Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, April 6, 1901, Page 3

} | LILLIAN GILLIN. CHAPTE For a moment, as a whip-cord whis- tles its way through the air in its #*wift, relentless, downward flight, wielded by some merciless hand, so didi the cruel words, more pitiless than the knotted thong, fall upon the quivering nerves of Beatrice Mark- ham’s hearing. But for a moment only True, in that second, time had been given to blanch the lovely check, and let the great e dilate with « ish; then she rail from the blow’s c and throwing back her little h an old gesture of haughty grace, her proud lips curled in scorn. “And you would stoop even to such a Ne as this?” she said, and in her tone was a contempt which fairly seemed to burn the air. “You, who knew my father, would dare fmpute to him this monstrous wrong? He has talked to me of my mother by the hour. She was a saint, and he the worshiper at her shrine! She was pure as snow, white as the lily, in her freedom from all taint of wrong; and you—you would dig down into her grave to throw there your hideous slime! Oh! leave me! lest, looking at you, I should hate myself that in my veins flow with yours one drop of kindred blood!" She shivered as she spoke, and im- petuously pressed her hands to her face, as though to shut out some hor- rid vision. But the moment for Randolph Ches- ter’s lack of self-control had passed. Henceforth he was himself. In his own hands he held the reins of victory. Let her impotence expend it- self in what shape it would; it was but its death struggle; and, knowing this, he could watch it with a cruel smile, and let her words fall on ears deaf to all but their future vengeance. He had struck a little sooner than he had meant to s e. Ske had betrayed him into this; but now he could be quiet—now he could wait. “Beatrice,” he said, gently, you must remember that words such as I have uttered are not lightly spoken, and that proof must substantiate them. That proof, my child, I am ready to offer you. Nor must you let your fancy run riot, and read in this story no dishonor of the parents who were so dear to you, further than they loved not wisely but too weil. When they first met, your mother was already married. Your father would gladly would have made her, indeed, his honored wife, as she ever was in all but legal form. Gladly, my child, would I have entrust- ed to other lips the telling of this pain- ful secret, but that the knowledge is only shared by one other, and I would, if possible, keep it from the world!” He spoke so calmly, so convincingly, wih all malice banished alike from look and tone, that she who listened grew cold with an icy fear. Instinctively she clasped her hands above her heart, which beat in such slow, difficult throbs. “You say that you can give me proof of this?” she gasped. “Oh, my God! what am I saying? I speak as though the horrid thing were possible. For the moment you frightened me. Now 1 am brave again. My mother not my father’s wife! Do you forget his name on her tombstone, and that, together they sleep in one grave?” “I forget nothing, Beatrice. Would to heaven that I might! My child, list- en. Let me tell you the story. Never have I set myself so bitter a task; but in no other way can I convince you that I am not speaking from some motive of revenge. Revenge, dear child Ah! how little I am capable of such a feeling toward yourself! But may I go on? Will you listen?” “I am listening,” she replied. But her lips were parched and dry, and with the utmost difficulty she man- aged to articulate the short reply. She made no interruption, as, begin- ning the tale, he repeated it, as he had already repeated it to Mr. Arnold. How many of us have lingered in good-night over an exquisite bud, too beautiful to pluck, only to find, in the morning, the frost had been less mer- ciful and, taking it in its cold embrace, had robbed it alike of bloom and beau- ty? Not often may we watch how each petal dreops under its blighting breath, how color fades and perfume dies. But as Beatrice listened, with strained hearing, to the measured words, one could have seen the flower fade, and droop, and die! A few moments before and she had defied him, in her young pride and haughty disbelief. Now the rock on which she stood was torn from be- neath her, and, tossed on the mad, tempest-lashed waves, his hand alone was outstretched toward her in safety. No! Better sink beneath the waters than grasp it! Once, as he spoke of her mother, and the moment that her voice had failed her, tears had sprung to the beautiful eyes, but they did not fall; and, as he went on to the end, they seemed to freeze there. “Beatrice,” he added, when, at last, he paused for her to speak, only to find the silence unbroken, and words as likely to fall from the petrified lips of a marble statue which confronted them at the other side of the room— “Beatrice, will you not believe I would have spared you if I could. Will you not believe I yet would spare you it you will let me! Take the property. I will never assert my claim. All shall be yours. One thing alone I ask, with- out which the world’s wealth would leave me poor. I want yourself, Beat- rice. Grant my prayer—be my wife!” “You are very generous!” she said, hesitatingly. ‘Perhaps — perhaps I have wronged you in my suspicion and my thought, but—I could never wrong you by marrying you. I should alivays shrink from your touch, and remem- ber that it was you who defiled to me my parents’ memory. If, indeed, I am this frightful thing you picture me; if {am but a nameless outcast, then I ac- sept my lot. All my life, then, I have worn a mask? Well, I shall wear one 10 longer, The world shall know me 1s I am!” “But the dead, Beatrice—must they suffer, too? Remember that here no »ne knows your mother’s story. Will you blazon it to the world? Will you sroclaim aloud that the name engraved ipon her tomb is a lie, and never be- 1 to her who sleeps so quietly be- it? My child, I do not ask your t once. I only ask for your faith, ty, leaving it to time to win “To time!” she echoed. “What is time? How do we measure it? Do you imegine that an eternity has nov ulready been lived by me since you en- tered this room, and, standing in one spot, have robbed me of light and air ind life? have stolen faith and asked for faith? have made loyalty a mock- y, and asked for loyalty? Come, »vrove to me how Bertram Talbot is the thief you have declared him!—prove to me that you are an honest man! The world is upside down to-day. Do not leave of my old life one stone upon an- other!” And she ended in a bitter, mocking laugh. “Beatrice, have you no pity on your- self or me?” he answered, gently. “We will not speak of Bertram Talbot here, but if you will exercise your reason it soon will satisfy you of his guilt. Be- atrice, I saw him steal the notes and papers from the safe! But you think me so low as to swear falsely to this fact! Let this pass; if my love were less, I could not forgive it. As it is, I remember only that you are blinded by grief and passion, and also that you stand in need of my love and my pro- tection. Neither shall fail you, Beat- rice, in this supreme moment of our lives. You are nameless. Take my name. Live on in the old house, be- neath whose roof you were born, and whose walls may yet echo to the ring of happy laughter from children’s woleea* ij meless!” she repeated, wearily. “Yes, 1 am nameless. Oh, papa, come back and refute this cruel lie! And here I listen, as if I believed it. You spoke, a while ago, of proof, Randolph Chester. Where is your proof? Show it to me!”? “Nay, Beatrice—where is yours} Where is the paper that will certify to your mother’s marriage} You do nov even know the Italian town in which it took place. We have searched ev- erywhere among your father’s papers. Nothing can be found.” “But we can send agents to Italy. We will have no trouble then in dis- covering the truth.” “None. But the truth is as I state it. Doubtless you will find many to recall the elopement (forgive me, Beatrice, but so they will name it) of the singer and the handsome young American signor. Then what will be the result of the inquiry? You throw your secret —the secret of your father’s dishonor, your mother’s shame—to be devoured by the hungry horde, as you throw a bone among a set of snarling dogs. My darling, forget all that I have said except that it better proves my love. Be my wife, and forever will be si- lenced the tongue of scandal, and your parents may sleep untroubled in their graves‘” “Leave me!” she said; but from her voice all hope, all youth had vanished. “I stand between two yawning gulfs of open fire. In either one or other I must plunge. Leave me to decide which {t shall be!” And she sank back, white and mute, upon her pillows. He threw toward her one glance, then silently obeyed her. The door closed upon him. In the same instant the mask fell from his face. Forked eyes; ly. “You shall pay dearly, my lady, for every word!” he muttered between his teeth. “Nor shall one be forgotten— one insult overlooked. I love you—yes, Beatrice Markham, I love you—but better for you did I hate you with a deadly hate!” rapid lightning flashed from his his thin lips worked convulsive- CHAPTER IX, * Three days went slowly by, but Be- atrice took no heed of passing time. She scarcely ate or slept. Sometimes it seemed to her she could not be sur- rounded by the waking world. The present was all that was left her; she had no future. She had been of her past—robbed of her fondest hopes, robbed of her most sacred mem- ories. Once, mechanically, she unclasped a miniature of her mother and, gazing down upon the lovely face, tried to realize that even her life had been a lie. If so, it had left no outward trace to mar the perfect outlines. The mouth and eyes smiled as though care, sor- row or the burden of a great deceit were all unknown. Disgrace, with its black shadow, seemed never to have rested there. Wearily the girl closed the case. She could no longer whisper the word “Mother!” and find it like the answer to a prayer. On the third morning Mr. Arnold’s card was brought her, and then, as she gave orders to admit him, she wondered why she had sent for him. She remembered him—her father’s counselor, her father’s friend. Surely, he would be able to help her throw off this dull weight of agonized fear which was crushing her proud spirit to the ground, Yet one glance at his face as he en- tered her room told her the contrary. Her dry lips refused to form a wel- come. She could only extend to him one little hot, feverish hand. He carried it, reverently, to his lips. But when, an hour later, he had left her, he had left no comfort behind. Since his interview with Chester, a second, more thorough search through all her father’s papers had been made, but nothing could be discovered. Ther was no will; there was no proof of any marriage which had taken place between the parents. “Randolph Chester is a good and generous man,” said the old lawyer, kindly, in taking his leave. ‘He loves you, and, as your husband, will pro- tect you against the world and its knowledge of this terrible wrong. Un- less you marry him, I see no way to avert the terrible disclosure, as he is your father’s legal heir, and must, in law, inherit the estate.” “And my marriage to him is the one price for his silence?” “My dear, you must not put it so. He loves you. It is the only way pos- sible. except by relinquishing every- thing, which by right, belongs to him.” “But if I give up all to him—it I make no counter-claim—if I go away where he can never hear of me again— surely then the world need never know?” “How can he accept the property ex- cept by proving his right to it? If you were dead, my child,, he inherits then, as the next heir; but, living, your claim holds good, unless proven other- wise.” “If I were dead, all would be well!” she murmured to herself. “Can it be that I have not the courage left to die?” And with the thought, a sense of peace and gratitude stole into her heart. To die! problem. She had not seen her cousin during these three days. Toward nighfall he sent a message, asking to be admitted; but a terrible fear smote him as his eyes rested on the pale beauty of her face. Were his plans, after all, over- thrown? Had she discovered a paper which had escaped his vigilance? Or how else might he account for this contented calm which looked out from the lovely eyes whith rested their quiet gaze upon him? “Beatrice, you are better?” he said, tenderly. “I dared not approach you earlier, dear. I knew you must have time for thought, and would prefer solitude, but it has been very hard not to try in some poor way to bring you comfort.” “To bring me comfort?” she echoed, wearily. “I scarcely wonder that at such a task your courage failed. I have seen Mr. Arnold to-day. He con- firms your story. Perhaps it is all true. I have not strength longer to disbelieve. Doubtless, the other day, I was very harsh and very bitter against you. If—if this 1s true, I had no right to say what I did. I hope— one—day—you—will—forget it!” Like manna to the famishing, her words fell on Randolph Chester's soul. Could it be that, at last, the prize was his—that, without further strug- gle, it had fallen into his eager, covet- ous grasp? At that moment something better, nearer nobility than he had ever felt, stirred within him. It was a sense of his own unworthiness. “Beatrice,” he said, “the knowledge of the pain my words inflicted caused me keener suffering than any retort of yours born of your agony. Let that all pass, dear, Let it be my task to wipe out the memory of all this mis- ery as wholly as I have wiped from my remembrance your momentary in- justice toward me. My darling! You will grant my prayer? You will be- come my wife?” “Your wife!” Involuntarily she shud- dered as she repeated after him the words. “No, no! Another way will be found out of the difficulty—a way which Mr. Arnold has suggested to me. You—you will understand to-morrow. ‘The property, the money, will be yours, just the same. And, having that, you will not let the world know the truth about—my mother? Promise me this? Swear it to me?” “Beatrice, you are wrong, dear, in supposing that any road but one can lead us safely out from this tangled web, and that road we must pursue to- gether, dear, to life’s journey’s end. Why do you hesitate? Can I never teach you, child, love’s lesson?” The wonderful, subtle fascination of manner had never been more fully re- vealed than when thus Randolph Ches- ter pleaded his cause; but he spoke to deaf ears. The girl seemed scarcely to hear him. She looked far beyond him, perhaps adown that other path out of the maze, which she was to dig with her own hands. . “To-morrow you will understand,” she whispered, dreamily. A new fear smote him. Could she have seen her old lover?’ Was she to take his name, with all the stain of disgrace now covering it? Impossi- ble! He was still in prison, awaiting a new trial, granted on application of his counsel. He had had direct news of him only yesterday. What then? Did she hope for his acquittal? and did she still cling to him, spite of the damaging evidence of his guilt? His dread mastered his prudence. “Beatrice,” he said, “you cannot be thinking still of one unworthy any thought—of Bertram Talbot, a con- victed thief?” As he spoke the name, a strange light passed over her face. For three days she had not even remembered the man she loved. One thought alone had so pressed its stainful impress upon her weary brain and heart that all else had been obliterated. Now, all was recalled to her. “Bertie!” she whispered, as if the very utterance might bring some heal- ing. “No; I was not thinking at that moment of him; but—he is not what you say. He is true, as I am true. Will you one day tell him that I trust- ed and believed in him always? But no! To you I dare not leave such a message. You would not repeat it.” “You are right, Beatrice, I would not. Bertram Talbot is forever re- moved from your path, and mine, fur- ther than the testimony which I must give against him on his new trial. This time no legal technicality shall save him from his speedy donning of the convict’s garb.” Spite of himself, his old hatred rang in his tone. The girl lifted her clear eyes to the face shadowed by its dark cloud, “Will you pursue him so relentlessly when the cause for your enmity is re- moved?” she asked, timidly. “I do not understand, Beatrice. This man is guilty of a terrible crime—a Thus she might solve the erlme blacker than he had intended, since death followed in its wake. Justice demands that I should convict him of it. Beatrice, one woman alone can dissuade me from this duty. That Wwomaneis my wife, Let that tie bind us, and you shall ask of my hands what you will.” A low moan burst from the girl’s white lips. Reason seemed deserting her, Her senses reeled. Suppose that she were wrong in her estimate of this man who pleaded his cause so elo- quently? Had not father, mother—alt deceived her? Why might not her lov- er have deceived her, too? Then Ran- dolph Chester, the man she had so dis- trusted and disliked, was, after all, the only one true—the only prop on which she might lean? No, no—a thousand times no! Or if yes, then death would be less bitter than that she might thus make her escape. “Leave me!” she murmured, faintly. “To-morrow you wiN understand!” Half-prescient of her fatal meaning, he reluctantly turned away. For a little time she sat motionless; then she raised her head and looked about the pretty room, which had been hers from babyhood. She was very pale, but the unrest had vanished from her face and the anguish from her eyes. She drew a table toward her, and took from its drawer a tiny package of letters. They were five in number, and bore dates far apart; but all were signed by one name—Bertie! Slowly she read them through, and a faint color kindled her cheeks. “I cannot leave these for other eyes, my darling!” she murmured; and, one by one, she held them in the candle’s tame. “Ashes to ashes!” she whis- pered to herself. “Ah, will it be as easy for me to follow? Will the end be for me like this?” And once more she leaned back her head against the cushions of her chair, and wearily closed her eyes. Night fell, but she stirred not. They brought her food, but she sent it away unteuched, and gave orders not again to be disturbed. The little French clock ticked on the mantle, its sound alone breaking the intense stillness of the room. Suddenly it ceased. Startled, she opened her eyes. Then she remem- bered she had forgotten to wind it. The hands pointed to half-past 10. “It is an omen!” she whispered. “This is the appointed hour!” She rose as she spoke and, crossing the room, opened a small medicine chest, containing many remedies for sudden fllness, and took from it a bot- tle filled with a dark liquid, and la- beled “Poison.” Then, taking a small glass, she half filled it with the bottle’s contents, a bitter, pungent odor stealing through the room as she did so; but her hand did not tremble nor her cheeks grow pale. When this was done she knelt down an instant, and buried her face in her hands. “God forgive me!” she prayed. “All that I trusted has been taken from me. Nothing is left but this. Mother—dear, angel mother, whom they tell me was false to her first marriage—if true, thy child forgives thee. Ah, thou wilt plead for me with thy God and mine!” A sob was in her throat as she spoke, but her purpose had not wavered. She caught up the glass and held it to her lips. Another moment, and the last drop would have been drained; but God, looking down on that young, un- tried soul, had sent His messenger to save her. 3 Even as the liquid touched her lips, a shadow darkened the open window. A man concealed in the branches of a tree outside swung himself within the room, and, dashing the glass from her now nerveless hand, it fell a mass of broken fragments at her feet. CHAPTER X. The feeble crash and a faint cry alone broke the silence, as the eyes of the two, so strangely thrown together, met. The man was the first to speak as he caught the now trembling girl to his heart. ¢ “Beatrice, my darling!” he mur- mured, “what were you about to do? Do you know I fancied—I fancied—” He paused, as though hating to put in words the terrible fear which had assailed him. With her face hidden on his breast, she angwered him: “Your fancy was not wrong; poison that the glass held.” A shudder shook Bertram Talbot's young, muscular frame, for it was he who thus strangely had come upon the scene. “Poison!” he repeated. “Oh, my God! Is it to this, Beatrice, that they have driven you?” “Aye, to this!” she answered. “Oh, Bertie, why have you left me so long? Why have you not come before?” “My child, have you forgotten?” he asked, in tender reproach. ‘At his words she lifted her head with a start. . Forgotten? Yes! She had forgotten all—forgotten that her lover was un- der the ban of the law, and no longer a free man to come and go as he would. How came he here, then? She searched his face. It was ashen in pallor. His dress was disordered, and his manner betokened intense ex- citement. But the brown eyes met hers with the old fearless glance, and on that young, handsome face no cloud of guilt had left its shadow. “You have established your inno- °” she whispered. “Oh, Bertie, cence? you ‘know—you understood I never doubted you?” “ understood, my own, or I should not be here. Thank God for your no- ble faith in me!” “But how have you proved it, Ber- tie? How have you gained your free dom?” it was (To Be Continued.) ee Whence Drawn. I thought I could see it all now. “our inspiration is drawn from na- ture!” I cried. “From the skies, the woods—” “The wood!” interposed the painter, coughing slightly. From ‘this I rightly conjectured that he had in some way become aware of the square black bottle in my port- manteau. It was not: the first occasion I had for observing that the truly artistic soul is gifted with superior powers of divination.—Detroit Journal. oo ¢@ Doings 3 * In th WITH e ° lature. In the Senate. St. Paul, March 27.—The Halvorsen anti-cigarette bill met its death in the senite yesterday. After concurring in the house amendments the senate killed the bill and emphasized its action by defeating a motion to reconsider by a tie vote. The first measure of the session re- lating to the taxation of the street railway corporations was introduced yesterday by Senator Hospes of Still- water. The bill purports to compass the entire situation by proposing the submission of a constitutional amend- ment applying a gross earnings system of taxation to such interests. The senate passed the house bill pro- viding for the building of bicycle paths throughout the state. In the House. Mr. Sageng introduced a bill provid- ing fer the public ownership of tele- phone systems. The hill authorizes supervisors of townships, having re- ceived the sanction of a majority vote of the qualified electors of the town- ship, to levy a tax for the construction of a township telephone system. The Hemstead baby farm Dill was yesterday passed by the house. The same bill, introduced by Mr. Chilton, has passed the upper house and sub- stitution will be effected in one of the houses to allow the bill to become a law. In the House. St. Paul, March 28.—After a repeti- tion of the scenes of last week, minus the sensational thrills furnished by the Washburn-Jacobson charges of bribery, the railroad gross earnings bill was yesterday taken up from the table on motion of Mr. Jacobson by 4 vote of 57 to 56.. Before adjournment consideration of ‘the bill was made a special order for 10:30 o’clock to-mor- row morning. After visiting the exposition city the Pan-American commissioners issued the ultimatum that unless the state stands ready to appropriate another $30,000 it will be better to withdraw the previous appropriation of $20,000 and have no exhibit at all. Commis- sioners Hall and Morton appeared be- fore the senate and house and pre- sented a report, prepared at the re- quest of Gov. Van Sant. A bill aimed at restriction of the operations of fake mining stock deal- ers was yesterday introduced by Mr. Roberts of Hennepin. In the Senate. After an all-cay fight in the senate yesterday the Schaller bill extending and increasing the Anoka and Hast- ings asylums was defeated by a vote of 32 to 22, and then reconsidered and laid on the table. The six years’ fight that closed with the construction of the two institutions was reopened and gone over again in a heated and long drawn out wrangle. The Nichols bill, imposing a 5 per cent gross earnings tax on express companies, passed the senate yester- day and will become a law as soon as signed by the governor. The salary of the insurance commis- sioner is increased from $2,500 to $3,000 a year, the salary of the deputy com- missiorer from $1,800 to $2,000 a year, and three new employes allowed the department by a bill introduced by Senator McGill. In the Senate. St. Paul, March 29. — The primary election bill came up as a special order before the senate yesterday morning and no sooner was the first section read than amendments were offered in wholesale quantities. Senator Grinde- land wanted the time of the election in rural districts set for June. Senator Wilson wanted June made the date in cities as well. Senator Young made a lengthy speech demanding that con- gressional and judicial officers be ex- empt from the provisions of the law. Senator Johnson finally moved that the senate consider the various classi- fications of offices to be included in the bill in turn and then refer the section in question to a committee of three for redrafting. This motion prevailed and voting accordingly commenced. By a vote of 31 to 24 the serate decided to include state officials; by a vote of 4 to 7 to include congressional candidates and by a vote of 45 to 8 to include ju- dicial officers. The bill was then made a special order for this morning. The senate committee on finance sub- mitted the bienrial general appropria- tion bill yesterday, covering the ex- penses of the various state depart- ments until another legislative session. The aggregate amount is $252,320, in addition to the regular standing ap- propriations. The opposition in the senate to the Deming bill that will liberate the Younger brothers from the state pris- on, exhausted itself in the debates when the measure was on general or- ders. It came up yesterday on the aal- endar and was passed by a vote of 40 to 17. The senate bill creating a state high- way commission and carrying the pro- visions of the constitutional amend- ment into effect was defeated yester- day on the calendar. In the House. With the signature of the governor the board of control bill will become a law. The changes made by the senate were agreed to by the house yesterday after a disultory debate that developed no serious opposition, by a vote of 96 to 12. . The Nichols bill taxing the gross earnings of express companies came up for concurrence in senate amend- ments. The bill was passed after con- siderable debate at the 6 per cent rate fixed by the senate, The house failed to pass the bill in- creasing the salary of the chief game warden yesterday. It was lost on a tie vote of 55 to 55. Sixty votes were nec- essary. The J. D. Jones bill, reserving all minerals on state lands to the state, has passed both houses and will be- come a law as soon as the governor signs it. In the House. St. Paul, March 30, — The 4 per cent gross earnings tax bill met only a show of oprosition in the house yesterday ° ° e @ State . THE LAWMAKERS eo @ o ° and was passed by a vote of 79 to 26. The only feature of the concluding stage of the fight was Representative Dotbin’s effort to carry out the plan for its defeat framed several days ago, and change the rate to 5 per cent in hope of a deadlock. His own and one other vote went on record for the change, while 110 representatives de- clared against it. The debate that pre- ceded the roll call of the passage of the bill was perfunctory. The bill received a stormy reception in the senate and after being referred and recalled several times was finally sent to the committee on taxes and tax laws. The house passed a concurrent reso- lution asking the president to name one of the new battleships “Minnesota.” Representative Walter Nelson has in- troduced a bill requiring railroad com- panies to accept bicycles as baggage without additional charge and issue checks for their transportation. In the Senate. The only advantage the direet pri- mary bill obtained in the senate debate yesterday was a vote for reconsidera- tion of the former action, by which committee, yet to be appointed, was im= structed to redraft its first section to include state officials: Another delay was secured and the bill will not come before the senate ‘until Tuesday morn- ing, when it will be taken up as a spe- cial order at 11 o'clock. Senator Stockwell introduced a bill providing for local option in methods of levying taxes, Senator Brower introduced an appro- priation bill carrying $208,525 for the St. Cloud réformatory. A bill,from Senator Knatvold in- creases the term of the superintendent of public instruction from two to four years and fixes his salary at $2,500. Senator Sivright introduced a bill providing for the appointment of twe inspectors of normal schools. In the Senate. St. Paul, April 1. — After a spirited and lively debate the Umland divorce bill was recommended to pass. The measure provides that no marriage of either party shall occur until six months after divorce. After a scrimmage in the senate Sat- urday the two bills from Senator Young, providing for the compromise of the Little Falls & Dakota land grant litigation, were recommended to pass. The farriers of the state scored a victory in the senate and secured a recommendation for passage of their bill, introduced by Senator Benedict. providing for liens on horses and other animals for the cost of shoeing. In the House. The Feterson bill making telegraph companies peculiarly liable for dam-~ ages incidental to mental anguish caused by delay in the delivery of mes- sages was, after a debate of an hour, taken from the table and placed on the house calendar. The Sikorski bill permitting the tak- ing of fish for food purposes with nets from the Mississippi river below St. Anthony Falls was passed by the house. The bill provides that the mesh of the nets used shall not be smaller than two and one-half inches. In the Senate. St. Paul, April 2.—Senator Daly in- troduced a bill which provides a meth- od for contesting the election of state officers. At present there is no such provision in the statutes. The Halvorsen anti-cigarette bill has been reintroduced. Minor changes have been made to avoid the bar against the introduction of bills identi- eal with defeated bills. Minnesota may have a third state asylum for the insane, established on the cottage plan, at Grand Rapids, in its northern pine woods. A bill from Senator McCarthy sets aside $75,000 for the purpose. The. ¥Jurd resolution requesting the president to name one of the new bat- tleships “Minnesota” passed the senate under suspension of the rules. Senator Horton's bill codifying the insurance laws of the state was passed by the senate. After a sharp debate the McGill bill providing for teachers’ retirement fund was voted down, then reconsidered and finally placed at the head of general orders for amendment. In the House. i Representative Ofthsun of Pope in- troduced in the house a bill arbitrarily to fix the maximum rates railroads may charge for the transportation of cereals, potatoes and coal within the state. Yesterday was the last day for the introduction of bills. The last bill re- ceived by the house was No. 732, in- troduced by Representative Sweet of Hennepin. The bill provides that cities authorized to maintain sinking funds may invest such funds in their own city bonds if a rate of 31-2 per cent may be insured. The governor's veto of the Sweet bill for a uniform system of accounting was yesterday received by the house, and, on motion of Mr. Roberts, laid on the table, pending an investigation as to the alleged conflict between the pro- visions of the Sweet bill and the board of control bill. ELECTION IN MICHIGAN. Republicans Elect a Justice of the Supreme Court. Detroit, Mic! April 3.—Robert M. Montgomery of Grand Rapids, Repub- lican, has been re-elected justice of the supreme court by about 40,000 ma- jority and Frank W. Fletcher of Al- pena and Henry W. Carey of Manistee, Republican candidates for regents of the state university, have also been re-elected by a majority almost as large. The. vote cast was unusually light except in those places where a fight was on over some local issue. There were two constitutional amend- ments voted on, both of which were defeated. One was to fix the salary of state legislators at $2,000 for the term and mileage, instead of $5 per day when the legislature is in session as at present, and the other provided for an increase in the salary of circuit judge in Bay county. The Democrats made a marked gain in Jackson, where their entire ticket was elected. OAM eSERR We crm BON EA iatecten iene ninrcmetntinaia ei ee SEE SS ANA LORIN