Kawartha Lakes Public Library Digital Archive

Fenelon Falls Gazette, 30 Aug 1895, p. 2

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"sinsâ€"1m or ADVENTURE. It was a small room, scantily furnished. 3 medieval castlesâ€"made of huge beams with the same marks of neglect and decay l “wiped Lost-“let With iron. It was as _. . geasy to break as a square of the Old which metusat every turn. The walls ware And our cries emu“ m be of Guard. hung with discoloured tapestry which had t a, “file “111 ‘3 our blows, for they come loose at one corner, so as to upon I only brought for answer the clatter-lug the rough stonework behind. A second “3°” from the "‘85 ’0‘“ Pb?“ '“3- . . . . W hen you have done some soldiering, you door, hung with a curtain, laced us upon when I thought of them and how minute I saw only'the blazing blue eyes. helpless we were tip on” her, and the red glazed point which stabbed and But I am not easily bafiled. After all, stabbed, reaping ofl‘ to right or to left. and this key must have been sent to us for a yet over back at my throat and my breast. purpose. The lady could not bring us that had never thought that such good sword- i of the door, because this murderous step- play was to be found at Paris in the days father of hers would most certainly have it. of the Revolution. I do not suppose that. in his pocket. Yet this other must have a in all my little affairs I have met six men meaning, or why should she risk her life to who had a better knowledge of their place it in our hands 2 It would say little . Weapon. But he knew that I was his . soon learn to put up With what cannot be the other side. Betweeulayaequare table: i altered. It was I, then, who first recover- strewn with ‘dirty dishes and the sordid '95 my Gimme". and PXGVfliled “POD Duroc remains of a meal. Several bottles were scattered over it. At the head of it, and facing us,there sat a huge man,with a lion- like head and a great shock of orange- coloured heir. His heard was of the same glaring hue; matted and tangled and coarse as a horse’s mane. I have seen some strange faces in my time,but never one more brutal than that,with its emsll,vicious,biu° eyes, its white, crumpled checks, and the thick,hanging lip which pretruded ov:r his monstrous beard. His head swayed about on his shoulders, and he looked at us with the vague,dim gaze of a drunkeuman. Yet he was not so drunk but that our uniforms carried their message to him. “ Well, my brave boys,” he hiccoughed. “ What is the latest news from Paris, eh? You're going to free Poland, I hear, and have meantime all become slaves your- selvesâ€"slaves to a little aristocrat with his grey coat and his threecornered hat. No more citizens either, I am told, and nothing but inonsieur and madame. My faith, some more heads will have to roll into the sawdust basket some of these mornings.” ' Duroc advanced in silence,and stood by the rutfian’s side. “Jean Carabin," said he. The Baron started, and the film of drunkenness seemed to be clearing from his eyes. “Jean Gambia,” said Duroc, once more. He sat up and grasped the arms of his chair. “ What do you mean by repeating that name, young man ‘2” he asked. “ Jl-an Carabin, you are a man whom I have long wished to meet.” “ Supposmg that I once had such a name how can it concern you, since you must. have been a child when I bore it ‘2” ” My name is Duroc.” “Not the son ofâ€"â€"-?" “ The son of the man you murdered.” 'Ihe Baron tried to laugh, but there was terror in his eyes. “ We must let bygones be bygones, young man,” he cried. “ It was our life or theirs in those days : the aristocrats or the people. Your father Was of the Gir- onde. He fell. I was of the mountain. Most of my comrades fell. It was all the fortune of war. We "it'll? forget all this - andlsarn to know each other better, you and I." Helield out a red twitching hand as he spoke. “ Enough,” said young lluroc. “ If I were to pass my sabre through you as you sit in that chair, I should do what is just and right. I dishonor my blade by amazing it with yours. And yet you are a French- man, and have even held a commission un- der the same flag as myself. Rise, then and defend yourself. " Tilt, tut !" cried the Baron. “ It is all very well for you young bloodsâ€"â€"â€"" Durac’s patience could stand no more. lie swung his open hand into the centre of the great orange beard. I saw a lip fringed with blood, and two glaring blue eyes above it. “ You shall die for that blow.” ” That is better,” said Duroc. _ “ My sabre !” cried the other ; “ I will not keep you waiting, Ipromise you !” and he hurried irom the room. I have said that there was a second door covered With a curtain. Hardly had the Baron vanished when there ran from behind it a woman, young and beautiful. So swiftly and noiselessly did she move that she was betiveeii us in an instant, and it was only the shaking curtains which told us whence she had come. ” I have seen it, all," she cried. “ 0h. sir, you have carried yourself splendidly." She stooped to my companion’s hand. and kissed it again and again ere he could dis- engage it. {ruin her grasp. “ Nay, madame, why should you kiss' my hand 1" he cried. “ Because it is the hand which struck him on his vile, lying mouth. Because it may be the hand which will avenge my mother. I am his step-daughter. Thel woman whose heart he broke was my l mother. I loathe him, I fear him. Ah, there is his step !" In an instant she had vanished as suddenly as she had come. A l “Wine!” later; “he Bil-mu entered With “ only objection is that we should ourselves Chair behind hin' drawn sword in his hand. and the fellow who had admitted us at his heels. l “ This is my secretary,” said he. " He I will be my friend in this ail‘air. But We: shall need more elbow-room than we can: find here. Perhaps you Will kindly come! “‘llh me i 'i:ul'u spacious apartment.” 1: was . ly impossible to fight. in a chamber i was blocked by a great. table. \. ..loived him out, therefore, into the uiuily-lit hall. At the fartheri end alight was shining through an openI door. i n We shall find what: We want in hers.” I fluid the man with the dark heard. It was' a large, empty room, with rows of barrels and cases round the walls. A strong lamp stood upon a shelfin the corner. The floor to join with me in examining the apartment which had become our dungeon. There was only one window, which had no glass in it and was so narrow that one could not so much as getone’s head through. It was high up, and Duroc had to stand upona barrel in order to see from it. “What can you see 1’” I asked. “Fir-woods, and an avenue of snow be- tween them," said he. “Ah !” he gave a cry of surpr1se. I sprang upon the barrel beside him, There was. as he said, a long, clear strip of snow in front. A man was riding down it, flogging his horse and galloping like a mad- man. As we watched,he grew smaller and smaller, until he was swallowed up by the black shadows of the forest. “What does that mean I” asked Duroc. “No good for us,” said I. “He may have gone for some brigands to cut our throats. Let us see if we cannot find a way out of this mouse-trap before the cat can arrive. The one piece of good fortune in our favor was that beautiful lamp. It was nearly full of oil, and would last us until morning. In the dark our situation would have been far more difficult. By its light we proceed- ed to examine the packages and cases which lined the walls. In some places there was only a single line of them, while in one corner they were piled nearly to the ceiling. It seemed that we were in the storehouse of the Castle, for there were a great number of cheeses, vegetables of various kinds, bins full of dried fruits, and a line of wine barrels. One of these had a spigot in it, and as Ihad eaten little during the day, l was glad of a cup oi claret and some food. As to Duroc, he would take nothing, but paced up and down the room in a fever of anger and impatience. “I'll have him yet !" he cried every now and then. “The rascal shall not escape me !” This was all very well, but it seemed to me, as I sat on a great round cheese eating my supper, that this youngster was think- ing rather too much of his own family affairs and too little of the fine scrape into which he had got me. After all, his father had been dead fourteen years, and nothing could set that right ; but here was Etienne Gerard, the most dashing lieutenant in the whole Grand Army, in imminent danger of being cut off at the very outset of his brilliant career. Who was ever to know the heights to which I might have risen if I were knocked on the head in this iiole~and-corner business,which had nothing whatever to do with France or the Emperor? I could not. help thinking what a fool I had been, when I had a fine war before me and everything which a man could desire, to go of} upon a hair-braised expedition of this scrt. as if it were not enough to have a quarter of a million Rus~ sians to fight against, without plunging into all sorts- of private quarrels as well. “That is all very well,” J said at last, as I heard Duroc muttering his threats. “You may do what you like to him when you get the upper hand. At present the question rather is, what is he going to do to us ‘2" "Let him do his worst !” cried the boy. “I owe a duty to my father." 1 “That is mere foolishness,” said I. “If you owe a duty to your father, I owe one to my mother, which is to get out of this business safe and sound.” My remark brought him to his senses. “I have thought too much of myself i” he cried. “Forgive me, M ansieiir Gerard. Give me your advice as to what I should do.” “Well,” said I, “it is not for our health that they have shut, us up here among the cheeses. They mean to make an end of us if they can. That is certain. They hope that no one knows that we have come here, and that none will trace us if we remain. Do your hussars know where you have gone to ‘2" “I said nothing.” “Hum ! It is clear that we cannot be starved here. They must come to us if they are to kill us. barrels we could hold our own against the | live rascals whom we have seen. That is, probably, Why they have sent that messeng- er for assistance.” “We must get out before he returns.” “Precisely, if we are to get out at all.” “Could we not burn down this door?” he cried. “Nothiugcould be easier," said I. are several casks of oil in the corner. My be nicely toasted. like two little oyster pales.” “Can you not suggest something?” he cried, in despair. “Ah, what is that '3” There had been a low‘sounri at our little "'3 we bwke ,i"! and “I”? “POI? “5 in an fully fro over all it! parts. fitting came between the inflahh helium and dNVIDE. With 3 our“ ' together so that the watch may be regulated window, and a shadow for our ivits if We could not find out what master. that meaning might be. . I set to work moving all the cases out from the wall, and Duroc, gaining new hope from my courage, helped me With all his strength. It was no light task, for, many of them were large and heavy. 0n We went. working like maniacs, slinging barrels, cheeses, and boxes poll-mall into the middle of ‘the room. At last there only remained one huge barrel of vodki,. which stood in the corner. With our’ united strength we rolled it out, a (I there was a little low wooden door inthe wainscot I behind it. The key fitted, and with a cry of delight we saw it swing open before us. “'ith the lamp in my hand, I squeezed my way in, followed by my companion. \Ve were in the powder magazine of the castleâ€"a rough, walled cellar, with barrels all round it. and one with the top staved in in the centre. The powder from it lay in a black heap upon the floor. Beyond there was another door, but it was locked. “ We are no better off than before,” cried Duroc. “ We have no key." “ We have a dozen,” I cried. “ Where?” I pointed to the line of powder barrels. “ You would blow this door open ‘2" “ Precisely." “ But you would explode the magazine." It was true, but I was not. at the end of my resources. " We will blow open the store-room door," I cried. I ran back and seized at in box which had been filled with candles. It was about the size of my shakeâ€"large enough to hold several pounds of powder. Duroc filled it while I cut off the end of a candle. When He read death in my eyes, and I could see that he read it. The flush died from his face. His breath came in shorter and in thicker gasps. Yet he fought on, even after the final thrust had come. and MADAEISGAR PRINGESSES. DUSKY FEMALES WHO MANAGE TO HAVE A LOVELY TIME. Two Drink and One or Thesis Chen‘s- .\oble Dames of the Royalt‘ourt Who (“onliln't Resist the Engaging French officersâ€"The Morality el’llse Natives ts Very Bad. Madagascar's royal princesses have been prominent, thoughâ€"from this distance-â€" died still hacking and cursing, with foul cries upon his lips, and his blood clotting upon his orange beard. I who speak to you have seen so many battles, that my old memory can scarce contain their names, and yet of all the terrible sights which these eyes have rested upon, there is none which I care to think of less than of that orange heard with the crimson stain in the centre, from which I had drawn my sword point. It was only afterwards that I had time to think of all this. His monstrous bodyl had hardly crashed down upon the floorl before the woman in the corner sprang to her feet, clapping her hands together and screaming out in her delight. For my part I was disgusted to see a woman take such delight in a'deed of blood, and I gave no thought as to the terrible wrongs which must have befalleu her before she could so far forget the gentleness of her sex. It was on my tongue to tell her sharply to be silent, when a strange, choking smell took the breath from my nostrils, and a sudden, yellow glare brought out the figures upon the faded hangings. “ Duroc, Duroc !” I shouted, tugging at his shoulder. “The Castle is on fire !” The boy lay senseless upon the ground, exhausted by his wounds. .I rushed out came. It was our explosion which had set alight to the dry framework of the door. Inside the storemoom some of the boxes were already blazing. I glanced in, and as we had finished, it, would have puzzled a I did_so my blood was turned to water by colonel of engineers to make a betterfthe Sight 0f the powder bfirl‘els beyond. peiard. I put three cheeses on the top of each other and placed it above them, so as to lean against the lock. Then we lit our candle-end and ran for shelter, shutting the door of the magazine behind us. It is no joke, my friends, to lie among all those tons of powder, with the knowledge that if the flame of the explosion should penetrate through one thin door our black- ened limbs would be shot. higher than the Castle keep. _Whu could have believed theta half-inch "of candle could take so long to burn ‘2 My ears were straining all the time for the thudding of the hoofs of the Cossacks who were coming to destroy us. I had almost made up my mind that; the candle must have gone out when‘ there was a smack like a bursting boom, i our door flew to bits, and pieces of cheese, with a shower of turnips, apples, and splinters of cases, were shot in among us. As we rushed out we had to stagger' through an impenetrable smoke, with all! sorts of debris beneath our feet, but- there i was a glimmering square where the dark: door had been. The petard had done its work. In fact, it had done more for us than we had even ventured to hope. Itliad shat- tered gaolers as well as gaol. The firstI thing that I saw as I came out into the hall was a man with a butcher's axe in his hand, lying flat upon his back, with a? and of the loose heap upon the floor. It might be seconds, it could not be more than minutes, before the flames would-be at the edge of it. These eyes will be closed in death, my friends, before they cease to see, those crawling lines of fire and the black heap beyond. How little I can remember what follow- ed. Vaguely I can recall how I rushed into the chamber of death, how I seized Duroc by one limp hand and dragged him down the hall, the woman keeping pace with me and pulling at the other arm. Out of the gateway we rushed, and on down the snow-covered path until we were on the fringe of the fir forest. It was at that moment that I heard a crash behind me. and glancing round, saw a great spout; of fire shoot up into the wintry sky. An instant later there seemed to come asecond crash far louder than the first. I saw the fir trees and the stars whirling round me, and I fell unconscious across the body of my comrade. It was some weeks before I came to my~ self in the post-house of Arensdorf, and longer still before 1 could be told all that into the hall to see whence the danger‘ and gave mean account of it. He it was who told me how a piece of timber had struck me on the head and had laid me almost. dead upon the ground. From him, too, I gaping wound across his forehead. Theilearned how the Polish girl had run to second Was a huge dog, with two of m; l Arensdorf, how she roused our hussars,and legs broken, twisting in agony upon the l hOW She had only it!“ brought them back floor. As it raised itself up I saw the in time to save us from the spears of the two broken ends flapping like flailg, As’Cossacks who had been summoned from the same instant, I heard a, cry, and them their bivouac by that same black-bearded was Duroc. thrown against the wall, with IBOCPOLM‘Y Whom we have seen galloping so the other hound’s teeth in his throat. He swiftly over the snow. As to the brave pushed it. off with his left; hand, while y lady who had twice saved our lives, I could again andagain he passed his sabre through E DOD lem‘n very much about her at that its body, but if; was not until I blew out; 1 moment from Duroc, but when I chanced nTherelvillaiuies, he had aproper figure for a its brains with my pistol that the iron to meet him in Paris two years later, after jaws relaxed, and the fierce, eyes were glazed in death. , There was no time for us to pause. blonghog the campaign of Wagram, I was not very much surprised to find that I needed no A introduction to his bride, and that by the woman’s scream from in frontâ€"a scream of queer turns of fortune he had himself, had mortal terrorâ€"told us that even now we: might be too late. There were two otheri men in the hall, but they cowered awayl from our drawn swords and furious faces. The blood was streamingfrom Duroc’s neck and dyeing the grey 'fur of his pelisse. Such l was the lad‘s firs, however, that he shot- in i front of me, and it was only over hisi shoulder that I caught a glimpse of the‘ scene as we rushed into the chamber in! Castle of Gloom. l The Baron was standing in the middle of f the room, with his tangled mane bristling; like an angry lion. He was, as 1 have said. a huge man, with enormous shoulders :; and as he stood there,with his face flushed l with rage and his sword advanced, I could i not but think that, in spite of all his; The lady lay cowering in aI A weal across one ofl gi'enadier. her white arms and a dog-whip upon the. floor were enouin to show that our escape ; had hardly been in time to save her from his brutality. He gave a bowl like a wolf; stars and ourselves. A small, white hand at 8‘78"" mm“ . was stretched into the lliniplight. borne- thing glittcred between the fingers. " Quick ! quick !" cried a woman voice. We were on the barrel in an instant. “ They have sent ‘for the Cossacks. Your lives are at stake. Ah, I am lost ! I am lost 3" I have already said that the room gave ~ no space for swordmanship. My young in companion was in front of me in the nar- ‘i pler, row passage between the table and thei be chosen to use it, that very name and title of the Baron Strauhenthal, which showed him to be the owner of the blacken- ed ruins of the Castle of Gloom. (TO BE CONTINUED.) WATCH ADJUSTERS. Behind a barricade of which Awe had first seen the master of the _ Men Who Study Timepieces as Physlclims Study Their 01d Pnllents. Perhaps the most highly skilled and best paid men in the watchmaking businrsa are the watch adjusters. One adjuster in a great factory used to receive $10,000 a year. The adjuster's work is one of the import. ant elements of cost in the making of a fine watch, and a $10,000 adjuster should be competent to perfect any watch, whatever its delicacy and cost. It is the business of the adjuster to take a new watch and cars- them to keep time accurately to the fraction of a minute a month. Regulating is a very dif- ferent process from adjusting and much sim- A watch that cannot be regulated sol as to keep accurate time may need the handof had befallen me. It was Duroc, already able to go soldicring, who came to.my' bedside We"; 30 that I “aid only [00" 01' Without the adjuster, and if it is valuable,the owner being able ‘°_ aid him- The 1‘d knew will be advued to havsitadjusted. There something 0‘ hm “70313011: 3nd W33 33 56?“ g are watch adjusters in large cities, working and active as a Wild cat, but in '0 narrow I. v on their own account and earning very There was the sound of rushing steps, a aI"we “36 “will” and "rengh 0‘ the Giant comfortable incomes. hoarse oath, a blow, and the stars were once more twinkling through the window. Ila-V0 him “‘0 “dunmgm Glide“. he W“ To the adjuster every watch that comes an admirable BWOfdlmn- Bil Plflde Ind ’ under his hands gets to have a character of was level and true, so that no swordsman ,- we stood helpiu. upon our b‘frel with our “pone were I8 quick ‘8 lightning. TWice l its own. He knows every wheel and screw could ask for more. Duroc drew his sabrel and sprang into it. The Baron stood back ' with a bow and motioned me to follow my companion. ' over the threshold when the heavy door crashed behind us and the key screamed in the lock. We were taken in a trap. Foramoment we could not realize it. Such incredible baseneas was outside all our exponences. Then. as we understood how foolish we had been to trust for an instant a man with such a history a flush of rage - v ersi us, rage against his vil- lainy anw .st our own stupidity. We rushed at oor together, heating it with our fists and kicking with our heavy boots. The sound of our blows and of our steera- tions must have reeounded through the Castle. We called to this vil'ain, hurling at him every name which might pierce even into his hardened souL But the door was enormousâ€"inch a door as one finds in Hardly were my heeisr blood cold with horror. Half a minute afterwards we heard a smothered scream, ending in a choke. A great door slammed somewhere in the silent night. " Those rullians have seized her. They ' will kill her." I cried. ‘ Duroc sprang down with the inarticnlate shouts of one whose reason had left hm. He struck the door so frantically with his naked hands that helefta blotch of blood tapestry-commi n": breathing in lime. l dividnal with every blow. “ Here is the key !" I shouted. picking one from the floor. " She must have - . ., ' is thrown it in at the instant that she was "‘1‘ 3"“ mn'emence‘ torn away.” My companion snatched it from me with me!" h° p‘nfed‘ a shriek of joy. A moment later he dashed it down upon the boards. It was so small that it was lost his head between his hands. He sobbed in his despair. I could have sobbsd, too, “3 1”?“ “ 31° 11 0. “Adm. For 3 in a" gnu-mo." 1,“. room. Besides. if all other were yvautin , Duroc sank upon one of the boxes with I '°° “a” “mugh “Po” “1“ “le “mo' be much“! D‘u'oc PP“ “1° "maid". and and spindle that help to constitute the “"30. M “11° [1‘1 f'hPIi’“l “P 0“ {lwngei watch. He knows its constitution as a he whirled up his sword to finish him hygicign Know. u.“ of “1 old “that. before he could recover his feet. I was 9 cm a, win; the mm“, used. “to, m quicker than 113. WWW". find @003! the ! accident, and can advise as to whether it is out upon the pommel of my sabre. worn, winning. "Excuse me." said I, " but you havel N still to deal with Etienne Gerard.” He drew back and leaned 0 new watch can be depended upon . ‘ until it has passed through the hands of the BEND“ theladjuster for however admirable the in- , , ' parts of the works, their perfect hoarse gasps. for 11“ foul lmng Wfllbalance is to be obtained only by such against him. , t . istudy and experiment as it is the business “Take your brelfvh.’ “Id 1- "15111 of the adjuster tomake. The adjuster is _ 'a highly skilled mechanic, with wide “You MW 110 “‘1” 0‘ Qu‘flel BEND“. knowledge of his trade, and the utmost , v ' deftnees in its prosecution. “ I owe you some little attention," said .I I, “ for having shut me up in your storev In Safe Bands. “Have your wa , then t" he snarled, moods! They're still in the family, I hope? Oh, yea, my uncle has them. . ,insisied npo ithe tumor that had in the meantime as- What has become of all your fine dia- aumed alarming proportions. shadowy figures in all the stirring and dramatic scenes of the war that France is now waging to rcestablish her protectorate over that savage isle. A Frenchman who served his Governâ€" ment at Antananarivo, the capital, for several years has returned, and gives seine interesting side lights upon the manners and customs of that far-offspot. The Queen’s sister, the Princess Resen- dranora, is the second lady of the land. She is fat and a little past forty years of age. For years she has kept the gossips of the capital busy discussing her scanda- lous adventures. She has been married three times and is at present single, her third husband having mysteriously dis- appeared, as did his two predecessors. It is said she never was very beautiful even from a native's point of view, but now she is extraordinarily homely and repulsive She gets shockingly drunk at intervals, and the recent excitement of addressing the populace and urging them to enlist to repel the invasion of the hated whitemen threw her into the wildest frenzy. In point of rank the Queen’s aunt, Ramasindrasana, comes next. She bitter- 1y HATES THE FRENCH, and since they have been in control of the island her house has been the place where numberless plots and conspiracies have been formed. The meaning of the words virtue and morality is unknown among the women of Madagascar,and the Princess Ramasiudrasana is no exception. She is married, but the number of her favorites has been great, and they have succeeded one another with dizying rapidity. As Catherine of Russia used to do, she sends them in exile to remote quarters of the island, and they are put to death if they return before they are forgotten. The Princess Ramasindrasana is also far from being beautiful or young. 'Her favorite drink is rum and she chews tobacco. In her palace (a frame house) on the square of Andalho, at the capital, there‘aro two chairs that are rcservsd for European visitors. The Princess herself sits on the floor,upon a mat. The two Princesses and the daughter of Rasendranora, the young Princess Razafindrandriamintraâ€"she is but fourteen and has, as yet, no historyâ€"are the only ones who at resent have the rank of “Royal Highness," iit they would lose this if the next Queen should be chosen from another branch of the family of Andrianampoiui- morina,which has occupied the Madagascan throne for more than a century. The other Princesses, though near rela- tives of the Queen or the sovereigns who have preceded her, make up the crowd of ladies of honor,or Saltaizandriana,friendsof the Queen. Some of them are married and lead tolerably regular lives, but the most of them are single, that is, unmarried, though many of them not as housekeepers for European residents. . Ordinarily these noble damss wear this national costume, which is a loose, white robe, but on great occasions they put on ‘- Europsan dress. Their civilized gowns always fit them very badly and are most striking in color, their general effect being made more striking by the BAR]! AND DUSKY FEET of the wearers peeping from under the lacedringed skirts. From the very first the Frenchmen have been popular with the feminine nobility and gentry of the Madagascan capital and court. When M. Le Myre ds Villsrs and his party halted at Antananarivo in 2886, at the conclusion of France’s last war, the brave “ marsouins” of his escort threw the feminine entourage of Ranovalo III. into such acommotion that the Prime Minister, her: husband, had to interfere. An edict from his Excellency forbade noble women and ladies of the court from " frequenting the vasahas," as the white men are called, and this measure which fora time was strictly enforced. gave rise to an incident which is worth recording as illustratin the method of thought of the Queen an her Prime Minister. There was one native womanâ€"a Dueli- essâ€"who lived with one of the French residents. 80 content was she with her lot that she swore she would kill herself rather than obey the new law and leave her European master. Through the inter- vention of her friend, who had great in- fluence with the Prime Minister, an exception was made in her favor. A new decree was issued, authorizing this dusky Venus to remain with her vasaha and serve him as interpeter, and a copy of this amendment was filed, gravely and in due form, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs at Paris. The common people marry and give in marriage, but faithfulness is rare and, though many of them profess Christianity, the Seventh Commandment is never ob- served by either ot the parties to the marital contract. Both before and after marria e the morality of the natives is nuspea ably bad. .â€".â€"__..-â€"_____ Poison on Bank Notes. A bank cashier of Vienna recently died from the effects of touching his lips with his fingers when counting money. At an examination of the vaults it fell to his lot to count. a large number of small bills, and, although repeatedly warned, he continued mechanically to touch his lips when his fingers became dry. That evening he felt a smartiag pain in his lip, but did not attend to it until a swelling had set in the next day. He then consul a surgeon,wlio u an immediate operation on But in spite 'of the operation, the patient died. three ‘ days sftor of blood poisoning. l a»... ...-‘ i V ‘V 'n'aww *4 l “tar-m a .». 5m Ma‘- c-n- --â€"â€" m ‘ 54.4 4 .41 M... b“ ___,.___ “.umw ‘

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