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The Proving. Br GRANT OWEN. Copyrighted, 1108, by Assotlated Literary Press, "I don't Just know bow to explain It," said Margaret West She turned her eyes from the cool, blue stretches of the lake and looked thoughtfully at Graham, who, perched on the rail of the boathousc, was ab sently pulling at the Augers of the gauntlets in his hands. The young man stiffened, and a slow , smile. In which there was a hint of grlmness, curved the corners of his , mouth. . "I rather think I understand," he said quietly. "You are disappointed In ' me. Isn't that it?" ' Sho was silent for a moment "Yes, that la It," she said at length, and at something In her voice bis face hardened. "Thou you wanted me to enter that road race Thursday !" he asked. "Yes," she said simply. "And because 1 won't" She turned to him quickly. "It Isn't that I'm tremendously In terested lu- that race," she Interrupted him, "nor that I carev a snap whether or not you win It. The point Is the point ls"- Slie paused: her brows drew together In a little frown; her fingers toyed nervously with a bit of wisteria she had broken from the vine that cov ered the porch. "I wanted you to be lu it to go over the course. That would be sufficient," she finished. "I see," he said. "You wanted me to disprove these stories that are going the rounds about my lack of nerve. Is that It?" "Yes," 6he said ngaln. lie drew himself up. His shoulders were squared. HU attitude was that corae nack here and set Graham's frac of a man summoning to hlsald all bis tures." moral courage. hc wont limping up the road, and "The stories they have told you are i tne girI .cut closcr l0 Graham. quite correct," ho said, somewhat "it Was splendid:" she cried, her huskily. eyes sluing. "Oh!" she said, and In her voice! "That?" said Graham. "Oh, that was there was something of pain and some- notIlIn,. , umJ (o tUl tlmt you It Wl ni-awuiax,, il been expecting this very thing and jet was unwilling, even In her pre paredness, to hear It iney nre penecuy ngnt in wnai they say of me," he wont on calmly. "I have lost my nerve. There's noth ing would tempt me to take up road racing again." "Nothing''" she questioned. "Nothing," he repeated Inexorably. "I am not In the habit of offering an explanation nor any excuses for my position in the matter. Hut I would like you to know the circumstances. Would you care to listen to them?" "If you choose to tell me," she said dully. "You remember that race three years ago over the Meadow Island course?" said he. "Well, it was then It hap pened. Stanley was with me. Ho and I hfvtl a good lead. We were tearing past the curve at theNold church, let ting out tho car for all there was In her. A3 wo swung that turn I saw n child just In front of us not twenty feet nway, It seemed. "How she got past the rmcs that held the crowd back I can't pay, but there she was right In the course and not a ghost of a show apparently of escaping us. I don't know to this day what saved her. T only know there was a groat gasping sigh from Stanley nnd a groan ("., -owd. 1 tried to swing out for iior, uut there was s,o little time. Anyway, It was some sort o" a speeial Providence that saved her. Wo shotjiast her, so close that I shut my eyes. Tho girl r.aw a nervous tremor shake the big shoulders. Her eyes narrowed. "Hut the child wasn't hurt, you say?" Fho asked. "Not In the least. But those few sec onds were enough for me. I couldn't stand them again. That is why I am out of the game a quitter, if you choose to put it that way." The girl said nothing. She sat look ing out at the sparkling lake with trou bled eyes. At length Graham arose. "I don't blame you in the least for thinking of mo as you do," said he, "nor for being disappointed. Goodby." He slid from tho rail and went down tho steps to the big-road car standing In thc driveway. He had pulled on his gauntlets and was Just climbing into tho car when around the corner of tho boathousc camo a wild eyed, dishev eled gardener from one of thc houses down tho street. "Sir. Graham, sir," ho panted, "will you be gettln' the doctor, quick! Tim Comlcy's fell from tho stagln' on tho Htablcs where they're- palntiu' nn' he's hurtcd bad, sir, 'TIs dead he'll bo in ten minutes if tho doctor's not fetched beforo that. Hurry! For God's sake, hurry!" "I'll have hlra hero In live," Graham called, nnd opened up tho big car. It sprang forward like a thing alive and went tearing down the driveway In a great cloud of dust Margaret, -who had run to the edgo of the veranda, saw him swing into the roadway beyond, and thc drifting dust which rose high above tho poplars told of the terrific pace ho was setting. It was four minutes later, after a , nervous pacing of the veranda, that he heard tho whir of the approaching car again. Sho ran down the steps and hurried along the drive to the roadway. Dp tho hlU, with honking born, came a dull, black streak. Sha could see Graham bending low over tne steering wheel ana tne doctor. nnt less and begrimed with dust, clinging desperately to the sent beside him. ' Then out of the crossroad Just below where she stood and directly in the path of the coming cyclone came a rattling farm wagon, driven by old Mrs. Clark, who was as deaf as a post. The girl covered her eyes and scream ed. There were a wild yell, the sound j of splintered wood and a terrific grind ing crash. When Margaret looked again the wagon alone was In the road. The au tomobile, turned on Its side, lay against the shattered fence, in the field beyond lay two huddled figures. In a moment the girl was ruunlng In that direction with all the speed she could summon. As she reached the scene of the accident one of the two figures scrambled limply to his feet Thc oth.P namfu,iv ..ronned Itself upon an eiDow. Then she saw that the man who stood erect was the doctor, Even as she came running Into the field she heard Graham's voice, rather faint, It Is true, but perfectly calm, "Ho,T bad,-r nre ru hurt' doc-H 11 inquired. "Only a bit." was the response, "a few bruise and a scratch or two." "Then get up to thc Copley place ai fast as yon can." "Bui you?" thc doctor demurred. "I'm all right. Never mind mc. til be fresh as a lark when you get back. Hurry on now." Margaret ran to h!s side and, kneel ing down, began to wipe the blood from his face. Already the doctor was making n hurried examination, while Graham fumed and fretted and bade I him hurry, to Tim Conley. 1 "H'm!" said the doctor at length. "Pretty badly smashed up, but we're lucky, both of us, to get out of It as well ns we did. Talk about your nerve! By Jove, the way ho swung that car out of the way was magnificent. Never i a thought for himself nor me either, 1 I'm convinced," he ended. He pulled a roll of bandages from his cr.se and handed them to the girl. "Just do up his head and stop the flow of blood as best you can, If you will. Miss ' West," he commanded. "I'll go up to . C'onlev's and fix Tim un. Thpn I'll Vas a question of killing the old lady or getting n bit banged un mvself." Her face was very close to his. cheek. "Thine wicked"" stories they told about you" she began. "They're true," he doelaiod. "I have lost my nerve. I couldn't go Into a road race to save my life. This was different you see. This was some thing that had to be done." Two warm lips were pressed to his grimy, blood stained forehead. "Had to be done!" she repeated meaningly. "Oh, you delicious simple ton I" The doctor, limping back a few mo ments later, discreetly screened him self behind a tree. '"There are times it Is better to wait before reducing fractures." he medi tated. Republic of Haiti. - I It was in 1701, under the influence i of thc French revolution, that the i "Black republic," Haiti, came Into be- j ing. The mutual antipathies of the mixed population burst forth into one , of the most vindictive struggles on . record, which resulted In the extermi- nation of tho Europeans and tho Inde pendence of the negro insurgents. Tho Eyes of Genius. AH men of genius aro said to have eyes clear, slow moving and bright. This is the eve which indicates mental ability of some kind, It doesn"t matter what. Sulphur. Sulphur thrown Into the fire of a stove, furnace or fireplace will instant ly extinguish the fire in a chimney or flue. If n small bag or parcel of sulphur, say three or four ounces, were kept in a haudy place and used when needed, as directed above, It might bo the means of saving proper ty and perhaps life. Siamese Football. Tho Siamese play football with a wicker ball. They aro permitted to touch the ball only with knees, head and shoulders. The object of the game Is to keep the ball In the air as long as possible. Ho who lets it strike the ground loses a point. Dogs of Portugal, The dogs of Portugal aro fond of grapes, and sticks ore purposely fas tened to the animals' necks to Impede or prevent their entrance to thc vine ynrds in search of thc luscious fruit Our Deepest Well. At present the deepest well lu thin country is ouo drilled for gas In Pitts burg, It was sunk to tho depth of 4.G80 feet, when work had to bo aban - doned on account of the drilling cable breaking of its own weight Finger Nails. 'Thn nulla n f Iwr, Anfrora (invar prnff i ,th thn Knmn , mnMitc. Thn naU of the mId(j,e flnger growg wltn tn9 greatest rapidity and that of the , thumb the least Plantain and Banana. The plantain (Musa paradlslaca) Is a small tree plant that is closely akin to the banana, but differing from it In not having the purpje spots on its stem. The fruit nf the plantain Is also larger and more anguhr than that of the banana, RAINBOW AND ROSE In the middle of June many centu ries ago the sun was at Its height. On the higher land all the trees and flow ers were scorched and dried up from the long drought and bis burning rays pierced their way even to the cool and stately garden which lay In the. shelter of the valley many feet below, but they only touched lightly the myr iad of beautiful flowers that raised their heads so gladly to meet his soft. caressing touch, which fell In slautlng shadows amid the thick green foliage. Everything seemed to thrive In this old fashioned garden, from the proud white lily to the humble blue forgetme not growing In bunches In the soft moss, but the most beautiful of all were the masses of roses red, yellow and pink, and the faintly tinted tea rose and in their midst, seeming to stand alone and apart from nil the rest a beautiful pink Ln France, her bright green leaves forming a halo around her. The other roses In the gardens looked up to her as their queen, the birds would come and sing their best songs before her, and the proud peacocks would carry their tolls higher and strut more vainly as they passed before her. The flowers bad It all their own way In this beautiful, half forgotten acre of God. No rough gardener came to cut away their thorns, snip off their dead buds and gather them to put Into vases, where they would droop and die In a few short hours. Only a little child would come sometimes and touch them softly, almost reverently, with his thin white fingers and whisper sblldish things to them, and the flowers would answer back, and thc boy seem ed to understand them and know their language, for his wistful eyes would brighten and a smile play round his small mouth. And he was always tired now, and In thc great heat of the day he could seldom drag his weary little body as far ns the roses, only when tho sun began to set and the cool of the even ing came. Then, if he were well enough, he would come. But one day the shadows grew longer and longer, the weary flowers raised their drooping heads In vain, the tiny white robed figure came no more, and over thc garden was a great hush, and the petals' of the roses dropped silently to the ground In their grief, the birds' songs were hushed, and tho bright lined peacocks swept their drooping feathers dejectedly be hind them. The stately queen of roses bowed her proud head, aud a black silence crept closer and closer, for In the gar den was thc shadow of death. And the rosea mourned nuioug them selves long and sorrowfully, but none mourned so deeply as tho stately queen. She missed the soft, caressing lingers of the child. She missed tho golden curls which had rested so often and so lovingly near her heart. Must she always grow alone, with out anything to love nnd call her own? Why could she not have a little child to take the place of the one who was gone? The days- passed on, and she hold herself more apart from the other flowers, and the mantle of her sadness descended over them nnd over all the garden. Tho birds ceased their songs, the sparkling streams of water no longer rippled over the smooth, white nebbles. but were almost dried un. j with only a faint thread trickling half lieartcdly along. The roses were withered and dying, until one morning there came a soft, refreshing shower of rain, and the flowers began to re vive. All day long the ralu increased In volume, then toward ovcnlns suddenly died away, aud ou the clear blue of thc sky above appeared tho many col orcd hues of n rainbow, and as the roses looked toward their queen they raised their drooping heads In amaze ment For the rainbow had descended from , the sky above and enveloped her In his I clinging folds, hiding her from the i eyes that would see and making her l his own. Summer once more In tho garden I that lies In the shelter of the valley ' summer, but not tho noonday heat: eventide and tho silver moou arrayed i In all her best. Birds aro singing on every bough ns ! If their little throats would burst, so eager nre they to do homage to tho occasion. AH thc flowers arc arrayed In their brightest and bravest colors. and the streams make merry music as they bubble over the smooth, white J pebbles. And by the queen of roses nestles n small pink rosebud. So small, to ten der. Is ho that her leaves almost en fold him. For the stately La France's wish has b'-cn granted her, and tonight tho garden Is en fete for the christen ing of the offspring of the many hued rainbow nnd tho proud rose. Tho Insects come one by one to bring 1 their offerings nnd lay them at tho rose's feet, nnd each flower wafts one of her petals, which contains a wish for the sleeping child. The stars, too, drop from heaven and rest lightly ove. him, nnd then, when all have come nnd gone, the moon's silver rays center themselves on the rose and her child, lighting them up and leaving alt the rest In gloom, and In the silence and bush of that glorious summer night the. moon speaks: "I give to this child a name that shall live for ever and ever, that shall work more good than evil, that shall bring happiness to many and misery to fw a name without which no on can lire, for the name which I give to Tout cMA Is Lore." Lady's Realm, NEW SHORT STORIES k i High Finance. 1 Thc late Bishop Potter at one of the delightful reunions of the Eplsco- I pal academy In Philadelphia Bishop , Potter was educated nt this venerable and aristocratic school condemned i modern finance. "I condemn at least" he is reported j to have said, "that sort of modern ' finance that consists in getting some thing for nothing. I once knew n boy who would have made a splendid financier. ' ' "This boy, strolling idly through thc streets he never had nnytjilng to do met another. 'I wish,' hc said, 'that I bad a nickel. Then I'd buy a good five cent cigar and go into the woods and have a smoke.' '"I have a. nickel.' said the other boy. " 'Have you? the first cried eagerly. 'Then lota form a corporation.' " 'All right How Is it done?' '"I'll be tha president You'll bo the stockholder. The nickel will be the capital, and we'll invest It in to bacco.' "The thing was agreed to, nnd the president, talcing the stockholder's 5 "I DON'T SEE IT," HE SAID. cents, bought a cigar forthwith. Then he led the way to thc woods. There ho sat down ou a log, lit up aud began to smoke skillfully. "The stockholder waited for his turn to come. He waited very patiently. But the cigar diminished. One-third of it, two-thirds of it disappeared, and still the president showed no signs of satiety. " 'Say,' exclaimed the stockholder at last, "don't 1 got a whack here?' "The president, knocking off tho ashes, shook ills head. " 'I don't see It' he said. " 'But what' shouted the angry stockholder, 'do I get for my capital?' " 'Well,' said tho president, 'you can spit.' "Washington Star. They Were, of Course. Parker M. White, the humorous ad vertisement writer, was talking iu Pittsburg about the universality of ad vertising. "Doctors, lawyers, clergymen," he J said, "claim not to advertise, but some- j how or other wo see their advertise- I monts occasionally. Am I not right? "The millionaire proprietor of a pat ent tonic called on a well known doc- ( tor one day. i " 'Look Here,' he said; 'you are tho j Dr. Leroy Fisher who is attending , Senator Stoxon, are you not?' ' " 'I am, sir,' tho physician answered. J " 'Well, said the tonic man, 'what'll you take to put ou the dally bulletins , that you give out about tho senator i this sentence: "Use Blood Bitters. They ward oil disease?" ' ' " 'Why, man,' said tho famous doc- ! tor indignantly, 'I wouldn't do that for anything. Those bulletins are not ad vertisements.' "The other chuckled harshly. "'Ain't they?' ho said. 'Then take your own name off 'em. " i Mark's Triumph Over the Doorkeeper. Slaik Twain tried the other day to go behind the scenes on one of the roofs. "Yez can't come In," said tho door keeper who guarded the entrance from thc boxes. "But I have a pass," said tho hu morlsc "I don't care if you have a sayson ticket," said the doorkeeper. "No wan gets through this door. Go to th rlg' ler stage door If yez want to git iu. I've turned down lverybody." "But I'm Mark Twalu," said Mr. Clemens. "I don't care If ye're Big Tim Sooll van," said thc doortendcr. Mr. Twalu got thc manager and was triumphantly escorted through the door. "What do you think now, iny man?" hc asked, with a bit of, kindly mnllcc. "I fink It's n dom shame," said tho doortendcr. "An after me toornln' down Eddie Foy no longer ago than lasht nlglft."-CIncInnntl Times-Star. A Witty French Aeronaut. It would appear that M. Sahtos-Du-mont, the famous aeronaut, has a pretty wit He was onco called as a witness in a case concerning a dis puted will, and during his cross exam ination he was much bullied by a very conceited young lawyer. "Now tell me," said tho latter, speaking of tho deceased testator, "was not Mr. X. in the habit of talking to himself when alono?" "I'm suro I don't know." "And yet you have told the court that yon wero an Intimate friend of his. Why don't you know?" "Because," replied the aeronaut, amid roars of laughter, "I was never with him when be mil alone." Gaulols. I DON'T FORGET THE SIDE- I BOARD r UK T,AIi;K.ST STOCK and tiie Latest Stvle? a of Diamonds, Watches, IihiRs, Clock, Ster C ling Silverware and China ever offered in JR. Iionestlale. Prices and quality unequaled anywhere. Your purchases at this popular store will make some teacher in Wayne county happy, on the re ceipt of a Beautiful t told "Watch at Christmas time. Remember the r zzyji 11 I A HOLIDAY NECESSITY. 5 A Box of Candy ! 6 J Foss & Co' Quality Candy" FANCY Boxei and Baskets In all sizes and at all prices In a large variety of designs. Our samples from which to make your selections will arrive December $th. Order early. They will be delivered, FRESH, Christmas week. The QUALITY STORE; c, PEIL, The SUBSCRIBE FOR "THE CITIZEN" ThepSwa'?per- The CITIZEN PuMtehfng Co. lie Suit of Tne Season This SNAPPY STYLISH SUIT has broken all records for saley and popularity. Every Department has plenty of Holiday Goods suit able for Everybody at Popu lar Prices. KATZ BROS. IiaJos N Making arrangements for the TURKEY DINNER on Christ mas Day, the .very best of Wines Liquors and Cordials are essential. Paul McGranaghan, Corner of Main and Sixth Streets, HONESDALE, PA, ao to SOMflER, THE JEWELER, resents. Place, ifciK me jeweier. HP