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r The Corombus Commercial COLUMBUS, MISS. WEEKLY EDITION. HOPELESS. Her eyes are blue as Heaven's blue. Or bluer; To know her is to sigh and sue. And woo her; And yet she fences for her heart With all a master's subtle art; Her nerves must be of steel a part. And truer. Dan Cupid wars with her each day, Yet misses The mark that .should be easy prey To kisses; And thrice have I on bended knee, I'rayed well the cause so dear to me She listens, mile?, and then the plea Dismisses. Cupid and I sir both at sea. Deploring The fate that hinders him and ma From scoring. 'Tis cruelty indeed that she Is adamant to such as we, for we must now and ever be Adoring. George Taart. In Frank Leslie's .Monthly. r By A. ERNEST MARSTON. IT WAS a wild night. The rain fell in drenching torrents, driv ing the few who were awaiting the corning of the through express in to the depot, where they gathered in a shivering group around the meager fire. Outside, walking with quick, ner vous strides, back and forth upon the covered platform, was a man en veloped in a long, black mackintosh. The face was dark but handsome and had an open expression that added to its attractiveness. The eyes were deep and lustrous; the hair was dark and inclined to curl, lie wore no beard, but above the well formed nuouth was a curling, black mustache. The stylish hat, the cut of his coat nod the distinctive air of culture about the man marked him as belong ing to the upper class, while the jinn, erect carriage and the very ex actness of the rapid, nervous steps bespoke a military training. The storm continued with una bated forco and occasional gusts of wind swept across the platform, but the man seemed not to notice it. Now and then he would pause in in his walk and glance into the ladies waiting1 room as though he were looking for some one, then turn away and continue his restless walk ing. He stopped tinder the incan descent light and glanced hastily at his watch. "Seven-thirty," he muttered. "The train is due in 25 minutes. I wonder if she is really going to-night." A carriage drew tip at the rear of the depot and a young lady alighted, glanced carelessly about her for a moment, then walked rapidly towards the ladies entrance. As she came into the bright light, the man gave a start and stepped back into the shadow of the building. "Good gracious, there she is now!" lie exclaimed sotto voce. "Hope she didn't see me. If she thought I was spying upon her movements she would despise me." lie waited until she had disap peared into the depot, then walked slowly tip the platform, glancing cau tiously into the waiting-room as he I ussed the window. The young lady was evidently engaged in pur chasing a ticket, and the man noted the assurance with which she set about the matter, as though she had been accustomed to doing such things for herself which, he was con fident, she had not. "I wonder if she is going away alone," he mused. "She does not appear to be expecting anyone." The man outside noted every de tail of her neat traveling suit, which followed every curve of her perfect figure. He noted, also, with a feel ing akin to jealousy, that she was being regarded with curious interest by the men in the ticket office and by a commercial traveler, who had for some unexplainable reason in ded the ladies' waiting-room. Vhen the latter offered to assist the young lady with her coat, the watcher could hardly restrain him self. "The presuming cur," he said in a ravage undertone. "I've a mind to call him to account for his im pudence." Hut events proved that the yoting lady was capable of looking out for herself. The polite but decisive manner in which she declined the proffered assistance convinced the commercial man that for once he had made a mistake, and he sank back in his seat with the conscious ness that his egotism had received a severe blow. "Gad! She is all right," he mut tered, watching the young lady as she swept gracefully across the room. As she opened the door and came out upon the platform, the man out side drew back into the shadows where he had watched her while she walked to the other end of the depot and back. Then he formed a sudden resolution. "She shall not g-o away in this manner without a word," he said with decision. The young lady was just turning when he stepped suddenly into v$ew, and a stifled scream escaped her as she recognized him. "You here!" she exclaimed in surprise. "I thought you were at the hotel." "Did you? And you were going away without a parting word?" he 6aid reproachfully. "What was I to do?" she asked, while an amused smile played about her mouth. "Was it my duty to look, up all my gentf ;men friends and wish them good-bye?" , "Certainly not," said the man with a laugh. "But you might have at at least let one know you were go ing away and have given him a chance to call and see you before j-ou went." ".Why, I thought that every cue knew that I was g'oing' to-night. I am sure the matter has not been kept a secret. You, at least, must hare known or you would not have spoken of it, just now." "Yes, but I did not bear of it until to-day, and then not from you," he said in a tone of reproof. "I had hoped that you might think better of my offer, that you might, at least, grant me one more opportunity of pleading my suit." "What good could come of it?" she said wearily. "I have told you that I could not accept your offer; why Fhould we go through the un pleasant scene again?" "Why, indeed! Do you think that a man's love can be cast aside like a broken toy? It is possible that you are the heartless coquette that the people here say you are? Per haps, were I Van llutten with his mil lions, yon might have a different an pwor," he went on passionately. "Hut the love of a poor, struggling author what does it matter?" The girl's face burned red and her voice trembled with indignation as she replied, despite her efforts at self-cont rol. "Your language is insulting, Mr. Word en." she said. "I am surprised that you should speak in this man ner. Your accusations are entirely unwarranted, for even if I were the coquette that you say I am reported to be, you certainly would have no "rounds for complaint. And as for the thought that I would look with more favor upon a wealthier suitor you might as well have said that I would sell myself for so much gold! The thought is unworthy of the gen tleman I believed you to be." She had unConseiotisly drawn away from him and assumed a defensive attitude as she spoke in low, impas sioned tones that were more con vincing than weightier arguments would have been to the one who lis tened. "Forgive me, Miss Hurst," he said, penitently. "I deserve your con tempt for thinking even for a mo ment that you were other than a true woman. I know now that I wronged you in the thought; but I was blind with jealousy and disappointment, and did not think what I was say ing." "I thought it was not your true self that was speaking," she said, quietly. "I am glad that I know that I Was not mistaken in my opin ion of you for I want to believe that I havejnet at least one true man this summer; and I want you to remem ber only my better self not the un worthy spirit that I may have shown at times." "I shall remember you as the best end truest of women," he said pas sionately. "Oh, Alice! Are you go ing away without one word of en couragement? See!" holding out his watch. "We have just ten min utes before the train comes. Will you not say something to give me hope in the days to come?" The girl had averted her face that he might not see the wave of emo tion -which crossed it, nor the tender look in the violet eyes. "Why should I give you any hope when it will only bring pain for both of us in the end?" she asked gently. "Why should we prolong this pain ful subject? Would it not be better for both to end it all now?" "I can't see. why it would be, unless you cannot love me, or can it be there is another?" "No, there is no one else; but, just think! We have known each other less than three months, and really know so little of one another. Then our lives have been so widely differ ent that I fear we are not suited for one another. I have enjoyed this summer so much," she went on be fore he could reply. "But now it is over; I must go back to the old life the life that I hate and you to your writing." "Is it so very bad the old life, I mean?" he asked sympathetically. "The very worst. Oh, how I hate to go back to it!" she said passion ately. "Then, why should you? Oh, Alice, why won't you let me provide you a home? You shall have all you desire. I will " "Foolish man!" she interrupted. "You know little of the myriad wants of woman, or you would never make such a rash statement." "Nor do I care," he replied. "I only knov that I would make it the ob ject of my life to make yoti happy." "I wonder what time it is?" she said abruptly. "We have but two minutes left," he said, consulting his watch. "Rather, we have nearly 15," she said, quietly. "The train is late, but I had better get my traveling bag." "Let me get it for you," he volun teered, starting toward the waiting room. A flood of thoughts surged through the mind of the girl as she watched him disappear into the depot. "If I only knew!" she mused. "He seems so manly and trustworthy. And yet I have worn the mask so suc cessfully here that he cannot have an idea who I really am. No one but Mrs. Welton in this quiet little place even dreams that I am other than her paid companion, so it cannot be my fortune he is after. And how is he to know that it is the giddy round of fashionable life of which I am so tired. Would it not be better to accept this true heart than to marry one of the men of society who would probably only care for my money?" The man hurried toward her with breathless haste. "The train will be here in a few minutes," he said earnestly. "Will you not give me something to hope for before we part?" "Do you think it will make you any happier?" she asked, answering the question in a woman's way. "Happier? It would make me the happiest man in the world to know that you cared for me!" he exclaimed passionately. "But I am so unworthy," she said deprecatingly. "Then you do care?" he said tri umphantly. "Yes, I care," she said softly. "But UJ I. Ill un JUUl JUTC IS to LI Uiig I enough to withstand the gossip, the cutting remarks that will be made because of your marrying me a hired companion?" "What do I care for the gossips?" he asked impetuously. "What dif ference does your position make to me? It is enough for me to know that 3"ou glorify it as you would any other." " s "But you know nothing of my past life nor of my family," she objected. T do not care to know of your past," he said contentedly. "It is sufficient for me to know you as you are the best and truest woman in all the world. Will you not say yes to my pleadings, now I know that you care for me?" His passionate face was so close to hers that she could feel his breath, and she dared not trust herself to look up. "If you really wish it," she said softly. "If you believe I can make you happy, I " but the rest of the speech was smothered in a sud den embrace. "Don't, please!" she exclaimed, struggling out of his arms and look ing around in a frightened way. "Some one will see us." "I don't care if they do," he replied. "I am willing the whole world should know." "There is the train!" she cried suddenly as a loud whistle sounded out of the gloom. He helped her aboard and found a seat for her. "When may I call to see 3ou?" he asked, bending over her for a last moment. "As soon as you wish. You'd bet ter hurry or you can't get off." "There's time enough," he said quietly. "I wish I were going with you. I don't like to have you go off alone." "Oh, I shall be all right," she said confidently. "There! the train has started." "All right. Good-bye." "Good-bye," she said, watching him until he disappeared. "He will know the truth before long," she mused. "I am so glad I can bring him a fortune." Worden swung himself easily off the moving train and walked rapidly away. "She thinks me a poor author," he was thinking. "If she but knew that fame was already mine, I wonder what she would say. Well, she de serves the best that money can bring, and I am glad I can give it to her." He paused under an electric light and looked at the card that she had handed him at parting, and upon which she had hastily written her ad dress. Worden whistled softly as he read it. "I never thought of her living in that part of the city," he mused. "However, it's all one to me. She's mine- -mine, and nothing else matters much." A few days later Worden was ush ered into the reception room of a mansion in upper New York. He had hardly time to note the rich ap pointments of the room when Miss Hurst, exquisite in soft, white drapery, parted the portiers and came toward him. "But Alice!" after the first greet ing "is it really you? Why, I didn't expect T thought " "You thought I was a poor girl, dependent upon my own resources for support, and I allowed you to de ceive yourself, so that I might feel sure of the love you said -" "The love for you that fills my heart, my life," he broke in pas sionately. "But, oh! I am so glad that I can bring 3ou all of this that I can relieve you of all the cares of living. Now you can write at your leisure and produce a masterpiece unhampered by any worry. And fame will be yours oh, I know it." "Well, you see, Alice that is, I too, have deceived you. I" he stopped confusedly. "Deceived me? How? What do you mean?" "Well, the fact is, dearest, I can hardly be classed as a 'poor, strug gling author.' My last book, pub lished under a nom de plume, has brought me some measure of fame, as well as more substantial remun eration." "To think of your practicing such a deception!" "But it dosn't make any differ ence ?" "Nothing makes much difference now." She smiled tip at him from the hollow of his arm. "Besides it was a double deceit, you know." Pacific Monthly. A LINEAL DESCENDANT. Applicant for Coat of Arm Ktat Haines an I ndenlablr Claim Up on ltoyal Descent. The fruit that grows on the genea logical tree is generally dry, but oc casionally has a flavor of humor. "Sylvanus Urban" tells in the Corn hill Magazine a story which is good enough to perpetuate. One need not question its authenticity too closely. A man applied to the herald's col lege for a coat of arms. In such a case it is pleasant to be able to bor row one from a celebrated ancestor. The man in question could not re member anything about his great grandparents, and therefore, of course, could not mention any achievement by them which could be used as a basis of a coat of arms. But the official to whom he applied was not easily discouraged. "Have you done something your self?" he asked. "Nothing, I fear," said the man, adding as a pathetic antithesis that once, having been locked in Ludgate prison for debt, he had found means to escape from an upper window. "And how did you get down?" "I got a cord, fixed it around the neck of King Bud's statue, and let myself down." "Just the thing! There you hnv it honor enough. Lineally de scended from King Lud. His coat of arms is good enough for you!" Horrible Thought. Towne I suppose you've heard about Kadley, that awful cynic, los ing his mind? Brodne No! My, that's terrible. "O! I don't know. I haven't any sympathy." "What! Suppose some decent fel low should find it!" Catholic Stand ard and Times. PUZZLE 5.. ocspl I COME ALOG TOWSEH." WHERE IS HKf SINGULAR WAR INCIDENT. Why Two Hoern Deprived a orm of Her llore and Returned It Safely to Her. A curious incident befell an army nursing sister while out riding alone in the northern Transvaal, close to a small town which has been held for the past year by the English, says the London Hospital. Two men on horse back, dressed in what seemed to her the uniform of our scouts, rode by. When they had gone a little further, they dismounted, and, taking their rifles in their hands, came up, grasped the reins of her horse, and asked her if "she would like a walk." Surprised at the question, she inquired to what regiment they belonged. Their an swer made he aware that, though claiming to be British, they were really Boers in disguise. The men' spoke to each other in Dutch, and then one said to her: "We are Boers, and we want your horse." The sister, greatly distressed at the thought of losing the animal, which was borrowed, begged the men not to take it. They replied that thej' were very short of horses, and required it badly. Expostulations proved unavailing; she had to give way with as goi grace as possible, made easy to her by their extremely polite manner and the gentle way in which she was lifted from her saddle. They left her with the promise that the sad dle and bridle should be returned. A few days after a letter was brought by a Boer to a blockhouse to say that if the English commandant would send out beyond the British lines, the sis ter's horse t"id property would be re stored. He did so, and everything was found as stated, together with a letter explaining that the two men had been compelled to take the horse, as they thought that the sister sus pected their nationality, and they feared she would ride at once to the nearest blockhouse and report their whereabouts. They had, therefore. in or der to secure their own safety, tochoose between taking her with them be yond the blockhouses or the confisca tion of her horse, and they chose the latter as being probably less repug nant to the sister's feelings. No doubt the good treatment their own women have received at the hands of the Brit ish authorities tends to account for their friendly and courteous behavior, but the sister is none the less to be congratulated upon the result of an experience that might have been most unpleasant. Lnnici of the Tree. The leaves of the trees; how very few of the deciduous fruit growers understand or appreciate the true value and vital functions of the foli age of their fruit trees, or if they do, how superbly indifferent they are to the ravages of the different fungous pests that destroy them. The quality of this jear's crop of fruit and the quantity and quality of fruit and leaf buds for next year depend upon the ability of the leaves to elaborate the crude material sent up by the root system, and furthermore without leaf action there can be no root action; the leaves are to the tree what the lungs and the blood are to us, and if we desire the greatest and most com plete development of root, branch and fruit we must religiously pre serve the foliage. Los Angeles Times. Might Acquire It. He Do you think you could learn to love me? She I might. I learned to like olives. N. Y. Journal. AN ELIGIBLE h mmm i n i i ii i , Mamma O'Hara For Heaven's sakes, Patsey, what hit ye. liov' ye been f oightin' wid th gang ag'in? Patsey Naw, mudder, we've been, playin' Injuas an' takin turns siaok in de jipe of peace. PICTURE. THE COLLECTING HABIT. A Sort of Mania A hieh AltarU Mei in All W alks and Mallou of Life. The collecting habit is a malady that few have escaped, the evidences of it being apparent in all ages and climes; nor are the years of a man's suscep tibility limited as they range frm in fancy to honorable age. . Not even pov erty can insure immunity friu the contagion or spontaneous development of the symptoms; on. the contrary, the purest type of the collector is the tuuu who has not the wherewithal to ac quire on sight the prize he discovers, but must undergo picturesque priva tions in the byways of necessity in order to hope for the ultimate pos session of the luxury. As to the an tiquity of this absorbing pastime, the most famous collection was the most ancient namely, the specimens se lected and placed in Noah's ark. the first cabinet, says the New York Post. One form of the craze which hat turned to the lasting good of science is the delight which the naturalist takes in hunting out specimens of va rious forms of life. The career of the natural scientist of an adventurous spirit is a romantic one, as he beats his path into the heart of the jungle in quest of a suspected orchid, or digs into the depths of the earth for a relic of former mineral or animal life. Then, too, what great pleasure is gained from the collections of really beauti ful things, the canvases of some in spired master, the inimitable Japan ese prints which have but recently be come aeessible to the countries oui sitlle that of their origin, or the won derful Italian marbles cut in a grace ful age. But from many collections resulting from less grave motives thai: these, a more mixed enjoyment is had by the owners of them and the gen eral public when it is admitted to the cherished presences. Meteoric tllectrieity. We now know quite accurately the nature of lightning and the method of production of the enormous elec trical pressure exhibited by the flash. When clouds are formed by the con densation of very minute drops of water from the vapor in the air, un der certain conditions, these drops exhibit a small electrical charge. As the drops coalesce the capacity in creases less rapidly than the quantity of charge, for the reason that two drops of equal size, when they liow together, produce one of only slight ly larger diameter, and the capacity is determined by the diameter. On this account the drops formed by the flowing together of the small mist particles, long before they attain such size as to be precipitated as rain, acquire an electrical charge of enor mous voltage, sufficient often to leap a distance of a mile through the air. This must correspond with pressures only to be indicated by millions oi volts. Electrical Review. Plain Living- la Scandinavia. Dyspepsia would no longer be the na tional disease in America if the people of this country would adopt a plain diet similar to that of Norway and Sweden. "Gout is unknown among the Swedes and Norwegians, and the rosy cheeks and clear complexions of the young people of those countries are the result of the simple food the chil dren eat," says a United StatesX-onsul in a Norwegian city. Americans are being forced by the high price of pro visions to the same conclusion. Cfci cagfo Post. YOUNG MAN. PULLED THE BULL PUP'S TAIL. The eeeet Mkl tW ifc ic Ut Liuira Hi tiutta He r i U The b:-'! I that .. -. 4T !: ' t the ci'i; ntrv the v.; i; ; i t . . e v..v. - ... . v . . .i . : . :' v tcrncr that v; .r t- ? kl: if v . ;: - ,i : . ; X , silk tuti v'-.. ;ik to U tr-i re ! arre. . i . a t ! e s t a I :a. j, uU v ; e . . tip iaan Lirl.i.,; eh s t .'. -t j v. l:.uru--: The niakit:- wlU but ;;:r-'ut....l u'. : c ; to 1 1, rv 1 1 ie I. ia si j--t. l t o i io.k;;.g w:.i u. w .Xl. I - . - '. Li t ed. is Hi,!,:.,' t r a J. c'tae uu.i v tLe 4 t u? e t . iug ! v.: r 1 " lit -i;.er pa-r. re r wttf i:- . i i tt J j... 1. 1 wu: r. a:...... v 1 1 c: -- i e . j ' . L' . v .. . . . x ' e i. ; ... '. j bri u k t;.e b all j .;' ;.:... ' i r :u :r.e . . re t r , re- .' :. 1 . ' jt '..-.; - : - ; cL.-n!: a -; v . .: 1 f - . x !:r . The f-rrier. I : . t f r that he i ! u l, r:., . ! . - air. wiM'y vlu ir jt t.'..,-- -. ..:.. ier-. Not a s--.":!. i-av.-e it t: and not a n;u.-;e f t ' w re! 4 .'. The seei'y r: ar. r.'nr:,!!j.! 'I -; with a m nherrd r'i i U j - opened his mouth. The t rr'er fe'.l, g ? ere-! h.-a-.-elf ! - (ret her. and r!d to the h -:ur ,( 1 mistress skirts. The l.;':-! f:rt.' an iti", u.ri i: if eye. a t .ttr"". t . sorrow than U acer. u-;. the re-!. man. was. 1. a'.t to co. I an. I he w h- t .,! the f!-ht. f..!:,-we4 by the glances of the cr!. r -r: cab st :iui. There a :;i:;,.-r.: 'U in.iuirirg air aei-t. ! ,',zi, "Say." ,.;,! the :;,:'sro! "that's a r.evv t rick. :. r.e. an ' How d yer p:!! it T? "lry work X il't. r " x r seedy mau. w .th an e r. th quench!;?.: r'a: ."." tint ner. "Ski re. rs . ? ' "Ha e o:'e on i; r." And a s?t,.iui ; : -i .. t f teresteii in t!o- :orevr . -e-. ' The Graduates Road to Success By PRESIDENT ARTtU'R T. WML LtV. J i w i .- : v- rr.c - '. tTi v 1 . t : T i : ' : . - r t'.U ! : i ! 4 grLf M i- . V temptations c -m . come to the ma--r to rclath c!v u : ! The tlr-t that rc v! - :'. .: be the Chri-r. c .--'mar I ?! j.: :" - years to c ur.c this u il he !.::: what ue is a cnh r'i-:c.vtt -r." - ". abies you to make a hv m ?' " ': v. '. : press will say, ""a c.:rpari I w :h t: You will probably be in a p-.:. u her cessities. Far be it from rr.e to ay a::t'..::c gle for .self-support. It i a bar-! ta-kr dreaminj'. It furnishes a :::.:'.: w best powers in a way in u!:!:!: : wise. Hut when n the stre- is an thine: higher, when he v e-e ordering of sock ty ami makes a: t:i . possibility ut what is -: w !.;.-.. -ities the larger the 1-s t- the w. .. rl 1 danger than thinking that the r r. v :a and business, honor an I ! e a'. ! r: modities. But for the man w;m has - i t'. ward materialism and who ha h.tr-.ra : ins: al! his ideal therein there w ..:: a r THE TEMPTATIONS OF AMI'. IT! rial leader, the poll: sea! chkr'tu... - ' power for jroo l. It is eca-.:e that the danger comes h- .:r.e ch - - t of subordinating: a. I t tl er ei: N : " ' strong: man. ii he worship i. millions of dollars ; ii h.e w r-h:; ; stand before his hand. Whether ; v way than any other I sha'd : .: h r:.. the devil will be at liar. I t s ,v ; lieve that that is the only way in wh:.h To do something or.t -t tt'.e c :: : whose possibilities hae been t.r.r -h-r the dream wl"ch al! great men e' er -h subordinate ;veryth:ns: el-e. lo da patgns like those of Xapde-n. by ach those of Go'.the, or to achieve the : -t have awaited the pioneers :n htcrat-.rc to attract the ambition an ! ;;:a.i '; ;1 c THE WORLD IS EL'LL 'I I IN EVERY DIRECriOX. "To : : ; terial there is a keener stri: de : - j . the end and infinitely more po--oh:: him who despises the vvdar aece :;.. are wider c!:ancts than ever I--': -re : r scientific discovery or in any v ; t! -which shall last when the men an i s r: into d-st. Xot since the a. O ties ot enterp rise and di-c If Your education is wcrt'i anvt! worth anythip-ST I-t it teach ou thus PLE; not to get into life for the s.ike in wealth and influence, and the a.w things bv which the vor!d n:ea;:rc FOR WHAT YOU CAX PUT IXTO about you auJ subordinate Car v.is -purposes. " ' it V ! t e t a,