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I . - . • • ' GOLOStvrrr h and ameRiCa . been !n hand for nearly a year, the con­ tractors do, not expect to • have (them ready Until the beginning of 1897. They will then hav<? tfl undergo a'long series of official trials, so that at the earliest they cannot be ready for sea until the spring of 1898. LOCOMOTIVES SEEM TO KNOW. | ADAM'S PICKANINNY. niggers, who wanto 'em?, Very weary, too, missey, lub." "Poor old Adam! Shall pickaninny sing to him?" j | | . The" sufferer feebly nodded. And then from among those squalid surroundings there arose the sound of a child's pure voice. * I do not thing that Adam was aware of the hymn his darling was singing. He only knew, that is was exceeding sweet and that a burden seemed to be slipping41 way from. his aching should­ ers. The brave old mouth smiled quiet­ ly, he stretched forth his trembling hands, and two tears trickled from his dying eyes. In the ecstasy of the moment he for­ got even pickaninny--forgot all save that he was no longer sore distressed. " 'Our Fader which art In 'ebben'--is that right, pickaninny? 'Our Fader,* the only Fader Adam ebber knowed. Dying ain't so bad, pickaninny." And. Jesus knew it, too, for surely death was never kinder than to that poor, lonely old man. For he touched his eyes and gave him beautiful vis­ ions, he passed his hand down the aged form, and rest most exquisite stole into the aching limbs. "Come to me, O my servant!" whispered the kind-eyed God, and with a sigh of perfect trust Adam meekly folded his hands and went. Ah, you Weep, little pickaninny, for the loyal friend who, like the Great Ex­ ample, gave his life in exchange for yours. Surely you would not have him back, pickaninny? He suffered great­ ly. The world has no room for such as be. Go back to the ring and. And his bunch of lilac. Kiss him, dear, and say. goodby.--Mrs.,Alfred Hart in Sketch. WORLD'S GREATEST SPARKLER. A Military Escort in the Orange Free State for a Diamond. When a diamond is found, weighing more than 100 carats, the news is usu­ ally heralded with much ado. It' is not to be wondered at, therefore, if the finding of the "Excelsior" created con­ siderable excitement It weighed in the rough 971 carats, and was found near Jagers Fountain, in the Orange Free State. When examined it was found to be a white stone of the first water, but had a small flaw in the cen­ ter. The inspector of the mine, a Swede named Jorgenson, was the lucky finder. The proprietors of the mine, Breitmayer & Beruheimer, had the stone tested and valued by experts; who agreed that the value was $5,000,000. It is a fact that two offers of $3,000,- 000 and $4,250,000, respectively, have been refused by the proprietors. Upon its transfer to the coast great precau­ tions were taken for its protection. A squadron of cavalry escorted it to the railway station. In Cape Town it was placed aboard the British gunboat H. M. S. Antelope, which brought the pre­ cious gem to London, where it now rests in the fire and burglar proof vaults of the Bank of Eagland. The next largest diamond in the world is the one owned by the rajah of Matan on the Island of Borneo; this one weighs 367 carats. The handsomest of all the large diamonds known is, however, the one in the French col­ lection of crown jewels, known as the "Regent," which weighs 136% carats. Louis XV. paid 3,000,000 francs for it, but now it is valued at 10,000,000 francs, or $2,000,000. How much the "Excelsior" will lose in cuttfrig can only be decided by most eminent experts. As a rule, the larger diamonds lose fully one-half of their weight in this operation. Naturally the cutting, which is done with a view to having as few large pieces as possible outside of the main gem, must be car­ ried on with the greatest care. This business is carried on mainly in Am­ sterdam and Antwerp. In Amsterdam there are at present five large con­ cerns of diamond cutters, with 872 diamond mills, or cutting wheels, and 3,000 hands, besides a large number of less important concerns.--Philadelphia Record. It Was Early Enough. A green-gage Missourian walked into the Planters'House at an early hour the other morning, scrawled his name pain­ fully on a card, and then confidential­ ly called the key clerk and said: "Say, mister, please send this upstairs to Lon Stephens, will you?" The key clerk turned it over a couple of times and then disappeared behind a screeh to consult Chief Clerk Cun- ningham. He was gone some time and then Mr. Cunningham came out with a bow and kindly smile. "Isn't this," he said, "a trifle early to send a card to Col. Stephens? You see it is only 7:15 o'clock." "Don't you worry," said the Missour­ ian. "It's dollars to doughnuts tha? Lon Stephens is kicking himself up and down the hall and waiting for breaks fast. At home he would have had hia breakfast and forgotten it by this time." Mr. Cunningham only smiled and tapped his bell. "Front!" he said. "Take this card up to Col. Stephens." And then he disappeared again be­ hind his screen. In less than two min­ utes Col. Stephens stepped from the elevator and said: "I'm glad you came. Just waiting for breakfast. How are you, anyhow?" And the caller winked a long, signifi­ cant wink at Mr. Cunningham.--St. Louis Post Dispatch. He Paid HJp Passage to Thfo Country, Although HewDitl Not Come. Oliver had but lately completed a rather wild and irregular course of study in college, and his kinsfolk had insisted that he should become a coun­ try parson, as his poor father had been before him. He felt his unfitness for such a calling, but he cared less for that than for some of the irksome re­ straints that it would impose. For In­ stance, he could not bear the thought of being obliged to wear a long wig when he preferred a short one, or of be­ ing always dressed in a black coat when one of bright color suited his fancy so much better. He had frankly told liis relatives that he preferred pretty clothes to the -hard lot of a poor par­ son; and yet, as neither he nor they could think of any other business for which lie was better fitted, ho- at last cdnsented to apply for holy orders. But when the time came for him to go to the Bishop of Elphin to be ordained, he could not resist the temptation to wear a pair of beautiful scarlet breech­ es with long hose and the brightest buckles. For would he not become a parson to-morrow, and be forever after­ ward condemned to sober black? The good bishop Was horrified at such lev­ ity, and refused to Ordain him" Per­ haps upon examination he found that the young man was entirely ignorant of the catechism. '•* This failure of Oliver's had been much less of a disappointment to him than to his friends. But as he was now 23 years old, and his mother was very poor, it was highly necessary that he should find something to do. And sO he had found employment as a pri­ vate tutor in a wealthy family near Lissoy. From his pupils' point of vlewT he was, no doubt, an accomplished and successful teacher. He was only a great boy himself, and life would have been one long holiday to everybody if he could have had his own way. But his way did not please his employer, and finally, after a quarrel for which Oliver was doubtless to blame, he was dismissed. The money which he had earned at tutoring, however, was suf­ ficient to equip him as a knight errant, for it enabled him to buy the horse and the splendid new suit of clothes with which, as I have said, he rode one fine morning into the city of Cork. To his great satisfaction he found a ship already in port waiting only for favorable winds to sail for America. He Idst no time, therefore, in selling his horse and in making a bargain with the captain for his passage to the New World. Then he sailed out to see the town. He had no difficulty in making friends; for he had money in his pocket, and he proceeded to share it with all the beggars and street loafers that he met. He was ready to relieve every case of distress that came to his notice, and many were the boon fellows whom he helped to entertain at the tavern. Several days were passed in this way, aflad the thirty pounds in his pocket Jxad dwindled to but little more than thirty shillings; and still the ship, upon one pretext or another, delayed its sail­ ing. One fine night, however, while Oliver was in the country enjoying him­ self with some newly-made acquaint­ ances, a favorable wind sprang up, and the captain, entirely neglectful of his passenger, ordered the vessel to be cast loose from her moorings and the sails to be set for the voyage. And in the morning, when Oliver sauntered leis­ urely down to the wharf, he found that he had been left behind.--St Nicholas. Cat Stops a Monkey Fight. A battle royal between monkeys took place yesterday afternoon about 3 o'clock in the window of a down-town animal importer, to the great delight of all who could crowd near enough to the scene to see the conflict. Six young monkeys were playing in a cage behind a big plate glass window. Suddenly the monkeys took it into their heads to" scrap. They sprang at each other in the wildest way and hair flew at a lively rate. There was no apparent reason why the creatures should have gone at each other, but go at each other they did. A Donnybrook fair was not in it as com­ pared with the way these monkeys plugged and chewed each other. Each one seemed to be for himself and against all the others. The crowd of men and boys on the sidewalk yelled with excitement for several minutes. Finally a boy who is employed at a neighboring restaurant appeared with a big gray and black cat in his arms. "Let me get near the window," he cried, "and I bet my cat will scare the life out of the whole lot of them mon­ keys." The crowd let the boy through. The lad held his Thomas cat up to the glass, and instantly Mr. Cat straightened out his whiskers and commenced spitting. That was enough. The gang of monkey fighters heard the spitting and quit. Their fury was quieted in a jiffy, and they jumped to the farthest corner of the cage with an unanimity-that was as pronounced as their natural aggressiveness had been.. --New York Journal. On the Decay of Paper. The introduction of wood fibre Into the manufacture of paper, its economi­ cal production, and the attractiveness bf the article so produced, have com­ bined to tempt the papermaker not to make for "all time," but for the day, and ouly sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. Modern methods of book illustration require a paper of fine, even surface, with the property of semi-absorption of printer's ink, and this latter require­ ment has resulted in the very consider­ able use of what is known as "half- size" paper, namely, paper Which has but a small proportion of. gelatine, or other size, on which the permanent cohesion of the paper depends. Such paper cannot resist the influences of alternate variations of temperature an$ humidity to which all books are exposed, and thus , ultimate decay is probable. If you want to make a woman mad, don't look at her fitce, which she has fixed up for Inspection, but at her feet, which she has probably neglected. Armament of a British Battleship. The complement of a battleship is us­ ually largely in excess of that of a cruiser. The BH^i cruiser Powerful, now in course 'of construction, will be an exception to the rule. The Naval and Military Record (British) notes that the Admiralty has decided to man the vessel with a crew of 894 officers and men. The Terrible, a sister ship, will carry an equal number. The ves­ sels of the Royal Sovereign class (the largest battleships afloat) .carry a com­ plement of 730 officers and men each, including the admiral's staff. The num­ ber of men to man the new cruisers will be none too many, the Record says, to work the large number and variety of guns and torpedoes with which they will bo armed. The ar-mameiit will be by far the most effective yet supplied to any vessel of the cruiser type. It will consist of two 9.2-inch breech-load­ ing, twelve 6-inch quick-firing, sixteen 12-pounder 12-hundredweight guns, one 12-pounder 8-hundredweight boat's gun, one 12-pounder 8-hundredweight service gun, twelve 3-pounder Hotch- klss quick-firing guns, and nine Maxim machine guns. There will also be sup­ plied about twenty Whitehead torpe­ does for use with submerged torpedo tubes, four of which will be built Into each vessel. Although these ships have Depew a Poor Man. The following is anent the report that Mr. Depew is to wed a rich Southern widow: It would doubtless be a .fortunate thing for Chauncey Depew-If he should marry a rich woman. Not many peo­ ple know It but Mr. Depew Is laboring under qertain financial restraints. Most men would think themslves rich with $50,000 a year. Not so with Depew. He admits $50,000 to be a very comfortable income, but Inasmuch as he spends about $52,000 every twelve months he has not accumulated much of a reserve fund. In fact Chauncey Depew is, comparatively speaking, a poor man. Of late he has thought a good deal about what would become of him if he were to break down in health, or if he should lost his job With the New York Central. Moreover, Mr. Depew has political aspirations. He has never wholly abandoned the idea that he may some day be president of the United States. If he could only get out from Under the shadow of the railways, he thinks, his chances woxild be much im­ proved.; A year hence, if he should wed some rich and lovely young wom­ an, Dr. Depew might say good-by to the New York Central and Invite the Republican party to look him over while searching for a candidate;--Chi­ cago Times-Herald's Washington let­ ter.' ' ' ' r • Manufactured Diamonds. It that ingenious animal, man, ptrays much further along the paths of discov­ ery and invention poor old Mother Na­ ture will find her occupation almost gone. The latest successful attempt of science to emulate the workings of natural- lrnfs has been in the making of diamonds. These marvelously beauti­ ful minerals are simply crystallized carbon. The theory of their formation is that fiery, eruptive matter is thrown into an upper layer of earth rich in carbon, which, slowly cooling, assumes the crystalline form. The question oc­ curred to a French scientist, "Why can­ not I crystallize carbon and so make dian ornls?" He has recentlip-perform- ed experiments with wrought Iron car­ bon, which he melted and then very slowly cooled. Tiny but sparkling diamonds were the result Almost simultaneously with the French discov­ ery of the process of diamond manufac­ ture.a.Russia^chemist announced that he, too, could uj.ake artificial diamonds. Each man had carried on his investiga­ tions wholly without knowledge of the work of the other, and, except that the Russian used silver carbon, the method and results were nearly the same. The stones are very small as yet but it is said that it will soon be possible to make them of a marketable size.-- Demorest Magazine. Avoiding the Doctor. , Doctor Sanderson, an old Scotch phy­ sician, used to tell some droll stories of the medical profession in his early days. In the first year of his practice smallpox was so common that there were few people who were not more or less pitted with it Various cosmetics were in use to lessen the attendant dis­ figurement but one old lady, who had grown accustomed to her face in the glass, refused to make use of any such preparation. "Faith," she exclaimed, when one was recommended to her, "afore I paint, I maun use putty!" So well known was the doctor's lack of ceremony, that the ignorant were chiefly anxious to escape him. The story goes that as he was passing along the street one day a sweep rolled from top to bottom of a staircase, outside one of the houses. "Are you hurt?" called the doctor, running forward. "Not a bit, doctor, not a bit" replied the man, In haste. "Indeed, sir, I feel a' the better!" Vibrations of a Pianoforte Wire. Although the pianoforte is the most popular instrument of the day, It is surprising how many of its professional performers fail to make it interesting. This while to a great extent is a mat­ ter of temperament, is often, undoubt­ edly due to Ignorance of the dynamic effect of "touch" as affecting the vibra­ tion of the strings. A most interest­ ing light has been thrown upon this subject by a series of photographs taken In Germany of the motion of the piano­ forte wire when struck in different ways. It was found that the duration of contact was longer with feeble than with hard striking. The most import­ ant result was the proof that when a wire is struck at a point between one* seventh and one-ninth of its length the fundamental tone has a maximum, and the harmonics--especially the third-- are very feeble. Hence a wire thus struck gives its strongest and richest tone. This is an instructive fact for musicians as a base for what will be tp many of them a new line of study. Typographical Blunders. The Bookman says that Laurence Elutton, in writing an article for Har­ per's Weekly on the recent literary con­ solidation in New York city, found in his final proof a very glowing sentence descriptive of "Mr. Lenox's vest but­ ton." Mr. Hutton had no recollection of having eulogized any portion o. Mr. Lenox's garments, and on sending for his copy found that the original read "Mr. Lenox's vast bequest" In the last number of the Bookman Ibsen's por­ trait bore the legend, "The Master," but the intelligent compositor, appar­ ently with an eye to the hand mirror Into which Ibsen is gazing, very nearly sent the picture to press described as "The Masher." -- k Killed by a Peanut Skin.. Margaret Kilpatrick, 19 months old, daughter of John H. Ivlrkpatrlck, of Pittsburg, died from the effects of at­ tempting to swallow a piece of tlie skin of a peanut. While eating peanuts Margaret was seized with a violent fit of toughing which almost threw her in­ to spasms. Physicians found a piece of peanut skin . In the child's throat Tracheaotomy was performed, a silver tube being placed in the throat and the neck being cut Shortly after the child died. The physicians say that the shock incident to the operation) killed the child. Railroading. "I will tell you about one of the strangest freaks of a locomotive that ever occurred in my experience on the road," said Harmon P. Butler, the beat- known Southern Pacific engineer' in California, the other day. "It happen­ ed in the summer of 1884,'when I was pulling freight from Tucson, Ari., to Los Angeles, and I have never come across anybody who could give an ex. plahation of my experience, and have never been able to see through it my­ self. You may draw your own conclu­ sions. ) OTV. "The night'I had. my experience was dark and stormy. " It was in the period of peculiar storms and cloudbursts1 down in Arizona. I was ordered from Tucson for the overland express that left there at midnight . The fireman seemed to be slower than usual, and he had a great time getting his coal placed In the tender. The locomotive hostler at the roundhouse had forgot­ ten to fix the oil valves,, and the boiler never made steam so slowly- To make matters worse, the train dispatcher kept us in the station a plump hour past the regular leaving time, and just be­ fore we started the conductor came to me . and said the general superinten- tent was on board the train and would go way through with us. Well, we pull­ ed out of the station with my mind made up to reach our destination oh time if the wheels would stay under her; As soon as were out of Tucson I put on all the steam and let her go. But she didn't seem to move at half her usual speed, and then she didn't make steam well, either. I began to be impa­ tient, and scolded the fireman for not doing good work with his fire. He seemed to try his best, but it was no go. She would not steam well, in spite of his exertions. Then the pumps began to be troublesome. One of them stopped working altogether; and the other be­ came more ineffective every minute. It began to dawn on me that making up time was out of the question. "When we left Maricopah we were one hour and ten minutes late, and the conductor had just made a remark that nettled me quite a little. I asked him if there were any orders at Mari­ copah. He answered: 'None except to try to get to Yqgfra in time for dinner,' which was pure sarcasm, for if we made our running time we would get there in time for breakfast Well, my heart was clean down in my boots, and when I shut off the steam going into Big Wells I found the water so low In the boiler that something had to be done for the pump before we could leave the station, as there was then a heavy grade to slimb for several miles. I informed the conductor that we would be delayed fifteen or twenty min­ utes with the work of taking down one of the pumps, and then proceeded with the work. We were just about ready to start again when I heard the sharp whistle of an engine, and, looking up, I saw a special tourist excursion train from Southern California approaching from the very direction in which we were going. When the train pulled Into the station we found that the telegraph operator at Maricopah had neglected to give us meeting orders for this train. Had It not been for the pumps we would have rushed on to what would probably have been one of the most terrible collisions in the history of rail­ roads. "Now comes the remarkable part of the story,; From the time we left Big Wells both pumps worked like a charm --bear in mind that I found nothing whatever the matter with the pump that I had taken down, and there was apparently no reason for its not work­ ing--and the old engine seemed to dart along with twice her usual speed. Grad­ ually she began to pick up time again, and in the next fifty miles we made up fifteen minutes, which was lightning speed in those days. There were just nineteen minutes to make up in the last twenty miles in, and I need not say that we pulled into our destination on time. Here was an instance of a cranky engine saving a collision that would probably have resulted in a great loss of life and property."--New York "inn. Jests in Jingle. "False! false!" he said; It gave her quite a start: She thought he meant her hair, • He only meant her heart --Philadelphia Times. That bridal pairs are not like other pears Is a fact you've doubtless seen. Why are they not? Because, you know* thedeara Are softest when they're green. --Truth. v There are times when man would be alone.. , * - • Far from the madding crowd, Where he his privacy ean own And think his thoughts out loud, One of these times, without a doubt. Is when he first bestrides ' ^ A bike, and neighbors all come out To sea how well he rides. --Kansas City Journal. New woman has a lot to learn, Emerging from her prison. The new man says it's now his turn To talk; she's got to listen. --New York Recorder. He learned to play tunes on a comb, And became such a nuisance at homb That ma spanked him, and then-- "Will you do it again?" A.nd he cheerfully answered her: "Nomb.* --Indianapolis Journal. This world's a most eccentric place-- The thought we can't dislodge-- One-half is begging for the work Thie other wants to dodge. --Washington Star. ! . Ancient Minerva Found. From Delphi is announced the dis­ covery of a colossal statue of Minerva in poros lithos, with traces of poly­ chrome coloring, but unfortunately the head is wanting. Some important fragments of an archaic group in mar­ ble, representing a lioij tearing to pieces a bull, have also come to light, as well as the fine reliefs which adorned the front of the sccna in the ancient thea­ ter. So far have been recovered the representation of Hercules shooting ar­ rows against the Stymphallan birds, the contest of Hercules with Antaeus and that with' the sea monster for the deliverance of Hesione, and a portion of the Centauromachia. It appears that when the works at Delphi are con- luded, the French school will resume its labors at Delos, where recent re­ searches have raised hopes that the whole of the ancient city may be ex­ cavated. Among the statues recently found at Delos, three of particular im­ portance have been transported to the State museum at Athens. One of these represents a fine athlete, apparently a copy of a work of Polycletus, the other1 two being a heros and a female figure! of rare beauty.--Philadelphia Ledger. The End of the World. Don't you remember when you and I, Ji Once in the golden July weather, Made up our very small minds to try -- To walk to the end of the world to­ gether? You were just three, and I was five; How we danced through the sweet red clover, Surely the happiest pair alive- Telling each other, over and over, "Maud, you're a little fairy queen!" "Jack, you're a prince with cap and feather! We won't come back to tell what we've seen Till we find the end of the world to­ gether." A score of years have passed since then, Bringing the storm and the sunshiny weather; What would you think should l ask you again, • *<jf :»*. J. i • Shall we walk to the end of the world together? Borne on the wings of the summer air, Comes a breath of the same sweet clover; Your soul looks out of your face so fair, And my heart is singi%g over "and over, "I am the prince and you are my queen!" Then look in the future and answer whether, Through every possible changing scene, We may "walk to the end of the world together?" --M. A. Nicholas, in New England Maga­ zine. For Thee. Nay, love me not; it will be better so; Much better, dear, that I should turn and go. For with love's birth may come life's overthrow; Nay, love me not. Lo, I bave watched thy sweet life break to flower, Thy spirit spread and quicken hour by hour; Thy wondering eyes, thy small hands* gracious power, Lo, I have watched. Though time should fail and show me no new thing, I yet have touched life's sacred, inner ring; - . I have known thee, the pulse and blood of spring, Though time should fail.' For thee the peace of guarded, tranquil days, The lanes of life unsoiled by blame or praise; For me the turmoil of the loud highway^ For thee, the peace. --New York Tribune. Bryant's Early Pecuniary Rewards. It is amusing to know how small were the pecuniary rewards of Bryant's literary labors, whatever may have been the fame they brought him. Two dollars a poem was the price that he named, and he seemed to be abundant­ ly satisfied with the terms. A gentle­ man met him ia New York many years after, and. said to him, "I have just- bought the earliest edition of your poems, and gave $20 for if ' /More, by a long shot" replied the p<ie4 "than I received for writing the whoIe%ork." --Century. . Hard Work for Most Immigrants. Over one-fourth of the immigrants who come to this country are unskilled laborers and find employment in the most arduous forms of manual labor. About the wisest looking thing in the world Is a country boy who has been boarding In town and studying law three or four months. • The Old Dream. Oh, let me dream the old dream T'ote That set my heart aglow When all the skies were blue abeam. Above the fields a-blow. " Let me recall each tender word My loving ears with rapture heSird Until my eyes with tears were blurred. Because I loved you so; Oh, let me dream the old dream I dreamed so long ago. r 1 Oh, let me dream the old • I dreamed When lov.e whs new; If memory lights its faded gleam 'Twill bring no woe to you. A moment let my heart forget The aching present grief beset And let me dream you love me yet-- Alas, my joys are few; Oh, let me dream the old dream That never can come true. --Samuel Minturn Peck, in Boston Transcript. A Garden. O I know a balmy garden, her beauty is its light, Her smiles its rosy music, her thoughts its flowers white. Among these snow-white flowers I drift a happy bee, r Joy-thrilled on wings of music whene'er she smiles on me. Among the shining flowers I'd dwell, oh hanny fate! Lord of the sunny *province, with Love t® guard the gate. --R. K. Munkittrick, in Harper's Weekly. Plea for Forbearance,^"^ Robert McLean, of Greensboro, N. C., was once practicing before Judge Tour- gee, when he lost his temper, at some ruling, and "used some petulant expres­ sion. Instantly the judge said, "Mr. McLean, the court does iyjt understand you. t Do you mean to express contempt for the court?" Recovering his tem­ per, McLean, balancing himself, said with the greatest good humor, "I hope your honor will not press that ques­ tion." EVERY one in the circus kicked and cuffed him, ahd certainly lie was the very ugliest.nigger ever seenl He had joined the troupe when " a lad; and because of his age ahd fprayness, ail saw fit to make his hard : , - ' t Bfe harder than it need have been. BSvery one except Mimi, the S year-old clifld of the circus proprietor, and she, with the unerring instinct of the young, knew that a most loyal and loving heart beat beneath that liideaus exterior and that the brown, patient eves of the poor eld man were the kindestever seen. Con­ sequently, and in defiance of all orders, she would seek out the much-abused Adam, and with her innocent questions and adorable ways flood his barren ex: & Sstenee with such sweetness that he sometimes forgot the smart of bis •.bruises and at night, his extreme wear­ iness. "Why are you so black, Adam? Why 9b your hair like wool and why have you a mouth like a frog?" one day ask­ ed the little damsel, pressing, neverthe­ less, to the old parched lips her own rosebud mouth. "I dunno, honey missey," answered . tte old man, looking as though an an­ te! had refreshed and sanctified him. "Speets God made ole Adam ugly jes' to show what a sweet wee missey is! Niggers doan have golden hairs and White skins, dearie--niggers is made to be kicked and do all the work that *o one else will do. Can't 6pect nig- gers to be treated like white folks, dear­ ie. But ole Adam he do wish his mouth was like a humruin birdte instead of a frog's." i "Birds haver beaks, you silly old Adam!" l»ugned Mimi. "So they hev, ye blissed, clever lamb­ kin. Did ye ever see such a tiny hand" --taking the child's fingers and laying them across his horny palm--"dey jes' Mke lilley spihes; dey alius makes ole Adam's head better." "Adam got headache?" queried Mimi. "Why, what a big lump on your eye! How did it come there?" "Carlo hed an acciden' with his whip, honey--hit me, instead ob 'oss. Kissin' H to make it well, are ye? God bless lilley honey baby. Now tell ole Adam low ye gettin' on wid yer ridin'. Only anubber week, and then we shall 3ee pickaninny on a lilley white pony, and won't folks jes' clap! She'll hev bow- kets and flowers, and--and sweeties, and when she gets dem wings on her shoulders Adam'II be 'fraid honey'11 fiy straight away to de blue, blue sky. IWhat'll Adam do den?" "Come, too." "Dat he would; couldn't do wMout lilley misey; she just keep 'im "Do you say your prayers every Bight Adam, and do you put clean clothes on every week?" "Yes, Adam says his prayers ebbery night- prays to the big, kind Jesus what honey told him about," and when Adam's very sore he t'inks of the dear liord on his wooden cross, of his bleed- In' sides and 'ans, and den he feels com­ forted, and prays for lilley missey too. As for dem clean clo's, I washes dem mysel' cos granny won't wash nigger's elo's. No, Adam couldn't be dirty when he has" a white missey wot comes to kirn. Adam feels 'shamed! Pickaninny come and see the monkeys?" "Drop that kid, nigger!" broke in a loud voice upon them. "I'll tell the boss how you neglecks yer duties, and he'll flog yer for slobberin' over his child. She ain't brought up like a lady to have ,a nigger always arter her!" A brutal, coarse-faced man, dressed - In a greasy check suit came forward and nourished a whip before the old man, but Mimi, the color leaping to her soft cheeks, sprang off Adam's knee, and fronting the bully, said: "If you hits Adam, I'll kick you! Adam's goin' to show me the monkey--so, there, you Msty, ugly, fat man! Come along, Adam!" turning to her colored friend. **t»ive me your hand, Adam--I'll take care of you!" and the little creature, .with a ridiculous air of dignity, march­ ed past the astonished stableman, who could only rub his nose and mutter "Well, I'm.blowed!" Thus, hand in hand, Mimi and Adam made the round of the animals compris­ ing the bulk ^ Signor Dingo's--in other words, plain Jim Brown's--cir- KSw 1 cue. These were not--alas, for the suc­ cess of Signor Digno!--of particularly K i saeommon breed, nor many in number. WL.i; | 1'he lion, their piece de resistance, was | growing almost too old to roar; the two Mft I elephants were also somewhat hoary, having passed their px-ime in a circus Kj v*ry dMfenmt to the one they now Bui adorned. A cage of jackals, a chim­ panzee and a few wizened mohkeys were the other features of the attrac- tlon, and of course there were perform­ ing hopes, bad or indifferent But one heantlful animal Signor Dingo did pos- ; seas, and that was the white pony on which Mimi was to make her debut • It was like, a tiny, dainty lady with its satin coat and pink nose and owed much of its elegance to the constant and loving grooming of Adam. How gently the old map tended the little •|brute only Mimi knew, and it was a * beautiful sight to see the poor old nig­ ger with his baby friend on one side and his dumb friend on the other, for he would pretefld that FIQSS was talking to him of her little mistress, and Mimi would listen, entranced. . And when the day of days arrived, . «hl how important was Adam! JNfone iV - : so anxious as he that the site cnosen to pitch the circus tent should" be favor­ able, none so eager that the tent, should be full. He stole Into the town to gaze upon the gaudy posters that announced the-fact that Signorina Dingc, child prodigy, would make her first appear­ and that, evening, and no pilgrim be­ fore a shrine could have gazed more devotedly upon his patron saint than did Adam upon the little figure thus glaringly advertised. All during the afternoon he went rest­ lessly in and out the circus ring, rak­ ing the sawdust and removing every ob­ stacle that might tend in any way to make Floss stumble. And the coat of Floss, how it shone! What did he care that the cl6wn kicked, the juggler cuff­ ed him? What heed paid he when the stableman knocked him down because his ugly nigger face, gave him the "jumps?" His little pickaninny was to ride forth like a queen, and the world would be the better for ,me,rely looking upon her dear form. Half an hour before the performance began Mimi sent for Adam to see her dress. On tiptoe he stole into the room, and when he met the smile of the radi­ ant little child he suddenly stopped. Then into the dog-like, weary eyes of the old man came bitter sweet tears. "Oh, pickaninny, little angel!" he cried, and then he fell on his knees. "Get up, you stupid old Adam!" com­ manded Mimi, running toward her friend and putting her arms round his neck. , ' "Oh. lilley missey, ye makes ole Adam feel so good." "Mind and thrOw that bunch of li­ lacs when I leave the ring,' Adam," con­ tinued the child. "And isn't my dress pretty--real spangles, Adam, and open­ work stockings!" "Ye bet Uley missey. Adam's got a bunch of lubley white lilac. He bought it all hisself. Will missey be too proud to come to him after all the shoutin' and clappin' and gib him a kiss for true lub's sake?" "I'll come to you. Adam. You may kiss me now, Adam." And he kissed her. Wherf the time came for his little pickaninny to appear, he grew horribly nervous. He had been forbdden from being near the ring, but what cared he for all the orders in Christendom? In the-distance he/could see Mimi mounting her little white steed, and then Beppo, the [riding master, sprang on his own brown horse, and, taking the long silken reins suspended from Floss' rnou^h, prepared to ride behind the excited bshild. The music was be­ ginning to play an old plantation song, and MimJ, blowing kisses, rode in front of Beppo into the ring. The old man's heart swelled at the round of applause that greeted her. Adoringly he watched the little figure in its diaphanous drapery, and he could have wept for joy when the first "turn" was successfully accomplished. Pres­ ently the time arrived when Signorina Dingo and Beppo were to jump through four gaily decorated hoops. This part of the performance filled Adam with nervous apprehension, and he did not like the look of the great brown horse in the wake of the white pony. He crept forward into an open­ ing of the ring, unheeding the blows and curses leveled at him. In his hand he held a great bunch of lilacs, the perfume of which contrasted with the close, unpleasant air. . What a pretty waltz tune they were playing, and that darling pickaninny! how well she jumped! One ring Was successfully accomplished--two rings-- when she slipped and fell in front of Beppo's horse, just as his master was prepared to jump. A shrill crp x-ang through the circus. The multitude turned their faces shud- deringly aside, and women fainted. But instead of a little child wending her way to the kingdom of God, Jesus saw fit to call to him an old, old man! For Adam, seeing the texxible danger of his darling, had, with marvelous agility, bounded forward and rescued the child from..beneath the traxnpling hoofs, receiving,the>df^th wound that might have been the fate.of his little pickaninny. . And then for the ftr$'t time, and, alas! too late, they who had ever used x-ough words to the old man spoke to him gen­ tly. Gently, too, they lifted him and laid him on a heap of old sacking out­ side the stable of Floss. They did not heed the bunch of lilac. He lay there, moaning faintly as the cool water was dasjxed across his face, and then he by and by opened his dim eyes. • , • "Pickaninny," he sighed. "Here.. Adam!"' cried the voice he loved so well. And Mimi in her white wings and white x'obe came and knelt by his side. , "Not hurt nowhere, honey dear?" "Nowhere, Adaxn." "Ain't got no bunch of lilac, dearie." The child hung tenderly above hi'm. "Oh, Adam! Are you ill? Does it hurt vei*y much?" "Don't cx*y, dear honey pickaninny. Ole Adam, he used to pain. Ebber since he was a.^black boy baby he not had. much lucfc^ But nebber mind, missey; all obex- now." "Are you going to die, Adam,- dear?" "T'ink so, pickaninny; ole Adam, he no more good--oie 'orseS, ole dogs, ole • ' : * • :