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8YN0P8IS. Howard JefTries, banker's son. under ?he evil Influence of Robert Underwood, fellow-student at Yale, leads a life of dis sipation. marries the daughter of a gam bler who died in prison, and Is disowned "by his father. He Is out of work and in desperate straits. Underwood, who had once been engaged to Howard's step Tnother. Alicia, is apparently in prosper ous circumstances. Taking advantage of W? intimacy with Alicia, he becomes a sort of social highwayman. Discovering Ws true character. Alicia denies him the house. He sends her a note threatening suicide. Art dealers for whom he acted as commissioner, demand an accounting. He cannot make good. Howard calls at bis apartments in an Intoxicated condi tion to request a loan of |2,000 to enable tilm to take up a business proposition Howard drinks himself into a maudlir condition, and goes to sleep on a divan. A caller is announced and Underwood draws a screen iround the drunken sleeper. Alicia enters. She demands a promise from Underwood that he will not take his life. He refuses unless she will renew her patronage. This she refuses, and takes her leave. Underwood kills blmself. The report of the pistol awa kens Howard. He finds Underwood dead. * " *? maKaa 1 Howard is turnea over iu Capt. Clinton, notorious for his brutal treatment of prisoners, puts Howard through the third degree, and Anally gets an alleged confession from the harassed man. Annie, Howard's wife, declares her belief In her husband1* Innocence, and calls on Jeffries, 8r. He refuses to help unless she will consent to a divorce. To save Howard she consents, but when she' finds that the elder Jeffries does not In tend to stand by his son. except finan cially, she scorns his help. Annie appeals to Judge Brewster.. attorney for Jeffries. Sr., to take Howard's case. He declines. It is reported that Annie Is going on the stage. The banker and his wife call on Judge Brewster to find some way to pre vent It. Annie again pleads with Brew ster to defend Howard. He consents.: CHAPTER XVI.?Continued. "Ah! I begin to understand. You knew Robert Underwood? Howard knows your voice?he heard you?talk ing to him? Oh, Mrs. Jeffries! Are you the woman who visited his apart ments that night?" '. The banker's wife bowed her head and collapsed on a chair. '"Vac ? oho murmured In a low tone. Annie looked at her in amazement. "Why didn't you come forward at once?" she cried. "Think of the pain which you might have spared us!" Alicia covered her face with her handkerchief. She was crying now. 'The disgrace?the disgrace!" the moaned. "Disgrace!" echoed Annie, stupe fled. Indignantly, she went <>n: "Dis grace-^to you? But what of me and Howard?" "Can't you realize what it means to be associated with such a crime?" 'she walled. "Disgrace!" cried Annie contemptu ously. "What Is disgrace when a hu man life is at stake?" "It seemed so useless," moaned Al icia?"a useless sacrifice In the face of Howard's confession. Of course ?If I'd known?if I'd suspected what you tell me?I'd have, come forward and told everything?no matter at what cost." Tearfully she added: "Surely you realize the position It puts me in?" A new light shone in Annie's eyes. What was this woman's misery to her? Her duty was to the poor fel low who was counting the hours until . she could set him free. His. stepmoth er deserved no mercy. Utterly self ish, devoid of a spark of humanity, she would have left them both to perish in order to protect herself from shame and ridicule. Her face was set and determined as she said calmly: "It must be done now." "Yes," murmured Alicia in a low tone that sounded like a sob. "it must be done now! Oh, if I'd only done it * before?If I'd only told Mr. Jeffries the whole truth! You speak of How x ard's sufferings. If he didn't do it. lie ULCLO a L l^aob lUC VUUOUIUUOUCOO V/l his own Innocence, but- I?the con stant fear of being found out Is worse than any hell the Imagination can con jure up. I dreaded It?I dread It now ?it means disgrace?social ostracism ?my husband'must know?the whole world will know." Annie was not listening. Still be wildered. she gazed with the utmost astonishment at her companion. To think that this mysterious woman they had been seeking was Howard's stepmother. "So you're the missing witness we have all been hunting for!" she said; "I can't believe it even now. How did it happen?" "He and I were once engaged. I K broke it off when I found him out. After I married Mr. JefTries I met Un derwood again. Foolishly, I allowed the old intimacy to be renewed. He took advantage and preyed on my friends. I forbade him my house. He wrote me a letter in which he threatened to kill himself. I was J J 1 if T ?. iur&iu uw liicauc *w?1 nouicu tu pie vent him. I went to his rooms that night. I?didn't tell Mr. Jeffries. When the truth is known and I ac knowledge that I visited this man? can you see what it means??what a fuss there'll be. Everybody will put the worst construction on it?" "Trust them for that!" said Annie grimly. She was sorry for the wom an's distress, yet, being only human, sne reu a ceriam sense ui buuamtuuii | In seeing her suffer a little of what she had been made to suffer. . 'They'll say that I?God knows what they'll say!" went on Alicia dis tractedly. "My husband will be dragged through the mire of another public scandal?his social prestige will ?oh. 1 dare not think of it?I know? my duty is to that unfortunate boy. i mustn't think of myself." "Have you the letter that Mr. Un derwood wrote you?" demanded her companion. "Yes?I've never been able to de Ftroy it. I don't know why I kept it, but thank God I have it!" Moaning, thi- went on: ^CHARLES KL1 A/siD ARTHUR HOB ILLUSTRATIONS BY RA! COPYWCHT, 1909, Br G.W. DU.LINCHA/1 COMPANY 'The disgrace!?the disgrace!?It's ruin?degradation! It's the end of everything!?the end of everything!" Annie regarded with contempt this poor, weak, wailing creature who lacked the moral courage to" do what was merely right. Her voice was not I iinlHnH no che oairi* "I don't want to disgrace you?or ! ruin you. But what am I to do?tell me. what am I to do?" "I don't know," moaned her com panion helplessly. "Howard must be saved." "Yes." "Will you tell Judge Brewster or shall I?" "Judge Brewster! Why should he know?" cried Alicia, startled. More composedly and as if resigned to the inevitable, she went on: "Yes. 1 sup pose he must know sooner or later, but, I?" She broke down again and burst in-, to tears. Annie watched her in si lence. v , "It's tough?isn't it?" she said sym pathetically. "Yes," sobbed Alicia through her tears, "it's?it's tough I" Rising, she dried her eyes and said hastily: "Don't say anything now. Give me a few hours. Then I can think what is best to be done." Annie was about to repl? when the office door suddenly opened and Judge Brewster entered. Addressing Alicia, he said: "Pardon me, Mrs. Jeffries. I hope I Each Was Absorbed haven't kept you waiting." Noticing her agitation and traces of tears, he looked surprised. He made no com ment but turned to Annie: "I have been talking to Dr. Bern ; stein over the 'phone.", Annie approached him softly and said In a whisper: "I've told Mra. Jeffries that you have undertaken Howard's defense." Judge Brewster smiled at his wealthy client, almost apologetically, Annie thought. Then addressing her, he said: "Yes, I've been quite buBy since I saw you. I have put three of the best detectives we have on the trail of the woman w?ho visited Underwood that night. I don't think the police have been trying very hard to find her. They're satisfied with Howard's con fession. But we want her and we'll get her?" "Oh!" gasped Alicia. The judge was proceeding to tell of other steps he had taken when the door opened and the head clerk en tered, followed by Mr. Jeffries. "I told Mr. Jeffries that Mrs. Jef fries was here," said the clerk. "You might have told him that there were two Mrs. Jeffries here," laughed the judge. The clerk retired and the banker, completely ignoring the presence of his daughter-in-law, turned to his wife and said: "1 regret, my dear, that you should be subjected, to these family annoy ances." Judge Brewster came forward and cleared his throat as if preliminary to something Important he had to say. Addressing the banker, he said bold ly: "Mr. Jeffries, I have decided to un dertake Howard's defense." His aristocratic client was taken completely oy surprise. For a mo ment he could say nothing, but slm ply stared at the lawyer as If un< able to believe his ears. With an ef fort, he at last exclaimed: "Indeed!?then you will please con sider our business relations to have ceased from this moment." The lawyer bowed. "As you please," he said suavely. The backer turned to his wife. "Alicia?come." He offered his arm and turned to ward the door. Alicia, In distress, looked back at Annie, who nodded reassuringly to her. Judge BrewBter rose and, going to the door, opened it. '.He banker bowed stiffly and said <* "M'-h , tv *.*'*< matB&DWE (0)17 HmJMMPmQiiftB ELomi NBLOW f WALTER* , "Pray don't trouble. Good morning, sir." As Alicia followed her husband out, she turned and whispered to Annie: "Come and see me at my home." When she had disappeared the judge came back Into the room and sat down at his desk.. "Well, that's done!" he exclaimed with a sigh of relief. Rummaging for a moment among his papers, he looked up and said with an encoura ging smile: "Now, if you please, we will go over that evidence?bit by bit" CHAPTER XVII. The news that Judge Brewster would appear for the defendant at the approaching trial of Hbward Jeffries went through the town like wildfire, and caused an immediate revival In the public Interest, which was begin ning to slacken for want of hourly stimulation. Rumor said that there had been a complete reconciliation in the Jeffries family, that the banker was now convinced of his son's inno cence, and was determined to spend a fortune, if necessary, to save him. This aqd other reports of similar nature were all untrue, but the judge let them pass without contradiction. They were harmless, he chuckled, and if anything, helped Howard's cause. Meantime he himself had not beeh idle. When once he made up his mind to do a thing be was not con In His Own Thoughts. tent with half measures. Night and day he worked on the case, preparing evidence, seeing witnesses and ex perts, until' he had gradually built up a bulwark of defense which the police would find difficult to tear down. Yet he was not wholly reas sured as to the outcome until Annie, the day following the interview In his office, Informed him breathlessly that she had found the mysterious woman. The judge was duly elated; now it was plain sailing, Indeed! There had always been the possibility that How ard's donfeBslon to the police was true, that he had really killed Under wood, But now they had found the one/ Important witness, the mysteri ous woman who was in the apart ment a few minutes before the shoot ing and who was in possession or a letter in which Underwood. declared his intention of shooting himself, doubt was no longer possible. Acquit Art at $600 t That Price Has Been Demanded for Drawing by the Famous Leonardo da Vinci, i Let no one say that art does not pay. when right in Fifth avenue it is offered at 5600 the square Inch, which is considerably more than the lots that front in that exclusive thorough fare would bring. Stroll into the new galleries at - ? J * ?- ? ?? IHflA nr It h oou, uuu m a uiugj muc name, nit several other patches, you will see a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci In red chalk. It Is only 3*4 Inches square, and, taking out the trimming of Its upper corners, it contains ten square inches. The price Is $6,000. It is entitled "The Head of a Young Man," and, small as it is, the skill of the Italian painter inspires every line of, the tiny masterpiece. There is not far away a small draw ing by Rembrandt,, which is there C J tal was a foregone conclusion. Bo pleased was tie judge at Annlefs find that he did not Insist on knowing the woman's name. He saw that Annie preferred, for some reason, not to give It-i-eVen to her legal adviser?and he let her have her way, exacting only that the woman should 'be produced the Instant he needed her. The young woman readily assented. Of course, there remained the "confession," but that bad been obtained unfairly. Il legally, fraudulently. The next Impor tant step was to airrange a meeting at the Judge's house at which Dr. Bern stein, the hypnotic expert, would be present and to which should be Invi ted both Capt Clinton and Howard's father. In front of all these witnesses the judge would accuse the police cap tain of browbeating his prisoner into making an untrue confession. Per haps the captain could be argued into admitting the possibility of a mistake having been made. If, further, be could be convinced of the existence of doc umentary evidence showing that Un derwood really committed suicide he might be willing to recede from hU position in order to protect himself. At ?nv rate It was worth trying. The judge Insisted, alBO, that to this meet ing the mysterious woman witness should also come, to be produced at such a moment as the lawyer might consider opportune. A,nnle merely de manded a few hours' time so she could make the appointment and soon re turned with a soiemn promise that t,he woman would attend the meet ing and come forward at whatever moment called upon. Three evenings later there was an impressive gathering at Judge Brew ster's residence In the handsomely appointed library on the second floor were seated Dr. Bernstein, Mr. Jef fries and the Judge. Each wag ab sorbed in his own thoughts. Dr. Bern stein was puffing at a big black cigar: the banker stared vacantly into space. The judge, at his depk, examined some legal papers. Not a word was spo ken. They seemed to be waltlhg for a fourth man who bad not yet ar rived. Presently Judge Brewster looked up and said: "Gentlemen, 1 expect Capt. Clinton in a few minutes, and the matter will be placed before you." Mr. Jeffries frowned. It was great ly against his wish that he had been dragged to this conference. Peevish ly, he said: "I've qo wish to be present at the meeting. You know that and yet you ?eut ivt uiv. Judge Brewster looked up at him quickly and said quietly * yet de cisively:. 1 " "Mr. Jeffries, it is absolutely nec essary that you be present whera I tell Capt. Clinton that he has either willfully or ignorantly forced your son to confess to having committed a crime of which i am persuaded he i* absolutely innocent." The banker shrugged his shoulders. "If I can be of service, of course, I?1 am only too glad?but what can I say?what can 1 do?" "Nothing," replied the judge curtly. 'But the moral effect of your presence Is invaluable." More amiably he went on: "Believe ine, Jeffries, \ wouldn't have taken thiB step unlesB I was ab solutely sure of my position. 1 have been informed that Underwood com mitted suicide, and to-night evidence confirming this statement is to be placed in my hands. The woman who paid him that mysterious visit just before his death has promised to come here and tell us what she Knows. Now, If Capt ClintoA can be got to admit the possibility of bis being mistaken it means that your son will be free in a few days." ? "Who has given you this informa tion?" demanded the banker skeptic illy. "Howard's wife." answered the judge quietly. The banker started and the .lawyer went on: "She knows who the woman Is, and has promised to bring her here to-hight with docu mentary proof of Underwood's sui cide." v "You are depending on her?" he sneered. "Why not?" demanded the judge. "She has more at stake than any of us. She has worked day and night on this case. It was she who aroused Dr. Bernstein's Interest and persuad ed him to collect the evidence against Capt Clinton." The banker frowned. "She is the cause of the whole mis erable business," he growled. The door opened and the butler, en tering, handed his master a card. "Ah!" ejaculated the judge. "Here's our man! Show him up." When the servant had disappeared Mr. Jeffries turned to his host. With a show of irritation he said: "I think you put too much faith in that woman, but youll find out?you'll find out" Judge Brewster smiled. (TO BE CONTINUED.) i Square Inch through the courtesy of the new own er, who bought It for $15,000 before the dealers had a chance to hang It and has permitted it to remain in the show. The drawing, partly in sepia and here and there with a touch of crayon, was Intended as a study for a painting and Is entitled "Christ and the Two Apostles." It is eight by ten Inches.?New York Herald. In the Year 2,000. Transient?Who's that prosperous looking fellow over there? t Native?That's Squire Shuvvell, the * millionaire ditch-digger. Everybody 1 laughed at him years ago when he re- f fused to become a doctor or a lawyer, ' and even turned down the corre- ' spondence schools' offer to make him a window dresser or an electrical en gineer. Time proved his wisdom, and to-day, as the only unskilled laborer in this section, he can command almost fabulous prices.?Puck. EMU IE THE SUGGESTION WAS MADE IN A RECENT REPORT OF MR. W. K. TATE. MAY IMPROVE CONDITIONS The Body is to Be Given the Right to Amend Certificates That Are Valid ' , ' . 'V ; J"' : in Every County in the State of South Carolina. Columbia.?"A state board of exam iners to pass upon the scholastic qualified tlons oi teachers and to ward state certificates valid in every county in the state woufd go far towards securing trained -teach ers for the country schools." / This is the suggestion made by W. K. Tate, supervisor of rural element ary schools In this state, in his an ' I ; nual report,' which has been sent to the state superintnedent of educa tion, J. E. Swearingen. The report contains much information as to the condition of the rural schools in the state. The-most Important sec tions of the report will be given from time to time. Mr. Tate haB the following to say concerning the state board of exam iners for teachers: "As bks been pointed out repeated ly in the messages of the state JBuper intendent and in the resolutions of county superintendents, there are now '43 standards, on which teachere' certificates: are issued in South Caro lina. In the resulting confusion, cer tificates have been given to many peo ple who are not qualified to teach. These fill up the ranks, degrade the" salary and drive the competent teach ers into the city schools or out of the teaching profession. The fine efforts of a sinele standard, even when set by a county board of education, is evi dent in the schools of Anderson coun' ty. The county board of this coun ty has for years declined to Recognize any other than college diplomas, and Anderson county certificates. This policy has given the county a large percentage of college graduates, and has raised the compensation of the teachers of the schools far above the average. It is of course, not intend ed under the proposed system that teachers' examinations should be held in Columbia only. They woujd be held in the county seats as at present by the county superintendent South Carolina New Enterprises, Columbia. ? The Gresham- Hotel' Company of Columbia, that proposes to erect a hotel near thd Union ata> tipn, has been chartered by the seer* tary of state, with a capital stock of $20,000. The officers are: C. Ores ham, president; E. L. Wilson, vice* president, and J. P. Wilson, secretary and treasurer. The Gresham com pany owis hotels in several cities in North Carolina and South Carolina, A commission has been issued to the Ridge Spring Hardware Company ol Ridge,Spring, with a capital stock fo $6,000. The petitioners are: S. M. Colcoupth and C. P. Colcouph. A gen eral hardware business will be con ducted. A commission has been is sued to the Wise & Buyck Co.,.of St Matthews, with a capital stock of $2, 000. The petioners are F. Wlsi and C. F- Wise. A general mercan tile business will be conducted. - The Venire For Third Week of Court Columbia.?A venire of 36 was drawn to serve as jurors during the third woek of the court of general sessions, as follows: H. P. Wheeler, D. M. Clark, N. H. Driggers, L. M. Piatt, James Romanstine, M. H. Mob ley, R. H. Mellette, D. W. Strickland, J. R. Dllson, James G. > Murray, D. Sam Cox, D. H. Campbell, D. G. Tur nipseed, C. L. Harrell, G. H. Kirk land, J. R. Shannon, J. H. Baldwin, D. B. Cotton, H. G. Bates, W. H. Ab bott, Perry Drawdy, L. S. Frick, C. W. Addison, R. R. Catnak, J. W. Med lin, A. B. Hammond, Jr., J. D. Smith* deal, L. S. Neal, L. C. Chappell, L. A. Smith, J. R. Garicki Jr., S. P. Huff man, W. M. Martin, H. P. Leaphart, G. B. Bush, Jr., and S. J. Shirah, Jr. Have More Than Earned Their Salary Abbeville.?The rural police in Ab beville county were commissioned on September 12 and have to this date more than earned their pay, as the following will show: Fines coK lected to date, $1,219.04; 16 prisoners nrrooteri nnri Aithpr inllpri nr hniinri over to court; three men sentenced to county chaingang. Against thi stands salaries paid the two police men to date, $833.44. This is a fine showing and speaks well for the two policemen, J. A. Schroeder and C. D Bruce. ! Maximum Weight Is Retained. Partly reversing itself on a deci sion made a week ago on the ex press rates, at a hearing at which he Southern Express Company was epresented, the railroad commission ssued a statement by which is re :ained in the rates of the Express Company for the coming yeaiv the maximum weight of five pounds for packages to be transported at the ;harge of twenty-flve cents in this ;tate. By its new ruling, however, :he commission will increase the max mum value of the packages. Mule and Buggy Recovered. Manning.?Th'j mule and buggy lelonging to Joseph Sprott, colored, he stealing of which was mentioned several days ago have been recovered jy the owner. Through the efforts f Sheriff E. B. Gamble and the pub icity given the matter, the team vas located at a livery stable in "un-.ter, where it had been left by a tranger, who said he had found it cse in the street. The owner is 'id to get his property back but he ?M lP?e to know who it was that ok it away. i FROM ALL OVER THE STATE ' ???- :> * Column of General News That Been Gotten Together fcrom Many ' ' Towns and Counties. ' <. i % > Spartanburg. ? State constables aided two stills in the upper part )f tlie county near. Landrum, arrest ing Will Revan, who has only recent ly served a term (or moonshining, at jne of the stills. The prisoner was taken to Ashevllle for a hearing. Aiken.?The friends of Hayne F. Rice, a prominent attorney of Aiken, having declared that they would run him for the judgeship of the Sepond judicial court, which position was re cently made vacant by the death of the late Judge Robert Aldrich of Barnwell. Mr. Rice agreed to make the race for the place. , \ VT 1 TTmm? /v# itiA ncwuwr/.*?uyuu iutiumivu ui vmv new superintendent of rural school work in this state, will be present at the meeting of the Newberry Coun ty Teachers' Association and will make an Address. This meeting will be held on Saturday, January 20, at 11 o'clock in the Nevberry high school. Columbia*?The Columbia, New berry & Laurens Railway has pur chased two new locomotives^ for use on its passenger and freight trains. The engines were , made by the Bald win Locomotive works and are now on the yards. They were ordered some time ago. It is stated that they are of the most modren type, having the latest appliances, including elec tric headlights. They will be put la use in the near future. Florence.?A conference of the far mers of this county is called to be held in the court house here ton Jan uary 2, which will be salesday. They are to consider the -fertiliser ques tion in all its phases. The Sumter plan and others will be discussed, among them the pledging, of the farmers to boy no fertilizers If the companies are to enter a combine against them. Columbia.?The members of the M C. Butler chapter, U. D. C., of Shan don were entertained by the veterans at the Confederate home. A dlnnel was served and. a pleasant afternoon was enjbyed by all. It has been the custom of the members of the M. C. Butler chapter to give a dinner ^each year to the veterans of the ; home, and the dinner was given in response to the kind treatment received ( the past. Orangeburg: ? The showing thai the schools of1 Orangeburg county arc making this year in the mattter ol getting state-aid is very gratifying tc the citizens of this county, as Orange burg county always forges/ahead in matters pertaining, to education. The high schools of this county will gel $3,000 state-aid and three schools ol the county have woh prizes from,the State Rural School Improvement As sociation. . Charleston?The stndents of the Law School of the University of Soutt I Carolina, who were .in Charleston I spent three or four days of their va cation, working in the interest of tht new law building fund, which is be ing raised by the law students. The movement has as;'its aim the erec tion on the campus of the University I'ln Columbia of a $40,000 Beparati building for the Law School, insteac i of its present confined and restrictec quarters. [ Columbia.?Governor Blease iSBuec" a call for a meeting of the board oi ; trustees of the South..Carolina Indus trial School, to be held In his offlcf on Thursday, January 4, at noon. No [ tices to this effect were sent tc Messrs. D. D. Wallace, of Spartan h burg; J. Praser Lyon, J. E. Swearin gen and K. G. Finley, all of Colum bia; J. W. Ragsdale, William Ildertoi and W. R. Barringer, of Florence; A' T. Jamison, of Greenwood, and W. S Utsey, of St. George, the trustees. Charleston. ? The most importan' realty transfer appearing on the blot ter in the office of the register oj mesne conveyance was that of th<. Central Realty Company to the Char leston Improvement Company, 6,65f acres of land for $33,850. The prop erty transferred was the land includec in the Hopewell and Greyland plan tatlons on Nowell's Creek, containing Z.3UU acres, ana ine ciayiuy aui Hampton plantations in Christ Church Parish, on the public road leading t from Mount Pleasant to Georgetown containing 4,350 acres. Charleston.?The lighthouse ten der Cypress , sailed for Cape Cana varel to relight a gas buoy and tc ' carry oil supplies to that part of th< - district. After returning to Charles ton, the Cypress will sail for Pryim Pan Shoals to relight a gas buoy re cently reported out. . Darlington.?The good roads trair was in town but owing to the verj wet weather and the Christmas sea son only small crowd visited it Su . pervisor Milling of the county anc ' Mayor E. C. Dennis and severkl al J dermen heard the arguments for gooc roads. Columbia.?chamber of com merce did not elect officers for 1911 no quorum of the members being present. This is the second time thai ( the election of officers have beer , postponed on account of a lack of a : quorum. A date or another meeting will be named soon. Harvin. ? Bruce McCall, white 1 while handling a 38-calibre pistol shoi , his wife, Lula Nichols McCall 1 through the rigiit breast, inflicting ar ugly wound, which may later prov? , atal. Mrs. McCall is getting along t /ery well and resting fairly comfort j ibly. , Columbia.?Attempting to save his log frcm death beneath a locomotive VIr. George F. Blackwell 6f this city >ut a native of Elberton, Ga.. was truck and instantly killed by a '.cuthern Railway train just outside ho city limits. Spartanburg. ? The Spartanburg elegation to the legislature will old a meeting in the office of Sena r H. B. Carlisle to consider matters be brought before the legislature :en it meets early in January. Th( legation will declare in favor o: . Hydrick for chief justicf Chief Justice Jones, A CONVENTION IN,NEAR FUTURE WILL DETERMINE THE FJ>RM OP GOVERNMENT. . / SUNYAT SEN WILL ACCEPT ?^ ' r.-yf He Hat Agreed to Be China** First . . -1 HBHli I roSH tAifll President if tne new moay *???? Confirm Hie Election to the Officer ' , Troops Not to a*sgSa| Shanghai?The peace conference being held here between the reprea sa entatives of tho, Peking government and the revolutionary party agreed that the form of government to. be ultimately adopted for China should be decided by a "national convention t whose determination should be- bind ing" on both parties. It also was agreed that pending the decision of the national convention the M&nchu government^was-neither to Accept nor to attempt to obtain foreign 'loans. Another agreement reached Jb that all Hancha troops \ In the provinces of Shan-SI-Sl, Hu-Pfch, Nganwel and Kiangsu shall evaluate their1 present positions and withdraw from them to. a distance of 100 11 (about 37 miles) within five days, beginning from De cember 31. ffiwpg The Republican troops, meanwhile, shall neither advance nor occupy the places ayaouated pending special ar rangement* to be reached by mutual agreement TJi*. Manchu troops are bot to advance nor to attack, the po sitions. at Shantung heid by the Re publican* nor shall the Republican troops" advance upon nor capture new. places. It is understood that the na convention td be called is to Include ' those delegates at present in confer ence. f t Nanking who have elected * Dr. sun yat sen rreswent pi me i??;. public and others to be elected.. . Tang Shao Yi received a telegram' from Peking eaying that Tuan-Fftng* . formerly director general of the ~" The. Lowes Arev Very Heavy. . Tabriz, Persia.?A nine days' siege oMbis city by the Russian .troop* h*a resulted in, Its complete occupation by the Russian forces and the di~~?** of. the combatants belong constitutional progressive * Fidals). Numerous casualties ? were sustained by both-sides, the Russians alone losing' from 100 to 200. men, while the losses of the Fidals were! Yery severe, although the ?number cannot be ascertained, During the fighting an enormous amount of dam age to property was done and the Stars and Stripes floating over the United States consulate was shot down by a Russian shell which; how-' ever,, did no further damage to the, consulate. ( j>V" m Will Arbitrate Differences. Richmond, Va.?Fallure to reach agreement in the matterof the fiftc per cent increase demanded by the telegraphers of the Chesapeake- &< Ohio Railway, caused both sides to. \ concur in a proposition fcfr atrtnhit the whole Question to Martin A. Knapp 7<2? the commerce court and: Charies P. Neill, United States Labor Commis sioner, for mediation. A strike vote, submitted-to the Chesapeake & Ohio branch Order of Railway Telegraphers; ^ on December 14, showed that the 800 members were unanimous in demand- , ing an increase. - A Wish Por the Future of U. S. I Washington. D. C.?Peace, but with four new battleships each year'to as- > j sure it, is Admiral Dewey'fc' wish for the future of the United States tn J its foreign relations; As head of the general naval board the admiral rec ommended that four new inen of war ] be built, but an effort probably will be made in congress to cut the num ber down to two. The admiral Is quoted as saying: "I am for peace, but peace with four- more battleships as an assurance that it will bo main tained." , WeedOut Program B^ins. ; Washing*^ D. C..?Five officers of the army, all above 'the grade of ma jor have been ordered before retir-. lng boards in connection with the army "weeding out" program. They, are Col. Wm. L. Pitcher, infantry, ' Fort' McDowell, CaL; Col. Wm. P;.j Evans, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.;; I Lieut Col. James A. Goodin, seventh I Infantry, army and navy general hoa- | nltal. Hot Snrinea. Ark.: MaJ. We* dell L. Simpson, 16th infantry, New York city, and Maj. Wm. H. Brooks, medical corps, Fort McDowell, Cal. Tranquility Has Bean Restored. St. Petersburg.?A telegram ceived from Tabriz says that aftei a bombardment of the official que ter of that city lasting two dayB fifth regiment of the rifle brigade fected their entrance into the town. Tranquility has been practically re stored among the population. After ^ the flight of the deputy governor gen^ eral to the British consulate on cember 16th all the property of - J government was pmeeu?uuuur 1 and a detachment of the rifle ade has been posted to protect, Bachelors Will Don War PaJ Ulysses, Kan.?Bachelors of iounty, Kansas, will don md feathers in their camp^ ain suitable, sure-enoughj hemselves. A campaif Jrant County Bachelors} pear netted 18 mlves 1 ind these envied men ob as honor guests >ut as exemplar of do'j nent. The club has Ders -"substantial, elj )f uiant county."