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.i; l i i FORGETâ€"M Eâ€"NDT. Published by agreement with the publishers from advanced sheets of Chambers’s Journal. CHAPTER III. In point of artistic beauty and delicacy of floral arrangement throughout Arlington Street, No. 281 certainly bore away the , palm ; for Miss Dene, like most country girls, had a positive passion for flowers--â€"a graceful fancy she was fortunately in a posi- tion to gratify. Many an envious eye fell upon that cool facade with its wealth of 'lorious bloom; many a darling of fashion paused as he passed on his listless way, and forgot his betting-book and other mundane speculations, to wonder lazily who might some (lay be the fortunate man} to call that perfectly-appointed mansion and its beautiful mistress his own. For Vere Dene could have picked and chosen from the best of them, and graced their ancestral homes : but new she was five-and-tweuty ; so they came at last to think it was hopeless, and tliat a heart of marble pulsed languidly in‘tlfat beautiful bosom. The halbdoor stood invitiiigly open ; more, )erhaps. in reality to catch the faint summer lireeze, for the afternoon was hot, and inside, the place looked cool, dim and deliciously iii- viting. On a table tlierc'lay a pair of long slim gauntlets, threw carelessly upon a gold- mounted riding-whip ; and coming down the . shallow stairs, against a background of feathery fern and pale gleaming statuary” was Miss Dene herself. A stray gleam ofl sunshine, streaming through a painted window, lighted up her face and dusky hair; a beautiful face, with creamy pallor, over- laid by a roseate flush of health. The dark- brown eyes were somewhat large: a trifle hard, too, a stern critic of beauty might have been justified in saying; the tall grace. ful figure drawn up perhaps too proudly. Vere Dene was, however, no blushing de- butante, but a. woman who knew her alpha- bet of life from alpha to omega; who was fully conscious of her power, and the value of licrposition well enough to discern between i honest admiration and studied flattery, and I to gather up the scanty g pins of truth with- I out mistaking chaff for golden corn. There was no reflection of wistful memory on the I liciress’s face as she rode slowly down the} street some time later, the cyiiosure of ad- miring eyes. There was a rush and glitter} of carriages hurrying park\ 'ards, as she rode i on her \ ‘afitlonc, bowing to one acquaintance or another, and dividing her favours im- partially. “A beautiful face,” murmured a bronzed soldierly-looking man to his companion as- they lounged listlessly against the 'ails of the Row, \ 'atchiiig the light tide of fashion sweeping by. “A perfect face, wanting only soul to make it peerless. \Vho is she, Leslie ‘3” “Who is she ?” laughed the other. “Is it ossiblc you do not know Miss Dene? But I) forgot you had been so long in India. You remember old Vavasour Dene, of course, and his son, the poeti -al genius, who married some dcnmrc little country maiden, unknown to Debi'ctt or Burke, and who was cut off with the traditional shilling accordingly. You can imagine the rest of the story; a life-long feud between fatlierand son, end- ing, as it usually does, in the parent’s dying and cheating condemnation by an act of tardy justice. That handsome virl is old Dene’s heiress, a woman with all ondon at her feet, a quarter of a million in her own right, and never a. heart in the whole of her perfect anatomy. ” Wholly unconscious of this storiette, and apparently of the admiration she naturally excited, Miss Dene rode on down the Mile, with many a shake of her shapely head as one gloved hand after another beckoned her to range alongside barouche or mail phaeton ; till at length a. slight crush brought her to a standstill. Almost in front of her was an open stauhope, wherein was seated a deli- cute fragile-looking lady, exquisitely dress- ed, and apparently serenely indifferent to the glances and smiles in her direction. By her side sat a child of six or seven, a dim- inutivc counterpart of herself, to her fair golden liai‘ and melting pansy-blue eyes. Vere would fain have pushed her way through the crowd and passed on : but the ' child had seen her, and uttered her name with a cry of innocent delight: and Vere, like many another who is credited with want of licart, had a. tender love for child- ren. “Really. I owe Violet my gratefulthanks,” murmured the owner of the stanhopc as Vere ranged alongside. “Positively, I began to fear that you meant to cut me. I should never have forgiven my brother, if you bad. My dear child, I warned him it was useless; I did indeed. And now he says that his heart is broken, and that he shall never be- lieve a. woman any more." Vcrc looked down into the Marchioness of linrlingham's fair demure face with a little smile. “So Lord licarliavcn has been abusin 7 inc '3" she said. “I am disappointed. I did not think hc would have carried his \vocs into the l)otitloii‘." “My dear Diana. he has done nothing of the kind. Surely a man might be allowed to bcwail his hard lot with his only sister. Violet, my darling child, do be careful how you cross the road." This warning. addressed to the diminutive little lady, who had succeeded unseen in opening the carriage door came too late : for by this time the volatile child had recognised some beloved acquaintance over the way, and indeed was already beyond the reach of ‘ warning. \‘crc. watched the Somewhat I hazardous [vissagcbreathlessly, then. satis- fied that her small favourite had made the dangerous journey in safety, turned to her companion again. “ I have a genuine regard for Lord Bear- , haven." said she, speaking with an effort, “ too great a regard to take advantage of his friendship under false pretences. I shall j never forget the kindness he once did me in the hour of my great trouble. \Vill you tell , him so, please 3 and say that perhaps for the . _ present it will be well for us not to meet.” . “ Now, that is so like both of you," Lady Hurlingham cried, fanning herself in some little heat. “ Why will you both persist in making so serious a business of life? at anynite you might have some consideintiou for us more frivolous-minded mortals. Vere. if you do not come toniy Jewel Ball on Thursday, I 3 -â€"I well. I will never speak to you again. “ So I am to be coerced, then. I am mor- l ally bound to be present since the Society pipers have promised the world a sight of} tlic \‘crc diamonds : besides which. I simply dare not incur your la-lyship's displeasure." “I wonder if you have a heart at all,", » D a said the other. “Sometimes I almost doubt it ; and the timesI generally doubt it most are immediately after those moments when I have flattered myself that I really have begun to detect symptoms of that organ. The roman- tic ones have been libelling again. \Vould you like to hear the latest story 2” “ You stopped me for this, I presume. Positively, you will not know a moment's peace till you have told me. I am all atten- tion.” “They are saying you have no heart, be- cause it was given away long ago : they say there is a rustic lover somewhere in hob- nails and gaiters who won your affections, and is afraid to speak since you became a great lady.” Vere did not reply or glance for a moment into her friend’s sparklin r mischievous face. A deeper tinge of colour ushed the creamy whiteness of neck and brow, like the pink hue upon a snowy rose. “They do me too much honour,” she re- plied. “Such a model of constancy in this world of ours would indeed be a pearl amongst women. Pray, do they give a name to this bashful Corydon of mine 1'” “Naturally, nothing but the traditional second cousin, ma cherc. Really, it is quite a pretty romanceâ€"the struggling artistic genius who is too proud to speak, now you are in another sphere. Surely you are not offended 1'” In spite of her babyish affectations and infantine innocence, mere mannerisms over- lying a tender kindly heart, Helena, March- ioness of Hurlingham, was not entirely without an underlying vein of natural shrewduess. She was clever enough to see now that the innocently-directed shaft of a bow drawn at a. venture had penetrated be- tween the joints of Vere’s armour, in spite of her reputation for being perhaps the most iiivulnerable woman in London. “ I am not offended,” Vere answered, recovering her chill composure at length; “only such frivolity annoys one at times. What a. lot of idle scandal poor womaukind has to endure !-\\'liat is that ‘3” Gradually above the roll of carriages, the clatter of hoofs, the subdued murmur of voices and light laughter,alouder,steriicrhuni arose. Borne down on thcbrcezc camedistantsounds of strife, and now and then a. shriek in a. wo~ man’s shrilliiotes; i’. seemed to swellas if some panic liadstricken the headless crowd farther down tliedrivc. Every face restlessand uneasy with the sudden consciousness of some coni- in g danger, was turned in the direction whence the-evidence of trouble arose, as a. carriage and pair of horses, coming along at lightning speed, scattered pedestrians and riders right and left, like a flock of helpless sheep, in a wild medley of confusion. As if by magic, a lane seemed to have opened and coming along the open space tore a pair of fiery chestnuts, dragglng after them in their fear and fright amail pliaeton as if it had been match-wood. \Vitli a feel- ing of relief, the helpless spectators noticed that the vehicle was empty, save for its driver, who, with bare head and face white as death, assayed nianfully to steer the inad- dened animals strai ht down the roadway, a task rendered doub y dangerous and difficult from the crowded state of the Bow, and the inability of certain tyros to keep the path sufficiently clear. In the midst of the turmoil and confusion there arose another cry, a shout of fear and unheeded expostulation, for, crossing the roadway smilineg, without the semblance of a fear, came a little child. bearing in her hand a bunch of roses ; a little girl, with sunny golden curls and laughing blue eyes, standing like a butterfly before a sweeping avalanche. There was another shout, and again the tiny passenger failed to note her danger as nearer and nearer came the horses, till through the now paralyzed, helpless crowd burst the figure of a man, who, with- out a moment’s hesitation, sprung forward and caught the child just as the pole of the ‘arriaue threatened to strike her to the ground. There was no longer time for an escape, a fact of which the heroic stranger was perfectly aware ; and grasping the laugh- ing maiden with one powerful arm, with the other he made a grab for the off-horse’s ll( ad, and clung to the bridle with the bulldog tenac- ity of despair. For a moment the animals, checked in their headlong career, swerved to the right ; there was a crashing sound of broken panels, and a moment later child, rescuer, horses, and driver lay in an inex- tricable struggling confusion. For a second or two there followeda dread intense silence, as each butterfly of fashion contemplated in fascinated horror the strug- gling mass; then, before the nearest could interfere, it was seen that the stranger had risen to his feet, his garment soiled and stained, and a stream of ruddy crimson slow- ly trickling down his face. Just fora brief instant lie reeled from very faintness, till, dashing the blinding blood from his eyes, he stooped swiftly, and at the imminent.- risk of his brains, drew the now thorough- ly frightened child right from under those terrible lioofs, and taking her in his arms, staggered rather than walked to a seat. Meanwhile, Lady Burlington, beside her- self with grief and terror, the lady of fashion merged for the moment into the mother, had descended from her carriage, her face pale and haggard, and hurried with Vere to the seat where the stranger reclin- ed. It was no time for ceremony or class distinction. \Vith a gesture motherly and natural, as if she had beeninoulded of mean- ‘ or clay, she snatched little 'iolet from the arms still mechanically holding her, with a i great gush of thankfulness to find that, with the exce )tion of the fright, not one single hair of t iat golden head had been in- jured. By this time the crowd had sufficiently recovered from the threatened realization of sudden death, and, with regained wit, suffi- cient society veneer to murmur the usual polite condolences and congratulations to the now elated mother. Still the rescuer sat, his face buried in his hands, a whirling, maddening pain in his head, and a mist be- fore his eyes as if the world had suddenly lost its sunshine. Vere, with tears in her, eyes and a tremble in her voice, pushed her! wav thmugh the too sympathetic crush and , laid her hand gently on the suifercr's arm. l ‘I am afraid you are hurt,’ she said. ‘L‘an I do anything for you 3' ': \Vincliestcr, for be it wru; vaguely, the words coming to his cars like i the roar of the sea singing ina dream,'Sl°“'inS el‘es- “Him a dream which was not all from the land of visions. He wondered dreamily where he had heard that voice before. With an effort he looked up again. For the first time in five years their eyes met in the full light of day. She knew him now, recognized him in a moment. But it was scarcely the same “'in- Chester who had restored her lost ornament a fortnight ago. The old shabby raimcnt had disappeared, giving place to a neat suit, such as no gentleman had been ashamed to wear. Fourteen days' steady work, inspired by a worthy object, had met an equal reward. It was no longer \Vinchester the outcast that Vere was addressing, but \Vincliester the gentleman, and in his heart he rejoiced that it was so. For a moment they were no longer the centre of a glittering host of fash- ion ; their thoughts together had. gone back to the vanished past, as they looked into each otlier’s eyes, neither daring to trust to words. “Jack,” said Vere at lengthâ€"“Jack, is it really you 1'” “Yes, dear, it is I,” “'incliester respondâ€" ed faintly. “You did not expect to meet me like this ifâ€"you ever expected to meet me at all.” “Do you think I forget, asâ€"as some peo- ple do? You did not always judge me so harshl '. How could we meet better ; how could feel more proud of you than I do at this moment?” Gradually the crowd fell back. There was not much mischief done after all ; noth- ing that a clothes-brush and a. little warm water would not rectify. Besides, Miss Dene seemed to know the strau er, and from one or two expressions, wouh appar- ently prefer to be left alone. \Vinchester’s answering smile had no trace of its accustomeo bitterness. After all, there was something in the soft music of Vere’s tones, a charm in the reckless aban- donment of self which fell upon his troub- led heart like balm iii Gilead. There was something sweet also in the consciousness that he had played the man so recently in her si 'tt, under the very eyes whose bright- ness :1 0 1e he had only valued. There was a stimul int worth all the tonics in the phar- macoptcia. He would have spoken again, but he was suffering still from a great rush of pain and giddiness, as if the whole universe \ 'as slip- ping into space. Directly after, the feeling passed away, and he was himself once more. By this time Lady Hurlingliam had driven away, while some one, more thoughtful than the rest, had remained to place his carriage at \Vinchester’s disposal. “ This gentleman isa friend of yours, Miss Dene ?” he asked. “Allow me tosuggest that your groom takes your horse, and that you drive likewise. You will pardon my sister’s apparent heedlessness, but you see Violet is an only child, andâ€"â€"” Vere looked gratefully into Lord Beat-hav- en’s grave, handsome face, and extended her hand in an impulse of gratitude. The meet- ting she had so much dreaded was made smooth and pleasant by his kindly cour- tesy. , “ I might have expected this from you,” she answered warmly. “ Believe me, I am deeply obliged. Mr. \Vinchester is not only a friend, but a relation.” Lord Bearhaveii gave Jack a hand-grip which said more than the mostcarcfully chos- en words. But what an effort this magnaiiim- ity cost him, only Vere, who saw that he had heard everything, alone could tell. “ I am forgiven, then ‘t” asked Winchester as they drove along Oxford Street. “ Well, it is worth playing the poor part I have play- ed to~day to hear that. Vere, Vere, what a sorry self-opinionated fool I have been ! Do you know that for the last week I have been screwing up my courage to the stick- ing-point? But whenever I found myself near you, my pluck failed.” “You do not deserve to be spoken to,” Vere replied, her cheeks aflame, her eyes laden with unshed tears, though the thrill- ing tenderness of her voice robbed the words of their sting. “ How dare you venture to treat me as if I should be ashamed of my old friends?” Up to this point, \Vinclicster had scarce- ly dared to analyse his senSatioiis. N ow that all the impenetrable barriers of restraint were broken down between them, he found himself talking in the old familiar strain, and wondering of the last five years was merely a. phantasui of his own creation. “ And Chris," Vere ventured at length, though the question had long been trembling on her tongue, “do you ever hear anything of him '3” \ ’inchester told her everything, disguis- ing nothing except the part of good Samar- itan he himself had played towards the un- fortunate Ashton. It must have been an interesting conversation, for Vere’s face as she listened grew very soft and tender, her eyes sweet and luminous. \Vhen at length the end of Arlington Street was reached, \Vinchester stopped the coachman, and iii- sistcd upon alighting, a step which Vere vehemently opposed. “Youarc coming home with me,” she said. “ Have you any idea who you will find waiting there to welcome you '1" “Not the slightest ; unless you have persuadedâ€"but that is ini ossible. Still, you must have a chaperon 0 some sort. Is it possible that you have our dear old Aunt Lucy at Arlington Street '5" “Not only possible, but an actual fact. Come ; you cannot refuse now.” \ 'iiichester hesitated for a moment, then, with a sudden impulse, complied. Of all his relations, the “Aunt Lucy" in question was the only one who kept a green spot. in his re- collection. A few moments later he passed a welcome guest through the very portals out- side which so short a time before he stood a wretched outcast and useless menibei of so- ciety. Two hours later, when he descended the steps again, with a bright eager look of ex- ultation on his face, aservant loitering in thehall saw and wondered if it was the same man whom his mistress had brought home so recently. He lingered for a moment for a few parting words with Vere. “So that is settled," he said ; “and if you should feel afraid” “Afraid!” she echoed scornfully. “I shall not be afraid.” “I do not think you will. Now, remember you have promised. And above all things, Lord Bearlnven must know everything.’ 3 “I promise," she answered. “If I could only see Chris"â€" "Ilut you can‘t do anything of the kind-~-â€" for the present, at least. You must have looked “pl perfect faith in me." Vere rc lied, looking into his hot always?" go Bl: coxrisrsn.) “I have," ELECTRICAL. An instrument which can hardly he look ed upon with a kindly eye by unpmictual watchmen and other employees, apart of whose duty it is to place tllelnsclvcs on record at stated times. is the iiisuiugraph. This device, by the aid of electric cm rents. presents at a pro-determined time a clear space of paper or signatures at an opening in a. suitable desk, and at the end of the time of game allowed moves it past the opening. The tell-tale and time-checking. s 'stems hitherto used, owing to the fact, t at the necessary signals are made by elec- tric currents set in motion by discs, or plugs. or press buttons, are to a certain extent iii- eflicient, as they allow of the possibility of a false register being made. while the cm- ployce is absent. The insuiiigraph, how- ever, by making an autograph at a particu- lar moment of time necessary, minimizes the possibility of fraud. One of the most beautiful sights in the world will soon be seen in India. The un- paralleled beauty of the Taj Malial will be made visible at night, and still further ideal» ized by electric light illumination. \Vitliiu the next month powerful arc lights will be placed in each of the front minurets, on each of the back niiiiarets, and on the Musjid and Jawal:. The effect will be all the more striking from the fact that the main building will have. no light stationed upon it, so that. the points mentioned will be thrown into magnificent relief. Recent investigations by Capt. J. 1’. Maclear have brought out some new and important-facts concerning the behavior of lightning under certain conditions. After examining a number of trees which had been struck by lightning, he found that those which were struck before the falling of rain were shattered, while those which were struck after the ‘ain began were simply scored, and had the bark more or less blown off. These phenomena point to the fact that during rain every tree is con- ducting electricity. Other considerations affecting the issue are the position of the cloud, the amount of foliage on the tree, its conditions of moisture, and its connection with running water. In reference to a recent suggestion that an electrical tricycle would have a large sphere of usefulness, the superintendent of an electric light station writes : “I have often wished for an electrical tricycle, as I could make it very useful for lamp inspec- tors on street circuits, and replace a defec- tive lamp on very short notice.” He also states that he could make an elect'ieal tri- cycle to carry two persons that would be of the greatest service in hunting breaks, and be preferable in many ways to the horse and back which are now necessary on a long street circuit for expeditions and effective repairs. An enthusiastic entomologist is receiving daily from the local lineman the moths which find their way into the arc lamp globe. in an adjacent street during the night. Birds arc. fearlessly building their nests in the hoods of the lamps, and we are told that an elec- tric light superintendent in Nashville receiv- a unique present from a colored workman in the form of a sack full of honey bees. The swarm was found in the hood of an electric lamp, wliereit had settled the day before. A singular wrinkle, which will be appre- ciated by electricians, is given in an Austra- lian electrical journal. A correspomlentde- scribes the visit of the electric inspector to his station, and says that afte‘ a battery which had got out of order had been fixed up. the inspector asked for a. little sugar. After some dcinur the apparently queer re- quest was granted. The inspector then be. gun to wash his hands in the usual way with soap and water, but after rubbing on the soap he added the sugar, and a good lather was immediately produced. He said this was an excellent. plan when working with magnesia or copper solutions, and complete- ly prevented the disagreeable dry feeling ex- !perienccd in battery work. '.llic operator “ confirmcd this, having found that, after ' washing, the hands came out clean and soft. The storage battery is destined to play such an important part in the future of electric traction that any addition to the resources which will increase its eliiciency is worthy of notice. The deside‘atum in the storage battery is reduced weight and increased dc- livery, and the problem is being now attack- ed with a determination and enthusiasm which, judging from the progress made in the last two years, Wlll soon establish the storage battery on a firm commercial basis. One of the pioneers in this work, as well as one of the first authorities in the country on the subject, is C. O. Mailloux, one of the results of whose CKPt'l‘lt'PL": ims just been given to the public in a new application of the accunmlator. A common source of in- convenience and difficulty in electric light- ing and power circuits is the variation in load, which may in an instant jump from nothing to the full capacity of the machines. This produces not only a very undesirable fluctuation in the clcctroviimtivc force. but also sudden and severe strains in the engine, dynamo, and entire machinery, by which the cost of repairs is materially increased. Mr. Mailloux‘s device consists of a noch appli- cation of the storage battery for the mrpose of lessening the load of the dynamos fly rccm forcing them at the proper time from the battery. The invention is as ingenious as it is useful, and it is likely to be largely and promptly adopted. “.3 .__._.A. ._...... - w , . A singular phenomenon is recorded on the authority of a German scientific paper. It is stated that one evening in a stearine and ccresin factory in Italy some vats of white ceresin, which is a parafliiie obtained from ozokerite, were cooling down, and when they had nearly become solid the electric li'lit that illumined the room went out. Tie ceresin immediately became luminous whenever it was touched, and if the hand was brought near, lon sparks of nearly two inches were obtained. This remarkable luminosity is said to have lasted over half an hour. An invention which is designed to be of special use in snow storms, fogs, and cases of color blindness is an audible electric sig. nal, which was tried in this citv last week with most satisfactory results. ' \thn 0:14: train is on a block of track protecth bv the contrivancc and another enters, a warti- I u lag is given todhe engineer of the on coniin train in the shape of a flat iron disk 0 bright red color, and the ringing at the same time of a gong. These operations an! etfect- cd by an electric current along a wire. one end of which is attached to the body of the locomotive and the other to the first truck of the first car. The circuit is made as the locomotch wheels touch one rail atamagne- tized point and the car wheels another. A new phonograph has been devised in Germany. The sound waves are. recorded in wavy lines on a strip of paper or on smoked glass. As the paper moves along, a straight line is drawn at r. short distance from tho wavy line. The two lines are then enlarged and made metallic, or, in other words. con- ductors of electricity. The. reprmiuctiou is effected by luyiii g a tine platinum wire. across the lines and moving it along in a position perpendicular to the straight or base line. Ascurrent from a battery is made to pass from the record lines to the platinum wire and asa telephone is in circuit. it will be seen that as the wire is rubbed along over the pup r, the length of wire inciudcd bo- twcen the lines, and consequently tlic re- sistance of the circuit, will vary. The original sound is thus reproduced in the telephone. There seems no immediate likeli- hood ofthisinstrument coming into serious rivalry with the Edison phonograph. Another industry which is destined short- ly to be stirred to its vcry depths by the advent of the. electric motor is that of tho bootbluck. The first blow at what will soon be regarded as the ancient practice. of shining by hand has been dealt in Chicago, where electrical blocking machines are now at work on the streets. The outfit is of the simplest description. A small motor is concealed in a box beneath the foot rest of the bootblack‘s chair : a flexible shaft with one end attached to the armature spindle has the other fitted with a revolving polish- ing brush. The only other element in the outfit- is a small push button, and when this is touched the brush spins round at. a spcul that laughs to scorn the dcftcst lumd that ever gave the cxultantfinish to the morning toilct. An ingenious instrument called the tele- cone is now used to control any individual signal at any desired point on a main line circuit. It enables a signal to be exhibited at any point without. interfering in any way with any other signals on the same circuit. It is worked by the ordinary transmitting key, and thc Morse alplntbct is used. The in- strumentcan bc :ulvantagcously uscd on tele- phone liues, patrol systems, and for many purposes. One of the most biiclicinl ways of purify- ing romns iii whiclicthc atmosphere is es- ccially liable to vitiation,is to produce ozone y clectri‘al sparks, and the practice has been strongly recommended by the highest medical authorities. The delightful fresh- ness and vigor which is perceptible in the air after a series of sparks from an ordinary influence machine is a proof of the salutary and refreshing influence produced. A physician in Philadelphia has taken ll very wise step in the introduction of a small electric machine forthc production of ozone. It is in a compact form, operated by a small battery, and can be conveniently carried. There is said to be a large demand for the machine for purifying the sick rooms of pri 'atc patients. â€"â€"-â€"â€" The great impru'tancc of tclcgrnphv can be clearly seen from statistics latclypublisli- ed. It is shown that there are 2,000,000 miles of land lines existing, valued at $210,000,000. The cables belonging to Governments are l3,|78 miles long, and are ‘alucd at $20,000,000. The cablc companies have 107,000 miles of cable, costing (SIN),- 000,000, and have a. total capital of S20,” )0,- 000. The gross expenditure on land lines and cables has been over $300,000,000. All this has been created during the last fifty years, and most of the submarine cable por- tion during the last twenty-five years. A case of considerable interest to electrical engineers is now pending in England. 'l'hri c of the engineers of a local electric lightng company were summoned by a barrister for damage to trees by wires. At an early por- iod difficulty had existed with the trees, and several poles had been shifted in consequence of the owners giving notice that they would not allow the trees to be cut. The pri-sent action arose out. of the damage alleged to be done to trees dedicated to the public in the avenue outside the complainant‘s grounds, and over which he claimed rights. The. question is being argued on points of law, it being rcgardcd as a test case, and impor- tant interests being involved. It is main- tained that. the freehold extends to the middle of the road, although the sovereign and subjects have rights to pass. A noch use for the electric motor is re- ported from Altoona, where a motnpwurkcd fan is employed in a vault whcrc books are kcpt in order, to preserve them from the effect of damp. The prices paid for certain recent inven- tions are such as to give clicnurageuiciit to those plucky and undnnntcd inventors who are still struggling to mature and formulate their idea. Major \Vatkin receivml for his range-finder Sl'II'iJKKl and $300,000 has been paid for the llrcnncn torpedo. â€"'â€"â€"â€".-._._ . . He Wasn’t Green. “Let me have a five, please. go to a church social." "wily, it's free." “You don't say so ! 'l'licn you‘d better let me have a ten.” I want to Bound to Maintain the Dignity of the Office at an Cost. “Yo' Sime' 1 lleali yo’ pa jen ’lccted prea- ident ob dc Human '(Jicty, im' yo', de son ob dc president a-fruwin' disgrace on biz high office by a-pullin' an' a-limilin' poo’ Tige 'roun' in dc face ob do public! Leg go yo' hole (lat dang. or I beat yo' wiulin a inch ob yo’ life, m y.,' Smut-fobnuthin’ niggab :y’U' - A Popular Article. Drug Store Clerk-“lbw does the fl ' pa wr that I sold you go, Mrs. Hendricks '3" . fr“. Hendricksâ€"“The flies arc-just stuck on it."