The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, December 14, 1892, Image 6
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RFTRAYFn- i
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OR
A DARK MARRIAGE
MORN.
A Romance of Loue, Intrigue and
Crime.
BY UBS. ALICE P. CARRISTON.
CHAPTER XXXIII.?(Continued.)
He did sot imagine for a moment that
Cor? would charge herself personally with
the infliction of her vengeance; bnt she
bad said, he then remembered, that the
hand would be found. She was rich
enough to find it, and thi6 hand might
now be here.
"Flo," he said, "let U6 walk a little
faster, I beg of von! I nm cold."
He quickened his steps, and resolved
to return to the house by the public road.
When he reached the edge of the woods,
although he still thought he heard at in1
- onnni^ vhip)i hod alarmed
him, be reassured himself and assumed
his flow of spirits as if a little ashamed
even of bit panic.
He detained Flora to look at the pretext
of their walk. This was a small wall
of rock over a high excavation. Two
trunks of trees had been thrown across
the narrowest part of the excavation,
forming a species of bridge?always civing
those who ventured upon it the most
complete and picturesque view of a most
wonderfel and romantic spectacle.
Flo had never before seen this specie*
of bridge, which her brother had recently
placed tbere. After some minutes of
contemplation, as he was showing hei
with his hands the two trunks of the
trees:
*Mnst we pass these?" she asked, in
IvMvVftn
"If you are not afraid," Bfcid Eugene;
and, after all, I shall be with you."
He saw she hesitated, and* her face,
tinder the moonlight, seemed to him to
become so strangely pale that he could
not refrain from saying:
"1 thought you were braver."
Sbe hesitated no longer, but put hex
foot on the perilous bridge against he)
wish, always cautiously advancing.
She half turned her head, and hei
-4 I Un/1.,
bcpo uotauic guiokoauj*
All at once she staggered.
Eugene ruihed to catch her, and in the
trouble of the moment his hand struck
her -with some force.
The unfortunate woman uttered a
shriek, made a gesture as if to push him
off, and, repulsing him, rushed wildly
over the bridge and ran into the woods.
Eugene, repulsed and frightened, not
knowing her thoughts, followed her in
great haste.
Be found her near the bridge, with hei
back against a tree, her face turned
toward him, terrified yet menaciog.
"Coward!" she exclaimed.
He looked at her with real bewilder*
ment, wben be heard the eonna ox rapiaiy
approaching footeteps, and a shadow
paBsed out of the depthB of the woods.
He recognized Mrs. Leland.
She ran to war J them, palpitating, excited,
seized the hand of her child, and
turned to him.
"Both here!" she cried.
Now he understood all.
A strangled cry rattled in -hie throat;
he pressed his forehead convulsively between
his two hands, and let fall hie
arms despairingly; then he said in a
hoaree voice:
"You take me for a murderer?" and
stamped in the wild agony of hiB rage.
"well, what are you doing here? Save
yourselves then!"
Terrified, they obeyed him?they fled?
the mother dragging her daughter with
lose strides; and he saw them disappear
in the sight.
He remained there, in thiB wild place.
The hours passed on without his numbering
them. Sometimes he went np and
down in the narrow space which separated
the bridge from the abyss; sometimes
stopping suddenly, his eyes lowered
and fixea, he seemed as immovable and
enaeleas as the trunk ol the tree against
which he leaned.
If there ii, as we hope, a divine hand
whjich weighs in a just balance on? griefs
against our faults, these mom Ants ought
to hare been counted for this man.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
BX8T0BED MKMOET, AND SORBOW.
Warren Leland'i journey to Roxbury resulted
in a disappointment.
An interview with Clara's father repealed?what
he had half expected to
^ hear?that tne remittances for the support
of Mildred had all been made
^iuonymously.
This knowledge filled bioo with a strange
and undefined feor.
The liberal amounts supplied, and the
regularity with which they were remitted,
indicated that Mildred's brother must be
a wealthy man, yet the fact that his address
was not known, nor even that oi
his banker or agent in New York, lentjan
jaif o? decided mystery to the whole transaii-linn.
"Without waiting even to see his
mother, the perplexed and anxious
young man hastened to catch a New Yorh
train.
Once seated in the rapidly moving
coach, he gave way to serious reflection.
'There's something back of all this."
he decided, after he had ran over in his
mind all that was known to him of the
history of his affiancel bride. "I should
have thought of this before. I'll be surprised
if I don't run against something
in the way of villainy before I fathom it.
e I surely shall.n
The love which Warren Leland had entertained
for Clara Benton had been pure
and sincere, but it had been but a pre
Hide to tnat wnicn ce bow ien ior ner
beautiful protegee, Mildred Lester.
Clara had done much to remove that
which was groBB from hie nature, but hie
love for Mildred had purified him as with
fire.'
Her gentle influence had operated upon
him in a manner exactly opposite to the
way Eugene bad been affected by the
beautiful siren whose baneful love had
wrecked bit life.
It was nearly evening when he reached
the Grand Central Depot.
Calling a carriage, he was driven rapidly
,to the house of his friends, whom
be bad not Been since parting witn them
the preceding evening.
Clara and Mildred were there to teceive
him.
"Where's Edith?" he ashed, when he
had briefly informed Mre. Denton of the
uselessness of hie jonrnev.
"She went this afternoon to call on hex
new-made friend, Mi6B Fielding, and has
not vet returned," was the response.
"Hasn't she, though?"
This query was attended by the closing
of a door, and followed by the tinkling of
little feet, and a moment later the little
maiden in question danced into the
drawing-room.
"I'm nlways at the very place I'm expected
to be," langhei. Edith, merrilv."Th-.tyou
are, daughter," replied Clara.
greeting tier witn a kiss,
"And what did you find out?" aBkec
"Warren. eagerly.
"I found MiBB Fieldiae out."
*How did that happen':1"
"A 7niBunder6tnnd'ng as to the hour
Thev said she would be home at liv<
o'clock."
"And you didn't wait?" interrupted hej
mother.
"How could I? "Why, the wedding daj
T'tta Into on rl In? ft oi
JH UiiiiUBl liCJD, Rii?4 JL ?w 4v.w
things to bny for Mildred, yet."
1 he sprightly girl here opened her retk
cnle. xud disclosed a number of smal.1
pecka^t B.
"But I didn't forget my errand," Bh< |i
added, checking Warren, who was aooui. i
to speak. "I left a note for Miss Field- I
ing, inviting her to tea, and Promising
that TOO should escort her home'."
"But I was out-of the city. You knew
that I was to leave for the East on a J
morning train." i
"True, but trains run West, as well af i
Ea6t. and there was an attraction here."
sue laughed and pointed to the now '
blushing Mildred. I
"By the way," she rattled on, "I saw th?
doctor, and told him about it. He sai<?
it might turn out to be the cvte of Mil- 1
dred.
At that instant there was a tingling oi ]
the door-bell.
"Miss Fielding," announced the 6er- J
vant.
All rose, and an instant later Meta pre. '
sented herself. 1
"Mr. Leland " said Edith, beginning
the introduction of Warren. I
She was interrupted by a sharp cry of I
seemingly mingled surprise and pain.
All eyes were upon Mildred, who, witb '
uplifted hands, was swaying to and fro. '
Warren Leland presented his strong <
arms none too quickly to prevent hei | 1
from falling to the floor.
In ail instant Clara was using restoratives
to recall - her from the swoon into '
which she had fallen.
"Stand a little back, please, Mis?
Fielding," said the young man as he saw
signs of returning conscionsness in thd
fair, yonng face. "It will be better lot
her not to see you at first."
"Meta! Metal" cried Mildred, upon
opening her eyes. "I'm certain I eaW
her."
An instant later and the two old-timd
friends were clasped in each other's arms.
"You are better, darling?" queried Warren,
as he half-jealouBly withdrew hiB
affianced wife from the embrace of Meta.
"You remember the past now?"
"Remember the past?" she repeated, as
if not understanding the question.
"Yes. You knew Miss Fielding long
ago?"
"And my brother Ray?" added Meta.
"Yea. vest" shrieked Mildred. "Oh, God!
Better death than this!" {
"Her mind wanders," said Warren;
anxiously. "Come, rouse yourself, dar- 1
ling; my little wife that is soon to be." ; :
"Your wife? Oh, God! What do you
6ay? I am a wife already." . '
She gently disengaged herself from
the yielding arms of ner bewildered lover| 1
and stepped toward Meta. ,
She raves," said Clara. "This shock, j
instead of restoring, has overthrown he/
mind."
But Meta shook her head sadly. '
"Mildred is right," 6aid she. "She waJ
married tome years ago."
"To whom?" demanded Lelnnd, fran
tically. | '
"To Eugene Cleveland!" cried Mildred,'
answering for herself.
"My sister's husband?" 6houted Warren
Leland. "The scoundrel!"
"My husband married again?" .
With a moan of anguish the deeply
wronged and suffering woman fell sense*
less to the floor. '
CHAPTER XXXV.
A BOUSE OF SORROWS.
Unhappy, distracted, Eugene Cleveland
had no doubt that he knew who had
dogged the footsteps of himself and wife
in tbeir strange ramble through the woods.
The appearance of Mrs. Leland and the
vague expression of suspicion on ber
part had convinced him that she had
been the ?py.
In this he was mistaken. Becoming
alarmed at the long absence of her daughter,
and filled with a vague fear that the
warning of Phebe Craven might contain 1
an element of truth, the mother had has- 1
tened to find Flora, that she might pro- <
tort hnr. if neeessarv. from the murder- | 1
ous hand of ber husband.
She had arrived upon the scene at the
moment calculated to confirm her bub- :
picious feaie.
But it was a man who had followed the i
pair before the unfortunate, almost fatal, 1
episode at the rustic bridge, which had <
convinced Flora that at heart her beloved,
idolized husband, the father of ^
her child, was a murderer.
This man was the degraded, revengeful ]
Oscir Slyme.
Rendered desperate by the failure of 1
his diabolical schemes, and burning with
a desire for vengeance, he had persistent. 1
ly dogged the movements of young Cleveland.
1
He had seen Eugene emerge from the
Elliston mansion and had followed him '
to the Grand Central Depot, and taken
passage on the train which bore him to
Roxbary.
After the flight of the two terrified ladies,
the wretch whose name was so
truthful an index to his character, watch,
ed the distracted young man forBome
time.
He had come to Roxbury bent on taking
his enemy's life, and now saw an
opportunity to accomplish h u end with*
out danger of being suspected of the
dastardly orime.
"It'll be reckoned a casa o? suicide,"
muttered he at length, as he produced 1
revolver and started forward. / 1
But almost Just aotly he checked him- '
Beit, and a rmiie of tnumpn swept hi*
r?ge-?i?toried featu es.
... x.1 1_?* Vw ]
KeturniDR ine weapon 10 am pucack, uc i
glided swiftly from the spot. 1
With the good fortune which seems
sometimes to favor the evil-minded, he '
caught a train, and was, not long after- |
wards, entering a cab at Forty-second I
street, New Yors.
Alighting after a short drive, he boldly
ascended the marble steps leading to the '
Elliston mansion
The honr was late for calling upon a
lady, yet Slyme lost no time in ringing
the'bell, and in notifying the sleepy footman
who answered it that he desired to
see his mistress npon business of urgent '
importance.
Cora EllistoD, looking peerless in hei t
widow'B weeds, received bim in the li- 8
brary.
At first sbe bad resolved not to see the
ex-secretary, bat upon reflection bad ,
changed ber mind, deciding that be mnst ;
know something of a startling nature to
communicate. ?
"What brings you here?" she asked ab- ?
roptly, without taking a seat. .
Your interests ' J
"Bab!" interrupted tbe siren, looking
more beautiful thin ever, in scorn.
"And my own," added the man, diplomatically.
"That's more to tbe point. Stat? youi
errand, and that briefly, ,
"Yon despise me, and, perhaps, rightly; ,
yet we have one interest in common." ,
"I can't imagine what"
"You love and would possess for youx ,
very own Eugene Cleveland." j
Flora smiled bitterly, but made no 1
replv. ,
"while I have but one object left in ,
life." ,
"Revenge on him?"
"No. I love Flora Cleveland, his wife.
She must be mine." ,
"I still fail to understand what interest (
we have in common."
To accomplish onr several endR, we (
muBt separate the two, and that in a way
that will leave no lingering trace of affec- |
tion between them."
"I'm becoming interested." smiled the j
siren, as she threw herself languidly ,
upon a sofa, and waved her cauer to a
cna r. I
Then, in hurried toneB. Slyme related
how Kiora believed her husband guilty of I
her intended murder.
"A bold move cow," said he, in con. i
elusion, "and the thing will be accomplished.
"
"2 will join you in the enterprice."
Oscar SI vine noted the changed expression
upon the beautiful woman's face,
and inscribed it to the inward promptings |
of her insane and guilty love.
With nil hia ahreurflneuR h? was wronc:
indeed he could not have been farther
from the trntb.
Love for Eugene Cleveland bad forever
depurted from ihe heart of Cora Elliaton,
or rather it bad tarzcf to bate, and that
of the kind which the poet placed a degree
below that engendered in the in- '
fernal regions, when he wrote: "Hell J
bath no fury like a woman scorned." 1
This change of sentiment on her part
was favorable to Engene Cleveland, for {
the love of such a woman .;s more blight- '
ing and destroying than hit bitterest most I
implacable bate. .
it was a full hoar before Slyme with- 1
drew, and when he did eo a plan had j
been agreed upon. j
But Jet ub return to Koxbury, toward '
which all indications poiut as the scene
af a coming trajjedv.
How Eugene Cleveland passed that 6
dreadfnl night, he never fully realized. |
The wickedness of his past life rose be- 1
fore him like a veritable phantom. 1
He realized now tnat what he had .
thought to be love for Cora had been 1
passion only. Even in his despair and 1
black remorse, he could not comprehend :
bow he had been so lone enslaved, and ,
bad been led into such guilty courses.
As be thought of his loving, trusting
wife and innocent child, a full sense of
what he had lost, or rather cast aside,
dawned u^on him, and he buret into bitter
tears.
"I never loved another," moaned he.
Then, with a feeling akin to guilt, ha
Ihonght of his lost Mildred.
"She was pure and good," said he, "and
bad she lived we might have been happy
together, and this frightful nightmare,
from which I have just awakened, been
nvoided; but I now know that I never entertained
for her the love I do for Flora.
[ bavo trifled away my life, my earthly
happiness, and my hope of heaven."
Tnus tortured Dy Diuer renecuons, ne bad
wandered away from the rocky chasm
and approached the highway, near the I
bouse. c
The night.had long 6ince passed, and
the sun was mounting high into the E
heavens. ?
With a start he raised his eves and 1
realized bis position.
A second shock ran through his nerves ?
as he saw two persons approaching the
honse. 1
One he recognized as Warran Leland. I
onmrmn inn n. nloRfllv veiled lady '
Eugene did not recognize, though he
thought he detected Bomething familiar '
in her carriage. (
Another moment and they had entered
the mansion. .
With the privilege of a story-teller, let j
as follow them. 1
As the reader hns ao donbt surmised, c
the veiled lady was Mildred, the wife, the
lawful wife of Eu ene Cleveland. f
The scene which ensued was too pain- '
tul a one to describe in detail.
Flora had been crashed before. She *
wttH overwiiciuitju uu w,
To be widowed without having been ?
aver legally a wife, wsb a thought too J
terrible for hei to hear, and for a time her *
reason seemed likely to be overthrown.
As for Mrs. Leland, Warren, and MilJred,
their condition was but little better. *
"I have regained my memory, came
back to my old life, only to encounter J
misery," ino ned Mildred. "I loved Eu
gene once, but that is now a thing of the J
past; I am bound to him by the law, *
irbile my heart is bestowed upon anjther."
e
At this juncture the door-bell rang, 1
ind to clap the climax, to add, if posRible,
to the anguish that possessed the '
i-?i. ^ 01?? tmho. I
.JumLe11c> UDV/Bi oniuo auu wi? MU?B< .
ton were ushered into the parlor. c
I
CHAPTER XXXVI. j
C0NCLU8I0N.
Cora Llliston took a backward step, at t
ber eyei fell npon Warren Leland, whose B
presence there she had not calculated x
ipon, while her companion started in (3
lismay as he recognize;! the (air girl he
bad claimed as his sister and whom n'e r
bad so deeply wronged. c
"l'ou here?" cried Flora, indignation <3
momentarily surpreBsing her grief. v
"And why not?" returned the other, i
almost inst tntly regaining that wonderful
self-possession which had always char- \
acterized her. 1
"Why not. indeed? I oneht not td j
bave asked that question of one like yon
? * A i_; ivv.i : ? m
who oares unjiuiug. ?(uai> id juuj i
pleasure?" ^
Before replying, the wicked woman r
:a^t a quick glance upon her companion.
Cora Elliston was quick-witted, and i
the look was a revelation to her. fc
She had never before seen Mildred, bnt
9ho intuitively knew thAt the pale, trem- e
bling girl upon whose face the eyes oI p
Slyme were fixed, coald be none othei
than the one whom ehe had eo cruelly e
separated from her newly wedded hus" t
band. fc
The two wives of Eugene Cleveland had
met; the secret had been disclosed; there
;ould be no doubt of it.
The plan whi.-h she and her guilty associate
had ngreed upon was destroyed
But Com was a woman of great re
sources, and a surprise like this could ?
not discomfit her.
"I have no pleasure," replied Bhe, with j
i calm dignity. "Mt business kere is o 1 a
most painful nature."
"Have done with preliminaries," spoki
op Warren impatiently. "To the Insineei? 8
which brings you here."
'Very well, air. I will speak, an? f
without reserve. I nave come here t<
make public a fearful and long hiddei .
wrong." 11
"You might better hare left that tasl
[o others," said Flora, scornfully.
"Save your reproaches. I will no!
affect to misunderstand jou. I learned 8
l?6t night that vile sltncU.ers Juve been
trying to sully my fair fame. Such a
charges are false, infamously false!"
"I ought not to have expected a confession,"
replied Flora, "what hidden
sn-nnn do vou seek to make public, t
then?" i
"When Eugene Cleveland m rried you
be had a wife already."
"I know it. There she stands." t
Corn looked in the direction irirfiflftted (
ittered an exclamation of well-feigned ,
urprise.
"Is it possible?" she cried.
She started forward, out a repellant c
feature, and a look of disgust on tne part a
if Mildred, repressed her.
"You knew very well that she was alive
ill the time," said Warren, rather warmly. 1
'Was it not your tool, Slyme, there, who
pretended to be her brother and pre*
lented proof of her death?"
"Yes, bat not with my knowledge, far
lefiB at my inet'gatioD."
"At whose, then?"
"Oscar Slyme was wonting under the
orders of Eagene Cleveland. ' Ten minites
after he was mnrried he received a
etter from my husband notifying hiu
:hat as a bridal present he would make
aim a partner in the publishing house
<rhere he was employed. This changed
? nrtfa "RA cnv that he conld
look higher. Excusing himself, he
sought Sly me and Bet a plot in motion ]
which sent Mildred fly ng from the city {
that very night. Is not that true, Mr. ,
Slyme?"
The beautiful woman paused, laid her
white hand upon her heaving bosom and '
turned her dark eyes so full of witchery
?nd fascination, r.pon the face of the ex- ,
jeeretarv.
Slyme nesltatod a moment, xnat ne
bad lost all chance of gaining the love of !
Flora Cleveland he fully reali2ed. He ]
wavered for a moment. The eyes of the i
siren seemed burning their way into his <
very soul. An instant later his resolu
[ion was umen. ,
"The lady is right," Le faltered. "I J
bate to acknowledge it, but I acted for i
Cleveland in the matter. He held a whip j
Dver my head, an old folly of which ho \
tiad gained knowledge, and I was forced i
to perform the dastardly part."
AUU \UU \>cie tUO Latvia uc urvti
mind," added Mrs. Elliston. speaking to
Flora, and I estowing a glowing look of i
gratitude \ipon Slvine. 1
"It is false!" cried Flora. "Yonr wiles ^
have led Eugene to wronp roe, but be was .
ever capable of each perfidy, 6ucb in- j
fti-joy."
"TLank God!' i
These wordi in fervent tODes. cau ed j
everyone present a start of suruiiKe. .. f
At tHat instant Eugene Cleveland
jounded through the window that opened
>n the veranda and stood in the midst of
he astonished company.
He hod Feen Slyme and Cora enter
he house, and from a place of espionage
iad Been and heard all that had transpired.
The knowledge that Mildred still lived
iad been a shock, bat its effect had lost
nnch of its weigbt. so great was tne menal
excitement under which he was laboring.
"I Inow all," he went on, speaking
apidly. almost incoherently. "I have
linned beyond all thought, all hope, of
)ardoo, bat I am not the cold-blooded,
leartless wretch that woman would make
ne appear to be.
"This man Slyme acted for her, and I
lave written evidence to prove it. Conrincdd
that my Mildred was no more, I
oil a victim to her wiles, and h >ve unil
l.itely continued in her toils. I urge
t not in mitigation of my grievous of'enses,
but at last I am free from her
hralldom, and cannot do less than acknowledge
my disgrace and rain."
As .EugenS Cleveland uttered these
rords, the face of Cora Elliston lost
sverything of fascinating beauty *nd
ook on an expression that would have
lone credit to an incarnate fiend.
"It is you who have brought me to this,"
he raved, turning upon Flora. "You
tame between us?took from me all that
: ever valued in this life, his love; but
'on shall not live to enjoy your triumph."
As she finished speaking she drew
'rom the folds of her arestra small gold)lated
revolver, which she leveled at her
air and innocent rival.
No one was near enough to arrest her
nnrderous hand, and flora Cleveland's
loom seemed sealed.
Bat with the quickness of a cat Eugene
iprang forward and covered with his
>wn body that of the woman whom he
iow love 3 better than his own life.
There was a report, a wreath of smoke,
ind the two fell to the floor together.
Without an iost ant's delay the desperate
woman recocked the revolver and
)laced it over her treacherons, guileful
leart.
A second report, a fall, a brief struggle,
i parting groan, and she had entered the
irecincts of. another world.
A scene of indescribable dismay ensued.
Flora was found unharmed, but her
lusband had received the bullet in his
>reast and was apparently is a dying
condition.
Before losing consciousness, he
leemed to believe that his death was at
land, and begged and received the full
Dardon of the wife he had eo cruelly
rronged.
"Good-by," said he to Mildred. "I see
where your affections are placed. Promse
me that you will marry Warren and
>e happy."
"I promise," was the tearful response.
The unexpected often happens in real
ife, and wby not in fiction?
Eugene Cleveland did not die. For a
Hma fcic litA TTft?j dp?nftired of. but
he careful watching of devoted Flora
>rought Aim back to life and ultimate
lealth and strength.
The existing complication was a sad
ind trying one, but it was not without a
emedy.
Mildred felt that she had no claim
ipon the husband from whom the beautiul
siren had parted her, and as she was
levotedly attached to Warren Leland, she
irocured a legal separation from Eugene,
nd oVinrtlv- oftiTWAril married thA hU8
land of her choice. *
As for the truly repentant Eugene and
tie faithful Flora, they were remarried
ind constitute a nappy, loving pair, whom
tot all the sirens on earth can put aeunler.
Warren never a?ain saw Welch, theold
ag.picker, who disappeared from the
oantry with his daughter and her chilIren,
but he learned that the old man
rag an uncle of the wronged wife of Ho
lert Urownell.
Mr. Metcalf ia bale and hearty in his
ears, and Clara Denton happy in his
ove and that of her charming and promBing
daughter, Edith.
Oscar Slyme escaped punishment at
he hands of the lnw, but he never after*
yards prospered, and within a year died
oiserably in a New York lodging-bouse.
ThuB after a storm of passion and
rronR-doing has come peace, content and
lappiness.
Thank God that for sin there remains,
ven in this lower world, a place for relentance
and reformation.
Thank God that viitue and purity still
list to counteract and bring to naught
be follies and sins engendered by uniridled
passions.
[THE END.]
/inmnrc i r>TO
VtAlVl/O JL-AV*fcJ*
Lely died of jealousy at the success of
lir Godfrey Kneller.
Palestine is about one-fourth as large
b the State of New York.
Santa Domingo is the oldest existing
ettlement in the new world.
Candles 'as we understand them were
irstused in England in 1484.
There are six peppermint distiller! es
q active operation at Decatur, Mich.
The South Sea Islanders are said to
lake an intoxicating drink frum corn
nd decayed fish.
There is one Chinese, one Portuguese
nd one Cherokee newspaper printed in
he United States.
Bahia, in Brazil, founded in 1539, is
irobablv the oldest settlement on the
aainland still in existence.
The .hairspring of your -watch weighs
jul UDe-iwemieiii ui a ^iaiu jici juuu*
)nc mile of such wire would weigh much
ess than a half pound.
A. box marked "dynamite" was hanlled
with great care by the baggagemen
it the Atchison depot recently. It afterward
developed that the box was filled
vith eggs.
Red hailstones fell at Amsterdam in
L726, at London in 1663 (durinjf tfie
;ime of the great plague), and at divers
)laces in Ireland and France in the early
jart of the present century.
Bailie McAlister, a colored woman of
Jpringfield, Ky., is believed to be the
argest woman now living. She measlres
thirty-six and a quarter inches (over
hree leet) around the arm, and weigas
532 pounds.
A portion of the timbers of General
Benedict Arnold's flagship Congress,
lunk in October, 1776, in Lake Chamslain,
has been raised by Captain C. W.
?.1?? tuun ith TKo
"LUaLIiO, VI f! COW O.UU13UU) T w AUV,
;imbers are of oak and are sound.
Among recsnt novelties, that of a
aewspaper prmted on the web of the
mcred white spider is chronicled. It is
i sheet about eleven inche3 by fourteen
nches, contains two columns of matter,
Deluding an English story, anil is ex
:ellently printed.
It is a singular fact that when the late
Lord Tennyson wrote a poena he lnvariibly
had it put in type and locked up
for a number of years. If at the end of
the allotted time he still liked the verses
tie correctcd them and had them published,
if not he destroved them.
The Australian jungle fowl makes its
aest in the shape of earth mounds of
orodigiouB size, one of which measured
5 f teen feet in perpendicular height, and
aaviug a circumference 01 l&u leet.
rhese heaps are placed under shelter,
ind often so enveloped in foliage that,
n spite of their great size, they can
icarcelv be discovered.
CHRISTMAS LAND, j
?
NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA, WAS D1S- i
COVEKED ON DECEMBER 25. ?
1
Why It" Growth Has Been Retarded (
?Conflicts Between the Native*, y
I ?- - ?rv - . Jk tiVollok
I 1*110 AJUIAJU ttUU tUC
?Curious Customs.
<
<5|N I) ceml)er, 1497, ,
IB little more than five
#/ [I years after Colum(I
bus had discovered
II America, Vasco de
\ jf Gama, the great
N J jl Portuguese navi\
ij gator, was sailing
/ J |V"p with three small
ships along the
Fj[).IU )i southeast coast of
Mr*'*h Africa. "Hie Cape
fill//'Ml a- Jul ?' ?00(1 Hope had
'I!Ij/j! jj A] | been discovered
Jr-ll ' an<* rounded only
j' nine years before,
Tpot * an(* ?ama
(_)' now been sent by
Portugal to discover whether it was
possible to reach India by way of it. On
Christmas Day he spied a broad and
shallow bay in about thirty degrees
south latitude, and put into it for water. -
Id honor of the day be named the adjacent
land Natal?Christmas. c
America and Natal were thus dis- 1
covered at practically the same time and a
might have been expected to progress a
together. But many causes conspired k
to give America the preference, and it n
was not until 150 years later that any n
settlement at all was made in Bouth ii
Africa. This was at Cape Town, and t
nearly two centuries more elapsed be- v
* ? TT Q Q A
lore any periuaiicui> hiuouvu. .. affected
at the Bay of Natal. Thia was I
in 1824. When it was nine years old a
townsite was laid off and named Dur- n
ban, in honor of Sir Benjamin D'Urban, n
Governor of Cape Colony. a
At this time the white population of
Natal was very small and consisted al- n
most entirely of Englishmen. The next b
four years were to witness the arrival of b
an overwhelming Dutch population. c
The Dutch had settled the cape and p
' a 1 ?fK/j T^nrr- C
uaa never oecoiue lauuuim w mv lish
taking possession of it in 1805.
Many bad at once retreated to the in- fi
terior, far beyond the reach of the Eng- li
lish officials. But as England extended I
the borders of Cape Colony most of them 1
were once more brought back under the o
A BTKEb/ li
hated British fag. Many causes con- a
spired to increase their dislike of British t!
rule, and during the years 1836 and 1837 t
over 10,000 of them gathered together v
their flocks and herds and 4 'trekked" to a
the north. s
Some ^ent to what are now the p
Orange Free State and the South Afri- t
can Republic or Transvaal. Others went o
to Natal, at that time unclaimed by any v
European Power. In 1838, taking ad van- r
tage of certain trouble* with the natives,
England seized Natal, but Parliament t]
refused to appropriate money for its tl
government, and it was evacuated a year q
later. 1,
A few months afterward the Zulus, e
under their chief, Ding&an, murdered ^
- ? a
treacherously a large party or coer* ana v
i
NATIVE W0M/UT. 8'
- C
laid Natal waste. Hundreds of the 8'
Dutch were killed, and many others p
only escaped by putting out to 9ea. Dur- b
ban was destroyed. But the Boers 1<
finally rallied, defeated Dingaan in a e
great battle and drove him from Ifatal. d
ml /"> mnlro TPrmsAls for
lUCjr IL1CU UCgdU fcv M4MMV V|?
the treacherous murder of their kin- J
dred. b
But here England stepped in. She 1<
bad not beeu much troubled by the Zulu s<
atrocities; 6he was now horrified by the a
Dutch reprisals. She ordered them to ii
be stopped. The Boers paid no atten- i;
tion to her demands, and in 1843 she
reseized Natal and has held it ever since, t'
The Boers resisted vigorously, but were f
forced to yield at last. Fate, however, ii
worked out its revenge pretty well, b
Nearly forty years after, at Isandlhwana, o
these very Zulus whom England had t
protected from the vengeance of the c
Rnnro nlmrKt. annihilated an entire Brit- t
ish army, killing all but a score out of
1500 men.
In 188G gold was discovered in the I
Transvaal, and since then South Africa r
has everywhere progressed with great s
rapidity. Natal has now a population ^
of 460,000 natives, 45,000 whites and c
34,000 Asiatics. Durban has 24,000 c
inhabitants, half white, the other half *
pretty equally divided between natives ?
and Hindus. These Hindus are to a i
* ? i-J
j stranger a wuoiij unexpeuicu di^u?.. j
Natives he expects to see of all kinds,
jut not Hindu*. The majority of these
ire coolies, brought from India orignally
as indentured servants, bound for
i term of five years at moderate wages,
ff they stay another five years they can
:laim a free passage borne at any time
within the next three years. But few
&ke advantage of this. The majority
jecome thoroughly acclimated and 3et
tie down with their families as permanent
residents.
INDIAN COOLIES HI NATAL.
A small percentage of the Asiatic eleaent
consist of Parseea, Sikha and other
iigh-ca?te Indian tribes. There arc
Iso many Malays and natives of Java
nd Sumatra. These are popularly
:nown as Arabs, although they are
iothing of the sort. Toey ore usually
aerchants, peddlers?fat, greasy-lookog
fellows in dirty white gowns and
urbans, many of tbem. All the Hindus
rear their national dress. Every fashion
xtant in India can also be found in
)urban.
There are few negro women in Denban,
-11 mnrt hninrr rintlA bv
icftnjf an iavuji'Oww nv.- ?^
egro men. The nursemaids are nearly
11 half-grown negro boys.
Coffee is served at 6 o'clock every
aorning all over South Africa, and is
irought to you in bed by negro men or
toys, irrespective of your sex. This
ustom of serving morning coffee is
iractically universal, although no one
eems to know how It originated.
Natives are usually spoken of as Kafrt,
an Arabic name meaning "unbeiever."
Their name for themselves is
Lbautu, which simply means "people."
?he Kaffirs are not the original people
f Africa, but a comparatively late imHrZ
^
? vi
p?v
j
: ;:atal.
migration. The original possessors of
be land were the Bushmen, probably
be lowest and most degraded set in the
rorld. Upon these people, centuries
go, the Hottentots descended like a
torm, driving them to the inaccessible
arts of the mountains and deserts. In
urn, the Hottentots were themselves
verpowered and driven south by a great
rave of people belonging to the Abantu
ace.
When the Dutch settled Capetown in
be middle of the seventeenth century
be Hottentots still occupied what is now
!ape Colony and the Abantu held all the
ind to the North, while the Bushmen
ked out a precarious existence by robing
Abantu, Hottentots and whites
rith the greatest impartiality. In the
??- ?e !?? onn TTiiOM "RhqVi,
OUrtlC U1 LUC 1(UC WW jvma ww?u
jen and Hottentots have almost died
ut, To-day the Kaffirs constitute nearly
he entire native population. Divided
to hundreds of tribes of varying sizes
hey are yet all more ?r less closely rented.
Their customs are largely idential
over the wildest tracts of country
nd the grammar of their language is
be same throughout its many dialect;.
The Kaffir language is a difficult one
t best. There are ten different ways of
orming plumlf. The verbs are also
ery complicated. There are four sounds
a KaJSr not found in European tongues,
'ew whites attempt to speak Kaffii
rammatically, but nearly every one in
fatal can speak a kind of dialect known
d all town Kaffirs.
At the beginning of the present cenury
there were about ninety-four tribes
f Kaffirs in Natal a one. The year
812, however, saw the rise of the great
lulu empire For sixteen years, Cbaka,
he Zulu NapoleoD, carried fire and
pear far ancjl wide, and when quiet was
nee more restored fifty-nine of the
inety-four tribes had utterly perished.
The Natal native laws are very strict.
Jo Kaffir is allowed out after 9 o'clock
t nitjht without a pass. If he ventures
ut and is caught he is arrested and
everely punished. No drinlc or firearms
an be sold or given to Kaffirs without
ubjecting both paities to fine or lmriionment.
The Kaffirs are controlled
y native police?a very useful and ath;tic
lookiug body of men, who, how
i ? ??"">? tn owo?t whitps nn
ver, wave uu pvnu
ei any circumstances whatever.
The natives are wonderfully honest,
lot one per cent, of the houses in Duran
are locked at night, nearly everyone
saving the back door open to admit the
ervants in the morning, yet theft is
lmost unknown. There is no poverty
a Natal?at least one never sees a begar
or hears of one.
Contrary to the general impression in
he United States, this country, and in
act all of Africa south of Delagoa Bay
5 very healthy. Tne ueatu rate m umiaa
is only tea in n thousand, and that
f all Natal is even less. One reason of
his is that tbere are comparatively few
hildren hero and the list is not swelled
>v the infant mortality that cuts such a
figure in other parts of the world.
Durban is the principal city of Natal.
t is laid off on the longitudinal plan,
leorly everything of importance being
ituated on one of two long streets,
vhich run west from the landing place
md lose themselves iD tho wooded heights
>f the Berea, some five miles distant.
The Berea is a long ridge running north
ind south, and thickly dotted with the
rillas of the richer people. During the
iummer or rainy season it is a very beau
tifal place. In winter, however, it la
ratherdaety.
Of course, being in the Southern
hemisphere the seasons here are different
from those of America. Christmas is
midsummer day and June is the dead of
t winter. The climate varies with the
distance from the sea level and consequent
elevation. Durban's winter climate
is much like that of Southern California.
while in summer the heat is very
great, the thermometer always standing
. above 100 degrees in the middle of the \
day.
Pieter Mantzburg, the capital of Natal,
is only seventy-three miles from
. Durban by train and less than fifty in a
I direct line, but its elevation is 2218 feet
and its climate consequently much colder.
At Charlestown, 180 miles in a direct
line from Durban, the elevation is nearly
5400 feet and the winter is very cold.
There is some wonderful engineering
on the line of the Government railways
in Natal. The country, besides being a
sharply ascending one, is cut by a broad
transverse valley, necessitating many descents
in grade. The result is that in
running lrom the coast to Charlestown,
at the edsre of the Transvaal, 304 miles
?J- ~ -i /?:-Lk kia^I
Dy train, every puuuu ui nciyuv is uucu
vertically two miles aad a half. The
railways and telegfaph lines all belong
to the Government.
Natal is governed by a legislative
1 council of thirty-one members, twentyfour
elective, five sitting by virtue of
1 their official positions and two appointed
by the Governor. All high officials are
appointed by the Queen. Really the
! council has very little power. The administration
is not responsible in any
way to the people, and can do pretty
much what it likes. Still, the council
has a very handsome Parliament build
ing at JPieter Maritzourg ana goer
through the motions of governing with
great impressiveness.?San Francisco
Chronicle.
The Cactus.
The cactus, though its name is derived
from a Greek word (kaktos) used by
Theophrastus to describe a thorny plant,
is a native of America, and but one memt
ber of the family is indigenous to the
Eastern hemisphere. Concerning its geographical
distribution in the United
States, the arid plains of the Southwest
foster the greatest variety. Twenty
species aze peculiar to the Texan region;
but the richest cactus district is the New
aiTtv.flre inecies?fiftv-.
JUM1VWJ, j 1 five
peculiar to it?are fouud.
It is in regions such as these that the
desert literally "blossoms like the rose;r
and *
here's many a ooc:us bora to blash unseen
nd wasts its sweetness on the desert air.
is the mournful reflection of the botanist
who treads the thorny path of the opuntia
id Ihe wilds of the West. In Southern
Africa, South an 1 Central America,
Mexico, California, Arizona and like
countries, which have a long, hot season,
with little or no rain, the stalk* and foliage
of the cactus above and the roots beneath
are early cut o3 by drought, and
the plants rest securely in their compact
bulbs, filled with nourishment and retaining
their moisture with great tenacity
until the rainy season comes around.
A 13ARE SPECIES.
Then they shoot forth leafy stems and
flowers with wonderful rapidity^ and
what was perhaps a desert of arid sand
becomes green with foliage and gay
with blossoms almost in a day.?-St.' . .
Louis Republic. '
A Watch Without Works.
A peculiar form of pocket dial is here
illustrated, which is used by the peasants
of the French Pyrenees.
This instrument has a movable head
i i-u:? - nf mofal which moves
| JJUiumg m v. ?? ,
on & joint like the blade of a knife. For
convunience in carrying it is turned
down, as in Fig. 2, and placed in the
cylinder. When in use the metal is
turned outward, as in Fig. 1, and the
instrument suspended by the ring at the
top, so that the shadow of the style is
| thrown vertically upon the cylinder. The
i extremity of the shadow falls upon the
A
I ; u.
I DIAL USED BY FRENCH MOUNTAINEERS.
|
| curved line denoting the hour. The in"?
# i J S r
I strumciit must be aajusieu ior everj
j month in the year, which i9 accomplished
. by turning the movable head till the
i style corresponds with the vertical line
' denoting the month.
! Such a dial is not very accurate at the
I beat, but it doubtless serves the purpose
of the French mountaineers, to
j whom the loss or gain of a few minutes
j is of no importance.
If you wish to tell a horse's age just
i examine the teeth; if you wish to find
out a woman's age, and asK her, she will Jk
show hers.?Yarmouth Register. ,
I