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OR, CHAPTER XLIV.â€"(Continued.) “Then he went to see Dame Littiâ€" mm”. and from his own hand he drew what is known in our family as Prince Rupert’s ring. He placed it! in Dame Littimer’s hand there to remain for a year and a day and when the year was up it was to be put aside for the bride of the heir of the house for ever, to be worn by her till a year and a day had elapsed after her first child was born. 'And that has been done for all time, my aunt, Lady Littimer, being the last to wear _it. After Frank was born it was put carefully away for his bride. But the great tragedy came, and unâ€" til lately we fancicd'that the ring was lost to us for ever. There is, in a. feW words, the story of Prince Ruâ€" pert’s ring. So far it is quite com~ mon property." Enid ceased to speak for a time. But it was evident- that she had more .‘to say. “An interesting story,” David said. “And a pretty one to put into a book, especially as it is quite true. But you , have lost the ring, you say?” “I fancied so till to-night,” »Enid replied. “Indeed, I hardly knew what to think. Sometimes I imag-u ined that Reginald Henson had it,l at other times I imagined that it was utterly gone. But the mere fact that Henson possesses a copy prac- tically convinces me that he has the original. As I said before, a true! copy could not have been made from} more instructions. And if I could only get the original our troubles are all over." “.hit I don’t see how the ring has anything to do withâ€"â€"â€"” “With the family dishonor. No, I am coming to that. We arrive at .‘the time seven years ago, when my aunt and Lord Littimer and Frank! were all living happily at. Littimer' Castle. I told you just now that the Carfax estates adjoin the Littimcr property. The family is still extant and powerful, but the feud between , the two houses has never ceased. Of course, people don’t carry on a venâ€" detta these peaceful days, but the families have not visited for con- iturics. it "There was a daughter Claire, whom Frank Littimer got to know by some means or other. But for the silly family feud nobody would have noticed or cared, and there Would have been an end to the matâ€" ter, because Frank has always loved my sister Chiis and we all knew that he would marry her some of these days. “Lord Littimer was furiously an- gry when he heard that ‘li‘rank and Claire had got on speaking terms. He imperiously forbade any furthert intercourse and General Carfax did 1110 same. The consequence was that, these two foolish young people elect- ed to fancy themselves greatly ag- grieved, and so a kind of Romeo and Juliet, Montague and Capulet, busiâ€" ness sprang up. There were secret meetings, meetings entirely innocent, {I believe, and a correspondence which became romantic and passionâ€" ate on Claire Carfax’s side. The girl had fallen passionately in love with Frank, whilst he regarded the thing as a more pastime. He did not know- ;then, indeed nobody seemed to know till afterwards, that there was inâ€" sanity in the poor girl's family, though Hatherly Bell’s friend, illr. Heritage, who then had a practice near Littimer, warned us as well as he could. Nobody dreamt how far the thing had gone. “Then those letters of Claire's fell into Lord Littimer's hands. He found them and locked them up in his safe. Frank, furious at being :treated like a boy, swore to break open the safe and get his letters back. He did so. And in the same safe, and, in the same drawer, was Prince Rupert’s ring. When Lord Lit- timer missed the letters he missed ,the ring also and a large sum of money in notes that he had just re- ceived from his tenants. Frank had, stolen the ring and the money, or so, it scorned.- I shall not soon forget. that day. “After taking the letters Frank had gone straight to Moreton Wells, and it looked for a little time as if; he had fled. Within an hour of met Claire Carfax on the cliffs. She was wearing Prince Rupert’s ring. Frank had sent it to her, she said. Anybody but a man in a furious passion would have seen that the girl Was not responsible for her actions. Littimer told her the true circumâ€" the; discovery of his loss Lord Littimer‘ '1 LILILLJ_"I Wuulm LL14 Frank joined her. Then my uncle turned up and there was a secene. It is said that Lord Littimcr struck his wife, but Frank says that she fell against his gesticulating fist. Anyway, it was the same. as a blow, and Lady Littimcr dropped on the floor dragging a table down with her, flowers and china and all. You have seen that table in Longdean Grange. Since then it has never been swept or dusted or garnished. You have seen my aunt and you know what the shock has done for herâ€"the shock and the steady per- secutions of Reginald Henson.” “Who seems to be at the bottom of the whole trouble,” said David. “But do you think that was the real ring on the poor girl's finger?” “I don’t. I fancy Iâ€"lenson had a copy made for emergencies. It was he Who sent the copy to Claire, and it was the copy that Littimer saw on her hand. You see, directly Frank broke open that safe Henson, who was at the castle at the time, saw his opportunityâ€"he could easily scheme some way of making use of it. If that plot against lfi‘rank had failed he would have invented an- other. And the unexpected suicide of Claire Carfax played into his hands. Henson has that ring somewhere, and it will be our taSk to find it." “And when we have done so?” “Give it to Lord Littimer and tell him where we found it. And then we shall be rid of one of the most/pesâ€" tilential rascals the world has ever seen. ton I want you to tell this story to Hatherly Bell.” “I will,” David replied. “What a Weired, fascinating story it is! And the sooner I am back the better \I shall be *plcascd. I wonder if our man is awake yet. If you will exâ€" cuse me, I will go up and see. Ah!" There was the sound ofgxsomebody moving overhead. CI-IA PTER XLV . At the same moment Williams came softly in. There was a grin of satâ€" isfaction on his face. ' “The brute is fast asleep,” he said. "I've just been in his room. He left the lamp burning, and there is a lump on the side of his head as big as an ostrich egg. But he didn’t mean to go to sleep; he hasn’t taken any of his clothes off. On the whole, sir, wouldn’t it be better for you to wake our man up and get him away?" - David was of the. same opinion. Van Sneck “was lying on the bed looking \‘acantly about him. He seemed older and more worn, per- haps, because his beard and mous- tache wore growing ragged and dirty on his face. He pressed his hand to. his head in a confused kind of way. “I tell you I can’t find it,” he said “the thing slipped out of my handâ€"â€" a small thing like that easily might. What's the good of making a fuss about a ring not worth £20? Search my pockets if you like. What a mur- derousâ€"looking dog you are when you’re out of temper!" All this in a vague, rambling way, David 111 a slightly foreign accent. touched him on the shoulder. “Won‘t you come bbck with me to Brighton?" he said. “Certainly,” was the ready reâ€" sponse; “you look a good sort of chap. I'll go anywhere you please. Not that I've got a penny of money lcfi'. What a spree it has been. Who are you?” “My name is Steel. Steel, the novelist." A Dccnliarly cunning look over Van Sneck's face. “I got your letter,” he said. “'And I came. It was after I had had that row with Henson. bigger scoundrel than I am, you may not think it.” I am David though it ly, David said, drily. “Well, he is. ter. And 1 called. kilch me. in the corner of the conservatory.” “Dropped what?” David asked. ' sharply, ‘ ‘Xothiug, "‘ ping things. I thing in my life. that, ch, ch! anything. It just comes back to never 1 make othch (Irop- - do in my head. Who are you?" 'could do the rest. stances of the case. She laughed at him in a queer, vacant way and fled through the woods. She went down to the beach, i‘ou'ed herself out into the bay. mile or more from the shore she jumped into the water, and from that day to this nothing further has been Seen of poor Claire ,Carfax.” “Or the ring, either?" David aSked. "01- the ring either. The same night Lady Littimer started after her boy. Littimer was going to have Frank prosecuted. Lady Littimer fled to Longdean Grange. Whore where she took a boat, thoughtfully. A ,should greatly like to know what it; dropâ€" Enid said the. same, “I so"! “All suppose lis that our friend Van Sneck ped.” It was a long and tedious journey When you get back to Brighâ€" . calm?) Henson is a. “I accept your statement implicitâ€" :\nd I got your let- And you nearly And I dropped it down said Van Sneck, “What do you mean by talking about drop- anyâ€" me and then there is a wheel goes round llut I can‘t rememberiation David gave up the matter as hope-i less. This was emphatically a case for Bell. Once let him get Van Sneck back to Brighton and ,“We’d better go," he said to Enid. "We are merely wasting time here."ican attach it. to your study lamp.” ______.â€"-â€"--â€"â€" .2. gleam of recognition of his surâ€" roundings and 'with a statement that he had been there. before, lapsed, inâ€" to silence. Bell produced a small phial in a Chemist's wrapper and poured the contents into a glass. With a curt command to drink 'he passed the glass over to Van Snack] The latter drank the small dose,’ and Bell carried him more or less to a groundâ€"floor bedroom behind the dining-room. There he speedily unâ€" dressed his patient and got him into bed. Van Snack was practically fast asleep before his head had touch- ed the pillow. “I went out and got that dose with a view to eventualities,” liell .explained. “I know pretty well what is the matter with Van Sneck, and I propose to operate upon him with the help of Heritage. I’ve put him in my bed and locked the door. I shall" sleep in the big arm-chair.” David flung himself into a big deck lounge and lighted a cigarette. “My word. that has been a bit of a business," he said. “Pour me out. a little whiskey in one of the long glasses and fill it up with soda. Oh, that's better. I never felt so thirsty in my life. I got Van Sneck away without Henson having the slightest suspicion that he was there, and I had the satisfaction of giving Henson a smashing blow without his seeing me.” “Sounds like conjuring,” Bell said, behind his cigar. "Explain your- self." David went carefully into details. He told the story of Prince Rupert’s ring to a listener who followed, him with the most flattering attention. “Of course, all this is new to me,” Bell said, presently, “though I knew the family well up to that time. Deâ€" pend upon it, Enid is right. l-lensou has got the ring. But how fortun- ately everything seems to have turn- ed out for the scoundrel.” “If a man likes to be an unscrup- ulous blackguard he. can make use of all events,” David said. “But even Henson is not quite so clever as we take him to be. He has found out the trick we played upon him over Chris Henson, but he hasn’t the faintest idea that all this time he has been living under the same roof at Littimer.” “The girl is a wonderful actress,” Bell replied. "I only gueSSed she was. If I hadn’t known as muchluwh, l blem of the cigar~case; she has found out the whole thing. She wants me to meet her in London toâ€"morrow, when she will tell me everything.” (To be Continued.) .....___...+_._.._._... TAXIDERMISTS’ TRICKS. How Snow, Ice, Rain and Mist Are Represented. It is not. until extra-ordinary setâ€" tings are to be DI'CSUllilGiltâ€""VllItOl‘ scenes, rain scenes. or birds in (ii '-,'h't. for instanceâ€"that the. artist. displays his best ingenuity and inventiveness. A group of musk oxen, for example. require a foot of snow. The beasts are shown, Iin'alcs, females and their calves, knee deep in snow, which is nothing cooler than granulated paâ€" ‘a'fline. The animals are startled and stop to gaze, but, as seen by their tracks, they have been rooting for the sparse grass beneath the heavy fall. and their suouts and faces show frozen snow (lustxmmcltod I parai‘iivne, sputtered with a stiff I brush. If a scene with opaque ice is i required. pa ‘a‘ll‘in in sheets strikingly ' lends itself to file illusion. And as boar frost is made, so is snow dust imitated. A r-ain scene is artistically invitatâ€" ed by means of glycerinc. Leaves of trees and twigs and shrubs are coat- ed with this liquid, which, when thinly spattered over the fur of a mounted animal, looks exactly like fallen mist orcondensed fog, or like early morning dew. Birds in flight, like the larger aniâ€" mals, are mounted after ins-tantane-l ous photographs. With wings and} tail feathers spreald, and with legs lying close, they appear to soar in a general '(lirect'ion, no (Wo birds. . however. being posed anywhere near. alike, and even the angle of fliglrti varying with: the individual. as made possible by their suspension with invisible platinum wires. Not only are such bird's shown darting Skyward from: a thicket, but the asâ€" The. sand is thickly streWn nestsâ€"actual nests, here and there where H‘orc ground. with various stolen bodilyâ€"and are broken shells been sh ow i ug broods have hatched. “Vhoithe tiny birds, still depmrdent upon mothers, sit in nests, l'ills as I do She would-11'le declilved nic' I open awaiting a Welcome contribuâ€" But Henson has shot 111s bo t. Aftei jtion. - 0mm, young hims Have mam we have operated. upon Van Snack} we shall be pretty near the truth. It is a great pull to have him in the house.” i “And a. nasty thing for Hensonâ€"W “Who will find out before toâ€"morâ€" row is over. I feel pretty sure that this house is Watched carefully. Any firm of private (lctectivcs would do. that, and they need be. told nothingl either. 1' know that l‘ was followed; when I went to the oliemist's to fetch that dose for our friend yonder. Still, it is a sign that l-lenson is getting frightened." “Why do you bring Heritage into: aged to quit the paternal llOll‘aO, and are striking out for themselves among the shells on the sand. ’â€"â€"â€"â€"¢ PEACE AND WAR. A strange museum has been foundâ€" ed at Lucerne, Switzerland. It is| I entitled the “Museum of Peace and IENWIGW- iWar,” and is intended as a pleto history of war from the earliest, are warlikeillloma 0f times. The contents arms of all ages and nations, books. prints representing the horrors of war in their most. realistic aspect, this matter?” Dmid asked_ land everything that can throw a “won [0.1. a “nigh, 01- wagons candid light upon a grim subject. I ‘ ., ‘ ‘ - r . . _ ‘ . ‘ V Iv .S‘ f , n, Her-1m .0 is an (M “i ,nd lhe founder of the museum is M. ‘11 t 0 a g ) ( ' Jean de Bloch, a wealthy Pole who of mine, and I take a great in his case. a chance to recover his 10;:t confi- dence, and he is a splendid operator. interest! 1 am going to give lllllli Besides, I want to know why l-len- son has gone out of his way to be so kind to Heritage. And, finally, Heritage, was the fainin doctor of the Carfax people you just mentionâ€" ed before he went to practise in Lon- don. Let me once get round again, and I shall be greatly disappointed if he does not give us l-l'eritage ; l a good deal of valuable information. regarding Reginald Henson." “'And Cross. What about him?” “Oh, Cross will do-as I ask him. Without egotism, he knows that the case is perfectly safe in my hands. And if we care to look after Van Snack, why, there will be one the less burden in the hospital. What a funny business it is! Van Succk gets nearly done to death under this roof, and he comes back here to be cured again." ’ David yawned sleepin as. he rose. “ch11, I’ve had enough of it for toâ€" night," he said. “I’m dog-tired, and I must confess to feeling sick of the Hensons and 'Littimers, and all their works.” Gates?" Bell said, slily. they have made pretty good use of you, and I expect you will be glad to get back to your work again. At the same time, you need not trouble your head for plots for many a day." David admitted that the situation had its compensations and went off to bed. Bell met him the next day as fresh as if he had had a full night's rest, and vouchsafed the inâ€" formation that thepatient was as well as possible. He. was cold and no longer feVei-ish. "In fact, he is ready for the operâ€" at any time,” he said. “I shall get Il'eritage here to dinner, and we shall ope ‘ate afterwards with electric light. It will be a good steadier for l-leritage’s nerves, and the electric light is the best light of If you have got .all for this business. Bellfa few yards of spare flex from your i v - , . . Heading-lamp I. ll rig the thing up ;without trouMing your electrician. I .5 “I've got what you want," David I . - y I said. "‘Now come in to breakfast, ' There was a pile of letters on the table, and on the top a telegram. It. was a long message, and Bell watch- ed Steel's face curiously. ‘ l r back to Brighton again, for the paâ€"j “From Liltimcr Castle,” he. sugâ€" tient seemed to tire easily, and he gcstcd. “Am I ric‘lll'?” 'evmced a marked predilection for, “As usual," llavid cried. “lllv 'sitting by the roadside and singing ilt was very ‘ icd his house. "faction. Van Sncck. with a late before 'llavid reachâ€"Elias Worked magnificently. llell beamed his satisâ€" tells me that she hasâ€"by Jove, liell, halfâ€" 3 just i . ~ .jhitle scheme ovcr that diamond star fiss Chris listcn-â€"-she has solved the proâ€" “.lncluding their friend, Miss Ruth] “Still,| is philanthropic, and per..aps a little eccentric, and he has chosen LuCerne for the site as being the place most likely to attract the largest number of cosmopolitan visitors. OllCllES'l‘RA ()E‘ MURDEHERS. At the French penal colony, Nouâ€" mea, "New Caledonia, the convicts haYc. organized a band. The leader is a, notorious murderer, and was once in the orchestra of the Paris Opera House. The cymbalâ€"player killed a subpoena-scrver, and the drum-player murdered his landlord with a hammer. The first cornet is guilty of murder, with robbery as the motive, and one of the Clarinets, a tavern-keeper, used to kill his patrons for the same reason. The assistant. ban'dmaster was convicted of having cut his wife to pieces. This convict band gives daily concerts to the inhabitants of Noumea, who are enthusiastic over ‘the new" organiza- tion. .._.__.._+â€"-â€"- ISL'AND 0F BLACK CATS. One of the queercst corners of earth is Chatham Island, off the coast of Ecuador. This island lies 600 miles west of Guayaquil. and the Equator runs directly through it. Captain Reinman, who was sent to the Galapagos group of islands to inquire into the proper grounding of a decoâ€"sea cable, stopped at. Chat- ham Island, and says it abounds in cats, every one of which is black. These animals live in the crevices of the lava fomdation near the coast. and subsist by catching fish. and crabs instead of rats and mice. Other animals found on this island are horses, cattle, dogs, goats. and chickens, all of which are perfectly wild. the -â€"-â€"â€"-â€"â€"Jr FRUIT NO VELTIEE' . The new fruits j'wrfccted and introâ€" duced to the public during the pres- ent year outnumber those that made their appearance during the last quarter of a century. One of the latest novelties is the appleâ€"pear, a combination fruit. Which many ex.â€" pcrienccd growers who have sot-n it claim will become llll.llli'.lll~i(‘ly popular in trade circks. It was obtained by grafting a pcur branch into an ap- pic stump. The fruit produced has. ihu pcvl of an apple and the bell shape of a pear. It is of an extra- ordinary sivc. uu-nsuring 1.3 inches in circuInference. The combination fruit possesses the combined flavors of the apple and pear. ' , leases in cent takes place from their hatching ‘CCTHML 00111â€" I 0‘1 ___+ __ iBrighton. A grateful \lowel him to die in the workhouse. IN MERRY on) ENGEANDV‘T” NEWS BY MAIL ABOUT JOHN :BULL AND HIS PEOPLE. 0-..- Occurrences in the Land. That Reigns Supreme in the Com. merdal World. Almost every loom in North and North-east Lancashire is now in full prgjluction. ’lhe postal authorities are about to commence a motor mail service between Warwick and Birn’iingham. The recent visit to Birmingham of the Coldsirenm Guards has given a remarkable stimulus to recruiting in that city. ' The Postmastmâ€"Ceneral has all-- thorized the use. of registered tele- graphic addx‘esses in sending wireâ€" less telegrams. There are now in England and Wales 3.0.0 inspectors appointed unâ€" der the Shop Hours Act, of whom ninetch are women. “Send your energetic sons to Canâ€" ada, and you wiil never regret it," said Lord Miulo in receiving the freedom of Jedburgh. By killing and dressing 9. bullock in twentyâ€"eight and a half minutes, a butcher of Scunthrope, Lincolnâ€" shire, has won a wager of messrs. Robert Stephenson Si (30.. Limited, Darlington, have received. an order for eighteen powerful. locoâ€" motives for the Imperial railways of Japan. 'At Mildenhall, Suffolk, a company has been formed which, for one shilâ€" ling a year, insures watches against accident and theft up to the value of five pounds. It is stated that owing to the dc- proda’tions of tourists .Lor-d Carnarâ€" von contemplates closing his beauti- ful park at H'i-ghclere, near Newbury, to the general public. lslington Borough Council will peâ€" tition the Home Secretary to pro~ Vidc a. bill for the establishment of separate courts to deal with all which children are conâ€" The sume of $350 has been collectâ€" ed during the past year by 'ten dogs kept at various stations on the L. and S.W.R. The money goes to the company’s servants' orphanage. , At the present rate of crumbling. England will have been swallowed up by the sea in the year 12184, acâ€" cording to the calculations of a corâ€" respondent of the Frankfurter Zeitung. In a private asylum in South Lon- don is a gentleman who believes him- self to be General Stoessel. In the same institution there are already twodl’farshals (lysine and Mike-docs. At sixteen years of ago Miss May of Blackburn, has obtainâ€" the' highest distinction in Engâ€" land for pianoforte playing, the 'di- licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music. By means of a new fast steamer service, instituted by the Lancashire» and Yorkshire. railway, between (loole and Copenhagen, record deliv- cries of Danish produce are being made to the Midlands and the north. Wounded at the siege of Lucknow. retired from the 17th Lancers with a good conduct medal, having always lived an exemplary life, Henry Wilâ€" liam Smith has just passed away at Country al- ....&.._._..___ CHILD T OR-TU'RE. The National. Society for the Preâ€" vention of Cruelty to Children has a re‘nmrk‘able museum where, within a glass use, is a collection of inn- plenrents of torture. Straps of every description are there, sticks, clubs, and ropes, with the knots still that once held childish wrists fast. There are also twisted hooks, bamboo canes, and a chain with a padlock by which an imbecile child was for years fastened to a post. Hanging by itself is a straw basket two feet long and a foot deep which twins wore found on a baby in them, farm. â€" 2+ IN A CRADLE There is a. man of seventy in Paris n-am’ed Wallace Supernoziu, who still sleeps in the cradle he was rocked in when a baby, and he has never slept, one night. of his long life in any other bed. The youngest of a family of boys, Wallace retained his place in the cradle as he grew older. He soon became too tall to lie in it ET S lilVEN'l‘Y. full length, but be. overcome difficulty by drawing his knees up- ward. lElach night to this day he rests his feet squarely on the botâ€" tom of the cradle. sways his knees to and fro, and rocks himself to sleep as he did when a small boy. The habit was formed in babyhood \nn never broken. +-â€"â€"--â€"- : SOME SUGAltY FACTS. The total product-ion i.h‘rough7m,rt the world is about 2,- 000,000 tons per annum. Of this quantity nine-tenths are afforded by 25,000,000 tons of which are required to produce the above quantity of cane sugar. The average of saccharine matter in the ripe West Indian sugar-cane is from 18 to 21. per cent... of which only 8 per cent. is available to announce. The total value of the sugar in the cane, if it could be extracted, would ‘1... {wont sennbnnnnn, but one- bnlf is lost in the process «of manu- farture. of sugar the sugarâ€"cane, ¢.__.._____..... l'i'cluJul's boo-g but of 5'),(lf)l),(l(l(l,(";(|() long, 5.; My," iarcordiug to the estin’utte of Sir ‘liicluird Hziuht-l. th'is ‘ contain llu- qunvaâ€"_ ‘« .5 fl» 5:35:75" ._. whrgauoâ€"imawr.mfly Imusv-x - a- r « 7~.~ :.4.-‘-.-..v-_~sv..,~a..._ s".- «.mnc‘ L34 snag-.3. »"‘:‘~*t='ms.: 1. .p . WW‘ ._\W .A,‘__ «.3: m . â€",um_ g, t E! A If i 1 l l v 91.4. <" 9' .. ‘4‘“ s'k‘ 3 hi: 153:2; {\ai‘ .A.‘ - ~e .‘g‘