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TJIE YALK KXPOSITOU FIIIDA Y.OI'T. 10, VJ00. 0tiKMMrt.iiUMtuMiih.iiUMtuh.MiUii.Uiuj THE MERMAID THAT LURED PERKINS By Claude Matson Terklns had not been drinking and there really was no reason why he should be "seeing things," but when he saw the mermaid emerge from the water he became very much alarmed about himself. "By Jove. I didn't get away from the city a day too soon," ho said, hia eyes bulging and the cold sweat stand ing out on his forehead. "The doc tor has been warning me for months that If I did not break away from business and take a good rest I was liable to go to pieces all of a sud den. 1 guess he knew what he was talking about and this is the first symptom." He glanced at the vision which had emerged from the sea and pinched hfmself to see if he really were awake. Yes, he seemed to be awake all right and the mermaid seemed very real indeed, lying there not 20 feet from him. Perkins had only been down to the seaside two days when this queer ex perience came to him. He had risen early to enjoy the bracing morning air, and he had sought a secluded nook around the bend where he had perched himself on a bowlder, light ed his favorite pipe and proceeded to commune with Nature in one of her most delightful moods. "This will make a new man of me," he said to himself. "The fact Is I have neglected, this vacation business too closely. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy; there's no mistake about it. Who knows but if I drift about such places as this I will run across some fair maiden who will stir my bachelor heart I sup pose in the natural order of things I have to marry and set up an estab lishment some time." It was just at this instant that Per kins caught a glance of the figure of a young girl in tho water some dis tance out. She was a very pretty girl, too, and Perkins could not but no tice tho whitness of her rounded arms and as they swept the water, and the perfection of her chiseled neck. The sun put a glint of gold into her masses of auburn hair and seemed to surround it with a halo. She seemed to be laboring under some difficulty, although the sweep of her arms bespoke of the practiced swimmer. Yet she seemed to be mak ing awful hard work of it and little progress. The shore shelved off rath er abruptly at this point, and pres ently a great wave rolled in, caught her on its crest and landed her In the shallow water almost at Perkins' feet. As she lay there breathless and almost unconscious, her thin bathing waist clinging to the curves of her form, Perkins could not but note that nature had ben lavish in Its gifts to her. The bust, which would have been the despair of a sculptor, was surmounted by a face of rare infec tion and sweetness. Then, as the wave receded and the lower jtortion of her form was re vealed, Perkins gave a gasp and then came to him the doubts as to his own lowers of perception. For from the waist down her body was that of a great fish splashed with spots of brilliant color and sparkling with dashes of silver and gold the whole ending with a regular fish's tail. As he sat spellDound, wondering what had happened to him fearful even of his own reason, the mermaid opened her eyes and they met his and snch wonderful brown eyes were they and so full of intelligence and goodness and of promise, that the thought flashed across his mind that it was no wonder that men had been lured to death and to Hades by such as she as told In classic tradition and story. Then she sike. "Oh, sir," 6he said, "please help me out of the water." In an instant Perkins hal waded in, and gathering the mermaid in his arms, he carried her to a soft, dry spot In the sand. Then overcome with wonder and doubts he had re tired to his bowlder and given vent to the doubts and apprehensions with which this story oiens. In the meantime the mermaid was involved in the most wonderful series of contortions, which appeared to be to no avail. Presently, she turned once more to Perkins with flaming cheeks and said: "Oh, please, sir, will you help me get It off?" Perkins now was sure that he was Leaded directly for the asylum, but he could not resist the appeal,, and leaped to the side of the struggling mermaid. "Get what offr" he asked, thickly. "Why, this terrible thing I'm kooked up in. The hooks have got twisted, and 1 can't undo them." She indicated a place along the line where the maiden seemed to leave off and the mermaid to begin and Perkins saw that there was a sort of concoaled hook which was twisted so it would not slip out of the eye. He loosened it in a minute, as he did several others, when, lo! and behold, the girl wriggled herself out of a sort of bag and stood revealed like any other damsel in a proper and regu lar bathing ruit The fish end of the girl was simply a bag Into which she had thrust her feet aid fastened It cunningly about the waist. Perkins fairly shouted for Joy. He , was not Insane after all. It vaa all Datura' "Then you are not a mermaid, after all," he remarked, lamely. She laughed a clear, silvery laugh which was good to hear. "Only for the circus," she replied. "Father wants me to be a mermaid In the circus, and makes me learn to swim with this bag on. That's why I have to get up so early and come here where nobody comes. And, say, It's awful hard work to swim with your arms alone; did you ever try it?" Perkins admitted that he never had. He also admitted that it must be a difficult feat. "Who is your father?" he asked. "Bllmbley," she replied, "nilmb ley's Great Consolidated Shows, you know." Yes, Terklns did know. He knew Pllmbley and he knew little good of him. He could not conceive that he should have a daughter so dainty and evidently so good. "Why has he not ta'ught you this before?" he asked. "Oh, I never knew he was my father until a month ago. I have al ways lived with mammi until she died, three months ago, and then I went to live with Aunt Maria, and then father came and took me away with him. and told me that 1 was old enough to do something to help pay for my living. And, oh, sir, you will not tell what I told you, will you, be cause he will beat me and he strikes so hard." "Your father should be beaten for making you do such a thing, ' replied Perkins, warmly. "No, I will not hurt you. little one." "Oh, I must go," she exclaimed, and gathering up the Imitation fish, start ed for the hotel. In a moment she re turned, and held out her hand shyly to Perkins and, looking with childish Innocence into his eyes, said: "Thank you for your kindness, sir. If you were my father, you wouldn't make me swim with my feet in a bag, would you?" "Indeed I would not," replied Per kins, emphatically, holding the little hand in his a moment longer than strict etiquette demanded. As she ran away, with the grace of a gazelle, Perkins muttered to himself: "Pllmbley, indeed! I'll wager there's some mischief afloat. I think I'll take a hand in the game and see what it is all about." All that day Perkins was very busy gathering information. That night he returned to New York, and the next morning he sat in the office of a very wise and very powerful lawyer. Presently the lawyer and he got Into a cab and were driven to a tenement house on the east side, where they had a very serious talk with a very frightened woman. At the end of which they departed with certain signed documents in their posses sion. That afternoon they went to gether to the seaside, and that even ing paid a formal call on Pllmbley, who did not seem overjoyed to see them. There was considerable loud talk and blustering, but when Pllmb ley realized the fact that they had absolute proof that the girl was not his daughter and had been turned over to him as the result of an iniqui tous deal with her Impecunious aunt, who in turn had betrayed him; and when the doors of the penitentiary were, figuratively speaking, shown him, he caved and turned over the girl to their keeping. That night the mermaid was tho guest of tne hotel keeper's wife. On the following day she went to a high class boarding school as the ward of the lawyer but at Perkins expense. Perkins' reward? Oh, that, was three years ago. There was a quiet little wedding last month, and now Perkins lives no longer in bachelor quarters, but has one of the cosiest flats adjacent to the park. His friends cannot understand why he persists in calling his wife "Mermaid." (Copyright, 1906, by Dally Story Tub. Co.) Freaks of Lightning. Some curious freaks were played by the lightning during a recent great storm. In Alnwick an old man and woman were sitting at dinner when a flash of lightning struck their house. It came through to the dining room be tween them, then made for a gun in the corner of the room, which It smashed to atoms, and Anally went to earth through tho floor. Neither of the two occupants of the room was hurt. In another case the lightning came down the chimney, bringing bricks and mortar on the top of a small boy who was playing in front of the fire. It then went across the room, killing a dog that was under the table, and out of the door. The boy was unhurt. In appealing for help for sufferers from the storm, Rev. A. A. Hancock, rector of Little Staughton, St. Neots, writes: "Scarcely a window pane which met the force of the storm re mains unbroken. The effect of the bombardment, for it was nothing less, is terrible. One end of the village presents almost the appearance of a battlefield. Crops are ruined, the wheat, barley, oats and beans Just ready to reap, were literally thrashed as they stood, scarcely an ear retain ing any grain." London MalL MECESSITIES FOR SICK ROOM. Sir e Precautions That Will Save Lives and Money. A set of dishes should be selected for the sick room and these should lm washed by the nuise and never mixed with the dishes used by the family. The nurse should disinfect all bed and body linen used by the patient and also keep the sick room and all be longings to it free from infection. Nothing contaminates the atmosphere more than dust and nothing creates worse air dust contamination than' the spilling of foul discharges on floors, rugs and bed and body linen and allow ing them to dry. All such foul matter should be wiped up at once with a moist disinfected cloth which should be burned. A broom is out of place in a sick room. It only scatters the dust into the air. The only safe dis posal of the refuse from a quarantined room is cremation. The nurse in charge of a case of contagious disease should avoid direct contact with other members of the family, especially chil dren. If needs be she must mlnglo with others she should have a special gown for the sick room which should be discarded with her cap on coming out and always worn In the room, and she should disinfect her hands before touching anything outside of the room. All these simple, commonplace quar antine regulations faithfully carried out would save thousands of lives yearly among the children of the land and also greatly lessen the cost to common people for illness and funeral expenses. Nothing would pay better than for the.t heads of all American households to be their own health of ficers. Dr. Kate Lindsay, in the Housekeeper. CARE IN WASHING SWEATER. Garment Never Should Be Hung Up to Dry Needs Much Rinsing. In washing a sweater, rub .thor oughly in warm water and soap biuIs, rinsing several times vo get all tho odor of the soap out of the wool. Ho sure never to hang up a swealer to dry, as hanging ruins the shape and stretches the garment. If you can lay the sweater on tho grass, do so, having first spread out a heavy towel or a sheet folded. If you must dry it on the lire escape or in a window, spread out first a newspaper and then cover that with towels or a sheet to keep the water from soaking through, and then lay the sweater on them, not stretched out, but rather in a heap. Half a day of hot sunshine will dry it, but it must be hot. Don't try to wash a sweater on a cloudy day. Dress Coverings. Some girl with a love of pretty things hit upon the clever Idea of mak ing the great bags and slips, with which she covered her best bib and tuckers, of flowered stuffy instead of the usual plain white muslin affairs. The open door of the closet reveals a pretty sight, instead of a rather funer eal effect the muslin shroudings are bound to give. Choosing n closely woven material, so that the dust is as safely defied as when a 6tout muslin is the shield. Is the only iolnt that need be looked to. Have some of the covers big. sheet like affairs there are certain gowns which keep in better condition if something Is folded about them tha: If they are slipped Into the roomiest of bags. Put loops upon bags or wrapping sheet, so that their weight. little as it may seem, will bear directly upon ihe closet hooks, instead of adding its mite to dragging the delicate skirt or blouse out of shape. Two Good Cleaning Recipes. Here is a recipe which Is efncaeiou for cleaning fabrics without injuring their texture or changing their color. It is also particularly good in cleaning rugs and carpets. Grate two raw pota toes in a bowl which contains a 'pint of clear, cold water. Now strain through a sieve, allowing the liquid to fall into another bowl containing an other pint of cold water. When it settles, iour off the water into a lot fie and keep for future use. Dip a sponge into the potato water and rub the soiled garment carefully, after which it may be washed in clear wa ter. When ivory knife handles get discol ored dip half a lemon In salt and rub on them. Wash off immediately in warm water, and the handles will look is white as when new. . Baked Potatoes. Select smooth, medium sized pota toes, wash, and put in a dripping pan. Pake in a hot oven over 40 minutes, or until soft. The potatoes are put in a dripping pan so that all may be drawn at one time to try them. Tea, the potatoes by taking one r.p In a holder or towel, and if they are soft and mealy inside, they are done. Paked potatoes are cooked in their natural water, and when done the skin should be broken to let out the steam. If this is not done, the r.team Inside condenses again, and forms water, and the result Is soggy baked pota toes. Good Housekeeping. To Sweeten Musty Cellar. A damp, musty cellar may be sweet ened by sprinkling upon the floor pul verized copperas, chloride of lime, or even common lime. The most effec tive means ever used to disinfect de caying vegetable matter Is chloride of lime in solution. One pound may be dissolved in two gallons of water. Plaster of parts has also been found an excellent absorbent of noxious odors. If used one part with three parts of charcoal, It will be found sill. Utter. WHAT VE OWE TO INSECTS. They Are of the Greatest Benefit to Growing Flowers. Prof. Darwin said that If It had not been for Insects we should never have had any more Imposing or attractive flowers than those of the elm, the hop and the nettle. Lord Avebury com pares the work of the insect to that of the florist. He considers that just as the florist has by selection produced the elegant blossoms of the garden, so the insects, by selecting the largest and brightest blossoms for fertiliza tion, have produced the gay flowers of the field. Prof. Plateau, of Ghent, has carried out a series of remarkable ex periments on the ways of Insects visit ing flowers. He considers that they are guided by scent rather than by olor, and In the connection he is at variance with certain Pritlsh natural ists. Whatever may be the attraction in flowers to Insects as yet, it ap pears undefined it is certain that the latter visit freely all blossoms alike, making no distinction between the large, bright-colored ones and the less conspicuous blossoms like those of the currants, the lime, the planetree, the nettle and the willow. Latest Fad In 'Society.' The latest fad in certain eastern so ciety circles is to be glum and cross. One phase of this more than usually absurd affectation takes the form of Ignoring letters of Introduction and this lack Of consideration has roused family feuds in several cases. One wealthy young Italian, who Is a mem ber of one of the best Roman families, went to Newport this summer with many letters from prominent' persons. Put he has found it Impossible to pre sent them. "It Is foolish to expect anything from social leaders these days and the stranger who asks to be received by letter has a hard time of It," said a young man whose letter to a society matron was Ignored. Some lawyers who fail at their prac tice imagine it Is up to them to preach. . INTERESTING CONTEST. Heavy Cost of Unpaid Postage. One of the most curious contests ever before the public was conducted by many thousand persons under the offer of the Postum Cereal Co., Ltd., of Battle Creek, Mich., for prizes of 31 boxes of gold and 300 greenbacks to those making the most words out of the letters Y-I-O-Grape-Nuts. The contest was started In Febru ary, 1906, and it was arranged to have the prizes awarded on Apr. 30, 1906. "When the public announcement ap peared many persons began to form the words from these letters, some times the whole family being occupied evenings, a combination of amuse ment and education. After a while the lists began to come in to the Postum Office and be fore long the volume grew until it re quired wagons to carry the mail. Many of the contestants were thought less enough to send their lists with insufficient postage and for a period it cost the Company from twenty-five to flfty-eiht and sixty dollars a day to pay the unpaid postage. Young ladleB, generally those who had graduated from the high school. were employed to examine these lists and count the correct words. Web ster's Dictionary was the standard and each list was very carefully cor rected except those which fell below 8000 for it soon became clear that nothing below that could win. Some of the lists required the work of a young lady for a solid week on each Individual list. The work was done very carefully and accurately but the Company had no idea, at the time the offer was made, that the people would respond so generally and they were compelled to fill every available space in the offices with these young lady examiners, and notwithstanding they worked steadily, it was impossible to complete the examination until Sept. 29, over six months after the prizes should have been awarded. This delay caused a great many n- qulries and naturally created some dissatisfaction. It has been thought best to make this report in practically all of the newspapers in the United States and many of the magazines in order to make clear to the people the conditions of the contest. Many lists contained enormous numbers of words which, under the rules, had to be eliminated "Pegger" would count "Peggers" would not. Some lists contained over 50,000 words, the great majority of which were cut out. The largest lists were checked over two and In some cases three times to Insure accuracy. The $100.00 gold prize was won by L. D. Reese. 1227 15th St., Denver, Colo., with 9941 correct words. The highest $10.00 gold prize went to S K. Fraser, Lincoln, Ta., with 9921 cor rect words. A complete list of the 331 winners with their home addresses will be sent to any contestant enquiring on a postal card. De sure and gire name and address clearly. This contest has cost the Co. many thousand dollars, and probably has not been a profitable advertisement, nevertheless perhaps some who had never before tried Grape-Nuts food have been Interested in the contest, and from trial of the food have been shown Its wonderful rebuilding pow ers. It teaches In a practicable manner that scientifically gathered food ele ments can be selected from the field grains, which nature will use for re building the nerve centres and brain in a way that Is unmistakable to users of Grape-Nuts. "Thera's a reason." rests Cerssl C., LU., Ssltis Crtek, MUs. A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. How a Veteran Was Saved the Am putation of a Limb. P. Frank Doremus. veteran, of Roosevelt Ave., Indianapolis, Ind.. says: "I had been showing symptoms of kidney trouble from the time I was mus tered out of the J -Cv " jT 'lfo ' never suffered -sSk r as in 1897. Head aches, dizziness and sleeplessness, first, and then dropsy. I was weak and help less, having run down from 180 to 125 pounds. 1 was having terrible pain in the kidneys, and the secretions passed almost Involuntarily. My left leg swelled until it was 34 inches around, and the doctor tapped it night and morning until I could no longer stand it, and then ho advised amputation. I refused, and began using Doan's Kid ney Pills. Tho swelling subsided gradually, the urine became natural, and all my pains and aches disap peared. I have been well now for nine years since using Doan's Kidney Pills. For sale by all dealers. f0 cents a box. Foster-Milburn Co., Buffalo, N. Y. Kept Tax Receipts Long. Charles King, of East Liberty, l suburb of Pittsburg, is what might be termed a careful man. He has been a voter in the East Liberty district since 1857 and when asked on the last reg istration day if he bad a tax receipt be pulled from a pocket tax receipts for the last 41 years. When asked by the registrar if he had any more he replied that If he went down deep In to his "strong box" at home he might possibly find a few dating long back before the oldest member of the board was born. Mr. King Is now 78 years old. having been born in Baltimore in 1828, removing to East Liberty in 1857. His first presidential voto was cast for John C. Fremont and his last for Theodore Roosevelt. He Is a stanch Republican and as a contractor and brick manufacturer for half a cen tury has contributed much to the up building and growth of East Liberty. State or om.i, CiTr or Toliik. I M LIT At i ui ri. Tn ASK J. I'rimi niakea oath that hn ta fei'rr partuer of tba firm of Y. J. CHesar Co., doiti C i . i. .Km rli .. T.klM.l.i l!.mnfv An. I Sti.tM fTa!d, and that aald firm wlil pay the aum of ON K HL'SUUED DOLLAKS fur eavn and err UAUL-a t'TA CUSS. rnAVR j cnFKEr Sworn to bafore ma and iuIuhtiixiI In my presence, this ih day of December, A. l.. Jh. . . A. W. GLEASOS, iJJliif ' Xotabt Public nall'a Catarrh Cure ( take n Internallr and acta directly 4a tba blood and inuc.nn surfaces of the artieiu. Send for tatlnionlala. frre. r. J.tHKN'fcV CO., Toledo, O. Sold by a!l Druir1ta, 'Sc. Take Uall'a Family 1'liu for conitfpatlou. Brilliant Jamaican Fireflies. Fireflies of Jamaica emit so brilliant a light that a dozen of them, inclosed within an inverted tumbler, will en able a person to read or write at night without difficulty. These flies are in size as large as a common hive bee, and perfectly harmless. Their appear ance in unusual numbers acts as a barometer to the natives, and is an indication of approaching rain. But the man wha thinks he h.is a will of his own Is apt to marry a wo man who knows she has a won't of her own. ft A . the front of ifrv:vr FUTBJAM Ccter amr krlfMar tatltr eatara than an XT : ":'f - iLovjTav fsmant mtOmH rtssMfl tftrU Write tor lm HuMirf w oj Siaack an sua taiara. MONRO PUTNAM FADELESS DYES do not tain the hand or spot tho kettle, cxcijt green and purple. Some men haven't troubles enough of their own, so they get married. Mn. VTInalow'a Soothing ttyrup. For rhinlivo t-riuiiitr. Mn. tua miir, iriimff In. Ilamiualiwu All) ili,enrt wind i-uttc. jc a bultiv. .Want Them to Know Country. The Japanese war department has made arrangements to send teaches and student 8 of the middle and hi' er schools and colleges to Manchu:.'. and Korea free of charge during their vacation. More than 60,000 tersons expect to make the trip. Important to Mothers. Examine carefully erery bottle of CASTOTUA, aafa and auro remedy for Infant and children. and ae that It Iar tha Figuamre la Uae For Over 30 Year. XLa Kind You Hate Alwaa nougat Japanese Companies Make Money. Shipping companies are profitable in Japan. For the past year ending March 31 last the Nippon Yusen Kal sha wrote off $401,600 for depreciation, $169,000 for insurance, $233,000 for re pairs, carried $56,000 to reserve, paid $36,000 for directors' and auditors' fees, gave the managing director a bonus of $30,000, gave employes gen erally $200,000 in bonuses, paid $825, 000 in 15 per cent dividends, and left $492,000 at credit of profit and loss account STIFFNESS, STITCHES, LAMENESS, CRAMP. TWISTS AND TWITCHES, ALL DECAMP WHEN YOU I ST. OIL THE OLD-MONK-CURE For Emergencies zA Home For the Stock on the Farm Slo&rts Limmeat Is aAvhole medicine chest Price 25c 50c 6 1.00 5 and For Free BooMcr on Horscs.CattIe.Hogs Circuitry. Address Dr. Earl S. Sloan, Boston, Mass. TheWinning6troke If more than ordinary skill in playing: brings the honors of the game to the winning player, so exceptional merit in a remedy ensures the commendation of the well informed, and as a rea sonable amount of outdoor life and recreation is conducive to the health and strength, so does a perfect laxative tend to one's improvement in cases of constipation, biliousness, headaches, etc. It is all important, however, in selecting a laxative, to chopse one of known quality and excellence, like the ever pleasant Syrup of Figs, manufactured by the California Fig Syrup Co., a laxative which sweetens and cleanses the system effectually, when a laxative is needed, without any unpleasant after effects, as it acts naturally and gently on the internal organs, simply assisting nature when nature needs assistance, without griping, irritating or debilitating the internal organs in any way, as it contains nothing of an objectionable or injurious nature. As the plants which are combined with the figs in the manufacture of Syrup of Figs are known to physicians to act most beneficially upon the system, the remedy has met with their general approval as a family laxative, a fact well worth consideiing in making purchases. It is because of the fact that SYRUP OP PIGS is a remedy of known quality and excellence, and approved by physicians that has led to its use by so many millions of well informed people, who would not use any remedy of uncertain quaMty cr inferior reputation. Every family should have a bottlo of. the genuine on hand at all times, to use when a laxative remedy is required. Please to remember that the genuine Syrup of Fig3 is for sale in bottles of one size omy, by all reputable druggists, and that full name of the company 'California Fig Syrup Co., is plainly printed on. every package. Regular price, 50c IpQuFQRNiA Ffc Syrup (q nrxciaco FADELESS DYES' atHar tfra. Oaa lOe tackaoa enlora all Skara. TV 2 THE BEST COUGH CURE I A v- !!-1cnown Rochester laly s-- : " ..- I'.lin the Adirondack., awayfioi i Ji -n and home, two winters btioic 1 lound that by Ukim I Kemp's Balsam I 2 drove me away from homo and 9 seemed likely to never allow me ( Z to live there in winter." 7 Kemp's Balsam will enre any 7 V cough that can be cured by any 0 2 medicine. Sold by all dealers at 25c and 50c. 7 CVCVCNCsCVCN STOVE POLISH ALWAYS READY TO USE. NO DIRT. DUST. SMOKE OR SMELL. M0 MORE STOVE POLISH TROUBLES 9i nnn on for acents. puiwm 96J,UUUiVU work m,,n yoor fnsmt.. frqnent aalm. larvft inimliin and hia praa lor all. AddreM 1U tX, 11 K. 2ib St., N. Y.CH7. APPLY PRICE 3 AND SO CENTS T il i ' T " Ir-- per bottle. la rU watt featta tkaa any alW . Vaa f Sa Pua CO., VmtmrUI; Kifmmrit i IV:-