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 ';s^T-:?sgrr â-  i HiJ ft!i i p r;|i|f ST. MARY OF THE ANGELS f OB, HIS FJB8T AND LAST LOTE. BY 'THOMAS A. JANTIER. ' CHAPTER V. Banrood seated himaelf on the fltone ^m m-hieh Mm; had just risen, and as he begui •to f^peak, he slowly rofled a-cij^rito in his broirn fingers. Hardy leaned against the bluff, and, half taming away as he listened, lookhig out over the fringe of mesqnite I let you into a first-rate thing, vheretiiere's money t' bemade qnick, an' lots of it." It's a rattlin' good chance for you. What do you say Will you ante " "Ill see you and the business hanged first," Hardy answered promptly. "Don't be so sure about that. I haven't There are ^b^a^";hr^r;«.t^^v;;eS^is^y-- y°^±±fz%.^*b^r «!*« t« *h« f«r Sinnnteins. }»«"»« " wiMDn* why yotf* better come 'in, an' th' biggest one is, iftw that Fve ued in this free and friendly way with you, I can't a£Ford t' hare you stay out. I didn't intend t' talk this way unless I really had to but I guess you're sharp enough t' see that after what I've told you, either you've got t' come in, or I've got t' use you as a sort of starter for that American graveyard we was talkin' about awhile ago. You know a little too much about our game for 't to be quiet healthy for you unless you take- a hand your- self. Do you ketch on " "I guess I'd about as lief be shot now as have it done later by a file of Mexican soldiers, to say nothing of its being a good deal better than being hung by a sherrift if I happened to get caught on the other side of the line. " "There's somethiu' in that," Barwood answered, in a tone of serious thoughtful- nesa. "Them little chances sometimes come in our business, an' we've got to take em. But what you ought t' look at is that they're nothin' but chances â€" an' this other shootin' that I'm talkin' about is th' deadest sort of a dead sure thing. " "Well, then, bring it along â€" you've got my answer. " Hardy spoke with entire unconcern, and with obvious smcerity. "I knowed you had sand " Barwood said, ill a tone of admiring approval, ' ' You're the man I want, It'll go agin my grain power- fur t' put you in that graveyard â€" an' that's til' everlastin" truth. If it's got t' be done, I'll do it, of course; but I truly don't want' to. Now, look here. Hardy, there's money for you in this deal, if you'll come â-  in an' you know what'U happen t' you if you stay out â€" now what do j'ou say if I'll chuck in Mary to boot?" Hardy faced around on Barwood sharply. "What do you mean " he asked. "Just plump an' clear what I say. If you"d had as much of her as I've had, or if you'd th' sense t' reason out from what I've told you about th' way she's used me, how- more 'n wuthless she is, you wouldn't want her. But when it was a matter of wo- men I never knowed a man yet as wasn't a fool, ail' I s'pose j-ou're like all th' rest. It's plain j'ou "U w.iut her powerful. Well, if you'll make this ileal with nie you can have her. Tell me, is it a go now?" Hardy turned very pale, and leaned against the rock lieavily. He was genuinely liorritied. He put his hand to his throat. Once or twice he made an effort to speak, but the words would not come. Although supported by the rock, his body swayed a little. At last, in a voice pitched very low, as though to give him more conti-ol oveiv it, lie said, slowly "You mean that you will get divorced, and that I â€" that I may marry hei-"" "Well, I can't say that I'd thought of quite sucli fancy fixin's as all that," Bar- wood answered. ' ' But it's a matter of no partic'lar diff'rence t' me liow you go about it. I guegs Mary "d like it that way she always did go in for style." And then he added sharply, and with a tone of suspicion in his voice "But we can't have no fOolin' 'round after such Fifth Avenue tiimniin's as divorces now. To get a divorce you'd have t' go t' th' States for 't, an' just at present that ain't by a great sight what we're goin' t' do. Oh, come,- Hardy, what's th' good of makin' an infernal fussy fool of yourself this way 'i Just telljme, will, or will not, my throwin' Mary in for boot make you trade " Hardy's loathing for Barwoml was intense, but he could not afford to show it. If he re- fused this offer squarely he knew that he would not live the day out, and with his death Mary's chance of escape would die, too. What little will power she ever had possessed her husband long ago had crushed out of her. Unless deliverance came to her from outside herself â€" and he alone could bring it to her â€" she surely was lost. By a great effort he steadied himself so tliat his voice should not betray his anger and dis- gust. "(iiyemea little time to think," he said. "Now that • begins " t' sound as if you meant t' talk sense," Barwood answered. "Yes, you can think things. over a bit; that's only fair, ^t yow mustn't fool away much time on it. I'll give you till ten o'clock t"-hight t' make up your mind in. Howll tliat do If yon settle t' come in, youll understand then why I couldn't give you longer. An' if you don't come in â€" well, if you don't come in, I don't think that understnndin' or not undei-standin' '11 make any pai-tic'lar diff'i'ence to you. " As Barwood gave this answer, in a tone that emphasized the sinister significance of his words, the sound of a locomotive whistle was heard faintly, "I may as well mention," Barwood added, "that I've got some of my Greasers in that busted old arlobe house clost by tli' station. I'm goin' up with you now t' meet th' train, an' if you try t' come 't over us by givin' us away t! th' fi-eight^ outfit, it'll le my onplea- sant duty t' start th' shootiu' right off, aii'" scoop in th' train hands along with it â€" which wouldn't be exiac'ly a sqnaoe deal for them, for it's none of their fuueiul, any way. ' â-  We'd tetter l»e movin" now. I don't think you're likely t' try any monkey tricks with me but I guess 111 let you walk ahead, come inJto Ih' concern an' be a pard- all th' same. " Hardy pulled lumself together and walk- ed in fi-ont of Barwood through the bushes, and thence along the narro«- path to the break in the bluff; up which the path ascend- ed to the village. Haviae reached the level land abeve they walked together side by side, to the stAtion. Hie freight train was in sij^, half a mile down theline "Just t' riiow yon that I'm not blnffin'ui' that I reaUy haveth* dro{»m yoa." Barwood f rustle things, nji^. plrWHt"" ' rained hooae, »t my ficieiKls here. an^«e«iii'?«i71g^ki I^am to the far moontains, "I s'spose yonTl allow," Barwood began, "that when I canght you huggin' my wife that, way, I'd a perfec' right t' shoot yon without any talk about it " Hardy half tamed and nodded. It was lietter, he decided^ to let Barwood think what he pleased than to complicate matters by an explaiSition that he neither would understand nor believe. "Very good, that's somethin' we can be- gin with agreein' to. Well, it's just th' truth that I would 'a' shot you if I'd thought Mary was worth it. But 1 don't. You've just heard me say what I think about her an' I needn't say 't all over again. Th' short of it is that she's done me nothin' but .bad turns .ever sence I married her^ an' I'm sick of havin' her a- round. .She's not worth shootin' anybody for, an' that's just th' everlastin' truth. Now you strike me as bein' a pretty stiff sort of a man, th' kind that's got sand an' is good t' tie to. I reckon me an' you could make a team, if only onct we could fix things so's we'd pull together. That' wliat I'm aft«r now. You've got eyes in your head an' I guess â€" t' say nothin' of what I s'pose Maiy's told you â€" you've sized things up here at Santa Maria pretty true. You got dowii pretty quick, I noticed, t' my little game alxiut th' pump-"' Haidy started. "Yes, I seed you this moriiin' You was sharp, bi;fyou had a. close call, all the same. Iwas watchin'you, aii'Ihadiny gun all ready an' I 'd more 'n half a mind t' let it. gooff, too â€" but I didn't. Well, you struck on th at little matter 'n .short order, an' th' way you tumbled to "t showed you t" be one of th' wideawke kind. That's th' kind I likeâ€" an' it's th' kind that has a chance t make somethin' put of liviii' here. I guess you credit me with too much hard sense t' think I'd stay in Santa Maria long just for th' fun of running that infernal pump ' Not much An' I'm not iiere for my health, neither. Now, I'm goin' t" talk right out t' yon, man l' man â€" for th way things stand betM'een.me an' you we've. got t' have a light or a settlement. An' I just tell Vtui now that if 't comes to a fight, an" you laj' me out, you M-on't make notliin' by it. My (! teaser friends know what I'm doin' an' arc lookiu' out after me. If I'm iiiirt you'll never get out of here alive. There's iiot so much sleepiness aliout this town as ' there seems t' he. We gave you this chance ' t' talk t' Mary â€" I knowed you lx)th wanted it' an' u'd talie it fast enough â€" cause I allow- ed it 'u'd sort of bring things right down t' th" bard pan, quick an' comfortable. An' so •t lias, you see. But the.re ain't a man in "Santa. Maria who ain't been listeniii' all day. an* who ain't listeniii' right now, fur tli' aound of a gun goin' off. They'll know (juick enought whiit it means if they hear it an" I tell you again, that if you should happen t' hurt nie you'd Ije as dead inside of ten min- utes as George Washington." Hiirdy was not a nervous man. but a shudder went over him as he thought of the eyes that â-  had watched him all that day from the dosed, silenced houses o'f the itleit peril that had beset him in the .nidst of what had seemed to him sudi slum- bvows seintrity. And this shudder went •ilown into the innei- til)er of his heart as he reniemltercd the curious creeping thi'ill â-  that hal gone through him as he stood â€" ' v'ovei'ed, as he now knew, ))y Barwood's ftfe^'olver-Vieside the broken pipe. By the open danger that now menaced him he was not seriously disturbed. He knew about it, and ti a certain extent could guai-d against it. But there was some- thing eerie, devilish, in the thought of this deailly malevolence whi^-h had lurked lieside him undiscovered in the very fullness and brilliance of day. Barwool chuckled. "I reckon you al- lowed you had a full hand, an' didn't happen t' think we might have some ex- iiy aces under th' table.' he said. "Well, we had. An' we've got 'em there yet. " "An" now you've truly sizetl up the game, I can tjvlk business. It's genuine business, too. You see, I'm at th' head of what I call an importin' outfit. It's not exac'ly reg'lar â- in th^ waj' it works; but.it's'"gfKHl'for th' :ouiiiry. an' it'sprettymiddliu' good for our. selves. An' it's a sort of a moral institootion, too, 'cause it takes away th' temptation of stealin" from th' Greaser custom-house offi- cers. Savez?" "Yo4i mean you're »muggliDg f "Why, yes," Barwood ausweretl, with » fine frankness, "it /* called smugglui' some- timesâ€" -but I think callin" it importin' sounds lietter. We're in th' cattle business, too an' that's a very payin' branch of ,th' con- cern. An' ill a gcii'i-al sort of way we're on th' make all round. I don't want to brag jibovit myself, bur it's only fair t' stiy that for a busiuess that hasn't been ruuiiin' long we're doin' mos' uncommon well. I can't j prove "t t' you from th' Ijooks, 'cause we • don't keep none but I can pi-ove 't t' you from th' dollars â€" tkifni we've got stacked up in th' old church. I guess holdin' all them dollars is about th' Ijcst use that church ever was put to. It's th' first time I've ever knoweil a chuix'h t' \te of real practical ac- count t' anylKKly. Would you like t' take a look at 'em*" Hardy turned around anil looketl at Barwood sauarely. "What ai-e you driv- j ing at, any way " he asked. "Drivin' at Can't you see I want -you t' 'Mer." "Be a roliber :^" Hardy burst out. '"'•Drive slew. Don't get mad about it," Bxrwood went on cooUy. "Gettin' mad's B» way t' manage a busMieas transaction. N«w, Fm talkiag horse-sense. Tou'ie th' sent «f man I've been lookin' fw, an' if yon'n chip im yo« won't be soft; for 't. 'Tain't masy folks I'd make th' offer to. But unlen I'm a mod way on th' wreng -â€"•- ~* "^^ nenre "' "' â€" mained, and the heavy- door â- place. Having whistled poshed the doot open, and invited H^ody to looki inside, hooSB fifteen or twenty mea were standing dk aiitmg. wpre revolvers, and s dozen WinchSBter rffles stood in a row ^f^ns^ the wall. The" Alcalde, who seemed^ to be in oommand of these very irrr^gnlar forces, stepped forward as Barwood opened the door. "Will the gentleman join us?" he asked in Spanish. "The gentleman seems well disposed," Barwood answered but as yet he does not speak positively, I have the pleasure of showing him these gentlemen, oUr frieniJs, in order to convince him that to ask assis- tance from the Americans now coming on the train will not be wise. Yon, Senor Al- calde, will oblige me by accompanying us to the station and you, gentlemen, willundjr- stand what to do shomd any trouble arise." And then he added, in English "But 1 guess there won't be any rumpus; eh, Hardy? You'd only get left if yon tried it on, you see." Hardy was forced to admit to himself, as with Barwood and the Alcalde he mounted the station platform just as the train came to a lialt, that an appeal for help would be worse than tiseless. It would do hun no good, and it almost certainly would result in the killing of every man in the freight crew. There was nothing to throw off or to take on at the station, and in a couple of minutes the train pulled out and ran slowly down the grade to the tank. For a moment, as it start- ed. Hardy thought of breaking away from Barwood's side, jumping on the 'engine and throwing the valve wide open â€" trusting to the sudden start at full speed to snap the coupling with the- train â€" and so taking the chances of getting off. Barwood seemed to understand this thought, and checked it. "You'd better not try any monkey tricks," he said quietly. "You'd only get hurt t' say nothin' of gettin' th' Iwys on th' train in- to trouble. My Greasers are a fightiu' lot, an' won't stand any foolishness just now â€" an' I won't neither." So the train moved away, and Hardy watched it as it slid along the rails, much as a man floating on a spar in mid-ocean would watch a passing vessel that- he could not hail without at once bringing death to liimself and to all on board. As he realized the devilish ingenuity with which Barwootl had laid his plans, and per- ceived how completely, so far, he had been a puppet in Barwood's hands, a chill went down into his heart. But the chill was only momentary. Instantly a healthy re- taction of hot auger set in, and with it came renewed confidence in himself. Hie was in a tight place â€" a very tight place, certainly but he had lieen in tight places a good many times before, and always had managed to get himself out of them. It would not Ikj his fault if he did not down Barwootl and his gang of Greasers yet. The engine took in water at the tank, and then, puffing vigorouslj' slowly ascended the long grade. They watched it in silence until the train had shrunk to a mere speck and the puffing of the engine no longer could be heard. "I don't want you to thuik, Hardy, that I don't Ixjlieve you're not going to play fair," Barwood said, as they turned about and faced each other, " but it'll save you from bein' lonesome if my friend Don Pedro here an' one or two of th' boys sort of set around an' keep you uompanj-. I know you wouldn't do it on purpose, but if jou was left by yourself you might kind of accidentally get t' foolin' with that telegraph key, you know, in a way that wouldn't be just altogether wholesome; so it's safer for all hands that you sha'n't have th' chance. Don Pedro is a very plea- sant gentleman, an' you'll find him ready t' tell you all alxnit th' busines.s â€" goin' into th' fine poinU of "t as I hadn't time to. I'd like t' stay an' keep you company myself, but I've got a good deal t' do just now, an' can't. We've got quite a piece of work on hand for t'-hight, that I'U tell you all about a little laterâ€" when you've made up your mind, as I know you're goui' to, t' come into the con- cern. Just you think about what I've been tellin" you, an' about what Don Pedro will tell you too, about what a good busuiess 't is, an' don't you throw away th' best cliance for makin' a bi^ strike you've ever had offer- â-  you. An though I really don't Uke t' still was in " The Senor, no dotibt. has much upon He wishes to tree, you've gst^tn' and ain't th' kind in i^ tight place f' go back ON yonr ftioids. SfMne of Ueae "itv«Brs are pretty good, /but I never, squarely cku â-  tdI^ when ttev w«i't slip n| 4m m^; :tti' I wmt somelipay around who has sand an' caK be depmda} m. You're that kiBd,faa' that's th' roMw I want yov â- as tsAgrpiMed'the jii^ 'yott BH^ as well take,aloJk k^i^v^ .mind it â€" oadBntendttabt' ?4aittf flte aoit won't do yoo no eood t' try t' rope ia till bovs on th' train." .^J ' ^^ The roof of the adohe house had ftOm bfai^jiatof the «Bar tgOl had. cniiibled N ..on;, that's my side. Yonr side tstUk^i4ivw««'it the fNotgdM sMe wrib te- ed f speak' about it, don't forget what I was say in' about tliat American giuve-yard an' doii't you forget"â€" here Barwood came close to Hardy and lowerei his voiceâ€" "what I said about Mary if you'll come in she's yours." Hardy made no reply. Barwood accepted his silence in good part, nodded pleasantly, and walked off toward the town. The Al- calde went with him, and at the i-uihed house they stopped for a few minutes- in consulta- tion. Then the Alcalde and two men return- ed and walked away down -the line of the railroad, two more men came over and joined Don Pedi-o at the station, and the rest straggled off toward the town in Barwood's wake. Hardy walked into tlie station and seated himself Ijeside the table on which was the telegraph instrument. Don Pedro fellowed after him closely, and the two men placed themselves just outside the door. "It will be more commodious for the Se- nor if he will seat himself where lie will liave the pleasure of the fresh air," said Don Pe- dro, politely. " Thanks, Senor I am very well here," Hardy answered. "Butâ€" the Senor will pardon me' â€" but the Senor's hand might inadvertently touch the little machine." It is Wtter for him hei-e." " Oh " said Hardy, " I and he m6irel,hfe-chair. " Ana since ithe Senor, who is among friends, can have no use for it, I am »nre that he will give me his pistol to take care offer him " Hardy wa» disposed to argue this request but, as he hesitated, the men in the «loor- way moved forward into the roonMmd ranged up^beside him. Under these circumstances arguirient was out of pUwje. With averj' y»d grace he yielded. Don Pedro waved his hand politely, and declared in eonrt«u* tones that be Awed the Scner a thousand tlunka. He was a rad-^iuaBd, dit^ viUaiaous. loonag dog, this Don Pedre, .^t hU v»k» **• «?"^1P* ?»». Wf JNpBPW* eo*- mienmii^^q^t, uidih»^miui*rs were*- boTereproM^ In the event of his findins itneoemttyto ^- ^- ^^^ c»»mprehend," no more. He" will join me in smoking ?» Hardy shook his head. "No? Ah, then he will pardon me if I smoke alone." Saying whicn.i; Don Pedro flnrolled a cigarito, brushed away a part of the tobacco, re-roUed it firmly, lighted it with a double- headed match, and then settled himself as comfortably as the circumstances of the cstae would permit on the seat improvised from a nail-keg, and apparently gave him- self up wholly to the pure happiness of smoking. â-  That Don Pedro's abstraction wm more apparent than real was shown by tne fact that he had been careful to seat himself between Hardy and the telegraph instro- ment. And Btardy noticed also that when the men outside lit their cigaritosâ€" as they presently did, of course â€" the little ceremony of unwrapping, rewrapping, and light- ing was performed in turn, so that one of them watched him con- stantly, alert and with free hands. They all seemed to think that a single touch upon the key of the telegraph would suf- fice to give the alarm and they all evidently had a wholesome respect for Hardy's strength and courage, and were detei-mined to guard against the possi- bility of his taking them by surprise. As lie perceived how sliarply th6y watched him, the saying current on the border, that one American can whip three Mexi- cans, came into his mind and he smiled grimly as he thought that these three Mexicans certainly were conducting them- selves as though they beleived that the saying was true. But for the certainty that the sound of shooting would bring all the men in the town about his cars, he would have given them a chance â€" un- armed though he was â€" to settle the mat- ter by a practical experiment and he rather flattered himself that the saying would be confirmed by the result. Prob- ably he was over-confident, for the Mexi- cans were so keenly alive to his smallest morvement that any demonstration of hos- tility on his part would have lieen nipped in the bud. P^veii when he put his hand in his pocket for. his pipe, they all three â€" forgetting for the moment that they had taken his pistol from himâ€" were on their feet in an instant and had him covered with their revolvers. He threw up his hands promptly and explained his intentions, and with rather a sheepish look they sat down again. But while he could not help laugh- ing to himself, he perceived that the odds against him were even heavier than he had taken them to lie. For the first time in his life he admitted the]thought that perhaps lie had got into a scrape that he could not get out of. Hardy smoked gloomilj' The o tlook, so far as he himself was concerned, did not greatly trouble him. He had. not foundlife so pleasjuit that the near prospect of jiarting with it occasioned him regret. But the thought of what the loss of his life would mean to Mary filled him with a keen misery. He could see no hope for her at all. There was no one to help her. She could not help hei-self. He doubtetl even if she had a sufficient] strength of pui-pose to seek in death the one desperate chance of escape left open to her. Unless her husband should be sliotor hungâ€" of which, of course, there was a fairly hopeful probability â€" her present wretched existence niight di-ag on for years and years. Of course, she would die of it, ttr be driven mad by it, at last but what grindiug agony would l)e hers u, til, in death or madness, slie fouml hci- lease Slowly the time wore away. The daj' was nearly ended, and little puffs of cool whul broke through the hot, dense air, and brought with them a delectable re- freshment, (iradtially these puffs g-ath- ered force and increiised in frequency, becoming a strong, fresh breeze as the sun dropped down l)ehind the moun- t.=»ins and twilight settled upon the earth. Hardy, who had eaten nothing since breakfast-time, grew desperately hiuigry, and his I^Iexicau guards sniffed longingly at the relishing smelU which came dowii to them on the wind from the many out- door cookings going on about the town. But they showed no disposition to sur- render to the ci-avings of the flesh. Evi- dently they had their orders and meant to obey them. As the twilight deepenetl into dusk they came closer to him. " Only a little whde longer, Senor,' Don 1 edro said cheerfully, as this change was made. Hardy wondered what was going t* happen at the end of the little while but he did not speak. The dead silence in which they sat was broken only,, by the ehit- ter of the telegraph as from time t« time a naessage went over the line. There was some- thing harrowing in this Sound. It made help seem so near, wliile in reality help was so hopelessly faraway. The dispatches going through were on uompanv's serviceâ€" train orders ami the like. Hardy listened to them Idly, repeating in his mind the words as they were built up fixmi the intermittent sounds. or a while there was silence. The room was quite dark now, save that for a little space within each doorway there shone a faint, hazy ight from the stars. It must be eight o clock, Hardy thought in two hours nmre Barwooil would demand his answer. He was ready to give it. TBe moon would be rising about that timeâ€" the last moomise that be ever would see. It was o«ld to stop off short this way naht in the middle of one's life. It was like buying a through ticket to Chi- cago and being fired off the tram at a wav- statmn somewhere out on the plains. It did t seem likes fair deal. Here the noise of the telegraph broke m once more upon his thoughts. An order was going thro^h to the north-bound passenger train t^t would pass Santa Maria between three and House-Cle T|ke one room at a timet J work done quietly in the off -W there is neither washbg no" T*^ rtj usmil dealing. lieginltthe?^««X downward, i. e. providinf tk T'**^^ AU dty houses a^e not s^S^^ not, then upon room or c W?^H» al storage of trunks and i^!^-^"'*fti nolthepurtfyingelemenr^gl^ ^J njM- be laid bare stint not thew'S^ chloride. Pere are times wtJtS* and a ««nd 8crubbing-brushSS»«J I sermons, and this oc^3ion i.^„'*^2" Then after the cleansing p'l^'f tkj " complete,seethatncunpurffir2?' qS find lodgment overh^uKi^»»i2 rajg, paper, and patches P*"^fH« f» Half a dozen wall pockets r made of cretonne, drawn ^-itl, fi " will sunpUfy the business of cat««M fragments. F^h receptacle Tl. beled every bit of stri^d t^^ soft. linen should Ik^ garnet*' "' brings needs, and this tnina i"' I taught housewives the et£v t " every scrap of material. " ' Having completed the ^arret „ room, the offal from other amnl '^â-  find.lodgmeut in their propeT^e^ «" Take each floor in its^rdTaft"' closets are overhaukd an.l arrana^ at a time, say one cui.h wock ^,^^ re^j^lar household routine l^notintS^I If the carpets are w me center oreautn.s. and turn tl,- '^^ toward the center: and Shia an suite. Then, wipe with iff '^^H out of alum water; and fmmenHv » efter a sprinkling „f tea leaves '**? A fresh covering of cretonne' will reW. dingy chairs, an.l lUla=ses of c^S draperies are so cheap tl,at even economy is necessaryone need not do ,!? ' out haugiags at lM,rs or. windows. T I soften hard outlnies and tone down the 2 of light, and shouhl iuinnonizewithil general cnaracter of i],e fnrnislnnc. Worn J, ~â€" ItWas.rixedforJok. "My husband docsni chew tobacco," said anewly-inaiiied woman toi party of fnentk, " or at least he doeait where I can see him." "How did you stop him T they all askai """ morning aftei- we were uiame(i;| any HKire I 'The attei began the lady, ^•and he and I were sittic. on the front pftrch. i noticed he was ill a° ease, and finally I asked him Mhat was tlij matter with hini." " My dai-ling," he said, taking my hands, "there is something I should have told vn before we weremariied."" " What is it â- â- ." I gaspeii. as the vision q! another woman s%\ept over me. "Love," he answered. '• I am an it veterate tobacco-chtnver. Can you. wjl you, forgive nie "" " As he linisliel I slipped my himij from his anl, drawing iut a l)n.\ of snuff aaJ a bnish, I said " Oh. John, I am .so gla4 youspobo: it, for I"in nearly oiazy for a dip."' " His face Svas a picture, I can tel you, and in less than three minut«a Ft had entered into a solemn compait :», forevci- abstain from the weed." " And did you really use smiif lieior; you were mariied "' asked fine of the huliei "Xo,"' answered the wife, 'â- Imtlwastisd for .John." What Started the Fight. Mrs. Figgâ€" " ou little wretch, yoiiliavel lieeii figliting again, 1 know you have. Wlut| was it all alxjut "r" Tommy â€" "It was just this way. Yous«,| Jimmy Brown ami nic, we put in our peimiBl together to buy apples, an] I was to liani the cores of what wiis l)ought"in the moriii,' and he was to ha\ e the cores of wliaf wm| Itought in the afternoon." Mr.s. Figg--" do not see anruiifaimesj al)out tliat." Tommyâ€" "Ye5: but in the aftenwaji la] went ami lought bananners."" WoB by Her Tongne. Sowdersâ€" "How long did you kn«w .v»a| wife before you were maniedto her? Riply--"Twod.ivs." Sowders "'Wasn't that rullicr a3lwrt«| quaintance 7" .. Riplyâ€" â- â€¢ If y.v had lieanl my wUeW| you woiddn't afk suoh queHtioDS. Ar end of tliose two day s 1 felt m th-iugb 1 « km)w» lier for tjve years." All the ConTeniences. four o'clock the following morning • ;; Sxdtfrad: tULo^ A »,jelUos/ar the dox,n ~T, the tidcmg stopped. Hardy listened f«M- the sound to beetm again Five minutes passed and still Ae dispatch was left unfiaishcL Kv« minutes more, and only silence. At the eul mi «f- teenmnmtes-thetimehsd seemed »fu» • ;y " (w W ooxTmcKB;) I ToHri8t-(inacoalniiue,afterpaswii8" cigars)- "Everytliing seems to www I damp. Where can 1 strike a""'"' ,:. ti,.| Mi»er-"Roight here, sor. Diunis.l'" "I rabber ch)th otfen th' povr.ler keg. Cculdo't'Thuik of Two Things »t H The following pathetic lemarts were •"1 heard by a small boy at a picmc I "lariing, i an, going to !«» fj' a^I hand for a minute, but you ""'f „{" I wouldn't loose it. only some Ki" "^,^^1 evpillcr is creeping down my '"f ' ..,.rpill»r| fix my thoughtsupon youandtheia' r at the situie time. " Her IneffiBCtiTe.TrapS' Minnie-" an. *f.-..il I «^"°';ii yonr party, dear. 1 an. going »'^j j j,, after and I ^rill have s^vh an " traps to pack." jiyl Mamieâ€" "It's strange, if "" .ver^ sucha tet of ti^ps, thatyuuli*" able f o catch any one yet. ' lare Good Lack. ,^i Fond Mamma-" «l'v.^"l««ti""' Why. 'l' your apron " ^uumIvK' Little D*"SJ'te.; (brfkUg'W,, iSuch gowUuck! ie^y,^,i«li W^J mammal tucn gowi i"^»-- cat bal six kittens, and her not let Tier keep bnf one, s« •therfive." in«ni»* H llaMta Cit Meâ€" «ive me a kiss? .m" •»fc.-Yeu should Ua.li«n*^*^ Astauned •« what? ^«,^"tf*' ei a^ing f»r a kiss whes T»» â- â™¦ chamce t* take •«». •"" wiStr"^*fe£.^ r.niui«te«„;»in ^•' « J!at ^»' ' ^t^' ^^ ' ^*^" • »e» lS I Kdil«-There isn't .nfBciea« ^^ ^-.»-.««,. ^t-at^^ *^ ' "?* w««l5ri. this comic sketch ofjours^g^^^ l«tlii.«ttem^wweB»t^esrfntN. S^tiTuS^B" "L*'**^ Well I Artirt-Aotioi»l Why.gr«^^^^l -». V« «•»«»•«•» wiqrâ€"dt^g'sBitht,|^'» 4«»T»d*roaBdt8BiHeert«»r tim m weDndHNHn words, Kodvitii acerWn •bimnt of sinoaFilgr. Bems naturally a â- â- niiyp.MMtnMkde' several ai- to «sw fikv^ iuVs oonvwsmtigB, â- Mb^Mi .;.':â-  ':.jj^r^A;::fe