THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1887.

[SUPPLEMENT,^

Ruby's Reward.

1 SHELDON. . l( rphe Forsaken Bride," M^ie's Triumph," "That .;" Dowdy," etc chapter"xliv. jji WLVDOW AND A STARTLING I *-'■; . MESSAGE. ' 11 this time, was leading a, sad, .veary strange house in the aat byher window eagerly v ir for some one whom she knew and "J5 to her aid. Several times she the panes to attract at r-.- ghe wa s so high up that no one Wtloihearher;or,iftheydid,know ething of the character of the occu- Iwthatfcouso, paid no heod. Chihiscoostant waiobing: and the strain 'f°" jnllp and heavy-eyed ; an anxious, took the place of the -^brSfc and sparkling . lighb tbab ff c ,"dWned upon her lace. • . :W BFi Shin<r to complain of as to tt bbv&eing denied her liberty, *-? eteeS every" needful attention. *'hfS nicely cooked and daintily was kind and respectful; diSy of books and papers to read |b >.i«Jifl would never have known that tee w« a patient in the house, it was so s£du wrW obe lim P r l ifT enfcEdrr d ftSrhadattemptedtohavo an intor ■ ith her; but she seemed to know !? L-fllv the moment he stood outside fC when she would flee into hor Slock the door, and nofc one word Kirenlv to his threats, commands, itiScome out and tell him what fiS with his father's will Sad been shrewd enough toattaeh the wii a cord, and this she had fastened ndhcrnebk; and thus the servant had S ton able to secure it, as she had been tLj to; so, cursing Her wilfulncss and I rEdmund Carpenter had finally given flmne f» subdue her, and only kept her foaatil he'could settle his affairs and -tonfcof the country. But, as tho time for Walters trial drew Unbv grew very nervous and rebel ta Sho was certain of his conviction • L- could get oub to tell her story iim-her sister's diamonds would pon his person, and that would .veprpof of his guilt. She simply 10 cduld not stay thore, she must she would certainly become In land fib only bo remain there all I bribing the gin who waited upon leinight as well have talked to for she was as immovable as £er; desperation^ she sprang be ■as she came into the room, erarins;and tried to take the key "^jffc,thegirl, with one movement ?elf;free, and, catching Ruby up 'jjjeji'h'ptupo'n a chair, saying eon !y,. yet not unkindly : KMtiitfcle pigmy ! You've got iint enough for three such bodies, lip use—you can't go out of here fcepme from headquarters." ill: that Buby could do wes to go tfiMUw and wfitehv |tti}Beiuied day came, and, hour ySO^. $" dafc tiiere and" Ijjifme way might; be opened for sPPdher-testiiQbny' in court and cave Anly a bright idea came into her lidljtind she wondered why she had not fcagbt-of it before. I Sagoti her writing pad, pen, and ink, M "rote rapidly for ten or fifteen rink :. .. 'tagein^io her trunk, she took out a liiaiiosfallliij^psper weight, aboub the size iiisjiif dolaiv She wrapped' the paper, she had written, closely about '\ al'wrand'ai-coarse thread securely wd% iihen she took off her engagement Eg—that glittering diamond which jWlwhad so recently placed upon her fc^-and marked or cut a goodly-sized :«!«open one of tho window panes, and jfeieaWherself once more to watch the jteeii-ljy in the street below. Ww that if she should see anyone 'mwi felt she could trust, she could, TOcnsslight blow of her hand, send that ilwglasj spinning from its place, and tefeiMtant would serve to send her :*WffleßMgeaftorib. wlwwsped oft;still she had seea no Jwmtbe recognised, and she dared not ■mkt mftsg&go tesb it should fill into ■■**» hands, or into the possession of to the houso, and thus ■ «ioutrobject. ■> ';.'■■ .' ■ ; ■ - . Wk Jf^P* nße' was torturing—the strain 1 jLT-^6B fearfnl» ttn«i "he became ll;S.fJ».terioal. ■ Her breast rose and IBuTJWPWssed Bobs.her head grew mllHf- V™ *binßl as Bhe imagined that ■J^jP#essing, and the evidence ■ SMP»* h** lover. She could almost M^ m l< Car Penter sitting there and ■ t,wf ' !crnel faco glowing with SS°t erthe <doWnfall of his enemy; ■Sf T 00 ™ almost seem to hear the ■2™e passed upon Walter bhat Ifi^^* 0 BpendloDg yearS Bkfe^of anguish she pressed her Kg/^close against the window, ISjf «*rte*tbHer ie6t, a wild, il&^^^red lips. ' ■:«jjS^^ with one blow of her ■ S,frf c'^ t(cular Piece of glass was |^4Snlbt eandWentflying W^S^t 1 was' Pacing through a m I t? m one busy thoroughfare MVtLxX^'' when- afca^titien «isi{j rtM to ah<i looked aboub her l^SLntlt I erfed a wild ' Bhrill ■ c her> She coald ■ •fc^^ie'r^came ajain in l^||X an(yowathe streeb-up M Sti l S d4lB^n?uish nothing. ■^fil'^i*' wh^fc l throw you. H • ke%orld." ■I^WS> .^eer-looking pack -1 WfolS? a Per ndtied about mf* **ed 7 dnlmosfc3fc-her feet. l^Cl,! I,^,^ shading her i^N?i agai" B&^S^ four Btori^ above B&0ll%3 tfJY efforfc which "he I&tHS 6 In• Growing l ie r ■SJSM ft her iriend. Ofay's BsSNa* W°u Bhe had thrown ■ nendß; and ju ß b as 9V& it 'her 0bJecb fchat had 9 Il** r»sie an i lWm wondering ■:Q>'ki£lS what *fe contained, »;^"^f, lbolUn^W man came B^e^-'V olne from ' young

that voice calling" you, and I should hay;e known it if I'd heard it ab t'other; side of the world."

Litblo Miss Partridge regarded him with astonishment, then a smile broke over her face.

. ■ YE hy," she said, " this is Mr Ruggles, Jsn bit ? Don'b you remember dancing with mo at Mr Gordon's grand reception last winter ?' *t

es, yes ; but 1 can't stop to think of that jusb yet-ib's a matter of life and death that I m bent on now, and I guess I've got on the right track ab last," Mr Ruggles -re turned, excitedly. " I was taking a short cub through this street, and feeling just about as down-hearted as my worsfe enemy v/ould care to have me feel, when I heard some one way up yonder call out c Annie,' and I felt every nerve in my old body begin to beat a regular devil's tattoo, for it put & m.ump *n my hilnd tnafc's going to win. Ihen, when I saw that bhingcome flying at you, I said to myself, 'Owen Ruggles, you're better than a whole battalion of de tectives after all, and reckon we'll outwit the biggest rascal In Philadelphia yefc.' " Miss Annie looked bewildered and half inclined to be frightened at this wild haran gue, and Mr Ruggles, observing it, calmed himself and moderated his ardor somewhat.

" Won't you just undo that little package and see what is in it ?'■ he asked, eyeing the tiny parcel with a jealous look.- I'm in clined to think it's something very impor tanb. We'll walk on so as nob to attract anybody's notice 5 bub first let me spot the number of that house, so that I'll know it again when I want to find it." . ' .„';

He took a good look at it, observed the hole in the window far above him, and then turned and walked down the sbreeb beside his young companion. ~, Miss Partridge unwound the thread from her small parcel, and th'on, unfolding the paper, instantly recognised Ruby Gordon's handwriting. ■ "How strange!" she exclaimed, as she began to realise that the voice she had heard must have belonged to her friend, and that she must be in that room, so far above her, where she had noticed the broken pane of glass. As her glance skimmed over, the paper her eyes began to dilate and her cheek' to blanch at what she learned:

Go to Mr Conant, the arohttect, at No* 42— street, and tell him that Rnl y Gordon is con fined against her will in the house from which this is thrown. TeU him to come to my reloase immediatelr, for I have important statements which Trill clear vvaltor Richardson from tho crime-nith which he i« charged, besides start ling information rcßardint? other matters. Do not lose a moment in doing ns I request, .for delay inayrcsulf. in .1 cruel wrong and in tho triumph of an evil man's designs. Rubt Gordon." Owen Ruggles could hardly restrain his impatience while Annie Partridge was reading the above, for he saw by her'blank and wondering face bhab somebhing was seriously wrong with the writer of bhe note. " Read ib aloud, miss, read ib aloud," he said, in a voice bhab was thick with exeibe ment. . The sbarbled girl complied wibh his request, and bhen said : " That musb have been Ruby herself who was calling to me. What can it all mean ? I thought she was spending the summer at a place jusb a little oub of the ciby." . "Of course ib was Miss Ruby. Didn'b I bell you I should have known that voice if I'd heard it t'other side of the world■!" said Mr Ruggles, with pale lips, and.stopping short in bhe streeb te wipo the perspiration from his faes, while he glanced back toward the house in which Rubywas imprisoned, as if He had some notion of going back to storm ib immediately, and release the fair prisoner. But he had wisdom enough to resist bho impulse1, khowifig that he had 00 fcuthdfity bo enter the place,'and would doubtlesSjbo refused, MtxiiUikp^Jlt.. hfi r tried4o4<^ ? i»d thus would perhaps do the yOung .girl's cause more harm than good by £ny'pr&ipi tate movement. . ■ 1 . " You just give r.;e that paper, miss, if you please," he continued, "and 111 do what I can. I'll take ib direcbly to Mr Conant, and we'll have her out of fchab nesb before the sun goes down, only I shall have to ask you to keep this discovery to your self for five or six hours, for if her gaolers get wind bhab we've found her oub, ib will jusb upset everything " "But I—l can'b understand," the.young girl began,, looking more and more per plexed and troubled. "Of course you can'b. Ibs too rascally a piece of business for an innocent girl like you to ace through. But you must hold on a bib until I have done my duty to Miss Ruby, then 111 come and make ib all plain to you. Your name is Miss Pa'rbridge. I remember you, and 111 make ib my business to see bhat you don'b forget this afternoon's adventure. And Snow I guess we'd bebter parb company, for my old temper is rising every minute as I (Shink of the thundering trick thab rascal has played opon us all, and I must go to work.' 1 " Whab ?—whab V ' queried Miss Annie, more mystified than before, and regarding her excited companioa as if she w*« nob quibe sure that he knew whab he was talk ing about.' "Never mind jnrt now, miss. Owen Ruggles is a man of his word, and he won'b leave you in doubt any longer than he can help. I'll come to-morrow and explain all aboub ib. Now good-bye ; I've gob bo work off some of this steam or it'll be fche worso for somebody." . . f They had reached the corner, and upon receiving Ruby's note, which Miss Annie was only too glad to give to him, Mr Ruggles rushed away to find Mr Conanb ana Walber, tell his good news, and bhen arrange for fche reseuo of fche maiden, whom he had learned to regard wifch fatherly benderness.

CHAPTER XLV. ■ THE AeQUITT.4I»; ■""' At ten o'clock the. nest morning Walter's case was called. Ifc was evident, tin*, moment that the wifmesses for the defence entered the room, that they were all' in a very different frame of mind from what they had been on the previous day. ; . , '?, • The harassed, anxious look had all faded from Walter's face, and he wore an aii-^ of quiet confidence and self-posseasioni which made Edmund Carpenter cast pnzzled and malignant glances at him, and caused him to wonder what had come over the accused. Mr,Conant and Mr Ruggles were both unusually placid; there was none of that repressed anxiety in their manner that there had been yesterday ; they sfifc a little apart from the others* and wore, a self-, assured look that was very perplexing. 'Mrs Gordon, who came in rather late and took a seat by herself, after barely recognis ing the other occupants of the room, alone seemed to have lost something-of her customary dignity and trancfuiiiby. of manner. She looked i pale and" sad, and I there were traces of agitation and tears upon her countenance. ■ ; - ■ ■ This made Edmund Carpentejr a;trifle uneasy. Had this woman turned coward and made op her mind to confess, the truths and thus give his enemy an Oppor tunity to triumph ever him ? - ;:* ■ He bitterly repented ever having allowed himself to reveal whet he hod disolosM to her ; he oughfe to have kepb his own counsel and he need hay© had ao fear of anyone then. ■ Still he could not believe that ahe wonld ever bring herself to btftve the t scandal which would ensue ispon a confesßtonlof fche ; truth. He was sure fehot she ppjasessotii neither the courage oor the priheipl^ to dos ifc unless driven to it; and who was there to drive her! Had she nob told him that nothino should ever drag it from her? -;. And' yet ho felt strangely disquiete!*, something had evidently transpired to i-e ---lieve the 'minds of Jibe otfyer side, r and ,bo make jMr» Gordoo-^itous oi ayoid;ng her

trwn counsel and him ; and his keen dark eyes roved from one face to another with restless though eager, searching glances.

Bufc with all his fear he was wholly unpre pared for the thunderbolt when it foil.

Mrs Gordon was the firsts witness called. "Mrs Gordon," said the prosecuting ab torney, " will you state the facts, as you know them, of the robbery which was com mitted in Mr Carpenter's house on the night of the twenty-fifth of June ?"

Mrs Gordon turned at once to the judge, upon this, and said, in a clear and distinct voice :

" It will not be necessary for mo to do so, your honor, as my property was restored to me last evening, and it has been ascertained that Mr Richardson was in no way con nected with the affair."

This statement created quite a stir in the room.

Edmund Carpenter turned deadly white, and his oyes blazed with a dangerous light. The prosecuting attorney turned upon her with astonishmont and indignation, and for a moment appeared wholly unable to utter a word. At last he said, sternly: "Ifsuch is the case, I beg to inquire why I was not informed of the fact ?"

" Because, your honor," replied Mrs Gor don, still addressing the judge, " for certain reasons, which I am not at liberty to ex plain, I pledged myself not to mention the matter until I could make the statement here" :

At this1 Edmund Carpenter whispered something in the ear of the prosecuting at torney, and bho latter remarked, with some excitement :

"This oase seems to have been rather summarily takon out of my hands, your honor, but I sha'l, nevertheless, demand that the stolen property be produced to prove the assertion to which we have just listened."

Mis Gordon immediately took a small case from her pocket and handed it to him.

He opened ib, and upon bheir velveb bed there flashed a pair of magnificent solibairo diamond earrings. The man looked blank.

"Have you the money also?" he de manded, .

"I have, but nob in the form in which ib was taken from me," Mrs Gordon answered with a swift glance at Edmund Carpenter. "The full amount, however, has been restored to me."

" By whom ?"

"I am not ab liborby bo say. lam only allowed bo state this much in order to es tablish Mr Richardson's innocence, and se cure his honourable acquittal."

"Do you swear Mr Richardson knew nothing whatever of tho robbery ab the time of ib, and that he is nob concerned in any way wibh the rcsborabion of your pro perty ? asked the judge. " Yes. I can swear bhab he has never even seen the diamonds, unless ho may have seen them upon my person months ago, until they wero produced here to-day," Mrs Gordon firmly assertod. "And the money?" persisted his honor, in order bo be sure there should bo no pre varication.

" The money I know ho could never have seen or touched, since tho bill is still in the hands of another perxon." " Of bho real bhief ?"

" Yes, sir, of bhe real thief." And Edmund Carpenter quaked as he listened to this assertion.

" You solemnly declare on oath that these statements are brue ?" said the judge, impressively. ."I do"

MrsGordon'smanner was above suspicion," and his honor appeared satisfied ; but the attorney for tho prosecution insisted upon a fuller explanation. Ib was extremoly mort,ifyinp bo have the chief witness against the prisoner turn upon him in this inexplicable way ; to have tho gale* qti«sh*cl iH so unceremonious fl.no! so ignoble a- manner, and a warm discussion followed upon the matter. Edmund Carpenter waa keen enough to understand that those diamonds, which he had believed so cunningly concealed that no ono could find them without some previous knowledge of thorn, had been discovered ; that Mrs Gordon's compliciby had in some way leaked oub, and bhab the whole plob againsb Walter was on the verge of being revealed. Ifc was a bitter pill for him to swallow, when he thoughb he was jusb on the poinb of winning the victory over his enemy, when he had hoped to hear an irrevocable sontence pronounced before that day should close; bub he was sure that Mrs Gordon was taking this way, by bhe advice and conpenb of Walber's friends and counsel, to shield herself, and him as well, from exposure, and he was in no way anxious bhat she should be pressed to make further confession. ■ So he sbrove to conciliate bhe prosecubing abborney, and ab lengbh prevailed upon him to abandon his determination to have a full explanation, and the Court finally ruled that if Mrs Gordon had seen fife to pledge herself to secrecy and drop all further prosecution, in order to secure the return of her property, she should bo allowed to keep her word inviolate. And so the mysterious case was closed, and Walter was honourably acquitted. Mr Carpenter placed himself in Mrs Gor don's path as she was about following Mr Conant from the room.

" I must say this is a very singular ter mination to this affair,' he sneered; "you were not over anxious for that young up start's acquittal the last time I saw you. It would bt) something of a satisfaction to me to know what made you hop over the fence so suddenly." "I think you will not be left long m the dark, even if you do not know already,/ Mrs Gordon coldly replied, and then passed from the room Edmund Carpenter went back to the still enraged lawyer, with whom.he held, a somewhat protracted consultation, and finally he too prepared to leave the court house. 9 ' , . , , ■ As he stepped out into the corridor and was drawing on his gloves, an officer ap proached him, and, touching him upon the shoulder, said: . „ . ." Will you please come this way, sir ? There is a gentleman waiting to see you." "Who is" he?" demanded Mr Carpenter, giving the man a searching look. ." I ean'fc tell you, sir, bub he's a sort of up-country looking chap, and told me to inform you he had something to say to you as soon as you were at liberty." ~ , ' ■; " Humph !—Ruggles," growled Edmund Carpenter with a frown. "I wonder what this meddler is up to now. It will do no harm to find ont at all events." : " All right," he added to the man; " lead

He followed the officer down the corridor, and Vas ushered into a small room or office at the end of it. . i The door was immediately closed alter him, and he found himself in the presence of a group that both surprised and startled There were six people there—Walter and M&dam Howland, Mr Ruggles, Mr Conant, Mrs Gordon, an,d— Ruby ! '■■ • , .: An oath leaped to Edmund Carpenter s lips as his glance fell upon the young girl who had -so lately been his captive, and he knew instinctively that there was trouble ahead for him. ' ' But more than one surprise awaited mm, " Mr Carpenter," said Mr Conunt, rising and approaching him, " I have been, authorised to tell . you that aU _ypur treachery, and scheming, and wickedness regarding the case fchat has just closed haa bebn discovered, and I roust say that it has never before been my lot to know of 4ny plot so heartless and dishonourable in con mction ivibh one whocallx himaefj « gentleman. The whole matter would havo been made public to-day, but for the desire, on the part of Mr Richardson and his friends, to preserve the name of the lady you ForGsd to become your accomplice,.

" Perhaps you will be kind enough to explain yourself more fully, sir," sneered Mr Carpenter, with mock politeness, but with his blazing eyes fixed upon Mrs Gordon.

" I inbended to do so," calmly responded Mr Conant, "but I think you will under stand the whole matter when I tell you that a conversation which you had with a certain person beneath a tree in your own grounds one evening not long since led to the re velation of your wretched plob." "Ha ! then you have turned traitress after all !" cried Edmund Carpenter, turn ing fiercely upon Mrs Gordon, who sab be side Ruby, with downcast eyes and flushed cheeks.

" Estelle has bold nothing more than she told to-day in the court-room," Ruby said, rising and laying her hand upon her sister's shoulders. " She has been asked no ques tions ; it was not necessary. ' But I over heard the conversation between you. I was sitting upon the other side of that great tree, and I heard you toll how you entered her room, and took her diamonds and money ; you crept up the lattice out side the balcony, you passed in through the French window, opened hor bureau drawer, and secured them. And then, from what followed, 1 learned that you had sewed tho diamonds somewhere into clothing which Mr Richardson wore.that evening he spent afc-Forest-vale. You said you had ' made such a neat job of your work that he might wear them around for months and never discover them.' I found them myself last evening, in the presence of several wit nesses, and Mr Richardson himself does nob know even yet where they were concealed. We have not allowed my sister to bell any bliing, for we know how you forced the knowledge of your wicked plot upon her, and caused her to become an unwilling accomplice." "Bub I should have told, Ruby,", inter posed Mrs Gordon, turning, with streaming oyes, to her young sister. " I made up my mind yesterday, after becoming assured of this man's treachery against you, that I would confess the whole plot and suffer the consequences." " Really, this sudden outburst of honour is refreshing," sneered Edmund Carpenter, eyeng her vengefully. "But," turning again to Ruby, while a gleam of' curiosity lighted up his face, " how did you manage to get oub of your cage ab this opportune moment, my pretty one ?" Ruby drew herself haughtily erect, flush ing an angry crimson at his familiar manner of addressing her, and deigning him no word of reply. " Mr Carpenter," interrupted Mr Conant, in a sovoro tone, " I will trouble you for that bill, numbered 805, which you have in your possession." " Are you not assuming a good deal, sir, in your request ?" retorbed bhe young man, in a mocking tone. ' " No, he is nob," said Ruby. " Romom ber thab I heard all thab conversation. You told my sister you ' did not have time to conceal it about Mr Richardson's cloth ing and do it neatly,' and you returned the bill to her. Sho objected to having it in hor possession, and you told her to ' send it to you by mail' and you would send her a cheque for tho amount. I know that the oxchango was made the next morning." " The bill, if you please, Mr Carpenter," reiterated Mr Conant; " there is no need to discuss the question ; we know that you have it, and ifc is reasonable to suppose thab you would nob—ab pre'senb dfc leasb—brusb ib away from your person." " What do you bake me for?" cried the enraged young man. "Do you imagine thab I am going bo sband here and/ be bullied like this ?

" You will do as you are requested, peaceably ; for we are fyound to prove that that bank-note is in your posses&on—or else you will produce ib under arteM, which, af; you doubtless understand-,- will make matberii rather awkward lor you> Mr Conanb. responded, with perfect self possession. • .. An expression of wrath, fearful to behold, swept ovor Edmund Carpenter's face. He turned toward the door.

"It,will be useless for you to atfcempb to leave bhe room until you have complied wibh all the terms which we propose to you," Mr Conant continued, " for you will find an officer outside only waiting for the word to take you in bo custody." ' A bitter oath burst from the baffled man's lips as he heard this, and agleam of anxiety sprang into his eye. But ho was nob easily conquered. He threw up his head proudly ; then, folding his arms across his chesb, stood in sullen, defiant silence, his attitude expressing, more strongly than words could have done, his determinabion nob to yield one inch of ground to the enemy. Mr Conant gave him one look, bhen him self sbepped forward and opened the door. He would not parley with the man. " Officer," he said, "I am afraid it will be necessary for you to do your duty." The official stepped into the room, and, addressing Mr Carpenter, said : "Ib will be my duby to arrest you unless you comply with this gentleman's de mands."

" Upon whab charge ?" The officer book from his breasb-pocket a paper, and, unfolding ib, read : " ' Firsb, for tampering with the last will and testament of Ralph Carpenter ; second, theft; third, abduction.' Rather grave charges, those, Mr Carpenter."

(To be continued.)

Spiritualistic Tricks.

A remarkable letter has been addressed to the London "Sbandard" by W. C. Faulkner, philosophical insbrumenb maker, of London' which indicates that the so-called spiritual. >stß, at least in London, have'been in the habit of producing effects by means of a too maberialisbic nature altogether to ac cord with their assumed theories. Faulkner states that for many year? he has,had a large sale for spirib-rapping magnets and batteries expressly made for concealment under the floor, in cupboards, under tables, and even for the interior of the centre sup port of large round tables and boxes. He has supplied also quantities of prepared wire to be placed under the carpets and oilcloth, or under the wainscot and gilt beading round ceilings and rooms. All these, he says, were ob viously used for spirit-rapping; and the connection fco each rapper and battery was to be made by means of a small button, like those used for telegraphic bell-ringing purposes, or by means of a brass-headed or other nail under, bhe carpet at particu lar patterns known to the spiritualisbs. Thene rappers' heads, when carefully placed, are calculated to mislead the most wary. . Then there! are spirit-rapping magnets, and magnets constructed ex pressly for the pockeb, and these, he tells us< will, of course, rap at any part of bhe room. He has also made drums and bells which will ring and beat ab command ; but these two latter are not so frequently used as the magnets are, because they are too easily detected.

An Index to the Temper.

A writer inthe M Boston Journal "says: "If I wanb to tell a woman's temper I watch her yelids. You ian read a man the same way, but not so readily. A woman with a fiery temper will move her eyelids with a snap, and that snap betrays her. Another who is easy-going and hard to arouse moves her eyelids languidly. One with a quick brain and a temper furious when aroused, just winks steadily, but neither quickly nor slowly, until engaged in interesting con versation,"' ' ' . . •.. '• ■ ■ -' *'

TORPEDO BOATS.

An Interesting Demand for Them in

Europe.

Decidedly the time has come when fche torpedo boats must do something, no matter what, to justify their existence. For any powers they have of late shown themselves to be possessed of along with the gallant Bugaboo, and "a royal salute of ricks " would be a fit recognition of their imagincry merits. A b Toulon recently the torpedo boats failed so badly that even their great patron, xldmiral L'Aube, threw them over ; at the recent maneuvers they dis abled themselves one after another, like crazy wasps, and yesterday's attack upon he fleet in [the Solent seems to have been the worst'fiasco of all. Captain Long, wo are told, " handled hisflubilla of twenty boats in a most masterly and scientific manner," so the fault must be in the boats themselves. "Yet," says another corres pondent, "it seemed to all who watched the fight closely that very few torpedo boats could have passed the outposts so skilfully posted by 'Lieutenant Slade, and if any had got through they would inevi tably have been sunk by fire from the iron clads." "And besides those in the action a few ran aground for variety's sake, although," says a sarcastic witness, "with out suffering any material injury beyond theoretical destruction." As we sad before, a borpedo-boab must blow up^ somio thing just to show that she can do ib with all the chances in her favour. —" Pall Mall gazette." ■ ~ ■ .

The Growth of Materialism

It has been deplored of late that poetry appears to be decaying, and various ingenious efforts have been made to account for this. The real cause for wonder is that poetry should have stayed so long in a world which has rejected nearly everything upon which it battens. Materialism is the death of song, and the more prosperous it grows tho more prosaic does it become. Hitherto, indeed, we have been living largely upon our inheritance in this regard. We could not at once exhaust the great store of im agination which descended to us from agesl that preserved ideals and did not wholly excludo the spiritual from existence, and upon bhat ancient stock our poets have drawn. But now we aro approaching the end of this inheritance, and as we begin to fall back upon the original products of our own time, their aridity strikes a death-cliill to the heart of poetry, and it fades and withei-3. There is, however, so nicely shaded a gradation in the processes by which, as in the working of "dissolving views," one tendency disappears and another takes its place, that paradoxical occurrences sometimes mark tho transition. Thus, among tho leaders of scientific materialism to-day may be seen men of genius, who unconsciously derive from the idealism of their ances tors an imaginative force and bril liancy which they employ in the de struction of the influence furnishing their strongest and most effective weapons. The scientific imagination owes its vitality to the ideal which it denies. It is to this dis honoured ideal that the world is under ob ligation for whatever it enjoys and possesses which is not at bottom barbarism. Psy chology is bhe least devoted science among the Western nations. lbs students revolve like squirrels in their wheel, and they have nob succeeded yet in attaining an equal height with Plato, nor have they reached more definite knowledge than tho astron omer-poet of Persia, Omar Kkayyam, had acquired eight hundred years ago. TheiiJe is nothing intrinsically humiliating tn the doOtrWo Of evolution. Mankind miglifc con template, without mortification, and accept, without loss of self-r6spect, the theory of descent from the ascidian, might acknowledge, without repulsion, their re lationship to the anthropoid ape, if. the curve of progress wero plainly carrying them farther and farther from these lowly origins, and bringing them as clearly nearer and nearer a higher order of exis tence. Bub Avhat if "the heirs of all the ages in the foremost files of time" inherit, with their other possessions, tendencies, tho development of which, while vastly increasing the external at tractiveness and splendour of life, are fix ing the race in a line of advance Which ends in a cid-de-sac"! Abstract the spiritual qualities from man—throw him back alto gether upon bis instincts—and he does not sink merely to the level of the beasts; he becomes their inferior. For if the beasts are "vacant of our glorious gains" in in telligence, at least their instincts guide them more surely than the partially atrophied instincts of man guide him. The beasts know when they have enough ; man never does. Tho beasts avoid excess: man does not. The beasts recognise the things in nature which are for their good : man has no such gift. Take from man, therefore, his spiritual part, and his course is endan gered—perhaps brought to a standstill, per haps even turned back. But the spiritual side of man is at present quite generally neglected, and all the energy available is being expended on the education of his lower—that is to say, his material—side. How much does the world owe to the ideal ? is a question which can hardly be answered candidly without casting serious doubt upon the practicability of permanent pro gress on the lines of materalism ; and yet it is assuredly on those lines that it is now advancing, and perhaps more wholly upon those lines than at any former period. Affection, reverence, self-sacri fice, modesty, veracity, the power of estimating things truly, appreciation of the higher life, every elevating ten deney> every worthy aspiration, flourish best on the family hearth. But if selfishness, and silly frivoliby, and servitude to appearances, and the myriad hypocrisies, shams, and littlenesses of sordid convention fill and control the place, alas for the generation so defrauded of its sacred birth right, so delivered helpless to the material ism of the age ! There is no remedy in the extension of educational machinery. We may exchange the classics for modern languages; we may make more room for physical science ; we may introduce courses on the science of government; we may pay more attention to political economy; we may add technical schools to the common ones ; but, when we have done our best, we shall have failed to evolve a substitute for the only education which gives life a signi ficance higher and broader than that of Descartes' automatism. The poet may postulate

" Some far off, divine event To which the whole creation moves, but what meaning can there be in such a suggestion to a world which is steeped^ to the lips in materialism, which is becoming more and more atrophied as to its spiritual capacities; which rejoices in the agnostic philosophy that draws the curtain over all the future, and concentrates the lime-light of intellect upon the present alone? To the question, What is man ? the answer of science is, "A little higher than the beasts." the answer of revelation is, "A little lower than the. angels.' But to-day it is science that speaks ex cathedra. There is no content, nor en during satisfaction, nor evolution other than animal, nor invention other than sensual, nor culture other than soulless when spirituality is excluded, or dormant, or paralysed. Human history in the past has been a monotonous iteration of lessonß on this one theme. Poverty, thrift, pros perity, wealth, luxury, corruptness, de gradation—in these seven words the fate of many great empires id told. The globe is-fehe burial-place of extinct civilisations, and materialism was the disease of which, they one and all died.—"Atlantic Monthly;" ... : —

THE CLOWN'S BRIDE.

Love's Young Dream Brought to a

Sadden End.

A gentlemah of some prominence in busi ness circles was sitting with a friend in the Grand Hotel at office one evening recently, when the conversation drifted to circus management and enterprise. '' The coming of Forepaugh," he said, " recalls one of the most interesting periods of my life. It has enough romance in it to make it worth the telling. Besides, ib shows what peculiar incidents sometimes follow from fancied affection. Thirty years ago I was ex periencing on a. Nebraska farm what falls to the lot of well-to-do farmers' boys. I had my pleasures, but they came at intervals, after days and weeks of hard work. We had. a neighbour whose daughter won my fancy. She was beautiful, vivacious, and just such a girl as fco win the attention of a guileless youth like myself. Young love ran blindly along until my father dis covered that the neighbour's pretty daughter and myself were engaged to marry. However, this betrothal, or what you may call it, did not take place until 1863, when I was about 18 years old. My father made it a lively engagement for me, and finally succeed in blasting my hopes. The young lady and I made several attempts at elopement, but he always frustrated them. My love dream contin ued, with repeated interiuptions, until the neighbour's daughter left home and wjpnt to t)maha, where she took service in a hotel. Her people were poor. It became necessary for her to earn her own living. As I had nothing without my father's assistance to support a wife, we concluded to wait a year or two longer, and in the meantime she was to work and save for the common fund upon which we expected to go to housekeeping." "What was the result?" the friend m-

quired. _ ~ ~ ~ "lam coming to that. In it lies the romance of my story, or what little there is of it. My promised wife had been gone but a few months, when she wrote me -that she had married a circus clown, and was preparing to take her place in Orion s show. I was sorely grievad fora time, while my father was greatly elated." " Did you ever see her again ? " Did I ? Well, Ido not want to see her again under such circumstances. One day, two or three years after that I was in Omaha. A circus was in town—Cole s as well as I can recollect. While on the way to the show grounds I unexpectedly over took my old sweetheart and her husband, the clown. The meeting was friendly enough. Both of us had recovered from our youthful infatuation, and wd could meet without embarassment. We three walked together to the circus, but the affairs of the old neighbourhood and old times which my once promised bride and myself recounted were not interesting to the hus band. Directly he said: ' You take Nellie down to the show. I have got to go back to the hotel.' I did so, and went into the dressing-tent on her invitation. I had been about two minutes" among the horses and elephants talking to Nellie beiore she went into the women's apartment, when I received a terrific blow back of the ear. It knocked me sprawling, dangerously near to the foot of a huge elephant. Nellie screamed, as sisted by the other women, and a half-dozen strong-armed canvasmen rushed in, and seeing roe, the stranger in the camp, started to beat out what little life was left in me. The women interfered, the bellowing ele phant got loose, the horses cavorted, and in the menao-erie the lions and tigers roared the monkeys chattered, and the deuce was to pay." '' Well, what did you do ?" ' ;,■ > , "What did I do? Why, I sneaked out while the -uproaafwas; at its, height. you : think I was going to stay there and be knocked down again by an copper-bound cannon ball performer sup, ported by half-a-dozen brawny and mur derous-looking canvasmen. From that day to this I don't know whether it was accident or the jealousy of the husband that caused my suffering. lam sure he had no reason to fear Nellie and I running away. Both of -us had got bravely over our young love's dream. I never saw her. again until twelve years later, when Coup's circus came here. I took my wife to the show in the afternoon, and when the trapeze act. came on, so did Nellie, to my surprise. To see her hang by her teeth in midair was the wonder of won ders. I could think of nothing but those happy callow days on the Nebraska farm. Here was I, the farmer's boy, in good business, with a family of devoted wife; boys and girls, there the sweetheart of long ago, the neighbour's pretty daugh ter, swinging through the air with the greatest of ease and holding on with her teeth like grim death to a slender rope. Of course, I went to the circus again that night an d saw Nellie. She was still beauti ful, winning and entertaining, as I fouud in calling on her, in the dressing tent. Since I have seen her on that memorable day in Omaha she had been around the world and came back with a net saving of $50,000. It represented part of her salary, but the most of it came from the sale of her photographs in South America, where she was immensely popular. Nellie and her husband separated some time after a daughter was born to them in Australia. He is now in Chicago. She married again, and when Forepaugh's show comes here I intend to go and see little Belmont, the darling and beautiful performer in the menage act. It is little Belmont, Nellie's daughter."—" Indianopolis Journal."

Little People.

THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK. Keep a watch on your words, my children, For words are wonderful things. They are sweet, like the bees' fresh honey; Like bees, they have terrible stings. They can bless like the warm, glad sunshine, And brighten the lonely life; They can cut in the strife of anger Like an open, two-edged knife. A little girl who wanted to describe the absent-mindedness of her uncle said: "His remember is so tired that he has to use his forget all the time." Guest (to child of hostess)— My little pet, why do you sit next to me at table to-day ? Child —Betause—betause mamma says oo drink like a fish, and I want to see oo do it, A five-year-old boy who was engaged in some mischievous doings, on being remon strated with by his father with " Why will you do so, George?" replied : "Oh, I ex pect I am too lifctle to know any better." Little two-year-old Robert at the break fast-table the other day heard his father and mother exchange the-compliments of the morning with their guests, until he could stand it no longer, and interrupted them with: "Papa* let me tell my'tory, now. I want some hash." ■ ' , ■ " Well," said the persevering governess, "I will put it in another shape. If it takes one servant nine hours to do the entire housework of one family, how long will it take three servants do it ?" Little Nell—Oh, I can answer that; * I heard mamma speak of it this very morning. Teacher—Well, how long, will it take? Little Nell—Three times as long. >, fe " Annabella,"said a matron to the haughty little girl whose nurse brought her out on the hotel piazza to receive correc tion, " aren't you ashamed ? What do you suppose I brought you here for ?" '' Don't know," she answered, sulkily. "Don't know?" . "No, I don't! You said you must marry off Mary this summer, but you didn't say a thing to me." .; State Mary's admirers > grinned at mamma's dis comfiture, but down they went before Annabella's parting shot: "If you want to many me off you'd better bring ;me some other men. I wouldn't marry, one of that crowd." ■ •■ . , ; ''■' ;.: . - i>:,* •

HUMOROUS.

If anyone can add to England's troubles, Ayoub Khan.

The favourite hymn of the pious electri cian : " I'm going home to dynamo I"

There is a tide in the affairs of men which, if not skilfully dodged at the proper time, drowns them.

You cannot always judge by appear ances. Disappearances are oftentimes more trustworthy guides to judgment.

One reason why the homely girl takes the scholarship prize is because she looks into books more than into mirrors.

About 1,000 good-sized, watermelons can begot into a freight car. That's why _ the Southern negro wishes he was a freight car.

A toast to an uninvited guest was re- [■ cehtly given as follows: "May you in; future be always able to enjoy your own j society." " ' A man will do almost anything to increase! the happiness of the woman he loves excepb, to leave her when she wants to get rid of! him.

The girl who hooks a fish will shriek To see its frantic wriggles; i But when she hooks a man—queer freak I She simply grins and giggles.

The man who says he will be under ever lasting obligations to you in case you ac commodate nim. is not the man you want to lend money to. j The auctioneer is the only man who can t make anything by shouting. Other fellows, I when they shout, are compelled to put down i the cash for the crowd. j Young lady (on the beach)— How lovely the sea Foam is, Count Spaghetti! Italian Count (forgetting himself)—Vera loafly. Ib ees zee par excellence for dandruff. i No man can court a cross-eyed girl with-! out being jealous. And the cause is thab,; she always seems to be looking at and smiling upon some other fellow, Uncle John—Why, my girl, you've grown! like a cucumber vine ! What progress.are you making towards matrimony ? Clara—- Well, uncle, I'm on my fifth lap. Simpkins (at Ashbury Park). —What a rollicking chap the parson is when he gets in the water. Simpkins — Naturally. Everything loses its gravity in the water. " Ella," "said Clara as they were seated on the veranda of their country boarding house, "I went fishing with Charley this morning." "Did'yo*? What did you catch?" "I caught Charley.". The best imitation of the song cf the, bobolink is by the waiter girl when she says without taking breath: "Liver-steak-cold roast- cold-corned-beef - eggs-ham-lamb-and sausages." " Well, Harry, what are you doing nowa days?" "Writing for the press." "Thank less sorb o' work, ain't it?" "Bless your heart, no. 'Bout everything I write is * re turned with thanks.'" "And the country would blossom as a; rose," said the agricultural orator. "It'dl better blossom as a cabbage," said an old farmer. "I never could see any profit in them air roses." •• - " What is your favourite flower, Mr Hay- ' seed ?" asked Miss Lilybud. " The tubei.-' rows, mann, the tuber rows," said the gooii old man, for it was he, shouldering his h<ta and matching down to the potato patch. . "Ethel, dear, you are looking pale and ill I thiß morning." " Yes, mamma; I went:1 in bathing yesterday and got my feet wet" "O, careless girl; and spoiled your-bathiti g suit, no doubt. Never Viet that happen again." The Socialists are denouncing Henry; George for retaining in his own pocket the 15,000 a year that they allege he is making out of the " Standard." Thab is all right,, though. Mr GeorgS's avowed aim is to j abolish, poverty. . _, . '~ j }■' Do you know "-Km' V "asked a gentle-: mail of an IrisK friend the other day,* in speaking of a third person. "Know him 1" said the Irishman. "I^know'd him when his father was a little boy!" ■ ; "Patrick,doyouknowyoutalktoomuch?": "■Oi do, sor." " Well, if you'd make itan j unvarying rule to keep yourinouth shut,! don't you think you'd get along better ?"' "Faith, sor, oi'd stairuv to death, sor." ■■■ • A gentleman was accosted in the Ala-; meda by a sturdy beggar. "In heaven's' name, give me aid!" he ejaculated.' "Aren't you ashamed to beg, a great, strong, healthy fellow like you f\ " Senor, I asked you for alms, not for advice." "What's 'your husband doing now?" "He's a speculator." "Indeed. Whati; in?" "Oh, things ,in general. He jusb sits around and puts in his time specu lating about the public debt arid the dis tance of the sun and I don't know what all." Mir Puffer (who has recently " struck ib rich")— Pete, I am going to get you a coachman's livery ;- what do you think of ( that ? Pete (who has been " hiredman " for years)— Yes; sah, I would like-to have it very much, sah. It would distinguish me from de rest of de family, sah. A Boston lady attended a funeral in a country church a short time ago, and after the singing of a hymn which was striking, melodious and appropriate, a rustic male friend who was seated beside her remarked, with an air of intense local pride:" Beau tiful hymn, isn't it? The corpse wrote it." Mrs Boodle (to salesman in Underwear Department). — "Have you any: gauze ladies'.vests?"" Salesman (with a_ smile). — " No, madame, but we have ladies' gauze vests." " Keep 'em, then-!" she answered, snappishly, as she bolted for the door, and "■ since his discharge the salesman has decided' not to try to sell drygbods;and educate the, human race at the sametime.■/.,./.

Biblical Cariosities.

The "Church Union" furnishes, the fol lowing information for students of the Bible:

In the English Bible (St. James's version) there are 1,189 chapters, 31,173 verses, and 773,592 words. ' . • ''.-" ''':'-. The word "and" occurs 46,277 times } and the word " Lord " occurs 1,855 times. • The "ivdrd " reverend " dccTirs in Psalm cxi, 9. If it occurs in any other place in the Bible, will some Biblical scholar please inform us where ? The middle verse of the Bibß is Psalni cxviii, 8, and is Well worth committing to memory : " It is better to trust in tbe Lofd than to put confidence in man." The longest word in the Bible js found in Isaiah viii, 1, and is Maher^halalhashbai. The shortest book of the Old Testament isObadiah. • ■

The shortest book in the New Testament is thesecond epistle of John. " All is vanity " ocburs twenty-five times in Ecclesiastes, and is the leading thought, of the book. : ;'

Size of the First Watch.

At first the watch was about the size ot a : dessert plate. ■ It had weightit, and was üßed asa " pocket clock." The earliest! known use 01 the modem namie occm-s in the record of 1552, [which mentions that Edward Vlhad.' 1 onelarum" or watch of; ■ iron, the case being likewise of iron gilt,' with two plummets ,< of lead. -The •; firsteM watch may readily be supposed tqbe arud|&|l; execution. iThe first great Improvement-^! the substitution of springs for weights—was in 1560. The earlist springs were not coiled, but only straight pieces of steel. Early watches had only -one hand,< and, being wound up twice a day, they could not be expected to keep the time nearer than! fifteen or twenty minutes in twelve hours.; The dialß were of silver and brass; the cases had no crystals, but opetaed at fcha back and front, and were four or five inches in diameter. A plain wjitch cost more■■;' than §1,500, and after one waa orderedi it took a year to i4»k© it — '* Jewellery New&" T i