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SWINGING ON THE GAIE,
I can see a picture painted. I can smell the drying hay
Where the busy mowers rattle through the l«zy summer* dart
I can see the hungry plowboy wading through the billowed eon*
With expectant ear to windward, liafnlng to the d'nuer bora;
While unconscious of necessity; the future or of fat*.
I make wondrous childish Journeys «s I swing upon tha gat*.
Strange how book asqnng the many recollection* of tVo past
Memory will grope mm] wander till it brings to us at last
Some poor, foolish, fond remembrance, seeming hardly worth the while,
fet somehow made wondrous potent, liko a tender passing smil^
fleeting, gone, and soon forgotten—yet remembered by and by
With a swelling in the bosom and a dimming of tho eye.
Now my temples fast are graying and my eyes liave sober.grown -
With the years of varied happiness and sorrow I have known;
Still i sometimes hear the echo, when the evening lights are low,
And without my darkened casement ghostly breezes eerie blow,
Of the friendly, rusty rattle of the latchet as when late
In the hazy, lazy summer time we swung upon the gate.
— Lowell Oius Reese, In Leslie's Weekly.
HE ASKED HER FIRST.
Q^J HE must marry somebody," said
I^s) her mother.
"I don't see why she shouldn't
refuse them both, if she wants to,"
eaid her father.
The girl proceeded with her break
fast calmly. She had endured the ar
guments of her excellent parents on
the subject of her matrimonial future
for several weeks. Indeed, they were
much more disturbed about it than i,lio
v.as herself. Being pretty, a trUlo
spoilt, thoroughly healthy, and essen
tially feminine, she was in a delight
ful state of indecision.
Jack was everything that an hlonl
lover should — reasonably good-look
ing. absolutely devoted to her, a demon
at all games, and entirely lacking the
roost elementary notion of financial
prudence.
Monty, in bis own peculiar way, was
almost as suitable. If he wasn't hand-
Borne, he was the best dressed man in
I'.elsize Park, which is saying a great
leal; he played no game, except
"bridge," which he had reduced to n
fine art; and his financial condition
was literally glittering.
Jack appealed to the romantic siric
of her chara- tor, and had the support
of her father; Monty appealed to her
prudence, and had the support of her
mother.
"You will have to make up your
mind directly." said her mother.
"I am afraid I can't, mother," said
the girl, helping herself to toast cheer
fully. "It is so tiresome."
"If I were a girl, I shouldn't hesitate
five minutes," said her father, mean
ing Jack.
"No more should I," said her moth
er, meaning Monty.
"I think I shall accept the one who
nsks first," said the girl, handing in
her cup for a second edition of cof
fee.
"Don't be wicked." said her mother.
"Nut a bad notion," remarked her
fathers reflecting that he could wire
to Jack, and give him a hint.
"You don't mean what you say,"
laid Jut mother thoughtfully,
of course, she hadn't meant it. bul
having said it. she began to think thi :
6he did. "Why not?" she said. "I
lUppose I must l»e a duffer, but I don't
know my own mind a bit. Monty rep
resents a carriage and furs, and- aril
I really think I should look rather .oi
ly in furs. Not clipped rabbit skins
you know, but real furs."
Her mother nodded approval. "You
are a girl who wants to he well
dressed." she said.
Mr. Bush looked at his daughter
doubtfully. "What does Jack repr>
tent?" he asked.
She pouted. "I don't quite know."
ehe said. "I think he represents ev
erything that's Jolly except the car
riage and furs. That's what is so ag
gravating. If I could only take a lit
tle bit of each, it would be all right
I don't feel a scrap like a girl always
jfoes in books. I simply don't know
what I want, and I shall accept the
one who asks me first, because I like
them both very much, and —and I dare
gay It will be all right."
Her parents shook their heads at her
recklessness, quite forgetful that if
they had not been so urgent, the girl
would have been able to make up her
mind without assistance.
"Shocking," said Mr. Rush, and he
made up his mind to send off a wire
to his faverite as soon as he reached
the city. "Jack must cut up here tills
Btontloy, and get It over," he reflected.
"It's only a kindness to her to save
her from that snob."
His wife popped on her bonnet as
soon as he had left the house, and
stepped round to the nearest telephone
call office. "I must give Monty a hint,"
she said. "Margaret will thank me
some day for saving her from pov
erty."
Happily Ignorant of the step* her
parents had taken, Margaret set about
her little round of household duties.
At n o'clock Mr. Wlnterflood came to
tune the piano. I!p had wrestled with
tlie drawing room piano, once a quar
ter, for fifteen years, and the little
old man. with his red pocket handker
-.•liiefl and black i>mr. was a particular
favorite of Margaret's. Her mother,
iiuviug learnt on the telephone that tha
flittering Monty would arrive soon af
'''i- U, wjii anxious to sand (lit- old
fellt»\v away, bat Mnrgaret wouldn't
hear of it.
"Suppose somebody calls," said the
older lady, not daring to tell the truth.
"Xobody is ai all likely to call," said
the jcir! lightly.
No Mr. Wlnterflood proceeded to his
Irritating task, tapping nbte after note
In a vain attempt to adjusi an Instru
ment on which m certain healthy young
lady delighted to play comic opera with
the loud pedal down.
Margaret «at by his side, "it
worse and worse," said the old man,
sadly. "Some of the notes in the bass
are almost dumb."
At that moment Mrs. Kuan entered
the room with an expansive smile of
triumph on her face. '•.Monty has call
ed, and wants to see you particularly,"
hhe said.
"Monty?" Bflld her daughter with a
frown. "What brines him here?"
Then she remembered with a stnrt
her reckless words at the breakfast
table, and her heart sank.
"If you are a wise Kir! you will sei?,e
the chance," paid her mother; then
slip added piously, "but I don't wish to
persuade you. \ think you said you
Intended to accepl ilk> one who asked
you tiist."
The girl sighed, and swept rattier
angrily out of the room. It w;is really
too bad to have one's words taken up
like that. She didn't want to accept
any one just now. Whoever heurd of
a man proposing before lunch?
She found the glittering youth iv the
library. His attire was as nearly per
fect us the most expensive tailor could
rnnke it. but it was easy to see he
was nervous.
'•What a funny rime to call." said
the young lady rether rudely, but phe
was not in a gracious humor. "I
thought you wen- busy in the city at
ihis time in the morning."
■>(> I am as a rule," he said with a
somewhat vap*id smile. "But I had a
telephone message "
•■<>f course, it's awfully nice of you
to look in," she said hastily. "You
didn't come to the concert lasi night?"
"No," lie stammered. "The fact is
I understood that you— you were going
with some one else."
The young lady frowned. It wns
rather a sore point. Jack had prom
ised to take her and he had not turned
up, so that she had been obliged to go
with her parents. Monty bad uncon
sciously scored one, and her mind re
verted to the furs.
"I wanted to ask you something," he
began.
"I'm Just going Shopping," she said
wilh sudden energy. "You can come
too if you like, and then you can ask
me as we go along." With true feni
iidne procrastination she was trying to
postpone the evil moment, for she had
an insane feeling that she would have
to keep her word, and accept him if
lie succeeded in asking her the ques
tion.
"i .vant to know, if " he began
desperately.
"What about umbrellas?" she asked
severely. "Is it likely to rain?" ,
"I don't think so," he said. "The
question I was going "
"Of course, yes, you were going to
ask me a question," she said sweetly.
"Now, isn't it funnyV Whenever peo
ple ask me questions, I always give
the wrong answer."
Her eyes were sparkling with ex
cltcment. She had obstinately made up
her mind tbnt If h* anr-OMded in pro
poßlog, and force tier (a lire an an
«\*«r, tt ahonli r»« 'yea.' KTie hn<! AtM
decided that ahe didn't want to say
'yes,' hut didn't quite know why she
objected. So slip was fencing for her
life, and wondered why .Jack didn't
happen to lo»k In, or a chimney catch
tiro, or Indeed anything happen to save
her from her own obstinate folly.
Without giving him a chance to say
a word, she chattered on. And all the
time she was chattering she was think
ing and trying to reconcile herself to
the Inevitable. But the more she look
ed at him, the less alluring became
the prospect of a carriage and furs.
She noticed that his fort-head was both
narrow and low, and though she had
not mnch brain herself, as she reflect
ed, she liked It In other people. Be
sides that, his watch chain troubled
her. Why did he wear such a very
heavy one?
"But I can't stand here listening t<>
you," she said nt last, when she found
her breath was giving out. '"You aro
such a chatterbox, Monty. I'll go and
po;> on my lint, nml we'll go out."
'.fi'it I haven't asked you my ques
ttrts?' he gasped, and iii sheer des
peration he placed his back to the
door.
"Oh, dear, how slow you are." she
said. "If it's about the dance—
"It lsn"t about the dunce," he Btam
niorotl. "It's about you. I -I want
,you to marry me."
Nothing could hare born more awk
ward than l.is proposal, but it reduced
her to a Btate of despair.
The piano tuning whs going on sol
emnly. Tap -tap- -tap, went the Dotes,
followed by a grand flourish of chords.
Then tap tap tap, again.
"Why?" she asked, argumentative
iy.
"Why—what?" ho gasped, blinking
hla l'.itlo eyes In a bewildered way.
"I really must call at the butcher's,"
she Bald, Jumping at the chance for
delay jrlveti by his Indecision.
"Hut- will you':"
"You mean, marry you?" she asked
demurely. "You don't give me time to
think."
"I'm awfully fond of you. and and
all that sort of thins," he said, eager
ly. "We should be tremendously jol
ly, and—all thai sort of thing. The
governor says I can draw up to $6,000
a year out of the business for a stnrt,
and -and things would be ripping."
She looked at him desperately. What
wai she to do? She began to foci for
some queer reason that to accept him
was almost impossible, but she had
given her foolish little word.
Then a bright idea struck her. Per
haps he would let her off.
"Suppose 1 don't 'love you," she
said.
"That doesn't matter a l)it.'" he said
cheerfully, "if you win promise to
marry mo, I expeci I shall make you
love me In time. I am nl), lord, what
a beastly row that piano-tuner is mak
ing."
"Porhaps ft would be better to tadk
it over another morning," the sug
gested.
"No, no, toll me now," be said. The
piano tuning hud suddenly ceased, and
he was dashing at the subject brave
ly. "I'm awfully fond of you, Mar
garet The fact is you you have fair
ly bowled me over. I can't say exactly
what 1 moan, because I am not much
of a hand a( talking, and all that wort
of th'rng, but —"
There was a gentle Knock ai the
door, and Monty muttered something
under his breath which no British priu
ter would set up in type,
it was little Mr. Winter flood who
entered.
"Good morning, miss," ho said. "I
hope I haven't disturbed you."
"Not at all," she said, beaming with
pleasure.
"Oh, I found something of yours in
the piano," said the little man.
"Something of mine?"
"Yes, It's a letter. No wonder the
bass notes were nearly dumb. Good
morning, miss."
She took the envelope, and tore It
open. It was addressed to her In
Jack's handwriting.
"Hear Maggie"—it ran—"l expect
you'll be wild with me for not turning
up to take you to the concert. But I
have been summoned into the country
by telegram. T'ncle Tom is seriously
ill, probably dying, and has asked to
see me. I leave Huston to-night, and
have Just dashed in here hoping to
eatoh you. but too late. I shan't be
back for two or three days at the
soonest. Good-bye, dear little girl, or
rather au revoir. This Is my birth
day, and I made up my mind a long
time ago that I would ask you to-day
to share my lot. Will you be my wife?
There! at last. I have summoned up
my courage. When I come back I will
try to tell you how much I love you.
Good-bye, once more.—Jack. I am
leaving this on the top of the piano,
so that you will find it In the morning.
Walt for me, Maggie. Don't promise
yourself to any one tlse, until I have
told you all I mean."
For some Inscrutable reason that let
ter cleared the way. She knew exact
ly what her answer wag. She knew,
uot only whom she did not waut to
marry, but whom she must marry, un
less she wanted to be a miserable wo
man for the,rest of her life.
"Is it settled?" asked her motur,
after Monty had gona.
••Qnite," Abe said. "T kept my word,
, and have accepted the one who asked
me first. Jack came, last night. There's
hia letter."—Montreal Family Herald.
PLAN TO EXCHANGE BABIEa
CicarinK-Hnnne by Which Different
Nationalities Are Traded.
One of the curious things run across
in Europe is the scheme of a French
man named Michael Breal, broached as
I long ago as IHNt',, and which Is being
again taken up.
It consists of a wholesale exchange.
a Swapping of children from one fain
llj in another.
Here is v Parisian father in modest
• •>tate. with a son. This man has an
ambition that his child shall hure a
thorough knowledge of German. The
I proper thing would be to place the
child in some German family for a
while. But the difficulty for the father
is to discover .lust the right sort of
family one who would receive the
child, and, above all, one who hail h
child to swap. The Parisian father
would be Spending no extra money In
housing the German child and teach
ing it French, while his own was eat
ing at a Qerman table. Meanwhile
two nations were understanding each
oilier better. It was a splendid scheme,
ir only it could be carried out.
What was needed wan a biby bro
ker, as It were, an exchange, a clear
Ing house for children, an agency to
keep tab of families willing to swap
children and to engineer the swap. A
man named Ton! Mathieu saw the
chance, and Improved it during the va
cation period last year He had pre
judicea to overcome. After a deal of
letter writing he won the Indispensa
ble, not to say inevitable, sanction of
college professors, of great authors.
prominent lawyers and members of
Parliament, He even succeeded In
placing nn order for five children on
trial. He devoted a whole year to
booming the enterprise. And it was
heart breaking work. He would win
the approval of a lot of English or
(Jermau or Scandinavian families, only
to find In Ills own land no readiness to
trade. And yet, in spite of •very
thing, he has succeeded In a measure.
The scheme is working and Mr. Ma-
thieu has decided to found a society
and push the idea for all it Is worth.
An elaborate system of correspond
•■nee has been drawn up already. There
is a precautionary exchange of photo
graphs first and a severe cross-exam
ination of all concerned. The closing
details of the railroad Journey, under
suitable escorts in the case of girls,
are easily looked after by the ex
change.
LIVING HENT FHEE IN LONDON.
UnMrapoloM I'eruona Who Take Ad
vantage of the Ikh'i Deluy.
Many people in IxHidon make .a busi
ness of living rent free. "It is almost
Incredible," said the head of a large
firm of house agents the other day,
"the number of persona who never pay
rent from one year's end to another.
"The method Is, either by bogus ref
eren :es or by impressing a sense of
their good faith on a house agent, to
obtain the lease of a house, moat fre
quently over £50 a year in rent, and
when the landlord applies for his rent
in defy him. When he attempts to
eject them by legal process they stay
until the very last day the law allows,
and then clear oui bag'and baggage,
iind sinrt the same operation elsewhere.
As they always furiilMh on the hire sya.
torn, distraint is of no service to the
landlord.
•■Their object of taking houses of a
rental over i"><> Is to get above the Jur
isdiction of the County Court, which
Is more, summary in its methods than
the high court."
To a smaller extent the delay in
volved in ejectment by County Court
action is also taken advantage of by
exploiter! of the law's delays, but these
methods are not bo Impudent as th.it
of "Jumping" a house, which is some
times adopted.
Not long ago a house owner, on look
in;? through his morning paper, ob
served that a man who had been charg
ed with assault was reported to live at
one of his houses, which he had sup
posed to have been vacant for twelve
months. On Investigation he found that
It was occupied by a tenant, who re
fused to' clear out
The usual legal form had to be gone
through, and it was a month before the
landlord got possession. Similar cases
have happened where the "Jumper" has
gone the length of taking In lodgers, or
even of selling the house.
Landlords sometimes prefer to buy a
tenant out rather than Invoke legal
process, and a quicker procedure for
ejection than the courts allow would be
welcomed by landlords and house
agents.—London Express.
i
No More than Ilijcht.
"I'd like to have your check for thmt
little midnight supper I served at your
house last month," said the caterer.
"You'll have to wait until I (jet the
doctor's bill for curing me of Indiges
tion," replied the \ictim. "Thut cornea
off your bill." — Philadelphia Press.
There Is on« consolation for the girl
whose parent* afford to send ber
to college: Mj> would probably look
like blnzet Id * cap and gown any
way.
PRESIDENT ATTENDS CHURCH.
In Little School House on Weat
Divide.
Qlcnwood Springs, Col., May 1. —
Unique in the history of Colorado was
the church service held at the Old
Bins ■oboolhouM oa the West Divide,
«".;! attended by President Roosevelt
and hia party and aH the ranchmen
and their families for miles around.
The little district school building was
Hot a tenth part large enough to ac
commodate the congregation. The or
gan was moved to the platform in front
of the house. Platform leatl weTC
provided for the president and hii
parly, the Rev. Horace Mann of Rifle,
Col., who preached the sermon; the
choir and the truiteei of the church.
The members of the congregation
ItOOd or sat on the ground or in their
conveyances, winch were grouped
around the building.
The sermon by the Rev. Mr. Mann
was of an unusual kind, it began with
I Story, teemed with Slang of I lie
western flavor, ami was lull of advice
suited to a congregation Inuring itself
lo the hardships of mountain life. It
touched upon the responsibilities of
Ihe position of a president as well as
the characteristics of some of the men
who have occupied 'hat position. Af
ter Rev. Mr. Mann had concluded, the
president spoke for about in minutes.
Hi' expressed his Well known views OH
good citizenship, the morality of the
man. the patriotism and duty to the
country. lie was heartily cheered
throughout his remarks. After the
gervlces were concluded, he shook
hands with every man, woman and
child present.
The services at the schoolhouse
were begun at 11 o'clock. Long before
that hour ranchmen and their families
began to assemble. Many persona
drove or rode horseback from New
castle, Hide and other towns from five
to IB miles away.
The president's party presented a
picturesque appearance as they came
ii|>. All were on horseback, and they
were dressed in their hunting clothes.
They had no others at the cam]). Many
of those in tin- CongT4 gatlon wore their
best. The dresses and hats of the wo
men were showy and in striking con
trast to the mud spattered tanduck,
bine jeans and other rough materials
making up the costumes of the presi
dent and his fellow hunters.
TRAINS IN COLLISION.
Five Persons Are Killed and Several
Injured.
Greenville, s. C. —The special train
bearing the Robert C. Ogden educa
tional party ran into a freight train
just outside Greenville. None of the
Ogilcn party was seriously hurt. The
engine, baggage car, library ear and
two diiiiiiK cars were badly damaged.
Nearly all of the party were asleep
when the accident occurred.
The passengers Injured were in the
dining car. The fireman on the special
was killed, as were also a flagman
and three employes in the dining car,
and Professor Henry Pfernam of Yale
university had his right arm broken
and was severely cut and bruised
Mrs. Farnam was cut and bruised.
When news df the wreck reached
Greenville a wrecking train with a
party of physicians was hurried to
(lie scene.
After the collision the wreck caught
fire and it is feared that \V. VV. Can
ning, one of the cooks, was liiirneii to
death.
Japan's Advantage.
The population <>f Japan is about
13,000,000 one third that of Russia.
Bui Japan lias a homogeneous popula
tion anil is near the sent of wa?. \\<r
supply of men will not f:>il and her
people life prepared for Immense iae»
riflcos. The spirit of her soldiery is
splendid, as the fighting shows. Japan
can furnish men enough. She can place
more men at the seat of war than
Russia can. Her main problem is the
financial one; hut herein she certainly
has no more difficult problem than
that whinh confronts Russia. Less dif
ficult, probably.
Schwab Admits the Contract.
Charles M. Schwab of New York,
who is on his way from St. Peters
burg to Luxemburg to viKit the iron
works and who thence will return
home, Stopped over in Berlin for a
day. In an Interview, Mr. Schwab said
it was quite true that he had made a
contract with the Russian government
for warships, but that he considered
it would be improper for him to talk
about it. Those in the Russian gov
ernment who knew of the contract,
he said, were the ones to make the
terms public.
St. Louis., Mo., May iJ. — Kdward J.
.-Smith of Han Francisco, fugitive from
justice, was arrested here at the rail
road station. He is charged with hav
ing embezzled $165,000 as city tax ool
lector in that city. He admitted his
identity and acknowledged to the offi
cers here that he is short #62,000 in
his accounts. He is willing to return
to California without a mjnistion.
American bridges and coal-handling
machinery—elevators and automatic
railways—ln Germany.
