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EQUAL P || By HOWAR f * Copyright, 1901, b; CHAPTER XVII. THH RUNAWAY. I'-EXDA snt down by the bed. and she look(C Jo ed very beautiful, a clr]r\ jln\Q cunistauce upon which li? Elsie did not fail to yjrjcomment with great ?> "You will be very happy." she said. And then she heaved a little/sigh, presumably for herself. "My dear child." replied Brenda, "this Is altogether too sudden and incomprehensible to suit a conventional person like myself. This weird flirtation | of the madhouse which Dr. Kendall I i eoom to iifivp be<?un in a manner \ shamelessly public may be only tbe temporary aberration of our minds and have uotbing to do with our hearts. 1 * hope it will strike In; 1 do most devoutly. Then you and Clarence could arrange your agreeable romance without remorse"? "That is ended," said Elsie. "In fact, ft never began. Brenda, you opened your heart to me; let. use open mine to : you. I want some one in tbe world. 1 some one whom 1 care for, to know j tbe whole truth." ^"Are you sure you really wish to i trust me with this couhdenee?" asked | L Brenda earnestly. "You do not really know me. Your mother may soon be A with you." B "I would never tell my mother." said ^ JBlsie sadly. "She has had trouble ehough. As for trusting you, knowing you-why. it seems to me that we have been here together since the dawn of recorded history and you were my friend the first minute. I'm afraid you may not care to be after you have fd tl-.o ctnrv. but I don't want to hoid you by false pretenses. So hear j me. Brenda." I "It will not excite you? It will not ; make you ill again?" "It would excite and worry nie if I should stop now after I have made up my mind." said Elsie. "Listen. You shall know everything but a name. 1 can't tell you that." Brenda was silent. She was saying ! to herself: "I am afraid. My heart Is \ trembling for this girl." * "It doesn't matter when. It doesn't j matter where." continued Elsie, "but when and where fate pleased I met a man who took a great liking to me. I , know little nov?. and I knew far less J then, though it wasn't so long ago. , fie was an educated man. and I was not an educated girl, but I wished that t was. We met in a merry party, and { expected him to talk frivolity. He didn't. His conversation was very improving. Oh. he took a deep interest , In my mind. "What idiots girls are! Why, this \ mam road me like a book. He saw that I was full of yellow covered ambitions and ten cent aspirations. He bad probably seen a great many girls equally deserving of encouragement. I thought j r.-oo cniomliil 1 nut mv hand In his ? UO !#?.? ^ ?? . fend prepared to ascend the hill o! learning. . "It was a supper after the theater. w^rodc to iny house together i:i ; a hansom afterward at *2 o'clock in th? morning, and the chai>eron of out supper party rode in another direction In another hansom with another man. My escort talked about the 'ltubaiyat1 ?f Omar Khayyam, and I then lirst appreciated the beauties of that sublime composition. Afterward he spoke of my work in a very earnest and encouraging way. He let me know that ; he had been quite a student of the i drama,and that his criticism and ad- j vice would be of the greatest assistance. That, at least, was the inference. Finally he bade me good night ; on the doorsteps, with a gentle sadness in his manner which let uie know that there was a romance in his life. That ; made me feel safe, for at that time I surely did not want him to fall in love with me. and 1 still retained the delu- j sion of my earlier years that romances | In a person's life acted like vaccina- I tiou. "The gentleman called upon me the j next afternoon, and he was very enter- I tabling as well as instructive. He brought me a large book. I forget 1 what it was about. The next day he took me out to dinner, and 1 remember I that he gave me some very shrewd and j helpful criticism about my work. Then I didn't see him for two whole ! . days, and I began to miss Lim very 1 k much. At that time I was louely. My ! friends in the profession were all I fnn-n mill enm<> fif tllf> mpil ill i VUl v/i IV" U. ^ ?w ... S^&tbe company who wished to be kind to me were rough in their ways?not all like the cultured gentleman W whose acquaintance I had been so fortunate as to make." "But didn't you ask about him?" said Brenda. "Didn't you find out how he 6tood socially?" Elsie laughed. "How was I to tind out any of those things?" she said. "The world is a big place, in the midst of which is society as you know it. a little mutual insurance company for the purpose of protecting its members, especially the younger ones, against accidents. I only I knew that I liked this man and that he seemed to be a true friend to me. What other guide was 1 to have except my t . own beautiful ignorance?" "I don't know." said Brenda aloud. ' but to herself she was saying: "The _ ' kI . * 0*0^0^04040*0^0*0^0#0*0<>0 SOfO^OfOfOfO^OKfOKJ^OKWC^ ARTNERSJ * * ? D FIELDING I? * w t j<> y Charles W. Hookc. #0 50?040^040^0*040?0*0<>0*060? more wrong she has suiiered the more I want to help her. 1 won't let anything take her away from me." "Presently I heard the story of the romance in his life." continued Elsie. "It appeared that the gentleman was married?most unhappily. Where was his wife? lie had permitted her to obtain a divorce. This was pure generosity on his part. lie would rather suffer an injustice than attack in the courts the woman he had sworn to love and cherish. He mentioned several high society precedents lor this conduct. In fact, he convinced me that divorce was, upon the whole, a mark of distinction in these days. It appeared that his was a sort of limited divorce which did not permit him to remarry, but after this aspect of it had been presented to me on several occasions he discovered that he could marry under certain conditions with the full sanction of the law and heaven. "Well, Brenda, let's be fair. 1 wanted to marry the man. I persuaded myI self that T was In love with him. 1 wasn't I can see that now. I wasn't , within a million miles of loving him, j but I was ready to be loved, Brenda;. that's the truth about it. My heart j tTSs full of tenderness, and I paw the j whole world rose tinted In the light 0( j the dawn of love. That's poetical. But | wait a minute. 1 am coming to some- j thing very uuromautic. I wrote this story, Brenda?wrote it all down for a great heart thrilling novel?and then had sense enough to burn it. But that helps me to tell it straight, and you'll catch fine phrases now and then, but you .won't laugh at me. "Well, we were engaged, of course. My fiance presented me with a diamond ring, and diamonds are my soul's delight. After 1 got this one 1 used to keep a little light burning in my room at night so that 1 might see It sparkle If I happened to be wakeful. I sub- j sequeptly learned that there was a ! financial Irrecrularitv involved in the 1 obtaining: of the glittering gem, but I j did not learn that until after it had passed out of my possession." "Where did fate find this precious rascal?" whispered Brenda. "And why did fate send hhn to you?" "Why did fate send a good man afterward?" said Elsie. "Why not before? Well, 'the moving finger writes and. having writ, moves on'? It was to be. Finally the gentleman announced that a marriage under the laws of the state of Pennsylvania would meet the requirements of the situation. I was a ; good deal startled by this definite suggestion. and I wrote to my mother on 1 the subject for the first time. The gen- J tleman took the letter to post, and it, has not been delivered yet, thank heaven! "Before It was time to get an answer sudden business of great Importance ! called my fiance to Philadelphia. How j opportune! Well. Brenda, I packed a little hand bag and went. What must j you think of me?" Brenda bent down gently and kissed Elsie's hand and held it against her ; face. "I don't know the story yet," she said, I "but you have portrayed a thorough scoundrel. And" you have also shown me a trusting and true hearted girl who ( nmrrinrt with fill innocent heart. Blessed heaven! Think of a man for whom a young and pure girl , will go out into the world like that, as : if to walk in the fields! Should not ev- : ery fiber of his soul bo thrilled to loyalty for all his life?" "The gentleman* in question had no j soul." said Elsie. "I think he will be J spared all punishment hereafter, as the ; brutes are. Let us proceed, Brenda, ; dear. The remainder of the story is not long. We took the 11 o'clock train and reached Philadelphia in time for luncheon. Our marriage was to be kept secret for awhile, and there seemed to be some slight objection to the public dining room of the hotel where | our hansom set us down. However. I we lunched there quite hastily, for 1 , had no appetite. Then we re-entered | the hansom and went to look for a minister. We had remarkable ditliculty in finding one, considering that Philadelphia is a large city l ull of churches, but we finally succeeded. Then it appeared that we had neglected to comply with certain formalities, but the clergyman was able to rectify the matter, and so we were married pitifully, as I see it - !*K -<1,1 cfvints nnd a turn dUi^'iu \'?v? wv. ? chance laborer who happened to be it work In the house as our witnesses. "When we got hack to the hotel, it was <1 o'clock, ami I was nearly famished. We hurried right into the dining room, and my husband ordered a great spread, with champagne, for our miserable celebration, and now 1 W'r'.l tell you the unromantic part. In the midst of that dinner, and while 1 fancied that 1 was eating with a splendid i appetite. 1 was suddenly seized with the most awful pain that ever devastated my poor little stomach. Yes, Uremia, it was a regular, terrible stomach ache?just pain, without a hit of nausea. I felt as if some one had my stomach in his hand?a hand about the size of Captain Xoale's?and was crushing it to pieces. "My husband said he guessed it would soon pass away, but it didn't, and so he left bis dinner and ran out to a drug store to get me something to 1 take. When he came back, I took it. and 1 didn't feel any worse, because that wasn't possible, but I certainly felt no better. In a few minutes I began to realize that I was going out of my wits. I talked insanely and saw things that weren't there. The next thing 1 knew we were riding up in an elevator, and it seemed to go up for a week. Then there was a woman leading me along a hall and into a room, and she began ?o take off my clothes in the bedroom of a little suit. I stared at her and ask"1 bar who she was. " 'I'm the assistant housekeeper.' shesaid. 'I belong to the hotel.' "As if she had been a piece of furniture. Then I asked where my busband was. and she said lie had gone out fcr a doctor. So she made me lie down. Probably I seemed to be there on that bed, but in reality?my own reanty?i wus inuyiu^ m ium uiu u.u.r 6tormlng eompauy and studying, studying. studying on long parts that were always changing, but sometimes I was a little girl again in a town way out in Michigan, running through the streets, with my long legs flying and my heels touching the back of my head, as ray mother used to say. I stole the neighbors' flowers in the scented June evenings and staid out under the little whispering stars till iny mother came, weeping with anxiety. to bring me home. And, strangely enough, right in the midst of it all there stood the doctor, a tall, gaunt young man. asking me how I felt. But where was my husband? " 'lie has not got back,' said the woman. 'I was afraid to wait any longer, so I got this gentleman, who is a New York doctor stopping in the hotel.' "Then I felt something sharp pricking my arm and afterward the pain was easier, and my mind suddenly became as clear as it is now. I heard the doctor say that I would be all right when I had had some sleep, and hen ?7 appeared, looking in between the curtains that hung bv tliS bedroom door. It seems that he ha* nnt VinnmrUf n doctor, but had left word for one to come. "My husband remained there, between the curtains, perfectly rigid, staring, pale as a ghost. He was look"YouP' said the doctor. Ing at the doctor beside my bed, and glancing up I saw that the doctor was staring at him. "'You!' said the doctor, and he took three strides out of the room, ray husband backing away as the other advanced. "They whispered together; they thought I could not hear. But, Brenda. I would have heard them if they had VnrL* Ul't'U IU C?? AVIU. '"She says you were married this afternoon,' said the doctor. 'How is that?' " 'Who in the devil's name called you In?' demanded my husband. 'Where did you come from?' " 'This is state prison business,' 6aid the doctor, without minding the questions.' 'You are living legally separated from your wife, but you are not divorced, and you never will be by your own consent for her father is paying you to behave yourself.' " 'There has been no marriage here,' 6nid my husband. 'Don't say anything. This is a mere freak of mine. "You were going to see Dr. Kendall7' she asked. "Please wait in bis room." She hurried by him and reached the spot where Alden and the detective had stood, just as the latter was upon the stairs, for it had not suited Elmendorfs purpose to wait for Alden. "I must speak with you privately at once." she said. "Come." There was a sort of bay window opening from one of the corridors, and she led Elmendorf there. They were partially shielded from observation and could speak in guarded tones without much risk of being overheard. "Mr. Elmendorf." she said, "how could you do this thing? I have a serltr\ L*nAtr " UUO ? IOU IV Ck ?AV ?? "I can do anything." he answered, the picture of shame and woe. "There's absolutely no good in ine. What made you think there was?" "Do you remember that you rose when you saw that I was not seated." said she. "in Elsie's room that tirst terrible day? That's not much, but your manner was fully that of a gentleman." "I was trained in a gentleman's home In Massachusetts." said Elmendorf. "So was the gentleman's dog. and we both reih&ined bnites." "You'MTanjmd a place to listen." said Brenda, "in ill?t unused room next Elsie's. The nurse~\Vil9 helped you has confessed to Dr. Kendal).'' I4^'as s,,e and not you who overheard tbe'StGT told this afternoon." ^ "She and not I?" echoed Elmendorf in a voice of the dead. "Do you think 1 ever listened there? Miss Maclane. there's some limit eten to what 1 will do. No. uo: I took the chance; that's all. This nurse, whom 1 seem to have got into a lot of trouble, as I always get everybody soouer or later?this nurse listened when her duties would let her. 1 knew Miss Miller would \ some day tell her story to you." Ij "Now that you have heard the story, |J what shall you do?" asked Breuda. "It seems evident," replied Elmendorf. "that Dr. Blair Is the physician r referred to in that story. He has known her seerot frnjn the beginning. That was why she had him uere, to plead with him. Well, I've no faith in Blair. lie's crooked, or I'm no Judge, y But lie seems to have played a fairly ''l creditable part toward Elsie Miller." "Dr. Blair!" exclaimed Brenda. "Think of his being called to dress her A I iennn/1' Think nf his standing there In that room with Nenle and ourselves and keeping liis own counsel so quietly! I begin to have an admiration for him." "Well. I wouldn't go so far as that," er said Elmendorf. "lie has bad his selfish ends to serve. However, that is neither here nor there now. I am going to him and I shall make him tell me who that man is." in "Her husband?" tu "Yes." at "Then what will you do?" she av added. ur "Find him," said Elmendorf. "and ba see that he gets what he deserves. 36 This will afford me many (Afferent in kinds of satisfaction. Miss Maclane. 0f 1 shall have credit for It In the news- 0j papers, and they're the only friends gc I've got. My Job will be safe for another year at least; 1 shall beat Joe* . Nenle, whom I hate devoutly, and, * lastly. I shall get square with the cow- * ard who struck down that little girl. ! I have longed for him ever since I Pc first saw her. It's a poor thing to do 0( I *? > ? u'o oil i oror Mn do. I'm ar I UK Utl, Ulll lb O Ull V> V. - n afraid." $2 "It is no service to ber," said Brenda: m i "far from it You will reveal ber m secret." to "Nothing can save that," he replied. w "It is a mere dream to think it can be j done." U I "It !s not a dream." rejoined Brenda. jE I "It shi!' be kept n secret if possible, j ^ She is wise t0 w'shl 't, though of 5) I course she sbouij' Alden, j that she will do as t,?00 nf he?' mitld ? gets back to its proper basket after i. its long strain with bis wretched story. But she Is right In thinking tbat pub- jg llcation of it will leave a stain upon UI ber and perhaps bring many sorrows t y to herself and Mr. Alden. It will be 1 eg ! distorted and redistorted in the telling , of until the poor girl's name can never j th 1 be clear of it. And in any case I have j ^<3 given my word. Mr. Elmendorf, will ' P I mnnpv heln?" j ja Elmeudorf was silent. I ^ "1 think you are uot a man to take a I in bribe." sbe began. I -p, "Yes. I am." said Elmendorf de- ; th cisively, "but not just here. If the clr- ! cumstances were different, why, 1 | vc could be bought and sold like my as- wl sociates. But this Isn't the time nor the place." > ^ "You would like to get out of this life Into a better one," said Brenda. ! ca "1 suppose most of us would." re-' | $6 piled Elmendorf. "except that dying is pc disagreeable." st; Brenda laughed, as one sometimes ad will at a funeral, from the effect of , do contrast. in "1 didn't mean that," she said. "1 m mn?"i tho? mn tvnnld like another re way of earning your bread. And 1 of think you might have ^ery high ambl- th Hons In another career. My father Or will put you lu the way of profitable 3t5 business, but don't fancy 1 would \? tempt you with an empty promise. 1 w* am.rich lu my own right by Inheritance from my mother, and f will be glad to ac be p you. We will give this a color of tif perfectly honorable dealing, and It ov shall be so Indeed. Take $50,000 of an my money and select whatever busl- ov ness pleasqp you. and 1 will be a silent v.a partner, an equal partner, in the en- ^ terprlse." q "Fifty thousand dollars." said El- ha mendorf. with awe In his tones. "Why, th Miss Mac-lane, this is what 1 have th prayed for. The idea of a tenth of It ^n is the explanation of ray going on the force. And te think that it should ln do come at last in a way that 1 can't touch Itl 'Billy Elmendorf's luck,' as the boys pa $6 At tbls moment Kendall, passing 87' run away to a strarage city, trusting to ori luck to be married there." Ac Brenda kissed Elsie's hand again very tenderly. it "I'll tell you what, my dear," said Tr she; "the fact is that you have brooded over this matter until you are not quite 00 sane about it I really mean what I say. Now, this is my advice to you: an Tell Mr. Aldeu this story just as soon ar as you're strong enough to do it and"? 0f Elsie gripped her hand hard. go "I have told you this in confidence," th she said. "Give me your solemn word an i that you will never breathe one sylla- Eo i ble of it; that you will help me in ev- sa j ery way to conceal it! Promise!" coi "The word and honor of one who ! loves you, Elsie." Uremia answered. ag j "Whatever you wish I will do." fai "You are so pood to ine!" said Elsie. Tr 1 letting her head sink back into the pil- re; lows. sil "There is one thing more." said Bren- Is da. "Did he. your husband, strike this ca blow?" o* "Don't ask tae that." cried Elsie. "1 ^e-' ! can never toll you how 1 got this _a wound. Think what a frightful bur- q: den that knowledge would be to you if be I I should die." sn tii TO BE CONTlXOe-D. nc Game Rooster Rides Aloft. The resources of the milliner seem | to be inexhaustible. The game rooster i^iat is the latest thing to make its ja la^oaranee on the street. It is a safe tQ guessM^01" no man wou,d (5are to f0 quire iPt0 these things) that the rooster hi^ comes from Paris. The head of th? bird> looking exceedingly ^ saucy and vdr>* much alive, protrudes ar ircm a sortV turban d'nsus. the gi whole creating^ impression of a th live rooster jam^J?d a fancy wed- gj dinz cake. ^ N cr \ v / ilG CASH BALANCE. reatest Amount of Money On Hand In Country's History :RY GOOD TRrASURY SHOWING II Large Denominations Becoming Gold Certificates and the smallest Silver Certificates. Washington, Special.?Elias H. Robts, Treasurer of the United States, in ening his annual report, says that e magnitude of the available cash ilance and the unprecedented holrtgs of gross gold are the striking feares of the condition of the Treasury the close of the fiscal year 1902. The ailable cash balance in the Treas y July 1, 1902, was the largest net ilance in our history. It amounted to 2,187,361. The gold reserve is counted as it i3 available for the redemption legal tender notes. Nearly one-half the available cash balance was in >ld coin and certificates, $103,801,290 rer and above the gold reserve of 50,0000,000 and by October it became 36,124,771. As a measure of the finanal strength of the government the re>rt says the fact deserves mention. By :tober 1, 1902, the available cash bailee, exclusive of the reserve, was 21,263,394; and owing to the large easures for the relief of the money arket was reduced by November 1, i $220,621,870. Of this sum $145,885!012 as in national banks. To- the total nf mrmor in the country an addi VV,I\ VL ? .? ? ? on of $130,138,841 was made during le fiscal year. Of this $657,699,517 was i gold coin and bullion. National bank r>tes received an increment of $2,851,5*9. The gold coin and bullion October 1 xceeded all other kinds of money, exluding national bank notes, by $200, 9 433. in five years, the ratio of gold S country has run up from 36.52 to \ '-e 100. The growth in the vol.4d to U*. jn circulation during the ne of mone# ^49 carrying the per iar was $74,0?a,v. * '3. The element pita from 27.98 to 2a.-?. *-*tes was gold .coin and gold certlpw "he largest part and the increase re&u.. ! $61,966,174, and advanced from 40.30 ir cent, of the total to 41.31 per cent, 'silver of all denominations, includg certificates, there was an increase $25,226,146, of which $6,486,014 was subsidiary coin. The reduction in reasury notes of $17,677,800 is due to eir withdrawal. The advance in circulation in the ilume of gold including certificates thin 12 years by the large sum of 33,703,516, is the measure of the pat strpneth of our circulation. The dition during the past fiscal year was 1,966,174. The increase in the future n hardly be less than $50,000,000 to 0,000,000 a year. The mines, the reirt says, are thus confirming the gold andard steadily and Invincibly and it ds: "For the 'immediate present, and mbtless for a'few years at least, the flow of gold will be in such large easures as to lift the volume of curacy to the highest level of all needs business. Our currency keeps more an equal pace with the population l June 27 ,the gold certificates outinding for the first time exceeded in lume the United States notes and ;re $347,179,089. By November 1, they ;re $567,078,569. "The gold in the Treasury keeps in tive circulation as currency the cer icates issued against 11 anu iuureer $346,658,016 in TTnited Statos notes d $30,000,000 in Treasury notes, or er $140,000,000 more than its own lue. The question may well be conlered whether the United States tes may not properly be fumed by ingress into gold certificates. They ve much that quality already, and e change could be gradually made as e supply of the yellow metal takes greater proportions. The demands the people for notes of small denomations have surprised the closest stunts of the currency. In 1890, there ;re 37,065.880 pieces of government per issued of the average value of .61. In 1902, the issue was 116,697,4, and the average value was $4. The cllities for production have been ten increased and now seem to be sufient for present requirements. me act or Aiarcn n, iyuu, maites the duty of the Secretary of the easury to maintain the party ot lue on all forms pi money issued or ined by the United States with the Id standard and fixed by that law. lis parity is now easily maintained d all kinds of government money e exchangeable with each. The flow gold permitting the free issue of Id certificates of $29 and upwards is e key to this maintenance of parity d interchangeability of all kinds of vernment money. On the other hand, lall denominations. including silver in are constantly in demand for the rriad transactions of retail trade and e current uses of rural communities well as for pay rolls in furnaces and :tories and harvest fields." The easury ,in recent years, continues the port, has had much more clamor for ver and small notes than for gold. It now abundantly afte to meet all lis for every kfnd of money for its ?'n obligations for redemption and for ?itimate transfers. As a result of the ovements which have been noted our per currency is gaining in simplicity, adually all large denominations are coming gold certificates, and the laller silver certificates, while in ne all $10 will be United States ites. Separate Street Cars. New Orleans. Special.?The State w requiring the street car companies provide separate accommodations r whites and blacks went into effect uesday and is being enforced with fllculty. The company has reserved ie rear seats for negro passengers id placed screens In the cars, but nee the repent strike the decrease in ie number of cars operated is sr, eat that all of them are generally owded to the guards. ' - * SIGHT IS RESTORED *.' ? > A Man of 95 Regains His Sight In the Spartanburg Section. Spartanburg Correspondence Columbia State, 7th. Spartanburg may not be modest in j her claims of being a healthy clime, Sut facta stand for themselves. The writer this afternoon enjoyed a long tall: with a resident of tnis county wno was born In October, 1303?be is ' yoais of age. His name is Casswell Edward Smith, and his home is near the burnt factory on Tyger river in the lower section of this county. He is an ideal representative of the muscle and brawn which have made the vast tracts of woodland bow to the axe and the impenetrable swamps, lagoons and wild verdant meadows yield to the plough share and pruning hook and the general cultivation of the 60il. Mr. Smith came to this city about four weeks ago. For sixteen years past he has been totally blind. Doctors ; told him it was due to old age, but a relative of his, Dr. W. A. Smith, examined him and found that it was a j case of cataract of the eyes. He was : brought tj> Spartanburg, and a little ! over a month ago Dr. George W. Heinj itsh performed a successful operation I tn- thfrratarart and thp old eantleman can now see. Considering his age, ani the accompanying infirmities of advanced life, it is Wonderful how sue- ? cessful the operation is; and it is, a real joy to hear the old man comment on the fact of his seeing, after having been totally blind for 16 years. Mr. Smith remembers when there' were only four buildings in this city?one of these was the old Lee house, a frame % structure erected near the present store of J. A. Lee & Son. which has long since passed the dilapidated stage. The first railroad train and locomotive * . he put his eyes on was in Columbia in, 1869. The first circus he attended was in 1838 in Spartanburg. He recalls tnany points and incidents of the mua- i ter days. He has lived as a farmer and worked hard and lived honestly all of his life.' He has lived with his present wife (his first wife dying a few months after their marriage) for 70 years, and the four weeks he has been up here is the longest time they have f ever been separated. He is a great lov~ * I er of tobacco, when it comes to chew- < vy. He was for years an inveterate k ? i?*_ "id never gave up this hatrtt smoker, ... v"nd?his only reason . untii he became ... "Sn?t smoking or argument to offer ag?.._ " *ot v. is blindness. He i3 and has bet* 40 years a member of Putman Baptist * : church. His rule in life is, as he expresses it?"do to your neighbor, hs you would be done by." He states that with his eyesight restored as now, he will be plowing on the farrii again long before spring. He stands six feet in height and weighs 150 pounds. He looks remarkably strcng for a man of his advanced years. . *" , 'J County Boards Have No Cont'd. Bennettsville, Special.?The investigation by the county board of educ? tion of the charges against E.. J Sawyer, on an appeal from the trustees of the Bennettsville graded school district, has been stopped by a writ of prohibition issued by Judg< Klugh. The judge gave an exhausting review of the law and decided that a county board of education has no su- "~ pervision cr control over a graded school district and cannot reverse 01 modify any action of the board ol trustees. He says that even if Sawyei were totally unqualified to teach, hi* election by the trustees could not b? interfered with. Qranlte Beds in Chesterfield. Chesterfield, Special.?It will law terest many to know that in thlc county there are extensive granitebeds. One of the chief beds is neai Evans' mill, on Black creek, 16 miles west of here. They are 10 miles from the nearest railroad point. Ruby, bul when the C. M. & C. road is com- / * pleted to Jefferson, which it soon will be, they will then be only four miles from the railway. The rock is of different color, some are brown, gray, black and red. These beds are very extensive and are said to compare favorably with the granite of Winnsboro. There is a fine opportunity for some man with capital to secure a bonanza. Winter Bull Fighting in nexico. Mexico City, Special.?The winter bull fighting season opened Sunday af.ternoon, the first fighting being attended by a large crowd, including many . Americans. The sensational spectacle was the serious norning 01 rarrau, uuc of the matadors, by the third bull. Parrao received a deep wound in the abdomen and may die. The fight was not interrupted. Ten horses were disemboweled. Palmetto Cleanings. Progressive business men of Columbia have organized a company for the purpose of operating a line of steamers between there and Georgetown. A report from Winthrop College is to the effect that the students of that institution have taken up the quarrel between Clemson and -South Carolina College and that partizanship 6as since been running at a high pitch. James McPherson Wheaton, the nlrlost nressman in the State, died on Friday at his home in Charleston aged 94. He worked at his trade in. the Deutsche Zeitung office up to a few days before his death. The Hotel Sumter at Sumter is trying the experience of young white woman to wait on the tables. The 1 v ( proprietor brought them from Boston with him, not being able to secure the required number in South Carolina. Two young men named Ben (- Ross and Poinsett Trammell had a difficulty on Tuesday night, Oct. 28th, about twenty miles north of Greenville, in which both of them used knives, and Ben Ross was fatally stabbed by Trammell, his death occurring on Friday last at the home of Wilburn Gosnell, a short distance from where the fight took place. -. si