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ft MEREDITH NiCnoisSON KLLkSTRATlOmr&Y RA/WAUT#S SYNOPSIS. Miss Patricia Holbrook and Miss Helen Holbrook, her niece, were entrusted to the care of Laurence Donovan, a writer, •Bmmering near Port Annandale. Miss 5eared 'atricia confided to Donovan that she her brother Henry, who, ruined by a bank failure, had constantly threatened her for money from his father's will, of which Miss Patricia was guardian They came to Port Annandale to escape Henry. Donovan sympathised with the two women. He learned of Miss Helen's an noying- suitor. Donovan discovered and captured an intruder, who proved to be Reginald Gillespie, suitor for the hand of Miss Helen Holbrook. Gillespie disap peared the following morning A rough sailor appeared and was ordered away. Donovan saw Miss Holbrook and her fa ther meet on friendly terms Donovan fought an Italian assassin He met the man h» supposed was Holbrook, but who said he was Hartridge, a canoe-maker. After a short discussion Donovan left surlily. Gillespie was discovered by Don ovan presenting country church with $1,000. Gillespie admitted he knew of Holbrook's presence. Miss Pat acknowledged to Donovan that Miss Helen had been miss ing for a few hours. CHAPTER VII.—Continued. I kept up a rapid fire of talk, but listened only to the engine's regular beat. The launch was now close to the Italian's boat, and having nearly completed the semicircle I was obliged to turn a little to watch him. Sud denly he sat up straight and lay to with the oars, pulling hard toward a point we must pass in order to clear the strait and reach the upper lake again. The fellow's hostile intentions were clear to all of us now and we all silently awaited the outcome. His skiff rose high in air under the im pulsion of his strong arms, and if he stiuck our lighter craft amidships, as seemed inevitable, he would undoubt edly swamp us. Ijima half rose, glanced toward the yacht, which was heading for the strait, and then at me, but I shook my head. "Mind the engine, Ijima," I said with as much coolness as I could mus ter. The margin between us and the skiff rapidly diminished, and the Ital ian turned to take his bearings with every lift of his oars. He had thrown off his cap, and as he looked over his shoulder I saw his evil face sharply outlined. I counted slowly to myself the number of strokes that would be necessary to bring him in collision if he persisted, charging against his progress our own swift, arrow-like flight over the water. The shore was close, and I had counted on a full depth of water, but Ijima now called out warningly in his shrill pipe and our bottom scraped as I veered off. This maneuver cost me the equivalent of ten of the Italian's deep strokes, and the shallow water added a new element of danger. "Stand by the oar, Ijima," I called in a low tone and I saw in a flash Miss Pat's face, quite calm, but with her lips set tight. Ten yards remained, I judged, be tween the skiff and the strait, and there was nothing for us now but to let speed and space work out their problem. Ijima stood up and seized the oar. I threw the wheel hard aport in a last hope of dodging, and the launch listed badly as it swung round. Then the bow of the skiff rose high, and Helen shrank away with a little cry there was a scratching and grinding for an instant, as Ijima, bending forward, dug the oar into the skiff's bow and checked it with the full weight of his body. As we fended off the oar snapped and splintered and he tum bled into the water with a great splash, while we swerved and rocked for a moment and then sped on through the little strait. Looking back, I saw Ijima swim ming for the shore. He rose in the water and called "All right!" and I knew he would take excellent care of himself. The Italian had shipped his oars and lay where we had left him, and I heard him, above the beat of our engine, laugh derisively as we glided out of sight. "Miss Holbrook, will you please steer for me?"—and in effecting the necessary changes of position that I might get to the engine we were all able to regain our composure. I saw Miss Pat touch her forehead with her handkerchief but she said nothing. Even after St. Agatha's pier hove in sight silence held us all. The wind, continuing to freshen.' was whipping the lake with a sharp lash, and I made much of my trifling business with the engine, and of the necessity for occasional directions to the girl at the wheel. My contrition at the danger to which I had stupidly brought them was strong in me but there were other things to think of. Miss Pat could not be deceived as to the animus of our encounter, for the Italian's conduct could hardly be accounted for on the score of stupidity and the natural peace and quiet of this region only emphasized the gravity of her her plight. My first thought was that I must at once arrange for her re moval to some other place. With Henry Holbrook established within a few miles of St. Agatha's the school was certainlj no longer a tenable har borage. As I tended the engine I saw, even when I tried to avoid her, the figure of Helen Holbrook in the stern, quite in tent upon steering and calling now and then to ask the course when in my preoccupation I forgot to give it. The storm was driving a dark hood across the lake, and the thunder boomed more loudly. Storms in this neighborhood break quickly and I ran full speed for St. Agatha's to avoid the rain that already blurred the west We landed with some difficulty, ow ing to the roughened water and the hard drive of the wind but in a few minutes we had reached St Agatha's where Sister Margaret flung open the door just as the storm let go with a roar. When we reached the sitting room we talked with unmistakable restraiit of the storm and of our race with it across the lake—while Sister Margaret stood by murmuring her interest and sympathy. She withdrew immediate ly and we three sat in silence, no one wishing to speak the first word. I saw with deep pity that Miss Pat's eyes were bright with tears, and my heart burned hot with self-accusation. Sister Margaret's quick step died away in the hall, and still we waited while the rain drove against the house in sheets and the branches of a tossing maple scratched spitefully on one of the panes. "We have been found out my broth er is here," said Miss Pat. "I am afraid that is true," I replied. "But you must not distress yourself. This is not Sicily, where murder is a polite diversion. The Italian wished merely to frighten us it's a case of sheerest blackmail. I am ashamed to have given him the opportunity. It was my fault—my grievous fault and I am heartily sorry for my stupidity." "Do not accuse yourself! It was in evitable from the beginning that Henry should find us. But this place seemed remote enough. I had really begun to feel quite secure—but now!" "But now!" repeated Helen, with a little sigh. I marveled at the girl's composure —at her quiet acceptance of the situ ation, when I knew well enough her shameful duplicity. Then by one of those intuitions of grace that were so charming in her she bent forward and took Miss Pat's hand. The em erald rings flashed on both as though in assertion of kinship. "Dear Aunt Pat! You must not take that boat affair too seriously. It may not have been—father—who did that." She faltered, dropping her voice as she mentioned her father. I was aware that Miss Pat put away her niece's hand with a sudden gesture—I did not know whether of impatience, or whether some new resolution had taken hold of her. She rose and moved nearer to me. "What have you to propose, Mr. Donovan?" she asked, and something in her tone, in the light of her dear eyes, told me that she meant to fight, that she knew more than she wished to say, and that she relied on my sup port and realizing this my heart went out to her anew. "I think we ought to go away—at once," the girl broke out suddenly. "The place was ill-chosen Father Stoddard should have known better than to send us here!" "Father Stoddard did the best he could for us, Helen. It is unfair to blame him," said Miss Pat, quietly. "And Mr. Donovan has been much more than kind in undertaking to care for us at all." "I have blundered badly enough!" I confessed, penitently. "It might be better, Aunt Pat," be gan Helen, slowly, "to yield. What can it matter! A quarrel over money—it is sordid—" Miss Pat stood up abruptly and said quietly, without lifting her voice, and turning from one to the other of us: "We have prided ourselves for 100 years, we American Holbrooks, that we had good blood in us, and charac ter and decency and morality and now that the men of my house have thrown away their birthright and made our name a plaything, I am go ing to see whether the general de cadence has struck me, too and with my brother Arthur, a fugitive because of his crimes, and my brother Henry ready to murder me in his greed, it is time for me to teat whatever blood is left in my own poor old body, and I am going to begin now! I will not run away another step I am not go ing to be blackguarded and hounded about this free country or driven across the sea and I will not give Henry Holbrook more money to use in disgracing our name. I have got to die—I have got to die before he gets it"—and she smiled at me so bravely that something clutched my throat suddenly—"and I have every inten tion, Mr. Donovan, of living a very long time!" Ijima Bore Under His Arm a Repeating Rifle. Helen had risen, and she stood star* ing at her aunt in frank astonishment. Not often, probably never before in her life, had anger held sway in the soul of this woman and there was something splendid in its manifesta tion. She had spoken in almost her usual tone, though with a passionate tremor toward the close but her very restraint was in itself ominous. "It shall be as you say, Miss Pa*," I said, as soon as I had got my breath. "Certainly, Aunt Pat," murmured Helen, tamely. "We can't be driven round the world. We may as well stay where we are." The storm was abating, and I threw open the windows to let in the air. "If you haven't wholly lost faith in me. Miss Holbrook—" "I have every faith~iri~you,~Mr7Don ovan!" smiled Miss Pat. "I shall hope to take better care of you in the future." "I am not afraid. I think that if Henry finds out that he cannot frighten me it will have a calming effect upon him." "Yes I suppose you are right, Aunt Pat," said Helen, passively. I went home feeling that my respon sibilities had been greatly increased by Miss Pat's manifesto on the whole I was relieved that she had not or dered a retreat, for it would have dis tressed me sorely to abandon the game at this juncture to seek a new hiding place for my charges. Long afterward Miss Pat's declara tion of war rang in my ears. My heart leaps now as I remember it. And I should like to be a poet long enough to write "A Ballade of All Old Ladies," or a lyric in their honor turned with the grace of Col. Lovelace and blithe with the spirit of Friar Herrick. I should like to inform it with their beautiful tender sympathy that is quick with tears but readier with strength to help and to save and it should reflect, too, the noble patience, undismayed by time and distance, that makes a virtue of waiting—waiting in the long twilight with folded hands for the ships that never come! Men old and battle-scarred are celebrated in song and story but who are they to be preferred over their serene sister hood? Let the worn mothers of the world be throned by the fireside or placed at comfortable ease in the shadow of hollyhock and old-fashioned roses in familiar gardens it matters little, for they are supreme in any company. Whoever would be gracious must serve them whoever would be wise must sit at their feet and take counsel. Nor believe too readily that the increasing tide of years has quenched the fire in their souls rath er, it burns on with the steady flame Diplomatic Sufferer. It was at a well-known sanitarium. A number of frivolously disposed young convalescents were taking their ease on couches on one of the com modious sun-balconies of the estab lishment, and, despite the rules en joining perfect silence upon all, were enjoying a lively conversation, mixed in with much giggling. Suddenly from the darkened depths of a room, the windows of which looked out upon their balcony, there came a plaintive voice. "Vill you youngk latdies be goot enough to sdop dalking so loud?" it said. "I vass trying to vake up, undt your lofely woices lull me to sleep again efery time I gets mine eyes open already yet."-—Harper's Weekly. The Rising Man. Oyer—There goes a young man who Invariably rises to the occasion. Myer—Indeed! Gyer—Pact he's an elevator chasf feur.—Chicago Daily News, I of sanctuary lights. Lucky were he who could imprison in song those qual ities that crown fi, woman's years voicing what is in the hearts of all of us as, we watch those gracious angels go ing their quiet ways, tending their secret altars of memory with flowers and blessing them with tears. CHAPTER VIII. A Lady of Shadows and Starlight. It was nine o'clock before Ijima came in, dripping from his tumble in the lake and his walk home through the rain. The Italian had made no ef fort to molest him, he reported but he had watched the man row out to the Stiletto and climb aboard. Ijima has an unbroken record of never hav ing asked me a question inspired by curiosity. He may inquire which shoes I want for a particular morning, but why, where and when are unknown in his vocabulary. He was, I knew, fair ly entitled tc an explanation of the in cident of the aftsreoon, though he would ask none, antir when he had changed his clothes and reported to me in the library I told him in a word that there might be further trouble, and that I should expert him to stand night watch at St. Agatha's for a while, dividing a patrol of the grounds with the gardener. His "Yes, sir," was as calm as though I had told him to lay out my dress clothes, and I went with him to look up the gardener that the division of patrol duty might be thoroughly understood. I gave the Scotchman a revolver and Ijima bore under his arm a repeat ing rifle with which he and I had di verted ourselves at times in the pleas ant practice of breaking glass balls. I assigned 'him the water-front and told the gardener to look out for intruders from the road. These precautions taken, I ring the bell at St. Agatha's and asked for the ladies, but was re lieved to learn that they had retired, for the situation would not be helped by debate, and if they were to remain at St. Agatha's it was my affair to plan the necessary defensive strategy without troubling them. And I must admit here, that at all times, frdm the moment. I first saw Helen Holbrook with her father at Red Gate, I had every intention of shielding her to the utmost. The thought of trapping her, of catching her, flagrante delicto, was revolting I had, perhaps, a notion that in some way I should be able to thwart her without showing my own hand but this, as will appear, waa not to be so easily accomplished. I went home and read for an hour, then got into heavy shoes and set forth to reconnoiter. The chief ave nue of danger lay, I imagined, across the lake, and I passed through St. Aga tha's to see that my guards were about their business then continued along a wooded bluff that rose to a considerable height above the lake. There was a winding path which the pilgrimages of schoolgirls in spring and autumn had worn hard, and I fol lowed It to its crest, where there was a stone bench, established for the ease of those who wished to take their sun sets in comfort. The path that rose through the wood from St. Agatha's declined again from the seat, and came out some where below, where there was a spring sacred to the schoolgirls, and where, I dare say, they still indulge in the in cantations of their species. I amused myself picking out the pier lights as far as I had learned them, following one of the lake steamers on its zigzag course from Port Annandale to the vil lage. Eleven chimed from the chapel clock, the strokes stealing up to me dreamily. A moment later I heard a step in the path behind me, light, quick, and eager, and I bent down'low on the bench, so that its back shielded me from view, and waited. The steps drew closer to the bench, and some one passed behind me. I was quite sure that it was a woman from the lightness of the step, the feminine quality in the voice that continued to hum a little song, and at the last mo ment the soft rustle of skirts. I rose and spoke her name before my eyes were sure of her. "Miss Holbrook!" I exclaimed. She did not cry out, though she stepped back quickly from the bench. "Oh, it's you, Mr. Donovan, is it?" "It most certainly is!" I laughed. "We seem to have similar tastes, Miss Holbrook." (TO E CONTINUED.) School That Turns Out Heroes, Wednesday was a high day at Eton: perhaps it might be called a saints* day too. Has ever before one school sent 1,400 of its sons to fight for their country in one war? Has ever school had 120 of them killed in the same war? Eton is unique. There are other great schools, but Eton stands on its own plane. Criticise Eton as you may show all its faults it is Eton still. Eton mayreflect many of the proverbial shortcomings of Eng lishmen certainly it represents pecul iarly their traditional virtues.—Satur day Review. Where Her Sympathies Lie. "I'm so sorry for Mr. Brown. He's suffering from a severt attack of the "I'm not half so sorry for Brown as iJSlJ!" Brown'"treP1!ed thte neighbor, who knew wha it meant have a sick man in the house.—Detroit Minnesota Bank Statistics. St. Paul.—Records in the oflBce of the superintendent of banks at the state capitol tell an interesting story of Minnesota's financial progress'and S 1 Overdrafts W Pardons Denied. Gov. A. O. Eberhart has taken his moral stand to the effect that he does not believe personally in the death penalty for murder, but that he has sworn to do his duty in taking his oath of office, and consequently he must and will set dates for the hang ing of men sentenced to death. The governor, however, does not believe in the pardoning of murderers who have "saved their necks" by going to prison for life. This he demonstrated (as did the other two members of the board of pardons) at the board's re cent session. A number of applica tions for pardon or clemency and re duction of sentences, were considered at the capitol, and one and all turned down R. L. Underhill, colored, in prison for life for killing a policeman, must remain there. Capt. John Clark, of the St. Paul police, told of criminal "gratitude" in this connection, stating that Underbill's companion, released on Underbill's confession, had shown his gratitude by a few day's later bur glarizing the very home of Gov. Clough. The board also declined to extend clemency to Philip Rice, who killed a St. Paul saloonkeeper 15 years ago to John P. Quirk, who kill ed Wm. A. Dowell, of the Minneapolis Tribune, 3 years ago and also to Thomas May, who killed his uncle in Wright county in 1903. State Capita Letter Doings at St. Paul as Reported by Our Special Correspondent. RESOURCES. Other Stocks, Bonds and Securities 1,296,776 52 Banking* House, Furniture and Fixtures 2,660,587.80 Other Real Estate 738,70100 Due from Banks 11,360,370 83 Checks and Cash Items 696,764 35 Cash on Hand 5,865,571.45 Other Resources 66,300.59 Totals $82,009,362.13 .* ,, LIABILITIES. Capital Stock $10,436,100.00 &urJPluI 2,437,658.61 Undivided Profits, net 1,492,760.95 Bills payable 569,632.79 Time Certificates 35,879,503.20 Dividends Unpaid 6,126.72 Deposits Subject to Check 27,414,256.68 Demand Certificates 933,824 36 Certified Checks 31,248.36 Cashier's Checks .- 959,797.42 Due to Banks 1,819,191.31 Other Liabilities 29,261.73 Totals $82,009,362.13'" Possibly the most interesting fea ture of this showing is the increase In "time deposits." In 1907 they were $35,879,503.20 and in 1909'(up to Nov. 16 last) they had increased to $50, 311,268.36. This means "prosperity," in that the people during the past two years have (in round numbers) accu mulated $15,000,000 additional money that they do not need for present use and have placed it on time deposit in the banks that it may draw the in creased interest thereby allowed. The superintendent of banks has School For Blind Investigated. An investigation was made a few days ago of conditions at the state school for blind at Faribault by the secretary of the sfate board of visit ors. Complaints had been made by students therein to a Minneapolis daily paper. The editor in turn ask ed the governor to have an investiga tion. And the governor instructed the secretary of the board of visitors with a representative of the paper (for the complainants) to visit the institution Don't Neglect a "Cold "Pneumonia and consumption fol low frequently in the wake of the often neglected 'cold,' when the re sistive powers of the body are at their lowest ebb," declares Dr. Neff, Phila delphia's director of public health, In a bulletin. "One of the best preven tives against tuberculosis," Dr. Neff adds, "Is robust health, which gives great resistive power to the disease sad one of the first signs of deprecia- prosperity. A comparison of condi tion of state banks of deposit and dis count, showing financial statements of 1907, compared with those of 1909 (up to about two months ago), Is as follows: Call No. 91 Dec. 3,1907, discounts $58,923,557.32 Call No. 101 Nov 16, 1909, 346 State Banks. $76,395,798.43 641,181 35 17,750.00 2,085,257 86 3,367,879.05 1,025,472.38 14,579,907.85 567,031 23 4,546,997.50 116,177.65 502 State Banks. 395,232 27 5-500 00 July 14th, 1898, 149 banks with deposits of $22 415.801 54 June 30th, 1899, 171 banks with deposits of 28 379,723.99 July 31st, 1900, 187 banks with deposits of 30.464,179.63 April 30th, 1901, 205 banks with .deposits of 34,194.511.91 July 16th, 1902, 238 banks with deposits of 45,348 237.78 June 9th, 1903, 266 banks with deposits of 44,136,188 90 July 16th, 1904, 325 banks with deposits of 44 664,971 74 May 29th, 1905, 385 banks with deposits of 53,774,248 91 June 18th, 1906, 427 banks with deposits of 63,742,787.46 May 20th, 1907, 466 banks with deposits of 73,674,290 22 July 15th, 1908, 607 banks with deposits of 73,918,847.77 June 23rd, 1909, 627 banks with deposits of 78,299,793.68 Nov. 16th, 1909, 646 banks with deposits of 84,569,941.92 Profits In Farming. $103,343,453 30 $12,257,,500.00 2,671,,137.78 1,232,,328.26 481,,939.96 60,311,,268.36 6,,387,69 32,054,,244.35 908,,858.39 27,,720.26 1,274,,457.01 1,986,,905.86 130,,705.38 $103,343,453.30 also an Interesting showing in the way bank deposits as a whole have increased year by year from 1898 to date. In this connection, the word "deposits" is taken to include time certificates, dividends unpaid, deposits subject to check, demand certificates, certified checks, cashiers' checks, and cash due to banks. This comparison show deposits to have increased $62, 000,000 in Minnesota in 11 years—or about 300 per cent—and the number of banks of discount and deposit to have increased from 149 to 646. The self-explanatory tabulation follows: I That the Minnesota farmer has found the right thing and spot, in this state and its fertile soil, was demon strated in a talk recently given the implement dealers' convention by for mer state senator W. W. Sivright, of Hutchinson. He explained that it is a mistake to assert that many boys do not remain on the farm but wander to the cities because the farm is not sufficiently profitable. He explained that the Minnesota farmer who 'tends to business, is sure of a "good thing," and his boy is much better off to con tinue to cultivate the soil than run his chances in the crowded business world of the large cities. He told of how five farmers, whom he personally knew, came to the cities not long ago, and went home in autos each had purchased. He also cited the success of land agents who, instead of work ing in the cities, had gone among the farmers and sold their lands by per sonal solicitation and that these men had gone home, not with mortgages or promissory notes, but with the actual cash paid by the men who till the soil so successfully. Former Senator Siv right is a great believer in the future of farming for the rising generation— the only trouble being that the rising generation does not apparently appre ciate its advantages in the country and longs too much for the lime-light of city life and activity.. and see If there was anything wrong. Most of the reports published of what was found by the investigators (like Mark Twain said of the reports of his death) "were grossly exaggerat ed." In brief, the conditions found open to question were as follows: First, that a boy, Albert Neumann, age 22 years, weak-minded, had been whipped on one hand until it bled. Second, that the diet was poor, stu dents objecting generally to all the cooking and a number of them stat ing they had not infrequently been served meat somewhat tainted. It is understood that the evidence which was taken will soon be turned over to Gov. A. O. Eberhart by Dr. S. G. Smith, chairman of the board of vis itors, without recommendation, for the governor to take such action as he deems best on his own conclusions based on reading the testimony of the nine students who were examined. Jeffries and the Governor. Jeffries, he of the mighty fist, called on Gov. Eberhart at the state capitol a few days ago, and the two spent a half hour together, the governor con senting to have his picture taken on the capitol steps with the pugilistic champion. Standing side by side, the two men looked about the same height—a little over 6 feet—but Jef fries is much the heavier built of the two men. Mr. Jeffries reminded the governor that the last time he was in St. Paul he had called at the capi tol and been entertained by the late John A. Johnson. He invited Gov. Eberhart to be present at tb athletic exhibition he and Frank Gotch, the champion wrestler, were to give in St. Paul that evening, but Gov. Eber hart declined with thanks as he had an engagement to deliver an address that evening before the Minneapolis Commercial Club. S. G. Ivepson Back On Duty. Samuel G. Iverson, state auditor, has returned to his desk and office at the new capitol after being confined by sickness to his home for almost two weeks. Mr Iverson suffered with several carbuncles, all of them gather ing on his neck at the same time and holding a "union meeting," much to his general discomfort. His friends are trying to console him with the statement tnat it is better to "get it in the neck" with carbuncles than with things politically—but Mr. Iver son, who had to do the suffering, ap parently has his doubts. Can't Run For Lieutenant Governor. George T. Simpson, attorney gen eral, recently gave a private, although written, opinion to a member of the legislature, to the effect that no leg islative member of the last session can run for the office of lieutenant governor the coming campaign, be cause of the application of the consti tutional provision that no legislator can be a candidate for any office the emoluments of which have been in creased during his term of office, until a year after the expiration of such terms—in this instance, being a year from next Jan. 1. The constitution says the salary of the lieutenant gov ernor shall be twice that of a state senator, and last session the salaries of the senators (as well as house members) were doubled. J. C. MATCHITT. 99 tion in health is fatigue. Although this, with other minor ailments, may seem of slight importance, yet it Is frequently the forerunner of more serious conditions. If 'colds' were less commonly neglected, many cases of consumption would he discovered and cures effected before the contagious stage was reached, and pneumonia and many allied diseases would be prevented." The controversy between Sweden and Norway about the reindeer pas tures in the northern part of the pen insula cannot be settled as easily as was expected. The court of arbitra tion held a session in Copenhagen, the result of which is, that new commit tees will have to be appointed to go to the territory in question and gather certain data which the court needs in order to be able to hand down a decision. The materials presented by the old committees were so contradic tory on certain points and defective on others, that the ground will have to be covered a second time. The court has laid down strict rules for the appointment of the new commit tees. Former President Roosevelt has fin ally consented to make the address which custom dictates must be made by the recipient of a Nobel prize. Mr. Roosevelt has, until recently, stoutly resisted all efforts to induce him to comply with this formality and it is probable that even now only his re gard for Senator Root has induced him to abandon his determination to dis regard the custom. Andrew Carnegie has nominated Mr. Root as a proper recipient of the prize, and some of the trustees were so sensitive because Mr. Roosevelt had declined to comply with the cvstom that they advised a friend of the former president that if he per sisted in his declination there would be no chance of the prize being con ferred on another American. When Mr. Roosevelt learned that his reluc tance might result in depriving his former secretary of state of the honor, he reconsidered his determination, and while again expressing his reluctance to "appear before the footlights," he has instructed a personal friend to in form the Nobel trustees that he has reconsidered, and to ask that the nec essary arrangements be made for his delivery of the address at Kristiania, about the time of his prospective visit to Berlin. Mr. Nobel, who established the Nobel institute to award the prizes named after him to the end of time, was a Swede. But as he authorized the Norwegian storting to award this particular prize, the recipients of the peace prize have to give lectures in Kristiania, while those receiving the four other prizes give their lectures in Stockholm. 3WEDEN. The ironclad Oscar II. recently passed Gibraltar on its. Mediterranean cruise. The budget of expenses of the city of Gothenburg for the present year is put at about $5,000,000. A Japanese newspaper man named Kayahara, who went to Copenhagen on account of the Cook affair, made a special trip to northern Sweden to see the Lapps, who are supposed to be closely related to the Japanese. Statistics collected with great care by the postofflce officials prove that the cost of living Is higher in Kiruna, a mining town in the far north, than anywhere else in Sweden. Stockholm Is the next on the list, and Smaland offers the cheapest Miving. The northernmost railway in Swe den, running from Gellivare to the Nor wegian boundary line, pays better than any other line, the surplus for the year 1909 being over seven and a half per cent of the capital invested. The business of this line is to carry iron ore to the seaport at Narvik, Norway. The storm which visited southern Sweden Dec. 20, was the most violent on record, the velocity registered at the meteorological observatory of Lund being a trifle over fifty (English) miles an hour. The storm did not cause any great calamity, but more or less damage was done to a great deal of property. While the steamer Varmland was laid up for repairs at the Ericksberg shipyards, Gothenburg, the crew spent most of their time on shore. Late one evening four of the men returned to the vessel to sleep in their beds as usual. Late in the afternoon the next day they were all found dead in their beds. A coroner's jury was to inves tigate the matter, though it was plain that the men had been killed by gas. A Swedish daily made the following editorial remarks just before Christ mas: "The times which have passed since we last exchanged Christmas greetings have not been times of peace for our people. Unrest and strife are characteristic of our times but little could we Imagine a year ago that the controversies in our people would be come so violent as they have been dur ing the past year. The Christmas greetings have a peculiar sound after the struggles that we have experi enced. Our Christmas may, perhaps, be compared with a Christmas in a camp. No one knows but that the social struggle may break out afresh, the situation is still one of insecurity." Mr. Waldegren, organist at the church in Tafvelsas, was locked up in his church one Sunday, and his only way of getting out was to ring the bell. At first the people rushed out to see a fire But as there was no fire to be found, and as the bell kept on ringing their attention was finally turned to the belfry, where the poor captive was seen waving his handker chief for succor. The mines of Sweden produced a little over 40 pounds of gold in 1909, to the value of about $13,400. All but two pounds was taken out at the Falun copper mines. News of Scandinavia Principal Happenings of the Week in the Scandinavian Countries. The department of the navy has sent a secret communication to the head of the admirality, suggesting that the riksdag be asked for an extra ap propriation under the heading "Naval equipment and Sundries." Our au thority states that the money is want ed for improving the submarine mine system and for a new submarine boat. The crown prince attended the clos ing of the fall term of the school at the Freemasons' orphanage in Stock holm, handing out the prizes and giv ing each one of the '160 children a bag of confectt&nery put up by the •rows princess, During the naval maneuS&rs last fall torpedoes were lost to the value of $25,000. Rev. Edvard Ewers received ths second prize of the Swedish academy on account of his poem entitled "Fos terjord" (Native Soil). A Swedish engineer named Qvist gard has prepared plans for building a submarine railway from Sweden to Denmark. He claims that the plan is feasible, but he has made no estimate of the cost. The motorman on a Gafle street car fainted just before coming to a short curve in the track, and a bad wreck would have been the result if it had not been for a passenger who hap pened to know something about ma nipulating a car, and stopped the car just in time. Johan Jonsson, of Skifarp, who was seventy years old, but strong and energetic for his age, was surprised by a hard storm while on his way home from Trosjo. As he walked close to the ditch along the roadside a strong gust of wind struck him and threw him into the ditch. He struck the ground so hard that he broke his neck and died instantly. The wife of a Lapp farmer named Nils Sjulsson, of Upper Tjudtrask, was very much surprised to hear something falling down through the chimney and landing in a kettle hang ing over the fire. The thing proved to be a fish, which commenced to splash in the water. One explanation of the incident is, that a fish-hawk had happened to drop his prey just above the chimney. Almost forty years ago a poor family emigrated to America from the Kvid inge neighborhood. They owed some money when they left. In America they tried their best to pay the debt, but died without being able to do so. They kept an accurate account of the debts, and when they felt that they were going to die they made their children promise to pay the debts as soon as possible. Last fall two of the children sent about $135 to the pastor of the parish to which their parents had belonged, and asked him to pay the debts and turn the balance over to the poor of the parish. DENMARK. The university's committee Is In vestigating Cook's original note books. The question is discussed whether the committee will investigate Command* er Peary's papers. Professor Salo monsen says the question has no prac tical interest, as Peary is not likely to submit his papers to the committee, fearing the result. NORWAY. J. Skadsem, of Sandnes, has sent a very valuable collection of finds from the Stone Age to the national museum. Three minor stone tools had been found at Moksheim, south of Haugesund, and a huge stone ax had been found at Stangeland, Klepp. But the most interesting object in the collection was a stone ax found near Mr. Skadem's house. It dates from the early Stone Age, and has been, prepared by means of chopping it with some other cutting tool. The edge of it had been made sharp by grinding, otherwise it is only rough-hewed. A cross section through its middle would be almost circular, and its edge is strongly curved. A committee appointed by the gov ernment to consider the question of labor conflicts has signed a unanimous report recommending compulsory arbi tration. The plan provides that no strike or lockout shall take place un til the controversy has been reported to a council of mediation consisting of three persons. Moreover, the commit tee unanimously proposes that a na tional court of arbitration be estab lished for the settlement of labor con flicts. The members of the committee failed to agree, however, as to the scope of the power of the court of ar bitration. A majority of the commit tee proposes that, upon the request of one of the contending parties, a con flict considered by the council of me diation without being settled shall be appealed to the court of arbitration, and that a unanimous decision of the latter shall be binding upon both par* ties. The minority proposes, with rs» gard to the jurisdiction of the court of arbitration, that conflicts which the council of mediation proves unable to settle shall be appealed to the court of arbitration only upon the request of both of the contending parties. But the decision of the court of arbitration shall be binding even if it is not unan imous. It will be seen that the points of difference between the majority and the minority are of minor importance, and it seems very likely that the re port, as a whole, is destined to play an important part in labor legislation, not only in Norway, but also else where. It is predicted that the completion of the railway between Kristiania and Bergen and the establishment of the Norway-America steamship line, with headquarters at Bergen, will give this city a commercial advantage which will make it a dangerous rival of Kris tiania. For ages Bergen was the com mercial center of Norway, and now its business men are expecting a new era of commercial power. A boat carrying the mails from ths steamer at Alten, Nordland, was over loaded and sank with the mails. Ths people on board were saved at the last moment. The enemies of Stortingsman Mets ingseth, from Romsdal, tried to blast his honor by making out that he had embezzled public funds. Now it final ly turns out that he does not owe the public a cent, and that his commune in fact has owed him abont $150 for such a length of time that the com mune may avail itself of the statutes of limitation and never pay the debt. Prof. Kocher, of Bern, the winner of the Nobel medicine prixe, has an nounced that he is going to divide his prize equally between the Red Cross hospital and the poor students o# the university, of his home city.