l)t !)ol!)am , uccoro.
hTaTlondon,
Editor and Proprietor.
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THE SPLENDID SPUR
OR
THE ADVENTURES
Bf AKTHDR T.
CHAPTER VIII.
(Continued.)
She bandaged the sore with linen
from my shirt, and tied it round with
sackcloth from her own dress. 'Twas
all most gently done; and then I found
her arms under rue, and myself lifted
as easy as a baby.
"Left arm round ray neck. Jack; an'
sing out if 'tis hurtin' thee."
It seemed but six steps and we were
out on the bright hillside" not fifty
paces from where the plow yet stood
in the furrow.
Down the hill she carried me, pick
ing the softest turf and moving with
an easeful swing that rather-lull'd my
hurt than jolted it. I was dozing,
even, when a strange noise awoke me.
'Twas a high, protracted note, that
seeui'd at first to swell up toward us,
and then broke off in half a dozen or
more sharp yells. Joan took no heed
of them, but seeing my eyes unclose
and hearing me moan, stopped short.
'Hurts thee, lad?"
"Xo. 'Twas not my pain but the
sight of the sinking sun that wrung the
exclamation from me I was thinking,'"
I muttered.
'Don't; 'tis bad for health" But. bide
thee still awhile, and shalt lie 'pon a
soft bed."
By this time we had come down to
the road and the yells were still going
on, louder than ever. We cross'd the
road, descended another slopo. and
came all at once on a pile of low build
ings that a moment before had been
hid. 'Twas but three hovels of mud,
stuck together in the shape of a head
less cross, the main arm pinting out
toward the moor. Around SB whole
ran a battered wall, patched jb furs,
and from this dwelling tht is?reams
were issuing
"Joan:" the voice began, "Joan Jan
Tergagle's a clawin' my legs Gar-rout,
thou devil's cat Blast thee, let me zog!
PuH'n off Joan Jo-an!"
The voice died away into a wail, then
broke out in a racket of curses. Joan
stepped to the door and flung it wide.
As my eyes grew used to the gloom in
side, they saw this:
A rude kitchen the furniture but
two rickety chairs, now toss'd on their
faces, an oak table, withlegs sunk into
the earth, a keg of strong waters, tilted
over and draining upon the mud floor,
a ladder leading up to a loft, and iu
two of the corners a few bundles of
bracken strewn for bedding. To the
left, as one entered, was an open
hearth; but the glowing peat-turves
were now pitch'd to right and left
over the hearthstone and about the
floor, where they rested, filling the den
with smoke. LJnder one of the chairs
a black cat spat and bristled, while in
the middle of the room, barefooted in
the embers, crouched a man. He was
half naked, old and bent, with matted
gray hair and beard hanging almost to
his waist. His chest and legs were
bleeding from a score of scratches, and
he pointed at the cat, opening and
shutting his mouth like a dog, and
barking out curse upon curse.
Xo way upset, Joan stepped across
the kitchen, laid me on one of the
Vracken beds, and explain'd:
"That's feyther; he's drunk."
With which she turn'd, dealt the old
man a cuff that stretch'd him senseless,
and gathering up the turves, piled them
afresh on the hearth. This done, 6he
took the keg, and gave me a drink of
It. The stuff scalded me, but I thanked
her. And then, when she had shifted
my bed a bit to ease the pain of lying,
she righted a chair, drew it up and
sat beside meT The old man lay like a
log where he had fallen, and was now
snoring. Presently, the fumes of the
liquor, or mere faintness, mastered me,
and my eyes closed. But the picture
they closed upon was that of Joan, as
she leaned forward, chin in hand, with
the glow of the fire on her brownish
skin and in the depths of her dark
eyes.
But the pain of my heart followed
into my dreams. I woke with a start
and tried to sit up.
Within the kitchen all was quiet.
The old savage was still stretched on
the floor; the cat curled upon the
hearth. The girl had not stirred; but
looking toward the window hole, I saw
night outside, and a frosty star spark
ling far down in the west,
"Joan," what's the hour?"
"Sun's been down these four hours."
She turned her face to look at me.
"I've no business lying here."
"Chose to come, lad; none axed thee,
that I knows by."
"Where's the mare? Must set me
across her back, Joan, and let me ride
on."
"Mare's in stable, wi' fetlocks
swelled like puddens. Chose to come,
lad; an' choose or no, must bide."
"'Tis for the General Hopton, at
Bodmin, I am bound, Joan: and wound
or no, must win there this night." '
"And that's seven mile away; wi' a
bullet in thy skull, and a peat quag thy
burial."
"But go I must," cried I; and here
upon I broke out with all the trouble
that was on my mind, and the instant
need to save these gallant gentlemen of
Cornwall, ere two armies should com
bine against them. I told of the King's
letter in my breast, and how I found
the Lord Stamford's men at Launces
ton; how that Ruthven, with the. van
guard of the rebels, was. now at
Liskeard, with but a bare day's march
ing between the two, and none but I to
parry, the warning. And "Oh, Joan!"
vol. xxvn. pittsboro, Chatham county, n. a, Thursday, march so.iaos. no. 33.
-
OF JACK MARVEL.
QCILLER COUCH."
I cried, "my comrade I left upon the
road. Brighter courage and truer heart
never man proved, and yet left by me
in the rebels'" hands. Alas! that I
could neither save nor help, but must
still ride on; and here is the issue
to lie struck down within ten mile of
my goal I, that have traveled two
hundred. And if the Cornishmen be
not warned to give fight before LSrd
Stamford come up, all's lost. Even
now they be outnumber'd. So lift me,
Joan, and set me astride Molly, and I'll
win to Bodmin yet."
"Reckon, Jack, thou'd best hand me
thy letter."
Now I did not at once catch the ex
tent of these words, so simply spoken,
but stared at her like an owl.
"There's horse in -stall, lad," she
went on. "Tearaway's the name and
strawberry the color."
"But, Joan, Joan, if you do this feel
inside my coat here, to the left you
will save an army, girl, maybe a
throne! Here 'tis, Joan, see no, not
that here! Say the seal is that of the
Governor of Bristol, who stole it from
me for a while; but the handwriting
will be known for the King's, and no
hand but yours must touch it till you
stand before Sir Ralph Hopton. The
King shall thank you, Joan; and God
will bless you fo't."
"Hope so, I'm sure. But larn me
what to say, lad; for I be main thick
witted."
So I told her the message, over and
over, till she had it by heart.
"Shan't forgit, now," she said, at
length; "an' so hearken to me for a
change. Bide still, nor fret thysel'.
Here's pasty an' oat cake, an' a keg o'
water that I'll stow beside thee. Pay
no heed to feyther, an' if he wills to get
drunk an fight wi' Jan Tergagle
that's the cat why, let'n. Drunk or
sober, he's no 'count."
She had the letter in her bosom and
stepped to the door.
She was gone. In a minute or so I
heard the trampling of a horse; and
then, with a scurry of hoofs, Joan was
off on the King's errand and riding
into the darkness.
Little rest had I that night, but lay,
awake on my bracken bed and watched
the burning peat turve turn, to gray,
and drop, flake by flake, till only a
glowing point remained.
As day began to break, the old man
picked himself up, yawned and lounged
out, returning after a time with fresh
turves for the hearth. He noticed me
no more than a stone, but when the fire
was restacked drew up his chair to the
warmth, and breakfasted on oat cake
and a liberal deal of liquor.
All day long I lay there helpless and
waiting eagerly for Joan to return.
It was not until nightfall that there
came the trampling of a horse outside,
and then a rap at the door. The old
man started up and opened it, and in
rushed Joan, her eyes lit -up, her breast
heaving, and in her hand a naked
sword.
"Church and King, Jack!" she cried,
and flung the blade with a clang on to
the table. "Church and King! O brave
day's work, lad O bloody work this
day!"
And I swooned again.
CHAPTER IX.
I Buy a Looking Glass at Bodmin Fair
and Meet With Mr. Hannibal
Tingcomb.
There had, indeed, been brave work
on Braddock Down that 19th of Jan
uary. For Sir Ralph Hopton with the
Cornish grandees had made short busi
ness of Ruthven's army driving it
headlong back on Liskeard at the first
charge, chasing it through that town,
and taking 1200 prisoners (including
Sir Shilston Calmady), together with
many colors, all the rebel ordnance and
ammunition, and most of their arms.
At Liskeard, after refreshing their
men, and, holding next day a solemn
thanksgiving to God. they divided the
Lord Mohun with Sir Ralph Hepton
and Colonel Godolphin marching with
the greater part of the army upon Sal
tash, whither Ruthven had fled and
was intrenching himself; while Sir
John Berkeley and Colonel Ashburn
ham, with a small party of horse-and
dragoons and the voluntary regiments
of Sir Bevill Grenville, Sir Nich. Slan
ning, and Colonel Trevanion, turned to
the northeast, toward Launceston and
Tavistock, to see what account they
might render of the Earl of Stamford's
army; that, however, had no stomach
to await them, but posted out of the
county into Plymouth and Exeter.
'Twas on this expedition that two or
three of the captains I have mentioned
halted for an hour or more at Temple,
as well to recognize Joan's extreme t
meritorious service, as to tnanK me ior
the part I had in bringing news of the
Earl of Stamford's advance. For 'twas
this, they own'd, had saved them the
King's message being but an exhorta
tion and an advertisement upon some
lesser matters, the most of which were
already taken out of human hands byl
the turn of events.
But though, as I learn'd, these gen
tlemen were full of compliments and
professions of esteem, I neither "saw
nor heard them, being by this time de
lirious of a high fever that followed my J
wound. And not till three good weeks
after, was I recover'd enough to leave
my bed, nor, for many more, did my
full strength return to me. . No mother
could have made a tenderer nurse than
was Joan throughout this time. 'Tis to
m 1 11
a w
her I owe it that I am alive to write
these words; and if the tears scald my
eyes as I do so, you will pardon them,
I promise, before the end of .my tale
is reached.
In the days of my recovery, news
came'to us (I forget how) that a solemn
sacrament, had been taken between
the parties in Devon and Cornwall, and
the country at peace. Little I cared, at
the time; but was content now spring
was come to loiter about the tors, and
while watching Joan at her work, to
think upon Delia. For, albeit, I had
little hope to see her again, my late
pretty comrade held my thoughts the
day long. I shared them with nobody;
for tho' 'tis probable I had let some
words fall in my delirium, Joan never
hinted at this, and I never found out.
One day 'twas early in -May we
went to Bodmin Fair, where I bought
Joan a'hand mirror, which I handed to
her as we were riding home.
"What i' the world be this?" she
asked, taking and looking at it doubt
fully. " -
"Why, a mirror."
"What's that?"
"A glass to see your face in," I ex
plained. "
"Be this my face?" She rode for
ward, holding up the glass in front of
her. "Why, what a handsome looking
gal I be, to be sure! Jack, art certain
'tis my very own face?"
"To be sure," said I, amazed.
"Well!" There was silence for a full
minute, save for our horses' tread on
the highroad. And then ,
"Jack, I be powerful dirty!"
This was true enough, and it made
me laugh. She looked up solemnly at
my mirth (having no sense of a joke,
then or ever) and bent forward to the
glass again.
"By the way," said I, "did you mark
a carriage just outside the crowd by
the Cheap Jack's booth with a white
haired gentleman seated inside?"
Joan nodded. "Master Hannibal
Tingcomb, steward o' Gleys."
"What!"
I jumped in my saddle, and with a
pull at the bridle, brought Molly to a
standstill.
"Of Gleys?" Tcried. "Steward of Sir
Deakin Killigrew that was?"
"Right," lad, except the last word.
That is,' should'st rather say."
"Then you are wrong, Joan; for he's
dead and buried, these five months.
AVhere is this house of, Gleys? for
to-moiTow I must ride there."
"'Tis easy found, then; for it stands
on the south coast yonder, and no
house near it; five miles from any
where, and sixteen from Temple, due
south. Shall waut thee afore thou
startest, Jack. Dear, now; who'd ha'
thought I was so dirty?"
The cottage door stood open as we
rode into the yard, and from it a faint
smoke came curling, with a smell of
peat. Within I found the smould'ring
turves scatter'd about as on the day
of my first arrival, and among them
Joan's father stretch'd, flat on his face;
only this time the cat was curl'd up
quietly and lying between the old
man's shoulder blades.
"Drunk again,' 'said Joan shortly.
But looking more narrowly I marked
a purplish stain on the ground by the
old man's mouth, and turned him softly
over. . -
"Joan," said I, "he's not drunk-he s
dead!"
She stood above us and looked down,
first at the corpse, then at me, without
speaking for a time; at last
"Then I reckon he may so well bo
buried." . t
"Girl," I call'd out, being shock'd at
this callousness, " 'tis your father and
he is dead!"
"Why, that's so, lad. An' he were
alive, shouldn't trouble thee to
bury 'n."
And so, before night, we carried him
up to the bleak tor side, and dug his
grave there; the black cat following us
to look. Five feet deep we laid him,
having dug down to solid rock; and
having covered him over, went silently
back to the hovel. Joan had not shed
a single tear. ,
The next morning, following Joans
directions and her warnings against
quags and pitfalls, I was soon riding
South across the moor and well on my
road to the House of Gleys.
It was high noon and a dull, cheer
less day before the hills broke and let
me have sight of the sea. Nor till the
noise of the surf was in my ears did I
mark the chimneys and naked gray
walls of" the house I was bound for.
A thin line of smoke -blown level
from the chimney was all the sign of
life in the building; for the narrow
li"-hvs of the upper story were mostly
shuttered,, and the lower floor was hid
from me. by a high wall enclosing a
courtlage. in front. One stunted ash,
with boughs tortured and bent toWard
the mainland, stood by the gate, which
was lock'd. A smaller door, also lock'd,
was let into the gate, and in this again
a shuttered iron grating. Hard by
dangled a rustjr bell-pull, at which 'I
tugg'd sturdily.
On this, a crack'd bell sounded; far
in the house, and scared a flock of
starlings out of a disus'd chimney.
Their cries died away presently, and
left no sound but that of the gulls
wailing about the cliff at my feet.
This was all the answer I won.
I rang again, anda third time, and
now at last came the sound of foot
steps shuffling, across the court within.
The shutter of the grating was slipp'd
back, and a voice; crack'd as the bell,
asked my business.
"To see Master Hannibal Tingcomb,"
answer I.
"Thy name?"
" He shall hear it in time. Say that
I come on business concerning the es
tate." The voice mutter'd something, and
the footsteps went back. I had been
kicking my heels there for twenty
minutes or more when they returned,
and the voice repeated the question:
"Thy name?"
(To be continued.)
4T
x The Great Highway.
Among the principal addresses at the
New York and Chicago Road Associa
tion's recent convention at Erie, Pa.,
was one by Frank Z. Wilcox, of Syra
cuse, in which the need for and justice
of government aid in constructing in
terstate highways on modern line was
plainly and forcibly set forth. Mr.
Wilcox saicTin part: .
"It has been said that good roads
are the natiod's salvation. If that is
so, then in proportion as its roads are
improved, in just that proportion will
salvation come to the nation, and sal
vation is not of much avail unless it be
continuous and constant.
"No chain or bond is stronger than
its weakest link, and no highway can
attain its greatest usefulness unless
it is improved its entire length. If
there be road improvement in places
or localities, and then a liquid morass
of mud in other sections, the money
expended on the improved portions
has been practicaly thrown away. The
methods we have been pursuing in
road improvement have amounted to
a hit or miss system, which equals no
system at all, and if any project in the
wide world should be thoroughly sys
tematized road improvement should
be that system, as it involves-au ex
penditure of the people's money. Peter
Cartwright on one occasion was asked
by his bishop if he was growing in
grace. He replied that he was growing
in spots. So far we have simply here
and there improved our roads in spots,
and unless we make these improved
spots continuous all our road work
for road improvement has been, and
will be, in vain a prodigal waste of
time, energy and iuouej. Our fore
fathers in this country, contrary to
the experience of centuries, inaugurat
ed the present townships method for
the construction, care and maintenance
of the public highways. This system
Ave have followed for more than a hun
dred years, and results have shown
that it is vicious, with scarcely a re
deeming feature.
Experience has demonstrated that no
general road improvement worthy the
name can ever be accomplished with
out State or national aid. It is un
necessary ' for us here to speak of the
old Roman roads or the continuous
lines of national highway now existent
in Europe, as these are all matters of
record. One small community or town
ship can never plan or act for other
communities or townships in the con
struction of interstate roads any more
than in other matters affecting the
general good. There must be a strong
centralized power r.cting for all these
communities cr towns in matters that
are of a common interest to all, and
what matter is of more interest and
importance to all communities or to
all the people than the common road.
Good roads of long continuous line are
necessary for the highest and best de
velopment of the nation.
"Primarily the common roads are for
the farmer and the agricultural com
munities, and anything that can be
done to foster this important factor-
the agricultural interest in national
life should be undertaken without dc
lay.
Waterproofing Unaoi.
Automobile owners and the driving
public as well will watch with intense
interest an experiment made at West
field, N. J., in the use of tar sprinkled
over a macadamized roadbed to abol
ish those twin nuisances, dust and
mud.
In France this scheme has been tried,
it is said, for some time, with much
satisfaction to the automobilist. The
plan is simple. The surface cf the
macadamized road is cleared of dust
and loose material. Then boiling tar
is sprinkled over the road lightly, and
the screenings put back and roiled
The tar sinks into the hard bed, bind
ing the stone anew and forming a new
face on top. It is claimed that it also
waterproofs the roadbed and also adds
life to it.
Macadamized roads turn into dust
and blow away. Ruts are formed by
constant wear in soft spots,-and when
it rains a pasty mud collects that is
just as objectionable as is the dust.
The tar sprinkling is intended to do
away with all this.
In the experiment a piece of an or
dinary country road, sixteen feet wide,
just outside of Westfield, N. J., was
taken. Two sections, about 1000 feet
longpwere used. On one the tar was
run over the roadbed with the dust and
screenings just as they lay. On the
other the road was swept to the hard
surface and then the tar was applied.
In both instances the result seemed to
meet with the approval of the' road
making expertsresent.
The tar was put on in a very crude
fashion by hand 'from a big watering
can. It had penetrated nearly an inch
after being on the road only three
hours, and in a short time after it was
laid there was no tracking on it, and
it did not splatter on wheels driven
over it.
H. W. Merkel, chief forester and
constructor of the zoological section
of Bronx Park, said he was very favor
ably impressed by what he say, al
though the conditio- were most un
favorable. He is going to try it on the
Bronx Park on a section of East River
walk, along the-banks of the Bronx.
A section of Cropsey avenue, Bath
Beach, Brooklyn, is also being experi
mented on, under the supervision of
Director of Highways Fort. j
The cost of treating a road in this :
ivay with tar js estimated at between
$400 and $500 a mile for a road sixteen
feet wide. This would require 3000
gallons of tar to the mile. New York
Herald. " ' . . . ,
,:
Wide or Narrow Tires.
On srood roads the Michigan station
found the draft of wide and narrow
tires about equal. On plowed land
narrow-tired wasons pulled forty-five
per cent, harder than those with wide
tires: in sand two inches deep twenty r
five per cent, harder, and on sod sixteen
per cent, harder.- A wagon not greased
pulled eighteen per cent. Jiaraer tnaa
one well greased.
WISE SERVANTS.
What the Gardeners of Darwin and Hux
ley Thought of Their Master;.
There is no personage more deeply
and deferentially aware of his own
importance than the English butler;
next to him in privileges, and ahead
of him in sturdy frankness, must stand
the Scotch gardener.
It was Darwin's gardener who, when
a friend of the family inquired after
the health of the famous naturalist,
who had been somewhat ailing, replied
confidentially that he did not doubt his
master - would be better "if only he
could find something to do!"The pa
tient and minute research iu which he
saw Darwin engaged struck his mind
as merely a foolish and fussy form of
trifling, not worthy to beeousldered
an occupation. If, instead of bother
ing about the digestive! capacity of
worthless insectivorous plants, the
great man had grown cabbages or
raised roses, the garde&er's opinion of
him would doubtless have been higher.
The gardener of Professor Huxley,
with equal unconsciousness of doing
so, also cast a slur upon his renowned
employer.
Mrs. Huxley, fearful that he might
be overworked, had inquired if he did
not need some assistance.
"Xo," came the reply; "the place. is
not very large, and Mr. Huxley is al
most as good as another man."
Better than either of these true tales
is that of the butler in a fine old Eng
lish family, whose long service had
caused him to feel a personal and pro
prietary interest in the sons and daugh
ters of the house. He could not acquit
himseif of a sense of responsibility
for their manners and conduct, and
when at a large dinner-party he noticed
one of them," a young girl who had but
recently entered society, devote an
amount of attention to her agreeable
neighbor on the right obviously in ex
cess of that accorded to the less fas
cinating gentleman on her other side,
his perturbation increased till it could
no longer be borne in silence.
Under pretense of passing her a dish,
he managed cleverly to whisper in her
ear:
"A little more conversation to the
left, miss." Youth's Companion.
WORDS CF WISDOM. '
Man proves his liberty by his loyally
to law.
He who makes friends makes' the
best fortune.
Evil has a good servant in the man
who. is proud of his doubts. ' - . '
It takes more than taste for fried
chicken to make a good pastor.
Opportunity makes the great differ
ence between the greedy and the
grafter.
Men who pride themselves upon be
ing hardbeaded, are often mere tools
in the hands of other men.
Children have moral measles some
times. Only let them alone and-they
will get well of themselves. There is
a wise herb in the gardens, and it is
called Thyme. S. Weir Mitchell.
Real character is not outward con
duct, but quality of thinking. The
teaching of the Great Exemplar on
this point was positive, but the world
has ignored its scientific exactness.
Henry Wood. ; .
Just to be good, to keep life pure
from degrading elements, to make it
constantly helpful in little ways to
those who are touched by it, to keep
one's spirit always sweet, and avoid
all manner of petty anger and irrita
bilitythat is an idea as noble as it is
difficult. Edward Howard Griggs.
Popularity of Barefoot Sandal.
Contrary to all expectations, the
barefoot sandal is here to stay, and
thousands of pairs are daily being
made up for next season. It was the
general opinion last season, when so
many of them were worn, that the sale
must have reached its climax, but more
than twice as many have been already
sold than were produced all last sea
son. The barefoot sandal is here to
stay. Not only are they being made
for the little ones, but many adults
are buying them for house slippers, be
cause of their wearing qualities.
A salesman, just returned from -his
Western trip, says out West there is
as much demand for-sandals as East
and South. While the barefoot sandal
was originally intended to be worn at
the seashore and summer resorts, this
salesman remarked that there were
hundreds of children out West who
never saw the seashore that wore
barefoot sandals, being to them the
ideal comfort anu health shoe. Shoe
Retailer.
Humanity In Firemen.
After rescuing the human inmates of
some premises in Westminster Bridge
road, which caught fire early last
month, some firemen again entered the
burning building in the hope of saving
a little retriever pup which was mak
ing frantic efforts to escape. ,They suc
ceeded in bringing out the dog, but it
died soon afterwards. The National
Canine . Defense League have now
shown their appreciation of the gallant
conduct of the. firemen b.v presenting
each with a handsome address, in
which details of the gallant act are
fully given. London, Telegraphy
"TV
5.
Humor
Man's Desires.
Alan wants but little 'here beloWj
And though he fumes and frets,
Man wants but little here below, -And
that is all he gets.
,'"." Philadelphia Record.
Accounting For the Delay.
Kome wasn't built in a day," my
son."
"Did some of the Romans go on a
strike, pa?" Brooklyn Life.
In Northern Ohio.
Stranger (looking at his watehj)
"What time do your banks close here?"
Hotei Clerk "That depends entirely
on Mrs Chadwick." Chicago Tribune.
Came in Handy.
Hoax "By the way, old man, how
was that cigar I gave you yesterday?"
Joax "Fine. My wife made catnip
tea out of it for the baby." Chicago
News. '
He Knew.
Father "But do you think you can
make my daughter happy?"
Suitor "Happy? Say! you should
just have sreen her when I proposed!'
Brooklyn Life.
' Couldn't Afford It.
Physician "Do you have any chronic
trouble with your stomach?"
Patient (with an impatient snort)
"Doctor, my salary is only $14 aweek!''
Chicago Tribune.
A Dreadful Disappointment.
"They -say he was disappointed in
love."
"Yes. Her father failed in business
5'ast a week before the day set for the
wedding.' Cleveland Plain Dealer.
An Opinion.
"A little learning may be a dauger
ous thing," remarked the Observer of
Events and Things; "but the man with
a little learning is not nearly so dan
gerous as the man who knows it all."
Yonkers Statesman.
Could Stand For Him.
She "I am -willing to mary you, but
you must see papa first."
He "I- have, but I guess I can stand
for him." Philadelphia Telegraph.
How He Looked.
'Robbed by footpads, were you? It
must have made you feel like thirty
cents."
"Yes, and I'll bet I looked like 12
o'clock."
"How do you mean?"
"Hands up." Philadelphia Ledger.
How It Occurred.
'That's an old-fashioned-looking au
tomobile you have, Cogger."
"Don't matter. It carried off a prize
the other day."
"Don't mean to say you had it at a
show?"
"No; Myrtilla eloped in it with me,"
Chicago News.
Would Eren Things Tp,
"Oh, Ouch! Stop that!" yelled
Tommy.
"Why, Tommy, aren't you ashamed?"
exclaimed his mother. "I wouldn't cry
like that if It were my hair that was
being combed."
"I'll bet you would if 1 wuz doin' the
combin'," replied Tommy, fiercely.
Urban Bigotry.
Subbubs "Oh! you may sneer, if you
please, but let me tell you the death
rate in lovely Swamphurst is so low
as to excite universal comment."
Citiman "Yes? I suppose the uni
versal comment is that there are
mighty few people who would care to
be found dead there." Philadelphia
Press.
Cheap at That.
Homer (to cabman) "Say, I want you
to drive down to the depot at noon
and call for my mother-in-law. Take
her up to the house, and I'll give you
$1." N
Cabman "Very well, sir.. But sup
she doesn't come?"
Homer "Oh, then ril give you $2."
Chicago News.
Hot the Sams.
Sappy "I overheard you defending
me last night. Mr. Jenks was com
plaining to you that i had meant to
snub him, wasn't he?"
Miss Peppery "Xo, indeed."
Sappy "No? I thought he was: at
any rate, I heard you say: 'You mis
judge him, I don't believe such a thing
ever entered Mr. Sappy's head.'"
Miss Peppery "Oh! we were just dis
cussing 'ideas.' "Philadelphia Press.
Haw, Rah JoTe! '
Johnny "Papa, what does it mean to
be apprenticed?" -
Papa "It means the binding one per
son to another by agreement. The
person so bound has to teach the other
all he can of his trade or profession,
whilst the other has to watcn and
learn how things are done-to make
himself useful in every way possible."
" Johnny "Then suppose you're ap
prenticed "to ma, ain't yoii, dad?" Lon
don TJt-Bitsf
She ,l)atl)om jftecarS.
RATES OF-ADVERTISINGr
One square, one insertion 5 " $1:00
One square, "two insertions' ,VHm" 1:60
One square, one month f, I A .J2.50
For Larger Advertise
ments Liberal " Con-
tracts will be made.
Late experience in the , British navy.
has suggested that loathsome disease
may be spread by tattooing, and those
who must decorate in this way are
warned that the needles , should Do
sterilized. '.','
Rheumatism seems to be practically
unknown in Japan. A French ob
server attributes this to the sobriety
of the people, their vegetarian diet and
their great use of water. They not
only drink large quantities of pure wa
ter, but take two or three baths daily
throughout the year. ; . r
The . appearance of a bark ' disease
among the Para rubber tress In cer
tain districts in Ceylon during .1903
created some alani among rubber
planters, but prompt measures for its
treatment were carried out under the
"advice of the Government, mycologist.
Mr. J. B. Carruthers, the .officer in
question, states that the disease Hvas
due to a canker fungus; further de
tails regarding its structure and treat
ment will form the subject. of a later
paper. .
Phosphate rock is of organic-origin,
largely derived from guano and decay
ing animal matter which contain:
phosphoric acid. In rainless regions
such as the Peruvian coast and some
of the Pacific islands, the guano may
accumulate to great thickness without
loss of soluble matter. In moist dis
tricts, however, the phosphoric con
stituents are dissolved out by perco
lating waters, and the solutions com
ing in contact with.limestone may con
vert the latter into lime phosphate.
The phosphate deposits of Florida aro
thought to have formed in this man
ner. ' . ' "" : '
Principles of construction that archi
tects have slowly worked out, Lord
Avebury suggests, were adopted by
plants millions of years ago. , Some
plant stems are round, others are tri
angular, others quadrangular,' and eo
on, and it seems possible to give a me
chanical explanation of the differ
ences. Builders have adopted the
girder as the most economical method
of resisting a strain in one direction.
Plants seem to haw built on a like
plan, tree' trunks being round to re
sist strain from all- directions, while
plants with opposite leaves and strain
in two directions have two girders,
giving a quadrangular stem, and tri
angular and pentagonal stems may be
accounted for as strengthening against
like obvious strains.
. ANJNCENIOUS CAPTAIN.
Skipper Mattson Used a Novel Method of
Stopping a Xialc In His Boat.
Many have read in Mr. Hopkinson
Smith's story of "Cap'n. Bob" who
stopped up a hole in his ferry-boat
with his own arm, and thus saved
many lives. The London Daily Ex
press describes a method of stopping
a leak no less novel and ingenious than
"Cap'n Bob's," and not so trying "to
physical well-being as that adopted
by the heroic pilot. - The Norwegian
bark Flora, bound for Cape Town, ex
perienced in the Bay of Biscay such
terrific weather that sne was obliged
to lie to for six days, s
In the buffeting that the vessel re
ceived she sprang a leak, and began
to take in water at the rate of six
inches an hour. All hands were kept
at the pumps day and night without
intermission. As the gale abated the
bark drove before it into calmer, seas.
Captain Mattson found the leak was
getting worse and set his brains to
work. He constructed a great water
proof canvas bag. sixteen feet long,
six feet in circumference and two feet
in diameter, This he kept distended
by the means of hoops, A window of
glass was let into the side, five feet
from the bottom. The captain stepped
into the bag, and by means of tackle
was drawn under water so that he
could see the leak. The other end of
the bag being open and above water,
he had plenty of air and could com
municate with his men. Two sleeves
had been made in the bag, and were
tied tightly about his wrists, so that
he could work freely.
In this way, looking at the leak
through the inserted window, the cap
tain worked steadily while the ship
was hove to. The vessel rolled in a
heavy swell, and sometimes Captain
Mattson found himself from teven to
ten feet below the surface. At one time
the chafing of his feet against the ves
sel's side wore a hole in the bagt and
the water entered and .covered him.
But he was drawn up in good time,
the bag was repaired, the work con
tinued and the leak stopped.
Wayside Observations.
Some books that are bound in gold
have only dross inside.
An up:to-date leather goods manu
facturer has brought out a new style
pocketbook which he calls the Cassie
Chadwick. Of course, it is extra large.
"Imperial Caesar dead and turned to
clay," may be made into a' jug to hold
the stuff of which eggnog is made.
There is a circus owner who is so
strict as to the use of ardent spirits
that, he refuses to employ a tight rope
walker. Dallas News.
Dodgins the Butcher. -
A miner's wife some time ago ran up
a bill at the butcher's and was always
in fear of being pressed for the money.
One day she espied the Butcherr a Mr.
Dodgin, coming up the garden path, 60
she" told her husband tv slip out the
back way and so avoid the unwelcome
visitor. The butcher,, getting no re
sponse at the front door, went to the
back, where he met the husband coin
ing out. "I am Dodgin, the butcher,"
he exclaimed, "Beilad, so am I," said
1 -tbe miner,