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" '' * "~Ylewis >i. grist, proprietor. | gt? Jndependcnt Jamitg |leicspapcr: Jor the promotion of the political, Social, Agricultural and Commercial Jntcrests of the jlouth. |tebms?$2.00 a year in advance. VOL. 36. YORKVILLE, S. C., WEDNESDAY, A.PRTL 16, 1890. TSTO. 16. 1TO1A?E A Story of Amerl BY CAPT. CHAR1 Author or "The Colonel's Daug Deserte Copyrighted 1888 by J. B. Lippincott C< special arrangement through tb CHAPTER XY. out event of any kind, garrison was enliven^ body flocked to the Belknaps' quarters in order to do her proper homage. When Perry called he asked Parke to go with him, and when the latter seemed ready to leave the former, disregarding a very palpable hint from the lady of the house, picked up his forage cap and went likewise. For two days the one subject under constant discussion at the post was the event of Miss Maitland's sudden appearance, her perilous run and her daring and skillful rescue, Everybody maintained that Ferry ought to be a very proud and happy fellow to have been the hero of such an occasion; but it was very plain that Perry was neither proud nor anything like happy. No one had ever known him so silent and cast down. The talk with Lawrence had helped matters very little. In brief, this was about all the captain could tell him, and it was all hearsay evidence at best. The officers of the Eleventh and their ladies had, with a few exceptions, taken a dislike to Dr. Quln before Belknap and Lawrence with their companies of infantry had been ordered to Fort Rossiter. The feeling was in full blastwnen tney arrived, ana during the six or eight months they served there together the infantry people heard only one side of the story?that of the Eleventh?for the doctor never condescended to discuss the matter. After he was forbidden to leave the post by his commanding officer, and after the announcement of the "blockade" of Dunraven, it was observed *hat signals were sometimes made from the ranch at night: a strong light thrown from a reflector was flashed three times and then withdrawn. Next it was noted, by an enterprising member of the guard, that these signals were answered by a light in the doctor's windows, then that he mounted his horse and rode away down t.ViA vnllpv nf flip Mnnee. Ho was al ways back at sick call; and, if any one told the commanding officer of his disobedience of orders, it was not done until so near the departure of the Eleventh that the doctor was not afterwards actually caught in the act. Things would undoubtedly have been brought to a crtsi* had the Eleventh been allowed to remain. ^ Now as to the story about Mrs. Quin and her going. It was observed during the winter that she was looking very badly, and the story went the rounds in the Eleventh that she was stung and suffering because of her husband's conduct. Unquestionably thero was some fair enchantress at Dunraven who lured him from his own fireside. She had no intimates among the ladies. She was proud and silent. It did not seem to occur to them that 6he was resentful of their dislike of her husband They were sure she was "pining" because of his neglect?or worse. When, therefore, without word of warning, she suddenly took her departure in the spring, there was a gasp of gossip loving cronies in the garrison; all doubts were at an end; 6he had left him and taken her children with her. "The more I think of it,'' said Lawrence, "the more I believe the whole thing capable of explanation. The only thing that puzzles me now is that Quin hides anything from your colonel, w!?o is one of the most courteous and consid erate men 1 ever served with. .Perhaps he has told him by this time; we don't know. Perhaps he thought he might be of the same 6tamp as his* predecessor, and was waiting to find out before he made his confidences. As to Mrs. Quin's going away when she did, it may have been simply that her health was suffering, she needed change, and went with his full advice and by his wish, and he simply feels too much contempt for garrison gossip to explain. Very probably ho knows nothing of the stories and theories in circulation; I'm sure I did not U?ti) a very few weeks ago. You know, Perry, there are some men in garrison who hear and know everything, and othera who never hear a word of scandal." But Perry was low in his mind. He could not forget Quin's sudden appearance; his calling her Gladys; and then he i - J 11 - 11 1- 1. 11 -A- A..?_ 1_ - nateu me tnougnc mac it was c^um who saw him having that confounded tender interview with Mrs. Belknap. Was there ever such a streak of ill luck as that? No doubt the fellow had told her about it! Perry left Lawrence's that night very little comforted, and only one gleam of hope did he receive in the two days that followed. Mrs. Sprague joyfully beckoned him on Wednesday afternoon to read him a little note that had just come from Miss Maitland. Her father had been very ill, she wrote; his condition was still critical; but she sent a world of thanks to her kind entertain-. ersat Rossiter, and these words: "I was sorry not to be able to see Mr. Perry again. Do not let him think I have forgotten, or will be likely to forget, the service he?and Nolan?did me." Of Dr. Quin he saw very little. With the full consent and knowledge of Col. Brainard, the doctor was spending a good deal of time at Dunraven now. attending to Mr. Maitland. Indeed, "there seemed to be an excellent understanding between the commandant and his medical officer, and it was known that they had had a long talk together. Upper circles in the garrison were still agitated with chat and conjecture about Gladys Maitland and her strange father; Perry was still tortured with questions about his one visit to Dunraven whenever he was so incautious as to appear in public; but all through "the quarters," everywhere among the rank and file, there was a subject that engrossed all thoughts and tongues, and that was discussed with feeling that seemed to deepen with every day?the approaching court martial of k Sergt. Leary and of Trooper Kelly. As a result of his investigation, Capt. Stryker had preferred charges against these two men?the one for leading and the other for being accessory to the assault on his stable sergeant. Gwynne was still at the hospital, though rapidly recovering from his injuries. Not a word had lie said that would implicate or accuse any man; but Strvker's knowledgo of his soldiers, and his clear insight into human motive and character, were such that he had readily made up his mind as to the facta in the case. lie felt sure that Leary and some of the Celtic members of his company had determined to go down to Dunraven and "have it out" with the hated Britons who had so affronted and abused them the night of Perry's visit. They knew they could not get their horses by fair means, for Gwynne was above susDicion. Ho was English. too. and ,1 IA1CI. can Frontier Iiife. .ES KINO, V. 8. A., ;hter," "From the Rauks," "The r," Etc. unpany, Philadelphia, and published by ie American Press Association. striving to shield his countrymen from the threatened vengeance. They therefore determined, in collusion with Kelly, to lure him outside the stables, bind and gag him, get their horses, having once rifled Gwynne of the keys, ride down to the ranch, and, after having a Donnybrook fair on the premises, get back to Rossiter in plenty of time for reveille and stables. No sentries were posted in such a way as to interfere with them, and the plan was feasible enough but for one thing. Gwynne had made most gallant and spirited resistance, had fought tho whole gang like a tiger, and they had been unable to overpower him before the noise had attracted the attention of the sergeant of the guard and some of the men in quarters. An effort, of course, was made to show that the assaulting party were from without, but it was futile, and Stryker's cross-questioning among the men had convinced them that he knew all about the matter. There was only one conclusion, therefore, that Gwynne must have "given them away," as the troopers expressed it. Despite the fact that he had been assaulted and badly beaten, this was something that few could overlook, and tho latent jealousy against the "cockney sergeant" blazed into a feeling of deep resentment. Garrison sympathy was with Leary and his fellows. Thursday came, and Sergt. Gwynue returned to light duty, though his face was still bruised and discolored and ho wore a patch over one eye. He resumed charge of the stables in the afternoon, after a brief conversation with his captain, and was superintending the issue of forage, when Perry entered to inspect the stalls of his platoon. Nolan was being led out by his groom at the moment, and' pricked up his tapering ears at sight of his master and thrust his lean muzzle to receive the caress of the hand he knew so well. Perry stopped him and carefully and critically examined his'knees, feeling down to the fetlocks with searching fingers for tho faintest symptom of knot or swelling in the tendons that had played their part so thoroughly in the drama of Monday. Satisfied, apparently, he rose and bestowed a few hearty pats on the glossy neck and shoulder, and then was surprised to find the stable sergeant standing close beside him and regarding both him and horse with an expression that arrested Perry's attention at once. "Feeling all right again, sergeant?" he asked, thinking to recall the non-commissioned officer to his senses. "Almost, sir. I'm a trifle stiff yet. Anything wrong with Nolan, sir?" "Nothing. I gave him rather a Wugh run the other day?had to risk the prairie dog holes?and, though I felt no jar then, I've watched carefully ever since to see that he was not wrenched. I wish you would keep an eye on him too, will you?" There* ws<i nrtftnRWpr Pprrv hart hppn looking over Nolan's haunches as he spoke, and once more turned to the sergeant. To his astonishment, Gwynne's lips were twitching and quivering, his hands, ordinarily held in the rigid pose of the English service?extended along the thigh?were clinching and working nervously, and something suspiciously like a tear was creeping out from under the patch. Before Perry could recover from his surprise the sergeant suddenly regained his self control, hastily raised his hand in salute, saying something half articulate in reply, and turned sharply away, leaving his lieutenant gazing after him in much perplexity. That night, just alter tattoo roll call, when a little group of officers was gathered at the colonel's gate, they were suddenly joined by Dr. Quin, who came from the direction of the stable where he kept his horse in rear of his own quarters. Col. Brainard greeted him warmly and inquired after his patient at Dunraven. Every one noted how grave and subdued was the tone in which the doctor answered: f "He is a very sick man, colonel, arid if ia liatvl fn env \trViaf tv?11 Via f.li a rDQiilf of this seizure." "You may want to go down again, doctor, if that be the case?before sick call to-morrow, I mean: and you had better take one of my horses. I'll tell my man to have one in readiness." "You are very kind, sir. I think old Brian will do all the work needed. But I would like to go down at roveille, as we have no men in hospital at all now. And, by the way, is Mr. Perry here?" "I am here," answered Perry coldly. He was leaning against the railing, rather away from the group, listening intently, yet unwilling to meet or hold conversation with the man he conceived to be so inimical to his every hope and interest. "Mr. Perry," said the doctor, pleasantly, and utterly ignoring the coldness of the young fellow's manner, "Mr. Maitland has asked to see you; and it would gratify him if you would ride down in the morning." Even in the darkness Perry feared that all would see the flush that leaped to his face. Summoned to Dunraven Ranch, by her father, with a possibility of seeing her! It was almost too sweet! too thrilling! lie could give no reply for a moment, and an awkward silence fell on the group until he chokingly answered. "I shall bo glad to go. What time?" "Better ride down early. Never mind breakfast. Miss Maitland will be glad f/a rrtro rnn o />im T fonor " O J v.* , ^ . And Perry felt as though the fence had taken to waltzing. Ho made no answer, . striving to regain his composure, and then the talk went on. It was Stryker who was talking now: "lias the ring been found, doctor?" "No! That is a most singular thing, and one that worries the old gentleman a great deal. It had a history; it belonged to Mrs. Maitland's father, who was from Ireland?indeed, Ireland was her country, as it was my father's?and that ring she had reset for her son Archie and gave it to him when ho entered service with the Lancers. It was sent home with his watch and other property from South Africa?for he died there?and old Maitland always wore it afterwards. Archie was the last of three sons: and it broke his heart." "And the ring was lost the night of Perry's adventure there?" asked the colonel. "Yes. Mr. Perry remembers having seen it on his hand when the old gentleman first came down to receive him. It was missed afterwards, and could easily have slipped off at any time, for his fingers were withered with age and ill health. They have searched everywhere, and could find nothing of it. It could easily have rolled oil the veranda on to the grass during his excitement at the time of the row, and somebody may have picked it up?either among the ranch men or among the troopers. "I hate to think that any of our men would take it," said the colonel after a pause. "I do not think any of them would, with the idea of selling it," said Stryker; "but here is a case where it was picked up, possibly, as one of the spoils of war. I have had inquiry made throughout the troop, but with no result so far. Do you go down again to-night, doctor?" "Not if I can avoid it. I am going now to try and sleep, and will not lido downtill daybreak unless signaled for. Good night, colonel; good night, all." Unless signaled fori Instinctively Perry edged closer to Lawrence, who hact stood a silent listener to the conversation, and Lawrence turned and 6aw him and knew the thought that must be uppermost in his mind. There was a moment of perfect silence, and then Lawrence spoke: "Does anybody know what tho signal is?" "Certainly," said Col. Brainard, promptly. "Ho has explained tho whole thing to me. Those were signals for him that we saw the night you were all on my gallery. It was an arrangement devised by their old nurse?she who came up with the carriage for Miss Maitland the other day. She had a regular old fashioned headlight and reflector, and, when Mr. Maitland was so ill as to need a doctor, used to notify Quin in that way. He sometimes failed to see it, and I have given orders today that the guard I should wake him when, it is seen hereafter." "Then that was what those mysterious night lights meant that we have hoard so much about during the last three weeks?" asked Mr. Dana. "Certainly," answered Brainard. "What on earth did anybody suppose they meant?" To this there was no response for a moment. Then Lawrence burst out laughing. CHAPTER XVI. , ATE that night Mr. Perry left his quarters ana strolled out on the walk oftW that bounded the parade. He could not sleep; he was feverishly impatient for the coming of another day, that he might start forth on his ride to Dunraven. A "spin" around the parade or out on the starlit prairie might soothe his nerves and enable him to sleep. All lights were out in the quadrangle, save those at the guard house. Even at Belknap's quarters, where the veranda had been thronged with officers and ladies only an hour before, all wa3 now silence and darkness. Unwilling to attract attention by tramping up and down on the board walk, he crossed the road and went out on the broad level of the parade, but took care so to direct his 6teps as not to come within hailing distance of the guard house. It would be awkward work explaining the situation to the sergeant of the guard in case the sentry were to see or hear and challenge him. He edged well over to his left as ho walked, and so it happened that he found himself, after a while, opposite the northeast entrance to the post, and close to the road on which stood the commissary and quartermaster storehouses. There was a sentry posted here, too, and it would not do to be challenged by him any more than by "Number One." Stopping a moment to listen for the sentry's footfall, Perry's ear was attracted by the sound of a door slowly and cautiously opened. It was 6ome little time before he could tell from which one of the neighboring buildings, looming there in the darkness, the sound proceeded. Then he heard muffled footsteps and a whispered consultation not far away, and hurrying on tiptoe in the direction of the sound he presently caught sight of two or three shadowy forms moving noiselessly along the porch of the company quarters nearest him. Stryker's troop, that to which he belonged, was quartered down beyond the guard house on the lower side of the parade; these forms were issuing from the barracks of Capt. Wayne's troop, and before Perry could realize the fact that they were out either in moccasins or their stocking feet, and presumably therefore on some unlawful enterprise, they had disappeared around the corner of the building. lie walked rapidly thither, turned the corner and they were nowhere in sight or hearing. Stopping to listen did not help matters at all. He could not hear a sound, and as for the shadows of which ho was in pursuit, it was simply impossible to tell which di rection tney naa taten. mey nau vanished from the face of the earth and were lost in the deeper gloom that hung about the scattered array of wooden buildings?store houses, fuel sheds and cook sncds?at the rear of the post. Had it been his own troop lie could have roused tho first sergeant and ordered a "check" roll call as a means of determining at once who the night prowlers might be; but Capt. Wayne had his peculiarities, and one of them was an unalterable and deeply rooted objection to any interference on the part of other officers in tho management of his men. Perry's first thought, too, was of tho stables and Sergt. Gwynne. Were they meditating another foray, and had tho feeling spread outside their own company? No time was to be lost. lie turned his face eastward to where the dark outlines of the stables could be dimly traced against the sky, and hastened, stumbling at times over stray tin cans and other discarded rubbish, until ho crossed tho intervening swale and reached the low blulT along which tho crude, unpainted structures were ranged. All was darkness here towards tho northern end, and tho one sentry who had external charge of the entire line was slowly pacing his post; Perry could see his form, diiulv outlined, as he breasted tho slope, and it determined him to keep on in the hollow until ho got to a point opposite tho stables of his own troop. If there was to bo any devilment it might bo well to see whether this soldier, too, would turn out to be in league with the conspirators. Listening intently as ho hurried along, but hearing nothing. Perry soon found himself at the pathway leading to his own domain, and tho next minute was gazing in surpriso at a light burning dimly in tho window of tho little room occupied by Sergt. Gwynne; there was not a glimmer elsewhere along the line. Striding up to tho window, ho tapped "lightly, and Gwynne's voico sternly challenged from within, "Who's there?" "Lieut. Perry, sergeant. Come around and open the slablo door for me." "Ono moment, sir," was the answer, and ho heard the sergeant bounding, apparently, off his bed. Then a hand drew asido the shade, and G Wynne's faco appeared at tlio window, while a small lan- | tern was held so as to throw its rays 011 the faco without, "All right, sir," he continued. "I thought I could not bo deceived in the voice." Perry walked around to the front again, taking another survey of the sleeping garrison as he did so, and listening once more for footsteps; but all was still. Presently the little panel in the big door was unlocked from within, and tlio lieutenant bent low and entered, finding Gwynne, lantern in hand, standing in his uncompromising attitudo of "attention" at the entrance. "Everything been quiet here to-night?" ho asked, as he straightened up. "Perfectly so, sir." "Como into your room a moment; I want to speak to you," said Perry, after a moment's reflection. They passed along the broad gangway between the rows of sleepy horses, some lying down in their stalls, others still afoot and munching at their hay. Tlio stable guard stood at his post and faced them as they turned into tlio dark and narrow passago leading into Gwynne's little sanctuary. The lamps along tlio line of stalls burned low and dim, and, the ports being lowered, gave no gleam without the walls. One? more, however, a bright light shone from the window of the stable sergeant's room?brighter than before, could they only know it, for this time there was no intervening shade. After his brief inspection of the lieutenant's face, G wynne had left it drawn. The sergeant net his lantern on n wooden desk, and respectfully waited for his superior to speak. Perry looked him well over a moment, and then began: Did you tell Capt. Stryker the partic ulars of your rough treatment down there at the ranch?" "The rough treatment?yes, sir." "Would you mind telling me where you were taken??where you saw Dr. Quin?" The sergeant hesitated one moment, a troubled look on his face. His one available eye studied his lieutenant's features attentively. Something in the frank, kind blue eyes?possibly 6orae sudden recollection too?seemed to reassure him. "It was to Mr. Cowan'a little house, sir. He interposed to save me from a worse beating at the hand9 of three brutes who were employed there and had some grudge against this garrison of which I was ignorant They Attacked me without a word of warning. It was he, too, who called in Dr. Quin." "Have you?did you see any of the people at Dunraven besides this young man?" .iT _ t 4.1 _ Ot. _ 1 "I saw ms moiuer, sir. one isaiiuisu there, and has been in the family for years, I am told." Perry was silent a moment. Then he spoke again: "Have you heard any furthrer threats among the men here since the arrest of Sergt. Leary?" Gwynne hesitated; coloring painfully: "It is something I hate to speak of, sir. The talk lias not alarmed me in the least." "I know that, sergeant. All the same wo want to prevent a recurrence of that performance, and it was that, mainly, that brought me over here. I 6aw 6ome men stealing out of M troop's quarters awhile ago, and lost them in the darkness. I thought they might be coming over here, and?got here first" Gwynne's face lighted up. It touched him to know his officers were on the lookout for his safety. "I have heard nothing, sir. The men would hardly be apt to speak to me on the subject, since the affair of tho other night. What I fear is simply this?that there is an element here in the regiment that is determined to get down there to tho ranch and have satisfaction for the assault that was made on you and your party. They need horses in order to get there and back between midnight and reveille, and are doubtless hatching some plan. They failed here; now they may try the stables of some other troop or the quartermaster's. Shall I warn the sentry that there are prowlers out tonight?" "Not yet. They will hardly make the attempt while your light is burning here. What I'm concerned about just now is this: We all know that there is deep sympathy for Leary in the command, and it is not improbable that among the Irishmen there is corresponding feeling against you. I don't like- your being hero alone just now. for they know you aro almost the only witness against him." "I have thought of that, sir," answered Gwynne, gravely, "but I want nothing that looks like protection. The captain has spoken of the matter to me, and he agreed, sir, that it would do more harm than good. There is one thing I would ask?if I may trouble the lieutenant." "What is it, sergeant?" "I have a little packet, containing some papers and a trinket or two, that I would like very much to have kept safely, and. if anything should happen to me, tc have you, sir, and Capt. Stryker open it. and?the letters there will explain everything that is to be done." "Certainly. I will take care of it for you?if not too valuable." "I would rather know it was with you, sir, than stow it in the quartermaster's safe," was Gwynne's answer, as he opened a little wooden che6t at the foot of his bunk, and, after rummaging a moment, drew forth a parcel tied and sealed. This ho handed to the lieutenant. "Now I will go back and notify the officer of the guard of what I have Been," said Perry; "and I want Nolan, saddled, over at my quarters right after morning stables. Will you see to it?" "I will, sir, and thank you for your kindness." All was darkness, all silence and peace as Perry retraced his 6teps and went back to the garrison, carrying the little packet in hi9 hand. Ho went direct to tho guard house, and found Mr. Graham sulky over being disturbed in bis snooze by the sentry's challenge. "What tho devil are you owling around this time of night for?" was the uot unnatural question. "I thought it was tho officer of tho day, and nearly broke my neck in hurrying out here." But Perry's brief recital of tho fact that ho had seen some men stealing out of the quarters of M troop in their stocking feet or moccasins put an end to Graham's complaints. Hastily summoning the sergeant of the guard, ho started out to mako tho rounds of his sentries, while Perry carried his packet home, locked it in his desk, and then returned to the veranda to await developments. Sergt. Gwynne, meantime, having lighted his young officer to the stable door, stood there a few moments, looking over tho silent garrison and listening to the retreating footsteps. Tho sentry came pacing along the front of tho stables, and brought his carbino down from the shoulder as he dimly sighted the tall figure; but, recognizing tho stable sergeant as ho came nearer, the ready challenge died on his lips. "I thought I heard somebody moving around down here, sergeant. It was you, then, was it?" "I have been moving around?inside ?but made no noise. Have you heard footsteps or voices?" "Both, 1 thought; but it's as black as your hat on this beat to-night. I can't see my hand aforo my face." "Keep your ears open, then; there aro men out from one of tho quarters, at least, and no telling what they are up to. Who's in charge at the quartermaster's stables?" "Sergt. lleillv.of theinfantrv: someof tho fellows were over having a little gaino with him before tattoo, and I I heard him tell 'em to como again when they had more money to lose. IIo and his helper there were laughing at the way they cleaned out the cavalry when they were locking up at taps. The boys fetched over a bottle of whisky with 'em." "Who were they?" "Oh, there was Flanagan and Murphy, of M troop, and Corporal Donovan and on* or two others. They hadn't been drinkin'." "But Riley had?do you mean?" "Ho was a littlo full; not much." "Well, look alivo now, Wicks. It's my advice to you that you watch that end of your post with all your eyes." And with this Sergt. Gwynno turned back into the stable, picked up his lantern and returned to the little room in which ho slept. A current of cool night air, blowing in through the open casement, attracted his attention. Odd! IIo knew he had pulled aside the shade to scan the features of the lieutenant when he tapped at the pane, but he could not recall having opened the sash. It swung on a hinge, and was fastened by a loosely fitting bolt. Perhaps the rising wind had blown it in. lie set his lamp down as before, closed the sash and then closed and locked the lid of his chest. That, too, was open. Wicks, tho sentry, well up to the north end of his post and closo to the entrance of the quartermaster's corral, was bawling: "Half past 12 o'clock, and a-ull's well." when tho light T went out in Gwynne's little room, and all the lino of stables was wrapped in darkness. Perry fretted around the veranda until I o'clock, then sought his room. He was still too excited to sleep, and it seemed an interminable time before he dozed off. Then it seemed as though he could not have been in dreamland five minutes before a hand was laid upon his 6houlder, olialrintr him rirmrnnslv. and a voice ho ?o ? ? "o" y r # ? well knew was exclaiming, in low but forcible tones: " Wake, lieutenant, wake ! Every horse is gone from the quartermaster's corral. There must be twenty men gone down tho valley. I've Nolan here for you at the gate." In ten minutes Lieut. Perry and Sergt. Gwynne were riding neck and neck out over the eastern prairie?tut towards the paling orient stare and the faintly gleaming sky?before them, several miles away, the dark and threatened walls of Dunraven, behind them the stir and excitement and bustle consequent upon a night alarm. The colonel, roused by Perry with the news, had ordered the instant sounding of the assembly, and the garrison was tumbling out for roll call. TO BE iCONTINWEEK. pisfrUattmus parting. PATENT RIGHTS. The word "patent" means "open and it was first made use of to describe the open letters, or "letters patent," by which a sovereign granted to a citizen or subject a monopoly of the exclusive use or sale of any article. The word is now, in a sense not originally intended, applied to the secret of an inventor which has by him been made open to the whole public in consideration of a right for a limited period to make and sell the thing invented. The original patent was often for a monopoly of a commodity which the people already freely possessed. The king of England, for instance, granted to individual subjects the exclusive right to sell such articles as salt and vinegar. Such monopolies as this have been declared wrongful in England, and have never existed in the United States. The only patentable thing with us is a useful invention or disdiscovery which has never before been possessed by the people. The theory of the patent right is this: The * inventor possesses a secret likely to be useful to the people, which secret he reveals freely to the government, for the benefit of the ~/..?^?.ol w?K15? Tn vofiirn fnr Iiiq gt/IlC12ll JJUUU^* a-11 ivvuiu 1VA service in revealing his secret, the government grants him the exclusive right, for a limited time, to make and sell the thing which his invention covers. The patent, therefore, is simply a contract between the inventor and the people, in which the latter grant the former the sole rifj-ht for a time to the profits from his invention, in consideration of having the free possession of the invention later on. In this country a patent lasts only seventeen years. After that time all are free to make full use of the patented invention without payment of any fee or royalty?unless, indeed, the patent is extended by special act of congress. This extension is rarely granted, and only in cases where it is held that the patentee has failed to get the benefit of his patent. The term of a patent was formerly fourteen years, and it was renewable by the patent office Tor seven years more. This privilege of extension by the patent office was abolished in 18G1, and the term made seventeen years. mere is mueii iiiisupprcneiiDiuu ui the extent and character of the privilege which a patent really grants. The government, in giving the patentee the right to the exclusive possession of his invention, does not undertake to guarantee him in that right. The invention is, during the term of his patent, his property; but he must defend it before the law in the same way that any other property must be defended. The possessor of a horse, for instance, even if he has bought and paid for the animal, cannot keep possession of it if some other person can prove that it belongs to nim. The holder of a patent may lose his right to it in several ways; and if he does lose the right to it, those who have bought of him his commodity have 110 more right to use it further, or to be indemnified by the government for the loss of it or its use than the innocent holder of a stolen horse has to be protected in its possession. It is possible that some other person may prove that he was in advance of the patentee in the posses sion or use of what the hitter has claimed as his secret or invention. The patentee may have used fraud in obtaining his patent; or he may be selling, as his patented article, something which is not exactly what his application described. If the government should undertake to guarantee to a patentee, against all comers, the exclusive right to and possession of the thing patented, it would be granting a wrong: ful monopoly, because this would he ! a denial of the equal right of all citizens to sueandhesued, and to obtain judgments in accordance with equity I and right. A thing already freely made and used cannot be patented. The right to use it is common to all the people. And on the other hand, the liability of the purchaser of a patented article to lose the right to use it, provided it is proved to infringe some other person's rightful patent, is a part of the defence of the equal rights of all. ?[Youth's Companion. THE uA MARINES. There is perhaps no body of men in the service of the United States government who have come in for a J greater share of contumely and reI ceived less praise for actual service ! rendered than have the marines of ! the United States navy, says a writer | in the New York Times. From time | immemorial it lias been Jack's say! ing in response to all doubtful stories, j "Tell that to the marines," for the j tars as a set are the most incredulous | fellows, and the hearty contempt in I which they hold the marines is suffi| cient to incite the firing of a volley of epithets at the latter 011 the slightest provocation. It is amusing, too, to see with what J avidity the young apprentices seize hold of the prejudices of the able seamen, and a person only need go aboard one of the cruising training { ships to hear the youngsters bawl out, with all the zest of an old shellback, ! "O you Hottentot marine?" j The duty of a marine aboard ship i is essentially that of a policeman, and by reason of this very duty 110 fraternizing can be safely permitted between "the guard" and the men forward. As to the tar, any one acquainted with his devil-me-care spirI it and wild fun-loving nature, must know how he looks upon any one put over him as a check. The tar looks up to and respects his officers, for he fears them, but the marine he hates, for it is the marine who gets him in trouble. Hut if marines were not a feature of a man-of-war it is doubtful whether the discipline required of a crew of five hundred men would be of that efficient nature now in force. < )ur navy is peculiarly distinctive in its method of mobilization when compared with similar institutions abroad. In the first place, our service offers better pay, better duty, and greater emoluments than does any other service in the world. All United States war vessels carry a marine guard, ranging in size however, from a captain's command of fifty or sixty men on a flag ship, to a corporal's squad on a monitor. When a snip is about to go in commission her marine guard, which has been previously detailed, is marched aboard, and stands to salute the ensign as it floats out from the peak. From this moment until the expiration of the three-years' cruise the guard watches that "element forward" with constancy that allows of no relaxation. When the three-years' cruise is at an end, when the seamen who have been shipmates through every trial and hardship are about to march ashore and sever their associations, that stern and implacable marine guard may be seen in line on deck and under arms?the last to leave the vessel?and as the flag is hauled down they give the last salute to the colors they have defended. The marines have warm admirers in those persons who are acquainted with their sterling worth and necessity. Says Admiral Wilkes: "The marines constitute the great?I had almost said the only?difference between man-of-war and a privateer." "They are," adds another writer, "the bulwark between the cabin and the fore-castle while Rear-Admiral Stewart remarked, "The support afforded by a steady column of bayo nets lias rendered mutinies scarce." The marine is peculiarly a soldier. He is dressed, equipped and handled as a soldier, and his whole life is very opposite that of a sailor. In time of action aboard ship the marines are either stationed at one of the heavy pivot guns, or else disposed about decks and in the tops to act as sharpshooters. It was a marine who, from the top of the Frenchman alongside the Victory at Trafalgar, shot down the brave Nelson as he stood on the deck of the latter ship. The guard messes, eats and sleeps in a body, always apart and distinct from the crew. Let the reader imagine himself at midnight on the gun-deck of a large vessel of war lying quietly at anchor. A dim lght is burning forward, throwing a heavy glare among the crowded hammocks where five hundred men are sleeping. Not a sound is to be heard save the steady tread of the marine sentry overhead, while the swish of the black water against the sides breaks^the ominous silence. As the bell strikes "eight," the hour of midnight, a solitary figure in full uniform, with sword and pistols, steps noiselessly from the cabin door, lie stops and listens for a moment, as the turning of some restless sleeper in his hammock attracts his attention. He is the commanding officer. Walking forward, he bends over the hammock of a drummer boy and whispers a word in his ear; the only reply is a bound to the deck, and the next instant the long roll is sounded through the ship. As if by magic five hundred men leap from their hammocks, hastily pass their lashings, and throwing them against the sides of the ship, rush half naked to the guns. In three minutes after the first sounding of that call to "general quarters" the guns are cast loose, and the glare of the battle lanterns along the deck reveals the crouching forms of the tars, as clustered about their pieces they wait the word to open fire. And again all is silent along that deck, the same as when a few minutes previous every man was wrapt in slumber. Not a word of warning had been given, and the sudden alarm aptly proved the excellence of the ship's discipline. MARRIAGE A LA MASON. In the county adjoining Atlanta resides a popular justice of the peace by the name of Mason. Soon after being inducted into office, he was called upon to marry a runaway couple, who desired to have the ceremony performed without delay. He could recite the Apostle Creed and the Ten Commandments; but imagined they were too solemn. He had seen a book turned over to-him by his predecessor which he thought contained the marriage ceremony. He suggested to the couple to go to his house with him (they were on the side walk of the main square in the village,) but they refused as time was precious. A less assured man would have been sorely perplexed, but not he. He lost no time in removing hat, and remarked: "Hat's off in the presence of the the court." All being uncovered, hesaia "I'll swear you in fust off. Hold h.m/b )) n^iit iidiiuo. "Me too?" asked the friend of the groom. "Of course," said the squire; all witnesses must be sworn. You and each of you solemniy swear that the evidence you shall give in this case shall lie the truth th* 'ole truth an' nothin' hut th' truth s'elp you God. You Gus Keelin, do solemnly swear that to the best of your knowledge an' belief you take this yer woman ter have and ter hold fer yourself, your heirs, execkyerters, administrators, and assigns, for your an' their use and hehoff forever?" "I do," answered the groom. "You, Anna Howlin, take this for yer husband, to be an' ter hold forever ; and you do further swear that you are lawfully seized in fee-simple, and free from all incumbrance, and have good right ter sell, bargain and convey to thesed grantee ycrself, yer heirs, administrators, and assigns?" "1 do," said the bride rather doubtfully. "Well, (Jus," said the squire, "that'll he about a dollar'n fifty cents." "Are we married?" asked the other. "Not by a durned sight you ain't, quoth the justice, with emphasis; "but the fees conies in here." After some fumbling it was produced and handed to the "court," who examined it to make sure that it was all right; and he pocketed it, and continued: "Know nil men hy those presents, tliiit I, being in good health and of a sound and disposin' mind, in consideration of a dollar'n fifty cents to me and in hand paid, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, do and hy these presents have declared you man and wife during good behavior, and until otherwise ordered hy the court." And the couple went off rejoicing. CURIOSITIES OF PENSIONS. Blaine's great-grandmother got a pension, and Presidents Grant and Lincoln received land for their services in the Mexican and Black 1 lawk wars. Robert E. Lee got 100 acres of land for the work he did as colonel in our war with Mexico, and Jefferson Davis received the same amount for his services. The Mexican war pensioners are fast dying out and there are at present hut few revolutionary widows on the rolls. About five years ago there were eighty. The number is now reduced to twentynine, and three of these are ninetyseven years of age. They are Anna Maria Young, of Pennsylvania; Nancy Rains, of Vermont, and Susan Curtis, of Maine. They must have been married to their husbands long after the revolutionary war, for they were only seven years old at the beginning of this century, and the war closed seventeen years before that. The youngest revolutionary widow is Nancy Green, an Indiana woman of seventy-one. She was born in 1815), and her husband must have been gray-haired when she married him. Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Garfield are the only presidents' wives who now receive pensions. They got $.1,000 a year by a special act of congress. Mrs. President Lincoln got $8,(MM) a year from 1870 to 1882. The amount was then increased to $(i,ooo, and this it continued until her death. The daughter of President Zach Taylor gets $o0 a month, and she receives this for General Taylor's services in the Mexican war. Among the noted widows of generals of the late war, who receive pensions are those of E. D. Baker, Whipple, Summer, Anderson, the hero of Fort Sumter; of George II. Custer, the Indian fighter; of Daniel McCook and Frank P. Blair. Mrs. John A. Logan gets $41) a week hy a special act of congress, and the widow of Admiral Farragut receives $2,000 a year in the same way. Phil Kearney's widow did get $30 a month, hut I am told she is married again, and thesum now goes to her her children. Mrs. General Hancock gets a pension, and there are a number of other soldiers' widows who have been pensioned by a special act of congress. PRESENCE OF MINI). I have heard of many striking exhibitions of presence of mind in the face of sudden danger, but here is an instance of it which beats everything of the kind that has ever come under my notice. I can vouch for the truth of the story. An Australian "forty-niner," who had struck it fairly rich at the gold diggings, was taking his nuggets and dust to Melbourne. He was walking along by the side of his team with his rifle tinder his arm, indulging in pleasant speculations concerning the good time he would have after he Ko/1 Lia />a1/1 o cfronnro** JlilU. nuiu iin ^UlU, >? ntu tv onuu^vi appeared on the road, and accosting him said: "Give us a piece of 'bacy, mate." Those were days when people, especially those who had been to the diggings, didn't stand on ceremony. Suspecting no treachery, the miner thrust a hand into his pockets to get a chunk of the much-prized weed. In a moment the muzzle of a pistol was thrust against his forehead, and the stranger shouted: "Bail up!" The stranger was a bush ranger, and that was the way hush rangers ordered their victims to throw up their hands before going through them. Without pausing an instant, although he knew that the bush ranger had only to exercise a little gentle pressure with his forefinger to blow him into eternity, the miner bawled out at the top of his voice: "Bob!" There was no "Bob" around there. It was a ruse conceived by the miner in the fraction of a second and immediately put into execution to distract the attention of the bush ranger. It worked. The bush ranger thought the miner was calling a companion to his assistance. He looked around to catch a glimpse of the fictitious. "Bob." That was the miner's opportunity. Quick as a flash he swung his left arm and knocked the pistol out of the bush ranger's grasp. Then he brought his rifle to his shoulder and leveled it at the bush ranger's head. In much less time than it takes to tell it, the situation had been completely reversed. The bush ranger was at the mercy of the miner. "Now," said he, "you scoundrel, just fold your hands behind your back, and march ahead of me; if you move or try to run away I'll save the hangman a job by letting daylight through you." In that way the miner escorted the bush ranger into town and handed him over to the police.?[Toledo Blade. WHAT WOMEN LIKE IN MEN. Women like manly, and not ladylike men. They like honesty of purpose and consideration. They like men who believe in women. They like their opinion to be thought of some value. They like a man who can be strong as a lion when trouble comes, and yet, if one is nervous and tired, can button up a shoe and do it with an amount of consideration that is a mental and physical bracer-up. They like a man who can talve hold of the baby, convince it of his power and get it to sleep after they have been worrying with it, and walking with it until their eyes are tired and they feel as if they had no brains. They like a man who is interested in their new dresses, who can give an opinion on the fit, and who is properly indignant at any article written against women. They like a man who knows their innocent weaknesses and caters to 1- ~ --.211 LOSMM U/x.viA r* IfHilll 5 Will) win urmg iiuiiiu a uu.v of candy, the last new magazine, or the latest puzzle sold on the street, that will do more than its duty in entertaining every body for the whole evening. They like a man who is master of the situation?that is, who has brain enough to help a woman to decide what is the best thing to do under any circumstances, and who has wit enough to realize when one of the fairer sex is slightly stubborn and that persuasion is more powerful than all the argument in the world. They like a man who likes them? who doesn't scorn their opinion, who believes in their good taste, who has confidence in their truth, and who, best of all, knows that the love promised, is given him. That is the sort of a man a woman likes and her every sigh of satisfaction as his virtues are mentioned is a little prayer that says, "God bless him." Without a Country.?In the early days of California a Chinese boy came to' San Francisco. For some reason he divorced himself from all associations with his countrymen, assumed the garb and habits of an American and learned the painters' trade. He took the name of Joseph Allman and settled himself in San Leandro, where he pursued his calling and was generally respected. Many years afterwards his old father came to this coast and hunted up his son. Then there occurred a scene believed to be unique in the history of the country. The son was compelled to converse with his father through an interpreter. By reason of lack of association with people who speak Chinese, Allman had entirely forgotten his native tongue, and his miner nau not noun iung niuu^i m the country to pick up any English. After a time Allman sought to take out ciitzenship papers. Then he found that he was actually a man without a country. On account of his race and country he was prohibited from becoming an American, and as he had lost the language of his parents lie could not claim China as the country of his home yearnings. Repeated efforts to become a citizen of the United States have resulted in failure. Allman isasoft-spoken man, a good house painter, and has an American's liking for a fast horse. ?[San Francisco Examiner. A WoxiiKKKfL Electrical Plant.?India, the land of poisonous serpents, immense jungles, fabulous wealth, fevers, cholera and mysticism has again conic to the front through the recent discovery of a strange plant with magnetic powers equal to a Hrush dynamo. To attempt to pull a leaf from this marvelous plant is to invite a shock equal to that produced by an induction coil. If a compass be held within six meters of this lightning charged vegetable the needle acts as strangely as is if it were being held above the true magnetic pole. Its electrical qualities, however, do not cause more amazement than the wonderful variation of its magnetic powers, which are most manifest at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, gradually diminishing until at midnight or between midnight and 2 a. 111., when it can hardly be noticed. Day after day these wonderful changes take place, the plant gradually losing its magnetism as the darkness becomes more intense only to have the current renewed with seeming increased vigor as the sun mounts the tropical skies. A thunder storm augments its peculiar qualities a dozen fold and, even though sheltered it drops its leaves and branches as if in the last convulsions of death. Birds and insects shun the plant as do the natives of Java the deadly upas tree. One would naturally suppose that the plant would be found growing in a region abounding in magnetic metals; the contrary is the case. There is neither iron, cobalt nor nickel found in the home of the wonderful magnetic plant. ?[St. Louis Republic. HOW MANUFACTURING PAYS*. England is a country that may be truly said to have had greatness thrust upon her. Two centuries ago she depended chiefly upon agriculture, and shipped her wool, hides, flax, etc., to the continent to be manufactured. Religious persecutions drove many artisans to seek an asylum in England and these exiles laid the foundation of her greatness as a manufacturing country. The "tight little isle" was quick to see the advantage of selling the manufactured -i 1- x 1 -r ii products instead 01 uie raw iiiaienm, of keeping the mill tolls at home, and the result is that she is loaning money to many nations and seeking investment for her surplus capital throughout the world. One of her principal industries is the manufacture of cotton goods, and the bulk of the raw material is furnished by the Southern States of America. Does cotton manufacturing pay ? According to tables prepared by the British government, Great Britain imported in 137G $200,000,000 worth of ri \v material and exported $350,000,000 worth of manufactured cotton goods. The amount of cotton goods supplied to the home market is not stated, but when the vast population of Great Britain is considered, together with the fact that it was at that time supplied principally by English mills, some idea may be gained of the enormous profits o'f the cotton goods industry. The South is furnishing raw material to the English mills to-day precisely as England was furnishing raw material to the German mills two centuries ago?before she learned better. The bulk of the wealth of America is concentrated in nine industrial States. The States that sell raw material are borrowers of money, and the States that purchase the raw material and turn it into the finished products are lenders of money. The South has the raw material; she only needs the factories to enable her to outstrip both Old and New England in the race for wealth.?[Houston Post. HAS THE EARTH TOO MUCH GAS? Is it safe to drill the earth too much for natural gas?" Prof. Joseph F. Jones answers this question in the Popular Science Monthly, and his conclusions are of a most alarming nature. The professor assumes the earth to be a hollow sphere, filled with gaseous substance, called by by us natural gas; and he thinks that tapping these reservoirs will cause disastrous explosions, resulting from the lighted gas coming in contact with that which is escaping. He compares the earth to a balloon floated and kept distended by the gas in the interior, which if exhaus""11 nnnoo flio ni*naf fn PnlloriQP LCU, ? 111 tauou tixv Vi ugu vw atfect the motion of the earth in its orbit, cause it to lose its place among the heavenly bodies, and fall in pieces. Another thinks that drilling should be prohibited by stringent laws. He, two, thinks there is a possibility of an explosion, though from another cause. Should such a disaster occur, "the country along the gas belt from Toledo through Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky will be ripped up to the depth of 1,200 or 1,500 feet, and flopped over like a pancake, leaving a chasm through which the waters of Lake Erie will comedown, filling the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, and blotting them out forever." Still another theorist has investigated the gas wells with telephones and delicate thermometers, and he announces startling discoveries. He distinguished sounds like the boiling of rocks, and estimated that a mile and one-half or so beneath the Ohio and Indiana gasfield the temperature of the earth is 3,500 degrees. This scientist says an immense cavity exists, and that here the gas is stored; that a mile below the bottom of the cavity is a mass of roaring, seething flame, which is - ? * i il 1_ xl gradually eating into tne tuck iiour of the cavern and thinning it. Eventually the flames will reach the gas, and a terrible explosion will ensue. ?[Dr. Oswald. EVENTS OF FIFTY YEARS AGO. Fifty years ago the deguerreotype was invented in France. Fifty years ago the banks of the United States resumed specie payments. Fifty years ago the population of the United States was only 17,007,420. Fifty years ago a survey was made by John Bailey for a canal across Central America. Fifty years ago the first patent was granted to Goodyear for vulcanized India rubber goods. Fifty years ago was established the first commercial college in America, Comer's college of Boston. Fifty years ago the Cherokee Indians were removed from Georgia and placed west of the Mississippi river. Fifty years ago the first railroad spike machine was put into use, making fifty a minute, turning both point and head. Fifty years ago a law was enacted against dueling in the District of Columbia. It grew out of the C'illeyGravfis duel. Fifty-one years ago the first steam fire engine ever made was tested in New York. It was invented by Capt. John Ericson. Fifty years ago the Sirius and Great Western, the first ocean steamships, entered New York harbor on their return trip, No. 1. Fifty years ago the first wheat was shipped from Chicago, amounting to seventy-eight bushels. It was sent eastward by the lakes to Buffalo. Fifty years ago Joseph A. Adams, for the first time, made use of the idea now embodied in the art of electrotyping by reproducing from wood cuts. Fifty years ago the first power loom for weaving carpets was set in motion by I). B. Bigelow, of Boston. Ten yards a day was its original capacity.?[Detroit News. C ii a it act ek in* Shoes.?"Do you know that an old shoe is a good index to the character of the person who wore it ?" said a salesman in a Sixth avenue shoe store to me the other day. "I have been in the business close on to twenty-years, and have observed the matter closely. A person who wears a sole and heel on the outside toward the rear is of a passionate temperament, one who is generally enthsiastic, and one who does whatever he undertakes in a rapid manner. Such persons I have found are not successful in accumulating money. An evenly worn shoe indicates an easy-going person. But if the toe end is badly worn, look out for the wearer. 'Shady' people and mostly all criminals wear out the toes of their shoes first. Why? Because, as a rule, 'crooks' glide along | on their toes. A person of little am- i bition wears a shoe on the inside. | lie lives contentedly, and is little concerned as to the morrow. If mar- i ried, he has a large family. If the 1 whole heel is badly worn, the person is full of resolution and determination, is bouyant to the point of brusqueness, and is possessed of ability to both make and save money." ROBBING PKTER TO PAY PAUL.? This expression arose thus: On the 17th of December, 1540, the abbey church of St. Peter, Westminster, was advanced to the dignity of a cathedral by letters patent; but ten years latter it was joined to the diocese of London again, and many of its estates appropriated to the repairs of St. Paul's cathedral. One hundred years later, in 1630, we find in "Outlandish Proverbs," selected by Mr. George Herbert, priest and poet of classic renown, the subject of one of Walton's Lives, the proverb altered and set forth as follows: "Give not St. Peter so much, to leave St. Paul nothing." This proverb is quoted by Francis Rabelias early in the Sixteenth century. Upon the death of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, in 1778, each of the metropolitan cemeteries laid claim to the honor of burial. The city of London argued that so great a statesman as AV illiam Pitt, should be buried in St. Paul's, while parliament took the ground that the dust of so great a man as he should come near to the dust of kings, and that not to bury him in Westminster abbey would again be "robbing St. Peter to pay St. Paul."? [Detroit News. Dogs in Church.?There was a custom in Scotland, which may still continue, of dogs going with their masters to the kirk, in country districts. About this many strange stories are told. Among others, it is said that, in one rural church, the dogs used to occupy a small gallery over their masters' heads, and were always well behaved. But one Sunday a strange dog, which had been put with the others, caused a general uproar among them. It ended by the stranger jumping over the front of the gallery down into the church, and dashing out at the door, with all the dog congregation in chase of him. It is also said of a clergyman from Edinburgh, when taking a service in a country church to which the congregation brought their dogs, was much surprised at the people not rising as usual for him to pronounce the blessing. He waited some time; and at last the clerk bawled out, "Say awa' sir; it's joost to cheat the dawgs." They had found that, when the people stood up, the dogs thought it a sign of departure, and by whining and barking showed their pleasure. The people, therefore, kept their seats, and the dogs were quiet. A Light Without Matches.? To obtain a light instantly without the use of matches, and without the danger of setting on tire, is an easy matter. Take an oblong vial of the clearest of glass, put into it a piece of phosphorous about the size of a pea; upon this pour some pure olive oil heated to the boiling point, the bottle to be tilled about one-third full; then cork tightly. To use the light, remove the cork, allow the air to enter, and then recork. The whole empty space in the bottle will then become luminous, and the light obtained will be a good one. As soon as the light becomes dim, its power can be increased by opening the bottle and allowing a fresn supply of air to enter. In very cold weather it is sometimes necessary to heat the vial between the hands to inere21.se the fluiditv of the oil. and one bottle will last all winter. This ingenious contrivance may be carried in the pocket, and is used by the watchmen of Paris in all magazines where explosive or inflammable materials are stored.?[Chicago Ledger. What is an Inch of Rain.? An inch of rain is that quantity which, falling upon a level surface and not absorbed or allowed to run off, stands one inch in depth. The amount of water falling upon an acre of ground when the rainfall is one inch would astonish any one who has given no thought to the subject. On each square foot of surface there would be 144 cubic inches, and on one acre, which contains 43,560 square feet, there would be 6,273,640 cubic inches, which, reduced to imperial gallons, each containing ten pounds avoirdupois, would be 22,623 gallons, weighing 226,230 pounds, something more than 113 tons to the acre. The annual rainfall of this locality approximates 50 inches, consequently each acre receives about 5,6553 tons weight of water in a year. This amount of water would require 265 freight cars to carry it. If one had to water a 640 acre farm at this rate, it would require figures like those of the distnnee tn the nearest fixed star.?fEx. The Little Dog Told the Big One.?My two boys had each a dog. One of them was a bright, affectionate, long haired and long eared retriever named Hector. The other was a big mastiff named Tecumseh. One day a carriage with a dog under it was passing the house when the strange dog?a large one?seeing little Hector in the street pitched into him in the most ferocious manner. In vain poor Hector cried and begged for mercy; his assailant had no compassion/ As soon as Hector could escape he ran at the top of his speed into the back yard of the house, wnere Tecumseh happened to be, and rushing up to him put his nose to that of his big friend. Instantly both were running madly after the carriage with the dog under it. They both attacked him in the most ferocious manner, not leaving him until the punishment was thought to be sufficient, when side by side they trotted home.?[Portland Argus. BQF Any man that neglects the first warning of a brain or nervous system that is becoming exhausted, overtaxed, or about to break down, is not only a fool but a criminal. These signs are not many, but they tell the story of coming dangers only too plainly: Headache, sleeplessness, irritability of temper, neuralgic pains ' about the head and heart,' unrestful sleep, nervous dyspepsia, dull eyes, heaviness of the head and stupid feeling after meals, worry about trifles, unreasonable anger, tangling and numbness in the limbs, cold feet and hands, Hushed face and burning ears, palpitation of the heart, and irregular, weak and unsteady pulse. "When you note these symptoms, beware! The brain and nerves are about to break down, and it may mean insanity, perhaps death.? [Home Guardian. Towns Must Blow Their Own Horns.?It appears to be the policy of almost every town and city in the State that aspires to be a place of any importance, to blow its own horn? in other words to descant on its advantages and set forth its attractions in every way possible. By pursuing this policy assiduously, it is evident that many places are grow;.i<? mnirllv u-liilo ? enntmrv course "'6 "T,uVl " ~ has caused many others with equal natural advantages to remain in a comatose state, as it were, and continue to drag along at the end of the procession. Heaven helps them who heli) themselves is a trite and truthful maxim, and woe be to that individual or community that does not accept it and act upon it.?[Belton Journal. The cocaine habit hikes its place beside the morphine habit, with symptoms of marasmus, delusions and hallucinations of frightful appearances and small living things creeping on the skin, together with insomia and loss of appetite. The symptoms of cocaine poisoning are more obstinate than those of morphine, and may hist for months after the cessation of the drug.?[Cor. Washington Star. In Paris there is a skating rink formed of real ice on a circular basin of water artificially cooled by pipes containing ammonia gas.