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Si.oo a Year, In Advance. FOR GOI, FOR COUNTRY, AND FOR TRUTH." Single Copy, 5 Cents.
VOL. XV. PLYMOUTH, N. C, FRIDAY. JULY I. 1901. NO. 15.
THE STORM.
They say it is the wind in midnisht skies
Loud shrieking past the window, that doth make
Each casement shudder with its storm of cries,
And the barred door with pushing shudder shake.
Ah, no! Ah, no! It is the souls pass by
Their lot to run from earth to God's 'hish place,
Pursued by each black sin that death let ify
From their sad flesh, to break thexn in their chase.
They say it is the rain from leaf to leaf
Doth slip, and roll jnto the thirsting ground,
That where the corn is trampled sheaf by sheaf
The heavy sorrow of the storm is found.
Ah, no; Ah. no! It is repentant tears
By those let fall who make their direful flight,
And drop by drop the anguish of their fears
Comes down around us all the awful night.
They say that in the lightning flash, and roar
Of clashing clouds, the tempest is about;
And draw their chairs the glowing hearth before,
The casement close to shut the danger out.
Ah, no! The doors of Paradise, they swine;
A moment open for a soul night spent.
Then come together till the thunder's rin;r
Leave us half-blinded by
.
By ' .M.
DAItEyou to do it," said
Mrs. mills. "Pli go fur
ther; I'll give you this ring
if you will. let me bear
you sr.y the words." Miss
ir
Toivue looked at her sister, then at the
riii j.
"BeaHyl" she said, excitedly, and as
the ether nodded, she lifted .her eye
brows. "I must say that Danny' would
feel fluttered if he could realize to
what length of sacrifice you would go
In get him in tho family, I'll take you
up on it, though."
"Yes you will?" jeered Mrs. Ilollis.
"Why, my dear, think of how you
would spoil the nicest man that either
of us know. lie will never believe it
is a fake. Even if you marry, he will
think that it is a wild love for him
that made you snatch at that nettle of
man's prerogative with the advantage
of the year. It will literally feather
his heels with vanity, and he'll parade
like a gamecock. Besides, if he should
accept what then?"
"I wish he would almost," returned
the girl, and added with asperity, "I
believe fhrt you are crawfishing on
that ring."
"No, I'm not." Mrs, Ilfilis assumed
a superior air. -Til give you half an
hour after they come up. I'll hide be
hind Hint curtain a ml 'watch his face.
Positively, 1 think that it will be the
richest thing. And Louise, you must
make him believe that you mean it.
Bo Periou. or no ring. Bert is going
1o take Muldloton into the library, so
that will give you and Danforth a
clear field fur a little while."
"But if he took ine up on it," object
CHI her sister. ,
"There isn't a nicer fellow living.
I've tried, hard enough to throAV some
sentiment into your chumminess and
you've both failed me. If I thought
that you cared anything for him, I
should dissuade you; but it's only -a
jolce, and won't matter."
Miss Towno rose quickly and mo
tioned toward the curtains, as the
sound of men's voices neared the libra
ry, and, with the upward wave of the
baud that wore the coveted ring, Mrs.
llillis few i short behind the curtain into
hiding, Inking with her a little silver
bell.
Miss Towne settled back in her deep
rbr.Ir ns a tall, angular man entered
the room. He had vivid electric blue
eyes that were deep set under a very
canopy of; a brow, a high sharply de
fined note, and an alert, whimsical
manner.
"Things all nicely settled now. Dan
Tiy?" she asked, smiling up at him
charmingly.
"Beautifully, beautifully," he an
swered enthusiastically. "I knew we
would catch Mlddleton if ;.we could
get one of Mrs. Hlllis' dinners info
him. By tho way, what didyou mean
"by saying that you were goiiig -away?"
"That I am, of course," returned the
girl, easily. -
"Ob, I bail that too bad. Here I've
just come home after six months of I
iwishlns f was here, and you spring I
PAPVPAP DIHHTQi
Gods element.
-Dora Sigersoh Shorter.
""'iiil-rflrfi "-a..i-Bi-iMirji.nn
W.
this 011 me the first thing. I'd planned
some of our old jolly reads and walks
together. I even made a point of get
ting back in the spring on purpose.
Unsay those cruel words."
As Miss Towno laughed at the ab
surd intonation ho lent to his speech
there came the clear tinkle of a boll
from the window.
"Hullo, central, don't ring off yet,"
he said. "What's that?"
"Our erer burglar alarm," said
Miss Towno, dropping her eyes.
"When do you go?" he continued,
pitting down with his back to the cur
tains. Turning in their direction as
the bell jingled faintly again, ;he add
ed. "That must be out of order."
"It is," admitted tho girl. "Oh. 1
leave day after to-morrow. I shall be
gone for about four months."
"That's nice, very nice. You'll be
here just in time to wish me good-by
again. Well! It can't be helped, I
suppose."
"I suppose not. It is too bad,
though." As she spoke a hand was ex
tended between the curtains tautaliz
ingly holding the ring.
"What a remarkable face! Is it a
new wrinkle of yours or just incipient?
If it occurs again I shall suspect the
destination that you have- shrouded
so far in mystery."
"I was I thought I was going to
sneeze," Miss Towne explained with a
nervous giggle.
Danforth turned to look tit the cur
tained window, and as his gaze came
back to her he caught her in the act
of shaking a plump fist apparently at
his head.
"Well, really! If you're going to get
violent " he said, after an embar
rassing contemplative stare, during
which she turned scarlet, fidgeted, and
laughed. 'Terbaps you will elucidate
the psychology of these shall I call
them seizures 5"
"It was a "
"The sneeze, of course. Took you in
the hand," he finished, as she hesitat
ed. "More effective and less noisy than
the old-fashioned methods. But," he
added, with an air of concern, "it's a
trifle incomprehensible until one is
used to it."
"How silly," commented Miss
Towne, meeting his eyes with affected
scorn. As they both laughed repres
sively the bell sounded with a muffled
clack. The girl stared over his head
in the direction of the noise, which he
had not noticed.
"Yes, I noticed that it was getting
a bit thin," die said, regretfully. "But
what is this sort of absent treatment
for the scalp. I wouldn't rub it in
if I were you. Besides, whatever your
intentions, your conduct is strongly
susceptible to explanation. In plain
English; what is the matter?"
Miss Towne glanced at the hand that
flashed wickedly between the folds
of the draperies. .
"This is leap year, you know," she
began desperately, and stopped.
"Let me also add to this wild but
attractive conversation," he began,
HER J
I
I
wJtSi a chuckle, "Columbus discovered
America in 1492. Now your turn.
One of your chief charms has been
your unexpectedness. I've never seen
you in better form. You are doing
nobly. Don't give way."
Miss Towne covered her face with
her hands. After a bit, in which she
struggled for composure and won the
battle, she wiped the tears of mirth
from' her eyes and began again.
"This is leap year, and and I am go
ing to take my rights."
"Bravo! Bravo!" he cried, languidly.
"Tlmre spoke the right American
spirit."
"Oh, hush!" she said, with an un
willing smile. "I shall lose my courage
to to to that is" she stood up and
moved toward the window.
"Well," he inquired, rising and fac
ing her, with the ready appreciation
of an expected jest quivering at the
corners of his mobile mouth.
"Danny," she said, with frank seri
ousness. "We've been awfully good
friends for four years. I don't love
you, but I like you better than all the
love in the world. You are so fine and
straight and and white. I think I
would have asked you Aunt Cora died
last December and left me two thou
sand a year, so it isn't as if I was ask
ing you to support me. If you hadn't
a penny in the world I'd share what
I had with you. Jordan and the oth
ers are rich, but I don't care for that.
Danny, stop looking at me that way.
Oh! this is too hard. Why don't you
help me?"
"Do you mean what you are say
ing?" he asked sternly, laying a hand
on her shoulder. "I am sorry " he
began in answer to her nod. His eyes
roved beyond her, then he suddenly
swung on his heel and paced to the
end of the room and came back to
.where she stood with scarlet cheeks
and compressed lips.
"There's a girl that I thought of for
a long time, but until this ast trip"
he spoke gently, looking away from
her "I have not felt able financially
to speak. I am quite honest, you see.
I intend to speak shortly to her, so I
want I thank you for the regard ia
which you say you why don't you help
me out?"
"I understand," said Miss Towne in
a thin, bloodless voice. "I truly hope
that she will be as kind as yoy want
her to be. You don't think oh, of
course you will think that I am a fool.
I wish I hadn't done this. I wish I
hadn't."
"I wish you hadn't," echoed Dan
forth, looking at her with inscrutable
eyes.
"I've spoiled everything, all our good
times, our friendship, our Mildred,"
she called sharply and swept back the
curtain. "Give me that ring. I've
earned it. Tell Mr. Danforth tell
him. and let him in on the laugh, too."
Mrs. llillis dropped the ring in her
palm and looked quizzically into her
sister's eyes.
"It was perfectly fine," she said,
with the utmost enthusiasm. "Don't
you think that Louise is a talented ac
tress?" "He'll never believe it was acting,"
said Miss Towr, with her eyes upon
the ring. "The curtains were not quite
to the floor, and " Danforth caught
his lip between his teeth and laughed.
Both women glanced up at him. In
Miss Towne's face the color came and
went, and her eyes dropped before the
disquieting mockery of his look.
"Oh, pshaw!" exclaimed Mrs. llillis.
"Foozled it myself."
"Let's see tho cause of all this."
Danforth said in a coldly iaipersona!
tone. Miss Towne extended her hand
and ho took it, noticing that it trem
bled. "Very charming. Quite worth
the jest. By the way, would you like
to see the ring that I bought for I
picked it up in Florence." lie searched
in at least three pockets, and finally
brought out a box and opened It. "It's
a beauty."
Mrs. llillis gasped and Miss Towne
looked at it dully.
"Lucky girl," she said, with frigid
airiness, and walked away.
"I wish that you'd put it on. I'd
like to see how it would look and fit
before I ask her to wear it. It's to be
hers in any contingency. Fleaso."
"With raised eyebrows and an ex
pression of utter indifference, Miss
Towne withdrew her implied negative
and put on tho jewel.
"It's too big, unless it's too big for
my finger at any rate, and I suppose
her hand is smaller than mine."
Danforth stood, looking alternately
from the girl's hand to her face. Then
he turned to Mrs. llillis.
"Do you mind my troubling you? 1
wish that you would see how things
are going in the library. Thanks."
As she kissed her finger tips to him
he wheeled on Miss Towne.
"Now," he said, "let's start right.
That liking that you have, for in
stance; could it stand tho weight of
that ring?"
"Danny, what!" She lifted her clear
brown eyes to his. He saw her lips
tremble.
"Is it all right, dear?" he asked. "I
was this previousness of yours has
quite upset the speech I have had
ready a long while. I don't know
where I stand with you, but "
"My rights, Dan. Will you marry
me?" she cried, with a little laugh.
Then she fitted her head 011 his shoul
der, in an exquisitely comfortable
way. New York Commercial Advertiser.
The City flower Trade.
"People outside the trade have no
conception of the" enormous business
that is annually done in plants and
cut flowers in this city," said a lead
ing Madison avenue florist. "On the
principal main and cross-town thor
oughfares between Fulton street and
133th street there are more than 200
large florist concerns, each of which
pays a rent of from $1000 to $7000 a
year and does a business of from $3,
000 to 30,000 annually. The capital
invested in land, greenhouses and
stock in this city and vicinity is about
$13,000,000
"The number of plants and flowers
sold Include 300,000 violets, 300,000
roses, 1,200,000 carnations, 500.000
lilies of the valley, 00,000 miscellan
eous plants, 100,000 bushels of ferns,
100O cases of holly, 3000 cases of mis
tletoe, 200 cases of rrincess pine, 300,
000 yards of garlands and 800,000
wreaths
"During the holiday season and
through the month of January the as
sortment of flowers in the New York
market embraces fifteen choice varie
ties of roses, six varieties of camellias,
several varieties of carnations, or
chids and violets in abundance, helio
trope, hyacinths, mignonette,- prim
roses, azalias, forget-me-nots, the
sweet elysium. etc. The amount of
smilax used here is enormous, some
florists estimating that from 1,000.000
to 1,3000,000 feet of this beautiful vine
are made up yearly in this city.
"The general average of prices at the
present time is for cut roses $1 a
dozen, except for choice specimens,
which command fifty cents, or even a
dollar each; calhi lillies, twenty-five
cents each; smilax, thirty cents a yard;
heliotrope, carnations, bourardia and
other small flowers, about fifty cents
a dozen; hand bouquets from $2 to $23,
according to size and composition;
table designs from $3 to $100; funeral
designs from $3 to $130." New York
Press.
Death to Itat.
The finishing touches are now being
put to a bill according to which 330,000
francs will be at the disposal of the
French Minister of Agriculture for the
purpose of exterminating rats in the
rural districts of France. The method
adopted is that of scattering among
the haunts of these rodents small cubes
of bread impregnated with a culture
of bacillus that develops fatally in rats
and mice, but is harmless to domestic
animals; this system has been a great
success so far in the department of the
Two Charantes.
But, after all, to get rid of rats and
mice from granaries, dwellings, cellars,
and so forth, there are other methods,
as efficacious and more simple. If one
mixes plain lime with its weight of
granulated sugar, and this mixture is
left in saucers or small dishes in places
infested by rats (but out of the reach
of other domestic animals), it will be
found that these rats, as indeed, most
other small vermin, are very partial
to sugar, and will readily devour the
preparation; and the action of the lime,
when swallowed, speedily proves fatal
to the rodents. New York Commercial.
Ferelffn Customs.
Dolls are displayed in the cottage
windows of Servia. They are in
tended as a sign to wayfarers that a
marriageable slaughter dwells in the
house.
An imperial irade has been pub
lished at Constantinople, in which mar
ried Turkish women are commanded
to discard all brilliant, ornaments, such
as necklaces and bangles, when ap
pearing in public. They must be
dressed with decorum and in accord
ance with the Mussulsmain law, the
ordinance says, in default of which the
husbands of women so off ending will
be visited with puuishmenL
GIL TO Yl YCNK IK.
Across the sad and solemn sea
i reach a friendly hand to thee,
My brother in adversity,
Yi Yonk Ik.
I, too, have seen the lamp of fame (
Suulfed out just when its rosy flame
Filled the wick.
I, too, have "seen coy glory flit
Just when my name has made a hit,
And people tried pronouncing it,
Yi Yonk Ik.
Tha splendor that I made mine own
Now rests beneath a chiseled stone
"Jacet hie."
Your name, with rhythmic clink and elauk,
Was one before which others shrank
Mine with more softness rose and sank,
Yi Yonk Ik.
My name was like a serenade,
Until some jealous lout or jade
Threw a brick.
My name was. like a gentle sigh
A song beneath the Southern sky
But. still, we're brothers, you and I,
Yi Yonk Ik,
Although your name, when spoken, makes
A sound like Westing-house's brakes
Clutching quick.
But, do not mourn. Rejoice with me.
For future ages still shall see
Our names a-romp through history,
Yi Y"onk Ik. - .
Yres. Yri Yonk Ik and Wos y Gil
Shall through the coming epochs peal.
We can't kick.
Chicago Tribune.
"Anything new about the war?"
"An unofficial dispatch has just been
confirmed." Chicago Becord-IIerald.
Shut your mouth,
And open your eyes,
And other peopie
Will think you wise.
-Life.
"You don't mean to say you girls
have started a secret society?" "Yes.
it's a society whose members pledge
themselves to tell all the secrets they
know." Philadelphia Ledger.
Citizen "What have you done in
that murder case?" Detective "Well,
we've jumped on to more wrong clues
than an3 other set of detectives this
season." Cincinnati Tribune.
Dolly "There's honey for tea." Bob
(always glad to give Dolly informa
tion) "Yes. Bees make honey." Dolly
"And who makes jam?" Bob
"Beetles, of course." Punch.
Paid a muscular Moslem of Muscat
To his cat, "Cat, you can't catch a muskrat.
And when it is plain
That a cat can't obtain
A muskrat at Muscat, cat must scat."
-Life.
Mrs. Nuritch "I think Pli take this
bracelet. Are you sure it's made of
refined gold?" Jeweler "Oh, yes."
Mrs. Nuritch "Because I do detest
anything that isn't refined." Philadel
phia Ledger.
She "But if you say you can't lear
the girl, why ever did you propose?"
He "Well, her people have always
been awfully good to me, and it's the
only way I could return their hos
pitality." Funch.
Holden "You don't really mean to
say that Miss Glover fell in love with.
Boliver! Why, he js never clean; his
face and neck are invariably black
with coal dust." Sheldon "I suspect
that is why she married him. In these
times, you know, coal dust is better
than no coal at all."
First Theatre Manager "We have
stopped printing jokes in our pro
grammes. It had got so that patrons
didn't listen to the funny men at all.
but read their programmes instead.'
Second Ditto "Why, at our house we
print the jokes on purpose to prevent
the patrons from noticing how bad the
stuff is that's got off on the stage."
Boston Transcript.
Daughter "Yes-, pa, there are two
young men who have asked me to
marry, and both are nice fellaws."
Father "And are both on a way to
support you?" Daughter "I think; so.
Thil tells me he has a tidy salary,
and George says he is receiving good
wages." Father "You choose George,
and you'll make no mistake, I think.
At any rate, it's safer to marry a man
who has wages." Boston Transcript.
Advancement of Von Bnlow,
Count Von Bnlow, the Germau chan
cellor, is steadily growing in public
esteem. Gradually but surely he i3
winning over political enemies, his
progress in this way having been con
tinuous ever since his appointment as
right-hand man of the e.nperor.
I,imlts I'rlcsts Kevt'niie.
The London Tablet says Pius X ha
resolved that no priest's revenue from
ecclesiastical sources shall jexceed $t,-
-00 a year. 1
WOS
J28lill