Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, October 11, 1902, Page 6

CHAPTER L, (Continued.) Two tiny points of flame danced in Rawlins’ eyes. “Henson would never have dared!” “My mind was quite easy on that score. “[ understand,” Chris murmured. “And you kept the cigar-case?” “Yes; rather liked it. And I could afford a luxury of that kind just then,” “Then why did you dispose of it at Rutter’s, in Moreton Wells? And why Moreton Wells?” Rawlins laughed as he lighted a fresh cigarette. “{ came to Moreton Wells, knowing that Henson was at Littimer Castle,” he explained. “I went there to bor- row £200 from Henson. Unfortunate- ty, I found him in great need of money. Somebody who had promised him a large sum of money had disappointed bim.” Chris smiled. She had heard all about Lady Littimer’s adventure with the ring, and her stubborn refusal to give Henson any further supplies. “Presently I can tell you who disap- pointed Henson,” she said. “But fancy you being short of—” “Of ready.money; I frequently am. One of your great millionaires told me lately that he was frequently hard up for £1,000 cash. I have frequently been hard up for £5. Hence the fact that I sold the cigar-case at Moreton Wells.” “Well, the ground is clear so far,” said Chris. “Do you know Van Sneck?” “{ know Van Sneck very well,” Raw- lins said, without hesitation. “A won- derfully clever man.” “And a great scoundrel, I presume?” “Well, on the whole, I should say mot. Weak rather than wicked. Van neck has been a tool and creature of Henson’s for years. If he could only keep away from drink, he might make @ fortune. But what has Van Sneck got to do with it?” “A great deal,” Chris said, drily. “And now please follow carefully what I am going to say. A little time ago we poor, persecuted women, put our heads together to get free from Regin- ald Henson. We agreed to ask Mr. David Steel, the well known novelist, to show us a way of escape. U) ppi- iy for us, Henson got to know of it.” Rawlins was really interested at last. “Pardon me,” he said, eagerly, “if I as a question or two before you pro- ceed. Is Mr. David Steel the genile- man who found a man half-murdered in his house in Brighton?” “The same. But don’t you know who the injured man was?” “You don’t mean to say it was Van Sneck?” Rawlins cried. Chris nodded gravely. Rawlins ap- peared like a man who was groping about in a sudden dazzle of light “I begin- to understand, tered. The scoundrel!” “After that I will resume.” @aid. Steel was a stranger to us. upon the idea of interviewir aponymously, so to speak, going to give him a gun-me ease mounted in diamonds. of mine purchased that cis ase at Lockhart’s. Mind you, Reginald Hen- son knew all about this. The same day Henson's tool, Van Sneck, purchased a similar case from Walen’s—a case really procured for your approyal— | and later on in the day the case passed from Vaa Sneck to Henson, who dex- terously changed the cases.” “Complex,” Rawlins muttered. I begin to see what is coming.” “The cases were changed, and the one from Walen’s in due course, be- came Mr. Steel’s. Now note where Henson’s diabolical cunning comes in. The same night Van Sneck is found half-murdered in Mr. Steel’s house, and in his pocket is the receipt for the very eigar-case that Mr. Steel claimed as hhig property.” “Very awkward for Steel,” Rawlins said, thoughtfully. “Of course it was. And why was it done? So that we should be forced to come forward and exonerate Mr. Steel from blame. We should have had to ttell the whole story, and hen Henson would have learned what steps we were taking to get rid of him.” Rawlins was quiet tor some time. Admiration for the scheme was upper- most in his mind, but there was an- «@her thought that caused him to iance curiously at Chris. “And that is all you know?” -erked. “Not quite,” Chris replied. “I know ‘that on the day of the attempted mur- der Van Sneck quarreled with Regi- ‘gald Henson, whom he said had treat- -ed him badly. Van Sneck had in some way found out that Reginald Henson vmeant mischief to Mr. Steel. Also, he couldn't get the money he wanted. Probably he had purchased that cigar- -ease-at Walen’s, and Henson could not rrepay him for the purchase of it. Then he went off and wrote to Mr. Steel, asking the latter to see him, as he ‘had threatened Henson he would do. “Ah!” Chris exclaimed, suddenly. “Are you sure of this?” “I’m afraid this has come as a shock to you,” Rawlins said, quietly. “Te has,’ indeed,” says Chris. “And ‘your reasoning is so dreadfully logic- A friend “But he “Well, I may be wrong, after all,” Rawlins suggested. Chris shook her head, doubtfully. ‘Bhe felt absolutely assured that Raw- ilims was right. But then, Henson would hardly have run so terrible a risk for a little thing like that. He could easily have silenced Van Sneck by a specious promise or two. There rmust be another reason for— “It came to Chris ina moment. She saw the light quite plainly. “Mr. Smith,” she said, eagerly, “where did you first meet Henson and “Van Sneck?” “We first came together some eight oyears ago in Amsterdam.” “Would you mind telling me what your business was?” “So far as I can recollect, it was connected with some old silver—Will- iam and Mary and Queen Anne cups and jardinieres. We had a bit of a find that we could authenticate, but we wanted a lot of the stuff, well— faked. You see, Van Sneck was an authority on that kind of thing, and we employed him to cut marks off small genuine things and attach them to spurious large ones. On the whole, we made a very successful business of it for a long time.” “You found Van Sneck an excellent copyist. Did he ever copy anything for you?” “No. But Henson employed him now and then. Van Sneck could construct a thing from a mere description. There was a ring he did for Henson—” “Was that called Prince Rupert's ring, by any chance?” “That was the name of the ring. Why?” éi “We will come to that presently. Did you ever see Prince Rupert’s ring?” “Well, I did. It was in Amsterdam again, about a year later than the time I mentioned just now. Henson brought the real ring for Van Sneck to copy. Van Sneck went into raptures over it. He said he had never seen anything of the kind so beautiful. He made a copy of the ring, which he handed back, with the original, to Hen- son.” Chris nodded. This pretty faithful copy of the ring was one that Henson had used as a magnet to draw Lady Littimer’s money, and the same one that had found its way into Steel’s possession. But Chris had another idea to follow up. “You hinted to me just now that Henson was short of money,” she said. “Do you mean to say he is in dire need of some large sum?” “That’s it,” Rawlins replied. “I rather fancy there has been some stir with the police over some business up at Huddersfield some years ago.” “A so-called home both there and at Brighton?” : “That’s it. It was the idea that Hen- son conveyed to me when I saw him at Moreton Wells. It appears that a cer- tain Inspector Marley, of the Brighton police, is the same man who used to have the warrants for the Hudders- field affair in his hands. Henson felt pretty sure that Marley had recog- nized him. He told me that, if the werst came to the worst he had some- thing he could sell to Littimer for a large sum of money.” “I know!” Chris exclaimed. the Prince Rupert’s ring!” “Well, I can’t say anything about that. Is this ring a valuable proper- ty? . “Not in’ itself. But the loss of it has caused a dreadful lot of misery and suffering. Mr. Smith, Reginald Hen- son had no business with that ring at all. He stole it, and made it appear “It’s that somebody else had done so by} ; means of conveying the copy to the | very person who showd have pos- sessed it. The sad business broke up a happy home and has made five peo- ple miserable for many years. And, whichever way you turn, whichever way you look, you find the cloven foot of Henson everywhere. Now, what you have told me just now gives me a new idea. The secret that Henson was going to sell to Lord Littimer for a large sum was the story of the miss- ing ring and the restitution of the same.” “Kind of brazening mean? “Yes.° Lord Littimer would «give three times ten thousand pounds to have that ring again. But at this point Henson has met with a serious check in his plans. Driven into a corner, he has resolved to make a clean breast of it to Lord Littimer. He procured the ring from his strong box and then he makes a discovery.” “Which is more than I have. Pray proceed.” “He discovers that he has not got the real Prince Rupert's ring.” Rawlins looked up with a slightly- puzzled air. “Will you kindly tell me what you mean?” he said. ie “It was a forgery. Van Sneck made a copy from a mere description. That copy served its purpose with a ven- geance, and is now at the bottom of the North Sea. I need not go into de- tails, because it is a family secret, and does not concern our conversation at all. At that time the real ring came into Henson’s possession, and he want- ed a copy to hold over the head of an unfortunate lady whom he would have ruined before ‘ong. You told me just now that Van Sneck had fallen in love with Priace Rupert’s ring and Se hardly bear to part with it. He n’t.” “No? But how could he retain it?” “Quite easily. The copy was quite faithful, but still it was a copy. But, secretly, Van Sneck makes a copy that would deceive anybody but an expert, and this he hands over to—” “To Henson as the real ring,” Raw- lins cried, excitedly. Chris smiled, a little pleased at her acumen. “Precisely,” se said. “I see that you are inclined to be of my opinion.” “Well, upon my word, I am,” Raw- lins confessed.- “But I don’t quite see why—” “Please let me finish,” Chris went on, excitedly. “Reginald Henson is driven back to his last trenches. He has to get the ring for Lord Littimer. He takes out the ring, after all these years, never dreaming, that Van Sneck would dare to play such a trick upor him, and finds out the forgery. Did you ever see that man when he was really angry?” “He is mot pretty then,” Rawlins it out, you said. “Pretty! He is murder personified. Kindly try to imagine his feelings when he discovers he has been de- ceived. Mind you,this is only a the- ory of mine, but I feel certain that it will prove correct. Henson’s last hope is snatched away from him. But he does not go straight to Van Sneck and accuse him of his duplicity. He knows that Van Sneck stole the ring for sheer love of the gem, and that he would not part with it. He assumes that the ring is in Van Sneck’s posses- sion. And when Van Sneck threat- ened to expose part of the business to Mr. Steel, Henson makes no attempt to soothe him. Why? Because he sees a cunning way of getting back the ring. He himself lures Van Sneck to Mr. Steel’s house, and there he almost murders him for the sake of the ring. Of course, he meant to kill Van Sneck in such a way that the blame could not possibly fall upon him.” “Can you prove that he knew any- thing about it?” “I can prove that he knew who Van Sneck was at the time when the hos- pital people were doing their best to identify the man. And I know how fearfully uneasy he was when he got to know that some of us were aware who Van Sneck was. It has been a pretty tangle for a long time, but the skein is all coming out smoothly at last. And if we could get the ring which Henson forced by violence from Van Sneck—” “Excuse me. He did nothing of the kind.” Chris lookeed up eagerly. “Oh” she cried, “have you more to tell me, then?” © “Nothing authentic,” Rawlins said; “merely surmise. Van Sneck is go- ing to recover. If he does it will be hard for Henson, who ought to get away with the plunder at once. Why doesn’t he go and blackmail Lord Lit- timer and sell him the ring and clear out of the country? He doesn’t do so because the ring is not in his posses- sion.” “Then you imagine that Van Sneck—” “Still has the ring probably in his possession at the present moment. If you only knew where Van Sneck hap- pened to be.” “I do know!” she exclaimed. “He is in the house where he. was half- murdered. And Mr. Steel shall know all this before he sleeps to-night.” CHAPTER LI. Heritage is Willing. Bell’s sanguine eexpectation that Van Sneck would be ready for an im- mediate operation was not quite cor- rect. As the day wore on the man seemed more feverish and restless, which feverishness was followed by a certain want of strength. After due deliberation, Dr. Cross suggested that the operation should be postpcued for a day or two. “The man is in our hands,” he said. “You have identified him, and you de- sire that he should remain here. It is pretty irregular, altogether, and I hope I shan’t get into trouble over it. Still, in such capable hands as yours—” Bell acknowledged the compliment with a smile. “Between Heritage and myself,” he said, “we shall pull him through, eh, Heritage?” The other doctor nodded brightly. For some little time he had been di- rectly under Bell’s influence, and that had meant a marvellous change for the better. He had lost a deal of his hesitating manner, and was looking forward to the operation with the keenest interest. % “However, I will put you all right,” Bell said. “I fancy the time has | come when we can confide, td a cer- | tain extent in Marley. And if the po- | lice approve of Van Sneck being here, |} don’t see that you can say any more.” 2 Cross was emphatically of the same opinion. Later on, in the course of a long interview with Marley, Bell and Steel opened the latter’s eyes to a con- siderable extent. “Well, I must congratulate you, sir,” he said to Steel: “I’m bound to con- fess that things looked pretty black against you at one time. Indeed, I should have been fully justified in ar- esting you for the attempted murder of Van Sneck.” “But you never deemed me guilty, Marley?” “No, I didn’t,” Marley said, thought- fully. “I argued in your favor against my better judgment. I gather, even now, that there is a great deal for me to know.” “And which you are not going to learn,” Bell said, drily. “When we have Van Sneck all right again, and ready to swear to the author of the mischief, you wil] have to be satis- fied.” 2 “That would satisfy me, sir: And I’m glad that your cigar-case mystery is settled. You'll let me know how the operation goes on?” Steel promised to do so, and the two returned to Downend Terrace togeth- er: They found Heritage a little ex- cited and disturbed. “Do you know I have had a visitor?” he exclaimed. Bell started slightly. just a little anxious. “Tm going to guess at once,” he said. “Reginald Henson has been here.” “You are certainly a wonderful fel- low,” Heritage said, admiringly. “No- body else could possibly have guessed that. He came to see me, of course.” “Of course,” Bell said, drily. ‘Nat- urally, he would have no ulterior mo- tive. Did he happen to know that we had a kind of patient under our roof?” Heritage explained that Henson seemed to know something about it. Also, by singular coincidence, he hat met Van Sneck abroad. He expressed a desire to see the patient, but Her- itage’s professional caution had got the better of his friendship for once. Henson had given way, finally, saying uaa he hoped to call again later in the “It’s a good thing you were firm,” Bell said, grimly. “Otherwise there would have been no need for an oper- ation on Van Sneck. My dear Heri- tage, it’s quite time your eyes were opened to the true nature of your friend. Henson watched and myself out of the house. He wanted, to see Van Sneck; he has probably known from the first that the latter weMatter of r of philanthropy, perhaps,” Heritage suggested. me “A matter of murder,” Bell said, sternly. “My dear fellow, Van Sneck was neatly done to death in yon ‘ He looked grees conservatory, id his would-be as- sassin was inald Henson!” “J was never more astounded in my life!” gasped, Heritage. “I have al- ways looked upon Henson as the soul of honor and integrity. And he has always been kind to me.” “For his own purposes, no doubt. You say that he found you a home after your misfortunes came upon you. He came to see you frequently. And yet he always harped upon that un. happy hallucination of yours. Why? Because you were the Carfax doctor for a time, and at any moment you might have given valuable information concerning the suicide of Claire Car- fax. Tell Heritage the story of Prince Rupert’s ring, Steel.” David proceeded to do so at some length. Heritage appeared to be deep- ly interested. And, gradually, many long-forgotten things came back to him. “T recollect it all perfectly well,” he said. “Miss Carfax and myself were friends. Like most people with bad- ly-balariced intellects, she had her brilliant moments. Why, she showed me the ring with a great deal of pride, but she did not tell me its history. She was very strange in her manner: that morning; indeed, I warned her father that she wanted to be most carefully looked after.” “Did she say how she got the ring?” Steel asked. Heritage did not answer for a mo- ment. “Oh, yes,” he said, presently. “She said it was a present from a good boy, and that Reginald Henson had given it to her in an envelope. I met Hen- scn close by, but I didn’t mention the ring.” “And there you have the whole thing in a nutshell!” Bell exclaimed. “Nothing of this came out at the in- quest, because the ring story was hushed up, and Heritage was not called, because he had nothing to do with the suicide. But Henson prob- ably saw poor Claire Carfax shew you the ring, and got a bit frightened; and he kept an eye upon you afterwards. When you broke down he looked after you, and he took precious good care to keep your hallucination always before your eyes. Whenever he came to see you he always did that.” “You are quite right there,” Her- itage admitted. “He mentioned it this afternoon,, when I said I was going to take part in the operation on Van Sneck. He asked me if I thought it wise to try my nerves so soon again with the electric light.” “And I hope you told him he was talking nonsense,” Bell said, hastily. “There, let us change the subject. The mere mention of that man’s name sti- fles me.” Morning brought a long letter from Chris Henson to David, giving him in detail the result of her recent inter- view with John Rawlins. There was a postcript to the letter, which David showed to Bell with a certain mali- cious glee. “A nasty one for.our friend enson,” he said. “‘What a sweet surprise it will be for that picturesque gentleman the next time he goes blackmailing to Longdean Grange.” Bell chuckled in his turn. The net was drawing close about Henson. “How is Van Sneck to-day?” David asked. “Much better,” Bell replied. “I pro- pose to operate to-night. I’m glad to hear that your mother is going to be away for a day or two longer.” Heritage appeared to be ready and eager for the work before him. A specially powerful electric light had been rigged up in connection with the study lamp, and an operating table im- provised from the kitchen. More than ence Bell looked eagerly at Heritage, but the latter stood the scrutiny brave- ly. Once the cperation was success- fully through, Heritage would never suffer from hallucinations again. “I fancy everything is ready now,” Bell said, at length. “After dinner to- night and this thing will be done. Then the story will be told—” ee Reginald Henson to see you, sir.” - A servant looked in with this in- formation and a card on a tray. There was a slight commotion outside, the vision- of a partially-wrecked bicycle on the path and a dusty figure in the hall with his head in his hand. “The gentleman has met with an ac- cident, sir,” the parlor maid said. Henson seemed to be knocked about a great deal. He was riding down the terrace, he said, when suddenly hi Tan over a dog, and—” % ‘What sort dos?” snappe out. hat fort 2 Ata Sized Henson was suddenly taken aback by the suddenness of the question. He gasped and stammered. He could not have told Bell more plainly that the “accident” was an artistic fake. “You must stay here until you feel all right again,” David suggested. “Stay for the night,” Bell growled, sotto voce. “Stay here till to-morrow morning and hear something from Van Sneck’s lips that will finish his inter- esting career for some time. Medical treatment be hanged. A clothes brush and some soap and water are all the physic he requires.” Presently Henson professed himself to be better. His superficial injuries he bore with a manly fortitude quite worthy of his high reputation. He could afford to smile at them. But he feared that there was something in- ternal of a sufficiently serious nature. Every time he moved he suffered ex- quisite agony. He smiled in a faint kind of way. Bell watched him as a cat watches a mouse, and he could read a deeper purpose behind that soft, caressing manner. What it was he did not know, but he meant to find out before the day was passed. “Hadn’t we better send him to the hospital?” David suggested. “What for?” was Bell’s brutal re- sponse. There’s nothing whatever the matter with the man.” “But he has every appearance of great pain.” “To you, perhaps, but not to me. The man is shamming.. He has come here for some purpose, which will be pretty sure to transpire presently. The knave never dreams that we are watch- ing him, and he hugs himself with the delusion that we take his story for gos- pel. Fancy a man in the state he pre- tends to be sending in his card to you! Let him stay where we can keep an eye on the chap. So long as he is un- der our observation he can’t do any _ “And now, do not let me detain you, as you have business,” he smiled. “I shall be quite comfortable here if you place a glass of water by my side. Tho pain makes me thirsty. No, you need not have any further consideration for me.” “I fancy we can leave him now,” Bell said, with deep sarcasm. “We need have no further anxiety. Perfect rest is all that he requires.” Henson nodded, in a sleepy fashion; his eyes were closed now until the others had left the room. Once he was alone, he was alert and vigorous again. “Ten minutes,” he muttered, “say, a quarter of an hour. A touch, a spot of water, and the thing is done. And I can never be found out.” (To be Continued.) INTO HIS NEIGHBOR’S YARD. Why Amos Bronson Alcott Had No Potato Bugs—Threw Them Over Fence. The older inhabitants of Concord, Mass., are very fond of telling stories about the great men who have made their town famous, and its dreamy philosopher, Amos Bronson Alcott, is the hero of many of their reminis- ences. He always preached the doctrine of love to all creatures and was never known to harm any living thing; thus it was a great source of wonder to his neighbor that, while his potatoes were overrun with bugs, Alcott’s were re- markably free. One way the mystery was solved/ for the philosopher was detected carefully removing the bugs from his plants and throwing them over the fence.—New York Times. The Astute Salesman. An astute salesman was enjoined by his, employer to be strictly honest— but to sell goods. Next day the salesman displayed some new fabrics, saying to the lady shoppers: “Here is some calico that looks just like silk,” but they turned up their noses scornfully. The following day he said to the ,Same shoppers: “Here is some silk that is made to look like calico.” And they bought every yard of it. This shows us that we should use due judgment as to which end of a truth is first presented —Judge. Opium Among Thieves. After a gun (crook) has grafted for some time his nervous system becomes affected and he needs a_ stimulant. Most of grow addicted either to oplum, choloral, morphine or whiskey. Even at this early period I began to take a little opium, and when a grafter is doped he is very reckless. I will say one thing for opium, however. That drug never makes a man careless of his personal appearance. A grafter who drinks will do down and out as a bum, but an opium fiend never forgets to dress well.—Leslie’s Monthly. Counter Confidences. “Liz,” confided the girl at the rib- bon counter, “you know I told you I got engaged to a German count at the summer hotel?” “Yes.” “Well, he isn’t a count at all. He’s cashier in a dairy lunch room down street.” “Ain’t that nice, though? You'll get to see him this winter again. I was lucky, too. The millionaire’s son I fell in love with drives a delivery wagon for this store.’—Judge. Wiht Advantages. Black—They tell me your wife is quite a whistler.” White—She is. Whistles all the evenings.” “And you allow it! Doesn’t it annoy you?” “It doesn’t annoy me, and as for allowing it, I encourage her in it.” “why?” “Because a woman can’t whistle and” talk at the same time. D’ye see the’ advantage?—Cassel’s Journeal. Filial Sympathy. “When I was your age,” said Mr. Goldbags, sternly, “I earned my own living.” His son looked uneasy, but was si- lent. | “Well, have you nothing to say for yourself in that connection?” “N—nothing, sir, except that I sym- pathize with you, and congratulate you on the fact that it’s all over.”—Tit- Bits. The Feminine View. | Zidbits of News f ~ for > 3 Scandinavians VESENRT SUCIALIDI¥L. Danish Liberals Fear Old Allies and Look for New Ones. Denmark seems to be in for some lively political doings. The Conserv- atives look upon the Liberals as their natural enemies, and are disposed to make trouble for almost everybody. The Liberals need the Conservative support, however, for they intend to cut adrift from the Social Democrats. who are now becoming too radical for even the Liberals. In commenting upon the election of the upper house of the rigsdag, which, for the first time, has given the Danish Democracy full power, the government organ announc- ec that the Liberals have co-operated with the Socialists for the last time, and that hereafter the Conservatives must join with the Liberals in fighting their common enemy, the Socialists. The Social Democrats retort that this action on the part of the Liberals will provoke thousands of small trades- men, cottagers and agricultural labor- ers to flock to their cause, thus mak- ing Denmark the first Socialist state in Europe. While the Socialists are boastful, it is said to be certain that the Conserv- atives will be needed by the govern- ment. Disappointed by their defeat in the election for members of the upper house of the rigsdag, the Danish Con- servatives have turned against the king, declaring that his majesty can no longer expect them to support the throne, inasmuch as he has consented es that the Liberais have co-operated mies. It will take much tact to win over the party which has been in con- trol so long. Though bearing no sym- pathy with the Socialists, the old Con- servatives may join with them in de- feating the government’s plans. SINGERS AS HOSTS. Swedish Singers of Minneapolis Al- ready Planning for the Sangarfest Next July. Active preparations for the musical festival, or “sangerfest,” to be held in Minneapolis, July 21-24, under the aus- pices of the western division of the American Union of Swedish Singers, are in progress. The local executive committee has had several meetings of late, and have prepared the general program for the fest. It will begin Tuesday morning, July 21, with a gen- eral reception to the singers. In the afternoon there will be a parade of the visiting societies, a rehearsal of the grand chorus, and in the evening a “sexa” for the singers. The big con- certs will take place on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, July 22 and 23. The business meetings will be held in the daytime. | Doubtless some forms of entertain- ment will be provided for the visitors who are not delegates to the conven- ion, but this is a detail which will be left to later meetings of the commit- ee. The affair will close with a pic- ic at Lake Minnetonka, on Friday, uly 24. | NOBEL’S PRINCELY PRIZES. ne Likely to Come to America This Year. It is quite likely that an American ill receive one of the big Nobel prizes tt the next annual distribution. Con- fincea that the realm of science is no longer a European monopoly, the wedish Academy of Sciences has in- ‘ited Johns Hopkins university, of Bal- mire, Prof. Michaelson, of the Uni- Wersity of Chicago and Prof. Hale, of the Yerkes observatory, to propose candidates next year for the Nobel prizes in physics and chemistry. 5 The medals which accompany the prizes awarded last year have recently been completed. Three were designed by the Swedish sculptor, Erik Lind- berg, and the peacd al by the Nor- [ wegiag sculptor, Vigeland. The re- Véise {s th Profile ortrait, of ae fred Nobel. The obvérsé si6ws allé- gorical groups, respectively illustrat- ing literature, science and medicine. LIBERALS GAIN. Swedish Rigsdag Will See Many Im: portant Changes. Franchise reforms seem to be prac- Wederly—Remarkable thing about! tically assured in Sweden. the disappearance of $27,000 from a! safety-deposit vault belonging to a bookmaker. 3 Mrs. Wederly—Yes; and the most remarkable thing about it is that he had it to lose. Wederly—Why so? Bs Mrs. Wederly—Oh, most writers complain that literature don’t pay.— Chicago News. Up Against It. Tired Tatters—Here’s a piece in dis paper wot’s an insult to de profesh. Weary Walker—Wot’s it, say? Tired Tatters—It sez dat a feler ortn’t ter eat nuttin when he’s tired. _ Weary Walker—Well, wot’s de mat- ter wid dat? Tired Tatters—Wot’s de matter wid it? Say, youse want er feller ter starve ter death?—Chicago News. A Little Misunderstanding. , Young Mother—What will. you charge for a photograph of ouy little boy?” Photographer—Three dollars, ma- dam—but it will be considerably cheaper for’a dozen.” Young Mother—A dozen! Oh, no, We can’t wait so long,—Lippincott’s. A Rural Parisian. Joshua—And Jake's got back from Paris. They say he’s fearfully stuck county that ever crossed the ocean.” Judson—Yes; but don’t make you tired the way that blamed gillie went and put 50 cents’ worth of hartshorn in his hard cider to make it taste like absinthe?—Judge. tn Harlem. Mijjit—What do you think of mar ried life? ‘ Fijjit—It's a flat failure —New. ie Xow up over his trip. First man in the hull | composed by Johan Skol Half the elections of members of the Swedish rigsdag, hinging on the fran- chise question, are over, and hay re- sulted in a net gain of fifteen Liberal seats. The Liberals are confident of securing a majority eventually. Even some of the most conservative farmer * members are being pledged to support franchise legislation. The defeat of Johnson, the oldest conservative mem- ber, will probably result in the election to the speakership of Hedin of Stock- holm, an extreme Radical, who would be expected to deliver a striking ad- dress to the king. “Kongen” Well Received. Bjornson’s drama, “Kongen,” (The King) was presented at the National theater, Christiania, Sept. 11, before a large and cultured audience. The ap- plause was continuous, and after the fall of the curtain the author was called out several times and given ova- tions of the most enthusiastic kind. The action throughout revealed that Bjornson’s methods as a stage manag- er are still of a very high order .Some of the morning papers, though com- mending the performance and ac- knowledging that “Kongen” has much merit, find weak points and doubt if it will prove a lasting success. Peasants and Poet. All Denmark is singing a new song. \dborg, and en* titled “Husmandssang,” (The Cottag- er’s Song.) It is less than a year since the song wag, published, but it has se- cured such a hold on the Danish peo- ple as to make it one of the songs of the nation. Skoldborg is himself a peasant born and bred, and has an in- timate knowledge of the trials and pleasures of the small tenant farmers and a deep love of nature in all her A * - tw