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$1.00 a Year, in Advance.
" FOR GOD, FOR COUNTRY, AND FOR TRUTH.'
Single Copy, 5 Cents.
VOL. XIII.
PLYMOUTH, N. C, FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 1902.
NO. 25.
1
1
SKIT'S
BY WILLIAM WALDO.
ACK CARDREW whistled. Then
up went his eyebrows, a second
indication of surprise. Then he
laid the note on the table, and,
standing over it with his hands on his
hips in a commanding fashion, ho read
it again to make quite sureof its con
tents: "Dear Jack: Can't possibly get back
for half an hour. Be my good angel,
there's a good chap. Madeline and I
have had a tiff; nothing really serious,
only she is so impetuous. She promised
. to call to-day, and we Avere to thrash the
whole thing out over a luncheon of the
daintiest conceiving, and here I am simply
booked for an hour or more with my only
moneyed relation. My dear old Jack, you
ssce my dilemma and your duty! If Made
line goes to Half Moon street and finds
me not there, that beautiful half hoop,
Willi tne pearls, ot cetera, (which, by the
by, is still unpaid for), will return into
niv nnxKroxiort (or the iewelcr's) . and
Madeline Oh, Jack, my dear old"
chap, you must explain how unhappy 1
was having to go out! If I stayed, 1
could make it up with Madeline, and we
should be married, but I should offend my
ilistfustinelv ricii uncle and lose my in
come. On the other hand, I am now in
pleasant proximity to the income, while
the wife precious, impetuous Madeline
is in danger of being lost forever. So you
must pacify her until 1 Come. And I say,
old boy, do just slip in a few incidental
touches as to mv ahem! manly qualities
Faint my virtues in all the iridescent hues
t-,l an abnormally neaitny imagination.
Butter me un for all vou are worth.
1 Bring us together like the good fairy in
the story boon, ana 1 snail ever remain
your izratciul Ivll.
"P. S. Say I'm a real good chap and
. all 1 hat sort or thing.
Here was a strange situation. Jack
reviewed it critically, marking off the
main points on his finger ends. Kit,
the best chap in the world, though a
little impetuous, vexes Madeline, also
impetuous. Madeline consents to a
general amnesty to discuss terms of
peace. Kit appoints here Jack con
sults his Yvatch a quarter of twelve.
Madeline agrees. Kit is ambushed by
a hopelessly wealthy uncle, and Made
line is on the point of coming to the
agreed spot to find herself, in plain
English, spoofed! Item: One interme
diaryviz. and to Yvit, Jack Cardrew
who hereby swears and undertakes to
pacify, mollify, soothe, soften and oth
erwise stroke down Madeline.
After which mental declaration Jack
fell into an armchair and tried to pic
ture Miss Madeline Nelthorpe laugh
ing at the odd chance that Yvas to give
him his first introduction to Kit's
. sweetheart.
She was late. It was five minutes
to twelve. Jack strode the room with
all the seriousness of a professional
expert in smoothing over the waters
of true love. To complete the picture
he thrust his right hand with an air
of careless meditation into his double
breasted jacket aud hooked his fore
finger into his watch pocket. It came
in contact with a hard, smooth sub
stance. A bright light illumined Jack's
face as he very carefully and tenderly
withdrew a dance programme. It
would inspire him in Kit's cause. He
knew Avhat it was to love. He had a
very deep and sincere attachment for
he looked at the programme against
the eighth dance "pink with blue
dots." So brief, so unintelligible, yet
how sweet a morsel of womanhood
was contained in those magic if slight
ly uuroinantic words, "pink with blue
dots!' And to think that was all he
knew of her! Her name, her chaperon,
alike unknown to him! The music of
her voice, the delightful roguish laugh,
the deep, unfathomable blue dots
eyes, I mean lingered in his memory
like some pleasant dream. 1
Yes, he could plead to Miss Nel
thorpe on Kit's behalf with a lover's
enthusiasm. He could ppeak from
experience, for Cupid had taken him
by the hand and shown hi in a wonder
ful new world, a realm hitherto un
dreamed of, a beautiful pink paradise
with well, blue dots.
Twelve o'clock. She was late.
Just then the door opened, and Miss
Nelthorpe was announced.
A Jack came forward to meet her, then
stopped dead. Could it be? Kit's
sweetheart this?
"Mr. Cardrew," exclaimed the bo
witching visitor in a tone of genuine
amazement, "what a surprise!"
"Fink with blue dots," cried Jack,
wiih a look of chagrin.
"Then you haven't forgotten mo?"
"Forgotten you? No; 1 wish I had.
I mean I wich oh, to think what I
Lave promised!"
J
SWEETHEART.il
And he let slip the little suede fingers
of his lost angel and metaphorically
turned his back on paradise.
"The eighth dance," said Miss Nel
thorpe, with a sigh and a half laugh
"The seventh heaven,'? groaned Jack
"Miss Nelthorpe, let me tell you every
thing," continued the unhappy Car-
drew, taking a low seat by the girl's
side and assuming a martyr at the
stake expression. "When I saAv you
melt into a croAvd hovering and press
ing about the refreshment buffet at
the dance the other night. I felt al
most inclined to run after you and
beg you not to leave me. The thought
that we might never meet again chilled
and sickened me. For the truth is.
was hopelessly;- desperately, madly,
blindly and all the rest of it, in love
Avith you."
"Mr. Cardrew!" ejaculated she. rising
with a pretty gloAV in her cheeks.
"Sit doAvn," said Jack quietly and
with a matter of fact air. "For three
Avhole days I have felt the ebb and
flow of a strong tide of passion,
have suffered apprehension lest
should never see you, lest you should
forget me, lest my violent attachment
should work itself out like a cold in
the head."
Miss Nelthorpe looked perplexed.
"An hour ago," said Jack, rising ab
ruptly, "and I would have given nlLl
possess to meet you. Now you are the
last person in the world I desired to
see. Oh, I'm an awful unlucky chap!"
The A'isitor grew a little uneasy.
"I don't understand you," she said,
simply.
"I wish j'cu hadn't come in, that's
all," said Jack.
"If I had known " began Miss
Nelthorpe. "But I came to see "
"Kit."
"Yes," assented she, surprised at
Jack's boisterous interruption.
"Kit, fortunate Kit." "
"And he promised to meet "
"But you'll forgive him. He left me
here aud, after making me promise to
wring from j-ou an assurance of for
giveness, told me to be sure and not
let you go until he came back."
"But I want . to tell you " said
Miss Nelthorpe, with a roguish laugh.
"No, no. I won't listen," said Jack,
resolutely. "You're going to slang Kit.
You are going to blame him, scold
him. Noav you must forgive him.
He's such a splendid chap, and and it
was I Yvho made him go out."
"I'm glad," she said, and laughed.
"Glad? Then you didn't want to
meet him and make it up?"
"No. It's not exactly that."
"After all, it was only a lover's quar
rel, a slight brush, and all about a
hat, a paltry toque. You see, Kit has
told me everything. Now you're sorry,
really sorry, Kit is out, aren't you?"
"No," began she in a petulant tone.
"Now," said Jack, in cheery tones,
"I see you relenting. The hard little
heart is melting."
She laughed outright.
"Very well, then," she admitted, her
face wreathed in smiles, "I am sorry."
"Capital," said Jack. "lie's such an
aAVful decent chap Kit. You'll be so
happy, and I shall be so miserable!"
Miss Nelthorpe stroked her muff. As
she raised her eyes she saAv on a chair
near by the dance programme.
"Why," she said, "that's the pro
gram in 0 of "
"Yes," interrupted Ja-ck, hastily.
"Fancy your keeping it."
"The pencil, you know," replied he
"such a jolly handy thing to have."
"Yes," responded Miss Nelthorpe,
feelingly, "especially when it hasn't a
point."
Jack blushed.
"By Jove," he said in desperation,
"what a splendid chap Kit is!"
"Yes; you told me."
"I suppose you're simply devoted to
him."
"Humph! Yes, I I like him."
"Like him!" repeated Jack. "My
dear Miss Nelthorpe, you love him; you
knoAV you do."
"Likes him," lie said to himself.
"She only likes him."
The girl gave the case duo consid
eration. "Well," she said, "perhaps you are
right, Mr. Cardrew. 1 do love him."
Jack's face fell.
"Loves him," he said to himself.
"I've over-persuaded her. I'm forcing
her Into a loveless, distasteful mar
riage, and I simply worship her."
"When I say I like him love him,"
explained Miss Nelthorpe, taking
Jack's dismal expression as an index
of his true feelings, "of course I mean
in a friendly way a brotherly way."
"Friendly!" said Jack. ("Angel!" he
thought.) "Brotherly!" said Jack.
("Lovely creature!" he thought.)
"Poor old Kit!" he ejaculated in iiis
most buoyant tone. ("She doesn't care
a snap for him. She has thrown him
up. She's in love with mo, while I
have promised "
"Poor old Kit!" echoed Miss Nel
thorpe. "If only "
"If only," repeated Jack, comiog
closer and touching her gloved hand.
"Oh," she said, "you mustn't do
that."
"No."
"I moan, you oughtn't to."
"No."
Silence for exactly thirty seconds.
"After all," said Jack, Avith a gallant
attempt at gayety, "you can't do better
than stick to Kit. Make a better hus
band than I "
"Why, Avhat do you mean?"
'Handsome chap, well made. I'm
loose-jointed, plain. Kit's amiability
itself. I'm never civil before twelve
and nlAvays grumpy Yvhen the sun goes
in. Kit's bright, talkative, witty, com
panionable. I'm silent, unsociable and
dull."
"And your livers?" inquired Miss
Nelthorpe.
"I don't believe Kit has one, while
I I believe I've got two. Now you
see what a treasure you've got in Kit."
And Jack picked the programme up
and nursed it tenderly.
She watched him closely.
"So you'll forget his little unreason
ablcness, won't your"
"One one condition," she said.
"And that?"
"That you will put that programme
in the fire." Jack eyed it longingly
"If I marry Kit," said the girl, Yvit.h
a little laugh, "it would be as well not
to cherish old memories."
"It Yvill be only a memory. Won't
you let me keep it?" he asked plain
tively. "Better not," she said.
"The remembrance of the happiest
quarter of an hour in all my life "
"For Kit's sake."
Jack folded the silken cord about it
and went over to the fireplace.
"A pencil is such an awfully handy
thing."
'j.for Kit's sake." lie raised It above
the flames. "Wait," said the girl. "I
just remember I am always wanting a
pencil. Perhaps it would do if I took
it." Jack handed it to her as if it
Avere coronet of thistledown. She took
it with a little queenly air of triumph
and put it in her muff. "There." she
said; "that means you must forget
me."
Jack groaned.
"And you'll make it up with Kit?"
he said, dismally. "Ot of course 1
want you to."
"Oh, we're very good friends," re
turned she.
"And when you two are married,"
began Jack in a thick, tragic, basso
profuudo.
"Married!" cried Miss Nelthorpe,
breaking into a rippling flood of laugh
ter. "Oh, yvo shall never marry!"
"Never marry! Ah, you are heartless
to talk like that, to laugh! Poor Kit!
He's In a fool's paradise."
Miss Nelthorpe grew serious.
"And Yvould you like me to marry
Kit?" she asked, taking a more than
usual interest in the pattern of the
carpet.
"How can you ask? For Kits sake,
yes. ' .
Well." sh2 said, getting up abrupt
ly, 'T can't Avait for Kit another sec
ond. It's a shame!"
Jack turned to remonstrate.
"It's of no use. I can't stay. I must
leave a message."
"But he'll be back in a minute."
"Just in time to find me gone. Mr.
Cardrew, may I intrust a message with
you?"
"But you must stay
"Will yon tell Kit that Madeline is
in bed with a cold "
"Madeline in bed "
"And that I have called as a deputy
peace envoy.
You you!" exclaimed Jack, trem
bling with excitement. "Then then
vou are not Kit's sweetheart?"
Miss Nelthorpe laughed. "I did my
best to explain "
"Then you're mine!"
And ho advanced with the energy
ud swiftness of passion. The girl
gave a little start and assumed an ex
pression and carriage of dignity great
ly offended.
"Mr. Cardrew," she said, her hands
clasped together in her muff, her head
flung in the air, "you forget "
"I'm sorry," said Jack, abashed, "but
you knor how how I love you "
"It is wasted, believe me."
"Wasted!" echoed Jack ingreat de
jection. "Why, what can you mean?"
"Think, Mr. Cardrew, think Avhat it
would mean?"
"I know I'm not half worthy of you
not good eno "
"Far from handsome," said she, "lose
jointed, never civil before twelve
o'clock."
"I would really try to make you
happy," pleaded Cardrew.
"As happy as a silent, unsociable,
dull husband could, I suppose."
"Perhaps, after all, I'm not as bad
as that."
"Even if you Yvcre not," said she,
with imperturbable gravity, "a man
with tAY'o livers it Avould be like mar
rying a chronic bilious attack."
Jack Yvas fairly caught.
"At any rate," he ventured, "you
will let me have my programme back,
since you are not going to marry Kit."
Miss Nelthorpe demurred. "You have
stolen my heart," said Jack in ag
grieved tones. "You have stolen my
programme "
"I should like to keep one," said the
girl, prettily, "in remembrance of the
second happiest quarter of an hour "
"The pencil has no point," said Jack.
"It wouldn't be of the least use."
"Very well,, then," she said. "I will
return it," and held it out to Jack.
He took the hand that proffered it
and held it fast.
"Won't you overlook my two livers?"
he pleaded.
"It's so unusual," she said.
"But you have two hearts," said
Jack.
Miss Nelthorpe laughed gayly.
"What a poor card player you would
make. Look, what is in your hand.
What are you holding?"
"My programme," said Jack.
"And my heart," said Miss Nel
thorpe. "You see, 3ou don't know the
strength of your hand."
"By George!" said Jack, "the win
ning heart!"
And the roses in her cheeks assented.
King.
Whence Comes Electricity?
At a time when electricity is rapidly
transforming the face of the globe,
when it has already in great measure
annihilated distance, and bids fair to
abolish darkness for us, it is curious
to notice how completely Ignorant "the
plain man" remains as to the later de
velopments of electrical theory. Some
recent correspondence has led me to
think that a vague notion that electric
ity is a fluid which in some mysterious
way flows through a telegraph wire
like water through a pipe is about as
far as he has got; aud if Ave add to this
some knowledge of Yvhat he calls "elec
tric shocks," we would probably ex
haust his ideas on the subject. Yet
this is not to be wondered at. Even
the most instructed physicists can do
nothing but guess as to Avhat electric
ity is, and the only point on Avhich
they agree is as to Avhat'it is not.
There is, in fact, a perfect consensus
of opinion among scientific writers that
it is not a fluid, I. c., a continuous
stream of ponderable matter, as is
a liquid or a gas; and that it is not a
form of energy, as is heat. Outside
this limit the scientific imagination is
at liberty to roam wlicro it listeth, and
although it has used this liberty to .1
considerable extent, no definite result
has followed up to the present time.
The Academy.
Arming the Kuemy.
England is not the only, country agi
tated by the fact that she sells arms
to both possible and actual enemies.
Professor Ehrenberg, in a recently pub
lished work, asks pertinently whether
the international market for Krupp
guns is compatible Yvith German inter
ests." Krupp has striven since ISIS to
interest the French Government in his
guns, and only recently Avent to Brest
at France's request to arrange for a
ueAV electrical iustadation. In the last
Chinese campaign Krupp guns were
actually used against the Germans.
It is naturally repugnant to the na
tional feeling that weapons made in
Germany should ser-c to kill German
troops. And Germany has an arbitrary
way of settling national questions to
the liking of the nation rather than
to the individual. London Espress.
TO CHANGE PIG NATURE.
A Government Attempt to Make It
Cleanly in Its Habits.
The Department of Agriculture is
about to attempt a reform. Having
come to the conclusion that if tne hog
had a fair chance it would turn over
a new leaf, forsake its present way of
living and be as clean as any other
domestic animal, certain scientists in
the Department propose to make a
series of experiments to prove it.
The plan is to build a suitable sta
tion for the preliminary work, a house
with fenced inclosure. This accom
plished, a number of sucklings of the
Poland China variety will be taken for
the first experiments.
These animals will be put into a
clean pen, carpeted with moist sand
and isolated from all contaminating
associations. Cooling baths will be
provided for the little pigs and th,y
will be fed on dainty food.
Their education will not include
reading, writing and arithmetic, since
these accomplishments would not en
hance the value of their fleh, but
hygienic principles will be sternly in
culcated and they will not be allowed
to folloAV their natural instincts, not,
at least, for a year when the compul
sory education will be changed to the
elective system.
At the end of this time the carefully
raised snoats Avill be turned loose in
a large enclosure, half of which will
be arranged in the same luxurious
style as their former habitation, while
the other half will be converted into
a pigsty, a veritable old-fashioned pig
sty, into which garbage will be poured
for the pigs' consumption and in which,
there will be plenty of soft, black mud
for them to wallow in.
Should the delicately nurtured pigs
choose the sty the Department, of
Agriculture will be disappointed, but
not discouraged, and will accept the
choice as evidence that the pigs have
not been sufficiently educated, at
least, that heredity is too strong to be
overcome in one generation. The
same method will be tried upon the
next generation of pigs, the offspring
of those on which the first experiment
was made, and so the work will go on
from generation to generation until
the natural instinct is changed and the
descendants of the first pigs that the
Department tried to turn to ways of
cleanliness and dainty habits will of
their own volition select pure and
clean habitations and take a tub as
often as the travelling Briton.
It is asserted by the authorities at
the Department of Agriculture that
the primitive hog was as clean as any
other animal, but that man, who sub
jected it, taught it, from mistaken
utilitarian motives, to eat putrid food
and since no clean Epring was acces
sible it naturally bathed in the mud
of its sty. In proof of this they cite
the wild hog of today, which is said
to be as clean in its habits as a
hound.
Their project supposes that ac
quired characteristics can be inherit
ed, but this theory is opposed to the
beliefs of the leading authorities on
the subject, who have decided that ac
quired characteristics cannot b
transmitted. New York Sun.
Troubles of ToDng Housewives.
A young housewife, from upstate,
who had been recently married, called
upon one of her neighoors in an apart
ment house a day or tAvo ago looking
for information, says the New York
Post. She saluted her neighbor with
"How do you kill crabs?" "What on
earth are you talking about?" "Well,
you see, my husband sent home some .
crabs for dinner, and he will be home
scon, and I don't know how to kill
them. I have been trying to drown
them for an hour, and they are just as
lively as ever."
Another young married woman
from one of the suburbs of Boston,
came to live in Noav York. One after
noon she was entertaining tAvo callers
at tea, when the husband of one
dropped in. She kneAv very well that
he did not care for tea, and thought
her husband might not like it if she
did not give him something to drink.
She asked him if he Avould have some
whisky, and on his replying in the af-
urinative, left the room. After a
somewhat long absence, she returned
with a bottle in each hand, saying:
"I can't find the whisky, but here is
some 'Cog-nac and some Baltimore
rye. Will either of those do?"
To provide nr. -tin:; places for birds
the Kaiser ha.3 had fifty-two boxes
placed in the trees in various parts of
ihe Sans Ecucl Park, in Potsdam.