv/i w,w VM*
ever. The manufacture of these is entirely
confined to Pirot, near the Bulgarian
frontier, from which place they take
their commercial name. The real industrial
wealth of Servia lies in its pigs.
Out of a population of nine millions,
seven millions walk on four legs with an
independent air, a sort of a "pig and a
brother" assumption of coequal rights
and privileges. The Servian pig is certainly
a remarkable animal, and no other
pig is so self-assertive, so strong, or so
hairy as he. We have seen one of them,
while driving along by the side of hi?
master, insist on alighting where he
pleases, which happened to be over the
splashboard. No persuasion or argument
could induce him to alter his mind, and
it was not till he had tripped up the pony
and upset the cart that he was satisfied.
The mature hog's coat is of a deep red
brown, and as curly as a retriever's, turning
to long gray bristles down his back
as he advances in yeara. His presence is
everywhere visible or audible. He crops
out on every hillside and from every
thicket and copse, and lines the banks oJ
the Danube in hundreds, while the train
that carries you away from Belgrade will
cross tracks packed with squealing pork~
^ ! 1
ers and taxing imagination 10 conceive uj
what ingenuity the beasts were ever induced
to enter and be penned. When
we remember that King Alexander's
great-grandfather was a swineherd at
Takovo, we must further allow the pig
his niche in Servian history to add to his
commercial importance and arsistic value.
?The Saturday Review.
The Oneida Community.
The famous Oneida Community, established
in 1834 by John Humphrey Noyes
at Oneida, N. Y., has been in litigation
for some time, and a motion fonts dissolution
was made recently before Recorder
Waters, of St. Charles, N. Y. The motion
has been brought by Charles A.
Burt, one of the members of the community.
In his complaint he sets forth
that in 1884 the plan of the community
was changed, and that from an association
in which each member had enial
share and lived together under one roof,
it has become, under the new management,
a co-opcration in which membership
is simply represented by a certain
number of shares of stock. This trausformation,
Mr. Burt argues, is contrary
to the intention of the founder, John
Humphrey Noyes, and as a consequence
of the departure from the old method of
living this stock has passed into the
hands of a trust and the interest of individual
members has been gobbled up by
certain capitalists. He, therefore, asks
for an accounting, a receivership and a
dissolution of the corporation. This
singular community has been in existence
since 1834. John Humphrey Noyes, the
founder, was ordained to the ministry
after a collcgiate course at Dartmouth
College. In 1833 he founded a sect
called the Perfectionists and drew up the
first plan of the society which afterward
became the Oneida Community. He and
his followers claimed to possess a peculiar
phase of religious experience, having tor
its basis spiritual intercourse with God,
which Noycs taught may proceed so far,
even in this life, as to destroy all selfishness
and so make an end of sin. Two
communities were founded, one at Oneida
and the other at "Wallingport, Conn. A
home was established at Oneida, the
members engaged in agricultural pursuits
and manufactures. In 1884 the
community owned property to the value
of over ?500,000. The practice of free
love has been abolished and married
couples now form a part of the society. It
was in this community that Guitcau, the
assassin of Garfield, and his father lived
for a time.?New Orleans Times-Democrat.
Gold dollars are said to command a
premium, as they have almost disappeared
from view. It is a puzzle what
they wete ever made for, as they were
always inconvenient and getting mixed I
with small coin. Their scarcity is attributed
to their use for bangles and
other articles of ornament. I
' " r,
ALASKA.
ITS RESOURCES AND HABITS OP
THE NATIVES.
Size and Population pf the Territory
?How the Natives Dispose ol"
Their Dead?The Salmon
Fisheries.
To one whose attention has never been
called to the fact, it seems rather surprising
that San Francisco is on the meridian
that divides the possessions of the
United States into equal parts. The Alaskan
archipelago extends as far to the west
of San Francisco as Maine is east of it.
We are furthermore not apt to realize that
the coast line of Alaska exceeds that of
the United States, and that its territory is
equal in extent to the portion of the
United States cast of the Mississippi
River. Its islands are some 1100 in number,
and its scenery is as grand and
rugged, with its abrupt headlands, its
RUSSIAN BLOCK HOUSE.
gigantic ravines, its snow covered mountains
and glacicrs, and enormous rivers, as
any on this cotinent. It has a population
of about 32,000, only 3000 of whom are
whites.
The few towns that are to be found arc
scattered along the coast, and are principally
trading and fishing stations. The
most important is Sitka, formerly the seat
of the Russian Governor, and at that time
called New Archangel. It has a popula-J
tion of about 1500, and is the headquarters
of the United States authorities. It
Vioc fnrfi'fina+'irma m?nrnmPQ nnfl A mfior.
nectic observatory, and has a Greek
church and bishop. It also boasts of a
training school for Indian children.
TOTEMS IX 1IONOK OF DEPARTED CHIEFS.
The influences of civilization have
wrought a great change in the natives,
who were formerly very turbulent and
savage. The Indian school is wen attended,
and the effects of education and
the missionary have already been felt.
rh2 Greek church is the most foriegn
feature of the town, and is in fact the
only edifice that has any claim to being
an architectural production.
The Russian block house, which is
illustrated, was formerly garrisoned with
a Russian force, but it is now abandoned. 1
On a rocky point near Sitka is situated!
the castle, which, in spite of its rugged
walls an d severe aspect, possesses its se-;
crets and its romance. It was formerly1
the abode of a Russian princess who held
sway in the Territory, and who was murdered
in her own home in the midst of
gay revels by a jealous admirer.
A NATIVE enrEF.
A portrait is reproduced of Kitch Konk,
a native chief, in full dancing costume
His mantle is brilliantly colored, while
be carrics in his hand a rattle. A group
of Alaskan ladies is also given. Thej
are not in their war paint and best linen,
but in their every-day clothes; while
their faces we simply daubed with i
a mixture of spruce gum, grease, and
lampblack, put on, it is said, to present
the complexion.
One of the most curious practices of
the natives is their method of disposing
of the dead. The bodies of the departed
are cremated and deposited in I05
houses, which are surmounted by some
carved object in wood, which is supposed
to guard the ashes of the deceased
whose bone3 lie beneath. One might
mistake the creature to be an alligator,
but it is a howling wolf singing his re
quiem over the charred remains of some
I departed chieftain. Its companion lyins
on the ground by its side is a woodec
whale, whose sepulchre has collapsed
under it. These figures are the totem*
of the families whose bones repose in the
houses beneath. Cremation has been
generally abandoned since the arrival oi
the missionaries. Totems of a different
type are represented in another tiew.
These poles are very tall, and are elaborately
carved with atone hatchets, and
are considered great works of art by the
natives. The carvings are emblematic
of important events in the history of tho
chief, in whose honor the totem has beet
raised. Each family or subdivision of a
tribe has its own totem, and these monuments
serve to distinguish between
families much as armorial bnarings did
in the middle ages. Each child belongs
to the tribe and family of its mother, aa
the father is not considered in the light
of a relation.
Gold is found in some quantity.
Fishing, however; is a more important
industry, and one which is being very
rapidly developed. Nineteen salmon
FAMILY TOMBS SURMOUNTED BT TOTEMS.
canneries are now in operation in Alaska,
and very few realize how the waters ol
Alaska abound in salmon. They are
much more numerous than they are in
the prolific waters of California, Oregon
and Washington Territory. Thousands'
have been taken, so we are informed in a
recent Government report, by a single
haul of the soine.
The salmon fisheries have increased
very rapidly. In 1887' eighteen vessels
were engaged in the traffic and 190,000
cases of salmon were exported. In 1888
the number of vessels had increased to
twenty-eight and between 300,000 and
350,000 cases were exported.
Whaling is also extensively carried on
in Alaska. One of the greatest resources
GROUP OP ALASKAN NATIVES.
of this vast region is its forests, which are.
practically virgin. The value of these is
not appreciated so much now as it will
be later, when the wood supply of the
Pacific States,which is being so wantonly
wasted now, has begun to give out. Then
Alaska with it great supply of hemlock,
spruce and cedar trees, will be sought
to supply the devouring hunger of advancing
civilization.?Scientific American.
"The Bon Yivant"
| Der doctor says I dassent smoke
Anudder cigarette,
' R else my name is Mud. Der bloke I
I'D give'm soup, you bet!
Der dry ol' fossle! Wot's be knowAbout
der juice o' life?
He's nut'n but a holy show,
'IT t'inner den a knife!
I wouldn't be dat dry ol' cuss
Fur all der world cud give!
Der ain't nobody knows, out us
Young fellows, how to live!
?New York State Camp Journal.
Effects of the Snez Caual.
Some years ago it was proposed to expedite
the opening up of the interior of
Africa by letting in the waters of the ocean
to the Great Sahara, which would thus
become an immense inland lake, to the
shores of which ready access could be
gained by ships. One of the objections
raised to the scheme was that it would
seriously affect the climate not only of the
adjacent countries, but of the whole of
Europe, which would be turned into an
Arctic region. It is interesting to recall
this circumstance in view of one of the
I unforseen consequences of the opening of
the Suez canal which is now reported.
The climate of lower Egypt has been
markedly modified, and rain, which was
previously almost unknown there, has become
relatively frequent. Another singular
result is not so satisfactory; the sharks
of the Indian ocean have found their way
through the canal into the eastern part of
the Mediterranean and the Adriatic, and
sea bathing at the ports of Fiurae and
Pola is rendered impracticabic.
Prince of the Bootblacks.
Antonio Aste, the Prince of the New
York bootblacks, was recently married
in great style in that city. lie owns a
number of the most valuable stands in
town, and is the proprietor of several
tenement houses?all purchased by money
raised in blacking shoes. His bride is a
pretty young Italian girl named Annie
Berbieri, who wore on the occasion a
white silk dress trimmed with valuable
lace. They will go to Europe for their
bridal tour.
Sharks Use the Suez Canal.
It is said that before the Isthmus of
Suez was pierced by the canal there were
almost no sharks in the Mediterranean,
the passage through the Straits of Gibraltar
not being to their liking; but now
they come in by way of the canal, and in
such numbers that in more than one
watering-place, and especially on the
Adriatic Sea, the sign has gone up for
bathers to "Beware of Sharks."
Maine packed last year 500,000 casca
of sardines. i
A- A
~T '
The Oldest Living Man.
The oldest man in the civilized world,
it may be said with reasonable safety, if
Nagy Ferencz, a peasant in Bares, Hun-;
gary. He was born in Hedrahely, 121
years ago next September. He passotl'
his boyhood on the little farm of his
parents. He was not an especially robust
child. He could not haul and split wood,;
pitch hay, and tame colts, as could his!
three strapping brothers, who died half
a century aero. His father resrarded him
with disfavor, because he was too weak
to do more than a peasant woman's work,,
and did not earn enough to pay for his1
food. At the age of 19, however, Nagy
suddenly developed into a phenomenally
muscular man. His chest widened, hi?
arms and legs hardened, and his girth
increased. He became a famous local;
wrestler, and did more work in a day
than most peasants near Hedrahely did11
in two.
NAGY FERENCZ, AGED 121 TEARS. ?
Just 100 years ago last May he fell in/
love with the daughter of an innkeeper.;
She promised to marry him on July 31fi
17S9. Two days before the marriage1
day she jilted him for his best friend.i
Since then Nagy has been a woman-hater .1
He never loved another woman.
Four years later he went to the war of!
the first coalition. For the twenty sue-!
ceeding years he was almost constantly
under arms, in camp or on the battlefield.;
He saw Napoleon once and Blucher once.';
Nagy's boyhood was lived long before
the days of compulsory education, so h?
never learned to keep a diary or write:
memoirs. He has an immense fund of!
anecdote, however, which is at the service
of any one with a half hour to spare;
at Bares. The children of the town have'
heard from him every week for many!
years the stories of the famous charges, ]
retreats, seiges and campaigns in whichj
ho has participated. The great event of;
his life, he thinks, was his attendance of!
the funeral of his dead Queen, Maria;
Theresa, 109 years ago. Although buti
twelve years old then, he has treasure*!'
up for more than a century every detail!
of the procession and burial.
Nagy Ferencz is penniless, but he isj
not a beggar nor a public charge. A!
score or more of families in Bares are!
"Kim /vlnf^iner fliui4
ICttUJ bu ivuvAj V1V?U4U^ WM,.r
shelter. He takes all his meals withj
seven families, whom he has known fori
fifty years. Each one entertains him onej
day in the week. Between meals hej
walks from house to house, chatting with!
all men and children whom he meets.;
He rarely talks with women, for he hasj /
not forgotton that young woman who)
jilted him one century ago this month.]
After each meal he smokes a pipeful of.
strong tobacco. He has been smoking!
three pipefuls of strong tobacco svery
day for the last 104 years.
Altogether Nagy Fcrencz is a sturdy,;
contented, amiable old man. His health
is good. His mind is fairly clear. He
looks as well and happy as he is. He
has clear dark eyes, clean-cut regular
features, and a smooth bronzed skin. He
has a bushy head of white hair and a,
heavy white mustache. He is erect and
quick in his movements. He is scrupulously
neat in his person. He looks to
be about seventy or seventy-five years
old.?New York Sun.
i ? "V
Clothes Make the Man.
$1 J^\i#
The style of his city clotiies.
^. -J k<~ [ 7 ^
*\^TW If \ ^jQfo
And of his country outfit.?New Tori
Herald.
Two American girls who will shortly;
wed titled foreigners are Miss Gwendolen:
Caldwell, foundress of the Catholic University
at Washington, and Miss Caroline
Fitzgerald, of New York. The former
will wed Prince Murat; the latter Lord!
Edmond Fitzroaurice.
The Royal Meteorological Societf
of England is making a collection of
photographs of lightning flashes. Oa
each photograph is noted the time of
the flash and the interval between it
and the thunder.
A London physician of eminence
maintains that the most potent cause
of the dissemination of disease is kissing.
Pear, dear, is love a disease ?
. : ' .'