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a» e« t>iti<» » t«» y STRONGER THAN DEATH <i^ ^ ^ ^ <». OIR -*- ^ -*• "^ ^ A RANSOMED LIFE CHA'TKU XVIIâ€" (Cont.) Ho flushed with pleasuro, but stumbled at the hint sli« ahyly gavo. YoiiMK 'J'rpvor helped him out. Hb Bei'iucd curiously eiiger to help Ar- del In tlil.s ijliuiigc love ullair. "Would to-nioiTow auit you, Jen, for a Bi'cond exhibit ion? Aidel will give ii:<) my revenge, I Unow, and I'll do jny best to make the play wortli looking lit; though bad is my b''st when he is concunied." "You'll come too, Wickliaui," Bald Ardul delightpdly, Thu handsome colonel started from a brown study. "Oh, 1 urn afraid not; 1 shall bo busy." "Cannot you sparo us an hour or two to Beo fair play'?" "All right," he answered smiling, "X'll come â€" to seo fair play." So It was set»t<»<l, They were u curious contrast. those two who stood facing each other next da.v, in close-fitting silk jerseys, foils in hand, before the wire masks went on. Harry Tievor Was of the Saxon type, fair face and sturdy figure, sijuare shouldered and strong limlicd, good looking but commonplace, blue-eyed, curly haired with the fresh complexion of a girl. Ho looked more than over a boy confronted with Ardel's stately figure. In the soft wave of Ardel's dark brown hair there wero touches of white, "a sable silvered," but there wero no lines on the broad brow, no dimming of the dark eyes. Tin; tall ligiiie that faced Trevor so grawfully was still in the full prime and strength of mature manhood. A young spirit .seemed to luivo kept his body yoiinn. Hetween the two women who watched the trial from the halrony till! contrast was not less striking. Laughing e.yed, (lim|)leil, buxom • leaiinette was the very embodiment of gay youth, I-ucy of pure and geii(li> xvomanhood. It was curious to note that the boy's eyes went tip for encourngi'iiicnt to the woman, mid the man's to tin- schoolgirl. (ri every gnine of cluuice or skill, ev'-n till' ca.sual s|icrtatorR invariab- ly take .sidi's. Which side did Lucy l:iKe iiiid which .Jeannette'/ They (â- (III id not themselves have told. While the men and wmiieii talked Idgether licfoii' the trial, Lucy Was filiom; for 'I'nvor and .ieannette for Ardel. liiil wlicii the two stood fac- ia:; I'ach ot.hiT in the arena. each Wdmaii felt her sympathy waver and shift from the champion of her first choice till Lucy's iiiti.-rest centred in llif mall, and .leannet te's in the boy. Uiclvliem who, from the fast, seem- â- d Klran>;ely mul even nervously ex- liled by the scene, handed to each iiiaii thi! foil he had used on the pre- vious day, and gave the signal to hcgin, shu/Ilinu and bungling over the simiJle task. 'Phi! long salute Was pei-formed with easy griice. Ardel loved the ((iiiMnt ceremony of his favorite Bport, and would pretermit no pass or Wave or lloiirish of the foils. Then the lilados kis.se(l, and for a long minute the swordsmen, motion- less as statues, and as graceful, niih foils advanced and feet firmly nliinted, and open left hand raised tiigh over tho shoulder, stood m^arehing each otiicr's eyes. Ardel moved firstâ€" just a little quiver of the right hand and wrist â€"but his blade's point slipped under Trnvoi's and back again, once, twice, threi) times, elusive alike to eye and touch, then his Iiody went for- ward with a quick spring and Tre- vor felt the button prod him sharp- ly in tho side. »«• "One for Ardel." the umpire cried as they dropped their swords' points and Lucy smiled and .Jeaunette pouted. They had changed sides again. The next boul was longer, but It ended the eamo fashion, with a touch on Trevor's sword arm. Then his chance came. • He parried a straight thrust of Ardel's so closely that the point ripped his jersey at tho side as it went by. Hoforo Ardel could get back to guard, quick as light Trevor'a lunge followed tho paraxle. HiB right hand dropi>ed to his hip; his arm and body went forward to- gether, his whole weight and strength behind the thrust. The button caught Ardel on the right breast and the flexible steel bent with the insistent impetns behind it. Then suddenly the foil snapped with- in an inch of the point, and the jagged end went on. It passed within the fastening of the mask and raised the skin of Ardel's throat; a shade closer had been in- stant death. Trevor recovered his broken sword instinctivelyâ€" dazed by the narrow escape of his friend; incapable of speech. Wlckham rushed forward with pale face. The women shrieked as a few drops of blood trickled from Ardel's throat with widening crimson stain on his white jersey. Only Ardel himself was cool. Ho touched the broken skin at his neck with his linger tips. "It's all right," he cried cheerily, "only a pin scratch. (!et your.self another foil, Trevor. I mean to jiay you out for that." iUit Trevor flung tho broken wea- pon from him furiously. lie was trem;bling all over and faint from reaction. "Thank Ood, thank God!" he muttered under his breath; then suddenly he burst out crying like an hysterical girl. In an instant Ardel was full of siir|)ri.se and sympathy. "I'on't worry, old man. It was tile purest chance. It could not happen again in a thousand years. It was a miracle that one of the foils should go liko that. Well, we won't fence aii.v more if you don't care to. and I'll sit down patiently under defeat. Onl.v don't take it like that, Harry; don't look as if you had seen a ghost, or as if you were a ghost yourself. If the sword had g-one clean through .you instead of only scratching my skin, you could not look more ghastl.v." "Nothiii'v at all. Miss liay," ho continued, timing to Luc.v; for tho girls in their iriglit had come flut- tering down to 111.- floor of the gym- nasium. "It might have been an ac(i<lent and it wasn't; that's all. There is a I'rovidenco In the full of the .sparrow, you know. I'm the sparrow this time, though I'm afraid I don't quite look the part. Ill just give tho.se two male Miss Mollys a nip of brandy and th(;y will be all right. Kindly get to your perch, ladies, and we'll bo with you in ten minutes. It's only a scratch, really. Miss Doydell. and a small scratch at that. See, it has stopped bleeding already." CIlAI'TI'^Jl XVIII. Iliirrv Trevor's thoughts were still in a tumult when the party separat- ed anh he got back to his own room. The suddenness of the danger, tho narrowness of the escape, still stun- ned him with the thought of what might have been. Wild vague hopes had been for the past few days tak- Standard Cure fo r Itching Piles. Wh«n Doctors and Surgeons, Mediolnes and Oper atlons Fall, You Gan be Oured by Dr. Chase's Ointment. There is always some standard by ivhich lliu meritH of an article are Bieiisiired. Among ointments the ilniidard is Dr. t'lia.se'B. If a dealer tries to s«ll .\ oil any other kind he tries to rliiieh his argiinioiit by say- ing "This Is as g^ood us Dr. rimae's." Tlon't bo Kntlsnod with subHtitules or imitations, tor Hr, Clmso's Oint- ment is the only positive and guar- anteed cure for every form of piles. Rev. Wni. Tlionia.s, Ilrownsvllle, Out , writes : "As a man of sovent.v years I am Ki'atf'ul to Ood and to r)r. Chase's Ointment for a cure of piles which has caused mo endless annoyaiKe ond much nilwry. The itching and burning was almost be- yond endurance, but l)r, Chase's Ointment brought quick relief, and as the trouble has not retumed, I have reason t« believe that the cure Is laslliig." Mr. D'liican .MiuAlcar, ('nledoii4a WJnoM, N. n., writes :â€" "Por a num- Bpr iif year.-; I have been troubled W4ih WIcodluA oud urotrinliiur uilaa. which only aflord me tempornr.y re- wldih only nfTonled me loinporary re- lief. Sometimes 1 would be laid olT from work for weeks. t>no day last winter one of ymir books cnmo Into .my hands, and after reading the tes- llmoniuls of Mr. Donald MacLoan of Tarbot Vale, N.S., and Itev. S. A. Duprau of Belleville, Ont., I decided to give Dr. Chase's Ointment a trial. After using two boxes of this oint- ment T found myself cniupletel,y cur- ed. What I suffered from that nwfnl di.seasc would Oil a big book. You are at liberty lo publish this, as it ma.v bo the moans of convincing some poor sufTtrar, such as I wan, that there is a cure for piles. To all sufferers from jiiles in any form 1 would i-eroDian«nd Ur. Chase's Oint- ment as the L.iily cure." I'r. Cho.se's Ointment, GO rents a box at nil dealers, or KHntanson, Dntes tt Coiupany. Toronto. To pro- tect you affalnit inuitationR the por- trait and slgiintiiro «l Dr. A. W. (5h«Ke, the famous receipt booV au- thor, are on every box of bla reino- dioa. ing form in his heart, and that lit- tle scrap of jagged stoel came so near ending all. At the back of his mind there was some other thought â€" a fear or a suspicionâ€" which ho could not catch firml.v or see clearly, and which troubled him tho more for its vagueni'Ss, lie still paced the rootn restlebsl.v. backwards and forwards, when suddenl.v, as he pass- ed the window, a glint of white in the woods caught his eyes, and stayed his footsteps. Love's eyes are <juick and sure. In a second ho gue.s.sed what the gleam meant â€" in a second more he knew, from his window, through a long arched vista of trees, he could see where two paths crossed deep in the woods. F,ven as lio looked, Lucy and Colonel Wickhain came di.s- tinct into the sunlight for a mo- ment, passing from shade to shade along tho leafy pathway. They walked slowly, and talked earnestly as they went, Wickham's tall figure bending towards his companion. Tre- vor .started at the sight, and drew his breath in sharpl.v, like one in pain, stifling a groan, and at the In- stant the illusive thought that had baffled him so long took clear form in his brain, shaping itself from various hints and men^ories to a horrible suspicion. He left his room and wont straight to the gynxnusium. With curious distinctness he remembered the cor- ner into which he had filing tho broken foil. It was no longer there. His suspense deepened. The broken fragment from the top â€" had it also disappeared'? It would seem so. He searched tho floor carefully, the clo.so clean bare matting making the search easy, but it was quite in Vain. Just on the point of giving over in despair, by mere accident he Caught sight of what he sought. The foil button with the inch of thin steel attached had bi^en jorked by the pressure that snapped it into the air. and caught as it fell be- tween a pair of boxing gloves that hung by the wall. Trevor could just reach where it stuck. One look was enough. His suspicion hardened into grim certainty. At the frac- tured point the steel had been cut' almost clean through by a sharp edged file. Then the whole truth broke upon him like a flash of lightning, stun- ning and blindi*ig him. Tho myster- ious poisoning from which he had saved Ardel three years ago; tho startling gun accident t'lree days befor(; â€" ho knew what both meant now. Wickham was plainl.v resolv- ed, at an.v cost, b.v any means, to rid himself of his rival â€" his favored rival â€" as he believed, in tho love that was the fierce dominating pas- sion of his life. In heart he was a murdererâ€" a cunning and cowardl.y murderer. Trevor had a quick throb of joy to remember how, almost from the first, he disliked the man, and how dislike had grown with bet- ter knowledge. The cold cruel treach- ery appalled him. How strange, ho thought, that this same manâ€" this murdererâ€" should once have been wrongfully charged with murder. But that charge was surely false. Mono knew better than Trevor the strength of tho proof on which Wickham's innocence rested. Inno- cent, he had been in deadly peril of his life; now, trebly guilt.v. he was quite safe. The proofs of his guilt, conclusive to Trevor, were worth- less to the world, mere intangible suspicion. lie could brazen out the charge defiantly. There was no place for shame or fear to take hold of such a man. Vivian Ardel still stood within his danger; at any mo- ment the fourth and fatal bloy might fall. --- Wliat was to be done? what was to be done? The mere thought of Ardel's death lllled Trevor with ter- ror; he could not think clearly. Tho walls of his room seemed to close him in and stifle him. lie caught up his hat and escaped down the av- enue into the wood. (Jradually his agitation worked it- self out in rapid exercise, and his course again la.y clearl.v before him. What he had resolved on must still be done. it was hard, it was hu- miliutiiig to the bitterest dregs of shaino. but the hope of winning Lucy lav bright beyond the pain and shame. In a da.v or two, if all went well, he might claim her as bis own, to hold and guard against the World. Then let Wickham tlo his Worst â€" he would take the danger of that guardianship. His reverie Was broken In upon b.V meeting Hiiddenl.v. face to face, at a sliai(> curve of the walk, the man on whom his thoughts were centredâ€" WicXhamâ€" radiant with triumiihant happiness. Trevor's face lowered ominously at sight of him. Hut tho sun shone full in Wick- ham's eyes and for a moment he could dislingui.ih only u vague out- line. In that moiuent Trevor's self control rsine bark. "Halloa! m.v ho.v. is it ,voii?" cried Wickham Jauntil.v; "out for a Walk all alone? Could you not coax Miss Ilo.vdell to come with you? IIow did ,vou leave poor Ardel? none the worse for his fright, I hope. I would ask .voti to congrntnlnto jne, Harry. " he added in a graver tone, "but it is ft secret fiu- the present." So sa.Ving he went bv Kail.v. whirl- ing blH rnne and cutting the leaves from the overhanging branches on either hand as he walked. Half a d(»?.en paces he stopped suddenly and called back to Trevor. "I wish you'd turn hack with me. if .voii don't mind: I want a word with vou." 8ut when Trevor walk- ed back by his side, he had nothing special to say. Their talk, as they Walked, turned â€" Trevor turned it dcsigiKrdly â€" on tho incident in the gymnasium. Uut his companion WttH not troubled in the least. He spoke of Ardel with easy contempt, and that kind of pity one might feel for a liurt animal. "It was a clo.so thing for both of you, my boy," he said. "There would have been an inquest, of course, and all that kind of thing. Ihit all's well that ends well, and this buslne.ss has ended well â€" very well indeed." His thoughts wen; evidently elsewhere; he was almost incoherent in his exultation. At the top of tho long stone steps Ardel was waiting for them, and Wickham, still tn-iinming over with good humor, pas.sed ifto the houso with the man who.so life ho had three times attempted. (To bo continued.) CUBED 0F_ ASTHMA, THE REMARKABLE EXPERI- ENCE OF A NOVA SCOTIA MAN. He Had Suffered for Years and Often had to Sit Night After Night at an Open Window Gasp- ing for Breath. Mr. Thomas Johnson is well known in tho vicinity of Heniford, N.S., He has taugrht school in Lunenburg county for more than thirteen years, and his reputation as a teacher is deservedly high. It is known that Mr. Johnson has been a severe suf- ferer from asthma, and as he has found a cure for the trouble, a re- porter thought the facts of his case wotild prove interesting to similar suflerers. "One evening." said Mr. Johnson, "while lighting my pipe I inhaled tho sulphur from the match. The fumes appeared to penetrate every portion of my lungs, and near- ly strangled me. It was more than an hour before I recovered from tho effects of this mishap, and I beliovo that that was the starting point of tho trouble that has made my life so frequently miserable since. At all events a few da.V-s later I had my first attack of asthma. Follow- ing this tho attacks became more and more frequent, sometimes con- tinuing for a week or more at a time. IVhen these attacks came on I dare not lie down , and many a long, cold winter night I have pass- ed at an open window gasping for breath. I was treated by two of the best doctors in the country, but derived no benefit. Then I began trying tho remedies usuully advertis- ed as a cure for this trouble, but with no better results. I was con- tinually growing worse and life was becoming a burden. About a year ago my wife was using Dr. Williams' Pink Pills, and was deriving so much benefit from them that one day she said to me, 'WTiy don't you tr.y these pills, the.v might do you good, and they certainly can't do you harm.' To pleasti my wifo I began taking tho pills, but only oc- casionall.v at first, but insido of a few weeks I felt that I %vas improv- ing in man.v ways. Then I began to use the pills in earnest, and soon found that breathing was becoming easier, tho spasms cnme less fre- quently, and I could go about out of doors without (Jangor of bring- ing tho trouble on a.s was formerl.v the ca.se. I took twelve boxes of Dr. Williams' Pink Pills in all, and after the improvement began evor.v box atided to it until all signs of the trouble had disappeared, and I have not since had anv recurrence of it^ Jlr. Williams' Piiik Pills have saved ine from a life of misery, and I am glad to make this iniblic ac- knowledgment." The above strong evidence proves that I1r. Williams' Pink I'ills are not an ordinary medieino and that tln>y cure when other ntodicines fail. Kvery pill makes new, rich, red blood, and thus enables tho .system to resist tho Inroads of disea.sc and works a cure. Only the genuine pills can do this, however, and the purchaser should see that the full name. "Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People." is printwl on the wrapper around evor.v box. ."-^oUl b.v all medicine dealers or sent post paid at 50 cents a box or nix boxes for $;!.,')0, by writing direct to tho Dr. William's Medicine Co., llrock- ville, Ont. _ f OUILLOTINP, IN SAVi;i)KN. Who Would have suppowd during tho Ueign of Terror that a da.v Would como when tho guillotine Would Ic used for a lautlable pur- pose? Vet this has just happened in Sweden. for a guillotine has been erected on the market place at Ooth- enburg. whoro it is used daily for (he purpose of decapitating chickens, ducks and other domestic animals. The local Society for the Prevent ion of Cruelt.v to Animals is responsible for this novel step. Animals. it claims, ma.v l(>gitimatel.v Ix; used as food, but there Is no reason wh.v tho.v should Ruftor while dying, and tho surest way to avoid stich suller- ing is to emplo.v a guillotine a.i an instrument of death. k A. w. CHASE'S nc It Mnl dirsci to lb* jtMiMd Brnru bj tlM Impron^ Bl«w<r. Ho»U lh» ulcer*. ct«ar. lb* ilr r»l»ue«. >|pp» drtipplnri In ibo ihroai tnd MrniananilT turn C.urrb >od \U, :?.»». Blot>« fr»^ All H(u|»n. or t>-. A. W. ChjM >l>JI«i f « Co. Toreaio tad DuAJiK TYPHOrD FEVER INT AUTUMN. Reasons Why it Exists and Sow t« Prevent It. The qiiestion is often propo'Jt»ded, "Why is typhoid fever nio.st prev» lent in autumn ?" It might just an well be aslced, "Why does typlioii fever prevail at all ?" .'^ince the an- swer is much the same in both caajs! iiamefy, because the measures em- plo.ved to prevent typhoid are inefll- cient, n(^glected or ignored. Improper disposal of sewage liei at the loot of the matter, for al- though all sewage may not contain tvphoid germs, it is possible thai It may contain them at any time. Thus it is safest to regard al! sew. age as contaminated with tjiihoif germs. If .sewage is allowed to eontamin ate the water-suppl.v or food it ii hut a question of time when typhoi< germs will reach tho stomach througl the water-supply or food. The germs of typhoid, like tlM f;ecds of other vegetable organisms often prove more vigorous whei transplanted to a-i.ew soil. This wai illiistiatcd ill the vaiioua camps cs tab!ished during the war. While n< soldiers evidently ill with t.yphoi< fever wore received in them, men 3ul feeing from ottacks so uiild that thej did not appear ill brought the in • lection. By not regarding all sew ago as capable of conveying infection and by omitting disinfection of al waste materials, the conditions a camp life furnished abundant meani for the contamination of driukiuj water and of food, and typhoid of i virulent type became alarmingly tie quent. No doubt many cases of typhoK fever are contracted in country dig tiicts, especially by those who luavi the city in tlie sunmier. If ali sewage were promptly di.'iin- fected typhoid fever would be.'omt extinct. This is most dillicult e» cept where, by a .system of peifecl piping, it is iHjs.'^ible to carry tin waste directly into the sea. In in- land cities and in country distiicti there is still need tor the iiitroduo tion of improved methods of towage In country (iistricts and towiu where no plumbing is employed btU where sewage is depoi-itiHl in opei Wells, vaults or drains, t.vplioid I'evoi is a constant menace. In such case! the antiseptic value of wood asha ma.v be utilized. Coal ashes maj :ike\vi<-e be ui'.ed, but the effects an not so marl-iedly .germicidal. The germs of typhoid are also kill od bv prolonged exposure to direc sunlight, but in a watery mediun tliev tiiik into tlic S(;il: ami in soil o certain kinds they may remain unox posvd to the sun. and in a state cap able of transmitting infection foi years. Kiling tho germs of this disease bj some simple process of antisepsii would prevent the infection of watoi with this disease. Until this ii generally done, boi'.ii.g all water o which tliere is an.v tpiest.on is essei* tinl to healtlifulnei-s and peace ex ittiiul. â€" Youths' Companion. POLICIES FROM THE SLOT. Latest Insurance Office in an Au tomatio Machine. It will shortly be possible to ob- tain an accident insurance jiolicy bj means of a iHinny-in-the-slot automn< tic machine, sa.vs an Eiigli.=h ex- change. The nuuliine is fraud-proof, and has the appearance of a cloiJl in the glass case. When the pennj is dropped into tho slot and a handU drawn forward, a sharpened pencil drops out and an opening is disclos- ed, upon which the customer signs his name. Tho handle is then push- ed back, the s;paco closes, an insur- ance policy is issued, and a.gainst the signature inside the niacliine is printed the date and exact time o* issue. It tho purchaser meets with an ac- cident within seven days of the issu« of the polic.v, he apjilies to the Law Accident Insurance, and if his nam« 1.1 on the register he receives a week- ly allowance for live weeks. Anjono will be able to insure up to the amount of his weekly wageâ€" each penii.v invested liroviding 10s. per week. Attached to each policy ore four c(nipons, and on presentation of these to tiailosmen in the neighborhood of the machine a discount of one penny ill tho shilling on all goods bought up lo four shillings will 1h> ivUowod. It Is proposiHi to place thetv mach- ines in factorie.i, warehouses. and mills, where large numbers of work- jicoplo are employed. THE FIRST BABY. CATARIH OUR! Wliat jo.v there is In the homo whca the llrst baby comes, and yet to the young and ine.\perienced_mothcr who has (o care for it there is no other period of her life so trying. In tho little ills that are certain to como the iiKvxperienced mother scarcely knows what to do. To tho young mother â€" to all mothersâ€" Baby's Own Tablets are a real blessing. They promptly cure such troubles as con- stipation, colic, sour stomach, diar- rhoea and sim|)le fevers. They break tip colds, destroy worms, allay tho irritation accoiniie.nying the cutt'ng ol teeth and prevent more Seriou* ills. These Tablets are sold under a guarantee to contain no opiote. nor any other of the harmful drugs al- ways found in t+ie so-called "sooth- ing" medicines. They are good for all children from I he new born bah« to the well grown child. If you do not lind tho Tablets at your modi cine dealers send 'J.") rents to T{(( Dr. Williams Medicine Co.. Brock ville. Ont.. and a boJt will bf matW you post paid. 1