The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, November 20, 1901, Image 2
ft
i
THEAYST
IN
/^umor of* u The Mouse
! Coi>jri?ht, ISSit by .'
CHAPTER XII.
Continued.
Now, there was no place to which
Nell would not rather have prone than
to Shingle End. For was not sentimental
Miss Theodora the* very cause
of the outrage which had put Clifford's
life in danger? If it had not
been for Miss Bostal's well-meaniug
but ill-judged encouragement, Jem
Stickels would never have dared to
think he could have a chance
with a girl who was so far removed
from him in every way as Nell. Now.
with natural feminine obstinacy, Miss
Bostal would be sure to take Jem's
part against Clifford, especially when
It reached her ears that the latter had
come down at Nell's own request. So
that it was with slow, unwilling feet
that Nell made her way to the colonel's
house.
Everything tyu*ned out as she ex
peered, tvitd tiiis escepuou, mat .vuso
Bostal was so much more concerned
about Jem than about Clifford that she
insisted on marching off that very moment
to inquire as to Jem's condition,
and insisted on dragging the unwilling
girl with ner on the expedition.
At first Nell absolutely refused to
go But she had to give way, being
touched by the self-reproach of the
prim little elderly lady, who blamed
herself as much for Jem's misfortuue
as Nell blamed herself for Clifford's.
"It "was all my fault. I feel that I
have brought it upon the poor fellow
myself.'' "was the burden of Miss Bostal's
lament, just as it had previously
been of Nell's.
She even shed tears at the thought
of facing the young man upon whom
she had brought more than one misfortune.
For she persisted in regarding
his assault upon Clifford as another
grievance of Jem's rather than
of the hated rival's.
Nell said little as they -went along.
She was on the one hand deeply anxious
about her lover: while on the
j-'- '* other she hardly knew whether to
i?m<?h .it Miss Bostal's extravagances
or to cry sympathetically over her
grief.
The little cottage where Jem Iodced
; >1 ^
was soon reached. Miss Bostal's
knock -was answered, unexpectedly
enough. by Jem in person. There
seemed to he little the matter with
him, except for a cut on his lower lip.
the result of the blow with which
Clifford had felled him. If his bodily
state was sound, however, this was all
that could be said for him. A more
forbidding expression of sullen ferocity
than that which his face wore as he
recognized his visitors it would be im
possiiue iv lui.iiiuv.
"Oh. so it's you, is it?" was his surly
greeting, as with a scowl he made a
movement to shut the door in the
, lady's face.
But his patroness was ready with
the soft answer that turned away
wrath. Pressing forward quickly and
keeping Nell's hand in hers with a
tight grip, she edged her Way into the
cottage, and, regardless of the fact
that the man and woman with whom
Jem lodged were present, addressed
the young boor in the gentlest of
voices:
"Oh, dear! oh, dear! don't send us
away like that! We are so very sorry
for what has happened to you. We
want to know if we can do anything
"
Nell "was frowning and trying to get
away, indignant at the lowly tone her
companion was taking. And it was
upon Nell that Jem's eyes were fixed
as be interrupted the other lady.
"No!" roared he. "You can't do
nothin'?as yet. But," and he raised
his voice and lifted his fist against an
imaginarj* foe. as he stared harder at
is*ell than ever, "I'm blest if you won't
find ruore'n enough to do to answer
the questions as '11 be put to you folks
?sone of you?to-morrow morning!"
Nell suddenly ceased struggling and
fixed her eye6 upon Jem's swollen and
excited face, in which the veins were
rising like knotted cords.
"What do you mean, my dear young
man?" piped Miss Bostal, in the gentlest
accents, her mild efforts to calm
the excited monster appearing every
moment more futile and inadequate.
"Oh, you know very well what I
mean, or, leastways. Miss Claris does!"
pursued Jem, in the same key. and
with a swaggering confidence, which
caused little Miss Bostal to recoil a
few steps, as if before a physical attack.
"And if you don't, why you'll
know soon enough. I'm just a-goin'."
proceeded Jem, with sullen emphasis.
"to nave my pipe aua my an p.m.
and be took Lit: beloved clay out of bis
pocket as be spoke, "aud then I'm just
a-goin' to walk over to Tbe Bell, at
JStroan to ask if a certain geu'lemau
from Lou'ou is iu."
And, without further ceremony.
Jem turned bis back on tbe ladies, and
marching out tbe room by the opposite
vud, through the back door. jei't
them no alternative but to retire.
Nell was utterly disgusted, no: only
}jy the part she bad been made to play
in this unpleasant scene, but by her
companion's humble demeanor and
Jem's own rudeness. As for his threat
of speaking to the detective she seemeu
TO 1)1' X'11*"1 carius wjurimri- ue liin.eu
it into effect or not. Shi* said nothing
as tlie.v walked back to Shingle End.
and .Miss Ke.^la', perhaps conscious
that Flie had humbled herself bel'ovu
this young rufhau a little more than
was meet, was silent also.
When they reached the house the
elder lady gave a little sigh and fell
bach upon her usual solace iu times of
anxiety.
think we shall both feel better,"
she chirped, as she carefully opened
the front door with her latchkey,
' when we've had a cup of tea.''
It was about a couple of hours after
the termination of the scene between
.Tern Stickels and the two ladies, and
the dock of vhe tower of St. Martin'*
SU'oau had just iSiiutd a quarter
W.-: v
ERT- OFT/ie
M F=.5vM*TkR F3
3 ? Wifcf^V:.
Varckn,
: on Itv: Harsh," ef"c>
Kobert Bonner's Sons. I
"past eight, when a small boy burst
into the bar parlor of the Bell Inn,
and startled the company by the
seared expression of his face. He had
been running fast, and it was some
moments before he could articulate.
In the meantime the questions put to
him were so many that the confusion
of tongues delayed the lad's annouucement
still further.
it was Hemminsr. the London de
tective, who finally drew the boy out
of the curious group and made them
wait for him to speak.
With another scared look the lad at
last panted out: '
"There's a man lyin" out there on
the road?the Courtstairs road, a little
way past the big house. An' I see him
layin'?an' I speaks to 'im?an' he
didn't answer, an' he didn't move.
An'?an'?an' so I run right away, an'
come here to tell you."
It seemed pretty evident that the
j boy had not said all he knew or
guessed. There was a rush for the
. door by the occupants of the bar parj
lor, and in a few moments there was
! a stream of people trickling out in the
darkness along the little quay by the
little river, past the barges waiting to
be unloaded, past the ancient stone
gateway of Stroan's prosperous days.
Over the brand-new bridge they went,
in twos and threes, and out upon the
flat road over the marshes, taking as
their rightful leader the detective
Hemming, who, being afraid that the
I friglitenecl ooy migut give mm me sup
held his arm as if in kindly comradeship.
The night was dark, and one of
Hemming's nearest followers held a
lantern, which threw a ray of dancing
light to right and left upon the white
road, the ditch on either side, the wide
stretch of marsh to the left, and the
dull line of the sea far away on the
right.
Just past the "big house." a lonely
mansion standing in flat, wind-swept
grounds between Stroan and the sea,
they came upon the man, lying, as the
boy had described, by the side of the
road, witn his head hanging' over on
the grassy bank that sloped into the
ditch.
"There?there he is!" whispered the
boy, hoarsely.
Hemming beckoned to the man behind
to bring up the lantern. Kneeling
down beside the man on the ground
he lifted his head and threw the light
upon his face.
"It's Stic-kels; It's Jem Stickels!"
exclaimed more than one voice, recognizing
the heavy, sullen face of the
fisherman, who was well known in the
neighborhood.
"Here! Give him some of this; it's
brandy," said one man, banding a
flask to Hemming.
But tbe detective shook bis head.
"He's bad his last drink, poor cbap!"
said he. "He's dead!"
CHAPTER XIII.
xn tne little dining-room at Shingle
End Miss Bostal and Nell were sitting
by the fire, the latter still absorbed in
thoughts of Clifford, while the former
tried to divert her companion's gloomy
reverie by gossip about tbe doings of
the vicar's wife and the high price of
vegetables.
Miss Bostal looked anxiously from
time to time into the coal-scuttle, divided
between a wish to be economical
with the fuel, on tbe one hand, and
to have a good fire ready for her
father's return on the other.
"How late he is to-night!" she presently
exclaimed, with an astonished
glance at the cloct.
It was nearly ten o'clock, and the
colonel, who spent most of the day, on
all week-days, either, at his club at
Stroan or at the golf-links, was in the
habit of returning home punctually at
nine.
Nell looked up with n start
"Why, child, how scared you look!
What is the matter?"
And Miss Bostal took up the tongs,
and picking out from the grate the little
bits of cinder which h'ad fallen
from the. tire, she arranged them judiciously
on the top to prevent a
wasteful blaze.
"Do IV" said Nell, trying to smile,
but sLivering as she did so. "Well, I
have had enough to scare me to-day,
haven't IV"
"Oh, my dear, I shouldn't worry too
much if I were you. It was a very
terrible thing, and I felt bound to
scold you at the time for bringing this
young man down here at all. But it
..11 v. ^ ? l/toiiAn twn Ko r?*i rofn 1
win utr u icsduu iu jv/u
and I have no doubt that both the
young men will have time to think ilie
matter over, and will make up their
minds to control their passions better
in future."
"But Clifford?Mr. King! I am afraid
lie is seriously hurt!" whimpered Nell,
with the tears, at last released, running
down her clioeks.
But it was not for him that Miss
Bostal spent her sympathy.
"It will be a lesson to him!" she repealed.
rather frigidly. .
"And Jem?he will certainly keep
his word and give information to the
police this time!"
"Information of what?"
"Why, of?the robbery: of what he
says he saw!" said Nell, fixing anxious
eyes on her friend, and dropping her
voice.
Miss Bostal smiled in an amused
I way.
"Haven't you got over your dread of
that yet? For my part, I shall be very
I glad wben something is known. .My
! lather has been at the expense of au
i extra bolt on our back-door since this
scare has been about; and I myself
can never sleep wore than an li*ur
without .lumping up with the fancy
! that I hear a burglar in the drawingroom
underneath.*'
But Nell said nothing. She remained
sitting iu a constrained, almost awkward
attitude, crouching over the fire,
and throwing at her companion, from
time to time, glances full of shy Inquiry
and of unmistakable alarm.
Miss Bostal began to regard her protege
with looks, if not of suspicion, at
least of perplexity.
It was plain that the old difficulty of
n mnid and her lovers had becun to
cast tbe shadow of estrangement between
tbe friends.
There had been silence on both sides
for some minutes, when, at last, the
colonel's knock was heard at tbe front
door. It had been his habit, until the
news of the robberies at the Blue Lion
was whispered about, to let himself
into his house by simply turning the
handle. But now, in common prudence,
they deemed it necessary to keep the
doors fastened from the inside.
With a sigh of relief Miss Bostal
sprang up and hurried out to admit
her father.
"Why, papa, what makes you so
late? Nell has been with me, or I
should have felt nuite nervous."
The colonel came in with much
quicker steps tban usual, but lie
stopped short on hearing the girl's
name mentioned.
"Nell!" excjaimed he. And by his
manner Miss Theodora saw that something
unusual had occurred. Before,
however, she had time to ask any
questions, he added, with a slight toss
of the head: "Oh, well, the girl must
hear it. Where is she?"
Nell had not moved from her seat by
the fire; but she held up her head,
listening. It was in this attitude that
Colonel Bostal discovered her when be
threw open the dining-ro)m door and
entered, followed by his daughter.
"Well, papa, what is this wonderful
news?" chirped Miss Theodora, quite
anxious for a little bit of gossip.
"Well It's something very serious,
very dreadful, indeed. A man was
found lying by the side of the road this
;^ HTtrl if
JU&l UU191UC ^liuau, wuu
seems it is Jem Stickels."
"Dear, clear, not intoxicated again. I
hope, after all bis promises?" said
Miss Theodora, anxiously.
"Xo, poor fellow," answered her
father, gravel}*. "He was dead."
Both his hearers uttered cries of astonishment
and horror.
"But it's not possible! They must
have made a mistake," urged Miss
Bostal. "Why, Nell and I were talking
to him a little before seven o'clock!
And he was then quite well, perfectly
recovered."
The colonel looked from one to the
other in surprise.
"You were talking to him! Where?"
"At Mrs. Mann's cottage, where he
lodges. He came to the door and
spoke to us himself. He was very
disagreeable and rude to us, poor fellow,"
said Miss Theodora, who seemed
unable to grasp the fact that the man
who had been so very full of life and
its passions three hours before should
now be lying dead.
<? 4 V* *?>A11 iVlAM VA11 TT?J11 1>A + K VIOT?A
.-lu, ? C1I? 11ICU ?UU Will UUUi imtc ? V
make your appearance as witnesses,
that's certain. For there will be an inquest
held to-morrow."
"As witnesses? How dreadful! Besides,
what can we prove? He was
quite well then."
"That's what you will have to prove.
And I hope you may succeed," said the
colonel, dubiously. "For if you don't,
the young fellow that knocked him
down and stunned him " Nell
looked up, pallid with fear?"this
King, will certainly be had up tor
manslaughter."
Nell started up with a heartbroken
cry.
"Oh, no, oh, no! How can that be
possible? He had quite recovered
when we saw him; Miss Theodora tells
you so; Mr. and Mrs. Manu can prove
it, too. He spoke just as you do. He
looked just the same as ever. He
must h.tvp ret tinsv nftprwnrd: everv
body knows he was always getting
tipsy. And' he must have quarreled
with some man and been thrown
down, or else he must have fallen into
the ditch, and been suffocated, or?
or "
"I don't think you ought to try to
throw fresh obloquy upon the dead."
said Miss Bostal, gravely. "He was
quite sober when we saw him, and it
must have been very little later when
he died."
"But if the fall in my uncle's garden
had killed him "
"The blow, you mean," interposed
Miss Bostal.
"It would have killed him at once,"
protested Nell. "You can't be stunned
and recover entirely, and then die of
the blow that stunned you an hour
afterward. Is that possible, colonel?"
"I have never heard of such a case
that I know of," said he, with re4tT>,.4.
T ^^4- lll'/s 4-rs. ffil'A
Strive. JL>Ul X DllUUiU JUUL UUC IU
an opinion until wo have heard the
doctors' evidence."
To be' Continued.
Mexico Notes.
Fifty thousand men are at present
employed on public works in Mexico.
The twenty Mexican banks reported
in the Government reports show a
combined capital of $70,000,000.
The public debt of Mexico amounts
to $115,178,012, payable in gold, and
$123,178,082.20 payable in Mexican sil
ver.
The Mexican Army of more than 25,000
men is supported upon a trifle
more than a million Mexican dollars a
month. The Mexican Congress does
not cost a million dollars a year.
Henequen will continue to be Mexico's
most important article of agriculral
export for a good many years to
come. The value of this fibre shipped
during the last fiscal year was over
r?ir> nnn Pnffpp r?nnif>s npvt in im
portance with a value for the export
crop of nearly $11,000,000.
The foreign trade in Mexico, both
Import and export, now amounts to an
annual value of $140,000,000.
Nearly one-fourth of Mexico's foreign
trade was handled through the
port of Tampieo last year.
There exist in Mexico 10.234 mining
titles to twenty-five different classes
of min<-s distributed throughout twenty-six
States and Territories. Silver
mines naturally lead, numbering 4100.
Gold mines number 95;", while 2220 are
classed as gold and silver mines. The
silver and lead properties number
1510, copper 2SG and mercury 115.?
ALUue111 .UfAitu.
Victoria's Small Travels.
Queen Victoria traveled very III tie
abroad in the course of licr Ion? life.
She was never in Russia, Denmark, J
Austria, Norway. Sweden. Greece or :
Spain. Nor did she ever visit any of
her colonies or any part of America, |
Asia or Ai'rieu.
| The Trouble ir
1 Isthnr
IT needed no war nor revolution to
make the Isthmus of Panama one
of the most picturesque spots on
earth, but now that both are im
"JEFFERS, AN AMERICAN SOLDIER OF
FORTUNE."
ninent the country is fairly ablaze
with local color.
Foreign war ships ride in the harbors
of Colon and Panama, the flags
of all nations are hoisted ovor the
huts of the frightened inhabitants,
tvhile tatterdemalion native soldiers
roam at large through the streets.
Martial law is in force, and the affairs
of life are regulated by drum
taps and bugle calls. Especially is
gold lace (somewhat tarnished) in evidence
in Panama.
A few days ago an uncommonly
noisy fanfare called U9 to the Alcaldia.
A platoon of barefooted, undersized
soldiers was drawn up in front
I of the portal. From the veranda the
| Alcalde, surrounded by half a dozen
dusky policemen, read aloud a long 1
Spanish pronuneiamiento "In the
name of the President"
The crowd that had gathered listened
to this proclamation with lengthening
faces. What it meant was soon
made apparent ^vhen the Governor of
the province. General Alban, who had
hastened from Cartagena, summoned
! a baker's dozen of the most prominent
citizens to the Alcalde's office, and
locking the door behind him, required
each of them to extend to the Govc-rnWOMEN
NATIVES OF THE LOWER COUNTRY
? THEIR STATURE IS TWOTHIRDS
THAT OF THE HIGH ALTITUDE
WOMEN.
ment a "voluntary" cash loan of 53000
in Colombian silver.
For a few days the Government officials
were jubilant over their success- j
ful coup.
The starveling ' soldiers received
some of their arrears, besides the regular
pay of four and a half cents per
day, and Panama's crack battery of
artillery was even equipped with new
uniforms. I seized this auspicious moment
to obtain photographs of the entire
corps, and of their young colonel,
Esteban Huertas, the hero of a recent
encounter with the liberals, where he
lost his arm.
Then came bad news. In the face
of a threatened naval demonstration
on the part of Venezuela and Ecuador,
a wretched crew of native sailors
had managed to founder the Colombian
gunboat La Popps off the coast
of Cartegena. She proved a total loss.
In vain did the Government try to
suppress tlie news of this misfortune.
. As I traveled by rail across
the Isthmus I heard the train Lands
and passengers shout the joyful tidings
to the disaffected mosos who
gathered at the little palm-covered
stations to see the train go by. By
tbe time we reacneu coion rne news |
was spreading like wildfire from tit^
Isthmus into the interior. Even the
rebels in the military prison heard the
news.
The results were soon forthcoming. I
r irr. r?T T? /"?T T V .V T? IN 'ROfiOT*
1'JjA/iA J.'iJ t ?_
LIBERATOR AND THE CATHE
QUENT REVOLUTIONS. THE i
Word reached Panama that Honda
del Agua, a small port not tit'teo.n
miles inland, had been captured by
the liberals, and that a number of refugee
Panameuo.s had joined Their
ranks.
| There was talk of an expedition
against them, but before the military
J g-vernor Of Panama could secure a
suitable ship for the purpose, even
i the I'
as of Panama, i
gft{
^^M^or>rirtonrv-ifo.-if:cv5nor?or!OOCf>QO?3GCG^*?
mmmmmmmmrn
more urgent requests for reinforcements
were telegraphed across the
Isthmus from Colon. A trainload of
soldiers was shipped over to Colon on
the morning train, and another trainload
followed on a freight train at
midday.
At the wharf I found the soldiers of
both detachments drawn up for Inspection.
Behind the ragged line of soldiers
crouched their women, some ten h?
number, mostly mere slips of girls,
not more than twelve or thirteen
years old. Many of their soldier husbands
were not much flder.
One little corporal ?f the guard, who
carried a huge Remington rifle of .58
calibre, and who proudly took charge 1
of a curly-headed Indian girl of even
more diminutive size, told me that he .
was thirteen years old. His captain ]
told me that the boy had been with <
the colors for two years, and had ]
served in three battles, earning his
rank of corporal through bravery in <
Lilt: liCAU. j '
1
"BOCAS DEL TORO, AN IMPOR:
THREATENED WITH IMMEDL4
ING FORCE OF NONDESCRIPT
In the last fight between the liberals i
and the Government forces in the out- i
skirts of Panama, the insurgents 1
charged up the railroad embankment 1
i times in succession, and were
.ten back each time with unusually :
*eavy losses on both sides. Herbert ]
Jeffers, an American soldier of for- i
tune, who commanded the Government
forces on that occasion, told me ]
that the fighting on both sides be- 1
came so fierce that his gunners were ]
out down with machetes while serv- ]
ine their pieces. i
By way of side comment to this 1
story a Colombian general told me pri- 1
vateiy that Jeffers would have lost all J
his guns had he not taken them apart
in the midst of the melee and sent (
them back to a better position piece- I
meal. Jeffers himself was seen to 1
stagger out of the trenches with the ]
best part of his favorite machine-gun <
strapped to his back, while he kept 1
the most persistent of the insuirectos i
at bay with a revolver. <t
Presently the order came to embark, j
and all were bundled aboard without '
further ado. i
Next morning we drew near the :
coast until we came Tvithin a mile of :
the shores said to be held by the en- 1
LIEtTTESANT-COLONELESTEBAN HUERTAS 1
(He began as a soldier at the age of nine
aud is now tweDty-flve. He weighs <
less than ninety pounds and is stand- ]
ing by the gun he captured at Tomaoo.
eruy. All hands were called to quar- *
-1 ftnlrljAan WAftA t/*l ^
lei'S. UJitl IXJt: AUIU1C19 I1C1C uiuvivu iv .
lie down on the upper deck and to remove
their red caps. Be it that our ,
information was false or because of
the drizzling rain, no enemy showed !
himself?nothing was to be seen but
thick groves of palmetto, prickly pear j
and high cocoanut palms. A few tentative
shots into the thickets brought "
forth no response.
At last we skirted the jutting point '
of the last island in Chirriquisito Lagoon,
commanding the entrance to the
ffiltSjMHj i'1
I III il^'nTT . |
1 jTljfjfff ;i:
, SHOWING STATUE OF THE [
.DUAL. THE SCENE OF FRE- f
CAPITAL IS TO THE RIGHT. 1
* (
harbor of Bocas del Toro, anil came in i
plain sight of the palm-leaf huts of i
the liberal forces besieging the town.
A volley of shots sent into the hamlet 1
sent some women and children llying i
into the thicket. The answering shots
came from a high bluff further inland, t
The bullets splashed into the water
fn-nntv fli ?* +*? foof chni'f nf nut* t
PU1UL L >> Cli l?? \j I IU ll ouvu Vi. wwi I,
vessel. I was in hopes that an imnie-1 c
" i r
<;
Hate reconnoiesanee In force might
i)e made, but those in charge decided
>therwise. The engineer was ordered
:o put on full steam. With a fine
^ 4 <-W
NATIVES OF THE INTERIOR PLAYING INSTRUMENTS
MADE FROM BONE AND
REED.
burst of speed we cut through the
Dlear water of the lagoon and put into
port.
At the wharf we found a large
:rowd assembled in an indescribable
state of excitement. The debarking
rANT BANANA PORT, WAS
.TE ATTACK BY A SURROUND*LIBERALS."
soldiers were received with wild
cheers. It appeared that an attempt
to rush the town had been made but
the night before.
It was determined to send a reconnoitring
party at once, so as to pre
pare for a counter attack on the rebel
island.
The "attack" was made at dead of
night. I was invited to accompany
the expedition. We ran into a thickly
shaded cove and -waded ashore. Deploying
to right and left, the troops
made a rush on the rebel hamlet. It
was found deserted. Somebody from
the town had given the alarm. All
night long we scoured the bushes
without finding a soul. At last, at
Jaylight, I heard a distant bugle call,
[t wasrepeated again and again, and
the officer in charge of our detachment
led us In that direction. Pres?ntly
there came a quick call of "Halto!
quien vive!" with the simultaneous
:lick of a rifle?loading. Our captain
;ave the cry, "Colombia!" and was
answered at once by the countersign,
'Tor Siempre." It proved to be the
second detachment, that had effected
a landing on the other side of the island,
and was manoeuvring into the
thicket without any better success.
In the end it was decided to return
to Bocas del Toro, to ascertain from
reliable sources whether the liberal
forces had not crossed over to the
mainland. Once more life in town returned
to the intolerable conditions of
martial law.?Edwin Emerson, Jr., in
Collier's Weekly.
Mnrn TUfflciilt Than It Seemed.
He had had his little speech all
written out for several days beforehand,
and it ran like this: "I have
Mlled, Mr. Wealthyman, to tell you
frankly that I love your daughter,
and I have her assurance that my affection
is returned, and I hope you
will give your consent for her to become
my wife. I am not a rich man,
but we are young and strong, and are
willing to fight the battle of life together;
and " there was a good deal
more of it, and he could say it all glibly
before he left home, but when he
stood in the presence of Papa
Wealthyman he said: "I?I?that is?I
?Mr. Wealthyman?I tell you frank
y?that?that?I?your daughter loves
me, and?aud?I have called to?to?
frankly ask you to?to?to?be my -wife
?er?er?that Is?I?we?we are young
ind can fight?er?no?I hope you u"
lerstand me."?Tit-Bits.
When Sir Thoma* lieturned.
The king fixed his eyes on Sh
Thomas a little reproachfully. The
gallant knight flinched sligntly beleath
the steady gaze.
"Did you catch the cup, Tommy?"
3is Majesty asked, and he asked it
n the tone of a man who knows Just
,vhat the answer will be.
"I did not," said Sir Thomas.
He hove a heavy sigh as he said it.
Then he hove two.
"You did not," repeated His Majesy.
"I know you did not. The trouble
.s that in kuotical parlance you did
lot knot fast enough."
The king's features relaxed as he reieved
himself of this humorous sally,
ind taking Sir Thomas by the arm
ae permitted one eyelid to slightly
Iroop as they passed down the c-orrilor
and through a green baize swingug
door.?Cleveland Piain-Denler.
Ha?l Seen it Before.
Dr. C. W. Crawford, manager of the
Jrand Opera House at Spencer, Iowa,
ouches for this:
At a recent performance at this tlicare
an over-dressed woman, after rusting
ostentatiously Into her seat,
inally composed herself and looked at
ier program. Opening it at the secmd
page of ' Je hill she saw* in promnent
letters, "Synopsis," -which she
nispronounced in an audible tone.
"Pshaw!" she remarked, turning to
ler companion, "we've seen this here
>Iay before; let's go home."
But after a whispered objection on
he part of her friend, who probably
xplained her mistake to her. she setled
back in her seat somewhat dls:omfited.?New
York Cliroer- -
" -v
11
\ i
??? *V
;
DRASTIC TREATMENT OF ADMIRALS
Id Olden Times They Were Hub? on th?
Yard Arm or Thrown OTerbomrd.
In the olden times the treatment
meted out to admirals charged with"
disobedience "was somewhat more
drastic than It is to-day. They were ; .?
shot on the quarter deck, hung at the
yard arm or thrown overboard.
One of the most remarkable caseswas
that or Prince Caraccioli, a popular
admiral of the British Navy. He-v
Tvas charged by Nelson with treachery,,
cowardice and disobedience. He wa? t'[
tried by court-martial in 1805 and
found guilty. He was then hung at
the yard arm of his own ship, and after
being allowed to swing there for
some time his body was thrown into
the sea. It was afterward found that
he was convicted on false testimony. ; .
Hon. John Byng, a British admiral,
was also charged with the same of- > ;
fence. The court-martial acqiiitted ;)'
him of cowardice, but decided that he
had not done his utmost when In..;
charge of the British fleet at the siege
,of Minorca. Sentenced to death, he
;was taken on the quarter dock of his
own flagship, a file of marines drawn ? -\
up and Admiral Byng was shot.
; One of the most extraordinary cases
In American naval history, although v.
.it did not involve an admiral, brought
I about the most sensational court-mar- .
j tial in this country. A commander of
I a small American war ship returning.'
I from Europe, when only one day's sail
I outside of Sandy Hook, had two of the .
midshipmen hung at the yard arm. .
One of these young gentlemen w?s the :<
son of the then Secretary of War.
An immense sensation was produced
when the war ship arrived here. A ;
lengthy court-martial was held In
Brooklyn Navy Yard, presided over by
Admiral Charles Stewart, grandfather .?
of the late Charles Stewart ParnelL? ''
New York Herald. , ' <
Riding: an Aerial Bicycle.
Here is the picture of an inspect?*/^
making his daily round of the suspended
railroad In Elberfeld, Gerimany.
This railway Is suspended In .
the air on supports fastened like an '
i inverted U, the line Itself being sup
ported by cross-girder work, hung on
A-shaped trestles.
Each car has two pairs of wheels, *
bending from one side over the centre
of gravity of the carriage, which hangs 7*
in suspension from a single line and
is worked by electricity. Obviously 'r.
such a railroad could not be inspected
by a person on foot.
To meet the difficulty an ingenious
adaptation of the bicycle was supplied.
The framework is that of an
ordinary bicycle, and the machine Is
operated by means of an ordinary pedial
and chain gear?the difference bejing
that the bicycle is suspended from
| the wheels which run on the single i 1
;line of railway over the rider's head,
jDespite his exalted position the rider
jis in perfect safety, he even runs no
(danger of being arrested for scorching,
as he flies along well out of reach of ,
the policeman, who regulates the traf'
fie below.?Xew York Herald.
A Help to Tonne Masiclans.
A support for the arm, intended for
the use of youthful students of the. / ,
violin, has been invented by a distinguished
French violinist.
The support consists of a semi-circle
DEVICE TO AID YOUTHFUL VI0LIXIRT8.
'which enfolds the lower part of the
arm a little above the elbow, and
which is connected with a belt that
can be lengthened or shortened according
to the size of the arm. Its main
usefulness lies in the fact that it pre
vents muscular fatigue, keeps the
shoulder in a proper position and finally
gives the arm that power over the
instrument which it must have in or
dn1 to produce the best effects.
The Iror.-MlDlnc Industry.
What might be termed the financial
side of the iron-mining industry easily
constitutes one of its most interesting
phases. Here is a commodity which,
in its raw state, adds nearly twentylive
million dollars to the wealth of
the country every year?an aggregate
greater than that of the gold and silver
mines of the Nation. There are
mines in the territory bordering 0:4
the world's largest fresh water lake
which have, in a single year, recently
netted their owners a profit of fifteen
? > .l.-nonml HnllslVC rtt, tiolf 00
U U lit 111* u liiWUOUUU VI 44^
much again as the authorized capital
of the company controlling them, and
it is nothing unusual to hear of a mine
which has paid for itself in a single
season.
'