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. GOLDEN IDOIS. A CHL’STEY Stuav. “A swan I" Squire Freshwater clapped his hand to his wa‘nius pocket and jumped up so Huddeniy that the little family of Plymouth Rocks gathered about his feet fled shrieking to their mother who Was pr- vspecting content- edly in Black Prince's manger. “I clean forget that letter; now that's the naked truth. I)e<~clare 2 I didn't mean to forgit the gal that way. Most likely she's out in the spring lionse: it's. churnin' day. So I‘ll take it out there; she‘ll want to read it right off." A minute later he tiptoe-l away from the “Pringhousc, silent and unseen. "( iood Lordi" he said. taking great strides down through the orchard. "I loud Lord: I never'd a believ- ed it." Somethingl seemed to} ail the squire that day. His wife noticed it. Mattie, too, caught him looking hard at her at the dinner table. "\Vell, father,” she askedgood- naturedly, “is my hair done wrong ‘1" “Your hair': No, 'taint your hair, my gal, 'taint your hair.” Mattie started a little at this, but forgot it a minute later. That night after the rest had gone up to bed, he went over and shut the stair door carefully. “I say, Marthy,” he began, running his brown fingers through his hurricane of white hair, "did you ever thinkâ€"did you ever uo~ tice anything wrong about our Mattie?” It was out now, and he wheeled round and faced her desperately. She looked up at him through hersilver-bowed glasses with a gentle stare of amazement. “Mattie 2" she said, “anything the matter with her 3 \Vhat do you mean '5” “I mean this, Iâ€"«tliere’s somethin' the matter with herâ€"soul. I'm afraid she‘s an â€"~infidelâ€"â€"a heathenâ€"that‘s it.” A shade of alarm crept over his wife‘s face. “You see," he went on, “I got a letter for her last night and clean forgot to give it to her till the middle of the forenoon, an' then knowin’ she’d be in tlic spring-house, I took it out to her, that is, I went LO the door, an’ -â€"now I‘m a-telliu’ the naked truthâ€"our gal were a-standiu’ there by the table. She'd made an idol, mother, a little idol out’n the butter, ; n' she wcie a-standiii’ there before it, aâ€"w ishupin' it. It jest minded me of the Israelites an’ their golden calf. But, good Lord 2 is it a thing to laugh at, woman? A re you turned heathen, too 1'” She choked down her laughter in a min- ute and sat up in her chair. “I do declare, Nate, I never heard anything so funny in all my born days 1” “Funny 2" he began, with a sudden stern- ncss in his tone. “But ’twant an idol,” she interposed ; “that's what's funny. It‘s your mistake. You see, Nate, when Mattie \‘ilS down to Elmwood to the high school, she took u. great fancy to wood carving and sculpture and such things, and so once in a while she tries her hand at it while she works over the butter.” The squire put both feet squarely on the floor and laid his hands carefully on his knees, inspecting them attentively to see that each was properly placed, and square in the middle. Squire Freshwater abhorred anything crooked or out of plumb. “Marthy,” he said, presently, ‘*._I’m a big fool. Let’s go to bed," Out in the fragrance and coolness of the Spring-house, Mattie sang and worked in the fresh spring mornings. The spring bubbled up crystal clear in its dark slate- stone basin in the corner, and then slipped away under the wall, and with a happy gurgle at being free again, it ran off singing and sparkling through birddiaunted orchard and meadow. Outside the door. the a )ple blossoms swung in all their pink and wliitc loveliness, and among them Robin hid himâ€" self. and sent. out drifts of song through the fragrant air. Round and round went the handle of the yellow churn, “che-clurg. ehe-clnrg” and by and by,after ii few satisfied peeps and dashes ofcold water, the golden lumps were lifted out into a big wooden howl. llown in the “south patch," her father caught. now and then, snatches of her sing- ing, and leaned on his hoe to listen. “Dec-clam! ' he said with a satisfied smile. “It makes me feel a powerful sight better. now that's the naked truth, to know she’s all right, I thought sure she was a- wushupin' that butler figgcr likcthem Israe- lites." If): and by the song was hushed. Over and over, and round and round. she worked thcycllow mass: then with skilful touch and pat it hogan to shape. and she stood bc- loi'c it,r;tpt:1nd cagrr. changing and shaping till the little model was perfect and coins plctc. A month before. young llr. lrook had told llI'l‘ that he loved Iici. .-\ftcr the first startlcd llt‘ill‘l-lllinlis‘, she had said that she bought evcrv girl ought l'| know how fol ~ . . ~ - ~ ~ I c.iiii it li\‘iiig.1iiid that slic lino. ncvci'provi-d that she could. “lint can‘t you trust _\'t\ll‘.\l'lf to inc-1'” he had asked. and flicn \vcnt on to tcll her how lw laud waited till he could get alittlc home. .4in .Lllillt‘ SlUl't‘ ll‘illl In In‘glu I‘ll, lllhl 'lno‘ that it was iii-coinpliuliwl. he wanted lit‘. and wanted hcr very .‘Ut'll. 'l'hcyounf.v lady had sonn- very decided opinions, and this was a pct tlicory of liors and one that she had much advocated of late. so she shut her red lips very tightly, and said she wouldn't marry him till she had proved that shc could be independent, if new ssity demanded. “But I‘ve waited so long."hc said with his eves shining even in the dark. “and now, {on RL)’ Inuist wait again. I'm afraidâ€"â€"l belim c WI have heard it said that women are fake. but I thought I had found atruc, (\“D.” V Tylatic drcw away from him a litlc haught- “Am l the lcssa true woman because t' this?" shc asked. with a sudden flush in (yes. “lint you know how lnuclyl uni. howl-om- f. :"zrss my life is. and you Will not mine I" :uc. You don‘t can for incl" “tilt, I do l I d0 in she cried. And then he had gone back to the vcrv ls-giuning with arguments and [wrsuasions and coming words. The end of it was,“ she wouldn't. That is. she would only give the very uncertain promise of "Sometime. pt rlnips. when she had pmvcd certain things," and with that he had to be con< tent. its boarding house at I‘IlniwomI had never set-med so dingy and comfortlcss as it sceni- cd in the months that followed, nor his room so dark and dreary. Mattie had gone to work in earnest. She drew her fifty dollars from the city bank because she was going to have her friends to l l and bou ht another cow, not a full-blooded Jersey .recause her father thou ht they "want likely to be as healthy nor 0 as well aspart Jersey." . The red cow, Cherry, belonged to her, also little Spot, that she had begged from her father when in its calf- hood it had gone lame and been condemned to death. Careful nursing had brought the little creature through. and now she was as "peart a creature as there was on the place. " She made some chicken conps for her big Plymouth Rocks to go to housekeeping in. and gave adozen more of them nests full of big brown eggs to brood over. One Saturday, she had harnessed Black l’rince to the buggy and gone to the city on a secret errand. with a mysterious wooden box on the seat beside her. In the box was a roll of the new little Jersey's butter, hard and yellow. wrapped in a snowy cloth and lying in a nest of fresh, green grass, and on top of the roll was the prettiest of apple blossom sprays, carved that morning in the springhouse. They were delighted with it at the Woman's Exchange, and promised to take all she would bring; so, when she turn- ed homeward, there was a little triumphant sparkle in her eyes. In due time, the little dwellings in the orchard were filled with peeping, downy fami- lies, andshe wasbusyas a bee, too busy to see Dr. Brook when he rode by and bowed to her. Hosts of new ideas came flocking down to her in the spring-house, and one day she carried out a new one: and when the last touch was put on there were twelve little golden lions on individual butter plates. It was never warm in the spring-house, so they kept firm and hard. Next day she drove to town in the early morning. There happened to be a young woman at the Exchange looking for some of this very butter, the “Freshwater butter ” having already made itself a name at the l Exchange, and when she saw Mattie’s box, she spoke quickly and said she was very sure her mistress would buy the little lions lunch. Thus Mattie disposed of her little family of lions. Summer went by. The chickens lost their first fluffy prettiness, and got. themselves cunning little gray wings. A thieving hawk captured two or three, but the rest grew up happy and cheerful, playing “hide and seek ” and hunt the grasshopper all day in the long, lush g 'ass, and at night creeping undertheir mother’s wings with sleepy little “che-e-p, che-e‘p,” which the mother answered with a soft, deep-voiced crooning note like a lulla- by. 'l‘he little new cow proved a regular “daisy,” and Mattie christened her “Daisy.” Daisy was the pet of the farm. When the county fair time came, Mattie was fuller of mysteries than ever, only she took her father into her confidence, and he brought home mysterious somethings in his wagon, wrapped in old carpets and packed in boxes, and on Tuesday he drove off to the fair with a great wooden box in the wag-on. The rest were all curiosity, but Mattie only shook her head. One of the prettiest exhibits in the Farm Products department was the display of but.- ter. It was in a small glass show case, that had been paved with crystal blocks of ice, and on this crystal foundation was a castle built of solid golden butter, tower and turret and battleinented wall, all complete, with| two tiny sleeping lions at either side of the entrance. The card on it bore Mattie Fresh- water’s name, and late that afternoon a gay red card was tied on the corner. The chickens flourished, the cattle throve and the little golden lions grew in great demand. Four months later, when she cast up her accounts, she found that she had an even two hundred dollars, besides the cows and the thirty liens, and she announced the fact with a gleam of triumph in her eyes. l)r. Brook fared badly next time he saw her. She had grown so very independent that she had almost decided notto marry any man. \Vomen who didn’t marry were better off nowadays anyhow. But when a few minutes later she stood at the sitting-room window and heard his horse‘s hoofs go tear- ing down the frozen yard, she turned and ran up the stairs and never stopped till she was in her own room with the door locked, \thn the cluttering of the lioofs had died wholly away in the distance, she turned and thrcwlicrself on the bed and neither moved nor spoke for an hour. \Vith thceomiiig ofwintcr days, the spring- liouse had been deserted, and the butter had to be made in the wide. shining, farmhouse kitchen. \\'heii next churning day came, there was no slinging und lingering over the task. no toying with the golden mass, but a sober persistence till it was done and put away out of'siglit. Holden idols had lost their charm. The March night was shuttingr down. cold and gloomy. There was no sunset, but a swift, down-swooping darkness that blotted out the world with sudden night. The Squire had been havingr “a tech of icvcr,” illitl-Ill‘. Ilrook had stopped U)>‘(‘t1llllll. lic- fort- he was ready to go. the (A. ll piouiisc of the day had lnt't‘ll fulfilled. am they forbade his Venturing forth. So he sat down again to wait till the fury of the wind and storm should spend itself. liut the downpour was continuous. the slowly rush and l'fllll‘nf waters did not cciuc. Hrcai thunderous gusts of wind. in grand crescendo. swept up from the far rein-hes of field and meadow, and hurled themselves against the llIIllSI‘ till it shook and ti'cinblml. The great maples outside writho-d and twist- ed in thc gale : the rain dashed heavily against the window and caught the fire-lights glimmer as ll streamed down the glass. Ilut within was peace. The pleasant fire- light flickered and did merry battle with the soft brown shadows : there were friendly voici s :a face in a shadowy corner hqu l'<'- vcalcd : and in and out. through roar of incoming winds and soft rain-filled silences. the words of an old song sung themselves over and over in his brain. “And her face it is thc fairest That o'er the. sun shone on, That «fur the sun shone on. And deep blue is her cc. And for bonnie Annie Laurie I'd lay me down and doc." l‘vcd time came. and the storm still ing-:d. Squire Freshwater. after a brief survey of the windswept outer world, came back rc- marking that 'twas " the worst ekinokshnl storm he ever sce." “'hcn be opened the big family Bible for prayers,hehappencd to choose the fourth chapter of Hosea. Slowly his brown finger crept down the page and his deep voice followed it. Dr. Brook listened idly. with his eyes on the shadowy face. “ Ephraim is joined to his idols,"read the Squire. “ let him alone." Dr. Brook saw a sudden light sweep over of tears. Then she slipped noiselest from her seat and vanished through the open kitchen door. Some way, after prayers, he found his way out to her, where she stood faintly outlined against the pitchy blackness of the window. And then and there. in the soft gloom and shadow, sweet and humble. she gave her hand into his, and the golden idols were dethroned. \ 'hen morning broke, clear and shining. with blue skies and jubilant song of birds, Mattie peeped into the pantry where her mother was at work. “ Ican’t keep chickens and cows in Elixi- wood, mother, what am I going to do about it Her mother look up with a quick, pleased glance. " So you are going to marry Dr. Brook 2" Guns and Their Use. BY MAURICE THOMPSON. The best rifle for boys is a {if-calibre breach-loader, which uses short metal shells. Such a gun, if of good make, will be quite accurate at any range within 150 yards, and will kill any game that boys are privilc ed to hunt. I say this because game t tat is lar e or dangerous should never be followed by t ie young or inexperienced. If, however, a boy must shoot large game, let him-have a gun of large calibre. For deer, antelope and the like, a 44-gauge is quite heavy enough, but for bear and all lar e and dangerous animals the guns to e used are extra heavy express rifles which none but- strong men should try to handle. For target-shooting at short range a. ‘22- calibre or even a. smaller rifle may be used, and these small guns are very effective for S( uirrel-shooting in low timber or for killing ra bits. The rifle may be used for shooting at mov~ ing objects, but it requires great expcrtness and there are few who can attain to success in it. In choosing a shotgun, the chief thing is to et one of excellent workmanship, and to (0 this requires some knowledge of the arts of the weapon. Of all the parts the liarrel is the most important, though for that matter nearly all the reputable makers turn out good ones and no other sort. Order a. gun with Damascus .or laminated steel barrels and rebounding locks; have the left barrel “clicked” and the right. with cylinder bore. A choked barrel is bored so that it throws the shot very close together and with even distribution. The cylinder bore is of the same diameter throughout its leii tli, and it scatters the shot over a large sur ace.. Boys will find a. gun of the size called ‘20- gauge the lightest and best for shooting all game not larger than quail. F0 ' all ordinary inland shooting, however, the preferable weapon is the Ill-gauge, weighing about seven, or better, six and a half pounds. Let the stock be as straight as you can well use, and the barrels should be twenty-eight or not under twenty-six inches long. I have used a gun of the heavier weight mentioned for years and have found it just. the thing for all small game, and have used it. success- fully on wild fowl. Still, for shore and boat, when water fowl are flying high and fast, it is much more satisfactory to handle, a heavâ€" ier gun. The safe range of a shotgun loaded with small shot is from fifty to sixty yards at the greatest, though you will hear men boast of their {guns killing every time at much greater dis- tance. About; forty yards is the more pro- bable limit of safety for light guns, loaded with, say No 8 shot. The pellets go with great force when they first leave the gun, but lose speed rapidly as their distance from the muzzle increases : moreover, they spread apart or scatte - as they fly, soon getting so widely separated that there can be no cor- tainty of their hitting the object aimed at. -â€"â€"â€"-â€". A Lively Place. Drummer (wearily)â€"-“Tliere doscii‘t seem to be anything going on in this town.‘, Patrick (reibukinglâ€"“Not’in’ goin’ on? Sure there’s fufteen big stroikes goin’ on this vury minute.” Why he Didn’t Accept It. First- Trampâ€"How did you fare at that house, Bill? Second TrampaThc lady offered me a suit of clothes. “\Vliy didn‘t you take it ‘1" “I can Wear most anything, but I think a minister‘s clothes look a little outwf place on me, the vest especially.” ' A Wise Clerk. .-\ stylishly dressed woman was recently brought before a 'I‘oronto city magistrate on a charge of stealing ribbons in a store. The cliiefclerk had observed her talking freely with her counsel, and was puzzled because she looked zit him blaiikly when he asked her name and rcsidcucc and replied with a shake of her head. “ She is French.” explained the lawyer : “ and doesn't, understand English. I'm it down ‘Maric Igufoiichc.‘ " The clerk frowned imfrcdulously. “ \tht ago is sin-1‘" he asked. “'l'wcnty-two," replied the lawyer. Then the clerk‘s eyes twinkch as he said softly: “'l‘hirbv-two‘.” “No, twenty-two l" snapped the fair pris Ulll'l‘. L'inph I" said the clerk. “you can speak English. if you don't understand it . ‘ Life in Toronto. Mr. Nubbins~“\\'cll, my dear, did you succeed in matching that ribbon 2‘" Mrs. Xubbins (tired to death and mad as a hornetim-‘Vl'hc next time I start out shop ping with an empty pocket-book you'll know it." Mr. N.â€"'â€"‘“I;lll. my dear. you said you wanted only a little change to get some rib- bon, a mere thread to piece out with, and you asked for lf‘ll cents. I handed you a dollar." Mrs. N.-â€"â€"“\\'cll. and I had to go fifteen u‘ twenty places before I could get what I wanted, and when I finally found the rib- bon I couldn't buy it. because the miserable little dollar had all been used up in car fare." They 20 Together. Stern -“ Ah, voin . Late glii'ui“ Yes, sfr. \gour daughter and I have enjoyed a feast of reason." Stern papa (moving his right foot with great velocitylvâ€"” And now you have a flow the downth face, and her eyes met his, full of sole.” bmgdnuijmmm BURIED ALIVE IN A STEAMER. Well-d Sights by Night n-om an Orklnwnhn River stun Winder. The river is 300 miles long, and its source is at Okeehumkee. near Leesburg. \Vind- ing down with a fouixniile current, the riv- er empties into the St. Johns. twentv-five miles south of Palatka. The greatest lchar- acteristic of the Ocklawaiia is its crooked- ness. there not being a stretch in its en- . tire length over 300 feet. while from bank to bank the widest part is not over fiftv feet. The land on either side is swamp land, and there is hardly a dry spot between its source and Silver Spring, so noted for clear water, which reflects asamirror. I “'e left. Palatka on Mondav morning on the Okeehumkee. which runs. between that point and Silver Springs. Our boat, which is built specially for the Ocklawaha. meas- ures seventy feet in length bv thirtv in width. with stern wheel. The cabin is comfortable and roomy, admirably adapted to touris travel. The crew is composed principal _' of negro deck hands, whose busi- ness it is to take a pole and shove the steam- er offfrom the batik, should she run into it which is very often done. When the little steamer turns her course for the Ocklavaha, leaving the great St. Johns in the rear, one thinks that she is to run into the woods, but on nearing the mouths. creek-like stream is noticed, and she ploughs along, and is soon surrounded by trees, from which branches lap over and meet. making the scene one of weird grandeur. As the little craft rounds the bends you wonder if she won’t run into the woods, but a bell signal to the engineer checks its slow speed to a motion that is almcsta stop and the point is gained, when we pass on. l‘he exhaust from the smoke-stack echoes in the I (limdistance,through the thick forest, while an occasional wail or screech from some wild birds adds to the music so romantic, peculiar to the surroundings. Hours pass and seem but as minutes. On the forward deck the sightseers gather to “ take in ” everything. An occasional alligator is seen to swim just across the bow or rest upon a dry spot in the broiling sun, sluinberiiig and fearless, for it has long been the rule on Ocklawaha boat's never to allow passengers to shoot off a gun or disturb this great curiosity, so famous on all Florida streams. \Vith reluctance we give up our sightseeing position to answer the supper bell, and hurrythrough the meal that no strange sight will be lost. \Vheii we again reach the deck darkness has clouded the skies, and the echo becomes louder as the stillness of night grows deeper with the fleeting hours. The pilot house is on the hurricane deck. Two ncgroes stand at, the wheel, while the Captain sits on deck smoking a cigar, with “eyes front.” On top the pilot house is an iron vessel, resting on legs that free it from the deck. In that ves- sel a glowing fire is kept burning all night long, with pine knots for fuel. The dusky (larky who acts as fireman is noticed only occasionally by the grin on his face, which is made all the more plain by the appearance I of his white teeth. One would think that a locomotive headlight would be better on these steamers. The Captain informed us that the light must. shine in all directions, hence the use of a pine fire. The bends in the' river are so short that a locomotive light could not be used quick enough in casting out. its reflection, that the pilot might see which way to steer his boat. A night on the Ocklawalia is a sight worth living to see. The first night out there - was a party of us on the upper deck. The little steamer ran so close to the river bank that. the tree. branches raked off our hats. The nego on thepilot house spied two cranes roosting on a limb, and picking up a light- wood knot killed them both at one. lick, when the birds fell ot our feet. I More than once did the steamer in trying to make a short bend rim into the woods, , and have to be poled off by the (leek hands. ' Whenever this was the case there was a lively scramble to see which would get into the. cabin first. One hundred miles up the Ocklawahu we came to what is known as the “Sisters,” two large cypress trees grown up opposite to each other directly at the. water’s edge. Here we squeezed through with only about one foot on each side of the boat with which to get through. __â€"â€"â€".. Needed No Reminder. The lightning calculator looked out. over thc crowd. i ‘ “Is there anv other gentleman present," 5 l In: said, “who would like to know the day of the week on which any event took place? My friend," he continued, addressing amid- dle-agcd man in front of him, “if you will give me the day of the month and year when you wcrc married I can tell you instantly what day of thc week it was." “I don't need to learn,” replied the mid- dle-aged man, whose iizimcwas I‘lnpcck. “I was married Werlncsdav, but" â€"-~-und he took offhis hat and wiped his bald head slowlyl and tliouglitfully-â€"â€""I was born I"riday.' She Reminded Him of the Sea. Mr. Gay Lani ~-“\'ou are fond of the sea. I [Ii‘cs‘lliiim .\ll.“8 liltiit: " i Miss Ilutic ~“lndeed I am not, I \‘.'.is (met.- :sezi-sick.” Mr. H. I..--~“I should have thought you were fond of the sea : you remind llfl,‘ of it." Miss l‘.. ~»“I remind you of ii. How '3” Mr. H. I..~-«"\\'liy your teeth are like pearls, your lips like coral. your cars like pink tinted shells and your eyes like the deep, unfathomable oeeaii.‘ Miss ll.â€"-«“You hath-rein" Then something followed which was not entirely without maritime associations. It was a little smack. Six of One and Half a Dozen of the Other. (.‘ollector â€"r-“ Mr. Ilardup in Mrs. Hardupâ€"“ No, he's out collecting." ('.â€"“ That's what you told me the last time I was here." Mrs. IT.’ ~ “ Yes." L‘.-~~~“ And the time before that." Mrs. H.»â€"“ Yes.” C. (sari-as!icallyi--~â€"“ IIc don't seem to have much success.” Mrs. H. (as she slams the door in his face'»â€"â€"“ Seems to have as much success as you have.” A Liberal Corporation. Grateful Citizenâ€""I was. delighted to read in the papers that you had refused to ‘i‘uise the price of ice.” President Ice Companyâ€"“That is true We shall make no chan e in the price. The only change will be in t e lumps.” l Terrible Suffering-s of Twelve Japanese Stowaways. Ten Girls. an Old Woman. and a Man Sen-etc Themselves Below Deckâ€"When l-‘onnda Week Lick-ring!“ Were Dead. The steamer Gaelic, which arrived at. San Francisco from the Orient the other morn- ing, brings a. shocking story of the death of eight people on board the Japanese steamer which left Nu 'asaki on March '2] and arriv- ed at flung Tong four days later. For some days an odor had been noticed in the engineers mew nooui. which gradually grew worse and was attributed to dead rats. After 21 lon * search it was traced to a coni- partment- 3 ve one of the tanks alongside the engine room. On the manhole being opened, some naked bodies were seen. T he coal in the main hold was quickly removed. to get at the sliding door to the tank, and when this was opened a horrible sight was revealed. Eight dead bodies and four still alive were disclosed, all com iletcly naked. their clothes havin been i iscurded on account. of the intolerubfc heat. The compartment is about three feet high and two feet wide, and extends across the ship. It is used only for the purpose of getting at the tank for ex- amination purposes. In this cramped place twelve )ersmis, one man and the others women, had icen stowed for a week. J upancsc women are not allowed to leave their own country witl' out official permission, but the demand for them for immoral purposes is so great that frequent. attempts are made to smuggle them on board steamers. That appears to have been the object in the present- case. A party of ten girls, in charge of a man and an old woman, were stowed away in the hole, where there was neither ventilation nor light. They had a supply of food and water with them, so that starvation was not. added to their other sufferings, but that. any of them should have survivcd a week’s confinement; in such a place is simply wonderful. The man was one of those who succumbed, but; the old woman survivcd. The survivors were in a sliockin ' condition. Their bodies were swollen ant covered with prickly heat. They at once received such attention as those on board were able to give them. \Viirm baths were provided and clothing was sup lied. ‘ '1‘ ie story told by the three girls is that they were induced to leave their homes by the man and woman by promises of obtain- ing good situations in llong Kong. On thei ' arrival at Nagasaki they were put on board the steamer. They got into the com- partment by the slidin door from the hold before the cargo was fit 1y loaded, and until the door was closed they had no idea of the suffering they were to undergo. Afterward they found themselves literally buried alive, without any power of escape or of attracting attention. ~ It has been impossible to ascertain at what. particular time the eight deceased persons succumbed, but the survivors say that the heat of the iron plates became so great that. the living lay across the bodies of the dead in order to secure relicf. Capt. l-lumsey viewâ€" ed the bodies and they were afterward buried. The four survivors were sent to '1 ung \‘Vah Hospital, where they are de- taincd under orders of the Registrar- General. +â€"â€"_â€" Proud of the Relationship. “Oh, Mr. I‘hiscnberry,” cried her little brother, “I’m so glad you are going to bc kin tome.” . “Ali,.lolmny, is that so 2’" he gasped,ii look of happiness flitting over his face. “How did you know‘: Conic here and sit. on my lap and tell me all you have heard.” “Sister‘s other fellercomc here last night,” begun the boy after he was safely intlie arms of the young man, devouring u quarter‘s worth of candy. “and I heard them talking about you." i, “What did they say?” “He was mad,” replied the terror, “‘cause sis goes with you so much.” “And what was her reply to him?" coil- finned the young man, the look of happiness spreading further across his features. “She said," began the youth, again, “that he needn't get mad "cause you conic to see her, as you was a soft snap and was saving him lots of money that would go to fixiii’ up their house after they were married." The look of contentment on the young man's face gave way to the pulloifof despair, as he gasped: “Well, how isthat going to makc inc kin to you '1” “()li," Went on the boy, “I'm coming it that now. She said that when you proposed to hoi' she would be a sister to you. and won't that make. you my brother?" As the child picked himself off the floor In: behold the form of the young man lli? through ‘lhc front door. His Excuse is a Perfecth Valid One. She was the typical country :u-limdina'on. Sh:- hzid ii youthful. engaging look. and an ovidcnt interest in what w rot on in the neighborhood, dcspitc the responsibility that. l'tfnlllf'. on her shoulders. “ \Villic Smith," site said again." “Yes'm.” “ This must be stopped. I hiin it great, mind to punish you, and I assurcyou that if you allow it to occur again you will not cs,- capc lightly. \Vhat is the cause of your tardiness 1‘" " Mi: 8 Jenkins' beau.‘T “ \Vho ': that, youngmzin from town." “ ch‘m." “ Ilncs he go to see Missdcnkins often ‘2" " ' lout seven times a week." “ The idea ! Do you know whether they are going to get married gr-t; “ Not exactly, but I know that they talk mighty iswect to each other, and he gave her a ring." " “ l’mu‘ fellow! “Mlle.” you are late You-may go t! your heal, Blood on the Moon Wife ~“ My dear, that horrid mannnxt door has killed the dog.” llnsband- -“ Well, never mind, my dear; I'll get you another one some time." \\ ife---“ lint it wasn‘t my Fido that he killed : it was your hunting dog.” Husband (wildly)â€"-â€"“\Vhere’u my gun 7" â€"-â€".-â€"-â€"_ Special festivities are under consideration for the welcomin of the Duke and Duchess. of Connaught at. Vindtbr Castle. r _ .. ...- m 4.. _.