A WOMAN'S FAITH: OR, THE Mystery of a Bunch of Pansies.

By C/fARLES T. MANNERS,

author op

"The Lord of Lylc," "Octavia's Pride"," "The Blcnkarne Emeralds," "Tho Flaw In the Diamond," "Dragging Him Down," "ASilver Brand," &c, &c.

CHAPTER XIX. So Hope.

Mbs MakchwoK* opened her languid eyes with mingled astonishment and curiosity as she and her brother sat together over a late breakfast, each in the reserved taciturn mood that had become habitual of late when they were left alone together. TTor while the colonel was listlessly turn ing over the letters which the servant had just placed on a silver tray and set down at his elbow, she saw a sudden glare of delight flash into his face as with trembling fingers he seized upon ono and tore open its envelope. Mrs Marehi'.-ont set down her.gilded coffee-cup, and adroitly stretching out hor white, jewelled finger.., caught the flutter ing fragment that fell from his hands. " A letter from Helena Yerrington," ex claimed sho, roused on her own part. " Oh, Charles, do read it to me. Where has she been? What has she done? And is she not ponitont enough over that foolish flight of hers ?" The colonel seemed entirely unconscious that she had spoken. The paper rustled in his tremulous fingers, his eyes flew from one side of the page to the other with a fever ish intentness, and when ho had finished it ho drew one quick, sharp breath, and looked off away beyond her with an absorbed ex pression that vexed and irritated her.

"Well," she said, presently, in that sharp, rasping voice which betrayed the acrimonious mood which was usually his terror, " how much longer am I to wait for the information I desired ? You are really getting to bo unbearable in your lack of courtesy to me, Charles !" Upon this ho turned his eyes in an instant to her indignant face, and said, hastily, in a forced, constrained voice, while he passed the letter:

" I beg your pardon, Clara. You may read the letter for yourself. You surmise correctly that it is from Helena. Helena, pjor, friendless, dispirited ; but yet, I fear, self-willed and obstinate still."

"In regard to accepting her guardian's love ? Well, it is one advantage that she has written at all," returned Mrs March mont, glibly, quite mollified by the meek ness ofhis tone. " But how strange it is, Charles, that this girl has so much power ovor a man of your years and experience. You have passed coldly those who were twice as fair and fascinating, a score of times at least, in the years gone by. You ignore the pretty blandishments of half a dozen young ladies at the present time who are willing to sacrifice their youth and beauty to a name and fortuno as fine as yours. But nono will please you, hold you, enslave you, but this ono obstinate girl, who scorns as empty dross the best you can offer her. It is quite incomprehensible, but I suppose one may say it is fate, and none can gainsay their fate." "Fate," repeated the colonel, in a low gloomy voice. " And what is that ? I wish some one could answer me."

Mrs Marchmont opened her blue eyes still more widely. She meant to give a careless shrug of the graceful shoulders, but it was rather a shudder as she returned :

" I don't care to explore into such dreary subjects myself. I haven't entirely re covered from the nightmare that horrible Methodist sermon gave me.' Are you thinking about it now ? It was such a pity we all staid that day at the picnic to hear it. One can't throw off such gloomy pictures easily." "I remomber it all," returned the colonel, musingly, while he turned the delicate china cup round and round in its gilded saucer. "He said fate was an empty word, idly used. That God was the only fate, and His will was tho only retribution. That there was nothing happening, but everything being worked out. "Don't revive it all. I pray you," said the fashionable lady, with anothor little shiver. " The man had just ability onough to make himself -disagreeable. I had horrible dreams for a tf-eok afterward. And yet that silly Prudent Weston called it a wonderful and comforting discourse." " People's constitutions vary, and—their experience," went on the colonel, slowly, still staring off over the cup, across the daintily appointed tables, beyond the pretty, luxurious room even, and seeming to see something confronting him there that was not comforting at all. Mrs Marchmont watched him with mingled curiosity and resentment. " What wild thoughts are you following, Charles?" asked she, presently. "I know very well, by your uncai.ny expression of eyo, that you have gono back—to forbidden ground. What is the use ! The past is past, and nothing helps it." ' " But what if what we call fate, and that; man declares is God, takes up the past and twists it into our present and future ? You have not read tho letter carefully. Do you see that Helena is among the Mildmnys and the Earles, there. I gave no heed when I heard the names from Stone. Now I see. Well, tho preacher's doctrine is enforced again. Everything has its meaning, and work, and end." ""'',' " What, aro they people you knew—in the old days?" And onco again Mrs Marchmont took up the letter Helena had written under com punction of conscience at the remembrance of her guardian's anxiety and suspense con cerning her. She read it through carefully. " Well I see nothing to alarm you, even if they are the same people. You never told me the whole affair, though I guessed it out. But bygonos are bygones, and you certainly are safe. You have made a new identity. No one knows even of your old name." ' '■ , "But /know, and—fate, or God, knows too," he said, slowly, speaking the words with stiff lips, as though they were forced out against his will. This gay woman of the world gave a little hollow laugh, and rising from the table, shook out the fluttering ribbons and tassels of her becoming morning dress, while she answered to this appeal. . "Dear me, Charlos, you are quite incom prehensible this morning. I don't believe you are well. I would take an extra glass of brandy to give you spirit. You must not allow tho black clouds to envelope you, or you will be quite undone. One must fight off the blues, and if fighting doesnt dS, it is discretion to fly. Bun down and have a game of billiards with Hal Dermont and his chums, then dine at the club, and take Nellie and Belle Lermont to tho opera this evening. That's my prescription. When I feel the horrors approaching, 1 rush poll-moll into the gayest scene I can find, and laugh it away. As for Helena, it seems to me your chance improves. Why, 8 -ie owns that she feels herself friendless and alone. See there where she writes: •' If I had one hopo to work upon, I cohW take heart, and be brave." " Write eloquently of the one great hope you long to present. I tell you, man, your chances of winning were never so strong. The wild bird has tried her wings, and found them lacking their boasted strength. Already you see for thoughts turn to you as her only refuge. Open your arms, and eho will presently fly into them. She smiled upon him with what she meant to be a very encouraging, as well as an affectionate and charming, smile. She tooked a very fair and gracious lady, as she stood therein her tasteful dress, with the dainty Parisian cap drooped caressingly upon wavy crimps that showed no dulness ofPi«stre, ynor suspicion of silver with her slender white hands peeping forth from bracelets of dead gold sot as it were in a ruffle of delicate lace that supplemented the French sleeve of intricate conglomeration of puff, and ruffle, and bow. A fair and gracious presence to light up ones home. A charming mistress for this luxurious scene. And in her way Bhe was a sincere and devotedly attached sister. These thoughts ran vaguely through Colonel Rivera's mind, while he leaned back in. his chair in answer to her light caress, and looked at her wistfully. "Clara," he said, huskily, "stop a moment, and try to think soberly and seriously. Is all this false merriment satisfy ing and shall we not come to a place where at the best it will bo but bitterest mockery ? Is there not such a thing as pausing now, and turning back to find peace and self respect, if nothing more? You are a great deal younger than I, but you are a woman, and all women who are not irretrievably bad are supposed to have truer and wiser intoition of such things. .Tell me, suppos „g that I knew something that would give Helena the heartandhope. she asks for, fn|ht Inotto show it to ncr, though it lost me the only chance I have with her ?

There was the wild appeal of his better future glistening in the eyes turned so imploringly upon her. But alas! the shallow butterfly of summer had no honey of wisdom, no dew of truth to offer to the famishing soul craving of her a single drop of living sustenance.

" I don't understand you at all, Charles,-' she said, pettishly. " I'm sure I don't set myself up for a Methodist. If nothing else in the world but Helena is going to content you, I should think you were very-foolish to let any chance of winning her go by. And as to your talk about self-respect, I am sure it is everybody's duty to keep a good reputa tion, and you have done that. "You have no need to go digging back into the past. Charles Rivera's life and good name concern you, and no one else. There, do have a glass of wine, and go off somewhere to shake off these blue.?. You have quite spoiled my morning.'1

She laid her fair hand again upon his shoulder with about the same playful grace that she used in tapping with her fan her partner's shoulder in the german, when he ventured into badinage, and then glided away.

The servant came to remove the breakfast, and Col. River., gathered up his papers and letters and went Oil'into the librai'y.

Ho throw himself into the chair with a heavy sigh. Two visions swept away from him the picture of his sister's smiling face, and made her words worse than emptiness and vanity. One was Helena Yerrington's earnest, truthful face, and the other tho solemn, warning, accusing eyes of the "strange fanatic," as, at the time, ho himself had called the Methodist preacher. The sighs became heavy groans. Col. Rivera tVas presently pacing to and fro, With the haggard despairing look of a man whoconfrouts terrible ghosts from a bitter past. The Bcalding tears poured down his pallid cheekis, he wrung his hands wildly. Now and then he lifted up a shuddering, awed, but imploring look toward the glimpse of far-away sky that the heavily curtained window afforded.

Presently, quite worn out with the vio lence of his emotion, he sank down in the 'chair, and dropped his head on tho table on his outstretched arms in the attitude of a grieved boy. More than an hour he remained thus, and then he slowly lifted up his head, revcalinj a face very pale and sorrowful, but calm, almost stern, with somo settled purpose.

He drew toward him the writing tray and several sheets of paper, and bjgan writing steadily, only pausing now and then to draw a weary hand across his forehoad, aa if thus to brush away some cobweb that obscured his memory.

Twice he was obliged to consult some book of reference, evidently for a date. But at length he dropped his pen, and gathering up the sheets of writing-paper with hasty hands, as though he dared not trust himself to glance at them, he folded them together, tied them with a tapo, and dropped a protecting seal of wax upon the knot. This done, tho hardest task of all seemed before him, for with tremulous, re luctant hands, while casting wild, frightened glances toward the doors he had locked securely at his entrance, he unbuttoned his satin waistcoat, slipped his hand into his breast, and drew forth a thin, narrow bit of oiled silk, which, whon unfolded revealed but a jagged halt-sheet of paper, looking more likely to be torn from some diary than to have come from any orderly writing desk, and covered with evidently hurried hand writing in pencil They were very simple lines, and few of them likely to call forth the look of mingled horror, loathing, and dread that was on tho colonel's face as ho forced himself to road them over.

" Helena Beloved : You will not see mo to-night. Against my will and beyond my power to resist, I am borne far away from you. But I shall not be harmed, and I shall hold you to the sweet promise of the pansies when I am permitted to return, which I am solemnly assured shall be in a brief time. lam forbidden to write to any one, and I send this surreptitiously. But you shall have proof of my safety, and my precious claim upon your thought, by re ceiving on this day each month till I return a bunch of pansies. I dare not write moro.

"Ever yours, Coxway Searle."

And this was the hidden secret that had made Colonel Pivors writhe at ovory allusion to the fateful pansies. And this was why Helena Yerrington's sorrowful cry for one ray of hopo had struck home such a quivering pang of ogony. He could give it to her. Ah, he knew full woll what a glad world of hope that lotter would open to her trustful, tendor heart. * The wretched sophistry with which he had beguiled himself whon the missive was first received no longer satisfied him. Ho said then it was cruel and unkind to allow tho girl to place any dependence on this romantic, unsatisfactory assurance. If tho man was living, and no villain, all these detectives would unearth him from his hiding-place. And if he only meant a further deception to keep his hold upon a fond girl's sentimental imagination, this wise movement of her guardian would baffle him.

But to repeat this to himself now gave no satisfaction. There was tho yearning, striving cry in Helona's lettor for the ray of hope which he had shut away from her, and there was the remorseless, accusing voice wakened in his own conscience to confront him in refutation.

He folded tho paper presently and put it in an envelope, sealing it carefully, and writing Helena's name upon it. This was placed with the packet of writing, and the whole again inclosed and labelled, •' Helena Yerrington. To be given at once in case of my decease." He sat a few moments staring down gloomily at the packet, then rose, and carrying it to the great safe which was built into one end of the apartment, he doposited it in the private drawer there, drawing one long, shuddering breath, as if he had plunged himself into an icy bath. How long he would have remained there, or how soon he might have recovered his accustomed cheerfulness and sang froid, cannot be told, for an interruption came. The servant brought in a large box and set it upon the table, not without certain nervous glances toward his master. "It has just been left, sir. It is different from tho others, and has your name on it. So I thought it must be right to bring it

The colonel waved an impatient hand, and the boy vanished. The former hod not really taken in the meaning of the informa tion given. He rose listlessly and glanced at the clerkly writing on the top : "To be left before one o'clock. Funeral at His face blanched, but with steady hand he tore open the white wrapper and opened the box. ' ' A lovely funeral offering lay there. A peculiar emblem, too. A broken sword, and a harp with rent strings, exquisitely wrought of rare flowers. Not a single pansy amid all the delicate pstals. "It is not meant for Helena. It is sent to me," muttered the colonel, with stiff, dry lips. It is but another omen of what is coming. I have known it. I have felt it. Uncanny whispers are echoing all around me. The Lord forgive me ! The Lord be merciful to me !" And then once more his head dropped Anothor hasty knock, and then tho servant entered, with a deprecating look andgesture. "If you please, sir, it s a mistake. Ibe florist's man hasjust come running down to set the box. The flowers are for Lieu tenant Wistar's funeral. The clerk was to send a letter to you, and misunderstood." "Do them up again, and take them to him," was his brief Command. "And here is your letter, please." The letter was but a simple statement that a certain order for a bunch of pansies had arrived that day, but that, according to the order of Col. Rivers, the flowers would be withheld.

" It does not matter ; the omen can mean the same," murmured the colonel. " The meaning in both cases can be the same. If the pansies do not come here I know they are there, and that they repeat their errand faithfully, if Helona could know it. Shall I send her word ?" . To and fro across the long room for an hour longer paced the colonel, now with quivering lips and convulsed features, now stern and haughty in a forced composure, that would not, however, endure. He methis sister at the late dinner to which a few guests were added, with a face so rigid and strange that his sister W '^or Heaven's sake, Charles, don't look so much like a ghost. Be more lively, I beg of you, or what will the people think? During the evening he announced his in tention of taking passage for Liverpool in the steamer which sailed the next day. Mrs Marchmont behaved as if she knew all about it, and not until young Dermont, the last loiterer, had wished him bon voyage, and said good-night, did she, turn to exclaim : '•Charles Rivers, will you tell me what you are about ?" ~ T "I am going to bring Helena home—it l may," he said, dimly. "If you may! Of course you may. bhe will be thankful enough to seeyou I imagine. But will you go among tltfse people?—, though what danger can there be !

•'I shall go; the result is beyond my telling. Let it be what it may, I shall go," was returned, in the same dry, mechanicid tone.

She searched over his face, with an uneasy look on her own.

"Are you quite well, Charles? I never saw you so pale before." "Perfectly well, thank you. lam rather tired, for I have been putting my papers in the safe to rights. I shall say good-by to you to-night, because I shall take the morn ing train to get there in season to make sure of my state-room. I should have preferred the line from this port, but the other in sures a week earlier arrival."

" Is there no help of mine needed ?" " Oh, no, thank you for the offer, dear. You have been kind and fond of me. Clara, I wish—"

And here he broke off with a stifled sigh. "There isn't any use in talking. You'll say I'm horridly Methodisty, I suppose, so I'll spare >ou. Good-night and good-by." And with a long kiss upon her forehead, a lingering pressure of the hand, he parted from her.

Mrs Marchmont cried a tear or two, shivered drearily, and went upstairs to resign herself into the maid's hands for the removal of a somewhat elaborate dinner costume.

"I don't like the colonel's look," she said plaintively. " I'm sure all this moping after Helena has told upon his health. However, the voyage ought to do him good. And if he brings the perverse creature home with him I hope he will come back into sensible behaviour."

She was too discroet to injure her beauty sleep by breaking up the delicious morning nap, and so the brother went his way in the morning's gray, without any further adieu. Into the morning's gray, and out also into the mists that enshroud futurity.

For the steamer that sailed forth so proudly and so securely was swallowed up somewhere—somehow—one of thoso dreary cases over which hangs tho shroud of im penetrable mystery. But she never made tho destined port, and Colonel Rivers went not to Helena nor came again to Clara Mnichmont.

CHAPTER XX.

rooit si,

Bur it is time to return to Silas Green in his woeful extremity. The agitation of mingled hopo and despair, of approaching rescue or doom, had been too much for him, and he had fallen back in a swoon.

From this he came out feebly, hearing low voices around him, and awato of cold water splashed upon his face by friendly hands. He opened his heavy lids, staring around still in bewilderment of mind that could not comprehend tho situation. A strange face was bending over him. Aftor a moment's glance into its pitiful, friendly expression, poor Si stammered; "Ah, lam glad then. And you are one of the ministering spirits. I've soen your faco in pictures, I think."

"Poor fellow! his wits ore still wander ing. This is a cruel experience for him," spofco a low voice beside him. " Givo him some water again," responded another voice. "I am sorry enough about it, but it can't be helped now. His own meddlesome curiosity is to blame."

" Duko ! Duko !" shriokod out Silas, re collection returning in full force. " Oh, how cruel you have boon to mo! You struck me a murdorous blow, and then you left me to die of hungor and thirst, of terror and despair. Oh, these frightful, frightful days and nights I havo passed hero in this horrible dungeon!"

Duko stepped forward promptly, and tho light from the lantern set upon the ground shone upon his grave, stern face.

"I wis sorry to hurt you, Silas Green; but why were you prying into my business? I did the best I could in self-defence, and that I shall continue to do. I have come now to put the choice to you, if I shall treit you kindly or shall deal with you as a prisoner and an enemy."

" What have I done?" began Si, rue fully.

But Duke interrupted him fiercely: "Hush! wo have no time to waste in wordy parloy. You know vory well what you have done. You have stepped in to interfere with my plans. You have dared to pry into my movements. That is some thing I never allow, Silas Greon. You might havo known it without this serious les .on to teach you."

" Whore am I?" questioned Si, slowly raising himself, and surveying the droary, windowless, cobwobbod halls of the narrow closet.

"You aro in my secret dungeon," re sponded Duko, grimly. " I could not find any signs of a door; I could make no one hear me," wailed Si. "Oh, you hadn't any pity in you to leavo mo here so many days. I was noarly dying of hunger and'thirst." " Delirious still," murmured the soft, pleasant voico of the stranger behind him. "Nonsense, Silas Green! Wake up, and come to your senses I" commanded Duke. "It isn't daybreak yet. You got your own supper in the kitchen, and what are you talking about starvation for? If the fall made you a little unsteady and faintish, you ought to be over It by this time. You have lot your fear run away with you. You aro a queer chap—full of pluck, and yet the biggest coward I ever sa*. Hore, take a little wine, and let it put somo heart into you. I want to talk with you seriously." But Silas could only dwell upon one idea. However, he drank the wine, and was better for it, but he still muttered drearily:

"I don't understand what you mean, Duke."

"That depends entirely upon you, my man," returned Duke, promptly. "Come now, rouse up, and look the situation fairly in the face. I don't want to harm you, nor distress you needlessly, but my plans are not to be interfered with, as you meant to do. I will not have you speaking to Light house Dick at all—no, not if I fling you over to the water to be rid of you." The last was spoken with an emphasis that made poor Si shrink back shivering. "Butif you will promise me, and keep good faith in your promise, to hide quietly in my room, making no outcry, and trying in no way for communication with him, I will take you up there, and you shall have good care, and all you need for comfort. I know very well this is a poor place, and I trust you enough to be sure if you make a, promise you will keep it." " But what have you done with Light house Diok? Where was he that he could not hear my calls for help yesterday and day before?" " Yesterday and day before! The fellow persists in talking about days, when it isn't twelve hours yet since he cooked our supper iff the kitchen," declared Duke, im patiently. "Not twelve hours!" repeated Silas, in utter amazement. "Do I not know better than that? Do I not know how long and painfully the days and nights have worn away? Had not my watch run down! Oh, no; you cannot treat me so, Duko." Duke laughed good-naturedly. "The fellow really believes it. Well, I've heard of lost people in dark caves being so deceived. Well, Si, the kitchen clock will toll the Btory. That has the days of the week and month, you know. But I haven't timo for trivial disputes. What I want to know is, will you agree to my proposal ? " "What shall you do if I refuse?" ven tured Silas.

"I can't exactly tell; it will depend upon circumstances. I tell you plainly I shall not allow your interference at any cost to you or to myself. The lightest thing you may expect is to remain here alone and in darkness. I shall give you food and drink, if I can, but I shall not risk anything of my plan to do it; and, if it is imperative, I shall leave you to whatever fate may come." "Is Lighthouse Dick asleep now?" asked Silas, beginning to discredit his own senses. " Yes, but he would not hear you if you called till Doomsday and he were wide awake,' was Duke's grim reply. "So you may dismiss any vain hope of that sort. This place is my secret dungeon, I tell you. I got it up myself, and the lighthouse keeper knows nothing about it. I boarded off the cemented side of the well, and get down here by a ladder and a trap-door from the top. It is as safe a place to scream in as I know of, Si —not a sound reaches above; but it is not as healthy for your present condition as I could wish, or I would not spend my time arguing with you. Come, promise to hide quietly in my room, to give up your meddlesome Yankee habits, and everything is all right. It will be but for a few days at the best." "Who is that behind me?" abruptly asked Si.

"There is no one there. Get up and look for yourself, if your head is not too dizzy." " But there was a young man—l think I know who."

"Think ns much as you please, if you will confine yourself to thinking, Mr Silas Green. Come, lam really a most indulgent gaoler to stand parleying with you In' this Fashion. If you did not look so pale I should give you shorter time, I can tell you." ' "X don't.want to lend myself _to any wrong," said Silas, slowly (

" This must be very irresponsible lending at its worst, and, in fact, there is no choice for you. What I mean'to do I shall do without help or hindrance of yours," said Duke, persuasively. " And I can't lose my chance of helping Franky," went on Si, lugubriously. "I might as well die as do that." "I am not going to ccax or argue with you any more, spoke up Duke now. "I shall give you five, minutes more to decide, and if you do not agree th_n to my proposal I shalftake the light and go, and draw my ladder after mc to its hiding-place." " Oh, Duke, don't go. I promise," broke from Si, despairingly. " All right. Come then, we will make the transfer. Shut your eyes, and lean against me. We will take time for getting up this ladder, and after that tho way is easy." He gave a single whistle, which was evidently a signal, for the trap-door opened, and a pair of arms wore stretched down to help him, and Silas was fairly lifted be tween them out of his dungeon. The fall had really had serious effect, and his head swam at the slightest movement, so that he was glad to keep his eyes closed and remain perfectly quiet, even after he found himself lying comfortably in Duke's own bed.

The latter was evidently a little alarmed at his condition, for, after speaking a few moments with his mysterious companion, he took the light and fell to poring over the huge doctor-book on tho kitchen shelf; and presently he came to Silas with a glass and medicine vial, and dropped a dose into a spoon and gave it to him. And then the cloth on his head was cooled again in fresh water, and after that Silas fell into a sweet, profound slumber. The bright, warm sun shine was streaming around him when he woke, and Duke's voice was calling: " Here, Si. bring me a cup of coffee." He started up, but a restraining hand was laid gently on his, and a whisper said: " Hush! Remember your promise." And the speaker glided out noiselessly. Silas lay staring after him. His old energy had returned to him, nnd, though still weak and a little dazed as to memory, he comprehended the situation perfectly. Ho remained passively watching the buzzing movements of a fly on the ceiling, which presently crawled over to Duke's chart, and thus sent his thoughts travelling into won derland, without fathoming any of that individual's mysteries, however. He heard Ligh-thouso Dick talking out side, but in feeble, faltering accents ho fancied. Then the echo of mounting stops on the stone stairs died out, and presently the unknown nurse returned, bearing a bowl of coffeo. " You thought yourself famished before, so I conclude you will be glad of a little coffeo," said tho latter, in a low, guarded voice. < Silas drank tho coffeo, watching sharply over tho rim all the while. When ho put it down ho seized the young man's hands. "Oh," said he, "I do bolievo I may mind Duke, and win the reward for Franjcy besides. I know now whore I saw your face—it was in tho young lady's locket. And It is for you that I have been soarching far and near. Thank heaven, oven for last night's horror, if bo I havo found you, for you are—Conway Soarlo." This vohement speech seemed to confound and alarm its object. " Your bond is still weak, I fear," he said, gently, with a pitying sinilo. " No, no. I tell you I understand every thing about you, except tho cause of your concealment. You do not dony that you aro Conway Soarlc. Oh, how tho hews, I can tell will rojoico Miss Yerrington's anxious hoart!"

" Miss Yerrington!" exclaimed tho othor, a warm glow mantling his pale face. "What Miss Yerrington? — answer mo, sir!"

" Helena Yerrington —as sweet, and purty, and noble-hearted a young lady bb walks the earth; and oh! how pale, and sad, and broken-hearted she is about your strange disappearance." "About mo! Hush! say not,another word on this subject until we are alone again. Duko is coming!" was broathed in a quick, agitated whisper. And the young man rose to open tho door at Duke's summons, and to stand there's fow moments in a whisnorod colloquy, which resulted in their both proceeding to the kitchen and leaving him alone. (To be continued.)

A Desperate Fight with Brigands in Asia Minor.

A cOKItissrONDENT, writing from Smyrna on Dec. 29, gives somo interesting particu lars relating to brigandage in that neigh bourhood, and an account of tho break-up of a gang of theso desperadoes who had givon the authorities considerable trouble After making repeated raids on small towns and levying black mail on villages, several iso lated groups of Turkish mountaineer bri gands combined their forces, and, marching down to the soa, some timo last summer, lay in wait near the little town of Kulult for tho arrival of one of the coasting steamers that plies for passengers between Smyrna and the towns on the sea coast. Thirty un suspecting travellers, all or mostly bent on business with the interior, walked into the net which theZeibecs had spread, and were marched off to the mountains and held to ransom. This piece of effrontery roused up evon the central Government to action : a whole battalion of soldiers were sent down fromConstantinoplenndlaunohedinpursuit, and the brigands; hard pressed on every side, released their prisoners, but not boforo most of them had paid thoir ransoms amount ing in all to some 2,000 lira. The Governor- General was recalled, a Cabinet Minister sent down' to administer provisionally the affairs of tho province, with special in structions to extirpate brigandage, and special plans were elaborated to carry out theso special instructions. The brigands, who wore well posted by their spies in what was going on, sent emissaries to treat with the Government, and after much parleying it was arranged that the brigands should surrender, but be pardoned and enrolled in the gendarmerie, and that they should show their zeal in the new cause by captur ing any remaining bands, or inducinpthemto jointheranksofthebrigand-hunters. Yurook Osman and Dij irid-oughlou, the two . most renowned chiefs, with their bands, camedown by train to Smyrna, marched in possession to the konak, delivered up thoir swords to the Governor, craved the aman, or pardon, and were each given the title of Kir-Sirdar and the command of a body of Zaptiehs, most of whom had already served under the same chiefs in another capacity. The new venture for some months seemed to .work well, but at last it began to be complained openly that tho new gendarmes, so ex omplary at first, were beginning to become even less bearable in thoir new clothes than when they wore tho short breeches and high headdresses of tho Zeibecs. The evil grew ; the exactions became more goneral, aud brigands that wero at length caught by bona fide Zaptiehs had to be liberated by the Caimakams at the suggestions and covored threats of the Kir-Sirdars. At length the Caimakam of Thyra wrote a do tailed report of the unpleasant facts, and sent it to tho Vala of Smyrna. The Gover nor-General, in reply, requested the Cai makam to endeavour to send down the ob noxious gang to Smyrna, and the Caimakam used one of those ruses so common inTurkish affairs. "Some evil-disposed person," said the Caimakam, "has given a bad report about you to the Vala. I advise you to go down in a body to Smyrna and explain how unfounded are all the aspersions of your enemies." The bait was snapped at. On the 27th Dec, dressed in their finest and armed to the teeth with Martinis and re volvers that had been given t.hem in addition to their bellyfuls of native weapons, 15 of these shepherds of tho people repaired in a body to the railway ansl took their departure for Smyrna. The good news was telegraphed to the authorities, who took measures for disarming and arresting the delinquents. The Zaptieh brigands on arriving, requested at once to be admitted into the presence of the Vali. They were told that they must first deposit their rifles, as armed men could not be received. This they consented to do, but socretly retained thoir revolvers, and thus accoutored, they were ushered into the apartments of the Governor-General. He enumerated some of the charges against them, and then dismissed them with the pro mise that he would attend to their business next day. On descending the stairs of the palace, they were met by Osman Pasha, the military commandant, who said sternly, "Teslim olun " (surrender). Yurook Osman replied that they had long since surrendered, but on the summons being repeated, he turned to his companions, and exclaiming, " Who will die with me ?" drew a revolver, and discharged it at Osman Pasha, whom it missed, but struck down one of the soldiers. This was the signal for a general fight. The soldiers were ordered to fire; the brigands replied with their revolvers, and sword in hand closed with their assailants, who drove them at the point, of the bayonet step by step up the staircase of the palace. One man who had reached the top was cut down by a Turkish officer. Yurook Osman, with three bullet-wounds in his body, rushed up towards the Governor's apartments, but fell dead on the landing, and not until five brigands were killed and several wounded were the remainder captured and taken to gaol.

HERMA, THE LION-TAMER.

It was in the beginning of the year 1859 when the famous Harsberg menagerie came to Bucharest for the first time. All the town was in a state of great excitement about the number and rarity of the animals, the beauty of the lions, and, above all, aboutthetamer.whoperformedsome remark able feats of strength. Henna Dalstren was her name ; she was a young Swede, beautiful, distinguished, bold, and unap proachable. She lived with the Harsberg family at the first hotel in the town, went to the menagerie and returned from it in a carriage, like a lady of high degree ; re ceived no visits, and was never seen alone, either in the streets or anywhere else. This vestal severity puzzled the gallants as well as the ordinary mortals, so that tho Swedish lion-tamer soon became as popular at Bucharest as La Catalina and Lola Montez.

One night Prince Maniasko, the spoilt child of tho ladies of Bucharest, who had just returned from an excursion to Paris, came to the menagerie. He reviewed the different animals in company with some friends, was highly amused by the explana tions and by the feeding, and at hut stopped before the lion's cage, awaiting the arrival of the beautiful Swede with a sceptical smile on his lips. Suddenly a little door opened in the back wall of the cage, and Hernia appeared in the midst of frantic applause. She threw off, with an indescrib able movement of pride, the large silk cloak that covered her, and advanced into the cage dressed in a costume of white satin bordered with ormine, a whip in her hand, tall, slender, with the noblest face in the world, to which her golden curls and her fresh colour imparted an irresistible grace. The prince was at once fascinated; he followed each of her movements Jwith feverish agitation. His heart beat when she placed her pretty head in the terrible lion's mouth, and he trembled half for plea sure, half for . fear, when she began to harangue the disobedient animals, and kick and flog them. Hardly had Henna left the cago when the Prince Maniasko was bowing down before her while sho put on her cloak with the aid of Edgar, Harsberg's son, a young man of remarkable beauty. She fixed her blue eyes, astonished and almost frightened, upon that ideal of a beautiful, almost feminine figuro ; she did not reply to his questions proudly and coldly, but with embarrass ment and with a smile of indescribable sweotness.

The prince came every night, and Henna received him not only with affability, but sho oven looked for him with a rapid glnnco as soon as she entered the cage, and when sho loft it she stamped her foot if tho prince waa not thoro to help her on with her cloak.

But that was all that tho prince could obtain, and the moro untractablo sho showed herself to his prayers, the moro ho was urged on by a diabolical desire to possess ner. An unexpected rival camo to his aid. Edgar said to Henna ono night with a trembling voice before she entered the cago : "Now I tell you Ilovo you, and I will never consent to your lowering yourself with that Boyard who is alroady affianced to a princess, and who is only making sport of you."

When the prince camo to see her after tho performance she said to him in a whisper: " Is it true you havo & fiancee,?" "It is true," he replied, " but as soon as you ploaso I will put an end to that tire some romance, and prostrate myself at your fejt as your slave." " But you do not love me ?" " How must I prove that I love you ?" She drew herself up before him. "Come an hour before midnight to the little door of the menagerie," she said in a low voice, and with courageous resolution.

" I will come," was tho reply. And he came : and when he left the menagerie in tho midst of the shades of night, two straining arms were around his neck, nnd two burning lips were pressed against his own. Soon the telk in the cluba was of nothing but of tho liaison, of Maniasko with the beautiful lion-tamer, and the young prince's father, anxious for the future of his son, hastened as much as possible his marriago with tho Princess Agrafine Slobuda, to whom ho had been affianced when he was a child. A violent scene took place between tho father and tho son;' at last the latter yielded, and ono night he did not np ponr at the monngorie. Henna passed a night of anguish. Two evenings she again waited in vain for her lover ; then She wrote to him, and received no answer.

Tho fourth night, as she was coming out of the. cage and wrapping herself in her clonk, Edgar B_Hd to her ; " Henna, shall I tell you why the wretch comes no longer?" " Toll me,' she said in a smothered voice. " I am ready for everything." "Ho will be married in three days."

"You lie." "Why should I lie?" '" What is the name of his bride ?" " Princess Agrafine Slobuda." " Is she pretty ?" "Beautiful, young, and rich." A hideous laugh broke from Henna's lips. " Will you shed a tear for me, ono only, if I die for. you ?" said Edgar. '' And if I avenge you and kill him " " No, Edgar; you must not sacrifice yourself—not you." " Must that villain be left unpunished ?" "Certainly not," sheropliod, tranquilly and firmly. . " Then let me kill him," said Edgar, with trembling lips. " No," said Henna, " leave him to me." Tho noxt day Prince Maniasko was sitting in the charming little boudoir of his bride and rolling o cigarette for her, when the princess, with a mocking smilo, ex pressed her wish to see once tho celebrated lion-tamer who was so much admired by everybody. "How can such an idea come into your head?" asked the prince, and the yellow tobacco slipped from between his white fingers. I have heard so many marvels about this person that I have taken It into my head to be present at one of her performances, and that too this evening, and in your company, prince."

When Henna entered the cage that evening she saw Maniasko, and at his side a ravishing creature," who fixed her opera glass upon her in a provoking manner. She Felt it and started, but only for a single moment, and then began her feats with the lions with her accustomed haughty cool : ness. When after a successful feat she reclined on the back of one ■of the big lions, while the others walked round her in procession, the princess cried loudly, "Bravo," and threw a purse of gold into the cage. A murmur of disapproval rose from among the spectators. Henna began to tremble, and tears flowed from her beautiful eyes; she lost empire over herself and over the animals that surrounded hor; tho big lion raised hiß head, looked at hor with astonishment, and suddenly gripped her left arm. A cry of horror sprang from a hundred mouths, but Henna had alteady recovered herself; a look and a command, and tho lion loosened her arm ; she sprang up, seized tho beast by the mane, placed her foot on him, and lashed him until he was completely subjected, and lay docile at her feet.

Enthusiastic applause and shouts of ap probation rewarded her courage. "When will tho wedding take place?" she asked of Edgar when she had left the cage. ' " The day after to-morrow." " Will you undertake to givo him a letter yourself, and to him in person ?" "If you command me." " I beg you to do so." Henna pressed Edgar's, hand, but ho soized hers and covered it with kisses.

Tho next morning the lion-tamer wrote to the prince. She wished to see him only once more, and begged him to come to the menagerie at the usual hour, promising in return to leave Bucharest on the day of his wedding. Edgar gave the letter to the prince himself, who read it, smilod, and said:

"I will come." An hour before midnight the prince ap peared at the door of the menagerie; it opened noiselessly as usual. Henna ap peared, dressed in a short fur jacket, m the pale light of the stars and the snow. She took him by the hand and led him cautiously along the dark passage. As übubl, a second dsor grated on itsliinges, and Henna, leading the prince into that completely dark space, put her arms around his neck and kissed him with savage tenderness, Then she suddenly disappeared; the door was shut violently, and the princes foo. touched something living which moved. What was it? Had she not as usual led him into her little salon ? A moment afterward a bright rod light appeared. Henna fixed a torch in a ring in front of the lion's cage, and in the midst of the prison, in the midst of the lions, was the prince. Henna stood with her arms folded before the bars, and fixed the prince coldly with her large blue eyes; a diabolical smile played on her lips.l I The prince with a rapid movement tried to open the door, but b vain,

" In heaven's name, Henna, what is your intention !"

"I am celebrating my marriage with you, and my lions are to be my wedding guests." "Are you mad?" "I am in full possession of my senses. You have betrayed me. I have condemned you to death. Now to wake my friends !" And she woke up the sleeping lions and excited them with her whip, while the prince cried for help. But his cries were drowned by the wintry storms. The lions, irritated and encouraged by Henna's cries, sprang upon him. His blood was already flowing. He supplicated and defended him self desperately, while she, her face leaning against the cold bars, feasted her eyes on his mortal anguish.

Some time passed before the lions finished their horrible work. When the prince lay dead on the floor of the den, the lions slunk away frightened and began to lick their paws. That very night the beautiful lion-tamer disappeared from Bucharest, and she has never been heard of since.

Attacked by Wolves.

A thrillino adventure, rolated to a "News" reporter by Mr James Austin, just in from Cheyenee Wells, and who is Btopping at the American Hotel proves that the popular idea that game is hard to find in the State, and that wolves and other ferocious animals are things of the past, is a fallacy. Said Mr Austin: —" At the station, which is a collection of cabins occupied by ranchmen and those employed in putting down the Government well, are a number of wealthy young men from the East, who are ongaged ma nuntingexpedition. Large numbers of buffalo and other game frequent the vicinity, and some days ago a hunt was organised in which all participated. The party, which included four others and my self, wore well armed and well mounted, and from the reports received from ranch men and cowboys a successful raid was pre dicted by the men at the station. We started last Thursday morning, and rode due east, then north-east, until when 18 miles out we discovered in the distance a cloud of dust such as a largo body of horse men would make. Looking through a field glass which I carried, I readily discovered that the occasion was an immense herd of buffaloes sweeping across the plain almost directly towards us. We gallopped on, and were soon quite close to them, whon the leaders, observing us, wheeled suddenly to the left, followed by the whole herd, and swept to the north like some huge avalanche. We followed them as closely as we could, getting an occasional shot, but without any material result, for several hours. Thinking to accomplish more, we scattered, with thointention of circlingthem, or at least turning thorn from their courso. In this we wero not successful, as night over took us before we had ' downed a single bull.' Iliad singled out one that had be come separated from tho rest of tho herd, and had followed him some distance, when it became too dark to see, and I discovered that I had lost my companions. There being nothing else to do, and as it would be impossible to find my way in the dark, I re solved to camp where I was, so unrolling the hido lariat, I secured tho animal to some stout sage brush, and after building a small firo of grass and brush, rolled myself in my blanket and prepared to mako tho best of it, but without much idea of sleep. In fact, in spite of the heavy overcoat and blanket which covered me, it was uncomfortably cold. I lay four hours in a half-waking, half-dozing state, and it was perhaps mid night, when something moro liko sleep overcame mo. Suddonly a sound, tho most horrible and blood-curdling of any I had ever heard, seemed to chill the very marrow in my bones. To my excited imagination it seemed like the shriek of fifty demons. Jumping to my feet, I discovered that my fire had gone out, leaving but a few embers, but at a distance of perhaps 200 ft., nearly forming a complete circle around me, was a line of bright points scintillating liko so many diamonds. I instantly realised my danger. I was sur rounded by wolves. To hesitate was death, and mounting my horse, who was trembling with fright, I drove spurs into him, and we darted off through the only opening in the cordon which nearly surrounded me, and sweptacro .s the plains without regard to tho direction, my only object being to escape the fangs of my hungry pursuers. The wolves, as soon as thoy discovered my flight, with a renewed howl, more full of rage and horror than that which awakened me, started in full cry, and tho terrible race began. At the start I gained considerably, as my horse was a;gaod one and his fright seemed to add to his lightning speed. Miles seemed like. feet, and after perhaps a half-hour passed, upon looking back I saw that the distance j from the foremost of my pursuers was tho same as at tho start. To keep this distance

till daylight seemed my only chance, yet what a hopeless task ! No horso could long keop up tho terrible strain which mine was enduring. Suddenly tho faithful animal stumbled over a low sand dune and fell to

his knees, throwing mo to the ground. In an instant the hungry pack wero upon me, and I imagined I felt their fangs already buried in my flesh. Fear lent swiftness to my movements, however, and I remounted, and was off just as the leaders were about to poUnce on me. My horse soon began to show tho effects of his terrible efforts, and thinking to gain time, I threw away the blanket which I had hastily thrown over the horso at the first alarm. This gave me a slight advantage for a time, and no sooner did it touch the ground than it was torn in shreds by the hungry brutes. The delay gavo me a small advantage, but I soon perceived that I was losing it, and my horse's movements became more laboured.. I next sacrificed my overcoat, then the coat which I wore, which in turn suffered tho fate of the blanket. The horse began to show signs of exhaustion, but ho still kept his feet; but I realised that in a short time my fate was sealed, unless a miracle was interposed to save me. The wolves were already snap ping at my horso's heels, when upon look ing up I saw lights in front of mo, perhaps a mile or so distant. I endeavoured to urge my horse to further efforts, but without avail. The poor animal was breathing heavily and could hardly keep his feet. The maddened brutes were jumping and snapping around me, and I had struck several of them down with the butt of my rifle, after having exhausted the ammunition in shooting at them. I turned and found myself within a few hundred feet of a house end an enclosure. Making a last despair ing effort, my horse cleared the fence and fell dead on the inside. At the same moment several men came out of the door of the houso with lanterns, aroused, no doubt, by tho unearthly sounds. I was quickly draggod inside, and immediately swooned. Upon recovering consciousness, it was broad daylight, and I found mysolf in the cabin of a 'ranchman, within half a mile of tho station whence I had started in tko morning, lying on a rudo bed, with a man sitting hoar by and watching mo. It seems that my horso, guided by instinct, had takon the straighost direction for tho place from which we had started. I learned by inquiry that the wolves had sur rounded the house all night long, filling tho air with their fearful howls, and never de parted until daylight. I was too ill from tho effects of the fearful experience I had undorgone to loavo tho houso until yester day, and I came to Donvcr for rest and re cuperation."—"Denver News."

Never More.

He had just got his oyster shop opened to public the othor day, whon in como a man who asked :

" Got any raws ?" " Yes, sir." "Extra large?" " We have some of tho largest oysters I evor saw." Tho price was asked and given, and as it seemed to be perfectly satisfactory, tho man ordered a dozen, and added: "I've got a slight contraction of tho muscles of the throat, and sometimes I choke. If anything happens to me run me to the door, where I can get the air, and thon rush for a drink of water. The caterer promised to observethe caution, but it was only when the twelfth and last oyster was taken in between two rows of teeth which stood out like tenpenny nails that anything happened. Then the eater Buddenly raised one leg, his eyes bulged out, and he began to skip around like a goat dodging a club. The choke had come. The caterer seized him by the arm and ushered him to the door, and then hurried to the rear end of the restaurant for a glass of water. When he returned with it, half ex pecting to see the customer lying on the floor in the agonies of suffocation, no one was in sight. The man was not in the door, lat the door, nor around the door. He was two blocks away, and the twelfth oyster had gone down to keep.the company of the other eleven.

Just exactly another such thing won't happen*in that place again. Some other man with a contracted throat may start in to play the game, but before he has oaten his second oyster he will be despatched with a hickory club, and his body sent to some medical college to find where the loose spoke was.

THE TORN GLOVE.

It was almdst eleven o'clock as I left my friend Alport's law office, and hurried up town. I had delayed longer than I knew ; inte rested deeply in hisaccountofanintricate will caso in which ho was just at that time engaged. As I now remember, n property of some two millions, held by a residuary legatee, had suddenly been claimed by one who announced himself as the direct heir and devisee, a nephew of the testator, who had not been heard from for several years. Alport deemed the fellow an impostor, and although his story had been well told, and his action well laid throughout, my friend thought ho had secured proofs of its falsity. In fact, he had a bundle of papers containing the positive proof that Neil Hareourtwas not Neil Harcouvt, nephew of old Duncan Harcourt, testator; and it was his explanation of this case that had rendered me so late on my up-town journey. As I hurried onward, mechanically my hand sought my pocket for a cigar, and finding none —a most unusual state of things—l glanced about for some place where I could purchase some, Just down a side street, a lighl; struck my eye, and moving toward it I found a small but neat cigar store, waited upon by a girl. I entered, threw down my money, and called for cigars. The waitress, or shop girl, was evidently on the point of closing, for one light was already out and she .wore her hat and shawl; more than that, as she placed a handful of regalias before me, I noticed that she had also drawn on her gloves, and that one, that upon the left hand, had been torn partly across the palm, and neatly mended by the insertion of another bit of kid.

This trilling incident would doubtless have escaped mo had it not been that the glove was a pale orange in colour, whereas the inserted kid was black.

I selected my cigars, lit one, and walked out. An hour later I' was at home and in bed.

Tho second morning after, I read at my breakfast table that Lawyer Alport had been murdered the night before. To say that 1 was shocked would be but feebly to express my horror. Alport was a warm personal Iriend, my attorney, and a man without stain. His death in the most natural way would have been a sad loss to me; to hear of his end by murder simply paralysed me. Leaving the table as Roon as I'could collect my thoughts sufficiently so to do, I at once threw on hat nnd overcoat and hurried down town.

My friend's office was in Blank-streot, a little off from the main current of travel, but this morning I found a number of persons gathered about—neighbours, store keepers, and brother lawyers—passing whom I confronted an officer standing guard at the office door.

° He would have stayed my entrance, but as I handed him my card his face changed. " Major Minton, of the detectives r he said inquiringly. I bowed.

The man at once opened the door. " You'll find Captain Boss nnd another gentleman inside. I presume they'll be glad to see you." I entered.

As the policeman had said, I found two detectives—men whom I knew—within. Their story was soon mine. • It seemed that Alport had been in his office late ; that a lady had called in the evening, and remained an hour or more; that after she had left his light continued to burn a long time, until morning probably, and that it was not until some important client opened the unlocked door, at about 9 a.m., that the death of the attorney was known. ~.,-, He lay dead in his chair when found, a thin, foreign-looking knife sticking in his heart. Evidently he. had been struck unawares. There had been no struggle, but little blood, and no robbery that the officers could discover. Nor was there any clue remaining. Evidently the woman had killed him, though why was. as yet unanswered. No one knew the wonian. " But the reason—the motive ?" said I. "Surely there must have been ono. If we could find that wo may have a clue to tho criminal. Without it everything is in the dark." "True,"repliedßoss; "but the motive is just what puzzlos us. It evidently was not robbery, as his watch and money were on his person when found." " Hold I" said I, with a suddon thought "Mightho not havo been robbed of papers ?" "Yes; but what ones? How do we know what documents he had?" A n6w idea had come to mo. I began at once to search for the paper which Alport had read to me two days before—the proofs inthe-Harcourtcase. ~'__.. They were gone, but I found in their stead lying among letters and legal litter in his waste-basket, a torn glove, bloody, and mended across the palm with a bit of black kid- . ,' ''A _. I drew it out with a shout. "He was robbed of some important papers, that he showed to me only the night before last," said I excitedly, "and the person who killed him wore this glove. I" "A clue!" cried Captain Ross, as he reached for it. '_ „_.. , " No, no, my friend '." said I. This is my case now. Alport was my attorney ; and, now that I have one end of the thread in this case, I propose to follow it out. Tho honour shall bo yours, but the revenge must be mine. Leavo the matter with me three days. At the end of that time I'll either give you tho criminal, or turn you over all my proof and give it up." Ross at once agreed to this plan, and my friend's body having been removed, and tho coroner's jury having rendered a decision of "Death by the hands of some party or parties, unknown," the case was for three days in my sole care. ..._•.•*'.: I naturally felt certain that I had the right clue—the missing papers and the torn glove -but I.knew my business sufficiently well to understand that I could neither walk into, the cigar store where the supposed murderess was and arrest her, nor was Tit at all likely that I could bluff or frighten her into confession. Moreover, I wished to know first why she should have cared for those missing papers. That afternoon I strolled to the cigar store. An elderly German was behind the counter. . • ~ In the evening I tned it again. No girl was to be seen. I determined to learn something of her.

I entered and bought some cigars. " Keep the store alone ?" said I, casually, as I lit my cigar. "Yaw." " Trade good ?" "Yaw." i " You ought to havo a pretty girl to help you to catch the young fellows' trade." "Yaw." I turnod and walked away. Nothing to be made there. .... , _, I watched the store until it closed, and half tho next day. Then I was rewarded. At about noon a girl entered, laid aside her hat and cloak, and took her place behind the counter, while the man went away. When he was well out of sight I dropped in and did a little trading. It was tho same girl a little nervous, I told myself. , , A I watched her until the store closed ; then followed her as she hurried honieward. She lived two miles away, near the river shore, in a small old tenement house. She climbed in a room near the roof. I follow ea aUthe way, stumbling in the uneven halU, but lookecl upon, douStless, as a new tenant & Tim gW entered the room, locked the door and then I heard the voices of two talking Evidently she was conversing WI madTfriends with a half dioary bachelor on the floor below, and found from him that theg?r!l was an old tenant, but that a man had recently arrived, who occupied a room next to her, and was called her brother. I waited all night just across the street from the old tenement house. • Early in the dusky dawn I saw a man steal out. I followed him. Ho went straight into the country, walking fast, and covering nearly five miles | before sun up. I followed all the way, not near enough to cauße suspicion, but near enough to watch; At last the fellow turned into a piece of woods. I hastened, and just as I entered the grove, I saw him not far away, bending over a little fire. , ,-:,A As he heard me coming, he looked up hastily, hesitated a moment, then turn and rfl At first I was impelled to follow, then something at the fire caught my. eye, and I ! were burning. Quickly seizing , the tundle-for such It-mrnto be-I ' managed to extinguish it while still a con siderable portion remained unconsumed.

There were all the papers and proofs in the Harcourt will case-the identical wipers stolen from Alport on tho night of this mMy 6 heart bounded. It .was the third day, but the scent was very worm new.

I returned to the city with all haste, but by another road, and at noon was nt the cigar store. The girl appeared, and the German disappeared. Supplied with the torn and bloody glove, I awaited my chance, and when the store was empty I entered. Having first purchased a' cigar, I came close to the girl and said in a low tone— " Is this your glove ? I saw you wearing it a few nights ago," at the same time presenting to her the kid, stained as it was. The girl turned fairly livid, gaspod a little, then whispered— " Where did you get it ?" "In the same office where these papers were stolen and Lawyer Alport was murdered, three nights ago," I said. The poor thing uttered a single moan, and would have sunk to the floor if I had not caught her. A glass of water stood upon a shelf. 1 threw part, of it into her face. Slowly she of eaed her eyes. " Who are you ?" she whispered hoarsely I opened my coat and showed a star. She uttered a low shriek.

"A detective ! He is lost—lost !"

" My good girl," said I, " it is best for yon and him, too, to tell me the whole truth. Shut tho shop and come with mo." She obeyed me unresistingly, and I led her to my own office. There, in the presence of a biotber officer, she told her story.

She was the wife—sad fate !—of a gambler who had Bought to personate the lost heir- of the Harcourt estate. So well had he succeeded that when Alport began to make trouble for him, he determined to get rid of Alport and his proof at one blow. Dressed in his wife's clothes, he had visited Alport's office and killed him, then stolen the desired papers. The torn glove he had doubtless found in the pocket of his wife's dress, and used to wipe some slight stain from his hands, and then carefully dropped it into the waste-basket. The papers he had taken home, and afterwards carried away to destroy. He passed as his wife's brother where they lived.

" Why did you not tell when you saw what this man had done ?" said I, sternly. " Why did you seek to help him to conceal his crime ?"

She looked at me a moment with wide open eyes; then a great fear spread over her face.

■' Gentlemen, I did not dare to. He threatened to kill me if I even spoke to him of it."

Three hours later Leonardi Giotti, the husband, was in our hands. A full-blooded Italian, with an English wife; adesparado, if ever there was one; a coward, but a vengeful dog. As we led him away from the examination, where he refused to answer a single question, and his wife had told her story again as she told it to me, he asked leave to speak a word to the woman. It was granted, and ho drew near to her. But even as he spoke, he suddenly raised his manacled hands and struck her such a blow upon the bead that the pooi; thing sank to the ground without a moan, blood streaming from her face, while the miserable brute turned away with a sneer.

" She'll not blab on me again 1" Indeed she did not! He was found guilty of murder, and hung within three months ; and his poor wife died within tho year f ro_a the effects of his cruel blow.

The Brave Tailor's Apprentice.

"When shall we know that tho enemy has given in ?" asked a lad, a tailor's apprentice who hod run away from his roaster and entered the navy as a common boy about the year 1680. " When that flag is hauled down," answered the sailor addressed, " the ship will be ours." "Oh !if that's all, I'll see what I can do 1" Now this tailor's boy, when he ran away from his master, joined a ship which had the good fortune, a few hours after he entered the service, to fall in with a French squadron, and a warm action, bravely fought on both sides, was main tained. After fighting for a short time the boy was impatient for the result, and ad dressed the above question to a sailor.. No sooner had he been told that the withdrawal of the white flag from the enemy's mast head would be the signal that the action had been decided than he determined to

" sSb what he could do." At that moment the vessels were engaged yard arm to yard arm, and were obscured in the smoke of the guns. In an- instant the boy monrite'd the shrouds, 'passed from the yard of his own Bhip to that of the enemy, ascended with, ogdity to tho . maintop gallant masthead, struck and carried off the French flag unperceived, and ..got back to the yard arm of Tils'own ship in safety. Before he could get down to the deck tho British saw that the flag had dis appeared, andshonted, " Victory! victory!" The French crew, seeing also thot the flag had gone, and thinking that it had been struck by order of the admiral, fled from their guns; and although the officers [at tempted to rally them, the confusion was hopeless. Then the British, availing themselves of the opportunity, boarded the French vessel' and captured it. In the midst of the excitement the new boy came down from the shrouds with the French flag wrapped round his body, and displayed it with no little glee to the astonished tars. The news spread quickly to the quarter deck, and the blushing boy was led into the presence of the admiral, who praised "him for his gallantry, and rated him there and then as midshipman ; and it was not long before promotion followed promotion, and the tailor's apprentice was known aa Admiral Hopson, one of England's most gallant sailors. —"Heroes of Britain in Peace and War." . :, ■ ' ■'- ;

The minister and his Man.

" I'm afraid (said Mr Lorraine) we are be hind the times, Solomon. We are both of us becoming old, the young folks are grow ing up on every side. There's marrying and christening everywhere, and still we two remain alone. . In a little while, Solo man, we shall be called to our account, with out having known, either of us, the blessing that woman's love can give, or the. comfort that comes with the cry of bairns." "Ye mind what St. Paul said, sir?i' said the other, doggedly, "and women are kittle kattle 1" " I supposethat's good philosophy, but it's small comfort, Solomon, my man. I think I should have been n happier man ■ if I had married." The sexton smiled in credulously and shook his head; then, with as near an approach to a smile as his withered features could command, he said slily and sarcastically, "It's never owre late to men', sir. You're a hale man yet, Lord kens ■.. and three or fower I wot o' wad jist snap at ye! There's Miss Ddlrymple o' the Mearhs, and the Weedow Burness, and " " No, no, Solomon," said Mr Lor raine, laughing, "you over-rate my chances; and whether or no, I'm far too old to try matrimony note. -But it's a lonesome life, a lonesome life ! Whenever I hear the school bairns crying in the street I envy those that have little ones to dandle upon the knee. I have no kith or kin—nay, scarce a friend in all the world." "Ye hae me, sir," returned Solomon, in a low voice. "Not that I wad liken mysol' to a meenister and a scholar like yoursel'; but I hae been your clerk for nigh thirty years, and auld ac quaintance is kindly, like clean linen. At weel, is it no better to be'a free man than to have a scolding wife, or bairns; that gang tho deil's road, like mony i' the parish? And if you wad take a glens noo an then to cheer your heart, you'd find it abetter com forter than tane or titber I—" Annan Water." By Robert Buchanan,

The Horrors of Siberia.

The "Times" St. Petersburg correspon dent says s—-" The following account of the brutal behaviour of Siberian officials to wards a simple exile appears in the latest number of the" Siberian Gazette,"furnished by M. Skurotoff, who writes from the spot: A certain doctor was detained as a criminal in the Tiukalinsk province of Tolbolsk, and forbidden to practise. On the 23rd of October he received an order that he was to be re moved to another locality. Being very ill and completely bedridden, heat once got two doctors to certify that ho could not leave in his then state of health. This testimony was utterly disregarded, and on the following day theassistant police-master, with a number of police and soldiers, entered the dwelling and ordered him to get up. He said he.was too weak to rise. -The assistant police-master said he would make him. He asked for the attendance of the Judicial Procureur, but was told that such a request was superfluous. His request to be taken to the hospital was treated with con tempt, and on his observing that he should die on the road, tho police official said it was all the same to him. He was thereupon carried out on the mattress, in his bare nightdress, and pitched into a cart stand ing ready horsed at the door. The by standers were so moved by thisAmnecessary brutality that somolojidly expressed their an<*er, and one man took off his fur coat and threw it over the all but naked sick prisoner as he was being driven away. His young child, still at the breast, was thrown on one side like a piece of wood, and the mother's hands bound while her husband was being carried off. On arriving at his destination for he survived Hie journey—he was fou nrj to be dangerously ill with typhus legSfijSfijj

PLOT TO BLOW UP THE GERMAN EMBASSY.

Ahortivo Trial of the Accused Story of the Case. j (Fkom our London Correspondent.) ,i Great regret has been felt all over the! ";'. country this last week at the abortive? result of tho trial of Woolf and \ Bondurand; tho two foreigners who are; » accused of having conspired to blow; up tho German Embassy, if not:i -j exactly a la Guy Fawkes, in a somewhat similar manner. The case occupied a judgel and jury sovoral days, but no vordict wasj | arrived at. Apparently, after being locked.-, up for nearly sis hours on the ovenirig of |I | tho 19th January,'the jury found them- 1 selves in the anomalous position of being ;| . eleven to one in favour of a conviction or - an acquittal. The arguments or , the 1 obstinacy of the unit absolutely prevailed A against the overwhelming majority, and | when Sunday morning approached, \ the I irate Judge found himself obliged to dis. J. ' charge the jury. Thus the whole weary A business must be re-commenced de novo. \ j From beginning to end the case is remark-,^ ; able. Wm. Woolf is a native of Swifeer- , land, described as a chemist, but also' fol- -j lowing in the trades of interpreter, lodg- 1 ing-house keeper, showman, and police spy , | on foreigners resident in the English metro- j | j polis. Edward Bondarand, his colleague A , in suspected guilt, is French, and a person with fewer callings, but probably not limit- A ing himself to the useful trade of a baker. .] The charge against them was of being in | illegal possession of explosives, but of course the ulterior object sought to be'com- ffl passed, according to the accusation was a | terrible explosion of an infernal machine in , | the streets of London. Sir Wm. Harcourt's W new Explosive Act, passed in tho days"fol-;| lowidg the revelations of Gallagher and I'■ Whitehead's dastardly dynamite plot, has Eg not hitherto been found very useful; but, ;__ had that Act not been in existence, the offence of which the prisoners were ac- | cused was one that could quite well have ,« been punished under the ordinary criminal, b.t law alone. The whole tale is a narrative |! i of low cunning and vulgar treachery, even I supposing it not to inolude intentions of diabolical and cold-blooded cruelty. | It is fortunate for society that «a tho mon who plot outrages aro ..J; frequently traitors who do. not scruple to turn round upon old associates, and inform against them; and in ''tho m present instance we owe the discovery of 1 this infamous scheme to injure the German ;.:£ Embassy, presuming it to have been really m devised, to the treachery of o man who, for | a time at least, wits, by his own confession, :| an accomplice and tool of the principal _:A offenders. '■■"'■ m According to the evidence of the in- •__ former, the two prisoners and others; what-.. _- ever was their motive in wishing to create ,' an explosion, evidently considered that A'| their chance of escape was pretty gdod. A They were to drivo in a cab until they Aq arrived close to the German Embassy. | Then they were to place the iron kettle «>i| and the zinc pail, already filled with gun- s'| powder and pieces of iron, and with fuses fjJH attached, on the roadway, and 'casuallyAAl ignite the fuse with a match or a cigar-end. There was plenty of time, as Colonel Majendle explainecl, for everybody to run ..£ away after depositing- these infernal ',]» machines before the explosion would occur. ! 1 The same experienced authority stated ' that the effect of the amount of gunpowder -1 contained in the two receptacles would ~-_.« have been to do considerable damage to pro-, SI petty in the neighbourhood, and very pro-., 1 bably to kill any persons who might bo l.assingattheti-ne. Thegunpewder, of which there was fifteen pounds, jvould, with tho A weight of scrap-iron on the top of it, explodo "'__% in the same way. as a shell, and no doubt - m scatter death and mutilation around.. This WM atrocious scheme was really hatched—say the prosecution—between the two men, Woolf and Bondurand—with the help of ■ others—and would have been executed but ||| for tho timely arrest of the former at his | lodgings in Vincent Square, Westminster. - Shortly nfterwatds his supposed partner in the business, Edward Bondurand, was also- %' apprehended. Since that time the two men 1 1 nave been, busily engaged in trying tc. throw tho blame on each other's shoulders, or on ; •,hose of Louis -Bondurand,: brother of Ed ward, as well as a mystorious foreigner, AS and an equally mysterious police officer.who |S| were said by them to have been implicatedsfi in the conspiracy. '.* !'■:, m. To understand the Btory et all we must look to the evidence. of Jacob Kallborn, i alios Leon Ferrall.^and his sworn testimony A is tainted by the fact that he deliberately . ! | entered into this plot and helped the con- - '~ ?pirators. However, it is owing to this _.. .nan's information that the authorities at A, Scotland Yard were apprised of the con templated outrage. What does this some what suspicious witness affirm J He says - - .hat Woolf used1 to talk about the reward if one thousand pounds; promised by the Government for the discovery of the per letrators of the Underground Kallway " explosiom, and how easy it would be to , psrform some parallel outrage and obtain the reward which would .no doubt be .ffered. The plan was to effect the < ex ilosion themselves, and then to inform < -. igainst some innocent person; and Woolf, 4 imputed Kallborn to find out " some German —it didn't miftter who," in whose house a few scraps of paper and a little bottle of red ', Ink were to be placed. That was all; but then, part of the conspirators' plot was that ; they should drop on the ground, at tho scene of the explosion, a letter written in red ink, containing threats or expressions ' of hatred against the German Emperor. •~: Such a letter was actually found in the ' house where Woolf lived; ahd; unless the whole story is a wicked conspira6y of j_ nil- , born' and Bondurand ttgainst WColf, finis fact seems to throw some; probability :oVer. A the tale\told vby Kallborn, the : ;approver. _,_. Following the litter's statement, the solo ' abject Of these wicked plotters was to reap a pecuniary profit but of the murder of-iin oftending London citizens. Woblf .told -A ICallbornj the latter said, that the iron -A kettle and the zinC pail, with their destruc tive contents, wbuld. create on "awful crack," and appealed pleased!with tho idea of the slaughter Which might ensue. " The moro.peopie'that,.were killed; the better," g because then the reward; offered' would' be proportionately, increased. Such was tho .-. plam businesslike view which the Crown put forward as having been taken by Woolf, and presumably also by Bondurand, of the wholesale massacre which they sought to perpetrate. B:™s, enough foi^them to, ~,.; know that a good deal of bnck wall would be Mown in, ?hat all the glass in the hont.es anywhere near wpuld be shattered in frag- : ments, and that any passers-by at tho time A Would be shockingly maimed and mutilated, if not actually killed. In pursuit of tMs fiendish design —on the_ theory that A the informer's evidenco is trustworthy — Kallborn was taken into tho con- ■'."■• fidence of the other miscreants, and was promised a reward of one hundred pounds as his share of the booty. Accoifd- * I ingly; ho and Bondurand went to the shop ~ of an ironmonger near Charing Cross, and; V while the latter waited, outside with a bag | to contain the purchase, Kallborn entered and bought fourteen or fifteen pounds of guUpowder, for which he paid thirty-iivo A shillings. Then, says Kallborn, the powder, ] was taken to Panton-street, where Woolf A lived at that time, and was afterwards transferred to Vincent Square, where it was found by the police. On the 22nd of Novem ber last year, when the explosion was to take place, it appears that the inform^ got frightened at what he; had done. Ho therefore repaired to Scotland ; Yard, and told the police what was-intended, i Later in the day he seems to ■ havo gone again, accompanied by Louis Bondu rand, and then the police and the two in formers went straight to Vincent Square and arrested Woolf, with all the proofs of some murderous design lying in the attic ', which he occupied. Louis Bondurand, how ever, appears to have considered discretion the better part of valour, and fled. The result of the trial will certainly not tend to deter ill-disposed wretches from at- A tempting explosions in order to gain money; . j but th6ro is every reason to hope that tho" mystery attaching to the explosives found ■ in VincentJStjuare will not last beyond the ~cxt trial. :-AAA'A;A ,'■ A . -A',

A unique boxing contest is reported from i Naples. It seems that ten English snilow, who had been drinking, throw off their coats, and even their shirts, to the astonishment and amusement of the few Neapolitan spec tators, and, naked to the; waist, commenced a regular boxing match. A fair-haired sailor knocked down three: opponents, one of whom struck his head against a, waftl, and was badly hurt. The fight lasted a quarter of an hour, at tho end of which the vioir~ '" " took up tho conquered und gave th< - good douching at a fountain. The« rf ' A art" of self-defence cannot claim ■/> .-^

|^|H_-B_BO__B«^ , _. ■,-._-*.. '|i>rtffe_G^ 1884

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