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mansms;mf..xm.as . .» .n£.n‘nl\:l~‘llkw.nr:-Ih.â€".J.w ' z©¢®¢€¢©¢®6©0©0©0©0©9 g erase mus ll SO©0©O©O©O©¢©O©O©¢©¢©¢Q> O O©0©0®O<O Jack Waring was bashful, but it was a question if he was any more bashful than Ethel Talcott. They could not speak to each other on even the most trivial subjects with- -out stammering and, blushing, but Jack persisted in calling, despite the apparent discomfort his visits causâ€" ed both. Everybody could see that he ,was desperately in love, and it was -a saying among their friends that if Jack could ever summon up the courage to propose, Ethel would be too bashful to refuse him, wheth- er she loved him or not. She had just come out at the beginning of the sermon, about the same time that Jack, who had just graduated from college and entered his father's busiâ€" ness, of which he was prospective heir, first began to attract the at- tention of designing mothers and at- tractive daughters. Perhaps it was while avoiding them that he met Ethel, who had found that there are ways of keeping out Of sight when a' ballroom was crowded with other girls who Were enjoying themselves. Anyway, some common chord of sympathy made them embarrassed friends from their first meeting. Although Jack was bashful, ‘ he called on Ethel as often as he dared, but in spite of "all resolution to overcome his diffidence he made little progress with his suit. They could get along fairly well when there were others in the room with them, but when left to themselves they suffered. Unlike most young people in a similar Case, they courted rather than avoided the company of Ethel’s little brother, Gus, and Jack soon became such friends with him that he felt called upon to remember his birthday. This he did by send- ing him an elaborate box of build- ing blocks, which Gus dragged into the parlor on the occasion of his next visit, and insisted that the donor teach him how to build with them. * “What shall I build ?” ed “Build me a. big hotel like the one Ethel and I were at last summer." Jack obediently drew his chair to the middle of the room and began on a suitable design. But he soon found that building while sitting on a chair was difficult, and as Gus was sprawled comfortably on the floor watching the work, he presently slip- ped down beside him. Now, it is a peculiar thing about building blocks that although they are always bought for children, very few childâ€" ren can work out the designs that go with them, and consequently they are forced to call upon their elders to help them. Moreover, theirelders usuallytake kindly to the task, and are apt toget cross if the child in- terferes in any way and delays the work in hand. In a, very few min- utes Jack was as deeply interested as if he were building a sure-enough hotel, and Gus watched with admirâ€" Jack ask- ation. Presently he tried 'to put in‘ place an arch that was in two pieces and needed other blocks to be placed beside it in order to keep it in place, but in doing so he knocked a. corner out of the buildâ€" ing with his elbow. “You clumsy boy !" exclaimed Ethel, who had been watching with the most intense interest. “Here-â€" let me hold them," and a moment later she was sitting on the floor with them. Jack patiently rebuilt the damâ€" aged corner, and then Ethel held the arch until he had built around it. "Now make some bathing houses on the beach,” commanded Gus. Jack obeyed, and then Gus brought out some men and Women cut out of cardboard and set them around to represent the guests. “Here’s you and Ethel. I’ll intro- duce you, for you weren’t acquaint- ed then," saidtho young rascal, as he placed the figure of a'man raisâ€" ing his hat before that of a young woman with .a, parasol. “All right," said ‘Jack, “But I am not raising my hot at her as I should. 1 am raising it at the far corner of the building. Here, let me set them right." Saying that, he reached out and turned the figure representing himâ€" self so that it faced the figure repre- senting Ethel. Immediately a white hand shot out and turned the back of the pasteboard belle toward the bowing figure. "Snubbed !" exclaimed Jack, havâ€" ing a boldness for his pasteboard representative that he never would haw presumed to have for himself. “But you don’t know him yet. He’s the checkicst man on the beach, at heart ;" and he moved his repre~ sentathe with his now in front ‘ of the maid with the parasol. "And she's the haughtiest. girl at the beach," said Ethel, as she again snubbed her cavalier. "Try them behind the hotel where the hammock is and folks ain't look- in’," volunteered Gus. “Great head !" exclaimed Jack, picking up the two figures to make the change. "Take care whom you're handling like that !” exclaimed Ethel, grasp- ing him by the wrist and striving to pry his fingers loose from her figure. There was a struggle full of the abandpn gayety of the nursery, to which the block had brought them back far from the formalities and embarrassments of social life. Gus jumped into the struggle to help ,\.- u-‘wr‘ away up in northern Nol‘Way, and I .7“. Jack, and in the general mixâ€"up the hotel was wrecked worse than any house that was ever built on sand. The clatter brought them back to themselves again, but the nursery spirit remained with them. They once more had the frank fearlesslyy of children and could look one an- other in the face' without blushing. “Now, you must buildme some- thing else, you two," whined Gus, over the ruins of his hotel. For an hour theybuilt and re- built all kinds of houses to the in- finite delight of the boy, who watch- ed and ‘criticised. At last they dis- . rrreed about what should be built. “Let’s build a. cottage," said Jack. “No, let's build a church," said Ethel. “No, let’s build both,” said Gus. So, as there were plenty of blocks to build both, they started a race to see who could finish first. But it was a peculiar thing that Jack built with his left hand and Ethel with her right while each leaned on the hand that was supposedly disengag- ed. But an observer less interested in building than Gus might have noticed that the two hands not used iii-building were trying to rest on the same spot of floor, and occasâ€" ionally the fingers intertwined in a way that brought the color to the cheeks of the two young people, whose faces were carefully averted. “Jack’s cottage is done first,” cried Gus, srrawling forward with his cardboard figures. “And here you. are both gomg in the front gate." “But we should go to the church before we go to the cottage," said Jack, gallantly. "Don’t you =think so, Ethel ?" ‘ A gentle squeeze of the hand was the only response. “Then it-is settled," he exclaimed, in a. trembling voice, glancing at the back of an averted head. "First to the church and then to my cot- tage." ‘ Another pressure of assent. Just what would’ have happened next, in spite of the presence of Gus, will never be known, for his mother, who had entered the room unnoticed, suddenly exclaimed : “Well, bless my heart, is this a nursery ? Bless you, my children." They both sprang to their feet in confusion, but Jack still clung to Ethel’s hand. Her mother looked from one to the other, and then Jack managed to stammer : “That’s rightâ€"we Want blessing." "Engaged !" exclaimed the moth- er. “Well I never, and that boy in the room all the time 1 Talk about bashful people !" . "Never mind that," said Jack, suddenly grown as bold as brass, as he planted his first kiss on Ethel’s lips. "The’question is, do we get the blessing ?” v “You’ll be able to tell better after you are married,” said the mother, as she pushed them ahead of her toward the study, where her husband your was sitting, pretending not to o‘er-. hear. . -+___._. GEOGRAPHY AND MORALS. A Traveller Relies on Promises According to Latitude. “Moral obligation appears to- be a geographical question,” said Mr. Jacob Wright, an English engineer. “It's true,” he continued. “I have had lots of experience in the north- ern hemispheres of this world of ours. and I rely on promises being fulfilled under the power of moral obligation according to my latitude. When a business promise is made to me I turn to my map and see what latitude/I am in, for the markings on the map give. me a moral. therâ€" mometer that for general purposes can be relied on. “At the equator we have two, where I never found moral obligcâ€" tion to exist; and as ‘we go north- ward from there we find a, sense of moral obligation toincrcusc degree by degree until we reach the Arctic circle. “This is no theory, for I am speakiug‘from experience. Some of‘ my first engineering work was done learnesto my gratification, what it was to deal with Scandinavians. Never once did I have a, man among them VIOLATE HIS PROMISE. When an agreement is made, they appear to feel it is" absolutely bind- ing. no matter what the effect of its performance may be. Ask others who have been there and they will tell you the same thing. “As you come down the scale and approach zero at the equator you notice that present interest more and more takes the place of moral obliâ€" gation. Conditions are good in the British Islands, Canada and the northern United States, but every now and then you find a contract violated because the violator feels that it is to his interest to violate it. As you work on toward the South you find the heat is evaporatâ€" ing the moral element from obligaâ€" tions more and more and the proâ€" portion of absolute selfishness and concentrated indifference increases. “When you are at the equator you have reached zero. There is no trace of obligation to be found. I' have just come from there, and my last experience is fresh in my mind. My final contract was made with two natives of Villa Nova. at the mouth of the Amazon, for a boat that they were to put at my disposal the next morning, and it was made in good Portuguese, too. The next 'day, when the boat did not come, I hunt- ed up the othcr parties to the con- tract, and thev coolly told me that they had a better offer for it." ..,‘.‘m.mm “ p N I} Wyndmwflflrgty we. ., . ggaaaaaaeggggggaaaaegg 4% 6* :3 How Danscy Made if g . . .9 ., Up H13 Mindâ€"m 3: R wsmseeeesmeeeeee "Girls, I want to speak to you.” Said Mrs. Aldertonâ€"Sharp, addressing her two daughters. The girls knew that when their mother spoke in that tone something was going to happen. “What’s the matter, mother?" ask- ed Rose, expectantly. “Mr. Paul Danscy is the matter," returned Mrs. Aldertouâ€"Sharp, with considerable emphasis. Both the girls blushed. Mrs. Alderton-Sharp looked from one to the other, and her bright, inâ€" quisitive blue eyes grew brighter and more inquisitive. Well?" she demanded briskly, as the girls made no reply. “Well?” echoed Rose feebly. “I want to know what you ~mean by it,” said‘their mother. “Wouldn't it be better to ask I’aul â€"Mr. Danseyâ€"what he means by it?" suggested Alice. “That’s what Alice and I want to know,” added Rose. Mrs. Aldertonâ€"Sharp tapped her foot impatiently upon the carpet. “If this state of affairs goes on, I shall be obliged to ask him," she 9 6 and Alice . said.‘ The girls uttered a horrified pro- test. ' "We were only joking.” declared Alice, with a red face. “We should. die of shame if you spoke to Mr. Dansey," said Rose. “Someone will have to do some- thing," announced Mrs. Aldertonâ€" Sharp, with Irarclonable vagueness. For how was it possible to do anything but vague in this ridiculâ€" ously vague affair. What was the distracted mother of two charming and marriage-able daughters to do to a. young man who frankly professed to be devoted to both? “He can’t be in love with both of you,” .said Mrs. Aldertonâ€"Sharp. "That’s what seems to be the matâ€" ter," replied Rose. "AnyWay, he’s very fond of us both," remarked Alice, with anoth- er blush. “And are you content to accept this impossible state of things!" cried the mother, ‘in righteous indigâ€" nation. “We can't help ourselves," return- ed Alice. “Besides, you know, he’s never acâ€". tually made love to us," explained .Rose., "Not made loveto youl" almost screamed Mrs. Aldertonâ€"Sharp. “Doesn't he call here twice, and sometimes three times a week; doesn’t he spend hours in. your soâ€" clety; doesn't he take you every- where; doesn't -he smother your rooms with flowers, and ruin your digestion with the most expensive chocolates; doesn’t he go about pub- licly telling people you are the most charming girls in-the world: doesn't he behave in such a manner that even your father has begun to susâ€" pect something?" “All the same, it can't be called making love." persisted Rose. "Especially as there are two of us," put in Alice. “Yes,” said Rose, “he's irritatingâ€" ly impartial." _ “Then you admit that his conâ€" duct irritates you?” demanded Mrs. Aldertonâ€"Sharp with a. searchâ€" ing glance at her eldest daughter. “Of course,” replied Rose. “Un- certainty is aIWays irritatingâ€" but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m in love with Mr. Dansey. mother," she added, a little sharply. "She's no more in love with him than I. am,” said Alice. Mrs. Alderton-Sharp stared at her daughters in perplexity. “I don’t understand you, girls,” she said. “Doesn’t either of you want tomarry the man?" “Time will show,” answered Alice, enigmatic-ally. “What do you mean by that?" de- manded her mother. “Well, no girl can be expected to know whether she wants to. marry a man. till he's asked her," said Alice. ‘ “No self-respecting girl. ever falls in love with a man till she's cer- tain that he's in love with her," added Rose; “and so, till Mr. Dan- .sey proposes to us-â€"â€"” "To one of us,” corrected Alice. “Till he proposes to one of us~â€"-” “Yes. but which one?” demanded Mrs. Aldcrton-Sharp, impatiently. “That’s, just what we want to know!” cried Rose and Alice in one breath. ' “You have no suspicion?” “Not the slightest," Rose. “Of course Rose is prettier than I," said Alice, thoughtfully. “Nonsense!” exclaimed Rose. sides, you’re more amusing." “I can't understand Mr. Dansey,” said their mother. .“It'isn't as though you two .were so much alike that it would be hard to choose between you; you are such a. perfect contrast. Surely he must know which type he prefers. Has he really never given you a hint?” “Never!” declared Alice. “And we’ve done our best to find out. When I asked him the other day whether he didn't admire tall, dark, majesticâ€"looking womenâ€"" "Meaning me,” interrupted Rose, with a laugh. "Meaning Rose, of course, he said he admired them tremendouslyâ€"" “Which would have been very flat- tering to me if he hadn’t annr iced retu rned ‘ ‘Beâ€" attractive girls, but I don't he’s very the fair, fragile type of beauty equally tremendously! " “I suppose I might be described as fair and fragile," laughed Alice, sur- veying her dainty self in the ror. ‘ “There’s no getting a compliment all to oneself with Paul Dansey,” said Rose. “No sooner has he said something pretty about me than he caps it by saying something even prettier about Alice." “And when he pays me a compliâ€" ment, he immediately neutralizes the effect by paying Rose a bigger one.” “All of which," said Mrs. Alder- tonâ€"Sharp, slowly and impressively. tonâ€"Sharp, slowly and impressively, “points to only one conclusion: Mr. Dansey doesn’t know his own mind." “That’s wha we suspected all along!" cried Alice. It's a very trying state of things." “It's a state of"things that must be remedied,” said her mother, with great firmness. “Yes, but how?" “Girls, we must help Paul Dansey to find out which one of you he is in love with!" “How can we?" “There is only one way,” declared Mrs. Aldcrton-Sharp. “Loave it to me, I will arrange everything.” “What are you going to do?" askâ€" ed Alice and Rose in one breath. “I am going to write ntonce to your aunt at Bigglesthorpe. You shall stay with her for a month." “Stay with Aunt Maryâ€"at Bigâ€" glesthorpe," asked Rose, in amazeâ€" ment. "I don't see what that has to do withâ€"â€"4â€"" ' “Oh," but I do!" cxclaimedAlice. jumping excitedly from her chair. "Mamma, you're a genius!” - ' Mrs. Aldertonâ€"Sharp did not deny the accusation.- , “I. don’t see the connection be- tween Mr. Dansey and Bigglesé thorpe," protested Rose. “He isn't going there, is be?" "No, you stupid, that is just the point," explainedAlicc. “We are goâ€" ing to try the effect of absence upon his wavering heart.” “Exactly,” said her mother. “Ab- sence has taught many a man to know his own mind." “Yesâ€"when there's only one girl.” “Not necessarily," returned Mrs. Aldertonâ€"Sharp. “If absence enâ€" ables a man to realize his feelings towards one girl, why shouldn’t it enable him to realize his feelings to- wards two, or any number, for that matter?‘ ’ This argument seemed unanswerâ€" able. “Don’t you see,” Mrs. Aldcrtonâ€" 2 Sharp continued, warming to her subject, “the reason Mr. Dansey has proposed to neither of you is that he has no clear impression of you in his own mind. His judgment is confused and bewildered by constant association with both, and you have never given him a chance of distin- guishing one from the other.” “Mamma is quite right," interposâ€" ed Alice. “Paul Danscy looks upon us collectively as a couple. of very clear as to which. attracâ€" tions belong to which. Anyhow, he certainly hasn't made up his t” mind which of us possesses the most at- tractionsâ€"for him." “And you think our going away will help him to make it up?" "I am mirâ€" I thinks; practically .gil'ted to sure of it,” declared Mrs. along with PERSONAL POINTERS .' Interest About Some leading People. Notes of Lord Kitchener, when in the Sou- dan, received a, bullet wound in th( check from an Arab rifle. The bul- let, after remaining in the flesh fox some time, fell into his plate at a London restaurant. ' No one has amassed millions sq rapidly as Mr. Alfred Belt, the Soutl African millionaire, who is reputed U be the wealthiest man in the world His fortune is said to exceed $1,: 000,000,000, arid he has an incoml sufficient to make ten new million aires every year. The whole of hi: colossal fortune Was. made within 1 period of twontyâ€"flve years. A “Prize of Virtue” has been con ferred by the French Academy 01 Mlle. Bonnefois, who has devoted he: life to the education of the children who live in booths and caravans She goes the round of all the grea fairs .and sets up her tent schoo among the shows and circuses, do ing an immense amount of good. Sir is very popular among her rougl clients, young and old. I Mr. Joseph Leiter owns a pa monkey, which not infrequently ‘ha an honored place at the dinner ta ble. Jacko’s evening suit consist of coat and trousers of brown cloth with large brass buttons, and a: “under vest.” He conducts himsel with great propriety, but sometime loses his self-control ‘when the do: sert comes on. He is, shortlyto b furnished with a new” evening sui in order that he may appear in th regulation attire at the numerou dinners he is being invited to. ‘For several years the Sultan a j Turkey’s private theatre at Go: stantinople has given employment t a considerable number .of actors an actresses. It is related that on on occasion, when some Greek perform crs were giving “Othello,” the Su.‘ tan was so much affected at the a; proachlng murder of Desdemona the he raised his hand and forbade the she should be smothered. The fol lowing night the play was again pre sented, but, by the Sultan’s order: the final act was changed and th tragic incident eliminated. Most people who come in contau with him dread the biting sarcasm and caustic wit which, when though necessary, Lord Salisbury can but at some offending antagonist. On on during a political discus sup Sail occaSion, slon, Lord Salisbury and his porters were one of his opponents: never get you to agree with us, yoI are such a complete set of Philla tines.” To this the Marquis quietl; replied: “Do you recollect wha happened to the Philistlnes" “. don't," wasthe reply. “They wen smitten by the jawâ€"bone of in ass,” said his lordship. And th other collapsed. 1n--Glasgow the Y.M.C.A. has 5 magnificent building, which ' wa it by,Lorf .Overtoun, one of the city's riches merchant princes. There is a res .taurant in the building which pro vides a good threeâ€"course dinner fo one shilling, and in it the donor 0 the colossal building may very oftei be seen eating his shilling’s wort] the regular customers in a minority. Alderton-Sharp with decision. “That Who are, 0f COUI‘SG, Pl‘illclpally Clerk‘ Bigglesthorpe will show Paul month at which of you is to be Mrs. Dansey.” ' Exactly three weeks after the conversation above recorded, the Misses Aldcrton-Sharp returned to town, summonedthither by a brief and somewhat vague letter from their mother. “Well?” demanded Rose and Alice expectantly, as soon as the first greetings were over. Mrs. Aldertonâ€"Sharp hesitated be- fore replying. , 1 “Girls,” she said at last, “there is no reason why you should bury yourselves at Bigglesthorpe any longer.” “'l‘hcn' he's made up his mind at last!" cried Rose eagerly. “Yes, he’s made up his mind,” said her mother. _ “And he's confided in you, mam- ma!" exclaimed Alice. “To a certain extentâ€"#yes,” reâ€" plied Mrs. Aldertonâ€"Sharp, in visible perturbation. “It’s Rose, of course!” “Of course, it’s Alice!" "My poor girls," returned Mrs. Alderton-Sharp, sadly. “It's neith- er." ' “Mammal What can you mean?" “I mean," said their mother, in a chastened voice. “I mean that. the experiment from which we had hoped so much has not had the result we anticipated." ' “But you say he has made up his mind!" Mrs. Alderton-Sharp swallowed an imaginary pill. “Mr. Dansey has made up his mind,” she said, choking;“ he has made up his mind to marry your friend, Ella, Harrison."â€"Pearson's Weekly. +~â€"â€"-â€"~ A TOOTHPICK TOWN. Only one characteristic distin- guishes the little. village of Strong, Maine, from the thousands of others that are scattered all over New Eng- land. That is the peculiar industry which serves to support the entire community. Strong Is famous for nothing but toothpicks, but it is known in the trade as the place from in the same breath, that be admired United States. which come the majority of the- toothpicks that are used in the -. - 'I... and others who have not too mucl money. It is certainly novel. to so a millionaire dining with, perhaps a. hundred men whose combined in comes for a year probably do 1101 equal that of the millionaire for week. ' _ - The veteran painter, Mr. I‘Iolmar IIunt, now in his seventy~flfth year did not commence life as an artist although his first Royal Academ} picture, was painth when he Will only twenty years of age. It. was ll an auctioneer’s office that be com menccd life, pursuing the routinl work of a clerk, but even then ther: was no mistaking the bent of hi: mind. of ground glass, and to vary tin monotony 'of clerking young IIun' took to drawing life-size flies on till roughened surface. As the day: passed by so the number of flies in creased, until at last the head of tin firm, stopping in front of the glass, exclaimed, “The flies are becoming more and more of a, nuisance herd and seem to .multiply daily." Ant taking his handkerchief he attempted to flick them off! Sir‘J. H. A. Macdonald. Lord Jus- tice Clerk of Scotland, is entitled tc write no fewer than twenty-seven let ters of the alphabet after his name These letters are: P. C., K.C., K.C. 13., LL.D., F.R.S., F.R.S.E., M.I.E. E. (member of Institute of Electrical Engineers), J.P., D.L. (deputy-lieu- tenant), and V.D. (Volunteer decor- ation). It is not generally known that it was chiefly through his exer- tions that post-cards were introduc- ed into Great ’ Britain. He is at: enthusiastic motorist and an author- ity on such diversified subjects a! tactics, the fine arts, criminal law, football, electricity, volunteering and golf. Recently he told an amus ed audience at a public dinner, ten dered to him on his retirement iron the Volunteers, that his first act or becoming a_Volunteer was to g: straight home and shave of‘f aver; fine, large, and promising pair 0 whiskers. Small wonder that alto: such devotion he rose to be Brlga dier-General. +â€" Nell~â€"“W-hy did you marry the: driedâ€"up old millionaire?” Belle -â€" i wouldn't have had him for al his money. a ‘ “But he said he would die for me.’ A _ ‘ ‘We shal . The office windows were madla ’Lf~ . zumW-w.~f .< .7 ~ . i g g g i a F i ;;- .'\.'§rI\ , K,» - ,. . ._._ - , ‘» ~. -.I - ..-,.~..»~.m.- . ,~,A. t, g...‘ __- awayâ€"- «(v‘ffxâ€"«un-c ‘ - .7. .._,,.,... h. _.. .J‘. ‘uâ€""w3W ‘ ~., .- :mfi,;.-ufh’wmliap waxvtc _, _ NA,“ .vn -. :A 1 ‘¢‘.g~.-¢¢("‘ \: .u