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II t»M III â- â-  MMMitar* DD.A.'WJSr. CflTAPTER XXI.â€" Continued. irytog that girl at whatever co«t, and ,,_, . ^ ,,, ,j.ll Me very clearly that I shall not be Do you know how old I am to-day f | ^^^ ^^ ^^ ^ withoal your help. With \ At least, 80 thoug'ht Arthur, aa he sat in the private parlor smoking, his pipe and refleotiing on tb« curious viciasi- tudea of existence. Now, here be wais, with all the hopea and interests of his life utterly chang-ad in a single Bpac-« . „- - - , of sii-and-twenty hours. Why, six- Nineteen and I have been married a your help the matter will be easy; for aivd- twenty hours ago, he had never year and a half. Ah I what a happy | no olieLacle, except the death of the girl j mot his rcsp<»>t«d guardian, nor Sir Itsa I WM h«fi»ni T m»rrii>.l- how thev . lieâ„¢eif . tan prevaii agaiust your iron John ajid Lady Bellamy, nor Phiiip and IMS 1 was before I married, »ww ^hey t^^^^^^.^^^.^ ^^^ unbounded fertility ;bis daughter. He could hardly belie^re worshiped me in my old home I Qu^en ^ reaourc*." that it was only that morning that Anne" thay always railed me. Well, "A.jd if I refuse?" !be had first seen Angela. It seemed they are dead now, and pray God they | "I must have read those extracts to ^weeka ago, and, if time could have been sleep so sound that they can neither i'^fT lilt'* .{'"n-ose for you to talk measured on a new pri^iple by evenU. . ... J u i# aljout refusing. If you refuse the pangs and not by mijiutes. it would have have hear nor see. Yes, a year and a half „( conscience will overcome m«j, and I been weeks. The wheel of ILfe. he â€"a year of happineaa, half a year of ghall feel obliged to plaoe these letters thought revolves with a strange ir- hell; happiness whilst 1 did not know u.nil more especially those referring to regularity. For roooihs and years it you, hell since I saw your face. What ^iniself in the hande of your husl and. I turns slowly and steadUy under the . , , .,, Of course, it will, for my own sake, even pressure of monotonous events, secret sprmg of wickedness did you ,^g unpleasant to me to have to do so, But, on some unexpecte<i day. a tide touch in my iheart f I never had a but 1 can easily travel for a year or comes rushing down the stream of be- thought of wrong before you came. But : two till the talk has blown over. For ing, and spins it round at speed; and when I first mA avea uoon vour face ?<>" '*- ^''1 '^* dUferentt Bellamy has then tears onward to the ocean called when 1 first set eyes upon your lace, ^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ . .^^^^ ^.j^^^ ^^^ ^^^ leaving iU plaything to creak I felt some strange cha-uge come over ! ^^ ^m [^^^ ^^jgn ^e knows all the and turn to turn and creak, or wrecked me; I recognized my evil destiny. Honv truth. He will scarcely ke*p the story perhaps and useless. you discovered my fascinations, bow to biuiseit and, evan were he to do so, j a'hinking thua, Arthur made his way you led me on to evil, you best know, i '^ <^^^ f««"y }^ »«'• »'»'"^ "» ?m''^I^ ^^.^ 'i'^* excitement of the day had ; J , J : . u . ways, and, in either caae, you will be 'weaned ham, and for a while he slept I am no coward, I do not H'lsh, to excuse ^ ruined woman, and all that you have soundly, but, as the fatigue of the body myself, but, scunetlmes I think that you toiled and schemed for for tweuity wore off, tie acti<vity of bis mind as- Jjave much to answer for, George. Uark, years will be snatched from you in an serted itself, and he began to dream I hear mv baby cryiws. my beautiful 'ns^ant If, on the other hand, you io vague, iiappy dreams of Angela, that 1 near my baoy cryingi, my oeauiiiu ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ j cannot believe that by degrees took shape and fori till boy with his father's eyes. Do you y^ ^.^u, I will on mj wedding^daJr | they stood out clear before the viaion know I believe tha* the child has grown burn these uncomfortable records be- ; of his mind. He dreamed that he and afraid of me; it beats at me withl iU fore your eyes, or. If you prefer* it, you i Angela were journeying, two such hap- tiny hands I think that my very dog "H'v *'"£!'' ^''®"'> y"*"*";"'. , , P? travelers, tiirough the green fields y. ,., uiinK mat my very kj^ .,y^^ ^^^^ ^^^^jy ^^^ jj,^ ^j once; In summer, till by and by they came dislikes me now. Th«»y know me as I jg jt poeaible that you are in earnest) I to the dark entrance of a wood, into am; Nature tells tbpm; everybody knows 'in wishing to marry herf" jwhich they plunged, fearing nothing. me except him. He will come in pre- '"Do you think that I should go Thicker grew the overshadowing sentlv from viuitinir his «ifik and Door 'trough this scene by way of a joke I , branches, and darker grew the path, sent y from vuuting his sick and poor, j ^^^^^ ^.^ ^ ^^^^^ ^^ earnest in my land now they journeyed loverwise, with and kiss me and call mo hJS sweet wile,, life before^ I am In love with her, I : their arms around eacOi other. But, as and 1 shall act the living lie. Oh I God, tell you; as much in love as though' I ^ they passed along they came to a place I cannot bear it much longer-'" \^^ known her for years. What hap- where the path forkedw and here he "Ther« la m«r« ,J tha Hiune sort."'?*"*** '° '°^ ^'*'' raference to me has stooped to kiss her. Already he could idere Ts more ol the same soru , happened to me with reference to her, feel the thrill of her embrace, when remarked George, coolly. "It affords a or something very like it, aJid marry she was swept from him by an un- ber I must and will." seen force and carried down the path Lady Bellamy, cus she heard these before tbetn, leaving him rooted where words, rose from her chair and flung he was. Put still he oould trace her herself on the ground before him clasp- ; progress as she went, wringing her ing bis knees with her hands. hands in sorrow; and presently be saw "Oh, Geor^, George I" she cried, in the form of Lady Rcllamy, robed as a broken voice, " have some little pity; an ICgyptian sorceress, and holding a do not force me to do this unnatural letter in her hand, which she offered thingv Is your heart a stone, or are to Angela, whispering in her ear. She you altogether a devil, that by such took it, and then in a second the let- cruel threats you can drive me into ter turned to a great snake, with liecoming the Instrument of my own George's head, and Uirew its coils . . .. Ishamef I know what 1 am. none bet- around her and strucJc at her with grows stronger every day and now it | ter; but for whoee sake did I become it. fangn. Next the darkness, of night makes me a murderess, for the shock sof Surely Oeoiige, 1 have some claim rushed down upon the scene, and out meet interesting study of mental ana- tomy, but I have no time to read' more of it. We will pass on to another." Lady Bellamy did not move, sbs sat trembling a little, her face buried In ber hands. JBe took up a recond le4.ter, and Ijegan to read a marked paasagei. "'The die is cast, I will come; I oan DO longer resist your influence; it will kill him. And yet I am tired of the sameneiis and smallnesa of my life; my minil is too big to be cramped In such narrow fetters.' "That exira.a is really very funmy," â- aid George, critically. "But don't look depressed Anne; I am only {going to trouble you with one more dated a year or so later. Listen: "'I have several timiea seen the man you sent me; lie is a fool and contempt- ible in appearance, and, worst of all on your compassion, if 1 have none on of the darknees came wild cries and your love. Think again, George; and, 'mocking laughter sad the choking if you will not give her up, ohooeo some sounds of deaths And bis senses left other means to compass this poor girl's liim. ruin." I When sight and sense came back, he "Get up, Anne, and don't talk sen- drp.amed that he was still walking timentti rubbish. Not but that," he down a wooded lane, but the foliage added, with a sneer, "it is rather amus- of the overhanging trees was of a ricb- ing to bear you pitying your successful ©r greeiu The air was sweet with the ri^aJ" scent of unknown flowers, beautiful Hho sprung to her feet, all the soft- hirdi flitted around him, and from far ness and entreaty gone from her face, off came the murmur of tlic sea. And which was instead now spread with her ae he traveled, broken-hearted, a fair darkest and most vindictive look. woman with a gentle voice stood by his "i P'ty her I" she said. "I hate hej. side, an<l kiss<>d and comforted him. till •hows signs of falling in love with me; L«>« JO". 'â-  I have to do this, my only at length he grew weary of her kiases but, if you wish it, I will go through 'T".°f^l'^ Ti i ^ '" ''""^'°« ^^'^ »"*! "he left him. weeping, and he went .. jr«u U.U 11,, "" s" » what 1 do will drag my succeasor down on his way alone geekinc bis lost- Ang- the marriage ceremony with him, poor below my own level. I suffer; she shall ela. And theTat Sh the prth toSc little dupe I You will not marry me suffer more; I know you're a fiend; she a sudden turn and he stood on the yourself, and 1 w..uld do more than ?'"»" ''"<' " wliole hell with you; she shore of an ilHiultable ocean, over that to keen near viou indesd. I have 1* ''"'''"' """^ '^'^T. ""*? ^ u*"""" '"'" ''^'''^ "brooded a strange light aswhere that to keep nrar you, inde.d. have , shall make her worse ••The quiet end of evening smile* DO choice, I must keep near you. 1 ; than 1 have dreamed of being. Her Miles on milea" ' went to the Zoological Gardens the oth- 'purity shall be dishonored, her love lie- And there, witii the >oft light linger- er day and saw a rattlesnake fed upon 'ray«''. her life reduced to such chaos ' Uig on her hair, and tears of gladaeas 1- ,.,. iL .,. u >, 1 that she shall cease to believe even m I ji, ber av»ji «f/w».i Aii.r..iii iiinr« Inva- a live rabbit; the poor thing had, amp e ^, Cod and in return for th.-e^ thing, , ,^ iZu'l^orT^Jl^r^^^ZuJ^^ll room to run away itu, but could not, it I will give her-you. Your new play- to greet hixn. And theji the night cloa- waa fascinated and sat still and scream- thing shall pa'« through my mill, Geo- ' ©d in, and he awukc ed. At last the snake struck it, and I ' ""K" Careafoot, be/orv. ever she comes to jjjg ^y,, opeausi upon the solenin and .u u» .1. i. ,. , , I ..1 _ I yours; and on her 1 wiJl repay with in- beautiful hrair <.f iL. fir«i niii<-k>-iiiiiiil thought that Its eye* looked like youra tereat all that I have suffered at your c^X "au^T and thTthriM aSd so^^^^^^^ I am as helpless as that poor animal, hands;" and, exhausted wiith the fierc^ ^^^t toi^^,„»^'|^„^„^^*^'-;;!|,J^^^^^^^^ and you are much more cruel than, the ness of ber own invective and the viol- we meet in sleep was still upon him. •uake. And yet my mind is inflnlUly tP'Z "' '"n '''••••"»< . Pa^ions she sunk ji^ g.^ up ^jul flung ojien bis lattice , •^ ' . back into her chair. i - â-  . . - « . Stronger than your own in every way. "Bravo, Anne 1 quite in your old I cannot understand it. AVhat is the style. I dare say that the young lady pource of your power over mie K BuL I wUl require a little molding, and she am quite reckless now, so what does it could not be in .better bands; but mind matter » I will do anything that does no trirks-I am not going to be cheat- not put me within rericU of tho law. , ed out of my bride." you know that m^ husl«nd is dead. I "Vou need not fear, George; I shall knew that he would die; be expired 'not murder her. 1 do not believe in with my name upon his lips. Thei child, violence; it is the last resource of fools, too, I hear, cied in a fit of croup; the If I did, you would not be alive" now.' nurse had gone out, and there was no George laugh«>d a liiltle uneasilyi. one to look after it. l^ion mj word, ' "Well, we are good friends again, so I may well l>e re<iklesH, for there is no there is no neeid to talk of auchi things." forgiveness for BU<^h as you and I. As he said. "The cami aign will not lie by for little B , oh I think 1 told you any means an easy one â€" there are _ ^^^ ^ _^ I will lead him (.ii and marry him; at many ol>slacles in I lie way, and I don't i praycil t7>"tho Aimightv "with iilf hi any rate, I will make his fortune for thimk that my intended has taken a window. From the garden beneath rose the sweet stent of .May flowers, very different from that of hi.s dream which yet lingered in bi.i nostrils, whIlHt from a neigh>H>ring lilac-bush streamed the rich melody uf the night- ingale. Prehently it oeaaed lefoie the broadening daylight, hut in its stead, pure and rleu-- and cold arose the notes of the mavis, giving tunefuk thanks and glory tu its Maker. And, a.s he listened, a great calm stole U|)on his spirit, and kneeling down thereby the open window, with the breath of spring upon his brow, and the voice of the happy birds within his ears, he him; I must dttvote luyself l<> something and ambition is iiiorn absorbing than particular fancy ti> me. You will have to work for your letters. Anno; but anything elseâ€" at least, 1 shall rise to tinl of all take a day or two to , think something great, (iood-night; I don't 't over, and make a plan of the cam- know which acheo the moat, my head paig*i> And toorw goodbye; I have gob a ba 1 headache, and am goiiig to lie downi," She rose and went without another word; iiut all necesHity for setting ^_ __^ ..,„., „„ „.„ „„v ..». .« Here she suddenly sprung forward about her shameful task was soon post- ! 5\xl' to giUde "to guard' and to 'coTi'- and snatched at the letter. But George poned by news that reached her 'he | gummate wae loo quick for her; Ins flung it into next morning, to (be eiffect that Geo- ' rgc Caresfoot was seriously ill. or my heart "Now, that extract woubl l)e ii.ler- estitig reading to Iddlamy, would it r-otf heart that it might please Him in His wifie mercy to verify his dream inas- much as be would In well content to suffer, if by suffering he might at la>tl attain to such uii unutterable joy. Antl rising from his knee feeling let- ter and stronger, he knew in some dim way that that unilertaking must \m iiles.sed whiih in such a solemn h:iUr of the heart, he did not fear to pray the safe by his side, and swung tlie heavy lid to. "No, no, my dear Anne, that prop- erty Is too valuable Io be parted with except for a consiteration," Her attempt frustrated, she dropped back into her chair. CHAPTEft XXII. The dog cart that Arthur had hired to take him aawy belongH-d to an olil- "What are you torturing me for?" fashioned inn in the parish of Hewth- she asked hoarsi'ly, "lla^e you any ob- am situated alM>ut a mile from Hewtli- ject in drugging up tlie ghoet of that am House, which ha 1 just passed into dead past, or is it merely for ainuH<-- , the hands of the llfllamys, and two mont f" from Brnlhain Aiibey, and thither Ar- "l)id I not tell you that 1 had a l.hur had himself driven. 'Ills Jehu, favor to ask of you, and wished to gut known through all the country round you into a proper frame of mind first?" i as "Old Hani," was an ancient hostler "A favon You mean that you have who had been iji the service of Ihe â- onie wicke<lne.s8 in hand that you are I Rewthiun King's Head, man and boy, too great a coward to execute your- for over sixty years, and from him Ar- Belf. Out with it; f know you too well ! t;hur collected a good deal of inaccurate to be slKuked "Oh, very well. You saw Angela Caresfoot, I'hilip's daughter, here yest- erilayf "Yes, I saw her." "Very g(x>d, I mean (o marry her, and ymi must manage it for me." Lady Dellaniy sal. quite still, made no anirwer. "You will now," continued George, re- lieveil (o find thai he had not provoked the oulliiirst ho had exp<>cte(l. "under- Bland why I read you thobe exlra(ta. I awi thoroughly (lelnrmined upon niar^ infoniiation about the Caresfoot family, I including a garbled version of t,lin death of Angela's mother, and I'hilip's I disinhcrHanfe. I After all, there are few more com- fortable places than an inn; not a hugt^ London hotel, where you are known as and ! No, 48, and have to lock the door of your cell when you come out of it. and deliver up your key Io the warder in the hall; but an old-fashioned country pslalilishineiit ivhepe they rook- your beofateak exactly a.s you like it, an>l give you suuiid ale and a four-post en And on many an every-day, and in many another place, the Ixiok of his life would recqien at this well-conned page, and he would set; the dim light in the faint fliif^hed sky, and hear the song of the thru.sh swelling upward strong and sweet, and rememi er h'S prayer and the |ieare that fell upon hia soul. Uy ton o'clock that morning, Arthur his dog, and his portmanteau, had all arrived together in front of the Abbey House. Itefore hi.s fret had touched the mass-grown gravel, the hull-door was flung o(ien, and Angela H|i[>cared to welcome him, looking, as old Sam the hostler forcibly put it afterward to his heliier, "juat like a hangel with the wings off." Jakes, too, emerged from the recesses of the garden, and asked Angela, in a tone of aggrieved sarcasm, as he edged h's way suspi- ciously past Aleck, why the gentleman had not brouRht the "riuiipingest linn from the Zoologic (iardens" with him at onie? Having thus expre.ss-d his feelings on the subject of bull-dogs, he shoulilereil the portmanteau and made his way with it up-sliiirs, Arthur fol- lowed him up the wide oak stairs, ev- ery one of which was siiuared out of a single log. stopping for a while on tlie landing v.li-re t b ! staii.ase turn- ed to gaie at the »terii-fa"e-l picture that bung so that it looked through the large window facing it, right across the park and over the whule stretch of the Abbey laads and to wonder at the deep-graved inscription of "L»vil Caresfoot," get so conspicuously Ij«- neath. Uis room was the largest upon the first landing, and the same in which Angela's mother had died. It bad nev- er Ijcen used from that hour to this, and, indeed, in a little recess or open space between a cupboard and the wall there still stood two trestles, drained with rotten blai'k cloths that had or- iginally been brought there to rest her coffin on, and which Angela had over- looked in getting the room ready. This spacious but somewhat gloomy apartment was bung round with por- traits of the Caresfoots of past ages, many of whL.'b bore a marked resem- blance to Philip, but amongst whom he looked la vain for one in the slight- est degree like Angela, whose handi- work ho recognized In two large bowls of flowers placed upon the dark oak dressing-table. Just as Jakes had finished unbuck- ling his portmanteau, a task that he bad undertaken with some grt^aning, and wsis departing in haste leet he should be asked to do something else, Arthur caught sight of the treaties. "What are those?" he asked cheer- fully. "Coffia-strolfl," was the abrupt re- ply. "Coffin-stools!" ejaculated Arthur, feeling that it was unpleasant to have little deta.ils connected with one's lat- ter end brought thus abruptly into no- tice. "What the dieuoe are they doing heref" "Brought to put the la't as slept in that 'ere bed on, and stood ever since." "Don't you think." insinuated .Ar- thur, gently, "that you bad better take them away?" "Can't do so; they be part of the furniture, they beâ€" stand here all han- dy for the next one too, may be you;" and he vanished writh a sardonic grin. Jakes did not submit to the indigni- ties of unbuckling portmanteaus and having his le^s sniffed at by bull-dogs for nothing. Not by any means pleas- ed by suggestions so unpleasant. Ar- thur took his way down-stairs deter- mined to renew the coffin-stool ques- tion with his host. He found Angela watting for him iu the hall, and niak- ' Ing friends with Aleck. "Will you come in and see my father for a moment before we go out!" Arthur assented and she led the way , into the study where Philip always sat the same room in which hia father had died. He was sitting at a writ-. ' ting-table as usual, at work on farm accounts. Rising he gn-eted Arthur civilly, taking, however, no notice of his daughter, although he had not seen ; ber since the previous day. | "Well, Heigbam. so you have made | up your mind to brave these barbar- | ous wilds, have yonf I am delighted to ! foe you; but I must warn you that, be- ; yond a pipe and a glass of grog in the i eveninct. I have not much time to put j at your dis(H>sal. We are rather a j curious household. I don't know wbe.< I ther Angela bas told yuu, but for one ; thing we do not take our meals to- | gether. so yuu will have to make your | choice between the dining-room and the nursery, for my daughter is not out of the nursery yet." and he gave a little laugh. "On the whole, perbaiia you had letter be relegated to the nursery; it will, at any rate, be mora amusing to you than the society of a morf>«e old fellow like myself. And, tesldea, f am very irregular in my hab- its. Angela, you are staring at me again; Ishoulbe ko very much i>blige<I If you would look the other wev, I, only hope Heighaov, that old I'igott won't talk your bead off; she h vs got a dreadful tongue. Well, don't let me keep you any longer; it Is a lovely day for the tlmeuf the year. Try to amu'e yourself .somehow, and I hope for your sake that Angela will not occupy her- eelf with you a.s she di:es with me. Iiy staring as though she wished to exam- ine your brains and l>ackbone. Good- bye for the pre.aent." ''What doe.-) he mean?" ajked Arthur, as .soon as they were fairly outside the door, "about your staring at him?" "Mean!" answered [Kxir Angvla. who looked a.s though she were going to cry. "I wish I could tell you; all I I know is that he cannot bear me to ' look at himâ€" he is always complaining j of it. That is why we do not take ] our meals togetherâ€" at kast, I I e- I iieve it is. He detests my being near I him. 1 am sure I don't know why ; i it nxakes me very unhappy. 1 cannot ' see anything different in my eyes from ' anybody else's, can you?" and she turn- ed them, swimming as they were with i tears of mortification, full upon .\r- ] thur. j He scrutinized tlveir depths very , closely; so closely indeed, that pre- ] sently she turned them away again witli a bfush. "Well," -she said, "I am sure you have loi.>ked long enough. Are they difier- ent»" "Very different," replied the oracle, with enthusiasm. "Ho\v?" "Well, llicyâ€" they are larger." "Ik that all?" "And they are deeper." "I'ecpcrâ€" that is nothing. I want to know if they produce any unplea- sant effect upon youâ€" different from other people's eyes, I mean?" "Well, if you ask me, I am afraid that yonr cyeH do \i.roluce a stranpe effect upon me, lut I cannot say that it ia an unpleasant one. But ym do not look long enough for me to form a really sound opinion. Let us try again." "No, 1 will not; and I do l»Ueve that you are laughing at me. I think that is very unkind;" and she marched on in silence. "Uon't le angry with me, or I shall lie miserable. I really was not laugh- ing at you; only, if you knew what wonderful eyes you have got, you would nut ask such ridiculous ques- tions atniut them. Your fatlwr must be a .strange man to get such ideas, i am sure T should lie delighted if you would look at me all day long. But tell me something more alxmt your father: b« interests me very uuuh," Angela felt the tell-tale blood* ris:e to ber face as he praised ber eyes, and tiii her tips with vexation itaeemej to her that she had suddenly caught an epidemic of blushing. "I cannot tell you very much about my father, because I do not know much; his life la, to a graat extents a Eealed book to me. But they say that once he was a very different man. when he was quite young I mean. But all of a sudden his fatherâ€" my grand- father, you knowâ€" whose pioture is on the stairs, died, and within a day or two my mother died, too, that wa« when 1 was born. After that he broke down, and became what ho is now. Foe twenty years be has lived as he doe» now, pouring all day over books of ao- counts. and very rarely seeing any- body, for he does all his bnaineas by letter, or nearly all of it, and he haa no friends. There was some atory, about his being engaged to a lady who lived at Hewtham when he married my mother, which I dare say you hava heard; but I don't know much about it. But Mr. Heigham"â€" and here she dropped her voiceâ€" "there ia one thing that I must warn you of ; my father has strange fancies at times. He ia dreadfully superstitious, and thlnloi that he bas communicatioas with be- ings from another world. I believe that it U all nonsense, bat I tell you BO that you may not be surprised at anything he says or does. He ia not a happy man. Mr. Heigham." "Apparently not. I cannot imagine any one being happy who la supersti- tious; it is the most dreadful bonr dage in the world." 'Where are your ravens to-day?" asked Arthur presently. "I don't know; I have not seen very much of them lor the last week or two. They have made a neat in one of the big trees at thi back of the house, and I dare say that they are there, or perhaps they are hunting for their foodâ€" they always feed them- selves. But I will soon tell you," and she whistled in a soft, bat penetrat- ing note. Next minute there was a swoop of wings, and the Largest raven, after hovering over ber for a minute, lit up- on her shoulder and rubbed hisblaok head against her face. "This is Jack, you see; I expect that Jill ia busy sitting on ber eggs, b'ly away Jaok and loik after your wife." She clapped her hands, and the great bird, giving a reprooohftul croak, spread his wings ani'l was gone. "You have a strange power over an- imals to make those birda so fond of you." "Do you think sof It is only because I have, living as I do quite alone, had time to study all their ways, and maka fi.ends of them. Do you see that thrush there? I know him well; 1 fiert blm during the frost last winter. It you will stand > ock with the dog, yoa shall see." Arthur hid hlm.self behind a thick bush and watiheJ. Angela whistled again, but in another note, with a curious result. Not only the thrush iu question, but i|uite a dozen other birds of different aorta and sizes. caUM flying round her, some settling at her feet, and one, a little robin, actually perching itself upon her hat. Present- ly she dismissed them as sh>^ had dona the raven, by clapping her bands, and ^ame back to Arthur. "In the winter-time," she .said, "I could show you more curious things than that." "I think that you are a witch " said Arthur, who was astounded at tha sight. She laughed as she answered; "The only witchery that I ua* ia kinflneae." (To Ba CoDtlnued.) SOLOMON'S TEMPLE. II AaMMK Rrea the I'eaple ofThli itxtrav»^ K«nl A:r. A noted statistician and investiga- tor who has lots of time for such work haa been doing some figuring on the cost of the Temple of ^'olomon, Eiud says few people even In these days of palmy e.\travagance and millionairw display have an adequate inipreaaionl of the enormous lost of the great tem- ple. According to Villalpandus, tha "talents" of gold, silver and brass were equal to the enormous sum of £6,870,- 822,000. The worth of the jewels is placed at a figure equally as high. The vessela of gold according to Joaa- phua, were valued at UO.OOi) talents, which rediu°ed to tlngllsh money, was equal to £b7h:^»{i.203. The ves.sel8 of silver, according tu the same author- ity, were still more valuable, beinf set down as worth i:6;6 314.«)0. Priests' vestments and the roU's of singers, iil.OlO.OiJO, and the trumpets, ±:JOO,(K)0. To this adil the ex|)ense of the build- ing material labor, etc., and some won- derful figures result. Ten thousand men hewing cedars, 60,000 bearers of burdens 8},0(X) hewers of stone over- seers, all of wh.>m were employed for seven years, and upon whom besides their wages. Solomon lestowed £6.733,- 97l». If their daily food was worth 50 cents each, the sum total for all was £63 877,1188, during the time of build- ing. The materials iu the rough are estniiated a.s having been worth £2,- 545 337,1)00. ThiH gives a total, just for" this much of the expense, which by no means exp<*8S«'S the whole cost, of £10 719,760.SOl or atwut 152,117.084.- 867.46. < SHE STOOD CORRECTED. Short-Sighted Auntâ€" Keei> out o' that puddle, Freddy, or you'll mess your boots. Small Boy â€" No. I -shan't. Auntâ€" Dtjn't contradict â€" it's rude. How can yim hel;.) getting your lioota dirty if you l4ay in the niu I? (Small Boy, haughlily â€" 1 happen to be wearing shoes. RACING WlTHOl'T JOCKKYS. Horse racing witlnoiit jockeys is in- dulged in at Rome during the sum- mer. The horses arc started by a gum which Is (iischarged ix'hind them. They carry little spiked balls on ci'rd» which swing round their bodie.s, and these act as I.