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ISSUED SEMI-WEEKL^ l. k. gbist's SONS, Publisher.. } & ^atnitg gnKstapcr: gortht grontotion of the faliliral, Social, Agricultural, anil Cammtttial gnt^sts of the gtoglt. {TETi^?ooVg^'ce"^11"" ESTABLISHED 1855iT ~ YORKVILLE, S. O., TUESDAY, P^ECEMBERaa, 1903. NO. 1Q2. I WHEN KNI 1 WAS IN I y Or, The Lore Story of Charles Brandon Wf Happening In the Reign of His Aug Ravrittaa and (tendered Into M V Caakodcn'i f By EDWIN CASKODE ' v Covvrlo^t, 1898 and 1901, by 0 CHAPTER VTL u)ve's fierce sweetness. ^TT"5 FTER we had all returned to 1^^ Greenwich the princess and IEEmS Brandon were together freip^pJ queutly. Upon several occasions he was invited, with others, to her parlor for card playing. But we spent two evenings with only four of us present prior to the disastrous events which changed everything, and of which I am soon to tell you. During these two evenings the "Sailor uaiK) was iii wusLaui ucwauu. Tills pair, who should have remained apart, met constantly in and about the palace, and every glance added fuel to the flame. Part of the time It was the princess with her troublesome dignity, and part of the time it was Mary? simply Maty. Notwithstanding these haughty moods, any one with half an eye could see that the princess was gradually succumbing to the budding woman; that Brandon's stronger nature had dominated her with that half fear which every woman feels who K loves a strong man?stronger than herself. One day the rumor spread through the court that the old French king. . Louis XII., whose wife, Anne of Brittany, had just died, had asked Mary's hand in marriage. It was this probably which opened Brandon's eyes to the fact that he had been playing with the very worst sort of Are, and first made him see that in spite of himself, and almost without his knowledge, the girl had grown wonderfully sweet and dear to him. lie now saw his danger and struggled to keep himself beyond the spell of her perilous glances and siren song. This modern Ulysses made a masterful effort, but alas, had no ships to carry him away and no wax with which to fill his ears. Wax is a good thing, and uo one should enter the siren country without it Ships, too, are good, with masts to tie oneself to and sails and rudder and a pust of wind to waft one quickly past:the Island. In fact ?one cannot take too many precautions when in those enchanted waters. Matters began to look dark to me. Love bad dawned in Mary's breast that was sure, and for the first time, with all its fierce sweetness; not that It had reuched its noon,- or anything like it. Id trutD, it migni, 1 nopeu, uie In the dawning, for my lady was as capricious as a May day, but it was love ?love as plain as tbe sun at rising. Sbe sought Brandon upon all occasions and made opportunities to meet him? not openly, at any rate; not with Brandon's knowledge, nor with any connivance on his part, but apparently caring little what he or any one else might see. Love lying in her heart had made her a little more shy than formerly in seeking him, but her straightforward way of taking whatever she wanted made her transparent little attempts at concealment very pathetic. a a for Brandon, the shaft had en tered his heart, too. poor fellow, as surely as love had dawned In Mary's. He knew the hopeless misery such a passion would brlug him, and helped the good Lord, in so far as he could, to answer his prayer and lead him not into temptation. As soon as he saw the truth he avoided Mary as much as possible. As I said, we bed spent several evenings with Mary after we came home from Windsor, at all of which her preference was shown in every movement. Some women are so expressive under strong emotion that every gesture, a turn of the bead, a glance of the eyes, the lifting of a hand or the poise of the body speaks with a tongue of eloquence. and such was Mary. Her eyes would glow with a soft Are when they rested uDon him. and her whole person told all too plainly what, in truth, it seemed she did not care to hide. When others were present, she would restrain herself somewhat, but with only Jgne and myself she could hardly maintain a seemly reserve. During all this time Brandon remained cool and really seemed unconscious of his wonderful attraction for her. It is hard to understand why he did not see it, but I really believe he did uot. Although he was quite at ease in her presence, too much so. Mary sometimes thought, and, strangely enough, sometimes told him in a tit of short lived, quickly repented anger that always set him laughing, yet there was never u word or gesture that could hint of undue familiurity. After these last two meetings, although the Invitations came frequently. none was accepted. F.randou had contrived to have his duties, ostensibly at least, occupy his evenings and did honestly what his judgment told him was the one thing to do?that is. remain away from a tire that could give UO fieiUill warm ill. uui was suic w buru liiui to the quick. 1 saw this only too plainly, but never a word of it was spoken between us. "" * numi tiio mAPa 1 U(* mort' 1 BUW VI I.U13 1UUU luv U1V>V I respected biiii. and this curbing of ids affections added to my already high esteem. The effort was doubly wise In Brandon's case. After a time Mary began to suspect his attempts to avoid her, and she grew cold and distant through pique. Her manner, however, hud uo effect upon Brandon, who did not, or at least appeared not to. notice it. This the girl could not endure, and, lacking strength to resist her heart, soon returned to the attack. Mary had not seen Brandon for nearly two weeks and was growing anx- J IGHTHOOD | FLOWER I jjfc and Mary Tudor, the King's Sister, and ust Majesty King Henry the Eighth Tff & lodem En|li*b From Sir Edwin ' IM [CHARLES MAJOR] & ie Bown-Merrm Company S lous, when one day she and Jane me him in a forest walk near the river Brandon was sauntering along read ing when they overtook him. Jane tok me afterward that Mary's conduct up on eomlne ud to him was pretty ant curious beyond the naming. At firs she was inclined to be distant and sai cutting thi ;gs. but when Brandon be gan to grc .v restive under them an( showed signs of turning back sbi changed front In the twinkling of ai eye and was all sweetness. She laugh ed and smiled and dimpled, as only sh< could, and was full of bright glance: and gracious words. She tried a hundred little schemes t< get him to herself for a moment?th< hunting of a wild flower or a fou; leaved clover or the exploration o some little nook In the forest towar< which she would lead him?but Jam did not at flrst take the hint and kep close at her heels. Mary's impulsiv< nature was not much given to bintlnj ?she usually nodded, and most em phatically at that?so after a few fall ures to rid herself of her waiting ladj she said impatiently: "Jane, in th< name of heaven, don't keep so close t< us! You won't move out of reach oi my baud, and you know how often 1 inclines to box your ears!" Jane did know. 1 am sorry for Maitf'i sake to suy, bow often the fair ham was given to such spasms; so with thi; emphasized hint she walked on ahead tin if sulkv at the indicmitv put upoi ber and half amused at ber whlmsica mistress. Mary lost no time, but began tbe at taek at once. "Now. sir. I want you to tell me tbi trutb. Why do you refuse my lnvita tions aud so persistently keep awa; from me? I tbougbt at first I woul< simply let you go your way, and the: I thought 1?I would not. Don't den; it. I know you won't With all you faults, you don't tell even little lies not even to a woman?I believe. Nov there Is a fine compliment?Is It not?wbeu I intended to scold you!" Sbi gave a fluttering little laugh, and, wltl ' anglng head, continued: "Tell me is not tbe king's sister of quality sul flcient to 6Uit you? Perhaps you raus have the ( neeu or the Blessed Virgin Tell me m w?" And she looked up a him, half 11 banter, half in doubt "My duties"? began Brandon. "Oh, bother your duties! Tell mi the truth." "I will, if you let me," returne< Brandon, who had no Intention what ever of doing anything of the sorl "My duties now occupy my time In th evening"? "That will not do," interrupted Marj who knew enough of a guardsman' duty to be sure it was not onerous "You might as well come to it and tel the truth; that you do not like our sc ciety." And she gave him a viciou little glance without a shadow of i suiile. "In God's name. Lady Mary, that i not it." answered Brandon, who wa on the rack. "Flease do not think it I cannot bear to have you say such i thing when it is so far from the ren truth." "Then tell me the real truth." "1 cannot; I cannot. I beg of yo1 not to nsk. Leave me, or let me leav you! I refuse to answer further." Th latter half of this sentence was uttere< doggedly and sounded sullen and 11 humored, although of course it was no so Intended. lie had been so perilous ly near speaking words which woul probably have lighted, to their destru< tiou?to hTs certainly?the smolderin flauies within their breast that 1 frightened him, and the manner ii which he spoke was but a tone glvin, utterance to the pain in his heart. Mary took it as it sounded and in un feigned surprise exclaimed angrily "Leave you? Do I hear aright? never thought that I. the daughter am sister of a king, would live to be dis missed by a?by a?any one." "Your highness"? began Brandor but she was gone before he coul< speak. He did not follow her to explair Irnniflnn hnw rifltliromila Slirh fln e3 plunation wo-m he. but felt that 1 was best for ti.c.u both that she shouli remaiu offended, painful as the though was to him. Of course. Mary's womanly self es teem, to sa.v nothing of her royal prid? was wounded to the quick, and n wonder. Poor Brandon sat down upon a stone and as he longingly watched her retii lug form wished In his heart he wer dead. This was the first time he reall; knew how much he loved the girl, am he saw that, with him at least, it wa a matter of bad to worse and at tha rate would soon be?worst. Now that he had unintentionally ol fended her and had permitted her t go without an explanation she wa dearer to him than ever, and as he sa there with his face in his hands h knew that If matters went on as the; were going the time would soon com when he would throw cuution to th dogs and would try the impossible?t win her for his own. Caution am judgment still sat enthroned, and the; told him now what he knew full wel they would not tell him after a slior time?that failure was certain to fol low the attempt and disaster sure t follow failure. First, the king wouli In all probability cut off his head upoi an intimation of Mary's possible fond ness for him. and. second, if he shouli be so rortunate as to keep his head Mary could uot and certainly would not marry him even if she loved him with all her heart The distance between them was too great, and she knew too well what she owed to her . position. There was but one thing left ?New Spain, and he determined while sitting there to sail with the next ship. The real cause of Brandon's manner had never occurred to Mary. Although , she knew her beauty and power, as she , r i There was but one thing left?New Spain. 3 could not help but know It?not as v. * matter of vanity, but as a matter of 3 fact?yet love had blinded her where * Brandon was concerned, and that knowledge failed to give her light as to bis motives, however brightly It might 7 illumine the conduct of other men to3 ward whom she was indifferent. 3 So Mary was angry this time?angry r in earnest?and Jane felt the irritable 1 palm more than once. I. too, came, in for my share of her 111 temper, as most 8 certainly would Brandon had he al1 lowed himself to come within reach of 8 her tongue, which he was careful no' ' to do. She did not tell Jane the cause j of her vexation, but only said she verily hated Brandon, and that, of course, was the key to the whole situation. After a fortnight this ill humor be gau to soften in the glowing warmth 6 of her heart, which was striving tc reassert Itself, and the desire to see j Brandon began to get the better of her sense of Injury. f Brandon, tired of this everlasting ' r watchfulness to keep himself out of 1 . temptation and dreading at any mo ^ meat that lapse from strength whlcfi) < Is apt to come to the strongest of no 1 bad resolved to quit his place at court , e And go to New Spain at once. He had j 3 learned upon Inquiry that a ship would , : sail from Bristol in about twenty daya , t and another six weeks later. So he , , chose the former and was making his , 1 arrangements to leave as soon as poe dble. , He told me of bis plans and spoke of ( e his situation. "You know the reason , for my going," he said, "even If I have ' j never spoken of It. I am not much of . .. u Joseph and am very little given to . I running away from a beautiful worne an, but in this case I am fleeing from death itself. And to think what a ' . heaven it would be! You are right, j Caskodeh?no man can withstand the , light of that girl's smile. I am unable ' [j to tell how I feel toward her. It some- ' y. times seems that I" cannot live another s hour without seeing her. Yet, thank J a God, I have reason enough left to know ' that every sight of her only adds to an j 3 already incurable malady. What will ' s it be when she is the wife of the king ' I of France? Does it not look as if wild a life in New Spain is my only chance?" j I assented as we joined hands, and 1 our eyes were moist as I told him how 1 I should miss him more than uny one 1 u else in all the earth?excepting Jane. 1 e in mental reservation, e I told Jane what Brandon was about 1 A to do, knowing full well she would tell 1 |] Mary, which she did at once. ,t Poor Mary! The sighs began to come {. now, and such small vesliges of her 111 1 j humor toward Brandou as still re- ; ?. mained were frightened off in a hurry g by the fear that she had seen the last 1 t of him. She had not before fully known that i g she loved him. She knew he was the i most delightful companion she had i i- ever met and that there was an ex- I ; hilaration about his presence which al- i I most intoxicated her and made life an i A ecstasy, yet she did not know it was i i. love. It needed but the thought that : she was about to lose him to make her know her malady and meet it face to j face. i Upon the evening when Mary learn- i l( ed all this she went into her chamber very early and closed the door. No t one interrupted her until Jane went in 3 to robe her for the night and to retire. t She then found that Mary had robed herself and was lying in bed with her j. bead covered, apparently asleep. Jane , quietly prepared to retire and lay 0 down In Her own Deo. xoe girm usually shared one couch, but during Mary'B , ill temper she had forced Jane to sleep ,[ alone. e TO BE CONTINUED. y ""gg [i The Origin of Woolwich Arsenal. s Woolwich arsenal is said to owe Its t existence to an explosion. According to the story the surveyor general gave - orders that some old French guns, capo tured by the Duke of Marlborough, s should be recast into English guns at t Moorflelds. A young Swiss student, e Andrew Scbalcb, who was traveling in y search of scientific knowledge, happene ed to be present and noted that the e molds to receive the molten metal were o not dry'- He spoke to the authorities fl of the danger, but the metal was run, y and the generation of steam in the 11 damp mold caused an explosion, att tended with loss of life. Schalch was 1- subsequently summoned to the ordo nance office, his abilities tested, and he 3 was then requested to select a site for a a new foundry. His choice fell on I- Woolwich, where he was superintendd ent of the arsenal for many years. pisttltancous itradiufl. *; - di MEXICAN COTTON BOLL WEEVIL. af The Damage It Haa Cautad This 8ea- UI son and tha Ramady. n( The most serious menace that the ti< cotton planters of the south have ever e<> been compelled to face Is the Mexican bt boll weevil, which Is ravaging the cot- A! ton fields of Texas. The weevil has pt not been found outside that state ex- b? cept In the Instance which occurred In df August at the Louisiana Sugar Ex per Iment station at Auauoon x-mn. m VUe ci environs of New Orleans. In that case ce the circumstances have led the Louis- ej lana authorities to the conviction that th the pests were purposely placed in the p? cotton plots by some interested person, ca The station authorities promptly de- gl stroyed all the cotton of the ezperl- es mental plots by picking the fallen th fruit, uprooting and burning the plants, at and subsequently plowed and flooded ~rli the land after it had been thoroughly fr sprayed with crude petroleum. As cr there are no cotton fields within ten cr miles of Audubon Park, and several ex- di supinations by the station entomologist fu failed to reveal any weevils, it is very it probable that the colony was com- n? pletely exterminated. m The difficulties in the wav of controlling the boll weevil lie as much in ni Its habits and manner of Work as in re the peculiar industrial conditions In- w. volved i'i the production of the staple th In the southern States. The weevil to lives in a.4 stages, except the imago, ee within the fruit of the plant well pro- In tected from any poison that may be h< applied, and in that stage takes food he anly by inserting its beak within the v' substance of the plant. It is remark- r* *?- *? ? <? attanlra nf nflranltes xuiy ii cc xi viii me ? ind diseases, occupies but fourteen Jays for development from egg to b) idult, and the progeny of a single pair hi In a season may reach 134,000,000 of to individuals. at The weevil adapts Itself to climatic PJ conditions to the extent that the egg ? 3tage in November may occupy as a* much time as all the- immature stages in together in July or August. These b< factors combine to make It one of the tb most difficult Insects to control. W The territory at present affected by th the boll weevil is entirely in Texas, fu The nearest approach to the Louisiana In line is in the immediate vicinity of hi Timpson, twenty-five miles away. The 171 nearest approach to Shreveport is in bl Wood county, about 100 miles distant On the north it has been found in the vicinity of Sherman Just south of the tb Red river. In the region between the v' latitude of Greenville and Red river cr the weevil is only scatteringly present tu ind has caused no general damage. It P< will require nearly two years for it to at reach such numbers as to materially of reduce the normal production. Al- se though many conditions make it very Jfflcult to reduce to figures the dam- P1 age caused by the weevil, calculations made in the division of entomology of th the U. S. department of agriculture, ?t aased upon statements showing the production of cotton in ten leading counties in Texas when the boll wee- se vll was absent and when it was pres- tr ;nt, and showing the increase in the S< jther counties when the weevil was absent at both similar periods, appear to justify the estimate tnai me iuuu Jamage caused by the insect is about A: 50 per cent. Upon that basis the Texas planters have suffered a loss of 515.000,000 during the present season, Si and this estimate, it is stated, agrees gi with those of conservative cotton sta- dt tisticians. As the normal cotton crop of pf the United States is estimated to ar represent a value of (500,000,000, the pt probable ultimate damage, when the ej pest has become spread over the en- w fire cotton belt, provided nothing were ve lone to check it, would be In the neigh- te borhood of $250,000,000 annually. bf Nevertheless there are conditions at y( work that seem to indicate that plant- th srs in weevil regions are gradually d< adopting changes in their system of ta producing the staple that have a ten- M lency to avoid damage. m The work of the U. S. department of agriculture with the boll weevil con- Pf slsts of field experiments and labora- th lory investigations. Mr. W. D. Hun- n< ter, of the division of entomology, as 3lsted by several entomologists, has gi charge of the investigations in Texas, and Mr. E. A. Schwarz of the division ui has conducted studies in Cuba. The P< field comprises tracts of cotton grown to In such manner as to constitute demonstrations of the means necessary in g\ order that the staple may be produced y< profitably in spite of the weevil. These fields are located in six different points "j representing the five regions in Texas, er which, by reason of variation in cli- y< mate and soil, constitute as many dis- to tinct cotton districts. In these fields dl every experiment that has been found ei to be useful in avoiding damage by the weevil Is being tried. The work of the division of entomology during the q, season of 1903 demonstrated that it is j possible to produce profitably in spite nj of the weevil; the work of the present ^ season shows this again under differ- jv ent conditions of climate and soil, and j)< in addition furnishes practical demon- 0l strations of the value of the recom- a mendations of the division to planters at six different points in the state. In hj the laboratory the life history of the i0 pest is being carefully investigated, y In addition, Mr. Schwarz has spent tj several months of the present year In S( Cuba, studying the manner in which t? natural conditions, whether of parasl- u tcs, diseases, climatic conditions, or y( of bringing about a degree of resist- p. ance on the part of the plant, control w the Insect where it has existed as an j, enemy of the cotton plant for a much w longer period than in the United States. He found what he supposes to a' be the original food plant of the in-^ ? sect' in the "algodon de rinon," or I kidney cotton of that island. He failed to discover any parasites at all and j did not succeed in flndir any Import- te it tendency toward Immunity on the irt of the five distinct varieties stued. The steady extension of the territory fected by the weevil year by year itil the northern boundary is far >rth of the center of cotton producDn in the United States has convlncI all observers that it will eventually > distributed all over the cotton belt. Ithough its progress has been com*iratlvely slow during the time it has sen in Texas, it has displayed no tensncy toward dying out. The fact that several European govnments are sending agents to this suntry to procure seed to be used in :periments in producing tne nDer in eir colonies calls attention to the obabllity that the weevil may be irried to the remote portions of the obe. Although the Insect does not, :cept accidentally, hibernate within e hull of the seed, every seed house tached to a gin in the Infested tertory harbors any that are brought In om the fields In seed cotton. They awl into the seed bins as they would awl anywhere for protection. All mger could be easily avoided by imlgation of the seed or by leaving sacked in storage rooms Isolated from jw cotton for a year previous to shipent. The work of the division of entoology has demonstrated that no diet or specific means, such as poisons, ill ever be of much avail in fighting e weevil and that there Is little hope r the artificial propagation of disises or in obtaining a variety that is any sense -distant. Experiments, )wever, with cultural methods have >en highly successful and have obated the necessity of looking to diet ones. The cultural methods consist of relcing the number of pests in the fall r early destruction of plants and in istenlng the maturity of the crop the llowlng spring by every means avail>le. Fall destruction consists of owing up and burning the plants as on as the pests have multiplied to icn an ex.ient tus iu icuuci cue |/*vng of any more cotton doubtful. The meflts resulting from this process are reefold. Many weevils are actually lied, the development of several of ie socalled broods is prevented, thus rther reducing the number which g? to hibernation, and, moreover, the bemating season, during which any causes bring about a considerae mortality, is lengthened. While this apparently causes a loss the top crop, It is not a loss when e other recommendations of the dlsion of entomology are followed. A op can be obtained which will mare before the weevils have an op>rtunity to do considerable damage, id this is brought about by the use a rapid growing variety of northern ed. By these methods it is possible to oduce the staple at a margin of pro; that will compare favorably with at realized in the production of most the staple crops of the United States, en though the large yields of cotton icasionally gained in earlier years em no longer possible in the disicts affected by the weevil.?The jientific American. RUSSELL 8AGE'S SAGACITY. fraid Grandson of Friend Would Not Pay Money Back. One day a young man of Russell ige's acquaintance?in fact, the -andson of an old friend of other Lys?approached him on the subject ' a loan of ten dollars for two weeks id?got It, says Collier's Weekly. He omised faithfully to return the mon* ' at a stated hour, and the promise as as faithfully kept He (Sage) had try little to say when he gave up the n, and quite as little when he got It ick. A week or ten days later the >ung man came to see him again, and ils time asked him for a hundred )llars, making all sorts of representlons of what he would do with it. r. Sage refused to ante. The young an was surprised, not to say pained. "Why," he exclaimed, "you know I'll ty It all right. Didn't I say I'd have tat ten for you on Monday, and was >t I there to the minute with it?" Mr. Sage beamed softly on the andson of his old friend. "My boy," ne saia, wun no trace ui ikindness In his tone, "you disap)inted me once and I don't want you do it again." "I beg your pardon, I did not," arled the youth. "I said I would pay >u back and I did." "Yes,, yes. my boy," purred Mr. Sage, rou paid me back the ten, and I nev expected you would. Now if I let >u have a hundred I should expect you > pay me back, and you wouldn't. One sappointment at my time of life is tough, my boy. Good morning." Extreme Absentmindedness.?"The aeerest case of absentmindedness that have ever known of," remarked the Ight clerk of a certain hotel, "was lat which happened at this hotel earyesterday morning. Two fellow carders, one Jones by name and the :her whose name is Brown, occupied room on the third floor. "Well. Brown requested me to have Im awakened at 3 o'clock so as to aliw him to catch the 4 o'clock train, e was awakened at the requested me, and in his hurry to dress himilf he put on Jones' clothes by misike. He did not discover his mistake ntil he reached the depot, and would 3U believe it"?here the speaker aused?"when he found out that he as wearing some one else's clothes he nmedlately returned to the hotel and ent right to bed"? "I don't see any absentmindedness bout that," broke in one of the listen's. "You don't? Why, he thought that had awakened the wrong man."? Mr Conscience is conaenaeu cnttrat-j FA8TEST JOURNEY EVER MADE. From Berlin to Zoeeen at 130 Miles Per Hour. Note?the fastest journey ever made was the recent run of an electric car from Berlin to Zoesen, at the rate of over 130 miles an hour. The following: vivid description Is written by one of the engineers in the car. It Is gratifying to know that the motorman was an American engineer, from Pittsburg: With a whirr the car starts on its memorable Journey from Marienfelde. The overhead wires are swaying in a strong wind. A mile and a quarter has been covered. The speed Indicator show a velocity of 76 miles an hour. Each second the speed Increases. Just before the station of Mahlow appeares a curve of 6,500 feet radius looms up. The speed is now 109 miles an hour. We seem to be leaping toward the curve. No bend can be seen; the track apparently ends abruptly. We know there is a curve, and yet we are anxious; we brace ourselves for a shock. Just as we reach the curve the track seems to bend Into a gentle arc Into which the car runs easily. We climb a grade of 26 feet to the mile?slight, to be sure, and yet to ascend it at full speed we must expend 300-horse power more. The train Is flying on faster and faster. We rush through Mahlow at a speed of 115 miles an hour. No vibration or shock Is felt. It seems as If the car Itself were not moving, as If buildings, poles, trees were flickering past. Only the humming of the wheels assures us that It is we who are moving. The finger of the speed Indicator slips along to a mark which shows that the car Is making 121 miles an hour. At every crossing a loud ringing note can be heard, caused by the wheels. Fragments of ballast as large as walnuts are sucked up into the air and fall back as the train rushes on. At first the speed Is bewildering, almost stupefying. Suddenly a smashing blow is heard against the window of the cab, as if a man brought his fist heavily down upon a table. It was a bird overtaken In Its flight and killed. The speed Indicator finger climbs up past the 124 mile mark. A quarter of a mile before reaching the curve near Rangsdorf we shut off the current and apply the full power of the brakes. The speed of the car drops to 102 miles. The curve Is rounded in a noble swing. The brake is released, and the car glides along under its own momentum without any current"1 whatever until Zossen is! reached. In eight minutes we have leaped from Marienfelde to Zossen. We crowd around the telegraph instruments, which have recorded a speed never before attained in the annals of railroading. The telegrapher can hardly attend to his instruments, so many heads are pressing about him. Finally he succeeds in reading off the record?130.4 miles an hour. Every one smiles; hands are shaken. congratulations exchanged. An officer rushes off to the telegraph station to announce to his majesty, the kaiser, the feat which German engineers have succeeded in performing. The front end of the car is covered with flies, bees and small insects, ctushed, as if by a thumb against the iron and glass.?Dr. Delchel In Scientific American. KITTEN WAS THE ANTE. A Two-Cat Limit Game of Poker Played By Hermits. The 8trangest poker game ever played In western New York was fought out two weeks ago by Pete Snelling of Hamlin, better known as the "Cat Hermit," and "Old Man" Booker, of Clarkson, likewise a recluse and something of a cat fancier. The two men live about one mile apart, with the town line between them. It was in reality town against town, with cats for chips. The game grew out of professional jealously, as each of the players pretended to be the boss hermit In point of years, hard luck and number of cats. Last August Old Man Booker happened to meet Pete at the village store, and among other things declared that when It came to poker he could make Pete Snelling hunt cover. "I am strong on It," he announced; "I'm husky. I haven't played for years Just because I know there Is no one hefty enough to make it interesting." | "If you dig up my past you'll find I'm quite a cuss with the pasteboards myself," said Pete. "Dare you to meet me?" cried the old man. "I'm for that. What shall we play for?" asked Pete. Old Man Booker scratched his rough chin and thought deeply. Then he had an inspiration. "How are you fixed for cats?" he asked. * "Got about 50 and 20 kittens," replied Pete. "All right, let's play for cats," said Booker. So it was agreed, and two weeks ago the game was pulled ofT. Booker collected his feline assets and carted them over to Pete's tumble-down farm house. Pete had his chips meowing and spitting in an empty room, and no time was lost in bringing out a greasy deck of cards and the game began on a kitten ante and two-cat limit. On the first hand Pete straddled the ante for one cat, but his boost began to eat up Booker's kittens. "I'm not going to lose my edge that way," declared Booker. "If you want to fight cats I've got some thoroughbreds in that crate." A compromise was effected by bringing in two big boxes with stout covers, one for kittens and one for cats. Booker refused to play and Pete pulled down the stakes. On Booker's deal it went Into & jackpot, and both put up a kitten, as neither had openers. "Change a cat for me," requested Pete. Booker pushed two kittens across the board. On the next deal Booker opened for two cats and Pete drew cards and boosted the betting one kitten. Booker drew to a pair of queens and caught a small pair. Pete split a pair of Jacks and found a straight. "Oh, I'll bet a kitten," said Booker. "See your kitten and raise you two cats," Pete came back. Booker called and lost. ror me nexi six nanuu mey simpiy swapped kittens back and forth without getting any action. Then on a jack-jot Booker opened for one cat, holding as pat a club straight, nine high. Pete discarded a queen of hearts and caught the ten of diamonds, which gave him a diamond straight, ten high. Then the cats flew into the box fast and furious. The boxes began to get a bit crowded and a vacant room was used to accomodate the chips. Both men left their cards, on the table and stood by their respective cats. As each called his raise he would grab the limit by the necks and toss them into the pot. "See here, Snell, I'm out of cats, but Tve got a show for my stakes," announced Booker as he threw in two kittens and went shy a cat "Well, Book, we'll show hands now or seal up the cards until you can raise more cats. It's a shame to take your cats. I wish you'd call me." "Not by a long chalk, Snell. Til never lay down on this hand. Til die first Give me ten hours to hustle in for more cats and then we'll show up." This was agreed to and Inside of six hours Booker drove up. with 20 cats and six kittens. The limit was raised and the wly>le bunch of furry chips were deposited in the fighting cat-po and the cards were unsealed. Thus did Snelllng win the cat poker championship of western New York land Incidentally break Old Man Book! er.?New York Sun. Righteous Indignation. "That last remark reminds me." said Dr. W. E, Chappell last night, as he came up to a group of detectives and railway agents who were conversing over In one corner of the union depot, . "about one time years ago when I was called up In the night by an aged negro whose wife was 'pow'ful sick.' "He rapped on the door for quite a while before getting any response. At last I half-opened the door. " 'Ah wants to see Dr. Chappel/ said the negro. " 'The doctor Is not here,' J,an- ' [swered. " 'Now yo' looka here,' said the negro, 'Ah know'8 dat voices" Fee talking to de doctah right now.' Seeing that he had been caught the doctor said he got up and asked the fellow what was the matter with' his wife. " 'She's pow'ful sick, doctah,' was all the negro could explain in regard to (hp naae. ! " 'Now, look here,' said the doctor; 'do you know what it is going to cost you for this trip? It will be just a $6 bill.' The negro said that it "war a pow*ful' price, but he guessed he'd have to go as his wife would have no other doctor." It was at the time when there 'was no other means of passenger traffic except by mule car, end- the negro's house was down back of the Armour plant. The doctor said he refnsed to walk and made the negro hire a carriage, which .cost him another 32 bill. When they arrived at the house he found the woman suffering from a plain case of hysterica The doctor said he prescribed a little valerlate of ammonia and went across to a drug store to get it The old negro went along. When he got the medicine, which cost 66 cents, the negro asked the doctor if he thought it would do his wife any good. "Oh, yes, she will be able to get breakfast all right," he informed him. "What's the matter wld my poor wife, doetah?" asked the negro. "Look here," said Dr. Chappell, "what have you and your wife been fighting about? You have made your wife mad and she has hysteria," "Say, doctah, do you mean to stan* there an' tell me that's all what ails dat nlggah?" "Yes, sir." "Well, lemme tell you' someflng, doctah," said the old negro; "do yo' think when I goes back to de house I'se goIn' to gib dat nlggah any ob dis medicine. No, sah, doctah, I'se gwlne to kill 'er. She's done cost dls nlggah $7.65."?Kansas City Journal. Belonged to Another Profession. ?They were talking of a point In grammar In the Democratic cloakroom this afternoon, and the discussion reminded Senator Berry of one of Senator Vest's stories. "Two men," Vest used to say, "were riding along In a sparsely settled country arguing on a point In grammar. They contended strenuously, and for a time it looked as If the argument would end in a flst fight. Finally they saw a man coming toward them. " 'Here,' said one of the disputants, 'let's leave it to this man coming up the road. He will settle it, and that is better than fighting about it all the afternoon." "The other man agreed. As the stranger rode up one of the wranglers hailed him, saying: " 'My friend, are you a grammarian?* " 'No,' said the man, 'I'm a MIssourian.'" VF Don't trust a man because he wears the golden rule in his hatband. tar Every man who lets himself loose binds himself fast to the devil.