1 Br H.KJDER HAGGARD, -
- . . -CHAPTU II OOSTINl BI).
- "And tli is in tbe tale they told ine-com-pleted,
of course, from wbat I learned after
ward and an odd one it fa. It seeniji. that
my half brother married a Norfolk lady-
'tweet young thina and treated her liko a
dog. He was a drunken rascal, was my half
brother, and ho beat his poor wife and iihame
fully neglected her, and even ill treated tbe
two little gil ls, till at last tbe poor woman,
weak as she was from suffering and ill health,
could bear it no longer, and formed the wild
ttea of escaping to this country and throw
ing herself upon my protection. It will show
how desperate she mast have been. She
craped together and borrowed some money,
enough to pay for three second class passage
to Natal and a few pounds over, and one day, '
when her brute of a husband was away on
the driuk and gamble, she slipped on board a
jailing ship lu the London docks, and before
he knew anything about it they were well out
to. sea. But it was her last effort,
poor, dear soul, and the excitement of
it ' flnfched . her. ' Before they had
been teu days at sea she sank and died, and
tbe two poor children were left alone. Aud
what they must have suffered, or rather
what poor Jess must have suffered, for she
was old enough to feel, God only knows. But
I can tell you this, Kite has never got over the
shock to this hour. ' It has left its mark on
her, ah-; " But, let people say wbat they will,
there is a power that- looks after the helpless,
ami that power took those poor, homeless,
wandering children trader its wing. The cap
tain of the vessel befriended them, and when
at last they got to Durban some of the passen
gers made a subscription and got an old Boer,
who was coming up this way with his wife to
tbe Transvaal, to take them under bis charge.
The Boer and his vrouw treated tbe children
fairly Well, but they did not do one thing
more "than they bargained for. At tbe turn
from tbe Wakkerstrom road, that you came
along to-day, they put the children down, for
they had no luggage, and told them if they
went along there they would come to Meiu
beer Croft's bouse. That was in tho middle
of the afternoon, and they were until 8 o'clock
getting here, poor little dears, for the track
was fainter then than is is now, and they
wandered off into the veldt and would have
perished there in tbe wet and cold bad they
not chanced to see the lights of the house.
And that was how my nieces came here,
Capt. NieL And here they have been ever
since, except for a couple of years when I
sent them to the Cape for schooling, and a
lonely niuu I wasswhen they Were away."
"And how about the father?" asked John
Niel, deeply interested. "Did yon ever hear
any more of himf -
"Hear of him, the villain!" almost shouted
the old man, jumping up in wrath. "Ay,
d n him, I heard of him. What do you
think t The two chicks had been with me
some eighteen months, long enough for me to
leant to love them with all my heart, when
one fine morning, as I was seeing about the
new kraal wall, I see a fellow come riding up
(mi an old, raw boned, gray horse. Up he
oomes to me, and as he came I looked at him,
and said to myself, 'you are a drunkard, you
are, and a rognc; it' written on your face,
and, what's more, I know your face.' You
see I did not guess it was a son of my own
father's that I was looking at How
should I?"
- 'Is your name Croft? be said.
I . 'Ay,' I answered.
So is mine,' be went on with a sort of a
drunken leer. 'I'm your brother.
"Are you 1 I said, beginning to get my
back up, for I guessed what his game was,
'and what may you be after! I tell you at
once, and to your face, that if you are my
brother you are a blackguard, and I don't
want to' know you or have anything to do
with you; and if you are hot, I beg your
pardon for coupling you with such a
scoundrel.'
"Oh, that's your tune, is itr raid he, with
a sneer. 'Well, now, my dear brother Silas,
I want my children. They have got a little
half brother at home for I have married
again, Silas who is anxious to have them to
play with, so if you will be so good as to hand
. them over, I'll take them away at once.'
; 'You'll tako them away, will your said I,
all of tremble with rage and fear.
" 'Yes, Silas, I wilL They are mine by law,
and I am not going to breed children fofryoa
to hare the comfort of the'r society. I've
taken advice, Silm, and that's sound law,'
and he leered at me again.
"I stood and looked at the man, and thought
of bow he had treated those poor children and
their young mother, and my blood boiled and
I grew mad. Without another word I
jumped over the half finished wall and caught
him by the leg (for 1 was a strong man ton
years ago) and jerked him off the horse. As
he came down bo dropped the sjambock from
his hand, and I caught bold of it and then
and there gave him the soundest hiding a man
ever had. Lord, how he did halloa! When I
was tired I let him get up.
" 'Now,rI said, ' be off with you, and if you
comeback here IT1 bid the Kaffirs hunt vou
back to Natal with their sticks. This is' the
South African Republic, and we don't care
overmuch about law here.' Which we didn't
In those days. -
"'All right, Silas, he said, 'all right, you
shall pay for this. I'll hav those children,
aud, for your sake, 111 make their life a hell
you mark my words South African He
public or no South African Republic. I've
got the law on my side,'
"Off ho rode, cursing and swearing, and I
flung his sjambock after him. And it was
tbe first and last time I saw my brother."
f "What became of him r asked John Niel.
."I'll tell you, just to show you again that
there is a power that keeps just such men in
Its eye. He got back to Newcastle that night,
and went about the canteen there abusing me
and getting drunker and drunker, till at last
tbe canteen keeper sent for hit boys to turn,
him Out. Well, tbe boys were rough, as
Kaffirs': are apt to be with a drunken white
man, and be straggled and fought, and in the
middle of ir the Mood began to run from his'
mouth, and be dropped down dead of a broken
: blood vessel, and there was an end of him.
That is the story of tbe two girls, Capt. Niel,
and now I'm off to bed. To-morrow I'll show
you round the farm, and we will have a talk
bout bosinea. Good night to you, Capt
tKkd;rodnlghtl"
I- CHAPTER m. .
kilt. FBAHK MULLKB.
John Niel woke early next morning, feeling
as sore and stiff as though he had been well
. beaten and then strapped np tight in horse
girths. Ho made shift, however, to dress
" himself, and then, with the help of a stick,
limped through the French windows that
opened from his room on to the veranda and
nrveyed tbe scene before him. It was a de
lightful spot At the back of the house was
the steep, bowlder strewn face of the flat
, topped hill that curved round on each side,
embosoming a great slope of green, in tbe lap
: oMrbich the bouse was placed. . Tbe house
itself was solidly built of brown stone, and,
with tbe exception of tbe wagon shed and
' other outhouses, which were roofed with gal
vanised irou that shone and glistened in tbe
' 'rays of the morning sun in a way that would
have made an eagle blink, was covered with
rich brown thatch. All along its front ran a
. ', wide veranda, up tbe trellis work of which
' green vines and blooming creepers trailed
pleasantly; and beyond, was the broad car
riage drive of red soil, bordered with busby
- orange trees laden with odorous flowers and
green and golden fruit On tbe farther side
of the orange trees were the gardens, fenced
in with low walla of rough stone, and tbe
orchard full of standard fruit - trees, and
beyond-these again tbe oxen and ostrich
- kraals, the latter full of longjiMoked birds
-To the right of the house grew Uinvtug
plantations of blue gum and black wattlo,
-end to the lutt Vjasa broad stretch Ofrolti
- - vated lands, ) nig so that they could be irri
gated for wtater crops by cleans of water led
from the great spring that gushed from the
nvPtAin gije high above the house and gave
its name of Mooifontein to the place.
All these and many more things John Niel
saw as he looked out from the veranda at
Mooifontein, but, for. the moment at any
rate, they were lost in tbe wild aud wonderful
beauty of the panorama that rolled away for
miles ami miles at his feet, till it was ended
by the mighty range of the Drakensberg to
the left, tipped hero and there with snow,
and by the dim and vast horizon of the swell
ing Transvaal plants to the right and for in
front of him. It was a beautiful eight, and
one to moke tbe blood run in a man's veins and
his heart beat happily because he was alive
to see it. Mile upon mile of grass clothed
veldt beneath, bending and rippling like
corn field in the quick breath of the morning,
space upon space of deep blue sky overhead
with ne er a cloud to dim it, and the swift
rush of the wiud between. Then to the left
there, impressive to look on and-conducive to
solemn thoughts, the mountains rear their
crest against the sky, and, crowned with tbe
gathered snows of the centuries whose monu
ments they are, from seou to aaon gaze majes
tically out over the wide plains and tbe
ephemeral, ant like races that tread them, and
while they endure think themselves the mas
ters of their little world. And over all
mouutuin, plain and flashing stream the
glorious light of the African sun and tbe
spirit of life moving now as it nce moved
upon the darkening waters.
John stood and gazed at the untamed
beauty of the scene, in his mind comparing it
to many cultivated views that he bad known,
and coming to tbe conclusion that, however
desirable tha presence cf civilized man might
be in the world, it could not be said that his
operations really added to its beauty. For
the old line, ."Nature unadorned adorned the
mat," still remains true in more senses tbaii
pne. Presently .bis reflections were inter
rupted by tbe step of Silas Croft, which, not
witlistainiing bis age and bent frame, still
rah fii m enough and bo turned to greet
him. -
"Well, Capt Niel," "said the old man, "up
already! It looks well if you mean to take
to farming. Yes, it's a pretty view, and a
pretty place, too. Well, I made it Twenty
five years ago I rode up here and saw this
spot Look, you see that rock there behind
the house, I slept under it and woke at sun
rise and looked out at this beautiful view and
at the great veldt (it was all alivo with game
then), and I said to myself, 'Silas, for five
and twenty years have you wandered about
this great country, and now you are getting
tired of it; you've never seen a fairer spot
than this or a healthier; now be a wise man
and stop here.' And so I did. I bought
8,000 morgen (0,000 acres), more or less, for
10 down and a case of gin, and I
set to work to make this place, and you
see I havo made It Ay, it has grown
under my hand, every stone and tree of it,
and you know what 'uat means in a new
country. But one way and another I have
done it, and now I have got too old to manage
it, and that's how I came to give out that I
wanted a partner, as old Snow told you down
in Durban. You see, I told Snow it mast be
.... r BUS.
a gentleman; I don't care much about the
money, I'll take a thousand for a third share
if I can get a gentleman none of your Boers
or mean whites for me. I tell you, I hav
had enough of Boers and their ways; the best
day of my life was when old Shepstone rai.
up the Union. Jack there in Pretoria and 1
could call 'myself an Englishman again.
Lord! and to think that there are men who
are subjects of tbe queen and want to be sub
jects of a republic again! Mod! Capt Niel,
I tell you, quite- mad! However, there's an
end of it all now. You know what Sir Oar.
net Wolseley told them in the name of the
queen up at the - Vaal river, ' that this
country., would remain English till
the sun stood .still - in ' the heavens
and tbe waters of the Vaal ran backward.
That's good enough for me, for, as I tell these
grumbling fellows who want the laud back
now that we have paid their debts and de
feated their enemies, no English government
goes back on its word, or breaks engagements
solemnly entered into by its representatives.
We leave that sort of thing to foreigners.
No, no, Capt Niel, I would not ask; you to
take a share in this place if I wasn't sure that
it would remain under the British flag. But
we will talk of all this another time, and now
come in to breakfast"
After breakfast, as John was far too lame
to go about the farm, tbe fair Bessie sug
gested that he should come and help her to
wash a batch of ostrich feathers, and, ac
cordingly, Off he went The locus operandi
was in a space of grass in the rear of a little
clump of "naatcbe" orange trees, of which
the fruit is like that of the Maltese orange,
only larger. Here woro placed an ordinary
washing tub half filled with warm water and
a tin bath full of cold. Tfao ostrich feathers,
many of which were completely coated with
red dirt, were plunged first into the tub of
warm water, where John Niel scrubbed them
with soap, and then transferred to the tin
bath, where Bessie rinsed them and then laid
them on a sheet in the sun to dry.. Th
morning was very pleasant, and John soon
came to the conclusion that there ore
many more disagreeable 'occupations in
the world than tbe washing of ostrich
feathers with a, lovely girl to. help you; for
there was.no dohbt but that she was.', lovely,
very type of .happy, healthy womauhood,
as. she sat there opposite to him on the little
stool, her sleeves rolled up almost . to the
shoulder, showing a pair of arms that would
not. have disgraced a statue of Venus, and
laughed and. chatted away as she washed the
feathers. ..Now, John Niel was not a suscepti
ble man; be had gone through the fire years
before and burned hn fingers like many
another confiding youngster; but, all the
same, he did wonder as he sat there-and
watched this fair girl, who somehow reminded
him of a rich rosebud bursting into bloom.
how long it would be possible to live in the
CUM house with her without falling under
the spell ol her charm and beauty. And
then he began to think of Jess, and what a
strange contrast the two were. -"Where
is your sisterf he asked presently.
. "Jess! Oh, I think that she has gone, to
the Lion Kloof , reading or sketching, I don't
know which. You see, in this establishment
I represent labor and Jess represents intel
lect," and she nodded her head prettily at
bim, and added, "There is a mistake some
where; she got all the brains."
"Ah," said John, quietly, and looking up at
her, "I don't think that you are entitled to
complain of the way that nature has treated
you.
- She Mushed a little, more at the tone of his
voice than tbe words, and went on hastily:
"Jess iathe dearest, best and cleverest woman
in the whole World there, I believe that she
has only one fault, and that is that she thinks
too much about me. Uncle told me that be
had told you how we came here first when
was 8 years old. Well, I remember that
when we J out our way on the veldt that
night, and it rained so and was so cold, Jess
took on ner own shawl and wrapped it round
me over my own. Well, it has been just like
that with bar always. I am always to have
tne shawl everything is to give way to me.
But there, that is Jess all over; she is very
cold, cold as a stone, I sometimes think, but
I when she doe. core for anybody it is auoujh
(o frighten one. I don't know a great num
ber of women,' but somehow I dont think
that there can be many in the world like Jess.
She is too good for this wild place, she ought
to go away to England, write books and be
come a famous woman, only," she added, re
flectively, "I am . afraid that Jess' books
would all be sod ones." .
Just then Bessie stopped and ' suddenly
changed color, the bunch of lank, wet
feathers she held in her hand dropping from
it with a lit tie splash back into the bath. Fol
lowing her glauco, John looked down the
venue of blue gum trees and perceived big
in with a . broad hat and mounted on a
splendid bl.-u.-k horse, cantering leisurely to
ward tbe Iiousa
"Who 18 that. Miss Croftr he asked.
"It is a man I don't like," she said, with a
littlu stamp of her foot "His name is Frank
Muller, nml he is half a Boer aud half an
Engliblimuu. He is very rich and very
clever, aud owns all the land round this place,
so uncle bos to be civil to him, though he
does not like bim either. I wonder what he
wants now." . -
On came the horse, and John thought that
its ri lor was going to pass . without seeing
them, when suddenly the movement of B
siu'x ilivss bet we. u the "naatche" trees caught
his ove, an 1 he pulled up and looked round.
He wjis a iare ami exceedingly handsome
man, apparently about 40 years old, with
clenr cnt features, cold, light blue eyes aud a
remarkable golden beard that bung right
down o 7er bis chest For a Boer he was rather
smartly dressed, in English made tweed
clothes aud tall riding boots.
tAh, Miss Bessie," he called out in English,
"there you are with your pretty arms all bare.
I'm in luck to come just in time to see them.
Shall I come and help you to wash the feath
ers? Only say the word, now"
fl LL.-4-'-
AH,
HISS BESSIK," HE CALLED OUT IN
ENGLISH.
Just then he caught sight of John Niel and
checked himself;
"I have come to look for a black ox,
branded with a heart and a 'VP inside of the
heart Do you know if your uncle has seen it
on tbe place any where?"
"No, Meinheer Muller," replied Bessie,
coldly, ""but ho is down there," pointing at a
kraal on tbe plain some half mile away, "if
you wont to, go and ask about it"
"Mr. Muller," said he, byway of correction,
and with a curious contraction of the brow.
" 'Meinheer' is all very well for the Boers, but
we are oil Englishmen now. Weil, the ox
can wait With your permission, Til stop
here till 'Oom' Croft (Uncle Croft) comes
back," and, without further ado, he jumped
off his horse and, slipping the reins over its
head as an indication to it to stand still, ad
vanced toward Bessie with outstretched hand.
As he did so the young lady plunged both her
arms up to the elbows in the bath, and it
struck John, who was observing the' whole
scene, that she did this in order to avoid the
necessity of shaking bonds with her stalwart
visitor.
Sorry my bands are wet," sbe said, giving
him a cold little nod. "Let me introduce you.
Mr. (with emphasis) Frank Muller Capt
Niel, who has come to help my uncle with
the place."'
John stretched out his hand and Muller
shook it
"Captain?" he said, interrogatively; "a ship
captain, I suppose?"
"No," said John, "a captain of the English
army.'
"Oh, a rooibaatje (red jacket). Well, I
dont wonder at your taking to farming after
the Zulu war."
"I don't quite understand you," said John;
rather coldly.
"Ob, no offense, captain, no offense. I
only meant that you rooibaatje did not come
very well out of the war. I was there with
Piet Uys, and it was a sight, I can tell you.
A Zulu had only to show himself at night and
one would see your regiments skreck (stam
pede) like a span of oxen when they wind a
lion. And then they'd fire ah, they did fire
anyhow, anywhere, but mostly at tha
clouds, there -was no stopping them; and so.
you ser, I thought that you would like to turn
your sword into a ploughshare, as the Bible
says but no offenso, I'm sure no offense."
All this while John Niel, being English to
his backbone, and cherishing the reputation
of his profession almost as dearly as Ins own
honor, was boiling with inward wrath, which
was all the fiercer because be knew that there
was some truth in the Boer's insults. He had
the sense, however, to keep his temper out
wardly, at any rate. .
"I was not in the Zulu war, Mr. Muller,"
be said, and just then old Silas Croft came
riding up, aud the conversation dropped.
Mr. Frank Muller stopped to dinner and
far on into the afternoon. His lost ox seemed
to have entirely slipped his memory. There
he sat close to the fair Bessie, smoking and
drinking gin and water, and talking with
great volubility in English, sprinkled with
Boer Dutch terms that John Niel did not
understand, and gazing at the young lady in
a manner which John somehow found un
pleasant ' Of course it was no affair of his,
and he had no interest in the matter, but for
all that -be found tbe remarkable looking
Dutchman exceedingly disagreeable. At lost,
indeed, he could stand it no longer, aiid bob
bled out lor a little walk with Jess, who, in
her'; abrupt way, , offered to show im the
garden. '!.. - - --" -' v ' .;-.
"You don't like that man!" she said to him,
aa they slowly went down the slope in front
of the house. '
. "No; do you?"
"I think," replied Jess, slowly and with
much emphasis, "that he is the most odious
man that I ever saw, and the most curious.
And then she relapsed into silence, only
broken now and again by an occasional re
mark about tbe flowers and trees.
Half an hour afterward, when they arrived
again at the top of the slope, Mr. Muller was
just riding off down the avenue of blue
irums. Bv the veranda stood a Hottentot
named Jantje, who bad been holding the
Dutchman's horse.- He was curious, wizened
up little fellow, dressed in rags, and with
ban like tbe worn tags of a black woolen
carpet ' His age might have been anything
between 35 and 60; it was impossible to form
an opinion on the point ' Just now, however,
his yellow monkey face was convulsed with
an expression of intense malignity, and
he was standing there in the sunshine
cursing rapidly and beneath his breath in
Dutch, and shaking his fist after the retreat
ing Boer very epitome of impotent, over
mastering passion,
"What is be doing?" asked John.
-Jess laughed. "Jantje does not like Frank
Muller any more than I do, but I dont know
why. He will never tell me.'
; CHAPTER IV. ' .-
; BESSIE IS ASKED Uf MARRIAGE.
: In due course John Niel got over his'
sprained ankle and the other juries inflicted
on him by tbe infuriated cock ostrich (it is,
by the way,' a humiliating thing to be
knocked out of tune by a feathered fowl),
and set to work to learn the routine of farm
Ufa He did not find this a disagreeable task,
especially when he had so fair an instructress
w . . I , II - , . 1 . . .l
. Ta'XZ anouE VaES
an energetic and hard working temperament, !
he very soon got more or less into tbe swing
Of the thing, and at tbe end of six weeks be
gan to taik quite learnedly of cattle and os
triches and sweet and sour veldt About once
a week or so Bessie used to put him through
a regular examination as to his progress; also
she gave him lessons in Dutch and Zulu, both
of which tongues she spoke to' perfection; so.
it will be seen that be did not lack for pleas
ant and profitable employment -Another
thing was that he grew much attached to old
Silas Croft Tbo old gentleman, with his hand-,
some, honest face, his large and varied stock
of experience, and his sturdy English charac
ter, made a great Impression ou his mind. He
had never met a man quite like him before.
Nor was tbe liking unreciprocated, for his
host took a wonderful, fancy to John NieL
"You see, my dear," he explained to bis niece
Bessie, "he's quiet, and he doesn't know much
about fanning, but he's willing to learn, and
he's such a gentleman. - Now, where one has
Kaffirs to deal with, as on a place like this,
you must have a gentleman. Your mean
white will never get anything out of a Kaffir;
that's why tbo Boers kill them and flog them,
because they can't get anything out of them
without . But you see Capt Niel gets on well
enough with tiicin, I think he'll do, my
dear, I think he'H do," and Bessio quite n greed
with bim. , Anden it came to pass that after
this six weeks' trial tbo bargain-was finally
struck, and John paid over his 1,000 and
took a third interest iu Mooifontein.
Now it is not possible, hi a general way.
for a youngish man like John Niel to live in
the same -bouse with a young aud lovely
woman like Bessie Croft without running
more or less risk of entanglement More es
pecially is this so where the two people have
little or no outside society or distraction to
divert the- attention- from each other. Not
that there was as yet at any rate, the
slightest biut-jff affection between them.
OiUy they liked one another very much, and
found It pleasant to be a good deal together.
Iu short, they were walking along that easy,
winding road that leads to the mountain
paths of love. It is a very broad road, like
another road that runs elsewhere, and, also
like this last, it has a wide gate. Sometimes,
too, it leads to destruction. But for all that
it is a most agreeable one to follow band in
hand, winding as it does through the pleasant
meadows of companionship. - The view is
rather Jimite.l, it is true, aud homelike lull
of familiar tilings. There stand the kiue,
knee deep in the grass; there runs the water;
and there grows the corn. Also one can stop
if one likes. By and by it grows different
By and by when the travelers tread the
heights of passion, precipices will yawn
and torrents rush, lightning will fall
and (tonus wi'l blind; aud who can know
that they will attain at last to that far off
peak, crowned with tne glory of a perfect
peace which men call happiness? There are
those who say it never can be reached, and
that the halo which rests upon its slopes is no
earthly light, but rather, as it were, a
promise of a beacon a glow reflected whence
we know not, aud lying on this alien earth as
the sun's light lies on the dead bosom of the
moon. Some say, again, that they have
climbed its topmost pinnacle and tasted of
the fresh breath of . heaven that sweeps
around its heights ay, and heard the quiring
of immortal harps and the swanlike sigh of
angels' wings; and then behold! a mist has
fallen upon them, and they have wandered in
it, and when it cleared they were on the
mountain paths again, and tbe peak was far
away. And a few there are who tell us that
they live (here always, listening to tbe voice
of God; but these are old and worn with
journeying men and women who have out
lived passions aud ambitious and tbe fire
beats of love, and who now, girt about with
memories, stand face to face with the sphinx
eternity.
But John Niel was no chicken, nor very
likely to fall in love with the first pretty face
he met He hd once, years ago, gone
through that melancholy stage, and there, he
thought, 'was an . end of it Another thing
was tiat if Bessie attracted him, so did Jess
in a different way. Before be had been a
week in tbo house he bad come to the con
"lusion that Jess was the strangest woman ho
had ever mot, and in her own way one of tbe
most attractive. Her very iuipabsivenea
added to ber charm; for who is there in this
world who does not like to learn a secret? To
him Jess was a riddle of which he did not
know the key. That she was clever and well
iuformed he soon discovered from, her rare
remarks; that she could sing like an angel he
also knew; but what was the mainspring of
her mind round what axis did it revolve
that was what puzzled him. Clearly enough
it was not like most women's, least of all like
happy, healthy, plain sailing Bessie. So curi
ous did ho become to fathom these mysteries
tnat he took every oppn-tunity to associate
with her, and would even, when be had time,
go out with her on her sketching, or rather
flower painting, -expeditions. On these oc
casions she would sometimes begin to talk,
but it was always about books, or England,
or soiiio intellectual question.- She never
spoke of herself.
continued next Sunday.
"The play's the thing.
Wherein I'll reach the conscience of
the kin?.'?,. .
And equally true is it that Dr. Pierce's
'Pleasant Purgative Pellets ' (the original
Little Liver Pills) are the most effectual
means that can be ns.nl to reach the seat
of disease, cleansing I he bowels and sys
tem, and assisting natu.e in her recuper
ative work. By druggists. '
dawlw . .
If there are any valid critxisms
which the workingrnen of "North
C rolina have agrainst the Democrat
ic party let them be heard; they are
yet to be put lolth. Certainly the
organization of the Bureau of Statis
tics is not one of "them. The ap
pointment of Commissioner Jones i
the most conspicuous recognition of
the working people of the State in
our opinion that could - have been
made.. If.'any many deserves to re
present thvorking people ot the
State he d4 -Eyery fair minded,
honest- workingfman will say so.
SmiOtfi'Ad Herald. 7 .
The Rral Estate Boom, "'-
Tbe late advance in real estate is some.
thing marvelous. 'The-;.succeB8 of Dr,
Hart's Blood and Liver Pills is sjtill more
remarkable. . No pill has ever given the
universal satisfaction For cleansing the
blood and for all bilious - complaints,
headaches, constipation. - etc., . we -feel
warranted in saying that- Hart's Blood
and Liver Pills -have no rival. Give
them a triaL ..-
The new Insurance Law of this
State should be carefully examined
by sheriffs arid other law officers, so
as to collect the taxes . required and
see that the law is properly enforced.:-
No doubt there are many . bo
eus companies doing business in the
S ate, swindling . the . people' out of
many dollars and inducing- men to
pay for life insurance policies o the
neglect of their own just individual
debts. Charlotte Democrat. ' . -
Any , Small Boy, wltU a Stick,
can kill a tiger, if the tiger happens to
be found when only a little cnb. e)o con
sumption, tl'at deadliest and most feared
of diseases, in this country, can assuredly
bee mquered and destroyed if Dr. Pierce's
"Golden Medical Discovery" be employ
ed early.. : . z ... .-. . dawlw
' Peanats at wholesale," at Moore and
Eobard's. - . ' ... tf.
The "Pinafore Steam" is one of the
m ivs oysters are served at Turner's.
lie Killed 1T1 Wan. and Bnr
led Him. . -
:'k Jacksonville (Fla.) special sayt:
A handful of loose dirt has led to
the detection of a brutal murder in
the town of Seffner, in Hillsboro'
county, this State. Last Monday
Donald B. Hall, 23 years old, mys
teriously disappeared from his place
of business in that town, but no ef
fort was made to find him until
Wednesday, when Justice &. Greene
heard that lie had had a dispute
with R. R. Gibson, an extensive ba
nana planter living south of town.
Gibson ia a-weaJthy man, but he
bears a hard reputation, and he was
arrested on suspicion. The search
for young Hall was continued without-success
until late Saturday af
ternoon, when a farmer's bov notic
ed a few traces of white sand mixed
with the mould of Gibson's banaria
plantation, r. Further investigation
showed there was a trail formed by
the sand leading to the centre ot the
inclosure. These plantations are
hoed over every day and the trail
was very hard to follow, but it was
finally traced to a spot where there
was a considerable deposit of it-
The searchers began digging and
uncovered the body of Hall after
going down about tour feet. The
ground was tightly packed and the
eand had been used to fill up the
hole. Hall had been shot through
tbe lungs. His skull was crushed
by a blow from the butt of a rifle,
and his bead was nearly severed
from his body by a knife-cut. A
coroner's jury found a verdict of
wilful murder against 'Gibson, and
yesterday he had to be removed to
the jail at Tampa, as a party bad
been .organized to lynch him. HaU
oved Gibson thirty dollars, and the
murder was the result of a dispute
over the terms of its payment.
The Arkansas House, by a vote
ot 48 to 39, passed a bill to prevent
the mortgaging of unplanted crops
A crazy man, by name of Wetter
lind, recently terrorized the Swedish
town ot Goteborg for more than -a
whole week. He had locked him
self in the top story of a bouse,
whence he commanded a wide
sweep of street, and marked and
fired at everybody who approached.
After he had shot oae man dead the
firemen attempted to drown him
out, but could not get near enough,
as the man was a dead shot. They
next made iron shields to protect
them in their approach, but these
proved too cumbersome. An ats
tempt to dislodge the luna ic by
throwing dumb bells charged with
electricity had to be abandoned. A
barricade was then erected around
the house by the police and regular
seiie laid to it. I he lunatic stood
it for a week belore he was starved
out, and was then seized by strategy
too weak to defend himself. He
had wounded a number of people
from his perch during the singular
campaign. t
piOR EtNT. .
An Elegant House, 10foom. Don't apply un
less yon are able to pay the rent,
ap 8 dtf -WATSON & WEST.
CASH
Wtll ha n.M h. D1DFV 1MVTJ L T
trott, Michigan, at their Southern Furchastntr
1 . ...... - .. . t '1 1 ... . . r . . . . I . I
Barks. Srel8, Flowers, Gums, Moswt. &c , &c.
Merchants desiring to enter into the business will
please correspond. Addrei
PARKE, DAVI3 & CO.
ep212t Chiriotte, N. C,
I do not want the Earth,
Bat want vou to know tliat on April 1st
I will remove to the Corner Store former
ly occupied by Redwood & Co.,' with a
'arger and better stock of groceries than
ever. ' : ; " A. D. COOPER,
mh 23 daw3m I .- .
FINE
GROCERIES I
O
0
H
; ; Dotted meats," .
- pates of gme,
canned fish, '
canned fruits,
FRENCH" PEAS; Extra
Fine;
' FRENCH MUSHROOMS, .
DEVILED CRABS', SHRIMP,
C. and B: PICKLES,
PIN MONEY PICKLES,
JELLIES PRESERVES
CANTON GINGER,
GROSSE AND BLACKWELL's
r ' JAMS, -'.;
OLIVES, EDAM CHEESE,
FINEST SALAD OIL
INSTANTANEOUS. - CHOCO
LATE, BROMA, COCOA
NEW ORLEANS MOLASSES,
PURE EXTRACTED HONEY, .
FINEST KEY WEST &
IMPORTED CIGARS
TABLE SUPPLI E3 OF EVERY
-DESCRIPTION, s.-
9
o
H
O
a
o
11
8
h
W
o
M
o
AT-
EE'S
NV 03 SO UTlI MAIN ST.'
telephone No. 33." . :
THE
a5s
ROLLINS
l?j?o;priet;ors.
FOR
GO TO
Farmers
The best accommodations for our custom-
Messrs. J. Wiley Shook of Haywood.
ers
J. A Nichols of Madison, and Capt. Ben A'.
Newland are with us and would be glad to
serve their friends.
ASSURANCE THAT ASSURES !
The Equitable Life
Has Assets of $75,000,000 ;
Issued in 1886 $111,000,000;
The plainest and safest policy. Incontestable after two years. Loiaea
payable on presentation of proots without delay.
ULYSSES DOUBLED Y, Agent
Dr. WM. D. HILLIARD, Medical Examiner. mh l-d6m
Atlantic & H. C. R. R.
TIME TABLE NO. .
In effect IS M., Snndaj. January 17th, 1886.
EAST. WEST.
No. 51. No. so.
Passenger. STATIONS: Passenger.
Arr. L'Te. Air. L'ye.
F. m. r. u.
A. M. A. M.
lilt
10 aa 10 19
42 S47
7 47
4M COS
6 07
bSt 6 54
1 82 6 2
R47
Golds boro
LaGrange
Kinston
New Berne
Morebead City
Moreliesd Depot
Telly Except Sunday,
1118 1128
1140
Train 50 connects with Wilmington & Weldcn
train bound North, leaving GoltJsbom 11:85a.m.,
and with Richmond & Danville train West, leav
ing tioldsboro 12:35-?. m., and Wilmington 6
Weldon Train Sooth at 4:54 p. m.
Train M connects with Richmond Danville
Traiu. arriving at GoUtslwro 4:40 p. m , and with
Wilmington & Weldon Train from th North at
4:54 p.m..
GaieFear&Y.y.E'yCofflj'y.
TRAIN NORTH.
Arrive Leave
BennettsvlUe, 8 20 p m
Fsyetteville, 12 00 m 12 26 pm
San ford, 216 pm 826pm
Greensboro, 6 00 p m
Dinner at Fayetteville. - -TRAIN
SOUTH.
Arrive. Leave. '
Greensboro . - . - oOnr
Sanfbrd - , t 20 p m 1 4&.p
Fayetteville -Ibupm 4)pn
Bennettaville ' - " 1 80pm.
j. Dinner at San ford.
Freight and Passenger Trmih leaves Bennetts
viUe Tuesdays, Thursdays ancfSasardaya at 3 80
p m, arriving at Fayetteville t 8 p m. 1 ,
Leaves Fayetteville on. Tuesdays, TharKjajl
and Saturdays at 6 86 a m. and arrives at Bea
nettsvRle at 12 aa. -
Freight and passenger Train North leaves Fay
etteville on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
at 8 a m, (connecting at Sanibra with Freight
rnd Passenger Trains to Raleigh), leaves Sanford
at 11 80 a m, and arrives at Greensboro at640pm.
Leave Greensboro Tuesdays, Thursdays and
8aturdaf at 6 a m, leaves Sanford at 11 15 a m,
and arrives at Fayetteville at 2 4o p m.
JNO. M. ROSE, Gen. Pas. Agent.
I. W. FRY. Gen. Superintendent
JgXAMINE OUR STOCK OF
irnsrE SHOES
in Bay State Sailer Lewen & Co. 'a, and
' other makers. '
BEARDE1C, RANKIN & CO.
Jan 26 dtf
: SUGGESTION TO
PIETOBAtCO CHEWEBS
- I have in stock a full line of
tf.S. Gravelys "Extra Gkew
v "anuui ma" in "ma i btch-
Fine Fig Tobaoco Vnd Lucy Hunt, (a lead
ing brand of fine 9 inchplug.) Ihese Roods
are all made of the best Henry OountT Leatu
erwood leaf, knd mannf artored by t. H. John
son A Co., Danville, Vs., and are guaranteed
to be finest on the market. - . --: '
'A. "; S Frink Lowgliraii,
Main Btn trd door abeve Bank of aahevUI
lactase,
& SMITH
THE
THE
Warehouse.
Assurance Society
A Surplus. 01 , 00,000;
Outstanding Assuranc $411,000,000.
,Mr.9S. MMOLTJE1VS
PROSPECT BREWERY,'
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
V O. MULLER & CO., Agents,
ASHEVTLLE, N. C.
We herewith take great pleasure in
introduces for export and family use
this
Extra Unality Lager Beer,
Brewed cf the beet Barley and imported
Bohemian Hops. It surpasses in fine
tast.i), flavor, brilliancy and nutritious
qualities any other Lager Beer, and ia
strictly pure and unadulterated. Phygi
i ians ad viae the use of this Beer, and wo
tall your special attention to the follow
ini; imalyeis t
Bwdwei Larer Beer,
I 'nir natinjr from the Prospect Brewery,
in Philadelphia, Pa.
Tl e updereigned, at the request of the
Tec! nicrl Society, has completed an
Analysis of the "Budwei". Beer, brewed
etCliam Welters' Prospect Brewery, in
Philadelphia, which analysis exhibit
the following results :
Specific gravity; V0124 " V
Alcohol, WWe
,. Extract, - 4,92&o
Carbonic Acid. 02e
Ashea, . - : 00ic
Tl is signifies that ihe"Budweia" Beer
iu ib essential qualities is almost tka
exact counterpart of the best Imported
fohemiae Beer.' .v.
A further examination, seeking adul
terations, proves conclusively that it
on buns naught of that nature.
Da. D. H. iUxnxbaum,
T-on; Chemical Works. Brideebors.
Pt Uad-.lpb.ia, Oct. 28, 188L . , ,
Fir Hotels, Boarding Houses, Private
Families and the Trade, the above Beer
ii pu up in patent-stopper Bottles (pints,) '
and in export bottles (pints,) well corked,
wired, toiled and labeled.
We deler the Beer free ot charge to ,
any part of tbe city, and call for tbe '
empty patent stopper bottles, which are
never soiu dui must always De returned
with the crates.
Having erected large refrigerator for
the rtorage of Beer, we are enabled to
kfter onr Beer nnnf. fnwh and in annA
orde', and it will be furnished direct
rod? our refrigerator lo our customers. -
' AL shipping orders will receive prom pt '
attertion. .' i .
ap- S-df , . ; W.O. MULLER A 00.
rjTt) LESSEK THE WORK OF . '.
INVENTORY WE OFFER
. a lot of medium and fin y ' r , .
BETVBL AN KETP. - BED-COMFORTS
- Heavy and Ljgbt Overcoats;
at prime cost. . These goods are, tn
ana attractive.
BEARDEN,r RANKIN & CO.
Jan 26 dtf