The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, April 05, 1907, Image 7
THE GHOST OF
A GENTLEMAN
BY OWtN OLIVER.
Tho ghost of Sir (JSeoffrey Mallln
koii had hi? fallings, but ho wan tho
ghost of a gentleman, and he had
not tho slight est Intention of annoy
ing any one. When he found that
the female portion of - lli? family
lihrlokcd and fainted (it his appear
ance, he decided ;i?*t to "walk" when
ladle* vfor/i pfyhent. When Blr
Charles, fourth of that name, shut
up the picture gallery, after he had
frightened the footman into a fit,
ho Inferred that his presence was
not wanted, and ceased to walk at all.
Jfo wan both hurt and annoyed by the
croldn'ewu <>f his family, and he sol
emnly avowed that he would never
"appenr" again until lie was invited
by a nial-> representative of the fam
ily. Tho glioma of gentlemen keep
their word. "
For some general Ions Sir (Jeoffrey
took pc. lodlcal trips (in an Invisible
form) to tho ancestral halls, to see
If his company wan desired. After
Koine few hundred years had gone by
without any of the descendants pass
ing him tin* compliment of an In
vitation, h<* ceased to visit the foolish
Utile place that the fooll-di people
who 11 v <? call "the world." lie had
not been there for 11 Fty years, when
the ghost of bin friend. Sir Anthony
liradham, hustled Into the Spectral
<'1 ib, after a weekend excursion to
< art h.
? I lf>I'i you :omethiiig would hap
pe 11 if \?>u didn't look alter your peo
ple," he said. "They're going to sell
the east "
"IMi?" cried Sir (JeolTrey. "What!
Fell llr? castle? I knew Tom Hallin
son was a fool; but I never thought
he w.ia v.cound rc l! "
I"'": Mr Anthony < rje<|, "there
Jia\e !.- n half a dozen sine*} him!
At ! ;? ?. I i:im ia the third tin? one
i told you about I lie other yuiir."
((J I mi.-. (reckon 1?v year.* and centur
1<M.) Ill- iiiani.' l iy.' daitght r of j
a i'"1' ''f 1 i"i:!c"iuruf, von I.now?a
t?> mllc.-Me, I think, llicy .ailed him."
"What did in" ]'<io| do it for, if!
'Iiu ill" i?yndicate- hadn't money?"
Sir (!,%offrev snapped.
had. hnt h'c'.s lost it at one of
(heir new-fangled gaming clubs the
Slock Kxehauge, they rail it. The I
old man l< nt your- fellow money on !
Mi?> castle, mo they're going to take'
it."
"Take iL!" roared Sir Geoffrey.
"Takrt It' Why doesn't he rail out
the nnwi-at-arins?"
"Yon can't nowadays." Sir An
thony explained. "The County Conn
ell won't let you fight. it's a sort of
kins, and it has a lot of soldiers In
hlue nil Worms and enormous hoots.
They call (hem the police. You'll
have to do something to stop It."
"How the ?the Chaucer can I stop
It?" Sir (leofTrey roared.
"Wh> don't you go and see him?"
Sir Anthony suggested. "They're
rather nervous about apparitions in
these days, and if you startled them,
perhaps lhoy wouldn't do It."
I low the deuce can 1 'appear*
^when ho hasn't invited mo?" Sir
GeofTroy demanded. "You roniember
iny vow?"
"Ah!" said Sir Anthony. "Umph!
Yes, 1 renii'inhov. 1 don't think he'll
Invite j on. lie doesn't hellevo In us.
Hut you might appear to her. She
does."
!)<> >on think a Mallinson Is going
to appear to a tradesman's wench?"
Sir Geoffrey thundered. "Hesldes, I
said 1 won Id never appear to a
woman again, after the fuss they
made " Sir Anthony shook Ills head.
li shows how careful a ghost
oiu;ht in he before he speaks,'' he
said, thoughtfully "It's a pity.
She s a charming woman, and sin 's
taken unite a tant y to your por
trait "
My portrait' Tliey haven't got
one. It V. in the piet ore gallery."
"Sh"'si made them open the gallery.
She h:is rather a tn.te for ancestors,
and all that so;l ,>t thing. They're a
novel I v to her. yo:i see, because she's
Anierlcan "
"American" Where's that?"
' he placo that fellow Columbus
found. Vou remember Columbus,
don t you? Th?? bounder who went
about with hard-boiled eggs In his
pocket, and did conjuring tricks with
them. 11's somewhere across the
Channel. a savage sort of country, 1
be I lex e ''
"Co.id heavens!" Sir CeoiTrev
cried ' You don't me.iu that she's
black ?"
M'niek? No,1 She's as while as ?
the (link est white \ou ever saw. You
really ought to go and have a look
at her. old chap."
Pshaw said Sir Geoffrey.
\\ nal s a pinkish-white wench to
me? I'm not running after syndi
cates' daughters, or whatever you
like to call them, at my time of life.
If a man hasn't finished sowing hln
wild oats by tho time lie's three or
four hundred he ought to be ashaniei!
of himself. Aro you going to have a
rubber?"
One of (ho w.knderlng ghosts had
brought a game called bridge to Spoc
treland. and it was very popular just
then.
"Very v/eil," sa.d Sir Anthony. "If
you tlon't care about the treasure I
<ton'ti but I thought??. Well, I
iiover ,'XV_
At tho word "treasure" Sir Geoff
rey vanished like a-nghost. No re
spectable spirit ovar Allows a burled
traasare to pass out of ths family.
*** why ho wtlkM, of cosfft. ?
Ho caught a shooting star expies?
and arrived at tho castle In a feW
hours. He spent tho night looking
round the picture nailery, The jor
tralts had been restored and the old
furniture renovated by appreciative
hands, and he felt quite at homo
there. It waH several hours after
daybreak, and ho was still looking at
the old faces, when he heard the
rustle of a dress and stood still In
front of bis portrait. Jle was, of
course, Invisible.
The lady wan shapely and comely
and dressed In a new-fangled w*y
that, was yet becoming. Shu was
about eight and twenty, and she was
more plnklflh than white, h^ause she
had been crying. She walked i.p to
.Sir Geoffrey^ picture and nodded at
It through bfm, as If they were old
friends. Hc bowed an Invisible bow.
If this ww a syndicate's daughter
he thought, a syndicate must be a'
very superior sort of tradesman.
1 he Intruder in your noble fam
ily is going, Sir Geoffrey," she said
"tie bad a singularly sweet voice,
though Uer modern accent sounded
foreign to him. "If you ?vnlk. as
' y I suppose you are glad'
>ut I think I should have made sou
me If you had been alive "
Bhe am lied. Si, Geoffrey thought
for a moment Hint a sunbeam ha.I
Klragylrd in through one of the high
arched windows.
I was only ?money,' I know " <?(?,
('??!(IIInod. "I'm not even that now
but I have guarded the traditions of
your house, and I i,.a,h them to mv
' sons. Dear Sir (leoffiw, w>u
uouldnt want them to y ? > Wont
von shovv your treasure to me? |
shouidu'i be frightened of von Sn
Geoffrey. because I like you. ' That,
true, you know."
Who touched the piclure li?|,tlv
er hand weni through the gho<? ot
??!?? tifoffrry. He took It in hi:.; t?
MS be lingers and lowered his in
viable ?l? to it, and sighed an in
sigh. So one else in the
family had spoken aff.-cl lonrifelv t,,
him lor hundreds of years. Xo
els., had seemed to pi ix?? the tamih
name and traditions. He rll,sed tho
foolish vow that prevented his ap
pearance to this charming desiwnd
ant-at-lnw, and tried to explain that
she iniiKt advise her husband to sum
mon him; but he could make no
sound louder than the buzzing of ?
y. She waved her handkerchief to
drive It away. Then she heard a
man s step and turned toward the
door; and Sir Charles, eighth of the
name, appeared?a big. well featured,
heavy-looking mau of about thirty
five.
Saying good by to your ancestors,
mother? ' he asked in a careless voice
Sir Geoffrey noted the testimonial of
the name.
'Your ancestors." she corrected
How you must feel about it!"
Sir Charles laughed and shrugged
his broad shoulders.
1 d sell the lot of my worthy an
cestors for a sovereign," he declared.
1 he ghost of Sir Geoffrey shook his
fist at him. "It's my descendants
that I don t like 'selling'-?*poor little
beggars! 1 never thought things
would turn out like this when 1 lur
ried you."
She gave a sharp cry. and sank on
an old settle with her face in her
hands. Tho ghost laid an invisible
hand on hers, and a hot tear dropped
ili^lit through bib lingers.
"You needn't have said if." she
sobbed. ' You needn't have said it "
Sir Charles looked at her In .sm
prise, and pulled his heavv n,u-<
turtle.
I ue\er was clover enough ?o un
derstand you. Alii isle," he remark-1
"I give it up. Tell me what ' s,
done."
"Nothing." she said, wiping |.r
eves and drawing herself up. "oulv
married me."
Sir Charles shook Ium head and
tugged his mustache again
"Don't see It yet." he protested
If that 8 all I've done upon ui\
word. I believe I'd do it again."
He put his great baud on liei fair
hair, but she pushed it off.
"If I had money, you meant'' !?
said.
Sir Charles stared at her f ? ?
moment. Then he sudd.nlv linked
and said a bad word se\... ,| o-d
words. Then he laughed and pfeked
her up in his arms. ? x,,- ? hl. sU(|
"1 didn't. You little what shall I
call you?"
"Idiot!" she said, and dung to him
and laughed ami cried of rou.se
you didn't. , What did \on mean, you
?you great bear?"
Sir Charles tugged his mustache
again.
.. h? Rail1, 1 8?PPose i meant
that I ve been rather a useless sort
of chap, don't you know; a drone
like my idle ancestors. i tell you
what it Is, Matnie, ancestors are a
millstone around a fellow s neck I'm
going to cut tho string and tak'j an
other name and go Into trade and
get on."
Sir Geoffrey fairly danced with
rage. It was obviously Impossible to
appear to a man who called him an
idler and a millstone, and was pre
pared to drop the family name and
become a huckster and get on! He
"" "r"'ht u> Spectfc
laad when tho chaining "ayndlcate a
daughivr'* spoke. '
/'#Ir Geo&rey waeo't' an' idler.
Charlie," she suid firmly. "He w**
a bravo man, and he ii 1*1 a uian'tr
work in Ms days. You're going to do
a man's work In jour days. So he
ne< dn't be ashamed of you, and you^
lUM-dn t in- ashamed of him or of his
name. We're going Into trade, 8Ir
Geoff re\ ' And I'm not afraid to tell
you." She < urUeyed to iho portrait
und wi ni out hanging on her hus
banu ? arm. The eyes of Sir Geoff
rey followed her.
"Odd Hodikim.!" he said. "There's
the spirit of a mn/i In the wench, I'll
ask my solicitors If I can't regard her
an a gentleman and appear to her."
He communicated with his solicit
ors hj' spectogram, hut they advUed
hint thul he hail no right to alter the
ternia of hi* vow In the manner pro
poned. lie had distinctly undertaken
to appear only on the explicit invita
tion of a gentleman connected with
the family, and nolhlQ^ could make
a man of a woman ? noKjJSien an act
of Parliament or rational Costume,
Sir Geoffrey was a law-abiding
ghost, and he accepted the decision
without a murmur; but he hoped
against hope that his unworthy de
scendant might drop some expression
wliii'h he could construe a* an Invita
tion. Ho he followed him all the
morning as he went over the old
place, arm in arm \yith bin wife and
with th.jl^wo little boys clinging to
her skirt:-. She kept smiling at them
over her shoulder, and if ?he wiped
her eyes it was when her Vusband
was not looking. Sir Geoff rcV came
to tht; conclusion that Sir Charles
was not a bad fellow, only a fool.
And he thought the syndicate's
daughter as line a woman aa Lady
Alice Mallinsou, who held the castle
for King John at the time of the
French invasion, and ever so much
sweeter.
She told t he story of (he siege to
her boys when six put thorn to bed.
l Shu had an old-fashioned idea of
the privileges of mothers, and Sir
Charles sometimes called her the
? lii'f inn s maid. I Also she told them
about Sir Geoffrey himself, and the
vow that he made, and thu lourna
iii' nt that he won. and the treasure
that he was said i<> have burled. Sir
Geollres a gho.-t. of a heart almost
b u! M t his ghost ?>! a body as lie
watched the boys listening with kind
linK ey< s. Huie|\, he thought, they
Vvoiild e \ [i |e ; ; a wish to se<.' h'lTl'l,
these baby gentlemen of the family?
I lull i^ the story of a brave gen
tleman," si-..- concluded He never
cried when lie hurt himself, or when
his nurse v. anted him to lake his
medicine, and he never told stories.
You must be brave an I good like
that, and then perhaps some (j^ty his
ghost will come and show you whore
he put all his gold.-n pennies. You
wtMildn l be atraid of him, would
\ mi
"MO'O," said Harold, who was sit;
"not 't'wald, mummy; hut I don't like
ghosties. I don't titik 1 want him to
come ."
"DonT.^. want nasty ghosties,"
echoed Kudolf. who was four.
The ghost of Sir Geoffrey turned
and glided slowly away. lio had
been prepared to like these toddling!
descendants of his. and he felt more
hurt than he owned to himself that
they did not like him. He would go
hack to Hpectreland that very night,
he thought. There was no longer a
gentleman in the family. He waited
in the picture gallery till the neXt
morning, however, to take, his invis
ible leave of the syndicate's daughter,
and give her an old ghost's blessing, ?
He whs an re she would come to look
at him in the faded portrait on the
wall. '
She came, hanging upon the arm
of a square-faocMl, white-haired man.
Sir Geoffrey hoped at lirst that he
might be a gentleman of the family,
but he found that he was only the
huckster whom people called a syn
dicate. lie was a blunt-spoken old
man, and he made the ghosts of Sir
('.eoffre>'s hairs stand on their ghost
j l> ends by the way he spoke of him.
So i his is your precious spook,
i Mulsh-"" he .said. "A truculent old
j rascal. 1>\ the look of him. Looks as
? it he had grit. though. To my mind
' hese old knights were a set of pirates
land thieves, it they lived nowadays
I we should < lap them in pr|son."
' Kasral! Thief! Prison!" The
! uii<>^( <>f Sir Geoffrey laid his hand
upon Ins ghostly sword and uttered
some inaudible expressions not found
in modern glossaries of ancient
net rh
M>?, popper!" Lady Malllnson pro- |
tested. "They were Charlie's ances
tors. you know."
Ile'il he hotter If he'hadn't any,"
the oM man prowled. "Ho might
have learned an honest trade, then,
instead of being the sort of waster
that people eall a gentleman. An
cestors, indeed! Now, look here,
Malsie. What is the use of ances
tors?" v"
Lady Malllnson squeezed his arm
j and looked np in his nigged face.
"What is the use of bravo men?"
she asked softly, "and the memory of
them? You ought not to ask, pop
per. They faced the hard thlnpjs of
their times, like you face them."
The old man smiled slowly.
"Right, Manuel'7 he said. "Rijiiity
child. They faced the music like l'ip
going face it; got driven in a cor
ner. and beaten down, and fought on
their knees. Good old knights! Sir
Geoffrey, I apologize to you. You
were a man. sir, from all that 1 hear."
The syndicate took off an imag
inary hat, and Sir Geoffrey bowed an
Invisible bow. "Man to man meant
more than 'gentleman and gentle
man;'" and Sir Geoffrey recogntaa*
that this rough old person la trade
was a man.
Lady Malllnson laughed
touched the hands of th?,-:port?vJV
and the hands of bar tether. '
"Wr taaotfrajr *slllaao??Vr, fat
atfcan JPorkare," aha ?Ud. "To#?:
&***?* ?rttle th? mile matWf about
you. Vou eaid
you wanted to bo aloue for *
DHnPOr'f Y?tt *9nt !, i"'J
?nl,. ? wll*at ghost, will yoir.'"
Delighted to Br-e him." i?" ol<1
man said.
She laughed aKUlt>.
Don t forget to h?1 hint about (!.<?
treasure." she e?i(j -Hoodby;
W??hy ^.? much' deai
one kissed th? old man '.-in
away. He ?tgh?d oiict- Then he
tiirned sharply to the portrait
They've beat4n mo to the wall,"
?, "Sir Geoffrey. Ten >o one
,m,6, SK? bent yoii to the
didn't they? Ami you went on
gW** Wen, I'm going on, sir.
He stopped iflth his mouth half
open. 8Jr Ojfoffrey had walked
promptly upon bit invitation, and ad
vanced toward Ufa with outstretched
hand. Mr. Po%rc grasped noth
ing, and Bbook.lt steadily up and
down.
Pleased to |m you, nir," h<- said
briskly. "Heat* of you from iuy
daughter. ? Yo? muni have been a
bit of a rip inday." Sir Geof
frey looked puttied. ''Seen ? hit of
service, I understand?" Sir Geoffrey
bowed, '^id a little in way of
business, too, leather?" Sir Geof
frey shook his h?ad enu>h?,U:aUy- 1
meant burled treasure, and all that
sort of thing?" gir Geoffrey nodded.
"Just so, just so. there's nothing
like mitting by for a rainy day. Take
a chair, sir." \$ir GeofTroy wavi il
the chair aside with his hand. "Ah-h!
No use for it, of course. J?ir,i so, s<>
Just. May I a?k you if > ou have
called about tbe treasure?" Sir
Geoffrey signified absent. "Want to
make it over to sir rimi-h's"'" sir
(Jeoffrey shook' his head furiously.
"To the children?- No? Thai's rather
a pity. Isn't It? They'ro nice boys,
you know, and Uft treasure is no us"
to you, 1 suppose? Then why ?
Do you mean D?jr daughter?" The
ghost bowed; with his hand on his
heart. "Sir, you do me proud. She's
a good girl?a rattling Rood girl."
The ghost slgnlfled assent. and the |
syndicate rubbed'his hands.
"May I ua/t fpere it is?" lie in
quired. The ghost moved hi.* mouth,
but no sound came. Then ii - pointed
to the north end'of the gallery, "in
the corridor up there, do you mean?
. No? *<?!,. Can you take nw
to it? . . .??No? I'mph! Can
you write? If 1 bring an al
phabet from tbe aursery, can you
point to the letters,and spell it out?
. . . Can't spell, eh? No ulomeiu
ary schools in your day, of course.
Fewer scoundrels If there weren't
nowadays. " J-?et me see. . . .
[ know. Just dr%w the place on ibis
paper with I'll follow
It with a jioncll. Y011 mean
It for the brokeruu^BKway in the
North Tower, dnli^^km?
How many steps irjpflB Sev
enteen? . . .^JlJBi^Bthe step, do
you mean?
Fifteenth
see to the
[do anything
Find
able where
to hear it.
of a gentle
red to have
In the wall, eh?
brick? Very good
matter at once..
elite for you, si
yourself prelty
you are? .
. . . You're a
man, sir, and I'm
met you. Good-<Ia!
- The ghost arid 0 rj^flkdicate shook
hands warmly.'/ A end of t ho
handshake the- foi gV-faded away,
and the latter ti*eheH*the door with
the sketch i|?v?
,They fou\ldTthe tlMjfcre in the hol
low of the waij'oflfwiiNorth Tower
steps?tarnished JflBts of silver,
and mildewed banl Jpiat dissolved
"When they touched tvem into heaps
of mildewed gold; nip here and there
a noble gem that a lioble lady of for
gotten days had 4roru. They laughed
and hugged one another with delight,
and the ghost of^fU <|<4offrey felt a
little lonely as. In unseen be
side them. Bo lu WlBaway to the
picture gallery to rfjfiBtill they re
membered him. I fMiot very long
before Lady Mailt ttoAnic, and she
touched the stern BW* the portrait
with her own swcm
'Tray Cod," sh<B8|K'I ???>' never
forget that my 1 0$B?ns are the
heirs of a geutlem
So she wont bac dear living
oues with smiles I: MHeyes, and Sir
Geoffrey returned >4S place of the
honored dead with wi?8 iu
"The old spirit jjRj^vet," he said,
"among the Hons ( and it will
live so long as ; (??' *3 a ?ood
woman."?The Ski
And Hog in to KBMPtoiiiHliiiig.
Hy raising tho 'MSB line," or age
limit to entrance iAolflp employment,
from thirty-five M|ijM0rty-flvo, the
Pennsylvania RnilSnldoes a mighty
sensible and encouBwbc thing. Tho
infant phenomeBpdP* marvellous
boys and young ('?W|nK ?' industry
have becomo a wtfljKeas. If lift' is
growing longer It more foolish
to put men on thKB?cklist just as
they have really pMjP their milk
,teeth.? New Yorl:j
A Bluff at|l?|Naillt s.
Louis XIV had jBBt remarked: "I
***** tJit: State." ^
"Then, slra* - X*pT*?d a oonrtlcr,
"If you don*t 4* y??P duty an Exalted
Personage choice but to
iateifere." {*'?
Chagrined,. 1? ?aw his blunder, but
ft wm already print.?New York
Sun.
ConvCIWllOWl Powers.
- Once coftVfffcg* i young men and
maidens. ?^jtaoTAnd -let us say,
JMtrons?-tlNkl conversational
power* have a very high*
standard, tm? fonoelvable
discover that
l' *?al Bora in
fpetted.?Lon
Forthe
Younger
Children
111DK-AND-8BJ3K VEK8E8.
MV.-?Four Hidden Forms of \N'*vt<*r )
' If I m ever a fairy queen,"
Said little Jo A?u,
"I'll reign in the aicent way
A faii'y queen can!
"I'll wave my magical wand
Whenever there m need -
Th? Mick I'll make hearty and hale,
And the hungry 1-11 feed.
"And wherever sadnw* is now,
Thern gladness ?ha|l he;
And th? poor$?t and pluinest poor child
.Shall 1>? lovely to ?ee.
"Kvery good little girl I'll make
A jirinceau of joy,
And * prince of joy I will make
LK erery good boy!"
?C. o. P., in Little l'olka.
A HOY'S STRENGTH TESTER.
The construction of the tester
shown in the dr.Ywing is very simple,
tho only roaterialB needed being Homo
odd pieces of scantling and boards,
load for tho flying weight, an old
boll, and a heavy mallet. It can be
made any size desired, but tlx; one
shown will give tho best results.
First, procure a plank nine feet
long, six inches wide and three inches
thick. (A Fig. J.) Then cut two
bide strips (HO) the same lengths,
hut live inches wide and oif inch
thick. Nail the side strips in the
Fie 1
position shown on the scantling, a ml
then cut tho two front strips (('('>:
those must be each tho lejigth of the
beam and must he one imh thick by
two inches wide. Nail in position
shown, and now you will leave a Inn;;
groove partly open down the. front.
The flying weight l:\ to slide in 'his
groove.
Set i he grooved beam upright
againet the side of a wall or house,
and then construct the supports of
which Fig. will give you a better
idea than any description. He sure
to get a piece of very hard wood for
the lever which sends up tho weight
The lover should be ntpi-i-rxl ;:f .?> miinr
if 10. M.
about two-flttbs from its outer pro
jecting end, and nn iron bar inserted
through the hole .to servo as an axle.
This bar should have screw threads
at each end, and the ends should pro
ject half an inch from each of its
supports so that it could be bolted
securely in place.
Screw two flat blocks to end of the
lever so as to present a better strik
ing surface for the mallet, and then
wind about with wire to strengthen
as shown. The measurements of the
groove for the sliding weight wiil be
siv inches wide in*lde, two inches
thick Inside and four inches across
Ui ' opening in front. The "slider"
i Klg. 2 A), to which the weight must
be attached, is to be constructed now.
Cut a piece of smooth board eight
Inches long,one and live-eighth inches
thick and five and five-eighth inches
1 wide. Tl^is section is the part of the
"slider" which is to run inside the
J groove. Then cut another section
1 eight inches long, on ? and three-eighth
inches thick anil t'.u . ,'aud livc- M-'hth
inches wide?this is tho part that
runs In tho groove. Tho third piece
should he eight inches long, one inch
thick and six inches wide?this is on I
I he outside of the groove and to It I
,\re nailed the two pounds of lead
(Fig. 2 Fl) which make the weight.
Nail the hell to the top of the up
?inht groove, and then prepare the
numbered tcale shown in Fig. 3 by
cutting a board the same length of
the groove and dividing it into 150
spaces. You are now ready to find
out how strong you and your frionds
are, to assemble all the boys and
invite them to see how high they can
send the flying weight.
Carefully note each result by
marking the height* at the edgo of
the grooYi, By tills method you can
gauge th* average height the weight
1b sent as well an the average number
of times the bell will be rung, but
you can find this out only by a num
ber of tent#. 'I hese touts will give
you "a line" on how Ktroitg your
chums are, and you will be Htirprisei!
to And in Home canes that it itm't al
ways the big, beefy chap who rlu^s
the bell ax often as the lightweight
who its all wire ami sinew.
2LEPHANTSATTACK A GRANARY
A traveler, who wan making a
our la India some years back, tellw
i8 that In hi? wanderings he arrived
it a village on thq worth border of
Lhe British dominant;. Ne;ir thin
itood a granary, in ivhieh whs stored
i large quantity of rice. Tho people
)t the place described to him how the
granary had been attacked by a [tarty
of elephants which bad somehow
found out that thla granary was; full
r>f rice.
Early in the morning an elephant
appeared at the granary, acting ;?h a
scout or spy. When lie found that,
the place was unprotected, ho re
turned to the herd, which was wait
ing no great distance off. Two men
happened to be close by, and tiiey
watched the herd approach in almost
military order. (letting near i!? ?
granary, the elephant i stopped is
amine it.
J is walls wore of solid brickwork.
The entry was i:i I he (-k**ii !v? of the
terraced roof. which could only no
mounto<l by a ladder. To climb tills
was iiUi. ::o (Ivy stoo:l to
ionsider. The alarmed spectator*
speedily c 1 i in' )'d a banyan-tree, li i < I -
In jy themselves among its leafy
branvh thus being out of view
while il;<?y could watch (ho doing-**
of the elephants. These animals sur
veyed the building all around: i'*
thick will's wove formidable, be.i tli"
strength and sagacity of tin- ele
phants defied t he obstacles. Ore of
the larse:;' of the herd too': up a posi
tion at a corner of the granary, and
pov.iu'ed upon ;he wall with its tusks.
When ho be.run to feel tired, anoiher
toAk turn at lhe work, then another,
till several of the bricks save way.
An opening made was soon en
larged. Space being made for an ele
phant to enter, tlie herd divided into
parties of three or four, since o.ilv
a few couid find room inside. When
one party had eaten all they could,
their place was taken by another.
One of the elephants stood at a dis
tance as sentinel. After all had
eaten enough, by a shrill note'.* he
gave the signal to retire, and the
herd, flourishing their trunks, rushed
off to the jungle.?Chatterbox.
LIVINO BY THE PEN.
The fountain pen has proved its
usefulness in a way hitherto un
known to ilie general public and un
dreamed of by the inventor, accord
ing to a writer in the Detroit News
Tribune. Two pareutleus squirrels,
but a few days old, hungry and dis
consolate, were recently discovered
in ihe hollow of a tree in the suburbs
of Detroit. They were rescued and
given to a sympathetic man who Uvea
near, and who willingly assumed the
duty of foster-parent.
After the orphans were sandy es
tablished In a roomy wire cage, the
problem of feeding them presented
itself. They were loo young to. crack
nuts for themselves, and their little
teeth were too sharp to permit tho
use of a rubber tube for liquid re
freshment.
In ibis emergency their protector
had an inspiration. ife filled tho
reservoir of his fountain-pen with
milk, and inserted the point in each
small mouth alternately. The or
phans drank eagerly. Succeeding ex
periments have been equally success
ful, and. vhen last heard from, the
pets were thriving vigorously.
SOMR QI'rail TllEES.
Anions the cariosities of irfo liny
is the sofar, or whistling-tree, of Nu
lla. Win-n tho winds blow over this*
tree, it fives out ilute-liko sound;-,
playing away to tno wilderness ior
hours rt a time strange, weird melo
dies. It is the spirits of the dead
sinking among the brano'nes, tin* na
tives say; but the scientific whito
man says that the sounds are due ti>
:i myriad of small holes which an
insect bores in the spines of the
branches.
The weeping-tree of the Canary
I Islands is another arboreal freak.
I Thin tree in the driest weathrr will
rain down showers from its leaves,
and the natives gather up the water
from the pool formed at the foot of.
the trunk and find it pure and fresh.
The tree exudes the water from in
numerable pores, situated at the base
of the leaves.
THERE ALL THE TIME.
It told oi Dr. Thoroid that* he
was onco aakod to give away tho
prizes at a school belonging to the
London School Board.
In tho course of his opening ad
dreRs he gravely asked the children,
'Which was the largest Island In tha
world before Australia was discov
ered?"
When the youngsters gave It up,
he told them. Id the dame gravo way,
which made them laugh all tho more,
"Why, Australia, of courno; It wai
there all the time!"?Chatterbox.
, Indiana produced la 190$ St.90S,..
Til pound* of *?<W.