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ie8re is a time TO MOURN."
BT ROBEBT J. BUBDETTE.
If Lenten skies alone -were drill and gray.
If only hills were bare and mead jws cold ;
If on the icy sboro alone all day
The sobbing -waves in ploint.ve breakers
rolled ;
If only trailing March -Rinds moaned and sighed,
If but the drifting clonds -wept bitter tears.
If bnt the h Jls and winds and billows cried.
And mourned for wasted days of blighted
years ;
Why, I could laugh then; for my heart would sing
Of summer days gone by, and yet to be ;
For Easter lilies would bs blossoming -Beneath
the sombre pall of Lent, for me.
I would not care for dull and weeping clouds
In the light heart there shines unfading light;
But when the light itself In sorrow shrouds.
How dark and rayless is that sorrow's night.
Here is my sorrow that in reckless ways
I crushed the buds last Easter time that
smiled ;
And walked, with wayward stops in tangled
maze,
And with my sins the fair now life defiled.
So, penitent, again my beads I tell,
Bring me old hair shirt I used to wear.
Hand me the sackcloth robe that fits so wall,
And lead me to the duat heap over there.
Here let me sit and sigh the hours away,
Taking a weary sinner's good old cry;
Heap on the dust; here will I sit all day.
Counting my beads while all the world goes by.
Here in iho dust and penitence of Lent,
Till all those penitential days are gone
And when, at last, this mourning life is spent,
Still in the dust I'll slumber on and on.
MYSTERIOUS MURDER.
BY ABBIE C. M'KEEYER.
Nobody could tell just how the
Countess De Lara had bewitched the
society in which she moved, the very
creci de la cream that was at her feet
and worshiped her.
She was very beautiful, accomplished,
and reputed wealthy; her jewels were
very large and fine. She was accom
panied on her tour of the United States
by her uncle, a gentleman of wealth
and splendid bearing, gray-haired, but
quite youthful in appearance otherwise.
Not to know or to be intimate with
the Countess was to be a mere nobodj-,
hence such a time as some of the elite
had struggling for her smiles.
It was a little strange that her favor
should fall upon George Franklin, a
very ordinary appearing young man,
but whose father was worth a mint of
money. Her smiles quite turned
George's head, and his father's bank
account suffered in proportion.
Now it chanced that ere the coming
of the beautiful Countess, George had a
sweetheart in a very different set; a
pretty milliner, and as good as she was
pretty, to whom George had been en
gaged for a six-month, only everything
was kept quiet until his father could
be brought around to see the charms
and acknowledge the worth of his own
dear little Nettie Dare.
"What poor, wronged Nettie thought
about the Countess and her sway over
her truant lover, no one ever knew, but
her pink cheeks grew pale and her
brown eyes had a pathetic way 'of gaz
ing out the window that told of secret
pain.
Thus matters stood until one morn
ing the city was electrified by a cruel
murder in its midst.
Rich old Fredrick Franklin had been
murdered in his bed in the early morn
ing, but by whom? Ah, that was the
question !
It appeared the old gentleman had
gone to bed in his usual health, but, ac
cording to the housemaid's tale, after a
violent quarrel with his son George.
"When questioned as to the nature of
the quarrel she said it was over money
matters ; she couldn't tell just what,
only she believed George wanted a
large gum to pay a debt She had lis
tened at the door, but could not under
stand perfectly, only the old gentleman
angrily and firmly refused his request,
and thus they parted.
Other parties knew of George's press
ing need of money, and one, a friend,
remembered to have heard him say,
only the night before the murder, that
tho "Goernor" was to be made to shell
out by hook or by crook.
The result of all this was, in a very
short time George was arrested for
his father's murder.
Every one turned their backs on him
and believed him guilty, even the
Countess, who was quite ill, and
utterly refused to believe his protests
of innocence.
Did I say every one? No, he had one
friend who was true, and believed him
cruelly wronged, his old sweetheart,
Nettie.
She hastened to the jail, but was re
fused admittance. But she went
straight from there to the Chief of Po
lice and laid her plea before him.
He merely shook his head and re
fused to believe her wild suspicions, or
to send one of his detectives to look
into it.
Nothing daunted, she went from his
presence to one of the worot streets in
the city, and there found the object of
her search, a regular street Arab,
whose dirty face lighted up with joy at
sight of her.
"Miss Nettie I Lor', its never you?"
"Yes, Tom. I came for you. I
want you. I have work for you. Come
aside down the alley so we can
converse without being overheard.
Tom followed instantly; he remem
bered a time when Nettie Dare's hand
had stood between his mother and
starvation, and of the many, many
kindnesses he felt he nwver could re
pay. He lent a willing ear to her plea and
believed in her suspicions firmly.
Til do just as you say, Miss Nettie,
sly tell me so a Mlowll to -w. " -
"Have you no friend among the po
lice that you can trust?"
The boy whistled softly.
"Lor', Miss Nettie, we una an the
police aint too friendly; but there's old
PatMahoney, he's a prime chap. I
guess hell do."
"Very well; if you discover anything
you can go to him at once and ask his
help. Now I'll tell you what you are
to do yourself."
"Whatever the purport of their con
versation was, in a short time there
called upon the servants of the
Countess' household the queerest old
peddler imaginable, with a 'basket of
the loveliest odds and ends, and dirt
cheap, too.
"My purse is up -stairs," said the
cook, "111 go and get it," and she
ran away, followed by the two
housemaids, leaving the old peddler
quite alone in the kitchen.
No sooner were they gone than he
quickly slipped the key of the back
door in his pocket and gazed around
him, keenly sizing the room and noting
its doors. A further peep in the hall
and he seemed to be satisfied.
He soon left the delighted servants
who never missed the key until night
fall, then they resolved to not tell my
lady, but to put a chair against the
door, thieves were not plenty in their
avenue.
Thus it was, about 1 o'clock the back
door softly opened and the dirty face
of Tom peered in.
"It's all right," he whispered to a
companion, "coast clear; my lady's at a
party and her rooms bo all empty I
dare say."
He was followed by a policeman
hose jolly, Irish face was just now
Jerious and anxious, as he stepped
softly across the kitchen floor after the
light, noisless feet of the boy.
They reached my lady's chamber,
and then such a search as began. My
lady's finery was tumbled here and
there. At last Tom gave a low whistle
arid held up to view a beautiful dirk
with a gleaming jeweled handle.
"The very instrument as killed the
old clmp, I bet a nickel," he whispered.
The policeman shook his head ; "that
aint nc proof Ah what is this?"
It proved to be a letter, a portion of
a letter, rather, evidently written by
my lady herself. It ran as follows:
Have everything in readiness, there must be
no hitch. I understand from G that the
old gentlemia drew from the bank a large sum
to-day. To-night'a tho time.
That was all, but Pat's Irish eyes
glowed.
"A clue at last Hurrah, me boy I
we're on the right track sure enough.
Hist! who's that?"
They only had time to secrete them
selves in my lady's big closet when the
door opened and my lady and her
uncle entered the room.
"Close tho door, Aleck; howstupid
you are, and I'm so tired. Bah ! what
a wretch of a party that was."
"You're not in the best of spirits,
ma chere," laughed the man sneer
ingly; "no wonder, with your lover in
jrul."
"Hush! Bah! How I hate him, the
idiot! He told me lies about the monev
hidden. Ugh!"
"It was a bad go all around. Yet if
the fellow gets off clear he'll be rich
enough to suit even you, ma chere."
"Hush! How can you? Bah! I
want none of him."
""We're about out of funds; we'd bet
ter look around for some hauL"
"But no more, no more," whispered
the Countess; "it is too, too dangeroua"
Then, greatly to the -relief of Tom
and Pat, they went down to the parlor,
and the two half-smothered prisoners
crept out and escaped.
The next morning the whole town
was more than astonished to hear that
the beautiful Countess and her uncle
had been arrested for the murder of
old Frederick Franklin, and no one was
more surprised than poor George, a
prisoner himself.
It was a great case, and splendid
talent took hold of it and brought out
the fact that the Countess was only a
wicked adventuress, and that her pre
tended uncle was her husband, an es
caped criminal himself. They received
a lifetime sentence, for their guilt was
clearly proven, and Tom stood on his
head a full minute -when he heard the
verdict.
Of course George turned gratefully
to his old love, who had saved him, and
she, woman-like, forgave him and be
came his wife.
The Golden Mean,
McFidget That's a terrible cough of
yours, Snugly if What you domg for
it?
Snugly Well, yesterday I went to
see Dr. Hustlem, and he told me to go
to the mountains as soon as I could
stand the weather there, where the in
vigorating air would brace me up. Now,
Fve just come from Dr. Von Calm, and
he says I must live in Florida, where
the soft and balmy breezes will soothe
my excitable temperament
McFidget And which are you going
to do?
Snugly rm going to split the def
erence, 'stay in Detroit, and take some
omfort Detroit Free Press.
Extended observations at Paris and
at Munich indicate that the sanitary
condition of a locality depends on the
amount of water contained in the
ground. The years in which there has
been a large quantity of ground water
present have invariably been the health
iest, while those in which there has
been a smaller quantity nave in variably
been the unueaitniesu
PROGRESS OF INTENTION.
An electrical peanut roaster is one of
the latest inventions of the day.
Ax automatic chess-recorder is the
invention of Dr. "Wurstemberger, of
Zurich, Switzerland. An ingenious
electrical device prints on a piece of
paper the number of the move, the let
ters of the piece, and the square from
and to which each piece is moved.
Moves of the black and white pieces
have separate places on the tape.
A Kalamazoo young man thinks cer
tain experiments he has been conduct
ing will lead to a revival of the gentle
art of guitar-playing. He first con
structed one with nine strings, and it
proved such an improvement on the
old form of instrument that he is now
at work on one that is designed for
twelve strings, and with which he an
ticipates very charming results can be
attained.
Ax ivention of considerable impor
tance has been patented lately in a
pulley, intended to prevent the slipping
of belts used to convey power. Tne
new pulley is covered with perforated
sheet-iron one-sixteenth of an inch
thick, which is smoothly riveted to the
pulley. The tension on the belt causes
it to grip the edges of the perforation
and thus slipping, with its dangers to
life and limb is prevented, while the
pulley itself is strengthened.
M Garel has invented an electrical
method of preparing paper stencils for
letters, circulars, etc. In this appara
tus a piece of very thin paper rests on
a carbon block connected with one pole
of a small induction coil, while the
style with which the writing is done is
connected with the other pole. On
nsing the apparatus a series of sparks
pass between the style "and the carbon
block, perforating the paper, which can
then be used as a stencil in the ordi
nary way.
Joseph Kane, of the California State
printing office, has invented a portable
boat that is said to admirably meet the
requirements of duck-shooting. The
central position is an oblong, rectangu
lar box, and the ends are sharp-pointed,
V-shaped boxes. The detachable ends
can be placed in the central box part
of the boat, the whole then forming a
light compact mass that stows away
neatly in a light spring wagon. "When
wanted for use the boat can readily be
put together in five minutes, the ioin-
ing of the parts being done with
thumb-screws. It is then ready for the
water, with good accommodations for
two hunters, their gens, ammunition,
and decoys.
"While all who have considered the
subject believe it to be only a question
of time when light vehicles for road
and street use will be propelled by elec
tricity, it is quite certain that the suc
cessful application of steam to such
purpose is at this period in advance oi
electrical experiment. The Scientific
American illustrates a steam tricycle,
of French invention, that is in success
ful use, and has attained a speed of
twenty-five mile an hour over the com
mon roads of Franco, though such a
high rate of speed, of curse, merely
serves to show its power, and is not de
sirable when the vehicle is in common
use. It has two thirty-inch front wheels
and a back driving-wheel twenty-three
inches in diamater. A small steam
boiler holding five quarts of water and
a reservoir holding nine gallons rest on
supports over the axle between the two
front wheels. The steam cylinder is
located directly under the foot-rest ol
the operator. The piston-rod, by
means of a double crank, actuates the
driving-wheel directly without the in-
I termediary of chains or cog-wheela
The boiler, which is of sheet-steel, is
welded, not riveted, and has been tested
to a pressure of forty-four pounds. It
is guaranteed for a pressure of twenty
six pouncH It can convert thirty-one
quarts of water an hour, and under
these conditions develops a capacity ol
one-horse power. It has a whistle and
various other appliances not necessary
to mention. The boiler is fed by a
pump which is driven by the piston
rod. The escape steam from the cylin
der passes into the chimney, which is
located horizontally, so that there is
no draught except when the machine is
in motion, which enables the machine
to be left from the moment it is
stopped, without danger of the press
ure increasing beyond the normal
limit Coke is the fuel preferred, and
it gives out no smoke. After the kindling-wood
has been lighted the fuelie
thrown into a central tube, when it
feeds automatically into the fire-box ae
the coke is consumed. The bicyclist
has a seat mounted on springs and situ
ated just over the driving-wheel. A
powerful brake rests under his foot,
and all the parts necessary to handle
and operate are in easy reach of his
hands. A little two-wheeled detach
able cart or carriage attaches, tandem
fashion, for the use of a comrade oi
lady companion.
A Japanese Genesis.
In the beginning all things were in
chaos. Heaven and earth were not
separated. The world floated in the
cosmic mass like a fish in the water,
or the yelk in an egg. The ethereal
matter sublimed and formed the
heavens, while the residuum formed the
present earth, from the mold of which
a germ sprouted and became a self
animate being, from which sprang all
the gods.
On the floating bridge of Heaven
appeared a man and woman of celes
tial origin. The male plunged a
jeweled spear into the unstable waters
beneath them, and withdrawing it, the
trickling drops formed an island upon
which they descended.
The creative pair, divine man and
woman, designing to make this island
the pillar for a continent, separated,
the male to the left, the female to the
right, to make a journey around the
island. "When they met the woman
spoke first, saving, "How joyful to
meet a lovely man!"
The man, offended that the first use
of the tongue had been by a woman,
demanded that the Journey be repeated,
after which he cried out exnltingly,
"How joyful to meet a lovely woman!"
Thus ensued the proper subjection;
and this, according to he ancient idea
ot Japan, was me origin ot tne numan
race and the art f love. Overland I
I Monthly.
Pure Contentment
The agent of a Texas immigration
society, while traveling in Kentucky,
stopped at a small cabin and began" a
conversation with an old fellow who3e
hair looked like the whiskers on a
cocoanut
"Do you own this place ?"
"No," replied the old fellow as he
3hoved a dog out of the way and spit
through his teeth.
""Wouldn't you like to own a place?"
"Whut sorter place?"
"A large farm."
"Don't bTeve I would."
""Wouldn't you like to own one of
those large prairie farms in Texas,
where the cattle alone would make you
a f 01 tune?"
"BTeve not Buther stay right here.
Borned up yander on the hilL"
"Wouldn't you like to give your chil
dren better advantages?"
"Got 'vantages ernuff. Dick, thar,
ken fling down any feller uv his size in
the neighborhood"; Ab ken shoot mighty
nigh ez good ez I ken, an' 'Liza ken
kiver co'n like er man."
"But don't you want them to learn
something of the great world ? "Wouldn't
you like to have them educated?"
"No, don't bTeve I would."
"Why?"
"Make 'em lazy. My brother Bill
got edycated an' atter that he wa'n't
no manner ercount He 1'arned how to
read, he did. Could stand flat-footed
an' read this here big circus printin'
cross the road. Befo' that he wuz the
best fodder puller anywhar, but atter
that he lost his holt, somehow. Dad
he couldn't 'splain it no other way an'
he je3 nachully laid it to edycation."
""What became of him?"
""Wall, (shoving aside a dog and spit
ting on one of the children) he kep' on
gittin' more edycation. Got so much
that he could spell a right smart an'
then his nack uv choppin wood 'peared
ter leave him. Dad he couldn't 'splain
it in no other way so he 'lowed that ii
wuz edycation. Bill kep' on an Tamed
how ter write on the hearth with char
coal. Soon atter this he wuz took
down with chills. Dad couldn't 'splain
it no other way so ho 'lowed that
the edycation had dun went to his
brain. Ho laid thar an' shuch without
steppin' a talL Dad hated ter see any
body idle, so he made Bill sift the
meal. Jes put er sifter in his ban's an '
ho jes nachully shuck it "Wall, suh,
that pore feller jes nachully shuch his
life out "W'y, he got such a start that
he shuck fur some time after he died.
Since then I have 'lowed that edyca
tion won't do in our family."
"You are a strange man, I must say.
"No, you needn't say it less'n you
wanter. " Thar ain't no must about it"
"It is strange that you prefer to live
in this miserable place."
"Is it? Wall, I dont't know about
that. See that log contrapshun over
yander?" he added, pointing.
"Yes."
"Wall, that's a still-house." Arkan
8aio Traveler.
Cash for Armenian Brides.
An American living in the interior ox
Asia Minor writes as follows :
"From time immemorial it has been
the universal custom in our country to
do all kinds of business on trust The
merchant sells his goods and the far
mer his wheat, sheep and oxen on
time, varying from one month to a year
or more, but the trade in Armenian
girls has always been strictly cash in
advance up to the present day.
"This last winter two girls in our
regions were married, but as the way
in which the business was done at
tracted my attention, I wish to tell the
story to the readers of your paper. A
year ago a priest in the village of S.
lent 30!) piasters to a man in the vil
lage of K. on condition that he would
pay eighteen measures of oil as inter
est. At the end of the year the priest
demanded his money and his oil, but as
the man had neither money nor oil, he
said to the priest: 'Come, I will give
my girl to your son, and reckon the
debt on her price.' The priest agreed
to this, saying: 'We have seen your
daughter; so send for her and we will
marry them.' Tho debtor sent for his
girl, and the priest made preparations
for the wedding, thinking that the bar
gain was complete. But not so the
father. He said : 'Give me 500 pias
ters more and you may have the girl.'
The priest, being hard up, said: 'I
have no ready money, but after the
wedding is over I will find the money
and pay you.' To this the father re
plied : 'I will not give my girl on time.'
Finally the priest raises the money and
the ceremony is performed.
"The stery of the second is as fol
lows : A young man from the village
of K. was engaged to a girl in the vil
lage of G., but as his money fell short
of the sum demanded by 250 piasters
he tried to borrow that sum in the vil
lage, but no one would trust him. As
he would not have tme to go to his
own village and get the money before
the beginning of Lent, during which no
one could marry, lie finally persuaded
some one to lend iiim an ox, which he
brought to the girl's father as security
till he could raise the money. The girl's
ather agreed to this and they were
married. When they came out of
church the girl's fathar took them both
A Neat Social Device.
A. young man of this city who prides
himself upon his popularity among the
young women really deserves it, for he
studiesto please. He carefully reads
the society columns of the newspapers,
looking for the names of young ladies
from out of town who are visiting fam
ilies where he has a calling acquain
tance. When he finds such a namelie
goes to the newspaper office and looks
over the exchanges to find iha newspa
pers published in the town from where
the visitor comes. Then he reads up
on the local news of the place, gets fa
miliar with the names of the citizens
thAmgh the advertisements, and. then
applied with information he calls upon
the young woman and interests her
much by his apparent familiarity of
what is going on at her home. Griffin
(Go.) Sun.
A South Florida paper predicts
that as tho poppy grows luxuriantly in
wm m. n iu . r th stt'
Iimdnsti.fr -
F1TM AND POINT.
Working on shares plowman.
Dibit, streets possess much to add
mire. Webster's reply to Hayne : 'Thank
you, don't care if I do."
No use telling a man with kidney
disease to look on the Bright side.
What the old soldier wants for his
rounds is an Uncle Sam solve that will
draw a pension. Duluth Para
grapher. Possibly you never stopped to think
of it, but the two-headed woman must
be either happy or miserable every
Easter Sunday. Journal of Edu
cation. Alabama has what her boom papers
call "the great agricultural belt" It
will not be fair for the blizzards to
strike her below the belt New Or
leans Picayune.
Thet say this new Volapnk
Is a very hard language to spuk;
It tangles your tongue.
And you'll wear out a tongue.
Before you've been at it a wuk.
Siftingt.
It costs $20,000,000 a year to main
tain the imperial family of Germany.
This statement leads us to believe that
the imperial family must keep at least
two girls in the kitchen. Somerville
Journal.
"I will and devise," says the million
aire, and when he is dead his heirs do
vise ways to circumvent his will. It is
almost enough to discourage a man
from trying to be a millionaire. Texas
Siftings.
Old Man (at the head of the stairs)
Hasn't that young man gone yet,
Clara? Daughter No, papa; are we
disturbing you? Old Man Yes; the
silence down there is oppressive. New
York Sun.
A trombone player excused himself
to the orchestra leader for playing a
wrong note, by saying that he couldn't
extend his arm for enough to sound
the right note on account of the cold.
Texas Siftings.
Old Gent Why does your father
go around begging instead of working?
Little Boy He begs so ho can get
money to buy whisky. "But why does
he drink whisky?" "So he can get up
courage togoaroimd and beg." Texas
Siftings.
This is an age of wonders. A St
Louis darky recently stole a red-hot
cook-stove, and a Baltimore man stole
saw-mill and sold it at auction, while
Chicago thief undertook to steal a
ood character and prowled around six
weeks without finding one worth taking
with him. Areola Eecord.
"I don't like to hear you call Maule
a thief. I assure you he is not a vicious
man. He is a devoted scientist"
"Scientist?" "Yes; doesn't the geolo
gist break stones in the course of his
investigations ? It is only in tho pur
suit of knowledge that Maule breaks
laws." Boston Transcript
Boss Barber Want a job, eh?
Where'd you work before ? Applicant
This is my first venture in the busi
ness, but I think you won't mind that ;
I have other qualifications. Boss Bar
ber What are they? Applicant I
took first prize in a recent talking
match and Boss .Barber Enough.
What salary do you want? Philadel
phia Call.
"How d'do, Greenbag? I see vou
won your case in that suit of Ketchum
vs. Grabbum. Perfect success, wasn't
it?" "Yes, I won the case ; but I don't
consider it a perfect success, by any
means. " " Whv, did Grabbum appeal ?"
"No; but I find that Ketchum has $200
cash left. If I had known it I would
have postponed the case a couple of
months longer." Springfield Union.
Hostess I'm delighted to see you,
Miss Brimmer, but I fear there's been
some mistake. This isn t a masquerade.
Miss Brimmer (who is not overburdened
with beauty, from Boston) I know is.
but I read in the Sunday Gazette that
old-fashioned games were becoming
popular at receptions, and so I bor
rowed Cousin Tom's fencing mask. I
was afraid somebody might propose
Copenhagen, vou know. Judge.
Tne laassiau nage.
Since Tolstoi's works grew popular
the rage for everything Russian has
been steadily growing, and now Busso-
mania is threatening to rival Anglo
mania. Mrs. Willie Vanderbilt's sister
wore a Russian peasant's dres3 at Nar
ragansett Pier, two summers's ago, and
at that time it was called "perfectly
hideous," but now it is being widely
copied. It is made of dark blue cam
bric, with a narrow plain skirt embroid
ered in red cross-stitch. The bodice is
gathered full at the throat and waist
and has a broad embroidered belt, and
the long, open sleeves are entirely cov
ered with needlework. An apron, so
large that it is almost an overdress, is
made in the same fashion and drawn
high on one side with full red bows.
These are the dresses young girls will
wear at teas, where the beverage will
be poured from a samovar into cut-
glass tumbler's instead of caps, and
with thin slices of lemon floating in
them. The married women when they
serve tea will wear Russian tea-gowns,
which are trailing robes of white silk
trimmed down the front and around
the neck and heels with a broad band
of black fur. They will call their teas
prazdnick, and will serve the drink
boiling hot, as is the fashion in the land
of the Czar. Russian music will be all
the rage, too,, and the bands which play
at receptions are already practicing the
compositions of Dvoark and the other
Russian composers. Small and select
ladies' luncheons will be intensely Rus
sian, and this is the manner of them:
After the usual consomme, bird, salad,
and ice are served, boiling hot coffee in
little jugs, a spoon, with a package of
Turkish cigarettes and a Russian torch
on a small, individual tray. The idea
is to sip the coffee between the puffs of
the cigarette. New York Times.
Mr. James Bedfatb, the lecturor,
who has been dangerously ill, denies
that he has turned Catholic. At a crit
ical period of his illness the last rites
were administered to him by Dr. Mc
Glynn and other priests, and he now
thanks them for it, bnt he is still a
rationalist, although he would join the
Catholic Church if he joined any.
Seae Faaay Signs.
"Did yo ever notice the
"jo ousme peeoie nava of wording
puctuatiag signs and notices?" said
6cuuomu jjx unauanooga to a
porter.
Don't know that I have,"
wo peueu pusner.
"Well, you notice, as you go al
the street, or notice thn n1vm.K.
and headlines in some papers, and jom
"Will be surBrised.
Following this cue the reporter "be?
gan to cast his eyes about him in his
walk alone Market street. TIia ft
sign that attracted his particular attes-"
faon was one that hangs in front of a?
hat-renovating establishment, and
which makes the following announce-'
ment:
"Your hat blocked while you waitJ
for fifty cents. Ji
It fails to state how long you mua
" r ne niiy cents, and therefore,"
the exact time at which the "dicer" wiH
be returned to its owner is rather
vague.
A little further on and a nmmiulm re
house was reached, where a large piece
of pasteboard swung out to the breeae.
upon wmen, in letters that a-riffantlvr'
emanated from the marking pot, ap
yeaxeu tue worus:
"Goose Feathers Marked Down"
Now, as to just whether this was a h
little practical joke on the part of thid
merchant, the reporter did not know, ji
but as "down" without any false repre- $
oBBWHoa on ma seuer, or witnout con-
veying the fact that they are any cheapij
er tnan iney nave been before.
Then the reporter began to scratch,
his intelligent cranium aid sauntered
back to the oftiee. As ho crossed the
street near the pants factory, he saw a
small sign hanging to a post, and goinjifr,
a little closer, read the startling intelli
gence :
"Female Pants Makers Wanted."
Comment was unnecessary, and the
scribe went on his way.
A. few minutes later he picked up a
Richmond, Va., paper, and in the
"want" column read the adertisemet
nf ft fnlmnnn TnfiTiTifanf-iTririrrii-m roliitli
was worded in this wav : l
"Wanted four girls to strip in a to
bacco factory."
Just underneath this was another
small "ad.," stating:
"For Bent Two rooms furnished
with a young widow."
Ye gods ! The reporter's brain began '
to reel, and in spito oi himself he began
to wonder what the world is coming to.
He had been raised in a Christian com-
rrmnif.V. JlTlfl his rMllf.-nrorl TniTirl failarl
to grasp the sanctity of the situation.
u ueuyuir ue lurueu irom me adver
tising columns, and imagine the harrow
ing state of his feelings when he read
an account of a double murder, in
wlrch it was stated that "John Bice
was shot in the abdomen; the other
man was shot in the saloon next door."
Memphis Avalanche.
Kept His Promise.
The room was lighted by moonbeams.
A woman lay on a bed. A man knell
upon the floor.
"Let me hirht the lamp," he 3aid.
"No," she replied, "let there be no
light but that which comes from
heaven, for. in that light, vou must
make me a promise. You know that I.
am dying."
"No, Grace, for God's sake don't say
that. You know that you are not dying.
Let me light the lamp. "
"Please don't," she said, touching
him with her hand. "I don't want the
glare of a lamp, for it would seem to
drive away the holy light that is now
falling upon us. Maurice, you must
make mo a promise. You know that I
have been a faithful, uncomplaining
wife."
"Yes, I know."
"Then, will you not make me a
promise ?"
"I can make you any promise but
one, and that one I know you would
ask."
"Yes, and it is that you will never
drink again,"
"I cannot make it, Grace. I could
not keep it. I am weak ruined and
cannot control myself. I will make
any other promise and swear to keep
it."
She placed her hand on his head.
"Promise me, then, that you will never
take another drink except while sitting
by my grave."
"Oh, Grace, what a horrible re
quest" "You said that you would promise
anything else."
"Yes, but this is so unreasonable, so
awful."
She put her arm around his neck.
"Make me the promise," she pleaded.
"I will," he said.
A nervous man walked about the
streets. The cold wind howled and a
snowstorm was raging, but he heeded
not the cold. He went into a saloon,
stood a moment and then went again into
the street. He walked for hours. The
storm ceased, the clonda passed away.
He saw the moonbeams falling on a
snowdrift, and shuddering, he wens
into a saloon.
"Give me a quart of whisky," he said.
He went to the cemetery, and finding a
grave apart from the others, sat down
beside it Then he took the bottle
from his pocket
"Strange place for a man to come
and freeze to death," said an old sex
ton, when morning had come.
The sunlight fell upon the grave.
Arkansaw Traveler.
Kaiser Wilhelm used to sign him
self "Wilhelm: Imp. Rex," and every
one wondered thereat Why not in
fulL "Imperatoret Rex?" Or, if ab
breviated, why not "L R. ?" He volun
tarily explained it one day to one of
his Ministers. "I sign myself that way, "
he said, "because I feel that 1 am only
partly an Emperor, while I know that
I am altogether a King.'
Stork windows that are cased p
from the main room may be kept from
team and frost incrustations by a small
door or pane of glass that will swiag
pen near the top of the window.
This lets hot air escape at the top, asd
the cold air that enters in lUsteaa wm
keep the glass clear.
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