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f THE MALICE OP I JOHN MASON. "She's only u. wotkt'i's dauKlitO''. is my Kit, an' yon uio a ricli man, Wr. Kichwell, hut she loves your soil US fondly un' truly us tiny pt'cr's (Inuyhtcr could, an' sho'd iiiuke him a jolly night bolter wife." â- "JTiat will do, iluson, I liavc hoard ((uitc enough about this iion- se«isc," roturned tlio iron-founder, fiovi-rcly. "1 have been very patient about tlio matter so fai' â€" iihwiii-dly so. 1 am sorry, of cour.se, your pirl has forinoil this ridiculou.S' iit- tachinent to my son, who is no doubt to blnnie to some c.xleiit " "lie eaii't be hlained fen- loving Kit," Mason iiitcrraiUed, with pride in iii.s voice. "Hut," continued Afr, Kichwell in a loud tone, "the notion that my son â€" my son â€" should marry the daugh- ter of one of my own cini)loyees is inanife.stly wiltl â€" anyone not hiindcd by maudlin sonlimont, ns my son and your <lnug:litor ai-e, would i-calize in nn instant that the whole thing is juonuinentally preposterous." "An' class distinctions iire to stand atwicn a man an' a Rirl whoso hai>piuess for life depends iifion oacli other, eh ?" .said AluKon, hrinf^iiig his hand down with a hanft upon his ina.ster's desk. "Class distinctions are to doom a man â€" a father of my nffo, iiifjli on fifty, to seeing hor B'.veet face k'"ow paler an' lliinnci', her heart heavier an' sadder e\cry day until she slips out of my leac.h â€"she who is dearer thiin life to me, eh ? Surely, man ali\e, if you have no soft f(!clinK for my Kit, you've Bomo consideriition for your sonâ€" your own llcsh and blooil, your " "Coiifound your K'ih tongue ! it is just becjiusc ho is my llesh and blood that 1 cannot allow hiju to throw him.self awav on a laborer's gill !" "I am not a laborer, Mr. llirliwell; 1 am a shilled worker, the hest in the (oiiiairy, iin' vvc hoth know it. it's my brains that has iiuule your money. Take care that it's not my brains that worl; your ruin." 'i'heio was soinel hinp; so siguiticant in his tone and the delivery of the last sentiiice that Mr. Itiehwell look- <'d III) eoiiM-ioiisly. No one kucw liet- ter than be how valuable were Mn- .son's .services to him, else the work- er would ha\e been di.smissed on the sipot ffti- dariufj to plead that Hugh Hicliwell should )h\ allowed to marry \vh«-re bis heai't was bound. IticiiweH's fouiidry might he said to be wcjrkinp; on Mason's brains, for .Mason had (he true inventoi''s geiii IS, and in every (lepnrlnient. he had introduced improvements of his own invention. Ho had nover bciie- liled a i)eimy by so doing, while JUchwell himself had reaiied thou- sands, "You needn't threaten nie, Ufason" the employer replied softly. "If you hatl come to me and ask<'(l for a rise 'in salary, 1 would hiivo said â- yes, you deierve It." Hut what jou ii.sk is impossible. If I can resist my son's pleadings I ran ccitainly re- sist yours ; and to .v<ni, as to liini, i suy. onco for all, N â€" (1 !" "Very well. Then I leave your em- ploy. I am Koing over to \Vilkins', an' with my bruins in their foundry I'll undo the jirood I done you <lui- in^ these Ibirty years. Mark my woiils, Mr lijdiwell. beforj; my hair is <|iiilo while, Wilkins' will he wlieiT llicliwclls nro to-day, an' 1 will I ! bead of 'oni ". " You're a very foolish fellow, Ma- Bon. You'd brttoi' slop with me." "Vnii can buy nic, inlud, body an' boul, for my Kitty's hai.piiU'SH," but not for less. Kvcr since 1 saw where her dear heart was Roliig, I've been slaving, slaving to [lerfect an idea which vfoiild make nie greater tlinii you. ai) 1 coiibl rojne to yon as 1 liuve done. an' plead the lovors' cnuFe knowing that you'd ruo 1t if y(ai refii.':«-d me. You have, an' you will. Wilkins' haven't tlio spare t'ash Ui pay my price lor my ide«i, so 1 go 1o thorn a pnrlnoi-, an' I know wluit my idea will make my partncr- yhi\) worth, (iood-day, sir. 1 hoar you no grudge ; I play fur my daufj:hler'H happiness, an' your son's, nn' if 1 crush you in the prn- ro.-w of humbling your pride the blaine must r(!St on yon." Not wishiiiK t<i he quostlotied upon what ho had S4iid, .John Ma- son walked ipiickly out tit the room before Mr. ItlidiwMl coulil speak. !'<• went sliiiigrht to his liille col- luK"- home miilteriiiK : "I'ur.se-proiid iipe, my Kit's worth tmy thirty gross of Hinm you could bnve," c>veV and over again. At the low gate in the high hedmi skirling his fronl. garileii, he came upon two figures he rnrognized iminedlalely. "Ay, an' what are you iloing lu'i'e now. my yoiuiK sir ?" In, diinnn<led j III the man. "Hjdn'l your father for- bid you (o come within ii liuiidred miloH tif my danghtrr iiKiilu, eli ? An' havt-n't I jest come away from him after agreeing in the besl, po«- Hihli^ nmnmr tlint this yoiuig xvn- man Is fur below your reiieh ? Knr, far, my youna >*''â- â-  t!u hmne, tin' forjfet her !" "I'athcr !" oxclnliiioti the Rlrl, in a tone of nroat siirprlFp, "I expected â€"don't laugh at iiH when we're ko wri'lched. Mr. HlchwoU hurt tlirm ton- ed Hugh â€" thren toned to turn him out of his homo ami leave hint |eniiiless linlcsR he (ii\e» iiio up." "I havf left my fnthcr'n hounn, Mr. Muson," miltl Ihigh Ulehwi'll, |i,otilly. iind without much ii-ki'I '1 told him lliel I had made un mv mind to marry Kit, and he rejilied thot if that were so, 1 t»uld leave Ills hpiibo at onco and never look to him aKaln for a penny or a word. I must make my own way in the world, that's all." "I like your bounce, Mr. Hugh," Afason returned, "but you can't set up home an' livo on nothing. Nor do I think either of you'd lie really happy unless you hsid Mr. Ilichwell's consent. A man who delios his fath- er takc-s ti very serious step, Mr. Hiigh. I say to you go homo nn' wait. I'm going to boss this show, an' if your ftvther doesn't chanfco his niiml within ii twelvemonth " "A twdvejnonth I" cried the young man. "How he goes !" Mnson exclaimed. "Ho you fancy now, that if you leave home an' sliirt to make your own living, unu^cd as you are to such a thing, you'll bo in a position to nmrry, an' keep a wife in less thiin tv year ? Becaiiso I'm certain you won't." Tlie soundness of this argument could not be contested, tuid Jlugh iind Kit fell in with Mason's sugges- tion. Late 'the stxmo niRht it occurred to Mason that considering he had to deal with a rcsoluic and darlnp man in Mr. Jtichwell, it would be wise to cemovo from the foundry nil traces of the secret process of (|iiick-harden- ing stoc^l which was to buy him his partnership in Wilkins' iind a good husbanti for his Kit. Accordingly ho set out for fUch- well's without delay. He went straight to the "Shop" which his master had set apart for him to nmko his experiments in, and hav- ing gathered together all the piijior.s relating to his gretit discovery. he commenced to licstroy all those things -which would alTord anyciiie a clue as to the natiiro of his inven- tion. I7e p.ad almost finished his task, when in turning round (owiuils a window he 1 ebeld an ashy face pressed 1:) one of the panes, vvti Idl- ing with caRor eyes his niovciiieiits. How long the face bad been there ho could not fcue.ss. But it was im- p>ortant to learn, for the face be- longed to Mr. liichwell. He sprang to the door, ami caught his cnifiloyer by tbc arm, and drew bini' gently, but lirmly into the shop. "ITow long have you been there, sir ?" ho asked, anxiously. "How- dare yon tissaiilt me in this outragtjous mtmnor, yon scoundrel !" The answer. and Mr. Hicbwell's angry oxfression .satislied Mascui. lie knew his master well enough to feel certuin that if he luid Ijoen watching long enough to guess the; nature of the banleniiiK ludcess, his answer would liave been Uelianl instead of indignant, his expression exultant itisti'ad of nnn'ry. "Come, I\lr. Hiclnvell," .said Sra.son f?ood-luimouiedly, taking up a roll of Hie papers he had collected, "I offer you llicst! as tbc price of your eoijscnt to ftlr. Hugh marrying my K'it. It's i\ discovery whidi wiil make you the richest iron-founder in the Worlfl, or begifar you by nmking Wilkins that. On ibo day Mr. Hugh weds my k'ii'l an' you t'lttcnd the wedilinp: wearing your best .'â- Tuile, I'll give this roll to you. JNTeantlme, it shall not be opened. Wlint do ye Siiy ? J 'in not built to bo a rich nnui : I only want eiioiig:h to rub along with, \\hal tfo yo sj<y V ".No. you s».M)iin(lrel ' ! I'd soonei' see liiin dead liist. if only because ,\ou liiive taken up this cause." IJichwell replied, in a voice of thun- der. "tJet out of my workshop â€" out of my foundry. Co fo Wilkins', and be hnnf^ed to you I They're on their liusl h'K.s now. In six months you'll be without n job. cringing: to" my oHice ftir work, and Til see you very nuich eoufiiuiKled 1 efore I take you oti again. Out you g^n, now, or I'll Ciill the Watchman, and g;ive you in charge for trespass !" "Very well, Mr. Kichwell," replied IVIiison. wliilo wllh passion, but In I ho ci vilest manner. "Hefore my liiiir is white your eyos will o[ en to tbo hiet that marriage between Mr. Hugh an' my l'.';!';: the most desir- afile tlii ng in the world." "Will yon clear o!T my fouiulry 7" "I'm Roing now, sir, but I'll bo bnck iigain before longr, nn' you won't siieak to mo like that then." Next clay Mason "went over" to VVilklns'. '"riio naval authorities have bcoit ex|)eriiiienlln(-: with some new steel plalcrt which nie c-liUmed to be Ki'oally sii|ie;ior to any hitherto pi-ocluceel, and eifjhtcen or twenty per coiit. cheaper. In ciins<.'i|iicnco (if the success of the e.\|ieriiiieiits, the Aclniirally have placed witli Messrs. Wilkins and Mason, of Uusper, a large order for the.scj plaKw, which will ho u.sed in the construclioii of the Iho inen-of-wiir shortly to bo liiit down, and in all Vopairs to armor In future oxernled In II. M. dcckyarcls. It. is said (bat tlii' con- tract ohliiined by Messrs. Wilkins and Mastni is one of the larffcst Kiveii out foi- steel plates by the Ad- miralty for mnny .years." Mr. Uichwidl rend the iniirked para- Rraih In a sort of stupor. It was coiitnlnod In a ropy of the Kusper Mirror, which hail liecn direcled to him In n liandwriliiiK he thought ho rc-c-ognlxed n» that of John Ma.soii. wiio eleven months before was his servant. MIoven montlm 1 Mr. Itichwdl Kroaiietl. It neemed like elovTn yenr.s HO great wiis Iho change that had come upon hitn and his fortune in that short space of tinio. "Ho hasn't played a fair Kame," ho Mid nionri to him.self, thinking billerly ol Mason. "I eoiild have foii«ht >\ll1dns', and held my own, If tlicy hadn't undercut jne on every posciible occasion." "Tlicre's more in it than that," returned Colonel Jenner, his friend and conlidant, who had a small in- terest in Hichwcll'H t'oundry. "They produce a better, Jini-derâ€" much harder steel thnii you can, in a third of your time. The saving of time allows them to undercut every- one in the market, and yet make big inolils and give a better article. I tell you, Kichwell, you mtide a beastly ass of your.self â€" ruined your- self anil hit jiio htird when you ipiar- relh-d with iWason". You should .have bought his iineution firstâ€" he'd have sold it for a songâ€" ant> then (|uar- relled with him, if you had to." "i know 1 .•jhould," said the found- er, weakly. "Wilkins' have taken up practically the whole ' of your market. Your output isn't a twentieth of what it was ii ye.ir ago, and I've a very shrewd .suspicion that you've been keajiing the place in labor at a dead loss, merely to bliiiT Mason." "Confound yo\i ! I don't want to know your siirow^d suspicions. Find me some now i;apital, that's what J want yon to do." "1 could Iind a cool million for Wilkins' in a week, Kichwell, if they wanted it, but 1 .wouliln'tâ€" couldn't induce anyone to put a penny in your concern as it's been goiiiK the last few months." "It's the only w'ay to save your money in tho foundry, .leniier," Ilicliwell said, very gravely, "i have not been open with you tor your own salce. 1 will now Ije tjuite so." He opened a drawer at his side, and took out a. .sheaf of papers. "Do you know what these are ? . . . Writs." He took up ii long nnsiddressed en- velojie. "iio you guess what this is '? . . . A bankruiitcy pelilioii against me for ei(.;lit Iboiisaiid aiul sixty pouiuls. It was liled a day or two ago on behalf of Sevil and Wiightson. Tho.'-e writs ;uo for iner twenty thousand." "i'liew I This is fiendish ! What the dickcjis have you been doing with the business ?" "Keiipiiig' the whirlwind of a mtin's malice." said Kichwell, bitterly. "Hut as.'^els 1 W hat abcjut assets?" ".Siillicicnl to pay twelve .'•.hillingrs in tbo pound on my liabilities, pro- vidiiif; a |iurchaser can be found for these proniit<5;i-, and that he is fool- ish enough to pay what they cost me to erect." "You'd better shut down at once." liichwell leant sideways towardtt his friend, and laid a trembling hand ii| on his knee. ".Jcniicr, 1 shall have to this week-end," he stiicl, with tears in his voices "for 1 haven't enough cash at tho bank to run the foundry for anoilier six days." "PI ew ! This is fiendish !" "Wilkins' have sh.ot up like a rocket, and I'\e fallen down like a .'itone. At si.xty years of age, when I boi ed and expected to retire from active business, 1 find my.self whore 1 started forty long years ago, |x'n- niless, humbled to tho dust, friend- less " "lixcopting me. liichwell." "Thank you. gratefully. My very house and land.s are morlKiiged. Av.d all this litis come tiboiit in about elc\oii months, t brouKh thc> K'oniu.w of that briyfand Mtison !" A knock fell on tho door, which opened, and the cheery, kindly face of .lohn .Mtison, of Messrs. Wilkins and Mason, looked in. "lUi.sy, Mr. Hichwell ? Oh, com- pan.v ! Never niliul, I'll look in later." '('(Uiie ill. Mr. Mason," said Mr. Itidiwell, dreniuily, indifi'orent. "It is a long time since 1 saw you here," he added, jiis thoughts going back to that fatal evening when he refused a fortune and began his own ruination. 'â- Titlish time, Mr. Uicliwell. Things have eliangeil a lot since then. 1 be- lieve we bad a bit of a dilYerence last time 1 wtis in the foundry, eh â- ." Aye, pity. Let us forget that. We were younger then ; more foolish. When can 1 sec you privately on bu.s-iiiess, Mr. Kichwell ? " "I'll HOC .vou tigain later Hich- well," said Colonel .lenner, putting on his hat. Kichwell nodded, thouj!:hlfu)ly. He would have liked to have given his friend a hint to stay ; he thought be kn.)\v what Mason hail come for ; but ho Was too worried, too wretch- ed, to (iiiilo know how to do it with- out giving himself away to Mason. So the Colonel went. "You wished to sec mo on busi- ness ?" said Kichwell, laying a slight stress on the Inst word. "Aye, 1 sent you a paper this morning, with a paragraph mark- ed " "I had it," said nichwell, icily. "1 thought it would help prepare tho Way for what I had to say. Yiui SCO we're bii.sy. Wo haven't room enough nt the foundry to turn out a third of the ordor» coming In, much le;is tackh? the Oovernment contract at once, an we want to. We're build- ing ns fast ns wo can, but we cnn'l run up u. city in twelve hours." \ cold sweat broke out on TJich- well's foi-C'head. Was Mason going to offer ti> buy tho fouiulry *? H. would be humiliating indeed, hut it would enable him to nuH't his cre- ditors. "Wellâ€" or, I don't want to make myself olTonsivo to you." continued Mason, awkwardly, "hut you don't fcvm to have Imhmi up tc> your throixt in contracts lately. J mean you're slntik, could olTor tia prnctlcjilly a free foundry. I have put it to my ixtrtncr, ns a innttor of form, that your foundry, being in full working ordor, yet cnpable of taking our ov-orflow ordcrB on would be wc>rth n deal of money to us, as it would let us out of our corner." "You want to buy tho foundry as a going concern," anid Kichwell, his hetiit beating like a frightened wo- man's. "No. 1 tliought you and ours might tinmlgumate. You join us, and we make ourselves responsible for all your debts. We shall walk as one firm." Jtichwell's ashy face quivered, his mouth twitched violently and tears forced themselves into his eyes. "Do you mean that. Mr. Mtison ?" "Aye, it's a busine.ss proposal." "My foundry is stagnant." "All tlie better ; it can tak2 more of our jobs." "Twenty thoustind pounds won't cover my liabilities." "Pity, but if that's so it can't bo hcli)<;d." "You do mo.m it then ?" "It's a idiiiii busiiie:-H olTcr." "It is not ; it is the olier of a great man who, to humble a fool's liride, thrusts him to the gulf of ruin and then rescues him." "Tliiifs not plain business ; that's pure .sentiment. If you come over to us, you must come at once. When can you con)o ?" "Tcvmorrow â€" to-day." "That's busine.s.sp â€" .settled. I'll ar- range details with you later. Sec you iigain." I â- Wait ! Stop !" Mason hesitated. "J-nst time you were here, Mr. Mason, I insulted you,, and you said when next you camo here I wou'dn't sfii-ttk like that to you. TOLD BY THE OLD CIHCtIS MAJi; Appearance on Cratchea of Greatest of All Giants. "•i "In his later years," .said the Jld circus man, 'the greatest gl all giants BulTei-ed a good! - ue.^ from rheumatism, and "or.ietime* one of the other of his legs, but more gen- erally his right leg, would be bo drawn up that he had to go about on crutches. Hut that didn't piit the great giant out of business. "1 was telling you the other dtiy about the Jmpression he made on -.».--â-  people when Ll.ey saw hira march- ing at the head of the circuo parado on stilts; he n^^de just about aa much of an impression, though ol cour.se in a dillerent sort of way, when he api eared there walking, a9 he sometimes did, after the rheumat- ism struck him, on crutches. "You see, he was a cheerful man, the giant, always ; he never liked to give up. And then he didn't want to, cither, on the old man's account; he hated to disappoint him. "1 ncvor'U forget how the old man felt over it the first time tho giant got so bad. 'Well,' .says the old man, 'I suppose that's the last of the giant for tho parades till he gets over the rheumatism.' "You see we always featured the grcsit giant, in some way, in the parades. Hut, no sir, "tiie great giant said, that wasn't the last of him ; he'd turn out on crutches, and so he did. "For a time. And a most remark- able ligure he cut in that way. too, And you haven't," said Mason, ! ^. "^"'^ '*'" .^'O" : something a littlo pleastuitly. jbit dinerent, I venture to say, from "Yon o!':'orcd mo something that i ="^"-^"*''"'K "-'wr soon in a circus par- night." jade before or since. Hut the elTort "Stop a bit ! I think I see where i'"*^ J"'* a lee-tio too nuicli for him. you are drifting. 1 brought my Kit i ''"'^"•^•'^"'' ^'^ 'm'l to tell the old along with mo, gues-sing perhaps you "'"" after a while that might be inleresited to see whether I HF/D HAVE TO GIVE IT UP she looked a re.sfK>ctable young wo- man or not, whether she" was lit to I ."I*"' ho suggested himself, the marry a res|;ectable young man who j '^'^"^ '''''â-  '" Place of his walking in loves her almost as much as she ! ^'"^ procession, something that loves him." 1 could do when he was thus dis<\bled "Yes, yes. Ask her upâ€" in here. | ^'lat turned out, simple a thing as it Let mo give her a blessing for i ^^"^' *° ^^ really one of the great- Hugh's sake before my heart gives i*^?'' '^'^'^ '^'"' ."i'i"t- ever did at all. Way." . This consisted simply in his stand- ".Sho's here, Mr. Richwoll," sjiid ! "'â- ^' ^"PPorted on his crutches at Ha^on sollly. Kit in from an ad he 1. j^iuiiweii, salt! â-  '- ' * ^ *•'â- â€¢' ... ^.t-v litis iiL drtiwing his pretty ^ '^°'"'-' "-"""spicuoiis spot in whatever :l.loining room. " , town we wore showing in and there I.Ir. Kichwell hurried towards her, anil took her hantl in his. , "!\Iiss Mason," he said, "can you forgive mo ? I an. coming to your wedding ns one of your sincerest woU-wi.-jhcrs, and the proudest, hap- piest of your friends." "Thank you," .she returned simply. blu-sbiug a little in her ddight and si'i-priso. "Pity Hugh's not here." muttered Mr. Kichwell. "I'll find him," returned Mason, with boisterous good humor. "I saw him in the foundry as I came up." And ho left Kit to seal his victory over Mr. Hichwell.â€" Pear- son 's WOeklv. out bills advertising the BOUGHT A BIG RANCH. Michigan Man Will Move to Northwest. tho The Inunigratioa Peptutmcnt at Ottawa is constantly receiving evi- dence, that tJie immigration jiolicy is not only bringing in large num- bers of settlers from the United .States, but is also attracting- to the \Ve^,tern [irairies men of wealth and l»osition. who have alretidy made a .-juccess of lite, and who mtiy be ex- pected to ttike an active interest in the developniont of Uio districts in which llioy locate. One of the most ixicent cases ol this kind is reiiorted by Mr. M. V. IMticlnnes, Pominion Agent at lie- troit, who forwards particnlt\rs re- ii.iecting the location of i\lr. I'eter Muiihead, of tlreharil Lake. Michi- gnii, on a ranch oi li.iHiO acres, near Ctilgary. Mr. Mnirhetid i.s worth S;ilHl,tMU), ami bought tho proivrty for a home luul paid cash for it. it is uniier;itiHHl t.bat a. hui..lred or more faiailies will follow his lead. In a letter to Mr. Maclnnes, Mr. Miiirlioati sniys, with respect to a trip ho mudo tc5 tho Cantidian West: "I have lived all my lite in Miohi- gnn, but after seeing your exhibit at the State I'air last year at A'on- tiac, and having several talks with you regarding the country, I decid- ed to take your advice ami go and see the country for mysvlf. I visit- ed every part of it. and found tho farmers contented. prosi>erous and hn.^M•.^'â- â€" llie cliintite grandâ€" the land. I believe, tho best on earth. The country will go ahead, and tlio svt- tlers will do liki>\vno. 1 bought a ranch. !l,tHili acres of iltHnlcd land, with l,r>lHt head of cattle and 1 .'il^ head of horses, a S5.t)l'0 house, fur- nished, from Walter C, Shrine, near f'algnry, and paid him $51,00(1 ca.sh. I nni going back at once, and 1 will tnke with me siix carloads of line s^tock niul two cars c>f olTects. and I think about firty settlers (friends of mine) will accompany me back, lleauliful Soul hern Alberta, in my mind the finest stock-iiiising laud on onrth, will bo my home alter â-  tho lirst of the coming month." ,,; A schooliui8tre.>t9 who has a dread of nil kinds of coiilapious diseases sent n child hmne the other day be- ctiuse her mother was ill. Tho next morning tho littlo girl presented her- self nl siNhool, with her llngcM- in her mouth and a little hood -.winging by the string, and sitid ; "We'fV got a baby at our l^ou^9e, but mam- ma says 1 was to t«ll you it's not catching I" handing show. "Now, you know, to see a man of his stupendous stature standing even in tho ordinary fashion of a man and handrtig out bills would have boon something- wonderful; but to see such a man on crutches, and with his right log bent back from tho knee and supported in a sling passed up over his .iboulder, standing there passing out bills, was something wonderful indcvil. "And it did use to draw the people. Yon might have marchiHl the whole show by on the other side of the street afte:- he'd onco taken up his position and hud nobody to look at it : they were all 'round the giant. And the more they saw of him close to. like that, "the more wonderful ho s.-emed. â- â- .\ ixMsoii live feet tnll could walk upright under that bent knee: and the crutches under his arms prevent- iiig the giant's bciuliiv ilowii very much to iK>o|ile. it was only tall men that could take tho bills he gave out direct from his own hand. As a matter of fatt when the giant was giving out bills in this way we al- ways bad a man tilongsido of h.int sttMiding about half-wny ui> on a step ladder, who Would take the hiUa from the giant aiul hand them down to the people. "It was one of iho host things tho giant ever did. surely, that act on crutches." f . in-:ciPKn to suhm t. The othei- morning a gentleman, on the way to l-,;s ollico. overtook u friend who was evidently much per- turbed in mind, and usked him the cinise. "Oh." said be, "I'm going down to the gtis company's oll'ice to have a row." "I siif pose they've overcharged you ?" iiupiirotl tho friend. "1 sliould think tho-y have ! ftfy house was shi.t up all last quarter, and yet here's a bill ever so much hirgcr than tho (piarter before. Why ilon't tlu\v knock a man down and rob hint '.' I'll sec tho whole lot farther before 1 pay a farthing." Towariis evening tho two men haiv petuHl to meet again, and the man who was so much over-chnrged was asked by his friend it ho had had tho row at the gas oHicv->. "Of cour.-o, 1 intended to, butâ€" but " "I stipp<j.sv.d they blulTed vou '>" "Hardly ihat." "Hnt yon told them your house was closed nil the quarter ?" "Oh, yes." "And you " "Well. I said, 'send a man up with me to see how the house ha.i bcyn left.' Ho cnmo and found that a gas stove had been alight all the time ; so I deciuOtl to submit to the robbei-v." Till', Ku\t; .^N•n tiik man. When King ICdwarU was supposed to lo in full health sonio of the Irish proiiosed to mark his core>nalion by a day of inoii ruing ; when he was Iirosliated they were till sympa- thetic. Wecalls the old picture of two "Whilebov s" wi,h guii!* lying in wait behind a hedgo by the roadside to "pot" the landloi-d w!;."*. ho drives past. "He's very late, ^at." "lie is, tmleod. Mikp :"t hope Iho poor m,;n hu.sn't .lue.t with any acti- den' ."