The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

r 4' Tl MYSTEBIOIS KEY OK, PLANNING FOB TUE' FUrUKE. CHAPTER XIV.â€" (Cont'd) A few dajs later the fair invalid was found to be doing so well that Doctor Latimer gave Liidy Brom- ley pernaission to pay her a slwrt visit, for she was continually asking questions about herself and her friends which it was thought best to have answered, and thus stt her mind at rest. Accordingly, her ladyship was ad- mitted and introduced to her, whereupon she explained her posi- tion aad her friendly relations with Gerald. From the moment she en- tered the room, Allison betrayed great pleasure in her presence. "You know Gerald â€" you are fond of him, they tell me," she eagerly remarked, after they had greeted â-  each other. "Won't you sit here, • close beside nic, and tell me every- ithing that has happened since I saw him last'! Can Tt be possible that it is almost the last of Decem- ber, and that life has been an utter blank to me ever since Julyf So Lady Bromley told her what- ever she could think of to interest her, Allison listening with almost breathless interest to all that con- cerned Gerald, and every day after that her new friend went to sit with her for one or two hours, as they thought best. Ou the tenth day after the op- •eration, Allison seemed to be doing so well and was so iinpaitent to see OerakI that Lady Bromley was authorized by Doctor Latimer to .summon him. And so the follow- ing telegram went thrilling along the wires to Mr. Lyttleton: "All is well. Tell Gerald, and send him on immediately." The young man was out when this message reached the office, and his employer could scarcely wait for his return. The poor fellow had been very brave â€" that is, he had tried to bear his trouble patiently and unco.Tjplainingly, but it had worn upon him sadly, and the look of stoical endurance which his face â- had seemed to take on , like a mask, was painfully pathetic to the kind- hearted lawyer. At times, when they were con- sulting about the approachiug trial, which both felt confident would re- sult in Gerald's favor, the o.^pres- sion of bitter anguish which would sweep over his features told Mr. Lyttleton more plainly than words •oould have don© that the fortune which was then almost within his grasp would give him no real satis- faction, that it would bring him â- only pain and regret, since he had lost the bride for whom alone he had coveted wealth. At length his steps sounded on the stairs without, and sent a nerv- ous thrill through the heart of the lawyer. The message he had re- ceived from his sister was crumpled in his hand, his breathing was ra- pid, and his temples beat almost audiblvâ€" at least to himself. "Gerald," he said, after the young man had removed his hat and coat, and was in the act of sit- ting down to his desk, "how would you like to take a run on to Boston tor a day or twol" "To Boston ! " repeated the young man, astonished. "We have no •business to call either of us there, have we?" "No, but my sister thmks she would like a little visit from you,' replied Mr. Lyttleton, beating help- lessly about the bush, and not knowing how to get down to his duty. "She is very good," said Gerald, amiliug; "but really, I think we are too busy just now to spare time for pleasure^rips." "1 think you might be spared for A couple of days. I â€" I Ger- ald"â€" with a desperate effort- "do you think you can brace yourself for some â€" newsl" "Ha!" cried the startled fellow, suddenly galvanized to interest, «nd, leaping to his feet, he stared wildlv at his companion. "News â€" of-of " "Yes, of- her; of Miss Brew- ster." "The mystery of her fate is solv- ^_you have learned how she died!" , ^ "Noâ€" how she was â€" saved I Ger- ald, she is alive 1" "Alive! My Oo<l ! How? Crip- pUhI. disfiguretl, maimed!" the agonizetl lover articulated in a hor- rible whisper. "No, Gerald, no ! Don't look hko that," said Mr. Lyttleton, turning awav with a shiver from the white, drawn face. "She is aliv« &nd well or will he very .soon." Geiald gasped and dr^pptd back into his chair, his head falling up- on Ills desk, while his powers of en- durance at last utterly forsaking him. heartrending sobs burst from hi^ lip'^. Mr. Lrttleinn could bear no Bor.!. H\ simply gathered all his sister's recent letters and messages together, and, rising, laid them be- side the prostrate lover. "Here, Ger-!d, read those when 3'ou can paU yourself together a bit," he s^trs huskily; "they will explain e^^rythiug to you. Mean- time, I am going down to the City Hall b>y look over some records. ' Then he went out, softly closing the doof after him, and Gerald was left alone to master the temporary weakueHS c.".used by reaction, and tl. try to realize the blessed hope and great joy that had come to tiioi 91 unexpectedly. Strong and manly though he wao, his love and gratitude were temp cl- arity stronger than his will-power, and, bursting all barriers, had to havo their way. The wonderfu- news had taken him so unawaies ho had had no opportunity to "brace" himself, and the reaction from the iron-clad endurance which he had hitherto manifested was in exact proportion to that unyield- ing fortitud**. But, with the emptying forth of his long-pent emotions, his heart began to rebound, and an eager de- sire to learn the blessed truth in all its details took possession of hira. He was weak and trembling from his excessive agitation, but nerv- ing himself as best he could, he toilet than he had been in the ha- bit of devoting to it during the last six months. He had ample time to catch the five-o'clock boat, and reached Boston about seven o'clock. Going directly to a hotel, he had breakfast, after which he started forth, first going to a florist's, where a basket, very like the one sent to Yonkers on a certain fete day fiti long ago, was ordered. With this snugly packed m a box, he took a Brookline car, the city clocks chiming the hour of ten just as he rolled through Boylston Street, to- ward the goal of his hopes. He went first to the home of Mrs. Bry- ant, where Lady Bromley was im- in this flood. In the fall of 1903 much of the district was visited by hordes of rats, which remained dur- ing the winter, and by the follow- ing spring had so increased in num hers that serious losses of grain and poultry resulted. No doubt the najority of the so- called migrations of rodents are in reality instances of unusual repro- duction or of enforced migration owing to lack of fo'id. In England a general movement of rats inland from the coast occurs every Octo- ber. This is closely connected with the closing of the herring season. During the fishing the rodents swarui to the coast, attracted by patiently awaiting him, her brother the offal left from cleaning the her having telegraphed her of iiis com' ing. She greeted him almost as f.i idly as a mother would have gree.cd a son, then presented him, with no littl* pride, to her frienu. "Helen, this is 'my Gerald,' and, Gerald, this is my old school friend, who was my confidante at the time of my marriage, the romantic his- tory of which you already know, ' shf remarked, by way of introduc- tion. ring, and when this food supply fails they hasten hack to the farms and villages. In South America periodic plagues of rats have taken place WILD WHITES. Descendants of Riinanay Cooviuts ia Australia. (♦♦♦♦â- â™¦â™¦â™¦â€¢â™¦â€¢â™¦â€¢â™¦â™¦â™¦â™¦â™¦â™¦â™¦â™¦â™¦ f ♦-r .#( : hM tli3 Farm : w* â- â™¦â€¢*-♦â-ºâ™¦â€¢â™¦â€¢â™¦>♦♦â- â™¦â- â™¦ â- â™¦^+ ♦ ♦♦-♦-♦â- % HINTS FOR FIELD STACKING. It is necessary to be thinking or The wild white men of the vast "Never Never Land" of Northern -Australia, to whom the Rev. T. Major is conducting a mission, are known as "white blackfellows," an expression that, while involving a â-  certain contradiction in terms, j nevertheless fits them to a nicety. I Some of th'^se voluntary outcasts ^^^ ''9*6 and cheapest methods for from their kind are present-day handling the crop. The horse fork fugitives from justice. Others are 1" t*'® ''^rn is certainly a very use- the descep.dants of runaway coa- '"' implement, one that saves muoh victs who "took to the bus!i"'in the • time and heavy work pitching, bad old days of transportation. ! Seldom is this great labor-sav- They live amongst the aboriginea, â-  ing device used when stacking ia aping their manners and customs the fields. One is used in this way and subsisting on the same always en the college farm with great suc- scanty and frequently loathsome cess. It is made as follows: Tak« ^ „_ . j„_^^ food. According to Mr. Major, ,cne long cedar pole similar to the in Parana, Brazil, at interxaTs'of I ^***J' ^^^ exceedingly shy and diffi oidinary telegraph pole; attanU about thirty years, and in Chile at *^}'^'' ^^ approach. Hoeing at the first ; three long guy ropes or wire to th«« intervals of from fifteen to twenty- 1 ^'^n of a 'tame" white man. i tcp, also the puliy and rope tha» [five years. These plagues in the j The mere idea of indivduals of our ^s to be used for hauling the hay. j cultivated lands follow the ripening ' race and color sinking to this low Attach one end of the rope to » I and decay of the dominant species! level is revolting. Yet the Austra- tree or firm post. Hitch the horxo itf bamboo in each country. The ! han white blackfellow h?s his coun- i to the other end of the rope. The ripening of the seed furnishes for I terpart in other quarters of the P«le is now ready for hoistiBg. "Mabel," cried Mrs. Bryant, | j.^.^ ^^ more years a favorite food ' Rlobe. notably in the Guiana hin- i Care must be taken to havo taa flushing, "I fear that knowledge j^^ y^t, j^ the forests, where the! terland, where whole colonies of , hole dug in such a way as to ke?p will be a poor recommendation to ; animals multiply greatly ; when ' v.hite savages are known to be in- the pwle from going sideways when Mr. Winchester's respect. All the|t.j,ig f^^^ fails they are forced to I terspersed amongst the bush negroes hoisting. In starting the stack t*io same," she added, with a charm- j the cultivated districts for subsis- than whom no more degraded race bottom should be four feet from t;'.» ing smile, "we have always loved itence. In 1378 almost tiie entire exists anywhere on earth. Like bottom of the pole. The top of the each other very dearly, notwith- 1 (.popg <.,f corn, nee and manaiuca , the wild whites of the Never Never â-  pcle should be slanting sideways standing our early mistakes. But : ij, the State of Parana â- .vere de- ' Land, too, those unhappy people towards the centre of the stack, as I am not going to keep you here ! stroyed by rats, causing a serious ! descended from runaway convicts, it does not work as well as slant- chatting with me. I know what ! famine. I mostly French, your impatient heart is saying to j ^„ invasion cf »,la,.W rat^ in thJ Then, again, there are the small An invasion of bla<'k rats in the you, so you are privilegc>d to gojij^muda Islands occurred about your way at once. ]^^^ ^.^^^ jgj^ j,, ^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^,^ Five minutes later he was on his , ^,^.^^^ ^^^^^, ,,^^ iant^^ased .o alarm- way, with Lady Promley, to Mr. : j^ ,y ^.^^^ ^^^^ ^j ^i,^ -^^^^^^^ ^^^ Lyinan s residence. , f..^^ j^^^^ them. Tho rodents de- _ The old gentleman and his state- 1 ^.^^^.^j everything which cnme in .y wife received him with he.irty ^1,^;^ way-fruit, ^i^ints. and even cordiality, their beaming faces ; t^^p3_,„ ^^at for two vears the llainly indicating tnat they weroipg^pig were destitute of bread. A in no wise disappointed in the be- , j^^ „as passed requiring everv man .._, ..-.i^«}^«l <^^ the fair girl whom they j^. ^j,^ i^i^ndg t^ .pt twelve traps, gathered up Lady Bromley's letters M'^« learned to love most tond.y i j^ gpi^g „f ^11 efforts the animals and messages, aaH, looking for the' Leaving him with his lu-st and ^ ij,j,reased, until thev finally disap- earlier dates, read from the begin- ! 'wstess, Lady Bromley, armed with : peared with a suddenness which ning the wonderful story of AUi- tne floral offering, went up-stair5 to ; ^.q^i^ have resulted onlv from a pes isolated communities of white In- dians, so called, wiiich recent re- search has revelled living at vari- ous points near the headwaters of the Amazon. Ethnologists have been completely puzzled as to their origin. They possess the Caucas- ian features, and in the dialects ti'.ey speak can be traced many more or less archaic Spanish words and phrases. ing two ways. When unloading the load should be outside the rope. vShould the heavy forkfuls of hay dist^irb the side of the stack stand a few boards against the side of th» stack. Another plan that is used with success, especially when roucd stacks are made, is the following: Take three lo'ig telegraph poles and fasten them at the top in such 3 way that they will give a few in- ches. Ne.xt make a shoe eight feet son's presertation as she had given it to her brother. CHAPTER XV. By the time he concluded the pe- rusal of these missives he was a dif- t tilence. *. ST.n"E OWNED R.VILWAYS. Record of .Vmiual Defliits and Sur* plus Compiniuts. Government railways are having announce the lover's arrival Alli-son, arrayed in spotless white â€" a fine cashmere robe hand&oinely t) immed with soft^ fluffy swausdown and reclining upon an elegant couch of pale-blue satin, looked al- n.ost too lovely to be mortal as her ferent man. His dejected air had; fiiend opened the door and entertd all disappeared, his listless manner; her room. was replaced by the old-time vigor! But she gave vent to a ^e^v mor- ''J^ther a hard time of it m Europe, and energy, his eye had grown ;tal little crv of joy as hor eager '^'»® experiment of ownership and bright, and hope was written upon c>es fell upon the basket of forget- . '^P^f^^'-ion °y the State, as far as everv line of his beaming face, even me-nots, acd eagerly extended her' .»« ^'-^^ "een attempted, not only though it was still pale and thin j trembling hands for it. J" Europe but elscwnere, seems to from the wearing grief of the last "You perceive that 1 a.m the her- ! "^'^^ failed, and time and trial six months. I aid of glad tidings, dear," said her He refolded the letttrs and re- 1 ladyship, stored them to their proper enve-j "Gerald has come !" Allison mur- lopes, tied them together, and laid [ mured, with tremulous lips, a little them upon Mr. Lyttleton's desk. ; sob of gladness breaking from her; Then he arranged the papers on his! "and, oh ! this basket is almost the own desk, putting his work in an | exact counterpart of one thit he orderly manner, but laying one sent me on a certain eventful day ^'""' This has led to the theory being long of 4x6 scantling ; attach one broached that they are the descend- i t<5 the bottom of each pole. This ants of some of the followers of will admit of a horse being hitched Orellana, the discoverer of the ' t.) eacli when moving to a new lo- Amazon, some hundreds of whom ciility. When clear of the stack, are known to have deserved their | J would advise attaching to poles leader and wandered aside 'nto the ; ;i reasonable distance apart to keep pathless forests during the first ; them from falling. Two pulleys and stage of his arduous and evcr-me- j a single rope with horse fork at- raorable journey. PAYING PATTI. It Re- Wa.s No Joke When She ceivcd 50 Ceut3 a Note. Adelina Patti never suffered from n!ore and more demonstrate its in- 1 '-he hnancial timidity of a Jenny cvitabie and inherent inefficiency, i Lind. Not only was she a supreme Everywhere State operation is ^ vocalist, but, as Col. Maplcson re- criticized, and every year proves it increasingly unsatisfactory to everybody, except the politicians and tlie functionaries. Thus in Bli- the financial situation has tachc-d are all that are necessary for either stackers.- John Fixter, McDonald College. lovelv of S'^'^'^'n so bad that the railway ad CHANGE FEED GRADUALLY. It is fundamentally sound to con- sult the tastes of animals when en- deavoring to get them to eat and digest the greatest amount of feed, says the Breeder's Gazette. It is not exact to say that it is a u.istake to force an animal to ac- quire an appetite for certain foods. Most animals are notiouate in their rru â-  • â-  tastes, just as are people, and they ihe musical miracle was the spoil- ; ^re apt to sniff at new foods. Did e<i darling of her day, says the! y^u ever notice that farmer at a marked, "no one over ajjproached her in obtaining ironi a mana;;;er the greatest possible sum he could by any possibility contrive to pay. ' - j opened agai holding the change in his young inexpressible joy, Allison s clerk. i forth her hands to her lover, who "H'm I" with a glance at Gerald's foi the moment was scarcely lees trim-looking desk. "You do not; white than the fair girl herself, appear to feel yourself so pressed] "GL-rald!" for time as you were a couple of' ".\llison !" hours ago," he observed, with a| The next moment she was sobbing quiet chuckle. | in his arms, which encircled her in "No. Of course, I can find time an embrace which plainly indicat- . ?_''-j'.^''"' , to go to Boston under existing cir- Cd that from that moment he claim- "a^^ants ar.u cumstances. I would go to the ends; ed her as all his own. gradually. In preparing feeds for linials, however, it is certainly of the earth upon such a mission,' returned Gerald, with a luminous j smile, a ring of joy in his voice that had long been a stranger there. "But what a wonderful story it is!'' he went on. "It seems almost incredible!" "It does, indeed," replied hisj friend. "But I cannot understand- (To be continued.) MIGRATION OF RATS. " V;'. "J nual deficit. AVith less than 3,000 c^^r, for being hard pressed finau miles of lines the budget for 1908 cially she had borrowed £50 from showed a deficit of about §925,000, a rival manager and her receipt ! desirable t-o consult their appetites and in 1903, of about SI. 200,003, ; P'o^ed practically a contract. This â-  j^^ch difference of opinion has without taking account of the inter- â-  ^as the begmning of a career so | i,een expressed over the time to dazzling that its successive steps ' ^nt timothv for hay. Dean Waters, are simply a series of increasing : „{ the Missouri Agricultural Col- bank notes I ipgp_ submits the results of some In 1872 she obtained in London | ^ery clever work on that point and 200 guineas a night, since she in- ! clinches it with some convincing .â- iisted on having more than Chris- | evidence recorded unconsciously by â- ;ine Nilsson, who was receiving | ^he animals themselves. Cattle do £200. She sang twice a week. Ten : n^t care for wo(xiy. well-ripened years later she got $5,000 a night . j hay when thev cnn 'get that which Her famous contract to sing in ! i.. 'c„t at an "earlier stage, consti- Marehcs of Rodents Ob.scrvcd Various Countries. est on the bonded debt aniounting to $210,000,000, Government oper- ation in that compact little coun- , try, with only about 3,000,000 of in- ' s and an area only about; twice that of the State of Massa- : chusctts, has given such uufavor- â-  able results that the public are cry- , ing out against it, and it promises to be a lending issue in the coining : e.ectoral campaign. In Japan State ownership has n proved so disastrous to the finances ; ;of the country that the Government , ,, , ! IE now looking to a syndicate of' In nearly all countries a seasonal ; f^^^jg^, capitalists to help it out.! America provided that the money ; ^,,(^^5 a verv creditable bit of study should be paid her at 2 o'clock on the day she sang, also a drawing room and sleeping car was to be especially built for her with con- servatory, fernery, etc. Further, how her death could have been re- ^ movement of rats from houses and ' r^^^ statement is made that Gov- i tiiere was to be deposited to her ported in the Boston papers. lou. barns to the open fields occurs in'c.nment ow , . , ,, ^ M- - , ,- .^....x.^... v...ncrship there has ini-ic'edit $50,000 for payment of the know it was claimed that a Miss spring, and .the return movement; jj^ ^j^^ national finances pre- 'ast ten performancesâ€" Patti's fav- Brewster was identified and remoy- ; takes place as cold weather ap- ^g^^^j railway improvements and ; arite device. She thus received r.'f a disputed point. cd from the morgue by her friends." j preaches. The movement is notice- "Yes, that has always been a able even in large cities, mystery," said Gerald ; "but pos- 1 More general movements of rats checked eflicieucy of the service. [ about twenty times what Mario In Italy the results of the State : and Grisi got. . operation arc thus far notoriously i Her private car, incidentally, sibly it will all be expIaincU later. u,ftg„ occur. In 1903 a multitude , bad. The operation results, of C"st $00,000 and contained a silver It was a very close shave, though, ^ ^^j migrating rats spread over sev ' • â-  , , , , , , course, in an annual deficit, and for the poor girl, and I shall De; p^al counties of western Illinois, although the traffic con.stantlv in grateful to this Mr, Lyman as longij^o,. several years prior to this in- as I live. "He has certainly proved him- self to be a Christian gentleman, " Mr. Lyttleton admitted ; then ad- ded, as he looked at his watch ; "Now, what are your plans! Will you take the five o'clock boat, or "the evening express! I think you might as well make tracks for home, pack your grip- and be off." "I think 1 will take the boat. I \ hall have a better night's rest than on a sleeper, and will reach Boston in good season, and bo able to get out of Brookline some time during the forenoon," Gerald re- sponded reflectively. . 'â- 'All right. Go ahead, and joy go with vou, my boy. You can have a couple" of days as well as not, and 1 am glad for you from the bottom c£ my heart," said Mr. Lyttleton, as he heartily shook hands with him. , Accordingly, Gerald started forth to prepare for his <^rip, the world wearing a very different aspect to him from what it had woru three hours previously. Leaping upon a cir. ho went di- rectly houie, where he was soon packing hi.s portmanteau, and speuding far mow time upon his vasion no abnormal numbers were seen, and their coming was remark- ably sudden. An eyewitness to the phenomenon informed the writer that as he was returning to his home by moonlight he heard a gen- eral rustling in the field near by, and soon a vast army of rats crossed the road in front of him, all going jn one direction. The mass stretch- ed away as far as could be seen ir the dim light. These animals remained on the farm<! and in the villages of the surrounding country, and during the winter and summer of 190-1 were a veritable plague. A Iccal newspaper stated that be- tween March 20 and April 20. 1904, F. U. Montgomery of Preemption, Mercer county, killed 3,435 rats on his farm. He caught most of them in traps. In 1877 a similar migration oc- curred into parts of Saline and Lafayette counties. Mo., and in 1904 another came under the writ- er's observation in Kansas River Valley. This valley for the most part was flooded by the great fresh- et of June, 1903, and for about ten days was covered with >(-ver;il feet < t wa',.er. it is cert»in tlvat inost cf the rats in the valley perished creases, the receipts constantly di minish. During a recent month's operation, out of 1,000 passenger trains 48<5 were an hour or more late, and there is constant and bit bath, and gold keys to the doors U. say nothing of a $2,000 piano. Patti only gave to the manager her voice and her c«stun!es. Her draw- ing capacity justified this. "Lucia," as an example, was sung to an av- erage of $14,000. 'Traviata" drew ter complaint both from shippers ' more, since she sang more notes; and passengers as to the unsatis- fact-ory character of the service. In France the least satisfactory operation is that of the State, and in Germany things go from bad to worse, in spite or the strenuous ef- forts of the Imperial Government, with an exceptionally competent and accomplished general staff of superior railway officials to get around the increasing difficulties and to make a good appearance. 4. WHAT DID HE MEAN ? Mr. Brown and his family were .standing in front of the lion cage. "John," said Mrs Brown, "if those animals were to escape, whom would you save first, me or the chaldren?" "Me," answered John without hesitation. it was a frequent occurrence among the poorer music lovers to buy a club ticket and each take turns at hearing her for twenty minutes ; if one of them overstayed his time he paid for the entire ticket. Some mathematicians computed, by dividing uuniber of notes sung by sum paid, that in "'Semira- niide" Patti received 42"'.i cents for each note ; this was found to be just 7 1-10 cents a note more than Ros- sini got for writing the whole opera. "Oh, ye-es," remarked Ketchley, in a self-satisfied way. "Lulu an<I I will .start out in married life under very favorable circumstances. Her mother gives us a neat little home, her father furnishes it. and her Uncle de Long has given a carriage and pail-. Resides. Lulu has a snug .income in her own name." "Wliat .V graft by any other name is just j part do you furnish?" "Well, OS apt to land some men behind the j principally the nameâ€" princip»Jly !>•»•• the name." POULTRY HINTS. Clean the house daily. Remove the males from breeding pens. Separate the growing cockerels from the pullets. FetKl the cockerels a little heav- ier than the pullets. Now is a good time to get rid of the surplus old stock. Better cull out all undesirable old stock so as to give more room to those to be held over during the â- winter. Keep the drinking water in the coolest place possible. Sun will quickly affect the water. See that the houses are properly \<^ntilatcd at night. To compel fuwls to r<iost in a close, filthy place is a good way to have unhealthy stock. Cooling. non-fattening foods, plenty of shelter, well-ventilated houses, and cleanly within, should he the order of poultry keeping for the next ninety days. It is best not to use tr.ip nests during the summer unless they can be looked after every half hour, -<v the hens may suffer from the con- finement. â€" • â€" .> SOME CONSOLATION. "Madam, " shrieked the e.witetl individual, "your husbaiid has been hurt and tliey are bringing him iionic in an ambul.uicp now.'' '.\ro his iujvnies fatal f asked his wife. "No. Bill hi.s leg i.s broken." "Wrll. ' rf>plip(l the woman, "that i^ .i!'.f ijight, I Rupp.-K'. that he will be home to supper o^ tiiu«.'' mmhmLi ,mL