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ii^fi ^r-"i"^ " * mja! m: - OR, THE HERITAGE OF MADAME YALTA. EXPLANATORY PREFACE. M. C'lautlo Justus DorgcTPs was a rich banker, li\-inK iu the Rue dp BureBnes, Paris. He was a widower, uod had a charming daughter, Alicp, his only child. Iu his oinploy were two young men, Jul*« Vifnory, the cashier, and Kobert d* Carueel, his secretary. Maxime Dorgcreu, the banker's nephew, waH an intimate friend of both, anc^ spent niovit of hin time .it bis uncle's house. The banker held a soirve on every 'Wednesday, which his most intimate friends wore in- vited to attend. One evening Max- im* and Jules Vignory, when enter- ing the gate about 10 o'cloak, ruw two men waiting within, who rush- ed past them into the street, as Kcon as the gate was tliruwn open. Ttiey descried, as ehcy ascendt J the steps, a light in the Bafo-rooni, and on entering, fovind th.at the safe had been tampered with. A small la:up had been left lighted in the room, and a pool of blood was nn tho floor. The safe was furnished with an ingenious piece of meelian- i.sm, which would seiie by the wrist any one who tampered with tho lock without knowing the combina- tion. In this vise was a woman's hand, and it had been cut off by the thief herself or her accomplice, rather than be held and caught. On the floor was a turquoise brace- let that bad fallen from the severed hand, and was forgotten in the ex- citement. The cashier's intention was to call the banker at oace, but Maxime objected, saying that with the bracelet a's a clue he would dis- cover the thief. He threw the hand into tlie Seine, and it was found a few days after in a fisherman's net, and sent to the morgue. The next morning it was atolen, and the mys- tery became more involved than ever. M. Dorgcres wished liis daughter to marry Jules Vignory, his cashier, whom he intended mak- ing his partner. The girl loved Ro- bert de Carnoel, tho secretary, and told her father so. The young man was a marquis, of a family that had Icfit tlieir fortune, and M. Dorgcres did not think he possessed the com- mercial instinct. Hence hisi objec- tion. One morning Col. Borisoff, a Russian, entered and t^ld M. Dor- gnres that he wished to withdraw 1,400,000 francs and a casket that he had deposited in his safe the next morolng. The banker replied that there would he no delay, as there were three millions j)laced in the safe that morning. Tliis was â- aid in the presence of Carnoel. On tlie departure of Oil. Borisoil M. Dorgercs offered a commission in Egypt to M. de Carnoel, in order t-> separate him from his daughter, but the young man promptly refus- ed, and resigned his position. That night a second utfemi)t was made on the ^;afe, and when Col. Horisoff rctiirncd next morning his casket was gone. Fifty thousand francs were also abstracted, but as the rest of the millions were untouch- fd, it was plain that the thief only wanted the casket and a sufficient sum of money to take him across the P'rcnch frontier. Robert de Carnoel was seen to leave the house on the night of the robbery at 11.30 p.m., half an hour before the watchman came to the safe- room. He and the cashier, Vig- nory, and M. Dorgercs wijrc the only persons who knew the combin- ation. Tho conclusion was that lie was the thief or was in collusion with the thieves. He had declared that he was going to America or the .antipodes, never to return. ('ol. Horisoff inserted an advertisement in a Paris journal, under an assum- rV'l name, offering great induee- n'.ents to investors in some mines in Colorado. He was visited by Ro- bert de Carnoel, who ttild him he hiid fifty thousand francs to invest, which he received a few days before fmni an anonymoui debtor of his f«tli(,'r. Col. Boritiuff charged him »ith tho thieft, and hclil him im- prisoned in his house, under a strong guard. He threatened to deport him to Siberia, which he eonld do, as he held a commission from hiS government which enabled him to scud by enclosed van mes- sages to Russia under guard. This van would not be opened at the frontier, and nobody would ever know what became of Carnoel. Rut the young man stoutly prote.'it- ed his innocence. In the employ of M. Dorgcres was a boy of thirteen named Georget, the protege of the Countess Yalta, a wealthy and eccentric Riissian princess. (jcorget's father was taken a prisoner by the RnsKians fii the Crimean war; and had saverl the life of the countess' father in a liear luint while, in the intrrior nf Russia. Hence her interest in the lad, whom dhe placed in M. Dor- ccrca' establishment. He lived with his grandmother, Madame Piriac. One evening at the Rink, Maxinie Dorgercs, who was still in quest of the bracelet, met a club friend, M. Villages, a Hungarian doctor, who did not practice his profession, aid t ho w,is a particu- lar friend of tho C-, uness Yilta. M. Villagos directed his friend's at- tention to a beautif ::1 lady, evident- ly a foreigner, who was skating with extjuisitc grace around the areua. Maxime v.atched his op- portunity, and escxirted her home, a long distance through Kiiicsome streets. She gave her name as Madame Fcrpcnt, and invittd her e'port to call nii bor at the exnira- tion of a fortnight. On taking leave of her, imxinie was surpris- ed to find little Gcorgct at his heels to inform him that ho was pursued by three men with the evident in- tention of robbing him. He called a call and escaped. On the way home Madame Sergent felt the bracelet on Maxirnc's wrist, which he always carried, lest it should pass out of his possession before he had found the owner. She inquir- ed minutely concerning it, but re- ceived no satisfactory information. The next morning Maxiiae called at the house of M.ids'me Serpent, '''^c door was opened by a hugw-whisk- ercd man with the manners of a boor and temper of a bear. He said no such person lived there, and slammed the dojr in Maxime's face. Meantime Mile. Dorperes received surreptitiously a letter from her lover, Robert de Carnoel, appointing a meeting with her in the Bois do Boulogne previous to his leaving France. But as he was now imprisoned, it was impossible for him to keep his promise, and Alice could not divine the cause of his absence. While endeavouring to find some means of escape the first night of his imprisonment, Robert de Carnoel discerned, through a window, a figure making signs to attract his attention. Hav- ing replied by wavnng a small lamp, the figure disappeared. It wa< the boy Georget. One evening Max iine went to the variety theatre, where he saw the beautiful Ma- dame Sergent in a bo.v. She was accompanied hy the burly hoor who had treated Maxime so uncere- moniously when he called at her residence. After a while the man left the box and started for home. Maxime improved this opportunity to proceed to the box, where the lady remained. He was specially anxious to renew her acquaintance, as he had just been told by a friend that she saw the mysterious brace- let worn by this lady ut a supper some time before. Madame Ser- gent told him the niim whom ho had seen was not her husband, and that she detested him. He had a pas- sion for gambling, and he had gone to join a party. Maximo invited the lady to supper. He soon no- ticed that it was not her hand that had been left iu M. Dorgercs' safe. The question of the bracelet was again disQUsscd in much detail, hiith parties seeking to extract all the information possible from one another. The lady asked to e.\ amino it, and admitted that it oiico was hers. While thus ongageij, the ferocious boor who hud accom- panied her to tho theatre burst in- to tho room where the pair were dining, and in the exciteniont that ensued, the lovely Madame Hcrgeiit disappeared thri)Ugh tho door, carrying tho bracelet with Ir. r. And Maxime went homo to reflect at his leisure upon the new situa- tion. I CHAPTER I. A month has paused. Tho thaw has come and ll>e New Year ton ; hilt Maxime has nut seen again the Countess Yalta. Neither has he seen again tho inexplicable erea- lure who carried uff the accusinp; bracelet. The day after the ah ruptly-ended supper, he waited all the morning for IJlue Heard's sec- onds, but none appeared. In the afternoon, forgetting the tloetor's wise eimusclfl, ho recruited two brav*! youths and desiiatched them to Hue Jouffroy. They found the doors closed against them; reiter- ated appeals to the bell having provi d unavailing, they wore eoni- pelleil to return without fulfilling their mission. The day following, Maximo went in person to the Iioubu of the tigre, but his Huccoss was no greater. Tho obliging porter opposite re- cognised him, and came out for the express purpose of informing him that the bear had decampeel ; that he had not been seen for thirt.>-six hours; that, the nt^ighbors, who de- tested him had signified to the com- niii'.sary of police that some crime must have bcnn committed in that house ; and that the commissary had searched it froia garret t» eel: lar. They had not discovered tb* least skeleton nvr anything which indicated that it had been a scene of violence. It did not appear that ic had been used even, or that any one had slept in its sumptiujus beds. The cunclusion of the in- quest was that the unknown had i pone as he came, no one knew why ; but as the furniture he had left suf- ficed to pay the rent, there was no cause for his occupying any further attention. M.xxime not acknowlsdging him- self beaten went to see the owner, who told him that havi-'g s'"ned a lease of nino years and paid three in advance, he uad no re^ison to concerned at the departure of his tenant. The name of this tenant was composed of so manv con.son- ants and so few vowels, it was im- possible for a French tongue to pronounce it, and M. Maxime Dor- gcres now found himself .at his wits' end. The best informed viveurs, those who had all Paris on their fingers' end, had been unable to give him any information concern- ing this shooting star, who had blazed one or two evenings and disappeared without leaving a track. ' . So Maxime, discouir.gcd, ended by believing that Madame Sergent had never made part of the demi- monde ; that in conjunction w-ith the Carpathian bear she had played a ce)medy of which he had been the victim, and that she had supjied with her too confident admirer for the sole purpose of getting posses- si'in of th" h>-n"»'«it 'â- '^•â- ' ' "â- ' â- â€¢â- â- 'â- - ceeded and ho should never hear oi her more. The trail wa« lost â€" the birds were flown. They had gone t,i rejoin the thief who could now sleep tranquilly. She had regain- ed posBession of her hand stoleti from the murgue, and of the jewel which had adorned that guilty hand. Though not indifferent to his de- feat, Ma:;;ine consoled himself with no great difficulty. His business of police agent whs brought to an end, but he had not had time to ac- quire a taste for this pursuit of criminals, upon which he had enter- ed so passionately. And then his mind was elsewhere. Since he had known this strange countess he had thought only of her, had thought of her all the more because he had not 8e?n her again. He had gone every day to the Avenue de Fried- lauel mansion to receive a bulletin of the health of the countess. The Hungarian seemed n.nv to be encouraged. Madame Valta bad entered upon convalescence, and it was no insignificant flattery to the young man's vanity to learn that she .•'poke of him and expressed a desire to see him. Changes have taken "placeâ€" m.^ny changes in the household of M. Dorgcres. Vignory has been ele- \ated to the dignity <>f p.irtner, and better still, his patron has given him official authority to pay his addresses to Mile. Alice, who does not repel his advances. She also is much changed. After a few days uf seclusion following her drive to the Bois, she told all to her father. Joseph, the too eoni|>laisant valet de chainbrc had nearly been turned away, but she succeeded in winning his pard<m. Cousin Maxime, on tlu! contrary, has risen considerably in his uncle's esteem, who is under infinite obli- gations for his well-advised inter- vention. To her confession .-Mice addcil a declaration which delighted M. Dorgeres. iShe ssid, hen/eforth Bobert de Carnoel did not exist f(ir lior, and that she was ready to follow in all respects the paternal counsels. The banker profited by the occasion to urge the claims of the cashier, and sh(? offered no ob- jection to this pretender. She asked only for time to know him, but exacted also of her father that no steps should be taken against M de Carnoel, and that his name should not be mentioned in her pre- sence. These conditions were readily accepted. Vignory now dinca every evening with M. Dor- gercs. Mile. Alice has even begun to appreciate his good qualities and to accord him a welcome. No one can doubt that this state of affairs will speedily end in a mar- riage ; and this denouement is the more probable, as a iiiunth has [lassed and llobort do (.'arnoel has given no sign of life. Col. Boris- off had had several conversations with the banker, and it was agreed between them that the affair of the theft shniild be abaniloned. Tho colonel ha<l accepted the loss of his e.isket, and is interested in the f.i- ture happiness of Mile. Dorgeres. The father is grateful for his good conduct and his friendly senti- ments. Ho would even have invit- ed him to hi.s Wednesday soirees but for .Vlico's opposition. The colonel recalls sad memories, and she positively refused to see him. There is yet another change ia the household of tho banker. (leorgct's place has been filled by a little peasant boy whom M. Dor- geres brought from his native town to rtin errands in his offices. One Decoiiibcr day, Georget diti not ap- pear, nor the da^' following. On the third day the banker re- ceived a letter from ths Widow Wirfrid Laurier Kevtu 8orla. Loen«<-nent!) wllb a la.vieali TAXICABS AS AN INVESTMENT A system, wkich can hcait of beiag the «only means of rapid transit :ii a qaick f rew.D3 coiBoiaaity, is an ideal investment, bscanse it is a big money earner. Toronto's Taxicabs kave denei»iraiei titeir vaUe as the rapid (ratuit service of th s citj. Toronto's Taxicabs kave p-.oven tbe r big earning p«wer», aodi can, nade- pr»scnl coDbitoas, pay a «iYk.eiid of 10'/. per acDm, or 2>2*/. qaa/ierty, iKgnaieg Juanary, 191 j^. We advise the purchase <35 ^ ^^^^ P^"^ share, par vaJas $5.00, asd •f Taxicab Stock at S' ^ o\J\J the ti«e to buy is now. ?o!Kcripti»ns v'lA be accep'cd a? t* liM) skar.'s a the order received at this office. E. A. ENGLISH 0^?l*^l"st?i5 7 ORONTO Strnd fur our tHuMtriitcil buoklcC Piriac saying that her grandson was dying. M. Dorgeres, who had a kind heart, repaired immediately to Rue Cardinct, where he learned that the child had been picked up ttie uight before on the Boulevard Courcelles, his arm broken and skull mashed ; that ho was delirious and his life in danger. The shrtck ho. had received had been so great that ho had lost his memory, and was not in a condition to recount what had happened to him. Kuch was the condition of affairs when Maxime Dorgcres went out one morning, according to his daily habit, to inquire for Madame Yolta. (To be continued.) i ♦ iThe Farm ♦♦-♦-f4444-f-M'-f -*♦♦>â- â™¦"♦•> -f â- â™¦â- â™¦ BLOODY MILK. Blood may escape with the milk when the utlder has been injured by blows, also when it is congested or iiillamed, when the circulation through it has been suddenly in- creased by richer and more abund- ant food, or when the cow is under the excitement of heat. Tho froth- ing up and assuming a pink tinge is often the first sign of red-water, and it may result from the eating of acid or irritating plants. Deposits of tubercle or tumois in the udder or induration (hardness) of the gland, may be efficient cau.ses, the irritation caused hy milking e*>n- tributing to draw the blood, l-'inal- ly there may bo a reddish tinge or sediment when madder or dogwood has been eaten. In milk which becomes red aftor it is drawn it may be due to tho presence in it of the micrococus prodigiouaus. This also grows on bread, and is the explanation of the supposed miracle of the 'bleeding host'. The treatment will vary with the cause. In congested glands give one pound of Ensoni salts, and daily thereafter oiff-half ounce salt- petre ; with a dram of chlorate of potash ; batho the bag with hot or cold water, and rub with camphor- ated lard. It tho food is too rich or abundant it must bo reduced. If from acid plants, these must bo re- moved from pasture or fodder. In-, duration ol the udder may be mot by rubbing with a combination of iodine ointment one part, soft 8t)ap two parts, or mercurial ointment and soap mjiy be used. Careful milking is imperative.' It is sometimes recommended to milk the cow before the udder be- comes much distended. Milk sever- a' times a day if necessary. . H is also recommended to give internal- ly a tablespoonful of a mixture of powdered sulphate of iron, four ounces ; of granulated sugar, one pound ; mix these well together and give one tablespoon of the mixture once a day. If the udder Beenis to be much inflamed bathe it with warm water for a few minutes at a time every time you milk. CHARCOAL FOR POULTRY. Pure charcoal, or the charred wood from the storei, when fresh is an excellent aid in arresting bowel complaint and is both simple and harmless. Where the hens have not had a variety, parched grain partly burnt affords an agree- able change and serves nearly the same purpose as charcoal. Oats, corn, wheat or even bran, will bo readily eaten by bens when they have been regularly fed on a same- ness of diet and such food will greatly aid in arresting diarrhoea Oi- other bowel disorders. In ex- periments made to determine the benefits of charcoal feeding, if any, four turkeys were confined in a pen and fed on meul, boiled potatoes Qjid oats, and four others of the same brood, were at the same time confined in another pen and fed daily on the same articles, but with one pint of finely pulveriEcd char- coal mixed with their food. These had also a plentiful su[)j)ly of bro- ken charcoal iu their pen. Tho eight were killed, and there was a difference of one and one-half pounds each in favor of those sup- plied with charcoal. They were the fattest, and the meat was superior ill point of tenderness aud flavor. SOIL FOR POULTRY YARD. Many attempts to raise poultry fail because the poultry-houses and yards arc located in situations that are unsanitary from every point of view, ft, is impossible to raise chickens on a site that is wet. In towns and cities it is n(>t always piissiblo for the poltry raiser to get the kind of a site he wants, but this is not usually the ease on farms, except very small farms that are so located that they have the drainage fmrn higher areas. One small poultry farm was suc- cessively used by not less than three ptmltiy raisers, who made a failure of it because there was too much water on and in the soil. It was finally abandoned as a poultry farm meri-ly because its drainage was not right. CLOVER AS A FKRTILIZKH. The Wisc'insin ExjIRriment Sta- tion found that by plowing under a green crop of clover on sandy soil a yield of 241 Imshels of pota- t'H>s was obtivined,- 197 bushels when 10 tons of manure was ap- plied ; 192 bushels when 7(X> pounds of commercial fertilizer was used, and 174 bushels when nothing was f-^d to the land. In the case of sandy soil it shows that clover is a very valuable crop. It net only furnishes pitrogen to the soil, but its roots and stems are the means of supplying much humus. AN EXCITING RIDE. Experience of a Traveller on th» Andes. In going over one of the mouti tain roads, on the way to the crest of the Andes, the traveller has need of steadv nerves. .\ passage in "The Andaan Land," by Mr. C. S. Osborn. describes the journey. The road is narrow and rocky and rutty and steep, with no walls to speak of except tumble-dowu one* that increase tho danger by their false suggestion of safety, and in tine place the wagon would fall two thousand feet if it should roll off the edge of the mountain. The road has no graceful sweeps or round, easy curves as it takes its way up the Titanic heights, but rather it zigzags like the teeth of a^ saw, ascending m short stretches^ and doubling back at sharply acute angles, leaving very little room for a team and wagon to turn in when driven slowly and carefully and^ two abreast. . Now imagine, if you can, the; horses driven madly in a gallop, i n') trot ; that would bo slow ; but: in quick, short, jerky jumps, such, a-, the mustang-like animals wouldj make under the saddle when' pressed. , The short, high coach follows the cavorting horses, jerking, careen- ing aud springing like a small boa* sailing into a wildly chopped sea. You perceive that tho wheels are strong, and tho springs, too, and the whole rig evidently intended for chariot racing. The driver groans, yells, whistle* shrilly, cracks his thick rawhide whip, lashes his horsVs, and does everything he knows that will in- spire fear and induce speed. The Law Union a Crown Insuranoa Company liaving acquired the Rock tile Oftice, the iianio of ttie Companv has been Hltcred to THE LAWUNION & RCGK INSURANCE COMPANYLIMITED ox* z.o»rx>ox>a- ASSirrS KXCKKD . . $45,(KM>,(MW.OO OVER $5,000.01)0 INVESTED IN C.\NAI>A (•1,\IM.S PAID - OVER ."iil'rsOOO.OOfl.OO FIRE AND ACCIDENT RISKS ACCEPTED. ranailiiin Ilo,i,t ORlta : 112 St. James Street, corner Place d'Armcs. Montreal. AK«nts waiitml In uurortresenUd Towni til CaiiatW Alsx. S. Matth»w. Mtna|!«-. W. O. if. K. K. DICKSOM, Canadian Maaajsr Allitn, Su>i Mviagsr, .\ciiil«nt I>8paitni«»t. THE RIGHT WAY I.n all cases toi DISTeMKR.:PINKEYE4INrLUeNZA. COLDS, ETC ll all horses, broodmares, colts, atalliona. la'Ito ««SPOHN THEM'» »n thf Ir tonirips or In t^n Ufd put 8pohn"» T.iqoM Compound. GIvo tho rtmrdy to all of thrn'. It acta on tho blood aud artandH. It routs t ho divcaso br expelling tho diMaMEcrma. It n-ards off the trouble no matter how they aro *Vxpe«ed.*' Ab> â- olutelr free from anything Injurious. A child can lately take It. 9(IC«b4 il.OO; t5.naad$n.O0 ttotoiMi. 8oM ky Araul^ta Md haincM dealtrt. OUtrtbutorai All Wholeaal* DrnsKlat* SPOHN MEDICAL CO., ChoMlats md Bactorloleslsts OOSHEN, INDm II. S. a.