; ;^P??I l? <1. 1 -X3B1
JpThe 1
I Holly
.1 Copyright. 1005. by G.
CHAPTER I.
SHE did not put the sacramental
phrase on her cards, as no
Invitations were sent out.
These were delivered verbally
by boarders desirous of seeing their
friends present on Friday evening.
It was really n scratch party of nobodies,
and they assembled as usual
In the drawing room on this especial
evening to play and not-to work. Mrs.
Talne laid aside her eternal knitting;
Miss Bull dispensed with her game of
"patience;" Mr. Granger sang his one
/in** A# * "**
lutj cany Victorian epoch?
sometimes twice when singers were
scarce?and Mr. Harmer wore his antiquated
dress suit, in iter black silk
gown, her lace cap and "the diamonds"
- Mrs. fersey looked?so they assured
her?quite the lady.
Was she n lady? No one ever asked
that leading question, as it would have
provoked nu untruth or a most unpleasant
reply. She admitted in expansive
momenta to having seen "better days,"
but what her actual past had been?
and from her looks B"he had one?none
ever discovered.
Few friends presented themselves
on this particular Friday evening, for
It was extremely foggy, and none of
them could afford a cab. Even those
who patronized the nearest bus line
had some distance to walk before they
knocked at the Jersey door, and thus
ran a chance of losing their way.
Either in light or darkness tho house
was hard to And*, for It occupied the
corner of a particularly private square
far removed from the Oxford street
traffic.
- It was quite an asylum for old nge.
Nono of the guests was under fiftv.
save a newcomer who had arrived the
previous week, and they wondered why
be came among them. He was young,
though plain looking, and he was fashionably
dressed, though stout. This
was the first time lie had been present
'i. / at madame's reception, and he was explaining
his reasons for coming to
'7 Bloomsbury. Mrs. Jersey introduced
? him as "Leonard Train, the dlstinCk
i gujshed novelist," although he had pub,
llahed only ono book at his own cost,
and. even tbnt production was unknown
to the boarders.
fS t "Egshfonable novelists," said he in a
1 Latil'i, any 11 vofCe whiqh contrasted cu,,
-fVitllufBT'LtiO ouslnesa of society*
and epigrams. We must revert to the
Dickens style. I have .therefore taken
t ( op my residence here for a brief period
to study old world types." Here he
looked around with a beaming smile.
"I am glad to find so rich a field to
glean."
This doubtful compliment provoked
weak smiles. The boarders did not
wtah to be rude, but they felt it was
Impossible to approve of the young
< man. Not being sufficiently modern te
court notoriety, one and all disliked
the Idea of being "put In a book." Mrs.
Talne, conscious of her weak grammar,
looked uneasily at Miss Bull, wbs
smiled grimly and then glared at Train.
Omnger drew liiipself up and pulled
' his gray mustache?he was the buck
t Of the establishment?and Uarmer
nodded, saying, "Well, well!" his usual
remark when he did not understand
. what was going on. Only Mrs. Jersey
{ spoke. Train had taken a sitting room
as well as a bedroom, therefore he
must be rich, and as be had not haggled
orer terms it was necessary that
he should be flattered. Mrs. Jersey saw
a chance of making money out of him.
"How delightful," she said in her
,? motherly manner. "1 hope you will say
pice things about us, Mr. Train."
"I shall tell the truth, madame. The
truth does not flatter."
- . Mrs. Jersey became still more moths
erly and paid a compliment. "That depends,
Mr. Train. If the truth were
spoken about you, for Instance."
It was really a very nice compliment,
but Miss Bull, with malice afore
t thought, spoiled it In the utterance by
laughing pointedly. Train, who had
already set his face for a smile, grew
red. and madame darted a look at Miss
Bull quite ont of keeping with her
motherly manner. More than this, shs
spoke her mind. "I hope, Mr. Train,
% #!>?# waii aarlll anaalr Hio tirha1 a fwniti a#
iuhk /uu n tn opvua mv nuvio vcuvm
ome of us."
Miss Bull shrugged her thin shoulders
and in direct contradiction to the traditions
of the evening produced her pack
of cards. To abstain on Friday evenings
always annoyed her, and since madams
had been rude Miss Bull seized the opportunity
to show her indifference and
enjoy by doing so her favorite pastime.
She was a small, thin, dry old
maid, with a pallid face and bright
black eyes. Her mouth was hard and
smiled treacherously. No one liked
her save Margery, the niece of Mrs.
Jersey. But Margery was supposed to
be queer, so her approval of Miss Bull
mattered little.
"Perhaps Mr. Granger will oblige us
with a song," suggested raadame,
smoothing her face, but still inwardly
furious.
Mr. Granger, who bad been waiting
for this moment, was only too happy.
He knew but one song and had sung
it dozens of times In that very room.
It was natural to suppose that he knew
It by heart All the same he produced
his music and read the words as h?
asrrg. lAsrgvry pflfcyvd tea nwm
a. * -?,* s ? ?V' ** ' vi- ft
fellow
By FERGUS HUME,
Author of "The Mystery of n !
Hanson* <ab," Etc. ^ >
W. Dilllntflinm Company
pnniraent without looking at the notes.
1 She was as familiar with them as she
was with the moineut when Mr.
Granger's voiee would crack. This night
he cracked as usual, apologized as
usual, and his hearers accepted the
apology us usual, so it was all very
pleasant.
"If Mrs. Taiue will piny us the
'Caunry Bird Quadrilles,'" Mrs. Jersey
hastily Intervened, "how pleased
we shall be."
Mrs. Taine obliged, and mndamc, under
cover of the music, talked with
Train.
"You mustn't mind the guests," she
said; "they are old and require to be
humored."
, "It's most amusiug. mndnme. I shall
stop here three weeks to pick up
types."
"Oh, you must stay longer than
that," said mndniue, smiling and patting
his hand, still In a motherly way.
V/x... -
iwn nut i .run unve round us out, we
cannot lose you. Dy the way"?here
Mrs. Jersey's eyes became very searching?"how
did you find us out?"
, "It was a friend of mine, limdaine.
He knew that I wanted to get into the
Dickens world and suggested this
house."
"Do I know the gentleman?" asked
' madaine. who seemed anxious.
"1 don't think so. But he Is coming
to see mo tonight."
."You must ask him in here nnd Introduce
him. 1 should like to thank
him for havin.; recommended my
house."
"Wo were going to have a conversation
in my room " said Train dubiously.
: "He's such a s!i,. fellow that I don't
think he'll con e in."
"Oh. but he must. I love young people.
Will your friend remain overnight?"
"He will if he comes at all," replied
Leonard, looking at Ills watch; "but If
tlie fog la very thick I ilon't know If
he'll turn up. It is now 9 o'clock."
"We usually disperse at 11," said
mndame, "but ou this night I must
break up at 10, as 1 have"?she hesitated?"I
have business to do."
"I won't trouble j'ou, mndame," said
Train. "My friend and I can have supj
per In iny room."
"That's Just It." said mndame, and
her voice becamo /other hard. "I beg,
;*rsr- Tralp J-hat van .nrs.'l, vm?- "
! "Why not? We both wish to smoke
and talk." *
"You can do that in the daytime, Mr.
Train. But my house Is most respectable,
and I hope you will be In bed be.
fore 11."
Leonard would have protested, as he
! objected to this sort of maternal government.
hut Mrs. Jersey rustied away
and he was left to make the best of
i i
k '?J
"1 am glad to find so rich a field."
It. Before be could collect his wits a
I message came that he was wanted.
"By Jove, It's George," lie said and
' hurried out of the room. Mrs. Jersey
overheard the name.
"I suppose his friend is called
George," she thought, and frowned.
Her recollections of that name were
not pleasant. However, she thought
no more about the matter, but sailed
across to Miss Bull. "The music doesn't
please you, Miss Bull." she said In
rnther nil acicl tone.
"It'? very nice," replied the old maid,
dealing the cards, "but I have heard it
before."
"You may not have the chance of
hearing It again," fin Id mndame.
"It's a world of change," replied Miss
Ball in her Bharp voice, "Margery,
was that a heart?"
Margery pointed a fat finger to the
card in question, and Miss Bull muttered
something about her eyesight
getting worse. Madame knew that this
was just done to annoy her, as Miss
Bull's sight was excellent. To revenge
herself she took Margery away. "Go
and tell the servants to send up the
negus and sandwiches," she said
sharply.
Margery rose heavily. She was a
hugo girl twenty years of age and
apparently very stupid. Why sharp
little Miss Bull, who loved no one, bad
taken to her no one knew, but the two
\ were Inseparable. Seeing this, mad a me
xmtaNf kept lUrrg?xy hiqkl at work to
^ S* _ /: -a
-++?rDR. I. IV
.PEN
Crown and Bridge
W ?rk a SnnriftltT
%
other quarters so as to part her fron
the old mnld. But with the cunning ol
an unimal?and Margery was very
much of that type?the girl managed
to see a groat deal of her one friend
Madame had an idea of the reason foi
this, but at the present moment did
not think it necessary to interfere. She
was quite cupable of crushing Mlsa
Bull when the need arose. Meantime
she vented her temper by sending Margery
away. The girl departed with a
scowl and an angry look at her aunt,
but Miss Bull never raised her eyes,
though she was well aware of what
was going on.
Madame was not to be beaten. "I
tell you what, dear Miss Bull," she
said, smiling graciously, "since you
have broken through our rule and have
produced the cards, you shall tell all
our fortunes."
"Yours?" asked Miss Bull, looking up
for the first time.
Madame shook her head. "I know
mine. Tell Mr. Granger's."
"I am at Miss Bull's service," said
the polite old gentleman, bowing.
Miss Bull swept the cards into a
heap. "I'm quite willing," she said in
a voice almost pleasant for her. "Anything
to oblige dear madame."
Mrs. Jersey smiled still more graciously
and sailed away to send Mr.
Harmer to the cards. But she wondered
inwardly why Miss Bull had given way
so suddenly. There was some reason
for it, as Miss Bull never did anything
without a reason. But Mrs. Jersey kept
her own counsel and still continued to
suiue. one uau quite made up ber
mind bow to act.
"Ladies aud gentlemen," sbe said,
standing iq tbc middle of tbe drawing
room, "we must disperse tonlgbt at 10.
I have some business to attend to, so 1
request you will all retire at that bour.
In tbe meantime Miss Bull bas kindly
consented to tell your fortunes."
Madame tben retired to ber throne
and saw that the servants arranged
the tray properly. Sbe had a gigantic
chair, which was jokingly called ber
throne, and here she received strangers
In quite a majestic way. Mrs.
Jersey was not bad looking. Sbe had a
fresh colored face, bright black eyes
and plenty of white hair like spun allk.
Her figure was stout, but sbe yet retained
a certain comeliness which
showed that she must have been a
handsome woman In her youth. Her
manners were motherly, but she showed
a stern face toward Margery and
did not treat the girl so kindly as she
might have done. As n rule, she bad
great self command, but sometimes
gave way to paroxysms of pa^dou
and Mrs. Jersey passed for a dear, gentle
old lady.
A moment later Train entered, and
after him came a tall young rann, fair
haired and stalwart. He was handsome,
but seemed to be ill at ease and
pulled his yellow mustache nervously j
as Train led him to the throne.
"This Is my frieud," said Leonard,
presenting him. "He just managed to
get here, for the fog is so thick"?
Ilere he was Interrupted. "Madame,"
cried Mrs. Talne, "what Is the matter?
Mr. Harmer, the water?wine?
Quick."
There was need of it. Mrs. Jersey
had fallen back on the throne with a
white face and twitching lips. She
appeared as though about to faint, but,
restraining herself with a powerful effort,
she waved her hand to intimate
that she needed nothing. At the same
time her eyes were fastened not so
much on the face of the stranger as on
a piece of yellow holly he wore In his
coat. "I nm perfectly well," said Mrs.
Jersey. "This is only one of my turns.
I am glad to see you, Mr."?
"Brendon," said the stranger, who
seemed astonished at this reception.
"George Brendon," interpolated
Train, who was alive with curiosity.
"Have you seen him before, madame?"'
. Mrs. Jersey laughed artificially.
"Certainly not," she replied calmly,
"and yours is not a face I should for
get, Mr. Brendon."
She uttered the name with n certaiu
amount of hesitation, as though she
was not sure it was the right o?e.
George nodded. ? ^
"My name is Brtfndon," he said, rather
unnecessarily, and Mrs. Jersey nodded
in her most gracious manner.
"I bid you welcome, sir. Any friend
of Mr. Train's is also my friend. If
there is anything to amuse you here?"
Sho waved her hand. "We nro simple
people?fortune telling, n little music
and the company of my guests. Mrs.
Taine, Mr. Ilarmer!" She introduced
them, but every now and then her
eyes were on the yellow holly. Breedon
remarked It.
"You aro noticing my flower, Mre.
Jersey," he said. "It Is rather rare."
"Most extraordinary," replied Mrs.
- (IT MAA. KAIU
ovvnvy uwjuy. a uu \c nrcu uuiijr nuu
red berries before, but this yellow"?
"There was a great bush of It In my
father's garden." said Mr. Hanner,
"but I have not seen any for years."
"Perhaps you would like It, Mrs. Jersey,"
said Brendon, taking It from bis
coat.
She hastily waved her hand. "No,
no! 1 am too old for flowers. Keep ft,
Mr. Brendon. It suits better with
your youth," she looked at his face
Iffecnly. "I have seen a face like yours
before."
tirendon laughed. "1 am of a commonplace
type, I fear," he said.
"No; not so very commou. Fair hall
and dork eyes do not usually go to
gvther. Perhaps 1 burs met yon
(MMT
???M?^E???
I. IIAIR,^
Office Bank Building
Union. 8 <
i "Perhaps," replied George phleg
? matlcally.
"Or your mother?" persisted Mrs
i , Jersey.
^ "I dare sayl" Then ho turned thi
conversation. "What a delightful old
f house you have here!"
i Mrs. Jersey bit her lip on finding hei
i Inquiries thus bullied, but, tnking hei
i cue. expanded on the subject of th?
house. "It was a fashionable mansion
,in the time of the Georges," she said,
""Some of the ceilings are wonderfully
painted, and there are all kinds of
queer rooms and cupboards and corners
In It. Will you have some negus,
port wine negus, Mr. Brendon?"
i She was evidently talking at random,
and offered him a glass of negus with
a trembling hand. Brendon, evidently
more and more astonished at her manner,
drank off the wine. He made few
, remarks, being a man who spoke little
In general company. Train had long
- ago gone to hear Miss Hull tell for'tunes,
and from the laughter it was
videut that his future was being
prophesied.
? "No, no," cried Train, "I shall never
?f marry. A literary man should keep
himself away from the fascinations of
female society."
"Do you agree with that, Mr. Brendon?"
asked Mrs. Jersey curiously.
He shook Lis head and laughed. "I
f am not a hermit, Mrs. Jersey."
"Then Miss Bull must prophesy about
your marriage. Come!"
At first Brendon was unwilling to go.
but after some persuasion he submitted
to be led to the table. Miss
Bull was quite willing to do what was
asked of her, and spread out the cards.
n i
"You will meet with a violent death."
Brendou waited beside Mrs. Jersey
with n mo&t Indifferent air. She was
j far more anxious to hear the fortune
than he was.
"You are in trouble," announced
% r(nn x> * 11 i ? ? ? i ,.t \ i. " >
oxinu duii in a Hqiuii'iirui luiiu, uiiu
the trouble will grow worse. But in
the end nil will he well. She will aid
you to get free and will bestow her
hand on you."
"She?" asked Brendon, looking puzzled.
Miss Bull did not raise her eyes. "The
lady you are thinking of."
Brendon was rather taken aback, but
seeing Mrs. Jersey's curious look he
crushed down his emotion. "At my
age we are always thinking of ladles,"
he said, laughing.
Train touched -his arm. "It is"? he
began, but Brendon frowned, and Leonard
was quick enough to take the hint.
Miss Bull went on telling the fortune.
There were the usual dark and fair
people, the widow, the journey, the
money and all the rest of the general
events and happenings which are usually
foretold. But there was always
trouble, trouble, and again trouble.
"But you will come out right in the
end," said Miss Bull. "Keep a brave
heart."
"I am sure Mr. Brendon will do that,"
said niadame graciously.
While (Jeorge bowed to the compliment
Miss Bull again shuffled the
cards aikl fastened her keen black
eyes on uiadame. "Will you have your
fortune told?" she asked coldly.
"Oh, certainly," said Mrs. Jersey in a
most gushing manner; "anything to
umusek *But my fortune has been told
so often and has never come true?
never." And she sighed in an effective
manner.
Miss Bull continued hc-i mystic counting.
She told madam* a lot of things
about the house which were known to
most present. Mrs. Jersey laughed and
[ aneereu. t>u..ueni.v .wss mm lurue i
I up n black card. ' You will meet witli
a violent death," alio said, and every
one slmklojed.
CITAl'TEIl II.
IV Mis J 1? II wished to make
mndfiuio uncomfortable she eerir.ir!
?.:c. ic oi. From being
Voluble, . '.v.i. .1 orsey boeame silent,
tilt* in-ill color died out of lier
face and I,or lips in ived nervously.
Twice i.iil s;io make an effort to overco-.ro
l.tv e..i >. i >n. but each tbno failed
> Afterward e took a scat by the Arc
and at;.rod into the ('.antes with an nnx
ions look, as though she saw therein
1 a fulfillment of ihe dismal prophecy,
' Her cojircs i'.on communicated Itself tc
the rest of tlie company, and shortly
before 10 the friends took their departure.
The Idea of being alone seem
' cd to cheer Mrs. .lorsey, and she ne
compaulcd her departing guests to the
(Qonflnittd on Qlh
J
V
H ?
Humor on? Philosophy
By DUNCAN M. SMITH
? .
Copyright, 1904, by Duncan M. Smith.
PERT PARAGRAPHS.
To rcncli the dazzling, satisfying
heights of success too many men want
to take the elevator.
I A weather prophet has a way of
t loftily overlooking the guesses that he
missed.
A mosquito has such a way of prov?
Ing an alibi Just at the spot where a
man's hand comes down for the purpose
of crushing It!
' Any court that could give a man a
divorce from work would have all of
, the business It could take care of.
Appearances are deceitful. A woman
Is not always as cool as she looks.
Man Is a creature of circumstances,
I but women are often the clrcumi
stances.
Cold In the Icebox Is worth two In
J the head.
| A free lunch is one of the things
that n man pays for indirectly at double
rates.
A Wise Old Boy.
The man who writes In to the paper
With knowledge Is filled to the brim,
And he Is dead willing to share it
With all who will listen to him.
He knows that officials are crooked
And that with corruption they reek.
And It Is his pleasure to show It
In two or three columns a week.
j He knows that tTie war's misconducted
And how the election should go,
l And how the police should go at It
jlo maKe automobiles go slow.
Ho knows how to cut down the taxes
And thus save a dollar or two,
He knows how to doctor the tariff
And Just what the council should do.
The man who writes In to the paper
Wants everything cut to his mold,
And when things don't go to his liking
His privilege then is to scold.
| His pen runs along like an engine
When he should be sleeping at night.
Because It's his Job, self appointed.
To keep the old earth running right.
Revels In Gore,
knock the sklllflil pnatfmg
census report take the unconflrmed ru;
mor. When two nations are at war
with each other and the outposts are
taking an occasional shot at the scenery
to keep their guns from getting
rusty the unconflrmed rumor steps in,
; Rnd there Is something doing from one
end of the cable line to the other.
It goes forth before breakfast and
lightly kills off 10,000 or 20,000, Just
as the humor seizes It, and that Is only
a starter on Its day's work. It Is Just
as easy for It to kill off a regiment as
i a company, and sometimes whon it
feels that the world's supply of shocks
Is running low will wipe out a division
i and never turn a hair or shed a tear.
But it has a beautiful system of
economy, for it can use the same men
over and over again, and they will not
be one bit the worse for wear.
No nation that contemplates going
! to wnr should fall to stock up on un1
confirmed rumors if it would use the
i Infest nnd deadliest of weapons.
i ~
One Drawback.
I Ho thought that
he could write (yC^tiC^v 1
point and >- u . ,
And could have? j
but he couldn't^^^^^^*r-J/fn IgSA
Of anything
Cheap Pleasure.
"lie Is thinking of buying an automobile."
"I didn't suppose he had that much
money."
"It doesn't cost anything to think
about It." ,
What's In a Name T
"lie certainly was a humorist who
i first called a vessel without a regular
run a tramp steamer."
"Where is the Joke?"
"It lives on water."
A Double Favor.
"His uncle died and Left him several
millions."
"IIow kind of him!"
"To die or to leave the moneyT*
"Both."
The Difference.
The man who owe* you money
You hunt for far and wide;
The fellow whom you owe It to
Turn* up on every *lde.
May Be the Greater.
"Of two evils do yon think a man
Bhould choose the lesser?"
nI can't say that I do. I am a great
believer in matrimony."
Something Like It.
"Can you square the circle?"
"Not exactly, but 1 <eaa#et round ?
Quote amk*
- ? iii iiia^a > *
A> Cough
" I have made a most thorough
trial of Ayer's Cherry Pectoral and
am prepared to say that for all diseases
of the lungs it never disap
points."?J. E. Finley, I ronton, O.
Ayer's Cherry Pectoral
won't cure rheumatism;
we never said it would.
It won't cure dyspepsia;
we never claimed it. But
it will cure coughs and
colds of all kinds. We
first said this sixty years
ago ; we've been saying it
ever since.
Consult your doctor. If he says take It,
then do as he says. I f lie tells yon not to
tako it, then don't take it. lie knows.
The first law of health? <s Keep
the bowels regular." Ayer's Pills
are gently laxative. One is a dose.
J. C. A. YER CO., Lowell, Mass.
Wood's Seeds.
Crimson Clover
Sown at the Vast working
of the Corn or Cotton Crop,
can be plowed uniler the following
April or May in time to plant corn
or other crops the same Beason.
Primwnn Plntrof ?* ? * ?
....wvu VJU*^,1 ^icvnitn winter
leaching of the soil, is equal in fertilizing
value to a good application
of stable manure and will wonderfully
increase the j iel.l and Quality
of corn or other crops which
follow it. It also makes splendid
winter and spring grazing, fine
early green feed, or a good hay
crop. Even if the crop is cut otf,
the action of tlie roots and stubble
improve the land to a marked degree.
Write for price and special circular
telling about seeding etc.
T.W.Wood & Sons, Seedsmen,
RICHMOND, - VIRGINIA.
Wood's Descriptive Pnll Catclog, ready
about Alig ht tclisali "bout Farm
and Vegrtr.b ?? S-*ds for Foil planting.
Mailed fr ?*on rrcjueat.
, .jL^^^^Lakes shoit roads. J
j A ^^*1
i|jrllEA9JG .
1 for everything
2 that runs on wheels.
P Sold Every wl. ,-e.
t Made by STAKDAUD f T*. CO. Jj
SCAIFE & HAMBLIN,
?
! -%-ATTt.^EYSAT LAW,^%Foster
Building. Union, S. (J.
J. CLOUGH WALLACE.
ATORNEY AT LAW.
itiHtin 12 up stairs. Foster Building
S MEANS BEATY.
I ATTORNEY AT-LAW.
No. 3, Law llange.
STOPAND READ
You will always find a full line of
FLOUR, SUGAR, COFFEE, MEAT,
LARD, CANNED AND BOTTLED
GOODS, FRESH VEGETABLES
and evt ryinii.^i '<? ?< ftund in i n
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Store. Tohticcna mid Cigars a
?ptcialty. Bring your laundry to
liiCt
J. T. SEXTON,
Main Street. Union, S. C.
CONTRACTORS' ?
^BUILDERS'^
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IH1 11 ?. Mout ?< Okt?
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