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“Ye’ll hurt, yersel'. Granmy. gif ye molt. ony mair." The old woman snorted and .looked straight ahead of her. puffing With the steadiness of a steam engine. Danny began to Whisper gossip into her ear. hoping that she might answer him and let the ipe go out; but beyond grunt- ing so 1y at. intervals and sucking with mechanical precision. she gave no sign. of being alive. ._ i And so peace reigned in Burnfoot; while the midst rolled up the hillside and the 31m dried the withered leaves and warmed the blood in the veins of the old couple on the bench. Nor were the soft grunts of Granny. the treble of the old man gossiping, the purl of the stream and the twittering of the sparrows overhead, an orchestration wholly out of sympathy with the world-forgotten spirit of the scene. Soon afterwards Danny came creep- ing out and sat. down humbly bwide her. After a short silence he ven- turgd A_§o_ say :â€" Gran-.ny closed he; lips upon thel shank as i! she had been an Aunt Sally with- a. hole bored 1111 her face. Then. seizing h‘er stick, she shuffled out into the sunshine and sat down upon the: bench with the oomtented look in her“ face that always came there wheushe was being fed with soup. or was watching the addition of a barrow-load of coal to her store. But Granny was quite alive to this move of her adversary, and took ro‘mpt measures to Checkmate it. At feast in the time that one of her own sleepy eyelids took to twinkle in .she had poured hot water into the teapot and out again into the cup. She knew that Danny liked his tea hot. and would give up the pipe rather thensee it cooling under his nose; and. sure enough, with a heavy sigh and a last. longâ€"drawn inhalation, he put the pipe into her eager hands, and busied him- eel! with the scalding tea. The bargain was struck. but both' diplomats had still a moce in hand. Danny puffed for dear life to get as much out of the pipe as possible before it left. his hands. He knew the tenac- ity of the old woman. who had once smoked his dottle out, a. feat one would scarce have thought she had breath engughfl to perform.‘ "\Vad ye 110' like a cup 0' tea.” she ' said civilly; “the kettle's on- the bile. 2 I could mask it in taw meenits. ” ’ Danny smiled all oyer. , “Dod, wummarnfi.” he answered, “it? wad tak' the stour not 0 ma thrapple fine. I'm rael obleeged to ya for the offer. ” 1 "An’ ye gie me a. draw 0' the pipe while: ye're takizn’t Y" “On, ay! Ou, ay! Ye' re welcome tau 3 bit d_raw, Granny. ” Granny felt that she had wasted her porridge on the desert air. She dis- sembled the wrath that was in‘ her. but made up her mind savagely to make Danny pay to the last suck of his pipe for the cup of tea which she was forced to offer him. "Thenk ye.” Danny interposed. throwing the sppon into the pot, and clutching his pipe, “I'm just dune. an’ it's no 001: yet." He puffed tiflI the thick yellow smoke flew from his lips; “I’ll gang 00¢ by." he added; “I like the smell o't in the caller air." Granny acknowledged that she was beaten. “1 wadml mind a. draw 0' the pipe nasal,” she said. "\Veel, if ye're roomf by the back I’ll maybe see ya," was Daniny's diplo- matic reply. ready.” she suggested. reaching up a trembling hand to the chimney-piece. the chimney-piece. and scrapâ€"sci till Granny began to be afraid for the bot- tom of her pot. She was blinking eagerly at the pipe. but Danny feigned nut to know what was in her heart. He meant to finish‘ off his repast with t cup of tea, and Granny was keeping "I've had my oogfu'. gey thin.” ad- mitted Danny, reluctantly. “Cou1d"ye scrape a pat ?” “Braw’ly. I'm sharp-set, wummam. that: mornin's.” Granny went to the sink for the por- ridge-pat and brought it to Danny. with horn spoon. He put his pipe on "Hue ye had yer parriteh ?" she asked. in the unexpected way peculiar to her. Her remarks were as expres- liomlus sometimes as those of a mechanical doll. to the bait. Upon the invitation of the old lady's Mink at tho fire, Danny thurst callous fingers into the embers and extracting 3 live coal, set it in the bowl of his pipe. The fragradt smoke drifted towards Granny's nostrils. She waved her head to and fro in it, and Danny could see that she was risirg eagerly also out of her as a makeweight to the hungain. "Ou ny; though I benma' boo lang I'll hae any coal for’t. They're slippin’ awn some gait. A'e ye for a. draw?" "I had thochts o‘t." "04m ban for yer lioht, then.” Danny arose Without straightening himself, and, su-bduing the twinkle in his cunning eyes, entered Granny's hospitable abode. He knew that Granny would expect a. draw for the light, but he meant to get something I “I'd best band the pipe in tao ye're “Ay, ‘deed am I. Is’t warrm cat by?" in mud. “Mm, wummam. fine! Has ya a liabt h yer fire 7" Gunny was dozing over an empty thump by the side of the fire. Her head twitched. She heaved up her eyelids with an effort. seoonld drawing for her own mid- A TEN SHILLING TRAGEDY are the ways of Provi- Granny Wilde sat scowl- branlny's face showed a'fine con- ‘ Him fricht me. Na, ma. hinny. hit -I canna' t-‘ho‘le the brute." throat. W'hen her lungs had ceased to Estrain and labor. Granny's pleaohled probably die of fright. While the talked, Granny woke up suddenly, like} a dead person coming to life, and cried angrilyt- .~ “Ma pipe? thiaur's ma pipe 8” “ caught it as it fell," said Ethel. “The black-hearted auld thief! Sau- tan choke 'm! There was a dizzen draws in't yet," and again Granny fell softly asleep, her head hanging over on one side, looking as if it might drop off at any moment through. the snap- ping of the frail link of neck that held it on her showlders. , Granny sleeping with her mouth open“ her eyelids blinking, and her “Wake up, Granny l" cried Ethel. pulling the wrinkled fingers with her soft warm hand. Granny snorted in- “Eh, dea}}â€"mgrgie “figgt'fiad. learning on: Ethel's shoulder, “that du‘g's no canmy. Ma. stren'tlhx's no what it was. But Him or me'll be the waur o't some But “mm Ethel and Kathleen came running up to her. crestfadlen N'ero ailinkinxg far in the rear, Granny's ex- cltemem; had Dagsegi away. up]. .1- - __ â€" -_ â€" “In.“ WlAeu'U Lu “3 Lb LUL‘. Sihe rose to her feet and advanced un- deunflzedlly upon Nero with her skinny fingers extended like the claws of a. net. The dog stopped so suddenly in hm mad career, that he sank upon his were almost qt h’is muzzle. He backed $10le. growhng and baring his teeth ln'onervous exc’lftement, and, having gained dlstanoe enough to turn in. wh-Isked round suddenly and fled asif the devfl were after him. Add indeed granny, her mummy-dike face oon- torted. thh passion. mowing and mouthlng, and threatening the crea- ture. wlthz her shrivelled claws. was a sufflcmnrbly ternfying object to justify his flight: “Mind, Kathy," said Ethel. trying to frown. "it must be. this time. It's not right that Granny should go about al- ways with such a dirty fac3. She's old enough to know better." . “W'dt if s'e kwies again, Effie 3’” “I don‘t believe it hurts grown'vllp people to cry. It does them good." I “If it '01:“; tum off, w'ot’ll ’00 do ?” ! “Oh. burl: it will. I'll make it. Have ' you golf. the soap and the flannel 2” "Vef. am’ ve baccy. Mind, I'm to give valt to Danny." “I know What I'll do with Granny's {half-sovereign. I'll put it where she can: see it when we’re scrubbing her: She won't cry then." “W'ot'll '00 do, Effie, if s'e dies 2" ‘ ali‘men myself in the quarry. that's and .her.fee.lings overcame her. She stood still and wept aloud. Nero (193‘th up and began to bark in feroâ€" front and barking as ifhewould make a mouthful of the world, the expedition! debouched in a whirl of excited feeling; Upon the main road where Grann}r sat serenely smoking with Danni's angry eyes fixed upon her face. Nero. at onpe concluding that the oc- caslon of his young mistress's tears was the presence in the world of this bad old women ruah‘ed at her open- mouthed as if the moment had come when he must make a meal of her in- lqulty. Granny did not know how gentlemanly a dog he was when off the chain. She only knew that her natural ernemy had taken her una- ware-<5. The pipe dropped from her mouth, and Danny caught; it as it fell. Q11.” ..-_- Nero, in his most amiable mood. bounded along in front of the tvnps. H19 great tongue lolled out at the ends of ms black muzzle, and the pond'erous muscles bulged under his skin as he lunged up the banks or leapt around the twins like a real kitten romping in a. to}: world. They danced down the avenue like a pair of overgrown fairies, but In their faces was a prettier vehemence i than is ever? seen in the tranquil atmo- sphere of fairylasnd. Blue-eyed. long- legged Ethel's brows were puckered under the hood of her scarlet cloak. and sturdy little Kathelee-n’s black eyes burned with the intensity of the purpose thatlay behind them. Poor old GrannyLDisaster was marching towards her 1n six-inch strides as she sat in the sunshine sucking the heart out of Danny's cherished dottle. not in themselves awe-inspiring. but in virtue of the deed which they had resolved to do Upon the body of the old woman. their light-heartefl ap- proach was a move of sinister impor- tanpe in the game of__life. ~v-vâ€"v vâ€"’ v- ___- The twins, Who were, in this in- stance, the messengers _of gape, wprg ing at the inoffensive mill-wheel and sucking the last vestige of vapor out of Danny’s pipe. great things were on their way towards her. If she had guessed What was in store for her. the elation of her soul over the defeat of Danny would haye lost something of ltggerene expansgveness. r__â€"â€"'â€" .V". of terror ando dismay. The 303's pro- test brought Danny upon the scene and there he stood staring, Wlth dropfped jaw and bulging eyes, till a deadly ear crept about his heart and he fled back into his den lest it should be his turn neat to softer: the tortures of the bowl. v“ .; -v‘v 7' ‘Uu W unfamiliar fag; andv a 'brtfilgen heart. sleeping the sleep of exhaustlcm 1n her char , an old shawl thrown over her of the soap strayed into her eyes or month, which it did often. for, between the half-sovereign and her outraged feelings. she could keep neither shut for more than a second at a tiem. In the middle of the washing Nero looked in at the door and gave vent to ‘his feelings in a prolonged howl The washing proceeded apace. Kath- leen held the bowl. Ethel scrubbed at hands and face and neck. The poor old creature blinked and gasped. and uttered little sobbing death-ones when fhfl finn“ 4_ “I'm'bocht, I’m bocht," Whined the old woman. "Hag your wall 0' me. I ne'er thoc't to be wash’t tae I was streekLt.” Then shutting her ages tightly. she gripped the elbows of er chair and moaned, “ Tell me whan a's ower.” “ No. It’sirEEi-smt'hgu 'I'nSEE-Et' we’re done. Quick, Kathy, the soap! And P12337311". “I”! an Granny? 191903: ‘ “ Ye're 310’â€" c-hgéfiai' me, missie 8 Ye'll no tak’ the bonny bi.t‘ awa’ agaiq 3” u ‘1'... TL)- “ \Vellfl said Ethel, sharp to see her advantage, “ do you know what that is ?" She held the half-sovereign up temptingly. “ The mercy o' the Lord upon us, it’s gowd I" “ And it ’s for you, Granny. when your face is washed. You'll be rich and able to buy coals. There it isâ€"waiting! Now, are yon ready t” “ v-'_- _ 0 . A '1' .-‘ :‘Klrgs'miss? I’ll ne'er see anither KLrs mlSS. I’ll be cauld erneuch. or that. .I hae'na’ a week's coal left, an' wllan l§_’§_ dune, I’m dune.” _ 'T' -â€"-..o â€"v"â€"‘â€" ‘ . “ The water's nearly boiling. Feel Lt." said Ethel. “I’ll be sca’ditt to daith then. Tak' awa’ that how]. I’ll whummle it owetr ye if ye come a stgp‘ mazerlne'7' (In- . v- _V__' w “v" ‘ ‘Grénny. if youw'vcirgrel You'li-éét no oogl§ithis Christmas." v'v- - “-‘J ' “ You promised, Granny. and you mustn't draw back." Ethel urged firmly.. ' " Eh. but I'm a’ in a tremmle. It's an awfu' cauld thing ‘doogiilg"..” ‘3 m1..- ____J_ h ‘ VJ â€""â€"' “Lei: me at? Eliâ€"i; ae time, deary. I'm feelnn’ unoo queerlik’ the day, an' I oa-nma' be fashed wi’ nae nonsense. I'm feart I’m gaun to dee.” pled the old woman tearfnlly; ' (Iv . brought. " ""‘ """"""" "' "fl “ Noyv; Granny," she said, " you gnustn t; splutter, or you’ll get the soap un your mouth aqd eyeg." C‘T_L___ _£Dl ‘ 1'- in her veins. She fell asleep more than once while Ethel fed her. It seemed to her. that there was no urgency, for if she took long enough over the soup the little 13.- dies would forget what they had come to do. Ethel. too. did not hurry. The fixity of her purpose disdained pre- clpitanc '. When the soup was fin- [shed s e whisked off her cloak and stood forth in the dainty brown apron that she were when she washed the faces of her dolls. She filled the big“ gest bowl she could find with hot water and plumped into it the beauti- ful new cake of soap which Kathy had L..- __ -_1_~1_ l “I'll get ma daith 0’ cold," moaned 'Granny. “ What, with warm water 3" “It's no the washim’ but the win’ blaws cauld on a clean skin." “Nonsense. you old silly. Andrew washes the bias to fatten them." “Ay. maybe, but I'm no a pig, an' ['m ower auld to fatten- noo." And Grammy caught up a corner of her drugget apron with an alarming snif- ter that made Ethel drop the argument for the moment. She poured the soup into a willow-pattern bowl that stood ever at Granny’s elbow to receive the daily dole from the big house. Granny never stopped to think of her plight if this cruse had failed her. The soup came and she supped it. If it didn’t come. she went for it to Barncraig and grumbled all the way there and back again. She needed so little food. and it seemed so easy to procure, that no fear of starvation ever troubled her. Coal was her only anxiety. She did not dream that death could get at her ex- cept by cutting her off from the exter- nal‘ warmth that kept the blood liquid “Why, your fire is never out, Granny, night or day." “Ma. fire! No muek‘le o' it gangs on me fire. But I'll catehi 'im yet. He's no dune wi' me." “Now, Granny. don‘t expite yourself. When you've taken this nice soup. Kathy and me are going' to wash your hands and face, and make you pretty and clean.” Granny’s expression fell from the A Ten Shilling Tragedy ad height of passion into the depth of ab- ject despair. “I canna thole wetter on ma skin.” she whirled piteously. . “‘It’ll soon be over,” Ethel said, coax- "Why, Granny," she cried, “there’s heaps of coal in your, shed." “Na, na, ’uist twa, three bitties, an' w‘ba kens i they'll be there the morn? Come here tea I Whisper in yer ear. I'm fear't for ma life to speak out loud.” Ethel danbed over to her chair,and into an ear like a little pink shell Granny poured the tragic secret:â€" “Dam:ny steals me coal!" "Oh. no. no," protested: Ethel. “Danny wouldn’t do such a flung” “Then whaur does it gang ?” cried the 05151” Home!» triumphenflY- But the deed was done, and While the flames leapd; under the kettle, Ethel moved over to tile windoyvz "‘ITL- n it in- thiroughpthe heat of the day. The sound penetrated the old woman's sleep instantly, and in a moment she was wide awake. "Eh. mind the coal. miesie, mind the 0031." she cried. “The Winter's near ,haun' an' they’re maist dune. I dinna :ken What I’ll dae wantin' 0031. Could g6 gno spare a hunner' or twa up y N “All right, GrannY." said Ethel, who had slipped the kettle on; the fire. “you'll get some before the winter; but What have you dome with the last lot? It’s not a, week since you got it.”‘ “Eh, me, deary me. d'ye say saef Weel. weel, it canm de dune yet, but it slips awa', slips awa’ like snaw off a dyke. I’m aye fea't I’ll dee in- the cauld some nicht. There’s nae warrm (333': 1100. I mind days when a fire wad bee sca’det ye. Di-mna break the gaithâ€" erin’. dearie. It’s awful' wastry." dignantiy, and her head fell over still further with a. dis}ocatipvg jerk. “LI 1 - . left their v_ict°L_m with an Heâ€"Are you sure. darling, that I am the first man you ever 10 Sheâ€"I'm sure you’re; the last one. That should be sufficmn't, is possible, the man dropp down upon the ground. huddled up Into as small a. space as possyble. and. drawing his blanket over hls head. rgmains thus hideen unti Ithe danger 18 past. rest upon her even for a moment the superstitition is that he will by people. The law must be broken re- ? peatedly by accident without the pay- mend: of the penalty. Yet the idea is current to-day, and is in full force and effect, exercising an appreciable influence on the social conditions of the people. , p The mother. has no direct interest 'in: her daughter's marriage. but the interest arising from maternal love: might often complicate or even make hpossible the usual pmcedure. So the mother-in-law taboo began and gradually grew into a fixed custom or law. What hargm could an. irate mo- ther-inp-law do if she were absolutely prohibited from speaking to her daugh- ter's husband? And on the other hand, what Show would a man. have if left unprotected to the mercy of three or four mothers-im-law, for poly- gamy is commonly practised in the tribe? Some such aw is an actual ne- cessity in primitive societies. The complications brought about by this peculiar condition are many and various. An accidental meeting, for ex- ample, is very awkward to both. If other Indians are present, frantic warn- mg to hide himself are shouted to the mo.“ a...) :3 L- 2â€" NA VAJO MOTEEFSJN-LA W. Mothers-in-law will be interested In some of the manners and customs of the customs of the Navajo Indians. There a man cannot under any circum- stances speak to or even look upon his mmher-inâ€"Iaw. Should his eye “I dared not turn to m’y breakfast, but stood all day watching that leaf. Suddenly a breath of air shook the branch; the leaf trembled; it fell flut- tering ‘through the air and I ' gave a cry of despairâ€"Hark! The shout of honest English voices! The jail door was burst open; the guards were kill- ed and soon I fell back into the arms of my comrades. Do you wonder I never look at a tree in autumn or at falling leaves withlout shuddering?” _ ___-_ .. v..-“ Vuuua quLU LUL a few hours. The storm had sighed to rest; the air was calm; no Wind woufld disturb it, possibly. But how frail a. thing is a man’s life when clinging to such a hope! The'jaiiler entered. He smiled in a murderous fashion and with a diabolical expression held up one finâ€" gar. ed. How eagerly I watched for day light! Had any leaves been spared? I gazed out of my prison Window anx- lously as the first shafts of light apâ€" peared in the east. The tree was stripped of all leaves; my time had come; the terrible ‘first death’ was at hand. No; a single leaf remained on a topmost branch. I gave a cry of joy. There was a chance of a brief respite. Perhaps that leaf would cling there for .. I---“ Lx â€" "â€"â€"v- “v- count the falling and to speculate upâ€" on those which remained! When a. breath of air assanled the branches my heart grew heavy and my mind gloomy. When all was brisg' it and the air calm, my mind was inspired with hope. But one night the wind blew furiously and I suffered terribly, as I saw in fancy leaf after leaf whirled from the branch- eg until the tree was stripped and nak- .“ ‘When the last leaf falls, you WIN meet the first death.’ . :‘The ‘fi-rst death’ signifies to be cut JOHNS from joimt and then to be be- headed: HQ’W' I watehed that tree! crew, myself among the number. were taken prisoners. We were carried to an inland prison and thrown into cells. The second day of my confinement the jailer said to me;- " ‘You see that tree?" When It Fell the Time of Death Was at “and. A=nd Danny hid his tobacco under the mattress of his bed, and sat by it wondering and wondering if the thns had told Granny of the great store of joy that had came to him. He resolved that while the fine weather lasted. he would smoke down in the Wood by the burnside, and when it became too cold to do that, he would bar the door and ies upon Burnfoot, and the devil, with his tongue in his cheek. was quietly putting a match to the train they had laid. (To be continued.) head to. keep the chill out of the pores. But she was not wholly wretched. for. if she was clean. she was rich. While she slept, her fingers. plunged deep in her great bag-pocket, layed with the wonderful gift which ad or the devil had sent to her. Her troubled dreams were full of dog-fiends. and thieves. and avarice; and the firmament seemed suddenly to crawl like a mitey cheese, with prying eyes and lean. cov- etous fingers that waved. fringe-like in the air. THE LAST LEAF. ‘l ozr . . .Then As is well known, to Russia belongs the largest unrung bell in the world. This bell now occupies a building in the Kremlin. It was cast two centuries pit. A quantity of cold water flowed around it, and a great piece, the size of a door was broken out. The Bus-- {beyond penury to debt? The Villela 3 would not tell, but it sent out its warn- 1mg note. Russia has a coronation bell. the largb est in the world. and weighing 250,000 pounds. It hangs in the Kremlin, and is the emperor's bell, being rung only in honor of him. At the coronation it peeled forth as the emperor entered the church. and its voice announced the conclusion of the ceremony to the whole of Russia. The coronation bell is rung by a bellringer blessed by the emperor as the head of the church. The bellringer does no other work. and is always on duty to tell of important events in the imperial family. He is pensioned, and is ever polishing up the 1y between the death and the time o! the funeral. Giantâ€"Bell of the Kremlin. the London Daily Graphic. Wheny: great victory is won the bells crash -forth the glad tidings from a thong- and steepies. while they perform a like office, though of course in a different key, in the case of a national disaster, But Spain'has a hell that is its pro- phet. It is its soothsayer, oracle and guide. This bell. the famous Villela, has hung for centuries in the historic castle, keeping watch over the nation. It is the most celebrated bell in Eur- ope. its fame rests not so much upon its notes. though these are high-pitched. soft and clear; nor upon its size, for there are other bells in Spain much larger, but upon its personality. Tho‘ Villela is a Spanish bell that for years has foretold any impending trouble to the nation. When. the father of little Alfonso died, the Villela began toll- ing in the night. and tolled until morn- nights of defeat. And when great fires have touched the castle, and sickness or insurrection threatened the throne. the Villela has lifted up its voice. The Villela has tolled again. and only“ a fortnight ago. It was one shortquick stroke. Only a few heard it. but they -nâ€" A- Le“ Did it ran to tell NOTES ON FAMOUS BELLS USES TO WHICH THEY ARE PUT DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. THE DIREFUL TIDIN GS. INFORMATION matter. piece. the size mt, The Rus- rdered it to ho set Within the ametimes used are two feet five ‘feet high. FEE DAME. word IN THE FARM aimâ€"b6 bruised in out injury. 0‘ a 'nmt because 1} gnkal and Grubs m __ -L| an in! mt?! 'forfh the branc 01' of it