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F- ? h VOL. XIL t + jm Arrival oj* {]\<z 1-1 iV It /n* )] ' IV *' ^ I ,. i)llL CI.AYTttN was tall! aiul jrannt, with clrar, can-! Xdid. hlne eyes, ami his ' I white hands, small and %"\l norvotts looking, were as . well kepi as those of a ' woman. II" was thirty, and a splash of jiray ! nn i ....... i, , ? nuiiiiu ??i iwn ??i ; white iu his'mustache, made him look i Older. lie was broad -chested and uuisrular ?by all rules lie slioiiM have bcea a ' soldier he looked an "open air" mail, but for five years be had been writing short stories, novelettes and serials for the weekly press It was good, nervous work. I lis name was l>,'-.>niiiig known, for be! had the happy knack of blending pathos with hut'.or. lie had traveled widely, and an Australian hush idyl at the beginning of the week would he followed by a I.nndnn society story, to be followed again by a story of rustle life in the dear West Country that he loved so well. lie lived rpiite alone, worked?and . smoked from nion .ng to night, loved his profession, and had practically dropped all his friends male and female and when a tit of the not infre- ; quent blues got him by the throat. I threw his pen into the grate and or-1 dered up his landlady's children, and ; pandemonium reigned for tin hour. Si met lines he gave them pennies, j but not always- small coin of the i realm is not always available to 1111- I tliors?hut the romps wore huge, anil be enjoyed theiu. Of eourse there was a woman at the bottom of tlie tangle of the man's life, and women eompliento things sometimes?he would have said "always." n!j. ^ r ^ t ' i /- i lj ; , On ono particular evening ho was* alone and writing, when Jim Courteney was shown in and Jim was an old and tried friend about the only friend the lonely, self-absorbed man had. and so the incomer sat down and lighted his pipe, and did not bother lb" author for quite a quarter of an hour, and then Noel rose and stretched himself. V / . , OR1 KOJ ! ShopHerHs. :rnllc. 3..q\ ?y? j "What is it this time. No?d?" "Oh, the usual thing love; aiul an j didly. I am netting so sick of writing low stories." "Alt, you fool like that?" "Man alivo, this is t'hristmas I've, and somehow?somehow- my thoughts wont liaok with a jump, and I roiinnn- , horod one Christmas Kve wlion " "Your pipe's out, Noel!" "Aye, so it is. Well there was one Christinas live when " "My dear hoy, are you worrying i ahout her still?" "Yes." and then a long pause It is tlso privilege of chums to sit silent for a spell. "And ail this happened four or live ' years ago. I never hoard the rights or wromrs of the stor\ " Noel crossed i!i?* room, and digging ' both hands into 1?is pockets. h oked at . liis chum. "There is nothing to know*. After j tlie four happy years of married lite. | trouble came between us, lies came In*- 1 Merry^ I tween us; and?and?hero I am and it's Christmas *Kve. Of course our baby was only a mite?a wee, biuecyed, golden-haired mite; couldn't i walk, crawled, you know; but we were J awful chums, and when she went ami took our mite?well." aud the man's ! laugh hurt his own ears. "Well, then j 1 took to writing love stories?love, | old ctntp, with u Happy ending? bishops, bridesmaids, bouquets ami J blessings, and'?his temporary excite-1 meat had left him?he added drily: "And it pity &! Now go. old chap, : I must gef my stuff done for the early ; post." and Chum went out while Noel turned again to his Interrupted work. 1 Iletween each line on every page quaint turn of expression, quaint ! thoughts haunted liiin, a dead past | spoke to Irin. The girl wife had been very sweet. | very iovable. very beautiful?and had marred two lives. There should be a special place of torment for the person who deliberately comes between two people who love each other and smilingly warps two Uvea. l\*arl Clayton was as easily led as n child, a soft, emotional weak little woman. Mid when Noel returned from a few days' holiday he found the house dosed and Pearl and llaby had de- i parted. Noel drifted for a little bit. the; shock unmanned him terribly, but his i pen was his sole source of Income, \ and It had to be plied If body and soul ! were to be kept together, and In a very few weeks he had, to some extent, regained his mental balance, and his work Improved. The eve of Christmas nnd the day Itself appeals to most hearts, and on tiiis particular eve Noel kept thinking back ami thinking hack while be \ rote. I low well he remembered the extrnj sized stocking he Induced the nurse | to knit, and how bulky It looked and j felt on Christmas morning. And then came school, college, and then married I life. I ; me I1T MILL, S. (J., WEDN: When the scribbling fit was on hlin Pearl used to draw her low wicker chair close to Ins writing-table, knitting. or daintiy lingering white material, soft and downy and Huffy for the prospective wearer, and the few remarks she made seemed to chime in and identify themselves with what he i was writing: but. of course, all this happened live years ago. < One odd little trick Pearl had, and Noel remembered it this evening?and I missed it. When his pen was working extra busily she used t<> lay the tips of her : lingers upon his right hand?just where hand meets wrist. She did not incommode him in the least. He declared her touch inspired him: tliej were such pink-tipped lingers, and so small, and 1 lie had often written with the tiny touch 011 his wrist almost unconsciously only peeping up from tinie to time at a swci't oval face, into deep violet j eyes love lit. Hut. of course, this was (;ve years j.go. So he wrote on, feeling u little hit sorry that Chum had not stayed, for after all he only had unother halfhour's work before him, and then they eould sit and ehat. and perhaps drown the sound of the hells that he knew would ring out in a few h melle was just in the frame of mind to summon his landlady's children, hut except for himself, the house was empty. There was a Christmas Eve party going on. and Mrs. Marsh and her progeny were attending it. lie had been writing for half an hour since Chum had left him, and felt the old familiar touch on his wrist. It was imagination of course, he did' not even turn his head, and then he 1 was looking into blue eyes. In the ! round golden-curled framed face of a ' hoy of four, who laughed up at him and presented a rosebud to ">e kissed. | "(loudness, eliihl?where on earth do you come from? and who?rWio brought you. What is your naim.?* "Erie." and the child be gni make preparations for climbing a ofty knee. ' "Who brought you here , laby Eric? ; How did you come?" Noel felt like an Irish uembcr of ( Parliament, for "no nnswe r vas given." j but a wee form, full of hu^jkind kisses . got iusr nout upon iiitu, anld aid grave- j ly. ami yet with a sweet ;r of coui111:1 ml: Must coiue'd ami now lifyou'ro not too busy, mister Father? "Yes. my son." " T raps Til better go tC> bd." "Hut. my eliilil my lir tie son ?who brought you here? W1 tee is your mother?" ami the tall man paced up : ami down. Of course, CI ma had left ih<* door open, and sonn or: had told the child to walk straight ii?and the child had -straight in. The author?his tiny son -as on the floor now, saying things v> the cat. and it deserved every \yorl. being a cat that licks stamps oil l tters, and : loves lmcou and boiled ergs?thrust ' - - VQjgviQ Christmas Ciiimes! ~ ?/ By Arthur Stringer _______________ i i. From town and lower, wllh till and lune. ! A gust of chimes lakes flight Where thai dim solden boat the moon Drifts slowly down the light. II. Like startled birds, it swings and climbs. Alono, aloud, afari A thousand.pinioned flock of chimes That float from star to star. in. They tire, and fail, and turn, and cease.? Joy's homing birds.?and then For one glad Christmas Day of p?ace Nest in the hearts of men I. his hands deep into his pockets nud looked down, sad eyed, at little Sunnyfare." "Yes, perhaps you had better come to bed." If Chum would only ocrne, If something would only happen to break the silence, a silence only cleft by the sigh of a child. The church was only at the end of ! the street. lie could hear the bell-ringers shuffling along the frosty lavement. in a few minutes?and be bent to his | work. Half asleep, half awake he was conscious of the old, alixHgt forgotten touch upon his wrist?a Cream doubtless?but ho could not sha-ce It off. and ; then ho looked down. Kneeling as of yore besde him, blue ! eyes tear-dimmed, was iVarl. *T have returned. Noe." It was n quavering little voice, bit It thrilled him, - [ '"it'' ll : KSDAY, DKCEMltKR IIow like she was to their child. And then the hells clashed forth their message, "IVace on Earth, Hoodwill Towards Men," and to two hearts they carried a sweeter, deeper message still. No word was spoken. A small figure. >11 a smoking jacket that reached to his heels, stood at the dividing door, in eager face turned to either. And husband and wife kissed silently.?Now York News. The P:nat>a. An imported Member of t,hc Mrx can Chrisbmas Parby. One of the important members of the Mexican Christinas party is the pinntn, which may be the tigure of a clown. ;i ballot dancer or a bull lighter. but is always dressed in a pair of bloomers stuffed wilb good things. One of 1 the children, blindfolded and armed with a long pole, attempts to break those bloomers. It attempts, but fails ingloriously, | says the Ledger Monthly, for there seems to be a sort ?if centrifugal force about the pinata. Anil the pole strikes far wide of its mark, not even coming s L 11?i *'.-L-?'!!"'-.!/*' i]: I ^-Ctp^r i^^g! ! PIN AT A. witliin a few fret of its enemy. Then J llio coinhutant is unhlindfoldcd and some other rliild is givon a chance to ] strike the pinata, who srenis to wax wroth at those futile attempts of onslaught and say, "llit me if you dare." Again an attempt is made, centripetal force begins to assert Itself, and a gay sandal conies plunging madly down upon the head of some unfortunate victim. This provokes a laugh from the crowd, even the person i truck joining in, though, on account of his sud?5=5^, M'Dl CTiM A C 1rHU3l I IA3 _J :ily aching head, his laugh may ho a faint, assumed oao. So, one by one. thi* children an* given a ohanoo to rond nsundor. If not to dislodge, tlio pinata, and should they all fail, one by one the adults arm theinsolvos with the hitherto futile weapon. Wildly they strike-purposely in mid-air, to evoke laughter from the gleeful children?until finally the bloomers and blouse are ripped asunder. Then a deluge of sweets, the contents of the olla which the blouse hid and the jade struck, come raining down and impartially strike alike the heads of the just and the unjust, and for which there Is a general scramble. Not to He Caught Again. "Aiy wire nays she doesn't want me 10 give her a solitary thing for Christinas this year." "Are you going to take her at her word?" "Not mueh! I did that once. I'm an advocate of peace whenever it can be had with honor." Another Kvcnt. Ttflxtr ' I OCT 1'0'J? I | j) 1 : V "Well, Christians comes but once a yea r." "Shucks! So does me birthday!"? New York JouraaL v;^V,y riMi 23,1903. THE ATLANTA RETURNED American War Vessel i.~ave Colombian Water. Colon. By Cable.?Tho United States cruiser Atlanta, Commander William II* Turner returned Friday night from the Gulf of Darieu. She discovered December 1,1 a detachment of Colombian troops, uuml ering apparently about .100 men, but. a ording to their statements, totalling 1.500 or 2.000 men at Titumati. on the western side of the gulf, just north of the mouth of the Atrato river. The commander of the Atlanta sent ashore an officer, who conversed with the Colombian coinmanflor Tho l-jfto nrnti viml ically against the pri s'.'inr of American warships it- Colombian waters, in-soniuch as war In tw< * n Colombia and the United States had not been declared, and politely requested the Atlanta to leave the gulf !? auso it belonged to Colombia. Commander Turner ignored the reqinst, and the Atlanta returned to ('>lon in repo.t to Hear Admiral Coghlan. The Colombians are clearly busy with protective and strengthening measures. Although they treated the Americans courteously, they decidedly resented the presence of the Atlanta's landing party. The Colombian force was composed partly of the men landed recently at the Atrato river by the Colombian cruisers Cartagena and General I'inzon. Early in the morning of December 15, the Atlanta sighted a small schooner in tlie centre of the Gulf of Darien, 1 and followed her to the western shore, where the schooner attempted to hide behind an islet. I.ieut. Harlan P. Per- \ rill was ordered to board her, and thereupon a whale-boat was lowered j O n <1 initio I tiiu'o i><Va < lin ci<1iA/kti ne Through the courtesy of tlm naval officers the correspondent of the Associated Press accompanied the party, it was found that the schooner had on hoard 100 armed Colombian soldiers, commanded by General Rafael Novo, who said Gene-al Daniel Ortiz, commander-in-ehjcf of the Colombian forces of the Atlantic an l Pacific, had n large camp a mile away, on the mainland. General Novo requested Lieut. Pertill to land and confer with General Ortiz. Great execitemcnt prevailed among the Colombians on the whale-boat's approach. There were repeated cries of "Viva Colombia," and there was a sudden concentration of about 1 ah Colombian soldiers on the beach. For some moments the situation appeared dangerous. and had the appea:ance of an ambuscade. General Ortiz appeared on the beach, when Li- ut. Perrill went ashore, the whale-boat, in the meantime. lying close hv. General Ortiz insisted that Lieut. Perrill should fly the Colombian ting at the how of tho whale-boat or lower the American flag at her stern, because she was in Colombian wate s. Lieut. Perrill replied that he did no' have a Colombian Hag and refused to lower the stars and stripes. General Ortiz did not insist upon his so doing, hut lie protested in writing against the presence of the Americans ?-, /'..i,...,!,; *.? I i. oit Pnrrill ftp ceptcd tho protest and convoyed it to Commander Turner, who handed it to Roar Admiral Coghlan on his arivai horc. $2,500,000 for S'ebonrd. Richmond. Special.?Tho Seaboard Air Lino Railway Company filed a otaemnnt with tho Virginia Corporation Commission of an issuo of notes, not registered, for $2,500,000. The notes are secured by a deposit of stocks and bonds and other securities with tho Morton Trust Company. The notes nro redeemable in full on 10 days notice, I the Seaboard having the privilege of taking them all tin on that notice. Tho money is loaned at f> per cent, interest, with 1 \'z per cent for commission. At the banking house of Messrs. John L. Williams & Sons it was said this afternoon that the transaction is only a part of the regular proceeding in the matter of the recent financing of the Seaboard for its floating debt and Hirminuhara extension. Liner Struck Ity Lightning. New York, Special.?The White Star liner Teutonic, which arrived Friday froin Liverpool, after a rotight passage. was struck by lightning Sunday when 200 miles cast of the New j Foundland banks. The electrical storm, which occurred during a gale and heavy snow storm, was declared by Captain McKinsley to he an unusual one. One of the bolts struck the foretop mast, splitting it and : bringing the rigging rattling to the ! deck. Several other holts struck the ship and caused some alarm to the passengers. Shot From Ambush. Shrevoport. I>a.. Special.-?The body or i.eorgc Manuel, me negt-o wna was thought to have hilled his employer, J. T. Watklns, of llayou I'lerre, in Ito/i Itiver parish, was found about .100 yards from the scene of the killing. His head had been almost shot away. Tt now develops that both the planter and his negro servant wore shot from amhush by unknown men whose motive was robborv. A vS. NO. 40. A GRAVE CRISIS. The Report That Japan Has Sent An Ultimatum is Discredited RUSSIA AND JAPAN MAY FIGHT Ureal Hrltaln :Said to Intend to n?? tnblisli u Protectorate Over the Yang Tse Valley if Rutsla Retain* Manchuria. Pekln, 15y Cable.?The report cabled fiom Tien Tsin to T/ondon to the effect that Japan had sent an ultimatum to Russia is discredited here, and no Information of a corroborative nature la in the possession of the foreign legations. While the knowledge of the legations on the situation leads to ill** linl In# r ..t* . w m-i ii..11 ill" M illllllf, ill .III uil.uintum is improbablo, the* prospect* of war ore evidently increasing. The British legation sonic days ago received >t telegram indicating that war was possible. and the Japenese legation Is officially Informed that Russia's recent reply to the Japanese proposals was unsatisfactory. While no news has been received at the Japanese legation that Japan has sent an ultimatum to Russia. It is recognized at the legation that a grave risis is approaching. Major General Vamani. the Japanese military attache, nr.d the Japanese colonel who has been instructing the Yuan Shol Kals troops, have both started for Japan. The native press recently reiterated a circumstantial story to the effect that in the event of Manchuria being retained by Russia, it was the Intention of Great Britain to establish a protectorate over the Yang Tse valley ae compensation and to appoint a viceroy therein, so that her prestige in the far East would lie equal to that of Russia. Some of the native papers give Woi Wu 1'u Or, the Chinese Foreign Minister, as authority for the story. This fiction is largely credited and gravely discussed and is creating hostility against Great Britain. It is suspected that the story has been fostered by unfriendly agencies appointed for the purpose, and the British legation la investigating its origin. Killed the Whole Family. Cleveland, O., Special.?Roscoo I erby. a machinist, about 45 years obi. exterminated his family early Sunday by shooting his wife, his three children iiid himself. The crime is believed to Lave been clue to despondency over the Impoverished condition of the family purse and the near approach of the Christmus-tid . The wife was killed first. She was sleeping by her husband's side in bed. Two of the children were killed as they ran tiirough the house in the darkness of the early morning endeavoring to escape their merciless parent. The third child wok killed in its hed, after his elder brother hud been slain. The dead nre: Roscoe W. Derhv; his wife, Dels; Ilirold, aged N; Alice, aged 7, and Thomas, aged 5. Derby had been down-town as laic as 11 o'clock Saturday night, ostensibly shoppong. hut. in all probability, securing ammunition for his revolver. When ho got home his wife and he talked with o neighbor, who had been calling. o\er the approehing festival. Derby si cmed pale and nervous. Shortly after his arrival at home the neighbor h ft. and the Derby family went to I bed. The crime is believed to have been committed about 4 o'clock Sunday morning. Hurled to Death. Nashville, Tonn.. Special.?Seven are dead and 17 seriously injured. Is the result of a tire that broke out Saturday ninht In the woman's dorai tory of VVahlcn University. The dead are: Stella Addison, Port Gibson, Miss.; Adele Christian. Greensboro. Ala..; Sallie Dade. HattlcsburR, Miss.; j Mattle l;co Moore, Fluntsville, Ala.; l.ulu A. Terry. MeMinville, Tonn.; Nannie Johnson, llattlesburg. Miss. Cora Flryant, of Cleveland, Miss., who was sick in t>r?<l on the fourth floor, is missing. It is supposed she perished, rc all efforts to And hor have been in, effectual. I lie Porte Will Apologize. Washington, Special.?The Alexandretta affair has been practically settled with satisfaction to all parties. The consul's return In state Is explained by the fact that the sublime Porte, after further investigation, the American vh w of the unpleasant incident at Aloxandretta. and has Rig nifled an intention of making amends. The State Department has received a cablegram from Minister Leishman givng the details of the settlement of the troublo. He states that the Turk ish government has Instructed the Governor of Alexandretta to apologize to the consul npon his return there. ?????? held Court to Prevent Lynching. Norfolk, Special.?To save Charles Hvnum, a negro, from lynching, Jus tice Morris, of Dover. Va . held court at ,'i o'clock Sunday morning by th" light of the fire the negro is accused [ of starting. Bynum is charged with having burned the barn of John 1?. f Bond. The barn contained several : fine horses and vehicles and farm implements, together with several thousand pounds of cotton, were destroyed. He was held for court.