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\ ~£. ««««S<i«C«««'«««««<«««««!««««««'««««*«*<J**********^' n V V * OR, A BROTHER'S PROHISE V ft, \ « / ,.ClIAPTi:il XVI.â€" (Continued.) 'riipii within n quarter ot iv inilo .>( thf! nil'iiiial'H ship, as the red liKia protliinied her, tlio Uovprnor of J.;i(:ro3 l)rolvi'. at a signal, into a C';-j.sinl Palncc sot-pioco of (liinio. In a rM^cciinl liulf a hundred semohlij^lUs pii-lii'd out o\cry liolt of her, every button of her cni'lnin's pea-jacket. Acro.ss the narrow space of water taiiic a bellow througli a luCKaphone. nnil ill aiiKWcr Uio British flap; was run up and dipped. And from the bridge of the (iovcrnor of Ijagoj-- went a hrotlier l)ellow of 'Important di.spatthes for the admiral." lav^hnt seiTDod to the Oranpe KinK a more couple of .seconds he was lieiiip .shot in a steam launch to the iolot.sul llahin Ulanca, the heavi'st battleship of the Argentine UeliiMic; in anotlu^r mero couple of HcrolKls he was standing on her deck awaitiuj; tht> will ot the admiral; Mini in f^till another mere couple of secijiids hf WHS facing that auto- crat ic: Keutlemiin himself in his cabin woixli'ring how it was possible that nil .\rfreritiiie sailor could boast KUili iiiaKnificont red whiskers. "I lirian' your lOxcelloncy a most linpuitant dispatch. J'erhnps .vour K.M-.llencv doos not speak Knglish?" "(), ys." ".\nil I shall 111: proud to bo the bearer of yovi' llxcellency's reply." Willioiit a wuid llio admiral held out his hand inr Muddalena's let- ter. ITe rend it. and he re-read it, and nfrniri he read It for a third time Thou \w waved Mr. Smith to a (ii.m^jiiul .scntiuK himself read the letter m& II fourth time. Then ho turnpc^jjp till' Oranfjo King. â- V'l lio ail- .you, sorr ?" Smith .started. 'Phc tongue was 'ur.ii iKtp.kablj' Irish. "My name i.s Smithâ€" Thomas Siiiiih. I am a merchant and ship- owner of L,iV(!r[)ool, and at the pro- Kent iiioment I have tho honor to bo I he envoy of her MnjoiUy, Mad- daU'iia, titiciMi of the Palmelto.s. And 1 have the lienor to addre.s.s " "Admiral O'llara, sorr. command- ing tho coir.hined fleets of tho Free States of South America." •'(â- )'] Jara ! l!y all that's wonder- ful ! Von used to be c.iiitnin â€" I tlion(iht I know youâ€" captain of tho Parthenon, Smyrna trade, from L.iv- criiool, in, '78, didn't you ?" "That'.') me, Horr. Your hand, Mr, .'-'iiiitii. You're a bit oulder (a'lice I saw you last, an' so am I, wor'ie luck I â- ' "Well, of all the startling,' " "Now, sorr, me toiine in short. What's the meaning of all this '?" "Tell .\i<ti in a word. Tlispaniola swindled Iho l'iiliiietto;< out of their romilry iio.-ir a hundred years ago, and ,s!;e's ticated them alxuit us badly as slie'.s trealeil Arubu. 'i'h.y're up in arms. and they've lii(iii(,dit back the rightful lino. Tho HiK|i.inio!ans nro besieged in I'alm City, and just need one more hard kick (o givi? in. Vour Jicople can't want the i.sland. Moll) us here and yoii help a good cause. I'm in it mysili' up to tl'.e ears, and a bit over." "If you're in it. sorr, it's good biisino.>is." "i tell .vou ibc. moment you show your guns Btnnipa surrenders. Vou needn't liri! a shot." ".And then I'm to hand over the pliuo to (his new Queon ?" "Ti'll me. Ho your people wont the place ?'' "No. Mj- orders nre to shell the oily and take any trootis there pris- oners." "What .Trn you going to do with your prisoners ?" "Send them back to Tlispaniola. 'riiercs ships in I'alm Hay, I reck- on." ".Not a .ship. But if yon want transports they'll bo there on the nod." "Where'l' they conic from '?" "I'rom Liverpool. They'll ho at I'alm tlily to-morrow â€" if wanted." "O ! you're a deep wan, a very, very deep wnn." "It wont cos) you n penny." "Vou'll ))leed Hispaniola ?" "Kor c^Tlnin." 'â- Then it.'s done, sorr. Shake." They shook. "Ve'll understand thlH, Borr. I ileal with llispiinioln, with Stanipii. I l.nnw nothing of your Maddnlenns lit all. at all. Whnt. hapjions after 1 carl nway Stampa nii' liis throol>s is no concf^rn of nioine. Hum tho place if yo loikoâ€" it's iiolhin' to mo. Ye tiike nie. now '.'" "I inko yt)u for a gonllcnmn, Ad- miral O'Hiira." "1 won't wroite a loine. sorr, but Fergus f>'Hara'H word is Fergus ()'- Harii's linnd. Tell Iho lady I'll tlo rrir bi^t for her, for (he sake of tho beaitii'nl letter she's written me. <ioody-bye, 5oir an' hurry up yer llu'ansports !" OnAPTlOH XVII. As Hector Blood before the foiir- centiiiy-old portrait of Iho Rnyord of Palmetto in tho Hoyol (iallery do la IjUz come to life again; tho steel corselet cast aside and tho royal white and purple of I'lxlmetto glowing in its stead. He stood dumb before his simulacrum, ama'/.ed at the eerie lldelity of feature that repeated him as in n mirror, Don Augustin called him out of the spoil with a light touch on the right arm, stiU in its sling, for tho wound had been troublesome of late. "Vou remember," ho said; "you renieuxher that you ask(Hl how it came that I was persuaded you were the man for my purpo.se, the man to lift I'ulmetto out ot .servitude. I answered that I would show you on the day when Maddulena was crown- ed in 'i'alm City. That was but half an answer : to-day, you see the whole of it. Was I right?" "It was a little thing to go upon â€"a mere chance likeness to a pic- ture." "Ah ! but I was justified. Four months and n hall â€" and tho thing is done, that's how I prove my case. In four months and a halt tho money is found, tho field is tak- en, the tight is won. and Hispaniola is gnashing her teeth when she thinks how she has had to restore the fairest treasure she ever stole. Four months and a half ! That's my case. You did it." "O ! no, indeed, Don Augustine, you magnify. I did not. Where should wo have tieen if the Orange King had not ?" "True. true. Hut you found him and convinced him; that was the chief dil}icult,yâ€" finding tho man and persuading him. But you do not mean to say you have been idle since tjien. Itah ! my friend â€" Pal- metto knows otherwise, for Palmet- to has seen, I have seen, hot* Maje.s- t,v has seen â€" her Majesty who owes you her crown. Hut I did not rely on this pici uri^-likeness onlj'. For months 1 studied your character; I made incpiiries about you, I could find nothing to your discredit. On the conlraiy, I grew confirmed in the conviction that I had found another Ilalda.'-snrc do la l^uz. You will see, you will see." Ho fundiled with a jHicket and drew forth a slim volume, some twent.v tiny pages of spidery italics bound in parchment. "Read here and see. You have still an hour. Head, Hector, my son. Some ot your own life is hero â€"lei as liope, let ua pray, it is not all here." And placing the book in his hands. Pen AuguKlin left the gallery with nil affectionate backward glance. When the door had closed Hector liirj-yjcj and ga. ''d again wonderingly at liLs old-tiino dnnble; and then, witli somewhat oi ridiuiance, born oi Don Augustin's p. 'ting words, ho opened The Lift'. Keath, and Deeds of the lUustriinis and Virtu- ojis Knight, Honor Don lialdassare (!e la lar/. â€" all this, as was the whole book, in T,atin of tho cloister â€" "ainal A'ene:'ia, 1513," so far had liiti fame travelled. A barbarous woodcut faced this title-page, and then cnnie the monastic preface. in which i)rai.so was given (o (iod, the Virgin, and a round score of forgot- ten saints,^ that thr.v had seen At to send such a star of chivalr.v to "light the southern sky." Followed then a crabbed but happily brief cha|)ter of genoulogy, which Hector, his mind .set on more actual and im- mediate things, skimmed ungracious- ly. Through tortiiotis circunilociit ions he followed the old monk to the ker- nel of tho matter, which, freely road went thus : "Ho fair a childhood and so stu- dious an ailoloscence. under the tender auspices of Saint, Hernardino, led him not unwilling to tho gate ot manhood, which ojiened, to reveal beyond the road of honor glittering with feats of chivalry, and biu'dored with tho rich fruits of a high soul. "After all those great deeds, which raised him to the king's royal favor and to notable fame with the com mon people, he, having wearied HoinewhnI ot achievement and tho lileasures of the t!ourt, betook him to his castle. Islet a la Hella. 'llio lino ladies, to whom his courtesy was as noi.sed abroad as was his prowes.s â€" but, indeml, to all women was ho the pink â€" languished for hiiu and sought his love; but of him, save courtesy, gat the\ nothing. 1"or (Iod had so made him that his heart in love as in honor, aimed only at the highest, and in his soul Was ho bound to the High iiikI Mighty Prin- cess, Immanuela, the King's young- est daughter, whose beauty and wis- dom and modesty were .so bruited that the report of her fired tha King ot the Sicilies to send envoys humbly demanding her in marriage Hut this matter did Hon italdusaare keep In his heart, showing it only to the e.Vij of (iod which Siseth all things, because she, being a prin- cess, could not, according to the law, mix her blood with nught that was not royal. "Thus, when the onvoys froin Iho Sicilies were being made much of by the dream ho laid his prizo at the feet of his lady, uttering her name; tho which was hoard of his ecjuire, one Martinos Qucxadu, who, for a merry jest, made mention of tho matter In a writing to his sister in the (lity of Palms And she, having previously made not maidenly offers of lovo to l)nu Ualdau.sare, the which ho courteously put from him, and being therefore roused against him, took pains to toll tho story to her gossips. This sho did little witting that the Princess Immanuela. being fashioned b,y (Jod of a like high na- ture to Hon Haldassare, had looked upon him with eyes of love, the which she veiled in sorrow by reason of tho law. "Now, while the envoys from the .Sicilies were being entertained in fitting fashion b.v the King, there came an expedition from Hispaniola to make war, an<l from all parts of Palmetto the knights gathered with their men. .Vnd the invailers were driven ba<;k to the ships after many hard blows and bloody com- bats, and chietest of all that bare arms was Don Haldassare, surpass- ing in prowess brave knights double his years, and his were five and twenty. Him, too, did. the envoys commend in especial as the noblest knight and the most worthy; and out of honor to them, as well as of his own grace, did tho King sot Don Haldassare by his right hand at tho feast. "At that same feast did tho King hoar wiiispered the matter Senor (luexada had written of to his sister and with hot words did demand ot Don Baldas.snro to speak truth forthright; who, changing counten- ance with sorrow before so groat a gathering, yet spake truth boldly. Whereupon the King upbraided him, .ind to make the more scorn of him, demanded of the Princess Immanue- la how she did regard his so great presumption. To which she, with sweet grace and modest.y : 'Dear father and my lord. 1 cannot find it in me to speak so harsh a word. Uather do I count it honor to be loved by knight so i>erfect.' And the King, watching her close, saw- that her heart spoke, and ho laugh- ed bitterly, 'And thou ?' ho cried; and thou ?' To which the I'rin- cess : 'Yea, father, I do mo honor in that 1 do love this man." "Whereat the King "oade end tho feast. -And in the night he sent cer- tain men privily to .slay Don Hald- assare. and him they slew. And the Princess the King sold unto the Sic- ilies, whence, after not many d.^ys. she followed him she loved into the glory and peace of the saints." (To be Continued:) of I'nltn ('ity, he knew why Asunta|thn Kinjr, and they looked for his had called him Don linldassaro. favor, Don Haldassare sat in his Apart from ihn dilTerence in rtr^psaâ€" castle, Islcto la.Uolla, dreaming of not such a material thing as it niti^ ind^'hty deeds done in his lody'g .qou.'idâ€" tho painted ligure was Hoc- iliunor'. And, Walklui^ of an evening tor. a i.\v;irthier Iferlor to be ti^ure, ' on. tUo bjiK-lements, musing, some ^l.iil iliiniitiUikably tin- osscntinl nia'n; rttwiifc. grt-atir than all others, topk aou lh»'*or*-ho was Uou Ualdnssaro j him, and the end being luipoy. in PASTIMES IN JAPAN. How the Japanese Children Amuso Theiuselvos. The? pet pafitime for boys and ineii at, holida.v limes in .lapaii i.s kile- ll.ving. Th.' kites of (Jrcat liritain may be scientilic, but the kites of Ja[)aa are gorrreous, and the.v sing. Little contrivances fastened to llie string!! cause strange. " whirring Sounds, which remind one of the aeolian harp. Some of (hem are of eiuirnioiis si/.e, as big as two doors and require a group ot men to raise them. Ill ancient .lapan, it is alleged, large kites played the |)art of (he maderii balloon in estimating the forces of the enemy during war time. The kites are in a variety of shalies â€" birds with expanded pinions, ogres, flowers, but terllies. A favor- to stylo is a simple sipiare shape with tho face of a national hero. The lads glue bits of glass to their strings and wagi- aerial wars, en- deavoring to inaniu'uvri! their kites so that the pieces of gla.ss sever the strings of tho.se attached to their rivals. They are expinMs in piloting their kites, and can raise them as far as their cords will reach without .shift- ing their position more than a yard or two. The lasses, reinforced by their eld- ers, gather in bi'vies to pla.v battle- dore and shuttlecock. They are pow- dered iierfect ly white, with a bit of Vermillion on their lips. 'Their hair is wnnight into bows and butlerlly shapes. They wear brilliant heavy girdles and ga.v robes. of MEANING OF HARD WATER. Due to Presence of Carbonate Lime in Solution. Kain water, as it descends from tho clouds, is practicall.v free from min- eral impurities. Iiut so soon as it reachi-M the earth, and begins to per- rolnti- t hroiigh 'strain, it is charged with various mineral .and earthly mat- ters. If the strat.i b- chalk or lime- stone, the water, through the medium of carbonic acid gas which it con- tains, takes up the lime in solution and forms carbonate of lime, and it is the presence of this mineral in an e.vcessixe finanlit.v in the water which gives to it the peculiar propert.v of "h.irdness." Th<' degree of hardness varies, and is determined principally by the pro- portion of lime and the length of time the Water is in contact with it. This hardness is called tomporar.v, because it can be reduced b.v boiling, as Is seen by tho crust In a keltic or boiler, when the water deprJrt!> che lime it contains. There is also a per- manent hardness caused by the pres- ence of BiilphnteH. chlorides and ni- trates of earthl.v metaJs. "Her voice was tried by -n famous (wnging-mastjtr," "Waa It foitnd guUty»" KOREAN i CURIOSITIESI There are no bankruptcy courts in Korea. Onco a Korean contracts a debt, ho can never escape from it. Korea is the only country where tho marriage cortilicate is equally dividiHl, one half being given to tho husband, the other to the wife. ICvery Korean husband is answer- able for tho conduct of his wife. Should she break any of the ordin- ary laws, ho must suffer in her stead. No Korean uuvy go upon the roof ot his house, not even to repair a leak, without legal permission and without giving due notice to all his neighbors. Tho most important duty of every housewife in Korea is to keep alight a perpetual fire, which is sacred to tho dead ancestors of the household. Paper enters largely into the con- struction of every Korean house. Tho interior is lined with paper. It has a paper roof, paper floorcloth, and paper walls. The Koreans love medicine. Tlie rich take jiills of incredible size and richly gilded. Very many take med- icrno regularly and systematically. They seldom suflVir any injury, how- ever. Only tho poorest women in Korea go about unveiled, and then " they move rapidly, looking all the while on the ground. The women of the middle-class wrap an ordinary dress about tlieir heads and shoulders. Snakes and serpents are treated by tho Koreans witli veneration and tenderness. No one ever kills a snake. Tlio iioorcsl and hungriest orean will share his meals with the reptiles that crawl about his garden. Every bachelor in Korea, no mat- ter his age, is regarded as a child, dres.sed as a child, and treated as a child. lOven if he bo seventy, he may not knot up his hair in manly fashion or assume the garb of a man Kvcry Korean hides his house from the public gaze by a number of screens. The poor man employs hedges and fences; the rich man has many high walls. Hetween tlie walls are 'grown gorgeous dowers; lotus- ponds are also to bo found there. In ever.v Korean village there is one, and in every Korean city there aru .sevM'al, appointed listeners, riiese spies, called by tho Koreans "messengers on the dark path," in- form the King of everything that liaiipens. Not a word is said aliout tho King without reaching his ears. No Korean couple would think of j marrying without ccmsulting tho sago, who fixes the happy da.v for '. them. This he docs simpl.v by add- ing the bride's age to the bride- I groom's. and, alter determining wliich star rules tho destiny of their J united ages, he decrees that the I Wedding shall take place upon tho ida.v sacred to that star. j Koreans are very great on sign- ' posts. One is to be found at tho I corner of ever.v countr.y road. Each j sign-post is shaped like an old- -fashioned Knglish cotlin, topped by a grotesque, painted, grinning face. .-\U the faces are alike, however, and are the countenances of Chang Sun. o great Korean soldier who lived a thousand or so years ago. When the King of Korea goes into the streets he is preceded by a Sec- retary of State, who carries a "mer- cy-box," Into this box are placed all the papers upon which the Kor- eans have indited their petitions or grievances, and which arc thrown from over walls, or hung on strings from windows. The King himself reads every paper. Ill some parts of Korea, anU among some ICorcan families, it i« the custcnii for bridegrooms to dwell under the roofs of their fath- ers-in-law until tho lirst son has been horn and attained to years of manhood. Should any Korean, however, sla.v in the house of his bride's people fiir more than three da.vs after his wedding, he is com- pelled to remain for an entire ,vcar. Only the King of Korea may roar goats, or have round columns and sipiaie rafters to his house, or wear a coat of brilliant red. Only the King ma.v look upon tho face of the tjueen's hundreds of attendant lad- ies, or Ixtve any building outside of which there are more than tlirc>o steps. I'oUr steps would bo high treason, and would cost their owner a traitor's death. All men and women in Korea, whatever their age or station, smok-t? tobacco incessant l.v- The bowls of their pipes are so small that they only-liold a pinch or two of tobacco, ami the stems are so long that tho smoker is unable to apply a match to his own pipe- Tho coolie carries his pipo thrust down his nock be- tween his coat and his back; tho Korean gentleman carries his in his sleeve. .\t night. Korea is n bln7.e of bon- fires. There arc humireds of them, and each is a signal to tho Korean jieople that "all's well." On a hill just outside Korea's chief cit.y nre four gi-eat lights, from which the attendants in charge of all other lights take their cue. Should war or invasion Iw threatened, e.\tra fires nro livi-S-.l. One extra tire liioonB that .i- uiu:n y has l)Con sljfht- ed oil tl'.e Koivan cnas'.; two that the enemy have landed; three, that they 4r>> i»i>v(u^ 5'*^'*^"1> fn>'r. .that Ihc^ aru pushing towards tha aapi- tal; and five, that tho enemy »»t oven at tho city's gates. At u Korean marriage, everyoni rides on horseback and in singll file. Firsi come a manservant, wh« carrie.'i in both hands an imitatioi life-si/ed wild goo.se, covered by I red scarf. Then come tho brid» groom, his friends, and all the ser* vants he poaesses or is able to borrow. At the brido's houso the servant first deposits the goose on a bowl of rice; then everyone dis- mounts, and, leaving outside their outer robes, their hats, and their boots, enter the house, an<l make aa much nolso as they possibly can. The pandemonium does not cease till tho guests are paid to go away. A feast follows, and then the bride- groom is taken to his bride, whom ho sees for tho first time. YOUH SKIN CHANGES. Every Month the Human Epider-- mis is Renewed. It takes but four weeks to com- pletely renew tho human epidermis. You have new oyela-shea every five months; you shed your finger-nails in about tho sam* period, and the nails of your toes are entirely re newed annually. Tho white of the eye, known os tho cornea, is in a continual state of renewal, being kept clear and clean bv the soft friction of the eye- lids. ITiPSo are a few manil'estations of the restorative powers retained by man, who is less fortunate than tho lower animals. Crabs can grow fresh limbs, the snail can renew even a largo por- tion of its head; with e,ves and feel- ers, lizards do not worry about tho loss of a tail, and if you make a cut in the caudal appendage of some ol these last-mentioned creatures the.K will grow another tail straight away, and rejoice in the possession of two ! But man still posses.sc3 the woiv derful restorative little cells whicl scientific men call leuococytcs. Thej are alwajs coursing through tht body to renew and to defend thi l),od,v from its enemies â€" tho harmfui I bacteria of various maladies. Tliesi cells generate anti-toxins to kill oul 1 enemies. They do battle for us it hundreds ot ways, and yet tho ma ijority of us know nothing of thefl great services rendered by our tin) friends inside. ANTS IN SUKGKUY. Ants with long and powerful inai dlbles have been successfully used fo j making surgical stitches. The n-.a Ijority of Greek surgeons keep stock ! of them, and upon the arrival ot i ] person suffering from a clean cut tin I ants are brought into use. The edge I ot the cut are brought together wit! 1 the fingers of one hand, while th 1 ant, held with a pair ot forceps, i brought close to tho wovUid wit! the other, its mandibles bitinj through tho (lesh on both sides am holding the edges together, Ai many as fifteen or twenty are some times used for a single, cut, and thej are u.sually left on for three or foul da.vs. The removal is then far eas ier than the withdrawal ot tho win ordinarilv u.sed for that purtui.se. THF. CUV OF THE CLF.UGV. The service held at St. Paul'J Cathedral in connection with th| Ouecn Victoria Clergy Fund dre\( attention to the conditions undcl which thousands of clergymon d| their work. Within tho last tel years over KJO clergymen of th| I Church of England have been ad« imitted to tho workhouses and pau[> Ier lunatic asylums in England nnl I Wale!?. More than halt ot tho vicarl and rectors are living on income! not one of which exceeds £3 Ids. il week. and 1,341 of them woulil gladl.v exchange their revenues for a weekly Ju'2. NO HKD-HAIUED (Ultl.S. A San Francisco man adverliscd a few weeks ago for "320 red-headed girls, must be good looking," and i not one response was received. I few da.vs later he advertised I "320 golden-hairi'd beauties," before the paper had been out i hours tho street in front of his of 1 lico was crowded with just the stylo 1 of beauty ho wanted. A for and two TATOOED PICS. Two $125 prizes for a new pig- ment for tattooing black-<Mred idgs , are offered by the German Ecoiiomi- â-  cal Society. The tatooing of white- ; eared pigs is well known and suc- jcessful. iiut a dark color is u.sele.ss i for dark cars. An additional £5 I is given for ever.v J'oar the tattoo last be\ond the tlrst year. Teacherâ€" "What is the meaning of parvenu'.'" Johnny â€" "An upstart." Toacherâ€" "Give me a sentence in which tho word is used." Johnny â€" "When a man sits down on .a bent pin he gives a violent parvenu." Minister (to widow)â€" 'I hope tho dear departed was prepared to die?" 'widowâ€" ••Oh. yes; l\e was insured ia three pood companies." "How long sliall S feoll ma'nm'?'" asked the cook, jexoctly know," rejpljed the >0!ing , hon.sewlfe. "but cook them until Wioy" ara quite tentjor."' / the eggii. ".1 don'kl i ' .^;SBtti3nL'kj