Kingsbury County independent., September 01, 1905, Image 3

About Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929

Image provided by: South Dakota State Historical Society – State Archives

                
Woman of It.
F’.vcag News: Professor Broadhead paid
f,iu a vrr; great compliment last night
Eft >r <1: r < my dear.
Mrs. Smith—lndeed! What did he say?
AUTOCRACY WAS THE
RUSSIANS' CHOICE
Thd Romanoff Dynasty in Rus
sia Began with Popu
lar Assent.
CONSTITUTION REFUSED
Masses CWe Spurned an Offer of Leg
islative Body Such as They Are
Now Making Every Effort
to Secure.
From the National Geographic Magazine.
From 1205 to 1472 Russia groaned un-
the merciless sway of the 'Mongol
Tartars. Resistance was of no avail
against the overwhelming numbers of
the invading horde. Tne period is fitly
called in Russian history "The Age of
Tears" or The Age of Woe." No oth
er country of Europe has ever been sub
jected to such horrible and long contin
ued suffering. The only alleviation to
the awful distress was found in the ef
forts of the royal Russian family—itself
tributary and a vassal, always weak,
but determined and shrewd—to modify
the ferocity of the conquerors and to
keep the sense of nationality from
dying. Upon their princes, fellow
sufferers with them in a. common
and intolerable subjection, the people
looked as their only hope. When at
last Prince Demetrius of the Don won
a decisive victory over the horde and
made it evident that Its final expulsion
was only the work of patience and
time, the delirious gratitude of the
people knew no bounds. They were
ready to swear themselves the subjects
of Demetrius and his heirs forever.
Front 1462 to 1584 three princes occu
pied the throne —Ivan 111. the Great,
Wlsstli, and Ivan IV. the Terrible, or,
. more accurately rendering the, Russian
adjective, monstrous, bbt* always
mighty, always persistent in one pur
pose, these three built up Russia from
Its humiliation and weakness Into glory
and strength. Before Ivan IV., the
marvelous madman, died he had made
himself a "god in the minds of his
People." Autocracy had received a
fresh sanction in their absolute and
whole-hearted submission.
People Chose First Romanoff. .
(Suddenly the boy prince, Demetrius,
the last heir of Ivan. died. With him
the royal line of Rurik became extinct.
There followed thirty years of lawless
ness and anarchy, of civil
and foreign war. At last, In 1613, a
great assembly, made up from every
rank and class In Russia, got together
In Moscow. A national assembly,
equally representative of a nation,
neither Russia nor Europe had ever
seen. This assembly, after long and
fierce contention, chose Michael Ro
manoff as czar. Not a single condition
did they imposo upon that untried boy
of 17 thus unanimously elected ruler.
When he appeared before them, upon
their knees they shouted, "Promise
that thou wilt graciously consent to
rule over us.” And so with autocratic
power tha dynasty of the Romanoffs
was seated upon the imperial Russian
throne. There Is no other royal house
reigning in Europe today which in
equal degree owes its elevation to the
free voice of the people. There is no
ether reigning house that does not
trace its origin back to some success
ful warrior and owe its earliest ad
vancement to the sword. In every oth
er country, on some bloody plain, a
Hastings or a Marchfleld, William the
Conqueror, the Hapsburgs, the Hohen
zollerns, have carved for themselves
and their descendants a title to the
crown. The father of Michael Roman -
off was no brilliant soldier, only a
faithful parish priest, who was re
nowned for piety and ability, and who
because of his noble qualities attained
high ecclesiastical distinction.
ffpon the autocratic throne, thus
broad based upon the popular will,
sovereign succeeded sovereign for more
tnan a century. On each monarch de
volved the duty of choosing his heir
from among the male and female mem
bers of the imperial family. Always
that choice was accepted by the na
tion. Smallpox caused the sudden
death of Peter 11., in 1730, before he
had expressed any preference as to his
successor. There were then living four
descendants of Michael Romanoff.
of them were women-Anna
Ivanovna, Catharine Ivanovna, Eliza
beth Petrovna—and a male Infant a few
months old. Eight of the most power
ful nobles banded themselves together
„ in what they termed "The High Secret
Council.” They obtained control of the
army and of every department of gov
ernment and administration.
They then offered the crown to Anna,
subject to the following conditions: U)
Smith—l!c said that while you were not
handsome, you were the most Intelligent
woman he had ever met.
Mrs. Smith—The measley old bear! Pro
fessor Broadhead has dined with us for
the last time.
The high council should be a permanent
body, self perpetuating, and should be
consulted by the czarina in all state af
fairs (2) Without the consent of the
council the czarina should make neither
peace nor war, should levy no taxes,
should alienate no public territory and
should appoint no public official of
higher rank than colonel. (3) No mem
ber of the nobility should be executed
or condemned, and no property of a
noble should be confiscated except af
ter a fair trial by his peers. (4) The
czarina should neither marry nor ap
point a successor without the consent
of the council. (5) Violation by the
czarina of any of the aforesaid stipu
lations should constitute forfeiture of
the crown. Anna accepted all these con
ditions, solemnly 3igned the document,
and was then proclaimed czarina or em
press of Russia.
Magna Charta, with all Us sublime
provisions, seemed thus naturalized
upon Russian soil. The announcement
of this constitution was received with
general indignant protest. Under se
vere penalties the high council forbade
the people anywhere to assemble; but
they could not disperse and silence the
crowds which got together all over Rus
sia and denounced the new system.
The czarina was put under guard and
only partisans of the new order al
lowed to approach her. The council
hoped she mightbe kept ignorant of the
mounting tide of popular feeling. Yet
the council found itself powerless, de
spite its being intrenched in possession
of the government and despite the rank
and wealth and personal influence of its
members. On February 25, 1731, a zem
ski sobor, a national assembly, dared tc
convene in Moscow. The 800 elected
deputies belonged to the nobility, the
clergy, the professions and trades, and
the peasant class. They' drew up a for
mal and unanimous protest against the
constitution. The czarina entered the
hall and was greeted with frenzied
shouts, "We will not let laws limit our
czarina!” “Let our czarina be an auto
crat just like her predecessors!” The
czarina calmed the tumult and ad
journed the meeting. At the next ses
sion a formal petition was voted by
the 800 for the re-establishment of au
tocracy. The council melted away. Au
tocracy reigned again as in all the days
since the time of Rurik. Thus ended
the first, if not the .only, genuine at
tempt at & liberal government in the
Muscovite empire. This is. the most Im
portant, the most significant, event in
the history of Russia.
, The Uses of Newspapers.
From Harper’s Weekly.
Our newspapers are doubtless awful
things, but wo could ill spare them. It is
true—whether Professor Morse said so or
not —that most of them devote much space
to murder and baseball, for neither of
which subjects the cultivated reader carc3
much, though it is astonishing how the in
terest In murder keeps up with the less
cultivated average reader, common
though It has become, sad to say. But it Is
In dealing with other forms of crime that
the labors of the press are more valuable.
Only the newspapers—and nowadays some
of the other periodicals—have a constant
and sustained Interest in showing up mis
government, frauds on the people, graft,
breach of trust, and man's various forms
of dexterous inhumanity to man. News
papers make reforms possible, and when
the reforms come, help greatly to make
them successful. The considerable body ot
our fellow citizens who find ‘ steal and let
steal” a good enough maxim for the con
duct of life could live up to it far more
successfully if It were not f6r the news
papers. Our newspapers might be much
better: they could easily be made more to
the taste of people of taste; but their un
lovely crying of crime, disagreeable as it
is, la an exceedingly important puoiic
duty, and in tho.r faithfulness and vera
cious fortitude in keeping it up lies really
the biggest pnrt of our hope of a higher
standard of honesty In public and private
life. There is hope for any kind of ras
cality as long as it can be kept out of tl.c
papers.
Proof Positive.
Knicker—Why do you believe that
II Is an unlucky number?
Bocker—Well, ain’t everybody that
Uved in the thirteenth century dead?
j v GRAFT? v |
Of course, we all know graft when
we see It, in the shape of a bribe to a
legislator, in the shape of a tip to a
waiter or bellboy, in the shape of
ridiculously enormous salaries and fa*
directors' fees and stock syndicate pro
fits to life insurance officials. But are
we all so ready to recognize graft in
some of its many much more*common
forms?
For example, do any of the incidents
here set forth tell of graft? And If not
graft, what? Business and social
amenities? Custom? Thoughtfulness?
fitupidity? Selfishness? Cusscdncss?
Or Just plain, everyday downright hu
man nature?
Not very long ago a certain city
editor of the metropolis assigned a re
porter to Interview a certain eminent
divine on the growth of the Easter
spirit in this country among the Pro
testant denominations. Seeking the
preacher In his church study, the re
porter said to him!
“Dr. Blank, the paper which I repre
sent would very r much appreciate the
courtesy of an Interview with you on
the manner in which the various Pro
testant denominations have come to
celebrate Easter with all the elaborate
ness of the Catholic church. Would
you feel like granting the interview?”
The reverend doctor beamed.
"Why, certainly,” he replied. "I shall
l>e only' too glad to tell you what I
know about the development: and, fur
thermore, let me congratulate you on
bringing to my attention a subject that
Is most decidedly interesting, but one
which would doubtless never have oc
curred to me had you not mentioned it
just now.”
Then, in answer to the questions put
to him, the preacher gave the reporter
all the necessary material for a highly
entertaining interview, throwing many
unusual sidelights on the way the
Protestant churches, one by one, lost
their contempt for the celebration of
what they had chosen to term a pagan
survival and began observing it in all
solemnity.
When the last question had been put
and answered and the reporter had
folded his notes, he warmly thanked
the preacher for his courtesy and kind
ness, and the latter responded that he
had been only too glad to have had the
opportunity presented to him of talk
ing on a subject of such great interest
to him, but which, he must repeat
again, had never occurred to him.
So the reporter returned, jubilant, to
bis city editor, and told all that had
occurred between him and the preach
er, even to the compliment the latter
had paid the editor’s mental acumen in
thinking of the subject matter of the
Interview. Therefore, what was the
city editor’s surprise two days later,
when he received this letter In his
official mail:
“Dear Sir: Day before yesterday,
when one of your young men called on
me to interview' me on the growth of
the Easter spirit among the Protestant
churches generally. I did what I could
to supply him with the information
desired. I now write to ask you when
I shall receive a check; and I trust that
you will pardon the suggestion that it
should be one commensurate with the
unusual Information I gave him. If,
however, you do not see your way clear
to send a check for an interview, may I
further suggest that you do not use
the interview, but permit me to dispose
of it to my denominational paper,
which, I feel, w'ould be only too glad to
pay me for such an article. Indeed, I
see how I can make two articles out of
the material."
The city editor read the letter over In
dumb amazement. Then he read it
slowly and carefully the second time.
Then he listened again to the reporter
detail all the circumstances attending
the interview. Then he handed the re
porter the preacher’s letter, and as he
did so, one word escaped him.
Was that word—graft?
It was another reporter who sought
out a reformer, now nationally promi
nent, when he was Just beginning to
come to the front, and asked him if he
would grant the favor of talking on a
certain phase of a question then before
the public.
The coming man jumped when the
reporter spoke.
‘‘By Jove!” he exclaimed, "why didn’t
I think of that phase of the thing long
ago? Talk about it! No sir! I’ll save
that idjea until next week, and then
write it up for a magazine which I
know will be glad to pay me $l5O, at
least, for the discussion. But is there
anything else 1 can talk to you about?”
Graft?
One of last June’s many brides—
typical of the others, to all appearances
—was making up a list of guests for
the big church wedding which she had
set her heart on and about which she
had carried her point, despite the mild
remonstrances of her fiance in favor
of a quiet home affair.
It took her some days to compile a
list that she was certain Included all
her friends and acquaintances, and
would not cause anyone to think that
he or she had been either intentionally
or unintentionally overlooked. Then
she sought her father.
“Daddy, dear.” she said, “I’ve got all
made out the list of the people I per
sonally want to invite to my wedding.
Do you want to look it over and add
any names?”
The indulgent head of the household
superflcally scanned the list, then
Jotted down the names of a half dozen
boyhood cronies, then handed it back
to his daughter with the remark that it
was a very satisfactory list, indeed.
The daughter looked at the new ad
ditions and her-face fell.
“Are they the only one* you want to
Invite?” she asked.
“Yes,” said the father, “besides the
ones you’ve already got down. They’re
my closest friends, and I don’t know of
any I’ve left off the list.”
“But how about tie lots and lots of
men you do business with?”
“Th.at’s just it, daughter. They are
not friends; they are merely business
acquaintances.”
“But. father, why can’t you invite
them—anyway, the ones you do the
most business with? I’d get so many
more gifts then!”
On the other hand, cases have been
known where fathers Insisted on invit
ing mere business acquaintances for
various ostensible business reasons to
family weddings. The clotji is not all
cut one way. but the question is—
Is this graft’’ And if you can’t de
cide the question for yourself perhaps
it would be well to ask the aid of some
buslnes acquaintance who has been the
recipient of an invitation to the wed
ding of a daughter or a son of a man
he knows solely in a business way.
When Smith went to the city from his
home town ho was polite enough and
thoughtful enough to look up ills old
friends who had preceded him to the
broader field, but after paying a call
all around h» to avail himself
of the numerous opportunities that
were given him to continue the old
friendships. It Is safe to say that he
did not see one of his old cronies twice
a year, and whenever one of them, in
an effort to get in touch with Smith,
would call him up by ’phone to make
an appointment for lunch or some so
cial event Smith would always reply
that he was too busy.
After this had been going oa for
some time, Smith’s cousin moved to ths
city, and the first thing the r»%u»tn did
was to Inquire of their old friends.
"How’s Jones?” asked the cousin.
"Haven’t, seen him for six months.”
said Smith.
"Well, how’s Brown?”
"Haven’t seen him for six months,
either,”
So it went through the entire list;
then the cousin asked:
"Don’t you keep in touch with them
any more?”
"No,” was the reply, "I don’t. Why
should I? They can’t be of any service
to me. I made it a point when I came
here to know and associate only with
people who will be useful to me."
Graft?
This same Smith decided that he
would spend the summer months at the
seashore.
"You see,” he explained to his cou
sin, "it will not be so expensive as it
may seem at fiist blush. I know a lot
of swell girls down there whose fathers
have cottages, so I’ll just take a room
at some bachelor hotel, get my break
fasts at the restaurants —eggs and rolls
and coffee won’t cost much —and for
most of my dinners I’ll get myself in
vited to their homes by the girls I
know.”
Graft?
Said a young man two years out of
college—u broker’s clerk and something
of a society chap—to his chum:
“She’s a good girl to know. Father’s
got wads of money. Gives her all sorts
of turnouts. Two afternoons last week
she called up and wanted to know If
I’d like to go out driving with her. Of
course, I. was delight* d. Takes me out
to hei golf club, too, and the Fountry
club every once in a while. Meet a lot
of influential people through her.
Maybe some of them will be of benefit
to me some time. But just now I’m
having a Jolly good time driving behind
taiulems and pairs and meeting people.
Tell you what, she s a girl worth know
ing and cultivating, and I intend to
keep in her good graces Why don’t
you get acquainted with somebody like
that?"
Graft?
Mrs. Perkins was making a morning
call on her sister, Mrs. Henry who
lives In two rooms in a non-housekeep
ing apartment house and takes her
meals out. As the hands of the clock
noared 12:30 Mrs. Henry remarked,
naively:
"How would you like t<* drop In on
Mrs. Jones, just around the corner?
It’s about her lunch time now, and If
we go right away I just know she’ll ask
us to stay to luncheon, and she always
sets such dear luncheons, and I like
them, oh, a very great deal better than
those they give us at the boarding
house.”
Graft ?
“William," said Ihe gray-bearded
head of a famous wholesale dry goods
house to his Junior partner, “I got a
letter in this morning's mail from
Hawkins saying that he would be in
town day after tomorrow on a buying
trip. You know what that means.
Hawkins is doing a big business out in
Colorado and his order cannot amount
to less than several thousand dollars.
We’ve simply got to land him this time
—you remember the fellows down the
street carried away the fat of his last
order, and we both agreed at that time
its largely due to the good time they
showed him.
“Now when he comes, I’m going to
turn him over to you. And for good
ness sake, make him eomfortable while
he is here. See that he is nicely
located at a good hotel, in a good
room; then slay with him evening's
for company’s sake and show him
around a bit. lie’s particularly fond
of the theater, and be likes shows with
chorus girls and all that. Make him
feel that we appreciate him and think
he is a good follow. Here’s a voucher
for $l5O, and If you need any more
money, let me know; for we want to
land that order in full this time. And
William, perhaps—perhaps, it would be
well to invite him home for dinner one
of the evenings.”
Graft?
"I'm having a hard time placing any
thing like the usual number of orders
this trip.” a traveling man of twenty
years’ experience with a first class
house wrote to the president of the
firm. “It’s this way: Blank & Co.
have lately allowed their man on the
same route sls a day entertainment
expenses, and he’s cutting right into
my best trade, which, I fear, will large
ly desert me if you, too, don’t raise the
ante. Confidentially, I thing It’s a
d — shame for us to be held up in this
way by a lot of picayune grafters, but
we want the business, and so what are
w.e going to do about it?”
What? Grafters?
“My. soil,” said a successful lawyer,
settling back ip his chair, preparatory
to giving his offspring a bit of fatherly
fdivee —“my son, you would do well
o follow my practice of keeping a box
of fine imported cigars in my office
desk for the benefit of those callers
who smoke; and nearly every man is a
smoker these days. A fine cigar will
put any lover of the weed in a good
frame of mind for the discussion of
business, and, besides, it will make him
feel that he is getting something foj|
nothing out of you and coming out a
little ahead of the game.”
Something for nothing? And that
something graft?
Two men met on the street.
“By the way,” said the taller, “do
you remember the man I introduced
you to the other day while going to
lunch?”
“Yes.”
“Done any business with him yet?
He’s in your line, you know.”
“Not yet, but hope to.”
“Well, when you do. don't forget how
you happened to get next to him.”
Graft ?
“On my last trip west I struck a
hotel in Chicago where l was able to
load up with about all the paper 1 shall
need in writing my next book," laugh
ingly confessed a well known writer of
fiction. “Most liberal hotel I ever
saw in the way of writing paper. Send
down for some, and the clerk sends
you back a ream. And did I take ad
vantage of it? Well. I came back with
my grip bulging full."
Graft?
Graft to demand of a famous man
that he send you his autograph, that
you may sell it with your collection
later on.
Graft to pull strings for compli
mentary tickets —for the circus, for ex
ample?
Graft to wear a shirtwaist for a
week, then have it nicely pressed and
taken back to the store where you
bought It and get your money back be
cause it doesn’t suil?
Graft to get a friend or an acquaint
ance to secure you an invitation to
this, that, or the other function at
which you yearn to be present?
Graft io have a professional singer
or an elocutionist at a reception as a
guest and then, by constant importun
ing. g“t the talented guest to sing or
recite as a great favor to you?
Graft to say. incidentally. In a letter,
after stating that everything is going
well with you Jack, that Just now,
though, you are considerably worried,
for little Margaret Is growing so fast
and will need so many new clothes for
fall, knowing full well that the next
letter from home will bring a sub
stantial check?
Graft? And —as was asked In ths
beginning—lf not graft what? Busi
ness and social amenities? Custom?
Thoughtfulness? Selfishness? Or Just
plain every-day down-right human na
ture?
"P-r-r-r! Wow-w-so-00-oo! M-rn-m
--fth.ih!”
It was a despairing cry that trailed
away in a sob of utter hopelessness.
Ellis Carleton lifted her head In the
quick, spirited manner of a thorough
bred horse. There was much about her
remindful of the sleek racers of her
native Kentucky. Her slender figure
straightened, her brown eyes widened
and darkened at the sound.
“Br-r-r-roo-00-wow-wow-m-ah!”
Kills rose so impetuously that her
drawing board tumbled upon the floor
and her paint tubes lay, a blue and red
and yellow menace to the white bear
rug. But the clever young Illustrator
for Life's Path spurned them with
her slim, slippered foot and dashed to
the telephone. ,
"What Is that noise?” she demanded.
"It’s Mr. Trafton’s dog. miss. Mr.
Trafton’s been called away on a trip,
and Jack is lonesome. Been howling
that tune all morning, miss."
"A humane way to treat a dog!” Miss
Carieton’s eyes flashed. She was a
member of the society for the preven
tion of cruelty to animals. She held
the telephone receiver in her shapely,
ringless band while she reflected. No,
it might be Indiscreet to report the
case at the society’s headquarters. She
must first look Into the case. But as an
officer of the society—her gleaming new
badge of office lay in a corner of the
upper drawer of her chiffonier—she had
a right to investigate the case.
"Jl:lmy!" she called, her contralto
voice sharp with decision. "Come up
st ;lrs and go with me to this man
Trafton’s apartment. As an officer of
the Humane society I’m going to take
charge of his abandoned dog.”
Jimmy, the Albino bellboy of the
fashionable Gorham apartment on Up
per Broadway, appeared at the door a
moment later, blinking furiously In
token of his repressed excitement.
"Come, Jimmy!” Miss Carleton had
thrown a long, black coat over her
pink negligee.
"B—b—b—but, Miss,” spluttered Jim
my. "Mr. Tra—r—rafton’s a very nice
man and him and Jack are the best of
friends. Please, miss, I don’t like to
'rest his dog when Mr. Trafton's away.”
"Jimmy!” Miss Carleton opened the
upper chiffonier drawers, drew forth the
gleaming star and ostentatiously pinned
it on the bosom of the black silk cloak.
"You must never interfere with an of
ficer of the law in the discharge of his
—her—duties. Come along.”
Awed by the sheen of the star upon
her righeously swelling bosom, Jimmy
followed. With Ills pass key he reluct
antly unlocked the door, and Miss
Carleton, having lifted the whimpering,
nottled bull terrier in her arms, stopped
with a sigh of artistic satisfaction to
survey the handsome apartment. The
lull red of the walls, blending with the
dark hues of the weathered oak kettle,
long, low sideboard, whereon shone a
silver decanter, the capacious lounging
chairs and teak wood tabourette. What
a study in low tones it was! And the
three or four fine old etchings—what
tuste the man had. A surreptitious
glance at the bookcase revealed amaz
ingly “solid reading.” The spirit of
Pandosa reincarnated in the young
woman from Kentucky.
"Do you think, Jimmy, I might have
a peep at the bed room and bath? This
is such a beuutlful apartment and, you
know, I am an artist.”
Jimmy, mollified by ids appreclaton
yf his favorite guest, nodded.
Miss Carleton's search left her In op
timistic mood. Not a dancing girl with
pointed toes at a quarter of twelve, not
a winking soubrette, nor a Broadway
favorite in scarlet pajamas In the col
lection of pictures on his bedroom wall.
A motherly face framed in soft, white
hair, a masculine face with judicial
features, hardened by the kindly light
in a pair of sharp blue eyes, these and
a Browning calendar were the only
mural adornment. Jack lapped his
cheek gratefully, for at the discovery
she had given him a friendly hug.
As she and Jimmy went below she
interrogated him as to Jack’s regimen.
“We feeds him whenever he hollers,”
Jimmy confided, whereat Miss Carleton
softly groaned.
“Meat,” he added, in answer to in
quiries, “all he can stuff. We gives him
water wfcen we thinks of it. Mr. Traf
ton’s in Boston. I don’t know when he’ll
be back. He paid me well to see that
Jack didn’t need nothin’ while he was
gone. Yes, I takes him to the door and
he stands there, lookin’ out with me at
the crowd, for exercise.”
For answer Miss Carleton pressed her
red lips upon Jack’s shining brown
head.
Thereafter Jack lived hygienlcally
and happily In the apartment of the
fab Illustrator of Life’s Bath. For a
joyful week he walked briskly every
morning and evening with his long
llmbed. graceful hostess In the park.
True, he had but one meal a day In
stead of being “fed whenever he hol
lered.” but he dined bountifully on dog
biscuit at such times, and his small In
testines were no longer fevered, because
all day a sliver dish, filled with cool
water, awaited his needs. He slept on
a yellow silk cushion on Miss Carleton’s
white willow rocking chair at the head
of her brass bed. It was a halyeon week
for Jack and he licked hfs glistening
black lips as he set forth with his
white linen gowned, red leather belted,
white sailor hatted friend for their early
walk one morning. But he stopped at
the curb. His wondering black eyes
had been fixed by a face at the window
of a stopping hansom.
“Como. Jack.” called a pleasant con
tralto voice, but for the first time Jack
disobeyed With a yell of delight he
had sprung Into the arms of the alight
ing stranger. The stranger raised his
hat.
“There is—l think—nomo mistake.”
He lifted Ids hat with one hand and
pointed to the Joyously squirming dog's
collar with tiie other. “I am John
Trafton. I (to the bell boys)—l an;
known as Jack's father.” he sail.
The tall girl in the white linen gown
dimpled and flushed becomingly
“I am Ellis Carleton. I have been
taking the liberty of entertaining Jack
in your absence.” She lifted her eyes
pleadingly. “I was reared among dogs
and horses and I heard him howl,’’ she
said.
It was arranged with much amiable
courtesy. Jack's master was, unfor
tunately. leaving for Washington and
Louis that night. Certainly. If
Mi- Carleton cared for Jack s com
panionship his father” would be Im
re- vly relieved to have him in such
good and—pardon him—such beautiful
comrany Mt«s Carleton bowed und
bb'-Vd. Mr. Trafton bowed.
When Miss Carleton returned from
?1 ” walk Jimmy was just “going on
detFor five minute's she talked
seriously to the boy who stood blink
inn in perplexity. At lust he nodded
and n '•hlnlng silver dollar passed from
h°r white silk glove to his brown paw.
And so It happened that Mr, Trafton
n o r knew how nearly he had been
”ndcr th rt ban of th** Humane society.
He and the alert officer of the society
never “properly introduced.” but
Carleton. communing with her
wlf one evening:, said of thia: “It
! doesn't matter as much as though he
hud some dreudful high kicking prints
: In his apartment."
Three months later, when he asked
j her to become Mrs. Trafton, she raised
that conventional objection In feeble
j Jest. He brushed it aside in an im«
' petuous way she secretly admired.
When she hesitated, as women who are
going to accept always hesitate, be
clinched his argument with **F\»r Jack's
sake."
Jack, with a hug. white satin bow
on his collar, was an interested guest
at the wedding and barked at the sub*
sequent rice shower.
LOOKING AT liATS.
From the Kansas City Star.
Margaret and 1 were Just looking at
huts. As we entered the large miliV
nery department we gazed with intense
admiration at the bewildering display
of hats, hats, hats; nothing but hats!
The demure, little saleswoman ap
proached us, confident, smiling,
"Something in a small black hat?
Yes, indeed, we have a lovely selection.
Now here is perfect little beauty. The
style—now try it, my dear; this la
charming! The very latest shape,
positively the latest. See! ah! the
graceful curves, the—try it tilted a lit
tle more to the front. So —there! My
dear, you have such beautiful eyes, and
this little hat really adds so much to
the expression. No? You do not like
it.
"Well, now here is something else.
My dear, this is exclusive. We have
but the one and—Ohl how perfectly
charming! See how it —Really, dear,
you have such a pretty mouth, and this
Increase the droop of the lips and la
so—and the material —Oh, you could
not duplicate that little hat in town for
double the price we ask for it. So
becoming! So perfect! And at a spe
cial price. It seems to have been made
especially for you.
"The crown high! Why, what would
you have? That Is the newest impor
tation, and is
"New here Is another little shape.
Try it. So—now —100k — : ah! The very
thing! This is, indeed, what you have
been looking for. It is perfect. The
style is exquisite. Plain and elegant;
Just suited to you, my dear. It makes
your profile perfect. See now, from
the back, ah! charming! And all hand
made—the horse-hair braid, you see;
the latest thing, and the silk chiffon,
and the buckle —real Jet, my dear. Now
really it is the hat you should have.
But you do not like It?
"Well, let me see. Oh, yes! I have
something back hero you will like. It
Is half promised, but if you like it, it
shall be yours. There are two ladles
Just dying for this very hat. Is It not
a perfect dream? Just a little more to
this side. It is far more becoming to
you than it was to either of them. It
gives your face just the right fullness,
and from the hack It —well, look for
yourself. Perfect, isn’t it?
My dear, you should not neglect an
opportunity like this. The nobbiest
little hat in town. Just for today we
have it at a reduced price. It is appro
priate for street wear or dress occa
sions. Black is very becoming to you.
Let me turn it just a little —so. Still
better. You cqphl not get anythin*
more suitable or becoming. The ma
terial —best quality Jap silk, shirred by
hand; those silk violets are so dainty.
The shape is all you could desire. It is
so youthful, so becoming. You don’t— H
Margaret was the victim of all this
while I stood by, helpless, transfixed by
the fluency of that little lady’s tongue,
Her every movement was quick, but
the movement of her tongue was mir
aculous. 1 gasped and held with both
hands to tllo'dable. Margaret quailed
beneath the volley of words hurled at
her, and I don’t know w’hatever w«
would have done had not kind provi
dence sent a floorwalker, requiring th«
presence of the volatile lady In the reai
of the room for a few moments.
When she returned Margaret had
gathered sufficient courage to say,
meekly and apolegetlcally that she did
n’t believe she would get the hat today
As we walked out, still partly dazed,
we felt that the eyes of the world and
the finger of scorn were pursuing us,
and every hat we saw had a knocking
grin concealed within its flowers. t
The Smell of Cities.
From the London Chronicle.
Some sensitive essayist should take the
smell of place as subject. Paris for ex
ample, is highly pervaded with the odor
of burning charcoal, and, coming from
Paris to London, one i? newl/ assailed by
the appeal of soot. Cologne has a reputa
tion, long undeserved, for snielli other
than that of Its famous "water," an<s it
has been said that In years of old a blind
man could find his way about Cologne by
following his nose. Moscow has an odd
perfume of its own. It suggests cranber
ries of peculiar pungency. And It never
leaves the nose. Garlic, of course, Is the
basic smell that greets the stranger who
lands at Calais. But the most curious of
the smells of place Is that of St. Peters
burg. The present writer had often won
dered what It was, having detected It even
between the sheets of his bed at the most
exorbitant hotel. On his third visit he was
driven in a drosky from the station with
a fresh young English girl, who had never
been away from Kent before. "Now. do
do you smell anything,” he asked. "Yes."
said the girl. “Old boots.” That is the
smell of St. Petersburg. Centenarian shoe
i leather.
William W. Dean, age 93, recently
i celebrated his birthday by working full
1 time at his desk in the treasury depart*
; front at Washington.
“Si bet on a horse named Rosebud.*
“And loat ?”
“Yes; she began to blow in ths first
quarter."
‘
xM