« _ Not Guilty + | eeseseso Or, A Great Mistake. FHF tt4+t+ ttt +stettttes FEES Ee HSH 444444444444 CHAPTER XII. --(Continued). ~ At the first ecllar he lighted a match, but the unknown had a} pirouge the archway; warned him. At the second cel- far th the came thing eccurred again; and a! the third. However quielly Gordon moved, his matches teok some time to light and to throw thelr light around, and although he sev. times almost caught sight of the figure he purs either his..vesta went out in the swift rush he made, or the efforts he used to keep it alight caused him tc be too slow t gain on his aetive quarry. "This won't do," thought the hero of Rothville, wilh a grim smile, "I must fy something a little slimmer than this. That fellow 'simply watches: for me t light up and then disappears." He considered for a moment, and then fook half a dozen matches from his pocket. He could hear a heavy breath- ing from the next cellar, and seemed almost to feel the tension' of his hidden quarry's muscles, as he stocd there in ths darkness, blowing quickly, but probably on tip-loe to spring away at the first faint glimmer of Gordon's match. George made his way into the furthest corner @t the side of the archway, and placed the six matches in a chain on tre ground, head and tail together. Then te took off his boots and buttoned up coat. For one me t he listened again; but it was evident that his quarry Med not moved, and was wailing ex- actly around the corner al the Gpposite side of the wall of the archway. "He won't be able to see me," thought Gor- den, "but he'll sce the flame." He struck a light and put it to the head of the first match of the chain. There was no draught in the cellar, and it was morally certain that the chain weuld burn itself oul, and give Gordon time to carry oul his plan. Then, soflly and silently he slole from the cellar, back the way he had come, creeping along by the wall out of sight of the unkn¢wn, and leaving the light burning calmly behind him. "If fam not mistaken, he'll watch that light unlit T get round the other way," thought Gordon, rubbing his hands as he go! safely through the next archway, "and thon there'll be a tussle." He was right. He crept softly on his way back around through the. base- ment, until at last a glimmer of light in the distance warned him that he was gelling " as the childfen say. y on, holding his and with a skill born of long practice, George passed through the last archway into the cellar where the un- known watched. Before him, in the light cf his little chain Gf matches, which still burned brightly, he saw the archway around the corner of which he had taken off his boots, and near him, in the dark- est shadow, yet still plainly visible now that he was between George and the light, crouched the mysterious inhabi- fant of the house, eee braced his muscles for the spring, yet even while he did so, he could hot help casting a rather anxious glance at his future adversary's figure. Even in the darkness ef the cellar he eculd see that the man was huge and burly, a fellaw, probably of six feet one Ge two, and broad in proportion; and as he crouched ihere in silence, motion- less, but so evidently ready for a 6ur- prise, George 'felt. that the struggle would be no child's play, and that it was quite possible that in the end the fisherman might turn aut to be the fished. He stole forward another step or two @nd thensasy en while a sudden*siart.on the wi'cher"s part teld him that he was heard, he sprang wpen him and geized him by the threat. Gordon was, as We have snid, 'par. ticularly strong, but he was.nothing like the weight or size. of the man he a tacked, and for a moment he found him- se!! being flung about the cellar a6 a bull deg in the old days might have been flung about gripping the nese of a par- ticularly ferocious bull; bul like the buli dog, he had no idea of letting Eo and a very good idea of what lo do when his chance came; and after a short fime the aspect of the struggle commenced to |. aller Gordon's spring had been a forlunale one. He had taken his adversary by surprise; and in seizing him, he had suc- ceeded in getting an excellent grip; one of his hands being inside the stranger's collar, and the other holding firmly to his tie, When the big man first began te discover that he could not throw Ger- don away, he also commented. to- find oul that he was suffocating. He re- doubled. his efforts, swinging Gordon entirely off, his legs, and battering the halt with his sprawling body, bul even yhile he struggied, his breath came Thicker and more heavily; he groaned deeply, and suddenly, his legs . giving way under him, he slipped to the ground. Gordon was_upon him like a flash of Henini, getting an even better. grip this time, and makin most. successful use of his knees, and the big-man col- Japsed completely. seis tc ond. for me," he said; pak a Li whe would doubtless do so again the said. faken all his time and some luck to get] tefl the better of, wic had swung him about as if he h had been an Indian club, 4 me | Gcrdon, let go for the time chain had long ago gone cul, or been extinguished by Gordon's flying body. sc his adversary cathe to his assitsance. "Do you mind getting off my chest," "If you don't-I think I shell be sick. lam not sc young as I was, and this little rough and. tumble has made me remember that fact; besides your knees are a trifle sharp. " The tone was that of a gentleman, and Gerdon saw his chance. "Certainly if you will give your word," he said quickly. a | ive it, with all the breath you have ve me; "_ peturned his adversary with a 1 of relief; and Gordon, springing to his feet, lighted -up the scene. "There's a bit cf candle over there on the barrel," continued the big man, silting up cautiously, "I blew it out when 1 heard you walking about up- stairs. What a fool I was not to lock thal cellar door, I thought I could hold "Sc did 1 fer a long time," returned Gordon, pul. thanks, Pll certainly try that candle; matches are unsatisfactory things al best." He soon discovéred the article he was iu search of--it was stuck in an empty beer bollle among the debris of the food; and, lighting it, he turned back to the stranger. For a moment the two men remained silent, peering at one another by the light of the candle, which was better, certainly, than Gordon's vestas; bul which, nevertheless, did not make a very brilliant show in the gloom of the cellar. Gerdon locked at his lJate a.versary with an eagerness and -curiosity which hat worthy returned with interest. He was, as George had seen, a very big man of exceedingly powerful physique; but he was probably getling on for forty- five or forty-six, and the curve where his waist shculd have been, while it told of good living and ease, also explained to Gordon the reason fer his sudden 8 good- hur c though now he gazed yaiher ruefully" about him; and George suddenly, for 'some unexplained cause, fel. himself taking quite a fancy to him. He shook his head as George ap- proached. "I don't understand it," he said. "I ought to have wiped the flocr with you. Why, you can't weigh more than twelve stone, at most." "You did wipe the floor wilh me," said George, laughing, "and some of the walls as well." ~ "Yes, bul you nearly choked me; infernal hold of yours; one of beastly police tricks, 1 suppose." "Police "Well, 'detective, ticular. You're a detective, aren't you?' Gcrdon started. This was the second octasion, within a very short while, on He had a hendsome, that your if you are so par- I suppose, nf the police force, and the coincidence leading him back lw the Regent Street fiat and the beautiful girl he had first seen there, made him start suddenly, and for a moment gasp in amazement as he stared at the big inan who 6al up and wate hea him from the "I'm a detective," he said at- last, " m nothing al all to do with said the big man quickly. "Then. what the. devil were -you knock- ing'me abouffor? But you: know..me?. Ycu've There's something up, you know, or you wouldi't Le here. "| haven't seen you. before;" Gardon, at last, 'but, by heavens, 1 he- lieve I've seen someone. very like" you. There's a turn of the éyelid . hor wm. . Ush er... Uther? her?" What the devil. "you mean? 7" The big man. had struggled to, his feet, and came to Gordon. "What do you mean 7" : said Gordon, Gaunt." "It ig Gaunt, but, of course, you know it is, or you wouldn't be here," traordinary' "thing?" he said, slowly, "but 1 assure you [ had no possible idea you were here, or, until just 'this second, that god name was- Gaunt," - e big man frowned and looked an- grilly. at him for a moment; - then he shrugged his shoulders and sat down calmly again'on the ground. this underground nace is bad for] the wils," he said, " aes sesme doubtless, but "you nates f perhaps you wouldn't 'mind pak Bank " Gordon took no notice of the sarcasm iaderivian his words. «-"First of al} let m2 you," he said. < Mr. Gaunt hacited. at him keenly tor ue up." Sage "He had won his|in a a hee he to do with it. He 6 necessary te neil find. a match and strike it; for the tittle He pondered, but. even while he did }. which he had been taken for a member: seen me somewhere 'before? sald] _ of course Yr "{ really. don't know. what -I mean," | 5 "unless. _ your name is] Gordoft looked at 'him: "What.an ex-|" "Of course, |", beg you to. believe that-tny. intefi-7 tions are nothing but. friendly towards} fe un ' Ain al yeu nie a ote you. Gaunt?" Mr. Gaunt ¢ his feet. waren beds of her? "Yes, but good wisere, 6 ons? Wisk ben by ppened te MAS pace ig to ant fede sald Gor- ves threat, but Peo e En risen fo his brow at the mention cf his aes name still remained. Oh, I will be calm," he} & calm? eid," "but my daughter, fer God's sake, about my daughter fe Ss winyour daughter is safe. "Where ?" Gordon hesitated. Where indeed was h "where is she? Where is Vivienne?" reiterated Gaunt. : "TiN this mcrning she was in -my Ouse. "In 'your house ?" "Yes, in my house; and perfectly sale, as she is now in all. probability--but--" "Yes, yes; goon?" "But, fo be frank wiih you, she left this morning, early; we knew nothing of it until it was toc late: she had gone. B y, I have her letter heresin my n rdon, suddenly "mem "Read it; it will "tell you ali that I know myself." Gaunt read the letter which Gorden handed to him, and remained for a mement in thought. Then he turned fo George. , "Sul, of course, .I don't understand," he said. "Will you kindly explain?" "! must, I suppose," Gordon returned. "My siory is a strange one, but you, must believe it eccurred exactly as I tell 4 On Wednesday last, in the I had been dining with a frie@d dinner I found myself in Re on my way home." "In Regent Street?" "Yes. I stcpped neer a certain house te strike a match. As I was doing 60, gemething felt on my shoulder from a window above. It was a silver pin; the kind df ornament a lady wears in her hair. I guessed the house from which the thing had fallen, and with the inten- thor of returning it, I went into the house and upstairs. It happened that the door of one of the flats above--the one whence I iinagined the pin to have come--was open; and half carelessly, hardly think- ing what I did, I walked inside. I fancy -- I may be wrong--that you know what must have met my sight as I passed down the passage of that flat." Gaunt was staring at Gordon with a terrible excitement See his face. "Go on," he said, thick "There w as a dead" 'body upon the floor in one of the rooms, the body of a pode man. By it sat a young gir "By it sat a young girl?" Gaunt, "Yes." repealed - Doubt, amazement and horror express- ed themselve# vividly upon Mr. Gaunt's face, and he passed his hand across his fcrehead as if to wipe away the perspir- alicn which gathered there. "Good God !" he said. "And no one else?" "No one, but the dead man. should have been ?" Gaunt opened his clenched lips adr an effort. "Go on," he said. "Finis your story." And Gordon conlinued: "This young girl--Miss Gaunt, ¢f course--was un- nerved,. prostrated, overwhelmed; she hau evidently been expecting every mo- ment to be disccvered there; that every minute the--the police would come and iscover the body. She m kK me for one of them when I came so strangely into the room where she sat. was, myself, taken by surpriso and startled; the thing was so strange, so extraardi- nary; but I succeeded in convincing Miss Gaunt that--tnat I meant her well. She was, however, as I said, terribly overwrought and--and excited. In the end, in doubt es to what might be best wdo, | persuaded, almost forced her tc eome home 'with me to my house, where I placed-her in cherge of my oki nurse, the best creature in-the world. 1 trusted that she would have recovered more or less from the-fearful shock she Who was best for her to 'de. Unfertunately,;she was taken seridusiy ilts-and- my doctor, whom I sent for, érdered her fo -keep. 0. her bed--indeed, --inddt was: necessary. ta firid a {rained nurse tc. watch 'her. "She was getting beltery she. would have probably been perfectly: well by. now, "but yesterday her fiance called---- J .» "Her flance?".- » "Her' flance,- Mr. Usher; 'he said he was her. Mange," "Usher 2. - Yes, .of course; he called, did he?" Gordon's: Heart, whith met leaped fer. a moment, sank again. u MY eS, came .to my. house," he ™ con- linned. "His' visit-did-not have. the best pessible result, as Miss Gaunt, was not su. Well -afterwards, afd. this _mo early; ill as she still was, she. ae house suddenly. You 6ee.her 10 Mr, Gaunt thought for a Teagent: or two, while Gordon wretched: 'him keenly." "L had no pad of this, no possible uspicion," Gaunt, halfto himself, 4 lena eeWhal did it mean?" £ ured 'abruptly to. Gordon. "Why did ie take-her-to.your house," he said . on why didn' b you call. the po- dice 7" . "Gordon" started. eal 'he Solita 7 nodded. aay nodded,= ""PIl i Were fad fave gh - ~ Tye given pase,' and-so oe hail 'ash gui aitiing by [tle murder! "You co Wonk, your ar daughter, Miss Vivienne were gad Kok unpre, it Joos "= yes, bu a plainly what reasons not ag her il did not bel ve: that she c(h with the crime. I her @ murderess etic called es one." how impossible 1 k be. She ceuld not have committed crime--she did .not, and----" "She did," said Ga' unt. 7008 God ! btcathen! Bes ar and fcr a moment his uae that he could not utter the words he : a wished. "She did it," he said, at last, "My God, yes, she killed him I" (To be e¢antinued). ania ine HHAFFEe Ee P ee ttt tettree : About the Farm F4444444444+44444+44% WEEDS ON THE FARM. In populer language, any homely plant which is not noticeable for the beauly of its flowers, nor entitled to re- spect by a reputation for medicinal or elher useful qualitics is designe'ed by the epithet weed. In an agricultural sense the term is used with a more Tre- stricted meaning and is applied to those intrusive and unwelceme plants that will persist in growing where they are not wanted--in short, the best defini- lion that has yet been given of a weed is the old one, "a plant out of place." Most of the weeds troublesome in our agriculture are immigrants either from the old world, or the warmer portions of this continent. The number of plants indigenous to our country that are en- tilled to rank as pernicious weeds is comparatively small. As the aborigines disappeared with the advance of the whites, so do the native plants generally yield their pos- session as cullivation extends and the majority. of the plants to be met with along the roadsides and upon farm; are naturalized strangers, which appear te be quite at home, and are kept under centrol with difficulty. The labors of the agriculturist are a -- struggle; on the one hand by creating the most favorable conditions pissible he endeavors to make certain plants grow and produce to their ut- most capacity; while on the other hand he has to prevent the growth of certain other plarits which are always ready 'o avail themselves of these favorable conditions. The farmer is interested in two points concerning weeds: How they get into tus lands and how to get them out. As cullivation is all the more profitably carried on if the farmer knows some- thing of the nature and character of the plants he would raise, so, if he would success{uHy operate in the other direciion and stop plants from growing, he can do so all the belter if he knows what are the peeullar habits of the speciés with which he has to contend, and it is quite as important to be fami)- lair a the manner of growth and * mode of propagation of-a--weed a is to be with that a useful ithe A A plant which spreads itself, entirely by the seed must, of course," he differently treated from one that multiplies ty the root also; whether we would propagale O° destroy. Weeds, are introduced upon a farm 'n a variety of ways, Many have their seeds sown with those of the crops; this is particularly the case' where { ge of the 'weeds and of the grain nearly alike in size that their separa: tion is difficult. ° Proper. caré*in procur- ing and-preserving clean seed will often eave much future trouble. d vexation. The observing farmer. 3. pieenthe means "wifich* naturé "has provided for the scattering of seeds and he will find itiat the st pernicious weeds seem to have 'been' especially fuMhistied with contrivances to. facilitele-their disper- sion. The burdock; hounds-tongue and others have baths. or ks by which. they adhere 0 clothing and the coats ef animajs, and are' widely. distribited by this" om 'Ail 'of the thistles and many .olhers of 'the same family 'have a tuft affine, silky hair atlached to the seed. "By which they. are -bupyed ypon the air and-watted {rom place to place. So -numerotis. aré'*the. ways by whfich seeds*are' dispersed that However care- _fful a farther may be upon his own pre- mises, a' 'sloyen}y' 'and 'neglectful neigh- 'ber, may cause 'hint infinite annoyance by: furiiishing. 'him with an abundant & buried,in the earth below the reach of influénces. which. promote germination, in some cases-endures. through many years; bence,::.an -Old field after deep plowing has often a large crop of weeds from the seeds-thus bro face.. Weeds: which have, -been cut or | puHed after, they have flowered should' they' will frequently ¥ipen much of their. =| seed, which -will be-. ted.-when sma fat every' omer she iere ~| ranting the land. -Weeding: it sof. the greatest. Prt aly "said Gor- a th Gaunt bewed his head to his ---- 'The. 'vitality or seeds particularly if} pt to the sur-{ * thet agriculturists should understand the way in which these plants grew that he may know Streyed; but later in the seasen it makes sireng underground stems and roola which have great tenacily of life and which have within them an accumula- tion of nourishment which enables them row up sévera! successive crops ef herbage; plowing such weeds generally aggravates the trouble, fer, unless every fragment be removed frem the ground, ua thing very difficult te accomplish, each piece that is left makes a separale plant. In the case of weeds of this de- scription, the necessity fer early eradi- cating them is easily apparent, for it once well est@blished, and an under- greund provision depot formed, the farmer and the plant are in the posi- tion of besieger and besieged forces-- &s long as the previsions hoki out the latter can maintain its ground. It then becemes a question of endurance, for the underground supply must be even- tually exhausted in the attempt to pro- duce new stems and leaves, and if the farmer, by persistently cutting these aWay; Prevents any new accession to the sieck of previsiens, the enemy must st length succumb. Repeated cuttings et short intervals, will at length, ex- haust the vitality of any plant and. cause its death. The farmer will do well te keep in mind twe rules. Do not let weeds bles- sem and do not lel them breathe. The leaves may be considered the lungs of the plant and without the aid of these it cannot long maintain itself, --_--_--_-- CENTURY-LONG TREASURE HUNT Another Attempt Will Be Made to Re- cover 85,875,068 {rom Hold of Lutine, The news that yet another attempt is tL) be made to recover the remainder of the gold from the hold of H.M.S, Lutine, recalls memories of one of the most pro- tracted treasure hunts of modern times-- a hunt that has lasted, cff and on, for considerably over a hundred years. @ Lutine sailed for Holland on Oc- tober 8th, 1799, having on board some £1,350,000 in bullion and coined money, wherewilh to pay the English troops then serving in the "Low Countries," and {cv other purposes. She had scarcely cleared the Dewns when a terrific gale sprang up, and twenty-four hours later she foundered off the island of Terschel- ling. Only one member of the crew was sayed, and he died before reaching Eng- ian Attempts, authorized and unauthor- ized, were at once made to get at the sunken: treasure. Some of the latter, were undoubledly partially successful. Indeed, it was said that some ment afterwards English guineas were in regular circulation amongst the fisher- men and smugglers ef that wild coast.; There was also a Scotch master-mari- ner named Saunderson, who, unless rumor lies, sailed away with £22,000 werth of bar gold, afier a visit to the seene of-the wreck of less than a week's a gra He corveried an iron water- tank into a diving-bell, and utilized as an air-pump a small hand fire-engine he had brought with him for the pur- pose. A Dutch salvage company, working on scientific lines, also succeeded in recov- ering £99,893, of which sum £22,162 was handed over to Lloyds. The ship's rud- & | der;s¥ecovered in 1859, was likewise sent to Lleyd's, and a table and a chair were fashioned from it for the use of the members Since then several attempts have becn made jo salve the £1,175,000 remaining, but wifheut success. Whether the pre- sent one will fare better remains tc be seen. 'But great confidence is expressed ty its promoters, whe are relying prin- cipaily en:a novel kind of submarine boal, worked by compressed air stored in dig interior. <A ------ THE KILLERS. It happened that once a man ran past Socrates: armed wilh an axe. He was in pursuit of another who was running | from him at full speed. "Stop, him! Stop him!" cried. Plato's master did not move. "What!" cried the man with the axe; "coulds't thou not.have barred his way? He is an assassin!" "an assassin! What mcanst thou?" "Play not the idiol! An assassin' -is a min whe Kills." $ Te bur then?" "Old fool! A man who kills another man!" "To be sure! A soldier! _ "Bolt! A man who kills another map the pursuer not 'be thrown on {he manure héap, for | >. in: his *exacliga physician." h. the man with the oxe eden is: running still.