Evening Star Newspaper, October 8, 1898, Page 16

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1898-24 PAGES. NONE MOONE YOMONE OWN MR, LEDBETTER'S VACATION, WRITTEN FOR THE EVENING STAR BY H. G. WELLS. aie stright, 1898, by H. G. Wells.) signs about it or any other on the first | floor, to suggest the possibility of a sleeper i For a time he listened under the then raised his ey hand on a startling at sesticulating He ducked and after some time he Beyond was a broad landing ly gleaming, a flimsy fabric of bead curtain, very black and sharp against a further window, a broad staircase plung- Ing Into a gulf of darknes peered again. trom his scho- | e ss of enun- below, and an- second floor. but the stillness of and scrambled softly nd swiftly over the sill into the house. on a mat of skin. feli_noiseles: He was a burglar inc for a time, all ears and Outside was a scampering tiling, and for a moment he repented A short miaow, a spit- ilence spoke reas- His courage grew. He Every one was abed, it seemed. y is it to commit a burglary, if one He was glad he had put it determined to take some prove his freedom of his enterprise. ting and a rush " | suringly of cats an that he is to- = = train of thought he was composing a lucid apology for “this technical crime I have committed” to be delivered before sen- tence In the dock, when the stout gen- tleman got up and began walking about the reom. He locked and unlocked drawers, and Mr. Ledbetter had a transient hope that he might be undressing. But no! He seated himself at the writing table and be- gan to write and then tear up documents. Presently the smell of burning cream-laid paper mingled with the odor of cigars in Mr. Ledbetter’s nostrils. “The position I had assumed,” sald Mr. Ledbstter, when he told me of these things, “was in many resects an ill-advised one. A transverse bar beneath the bed depressed my head unduly and threw a disproportion- ate share of my weight upoa my hands. After a tim} I experienced what is called, I believe, a crick in the neck. The pressure of my hand on the coarsely stitched carpet speedily became painful. My knees, too, wer painful, my trousers being drawn tightly over them. At that time I wore ratber higher collars than I do now—two and a half inches, in fact—and I discovered what I had not remarked before, that the edge of the one I wore was fraya3d slightly under the chin. But much worse than ‘hese things was an Itching of my face which I could only relieve by violent grimacing—I tried to raise my hand, but the rustle of the sleeve alarmed me. After a time I had to desist from this relief also, because—lap- pily in time—I discovered that my facial ecntortions were shifting my glasses down my nose. Their fall would, of course, have exposed me, and as it was, they came to rest in an oblique position of by no means stable equilibrium. In addition 1 had a slight coid, and an intermittent desire to sneeze or sniff caused me inconvenience. In fact, quite apart from the extreme anx- jety of my position, my physical discomfort became, in a short time, vary considerable | indeed. But I had to stay there Moiiontess, nevertheles: After an int2rminable time there began a chinking sound. This deepened into a rhythm, chink, chMk, chink—twenty-five chinks—a rap on the writing table and a grunt from the owner of the stout legs. It dawned upon Mr. Ledbetter that this chink- ing was the chinking of gold. He becama SS | “KNEEL,” STOUT GENTLEMAN, rom any abject fear of the law, and de the way he nd suddenly the mere elementary en- ey went into rooms, they se that would deration for his force safes be upid want of con: he would go 7 Moreover, he told him- ectly secur If that he was perf B that he was 5 eae ¢ nevertheless his resolution to ascend the dim stair- seconds between a square landing at would hap- ceper woke § r showed a moonlit overlet white and und Into this room ine crept in three and took a piece of able minutes and took scap for his plunder—his trophy oR, qeseend even more softly than he had It was as easy Hi the gravel then the nois bang of a, door. of a match in the hall below. fer stood petrified by the sudden dis- the folly upon which he had “How on earth am I to get out of a latchkey, better stood hall grew bright objer pum, mena feet. were ascending, the na flash Mr. Ledbetter realize pee He stood for a figure of penitent con- 1 “What a fool he whispered, and then darted the shadowy ped room from which he had sod Mstening—quivering. ys reached the first floor land- This was possibly the Not a moment ection not ten s me motionless on . ‘The advancing candle red through the thinner s the shadows ran wildly about as the candie was put d within its pr yt’ said the new comer, and seeming ten on what Mr. Ledbetter, , decided to be a writ- ome heavy } examined the cae Fs h ows carefully and pullec Paced tHastiiia and returning sat down artling ponderoalt y. . at a day!” he said; “good Lor lew Taeaee and Mr. Ledbetter inclined to e that the person was mopping his ¢ good, stout boots, the legs upon the valance sug- a formidable stoutness of aspect. After a time he removed some upper gar- ments—a coat and waistcoat, down the blinds 2 the bed with | face. His boots we shadows of hi of window b Mr. Ledbet- them over the breathing less as it seemed, cooling from a At intervals he ‘le temperature. muttered to himself, and once he laughed Ledbetter muttered “Of all the sself, but he d Slish things!” said Mr. Ledbetter. “What am I to do now?” ok was necessarily limited. between the stitches of wric of the valance admitted a_cer- permitted no upon this curtain, defined legs, were confusingly that shadow for | and intermingled patterning of the chintz. h the edge of the valance a strip of . and by cautiously de- n r. Ledbetter found that this strip broadened until the whole area of » into view. The carpet was the room spacious, and, to by the castors and trimmings of the ire, well equipped. What he should do he found it difficult To wait until this person had when he seemed sleeping, to creep to the door, unlock headiong for that. balcony, thing to do, Would it be possible to jump from the bal- When he thought e chances against him, Mr. Ledbetter He was within an ace of thrust- ing forth his head beside the gentleman's coughing if necessary to attract his ntion, and then smiling, apologizing and explaining his unfortunate intrusion by a few well-chosen sentences. © sentenees hard to choose. sir, my appearance fs peculiar, pardon my somewhat ambigu- ous appearance from. beneath you,” was yout as much as he could get. Grave possibilities forced themselves on bis attention. Suppose ve him, what would they do to him? Would his unblemished high count for nothing? Technically he was a burglar beyond dispute. Following out this baleony tt was evident | For a while Mr. y tipped the bal- 2 gone to bed, ‘parapet of | g The danger of it! art pumped n He could have shoute at he had learned from uched there, “I feel He whispered it to him- better than is adventurous exhilaration was sorry for all poor men to whom bur- But he found or “I trust, was quite safe. the bravest manner! And now for burglary complete! And he was acting in indow to make the Would he dare to do Its position above the front door defined It as a landing or passage, and there were no looking glasses or any’ bed they did not he- ineredulously curious as {t went on. His curiosity grew. Already, if that was the ase, this extraordinary man must have counted some hundreds of pounds. At last Mr. Ledbetter could resist it no longer, and he began very cautiously to fold his arms and lower his head to the level of the floor in the hope of peeping under the valance. He moved his feet, and one made a slight scraping on the flcor. Suddenly the chink- ing ceased. Mr. Ledbetter became rigid. After awhile the chinking was resumed. Then it ceased again and everything was still-exeepi Mr. Ledbetter’s heart. The organ seemed to him to be beating like a ari The stillness continued. Mr. Ledbetter’s head was now on the floor and he could see the stout legs as far up as the shins. Thy were quite still. The feet were resting on toes and were drawn back, as it seem- under th> chair of the owner. Every- thing was quite still, everything continued sull. A wild hope came to Mr. Ledbetter that the unknown was in a fit or suddenly dead, with his head upon the writing <ahic.. + = * The stillness continued. What had hap- pened? The re to peep became irresis- tible. Very cautiously Mr. Ledbetter shift- ed his hand forward, projectsd a ploneer finger and began to lift the valance im- mediately next his eye. Nothing broke the stiline He saw now the stranger's knees, saw the back of.th> writing table, and then—he was staring at the barrel of a heavy revolver pointed over the writing table at his head. “Come out of that, you scoundrel!” said the voice of the stout gentleman tn a tona of quiet concentration. “Come out. This side, and now. None of your hanky-panky —come right out, now Mr. Ledbetter came right out, a lttle ra- luctantly, perhaps, but without any hanky- panky, and at once, even as he was told. “Kneel,”’ said the stout gentleman, ‘‘and hold up your hands.” The valance dropped again behind Mr. Ledbettsr, and he rose from all fours and held up his hands. “Dri ed ike a par- son,” said the stout gentleman, d——d if he isn't! A little cha too! You scoundrel! What the devil possess2d you to come here tonight? What the devil pos- sed you to get under my bed?” He did not appear to require an answer, but procezded at once to several v ery 0) jectionable remarks upon Mr. Ledbetter’s personal appearance. He was not a very big man, but he looked strong to Mr. Led- better; he was as stout as his legs had promised. H2 had rather delicately chisel- ed small features, distributed over a con- siderable area of whitish face, and a num- ber of chins. And the note of his voice had @ sort of whispering undertone. “What the devil, I say, possess2d you to get under my bed?” Mr. Ledbetter, by an effort, smiled a wan, propitiory smile. He coughe “I can't quite understand,” he said, “— Why, what on earth?— It's soap! No—you scoundrel. Don’t you move that hand.” “It's soap." said Mr. Ledbetter, “from your washstand. No doubt if—” “Don’t talk,” said the stout ma: it’s soap. Of all incredible things “If I might explain—” “Don’t explain. It’s sure to be a lie, and there's no time for explanations. What was I going to ask you? Ah! Have you any mates?” “In a few minutes, if you—” “Have you any mates, d—n you. If you start any soapy palavar I'll shoot. Have you any mates?” “No,"’ said Mr. Ledbetter. “I suppose it’s a lie,” saidthe stout man. “But you'll pay for it if it is. Why the devil didn’t you floor me when I came up- Stairs? You won't get a chance to, now, anyhow, ‘ancy getting under the bed. I reckon it’s a fair cop, anyhow, so far as you are conc2rned.”” “I don’t see how I could prove an alibi,” remarked Mr. Ledbetter, trying to show by bis conversation that he was an educated man. There was a pause. Mr. Ledbetter peresived that on a chair beside his captor was a large black bag on a heap of crum- pisd papers, and that there were torn and burned papers on the table. And in front of these, and arranged methodically along the edge, ware rows and rows of little yel- low rouleaux—a hundred times more gold than Mr. Ledbetter had seen in all his life before. The light of two candles in silver candlesticks fell upon these. The pause centinued. “It is rather fatiguing hoiding up my hands like this,” said Mr. Ledbetter, with a deprecatory smile. “That's all right,” said the fat man. “Bi what to do with you I don’t exactly know. “J know my position is ambiguous.” “Lord!” said the fat man. “Ambiguous! And goes about with his own soap, and Wears a thundering great clerical collar! You are a blooming burglar, you ar2—if ever there was one!” “To be strictly accurate,” said Mr. Led- better—and suddenly his glasses slipped off and clattered against his vest buttons. ‘The fat man charged countenance, a flash of savage resolution cross€d his fat something in the revolver clicked. his other hand to the weapon. And then he looked at Mr. Ledbetter, and his eye ‘I see went down to thé dropped pince-nez. “Full coek now, anyhow,” said the fat man after & pause, and his breath seemed to catch. “Butai'll tefl you, you've never been sc near death before. ‘Lord! I'm al- most glad.» If it hadn't been that the re- volver wasn't cocked you'd be lying dead there now.’s 9; Mr. Ledbéttergsald nothing, but he felt that the 100m was swaying. “A miss is as-good as a mile. It's lucky for both oftus it wasn't. Lord!"" he blew noisily. “‘There's no need for you to go pale green for @ little thing iike that.” “I can, assures you, sir,” said Mr. Led- better within effort. “There's only one thing to do. If I call in the policy bust. A little game I've got on fs but. Phat won't do. [rT te you up and leave you again—the thing may be out tomorrow. <:Tomorrow's Sunday and Monday’s bank ,holiday—I've counted on three clear days. Shooting you's murder— and hanging—and besides, it will bust the whole blooming kKernooze. I’m hanged if I can think what to do—I'm hanged if I can.” “Will you permit me—* . “You gas as much as if you were a real parson, I’m blessed if you don't. Of all the burglars you are the. Well! no—I won't permit you. There isn't time. If you start off jawing again I'll shoot right in your stomach. See? But I know now—I know now. What we're going to do first, my man, fs an examiration for concealed arms. An examination for concealed arms. And ook here! When I tell you to do a thing, don’t start off at a gabble; do it brisk.” And with many elaborate precautions and always pointing the pistol at Mr. Ledbet- ter’s head, the stout man stood him up and searched him for weapons. “Why, you are a burglar!” he said. “You're a perfect amateur. You haven't even a pistol pocket in the back of your breeches. No, you don’t! Shut up now.” So soon as this issue was decided the short man made Mr. Ledbetter take off his coat and roll up his shirt sleeves, and with the revolver at one ear proceed with the packing his appearence had interrupted. From the short man’s point of view that was evidently the only arrangement, for if he had packed he would have had ‘to put down his revolver. So that even the gold on the table was handled by Mr. Ledbetter. This ‘nocturfal Bad ing was peculiar. The stout man's idea’ Was evidently to distrib- ute the weight of the gold as unostenta- tiously as possible through his luggage. It was by no means an inconsiderable weight. ‘There was, Mr. Ledbetter says, altogether nearly £18,009 in goid in the black bag and on the table. There were also many littl rolls of & bank notes. Buch rouleau of Was wrapped by Mr. Ledbetter in paper. Those rouleaux were then put neatly in cigar boxes and distributed between a trav- eling trunk, a Gladstone bag and a hat box, About £600 went in a tobacco tin in a dressing bag. Ten pounds in gold and a number of £5 notes the stout man pocketed. Occasionally he objurgated Mr. Ledbetter’s clumsiness and urged him to hurry, and several times he appealed to Mr. Ledbet- ter’s watch for information. Mr. Ledbetter strapped the trunk and bag and returned the stout man the key. It was then 11:50, and until the stroke of midnight the stout man made him sit on the Gladstone bag, while he sat at a rea- sonably safe distance on the trunk and held the revolver handy and waited. He appeared to be now in a less aggres- sive moo and, having watched Mr. Led- better for some time, he offered a few re- marks. “From your accent, I judge you are a man of some education,” he said, lighting a cigar. “No, don’t begin that explanation of yours. I know it will be long-winded from your face, and I'm much too old a Har to be interested in other men’s lying. You are, [ say, a person of education. You do well to dress as a curate. Even among educated people you might pass as a ‘ate—" am a curate,” said Mr. Ledbetter, “or, at least—" “You are trying to be. I know. But you didn’t ought to burgle. You are not the man to burgle. You are—if I may say it, the thing will have been pointed out to you before—a coward. “Do you know,” said Mr. Ledbetter, try- ing to get a fresh opening, “it was’ that Yy question—" The stout man waved him into silence. “You waste your education in burglary. You should do one of two things. Bither you should forge or you should embezzle. For my own part, I embezzle. Yes—I em: bezzle. Ah! What do you think a man could be doing with all this gold but that? Listen! Midnight! * * © “Ten. Pleven. Twelve. There is something very impres- sive to me in that slow beating of the hours. Time—space; what mysteries they are! What mysteries! * * * It’s time for us to be moving. Stand up." And then, kindly but firmly, he induced Mr. Ledbetter to sling the dressing bag over his back by a string acress his chest, to shoulder the trunk, and, overruling a gasping protest, to take the Gladstone bag in his disengaged hand. So incumbered, Mr. Ledbetter struggled perilously downstairs. The stout gentleman followed with an overcoat, the hat box and the revolver, making derogatory remarks about Mr. Led. better’s streagth’'fand assisting him at the turning of the stairs. “The backz door,” he directed, and Mr. Ledbetter staggered through a conserva- tory, leaving a:wake of smashed -flower- pots behindihimd “Never mind the crock- ery,” said the stout man; “it's good for trade. We wait»here until’ a quarter past. You can put those things down. You have!” Mr. Ledbetter collapsed, panting on the trunko. “‘Wast night,” he gasped, “I was asleep i mySlittle room and I no more dreamt—’ “There's np nged for you to incriminate yourself,”” said the stout gentleman, looking at the lock’0f tHe revolver. He began to hum. Mr. Ledbetter made to speak and thought better eftit. There preggntly came the sound of a bell, and Mr. Led ettgy was taken to the back door and instructed to open it. A fair- haired man in“yachting costume en‘ered. At the sight of Mr. Ledbetter he :iarted violently and clapped his hand behind him. Then he saw the stout man. “Bingham!” he cried, “who's this?” “Only a little philanthropic do of mine— burglar I'm trying to reform. Caught him under my bed just now. He's all right. He's a frightful” ass. He'll be useful to carry some of our things. The newcomer seemed inclined to resent Mr. Ledbetter’s presence at first, but the stout man reassured him. “He's quite alone. There's not a gang in the world own him. No—! Don’t start talking, for géodness sake.” ‘They went out Into the darkness of the garden with the trunk still bowing Mr. Ledbetter's shoulders. "The man in yacht. ing costume walked in front with the Glad- stone bag and a pistol; then came Mr. Led- better like Atlas: Mr. Bingham followed with the hat box, coat and revolver, as be- fore. The house was one of those that have their gardens right up to the cliff. At the cliff was a steep wooden stairway de- Scending to a bathing tent dimiy visible on the beach. Below was a boat pulled up and a silent little man with a black face stood beside it. “A few moments’ explana- tion,” said Mr. Ledbetter; “I can assure you—" Somebody kicked him and he said no more. They made him wade to the boat carry- ing the trunk; they pulled him aboard by the shoulders and hair; they called him no better name than “scoundrel” and “bur- Lee all that night. But they spoke in un- lertones, 80 that the general public was happily unaware of his ignominy. They hauled him aboard a yacht manned by strange unsympathetic orientals, and part- ly they thrust him and partly he fell down & gangway into a noisome, dark place, where he was to remain many days—how many he does not know, because he lost count among other things when he was sea- sick. They fed him on biscuits and incom- prehensible words; they gave him water to drink mixed with unwished-for rum. And there were cockroaches where they put him night and day, and in the night time there were rats. The orientals emptied his pock- ets and took his watch; but Mr. Bingham being appealed to, took that himself. And five or six times the five Lascars—if they were Lascars—and the Chinaman and the negro who constituted the crew fished him out and took him aft to Bingham and his friend to play cribbage and evchre and three-handed whist and to listen to their stories and boasting in an interested man- ner. Then these principals would talk to him as men talk to those who have lived a life of crime. Explanations they would never permit, though they made it abundantly clear to him that he was the rummiest bur- glar they had ever set eyes on. They said as much again and again. The fair man was of a taciturn disposition and irascible at play, but Mr. Bingham, now that the evi- dent anxiety of his departure from England was assuaged, displayed a vein of genial philosophy. He enlarged upon the mystery of space and time and quoted Kant and Hegel—or at least he said he did. Several times Mr. Ledbetter got as far as “My po- sition under your bed, you know—” but then he always had to cut or pass the whisky or do some such intervening thing. After his third failure the fair man got quite to look for this opening, and whenever Mr. Ledbetter began after that he would roar with laughter and hit him violently on the back: ‘Same old start: same old story; g00d old burglar,” the fair-halred man would say. So Mr. Ledbetter fared for many days— 20 perhaps—and one evening he, together with some tinned provisions,was taken over the side and put ashore on a rocky little isl- and with a spring. Mr. Bingham came in the boat with him, giving him good advice all the way and waving his last attempts at an explanation aside. am really not a burglar,” said Mr. Led- better. “You never will be,” said Mr. Bingham. ‘You'll never make a burglar. I'm glad you're beginning to see it. In choosing a profession a man must study temperament. If you don’t, sooner or later you will fail. Compare myself, for exam- ple. All my life I have been in banks—I have got on in banks. I have even been a bank manager. But was I happy? No. Why wasn’t I happy? Because it did not suit my temperament. I am too adventur- ous, too versatile. Practically I have throw it over. I do not suppose T shall ever manage a bank again. They would be glad to get me, no doubt, but I have learnt the lesson of my temperament at last. * * * No; [ shall never manage a bank again.” Now, your temperament unfits you for crime—just as mine unfits me for ability. I know now I do not even recommend forgery. back to respectable cours: lay is the philanthropic 1a your lay. With that voice—. ation for the Promotion of Sniveling Among the Young—something inthat line. You think ivover si “The island we are approaching has no name apparently—at least, there is none on the chart. You might think out a name for it while you are.there—while you are think- ing about all these things. It has quite drinkable water. I understand. It is one of the Grenadines—one of the Windward Islands. Yonder—dim and blue—are other of the Grenadines. I have often wondered what these islands are for—now, you see, I am wiser. This one, at least, is for you. Sooner or later some simple native will come along and take you off. Say what you like about us then—abuse us if you like—we shall not mind. And here—here is half a sovereign’s worth of silver. Do not waste that in foolish dissipation when you return to civilization. Properly used, it may give you a fresh start in life. And do not—Don't beach her, you beggars; he can wade!—Do not waste the precious solitude before you in foolish thoughts. Properly used, it may be a turning point in your reer. Waste neither money nor time. You will die rich. * * * I’m sorry, but I must ask you to carry your tucker to land in your arms. No, it’s not deep. D—n that planation of yours! There's not time. No, no, no. I won't listen. Overboard you ol Shen the falling night found Mr. Ledbet- ter, the Mr. Ledbetter who had complained that adventure was dead, sitting beside his cans of food, his chin resting upon his drawn-up knees, staring through his glasses in dismal mildness over the shining, vacant sea. He was picked up in the course of three day: negro fisherman and taken to St. Vincent's, and from St. Vincent's he got, by the expenditure of his . to Kingston, in Jamaica. And ight have foundered. Even now- ys he is not a man of affairs, and then a singularly helpless person. He had not the remotest {dea what he ought to do. The only thing he seems to have done was to visit all the ministers of re- gion he could find in the place to borrow a passage home. But he was much too dir- ty and incoherent—and hls story far too in- credible—for them. I met him quite by chance. It was close upon sunset, and I was walking out after my siesta on the ad to Dunn's battery, when I met him— I was rather bored, and with a whole even- ing on my hands, luckily for him. He was trudging dismally toward the town. His woebegone face and the quasi clerical cut of his dust-stained, filthy costume caught my humor. Our cyes met. He hesitated “Sir,” he said, with a catching of the breath, “could you spare a few minutes for what I fear will seem an incredible story?” Incredible!” I said “Quite,” he answered, eagerly. will believe it, alter it though I may. I can assure you, sir—” He stopped hopelessly. The man’s tone tickied me. He seemed an odd character. “I am,” he said, “one of the most unfortu- nate beings alive.” ‘Among other things, you haven't dined?” I was struck with an idea. “I have not,” he said, many days.”” “You'll tell it better after that,” I said, and without more ado led the way to a low place I knew, where such a costume as his was unlikely to give offense. And there— with certain omissions which he subse- quently supplied, I got his story. At first I was incredulous, but as the wine warmed him, and the faint suggestion of cringing his misfortunes had added to his manner disappeared, I began to believe. At last I was so far convinced of his sincerity that I got him a bed for the night, and next day verified the banker's reference he gave me through my Jamaica banker. And that done, I took him shopping for underwear and such like equipments of a gentleman at large. Presently came the verified ref- erence. Hi tonishing story was true. I will not amplify our subsequent proceed- ings. He started for England in three days’ time. “I do not know how I can possibly thank you enough,” the letter he wrote me from England began, “for all your kindness to a total stranger,” and proceeded for some time in a similar strain. “Had it not been for your generous assistance I could cer- tainly never have returned in time for the resumption of my scholastic duties, and my few minutes of reckless folly would perhaps have proved my ruin. As it is I am ert tangled in a tissue of lies and evasions of the most complicated sort, to account for my sunburnt appearance and my where- abouts. I have rather carelessly told two or three different stories, not realizing the trouble this would mean for me in the end. ‘The truth I dare rot tell. I have consulted a number of law books in the British mu- seum, and there is not the slightest doubt that I have connived at and abetted and aided a felony. That scoundrel Bingham was the Hithergate bank manager, I find, and guilty of the most flagrant embezzle- ment. Please, please burn this letter when ead—I trust you implicitly. The worst of {E's, nelther my aunt nor her friend, who kept the boarding house at which I was staying, seem altogether to believe a guarded statement I have made them—prac- tically of what actually happened. They suspect me of some discreditable adventure, but what sort of discreditable adventure they suspect me of I do not know. My aunt says she would forgive me if I told her everything. I have—I haye told her more than everything, and stifl she is not satisfied. It would never do to let them know the truth of the case, of course, and so I represent myself as having way- laid and gagged upon the beach. My aunt No one Yet solemnly, “for wants to know why they wa gagged me; why they took me away in their yacht. I do not know. Can you suggest any reason? I can think of nothing. If, when you wrote, you could write on two sheets, so that I could show her one, and on that one, if you could show clearly that I really was in Jamaica this summer, and had come there by being marooned from a ship, it would be of great service to me. It would certainly add to the toad of my ob- ligations to you, a load that I fear I ca never fully repay. Although if gratitude— And so forth: At the end he repeated his request for me to burn the letter. So the remarkable story of Mr. Ledbet- ter’s vacation ends. That breach with his aunt was not of long guration. The old lady had fully forgiven him before she died. IN- THE CHURCHES The fortieth anniversary of the dedica- tion of St. Aloysius Church occurs Sunday October 16. At the dedication of this church the sermon was preached by the great Archbishop Hughes of New York, after- ward the warm friend and special env8y of President Lineoin. President Buchanan and many other distinguished men were pres- ent, among whom were Secretaries Floyd, Thompson, Toucey, Attorney General Black, Lord Lyons, Senator Stephen A. Douglas and others. In the forty years of its existence St. Aloysius Church has at some time or an- other had within its walls many person- ages of national reputation and foreigners of distinction. Stephen A. Douglas had the first pew. The family of General Sherman attended the church during their gesidence in Washington, and it was here feat Miss Mary Ewing Sherman became the wife of Mr. Thomas V. Fitch. During the resi- dence ef General Sheridan in Washington he frequentiy attended St. Aloysius, al- though he was not a pewholder. Of the many eminent priests associate with the church at the time of its dedf tion but one, Rev. Dr. Viiliger, now rector of Woodstock College, Maryland, survives The first pastor of this church was Rev. Dr. Stonestreet, who, in July, 1860, was s ceeded by Rev. Wm. F. Clarke, S. J pastor. After remaining at the churc! year Rev. Clarke gave way to Rey. Dr Bernardin Wiget. The latter remained six years. Those who in turn succeeded Father Wiget were Rev. Dr. James Clark, Rev Charles Jenkins, Rev. Robert Fulton, Rev. John J. Murphy, Rey. Edward . Me- Gurk and Rey. Cornelius Gillespie. All the pastors prior to Father Gillespie are dead, with the exception of Rey. Father Jenkins. Who now resides at Leonardtown, Md. The interior of St. Aloysius Church con- tains many features of great interest, and the massive mahogany altar rail separating the body of the chureh from the sanc- tuary never fails to attract the attention of sitors. It has a history which is of in terest to every American citizen, from the fact of its having once been part of an altar under which reposed for many years the remains of Christopher Columbus. The aitar stood for ages in a church at San Domingo. It was a ponderous structur: borately carved, and withstood the de. ructive influences of a century or two re- markably well. In the course of time it Was brought to this country and donated as one to Georgetown College. too larg for use in the lat was 5 taken to pieces and Gut of it e two altar rails, one being pre- nted to St. Aloysius Church and the oth- er to the chapel of Woodstock College, Maryland. Another move has been made toward re- turning the money voted by Congress for damages to the Southern Methodist Pub- Ushing House during the civil war in the adoption by the Tennessee conference of the foliowing preamble and resolu ion, a copy of which has been received here We, the undersigned repre- senting the Tennessee annual erence, hereby give our hearty approval to the recommendation contained in the paper igned and sent forth by the bishops of eur church, proposing the return of t y recently paid to our book agents Tnited States Congress on the conc tions mentioned by the bishops. “We further recommend that Senator Bate be requested to present said proposi- tion to the Senate of the United States in such a way that it may find place on the pages of the Congressional Record, and at he do it at the earliest possible oppor- r waiting for full light, and, after ly weighing all the facts, we are bound, in all good conscience, in the name of the church, to protest against the argu- ments made and conclusions reached as dd by the book committee in their official defense of the conduct of the book agents as rds the letters and telegrams to senators. he college of bishops lowing assurance: “That if the Senz affirmative action, declares that the pas- sage of the bill was due to misleading state. ments, we will take proper steps to have the entire amount returned to the govern- ment, The Senate committee has declared that ‘during the week before the bill passed rumors became current in the Senate that a contract existed between the book agents and Mr. Stahiman wh y the latter was to receive a la unt and an exorbi- t fee f ‘vice rendered by him in c ection with its passage, and a number o: senators applied to the book agents, Bar- bee & Smith, and Mr. Stahiman to ascer- tain the facts in the case. Some of the: nators saw Mr. Stahlman received from him assuranc language that sion that no contract whatever exi tween him and the book a i nts relating to fee. They were deceived and misled. The book age Senators to den the report; and, having absolute confidence in the candor and integrity of men, the senators accepted their telegrams as frank and honest, on them were made that the foundation for the report of an to pay a large propc rope propriation to a claim agent or attorne No candid man who examines this cor. respondence can reach any concl nm than that the subject of the inquiry was the such a contract, and not the per that an attorney’ was to receive. 2 replies of the book age to this letter and telegram make it mani- fest that the policy of silence with refer ence to the contract s maintained to the end, even to the extent of withholding the truth and misleading and deceiving those who made an earnest “Therefore, we request bishops to cail an extra se eral conference at the date pra ticable, that action may be had on all is- sues involved. The committee on systematic beneficence of the Presbyterian Church (South) has reported the following statement of the record for giving by the churches of the lenomination during the previous yea: There aré about 2,800 congregations alto. gether, and 1,701 churches gave to foreign imissions $1 32 1,455 churches gave to home missi 21; 1,770 churches gave to local missions "$76,430.22; 1,0 hurches gave to Col. Evan fund $11, 26.52; 1,267 churches gave to invalid fund * churches gave to education i ; churches gave to publica- tion fund $7,705.15; 635 churches gav® to Bible Society $539.31. The churches have contributed to the benevolent objects in the following order: Five hundred and three churches gave to eight benevolent objects: 483 churches gave to seven; 308 churche Bave to six; 257 churches gave to five; 283 churches gave to four; 257 churches g: to three; 226 churches gave to two; 242 churches gave to one; 548 churches gave nothing to benevolent objects. Thursday and Friday, October 13 ana 14, Gelegations of young Lutherans from Min- pesota. Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Il! nois are to meet in Chicago to journey to- gether on an official train to New York ? attend the third bienntal convention of the Luther League of America. On the way the train, which goes by the way of Fort Wayne and Pittsburg, will pick up } no ment ffort to obtain it. the college 10; 1, delegations in Indiana and Ohio. De!c : from Pennsylvania, who will comprise fully one-fourth -the membership of the convention, will journey by another train, as will also those from Washing:on and Baltimore, end from Buffalo and Roches- ter. The ‘league has 60,000 members, in twenty states, and the coming gathe will bring toxether some distinguished di- vines and laymen. Owing to the <iffer- ences which kecp the 1,590,000 Lutherans of America apart, and cause them te have irany synodical conventions, this league is really the only force that brings Lutherans of all kinds into one body. That the league is able to do sc much is because the found- ers of it determined to make it non-syno?- ical. As the Lutheran is a polyglot com- munion, so this convention will be com- posed of leagues from Danish, Swedish, German, Norwegian and English churches and from all of the synodical bodies. But the convention will use the English tongue only. The keynote of the convention will be “Labor.” Hence, all of the questions for discussioa and for the public addresses will bear upon some form of church work. The list of speakers includes the Rev. Dr. E. G. Lund of the Norwegian Seminary ai J. Wolff of akleaf, pres- ident of the Ill nited States Senator Weillingt aryland, United States Sepator Kr Nelson of Minne seta, the Rev. Dr. 8. A. Ort, pre: Wittenburg College, Ohio; the Rev. Dr. A. Swonsson, president of Bethany © lege. Kansas; the Rev. Dr. A. Spacth of the Mary J. Drexel Mother Hous De conesses, Philadelphia, and the ¥ AM Studebaker of the Deaconess Mother Hovse of Baltimore. The president of the Luther League ts E. F. Ellert of New York. The league is similar to the Christian Endeavor Sx 3 and the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, save for its peculiar and important work of uniting in sympathy and acquaintance at least. if not in organte union, the many branches of Lutheranism The seventy-ninth annual syrod of M: land and the District of Colum? place at Taneytown,Carroll count 20th of October. The lest convention was held at Washington, D.C. The prinetpal officers of the convention are: Rev. J. Butler. D.D., of this city, president; Vv. MI er, Leitersburg, Md., secretary, and Mr. W. H. James, Baltimore, Md., treas- urer. One of the principal acts of the con- vention will be the selection of nine lay and nine clerical delegates to the triennial convention of the general synod of the United States, to be held at York, Pa., in 1800. chial report of the Mar: synod shows that in Maryland and the D trict of Columbia there are 143 Sunday Schools, with 2,655 officers and teachers anda total of 22.914 pupl!s; that the sum na of $13,294.51 has been contributed for the support of schools and local ob. ts, and 82 for benevolent purposes. ‘The total expenditure for external objects amounis to $7,972.97; total benevolence, $34.5) 5 with a grand total of expenditures of $197 1. The estimated value of the church property 1s 31,551, A “Harvest Home” tomorrow morning at 11 ¢ ck at Wes! Chapel Methodist’ Episcopal Church, ner of Sth and F streets northw appropriate sermon will be deltve: pastor, Rev. J. F. Heisse. Spectal muste will be The pulpit will oe decor- ving with the service. The first monthly meeting of the Juntor Cc. E. Superintendents’ Union this fall will be held be held Mondey evening next at 7 o'clock in the chapel of the Luther Place Memorial Church, 14th and N streets. Th 1 be a short address by the president, Rev. C. H. Buuler, followed by discussion on t>e topic, “What Are the Duties of a Junior Superintendent?” The two standing com- mittees for the year— sion""—will be announced. At this meeting the officers elected at the lly” and “exten- June meeting enter upon their terma of rvice. They are Rev. C. H. Butler, pres- {deft Mrs. C. C. Tucker, vice president Mis Gertrude Allison, corresponding sec- y: Miss Adelia Randolph, recording ; Mr. James Bevans, treasurer. Lutheran Young People’s Union of the city is arranging for the first me. of the season, to be held in comme tion of Reformation day, October 28 fs an arnual celebration in Luthe churches all over the world on the nday in October of the commen f the great Protestant reformation, t y Dr. Martin Luther in the year 1 in Germany. The young people's mecting wiil be held in the Memorial Church. he Lincoin Mer Chi corner R w Will celebrate the of the pastorate of Rey. r all lay tomorrow. Rev. Miller will preach his anniversary sermon at 11 a.m., and Rev. Dr. David Rivers of the Berean Baptist Church will preach in the evening at 7:45; anniversary reception Monday evening. > A French Ratlw From the Pall Mall Gazette. Idea. From the Paris Montparnasse station te St - Malo the Western Company of France according to the Neue Frele F th carriag m. Their ext the images of . swallows and scales, painted and in emphatic colors, so that t run mey re And a good many } esse, been running a daily train op ed a new dev! sys es, even ple do have to run, nor fs it always to read on the French Western system, for the stops on the rapides are very few, and the cing minutes d’arret wondrous short 0 short for ment, as the rush ai and infully prov t of the pain ymbols i mable the p er lo recogni: and ¢ ym amid t ce gath dusk. He says to "m the fish, the scales, the , and makes for h French companies do r of colors as cur own Go. The first ond do not match, and seem inte: m tthe fish, swallows and s will hardly add to the chaste simplict the whole. Morcover, the real against rush and confusion lies in the sa- loon carriage, the free toilet and the dining car, and here the authorities of St. Laz do nothing progressive, nothing at all. A Smart Rat. From the Baltimore Sun. Some days ago a lady of St. Micha went to her dining room closet to get a dish. As soon as she opened the door of closet a large rat, the first one that had en in the house, jumped off one of shelves, clear over her head, te The lady searched for the ro but all to no avail. During the after of the same day this lady’s daughter mad a quantity of larg> ginger cakes and placed them: in a dish upon the top of an upright piano in her parlor. The next morning she went to the parlor to look after her cakes, but to her great surprise, not a cake waq ere, not even a crumb. The mother r " red the rat, and after a careful search saw a newly cut hole through 4 wooden fireboard in the parlor, and re: yving the scresn from in front of th¢ . discovered ev cake, in as per: ate as when made. The rat way in a nest which he made in corner of the fireplace. he cakes were placed one upon the other with aa much precision as m would lay hid formed in’ nes il with wh > cakes we ac Was wonderful re wer about thirty- five cakes on the dish, and the distances from the top of the piano to the fireplace feet. Neither the disturbed. The mystery of BLAS of life and fess ~j-i\death has puz- —-zled many a / fl wise man. The { \ alchemists of old searched in vain for some combination of drugs that would prolong life indefinite ly. Common sense, chemis- try and medical science have combined in this age to show man the way to a long and healthy life. Common sense teaches that a man should not over-work or over-worry; that he should take ample time for his meals, for resting and for recreation and sleep; that he shouid not neglect the little ills of life, because they aze the precursors of serious and fatal maladies. Chemistry has enabled men to make combinations of drugs that were im. ssible in the days of the alchemists. Medical science has taught when, how and why these combinations of drugs should be used, Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Dis- covery is the most valuable of all heaith- restoring medicines, and the most effective Its first work is upon the fountain-head of life—the stomach. A mgn who has a weak and impaired stomach and who does not precy digest his food will soon find that is blood has become weak and impover- ished, and that his whole body is improp- erly and insufficiently nourished. This medicine makes the stomach st: facil- itates the flow of digestive juices, restores the lost appetite, makes assimilation per. fect, invigorates the liver and purifies and enriches the blood. It is the great blood- maker, fiesh-builder and nerve tonic. It makes men strong in body, active in mind and cool in judgment. It does not make flabby fat, but solid, and vital en- rat nor muscular flesh, nerve force ergy. All medicine dealers sell it. J. W. Jordan, Esq., of Corbin, Whitley Co., Ky.. writes: “About two and a half years ago Iwas taken with severe pains in the chest, be. gan to spit up blood, was troubled with night — yo rt ae a Golden Medica! i both im strength a The medicine dealer who urges some substitute is thinking of the larger profy ‘he’ll make and not of your best good