* 4d..____ THE HEIB [ll lllllHWlLL CHASE. BY T. W. Srniunr. CHAPTER I. “ Good gracious, Therese 1 Whatever is the matter? You look for all the world as if you were going to have a bad illness,’ said Mrs. Marchment as she pushed back on its casters the low chair on which she was sitting, and thereby widened the dis- tance between herself and the person she had thus addressed. “ I hope to goodueSS you have caught nothing infectious. _ I am told there is a great deal of fever in the neighbourhood just now.†“It is nothing but a sick headache, inadameâ€"â€"iiothing but that, I assure you,†’ was the reply in the quiet, unmodulated tones in which Mrs. Marchment’s maid habitually addressed her mistress. “ If madame can spare me, I Will mix myself a tisane, and lie down for a few hours. I haVe had these headaches before, and know how to treat them. Madame may rely upon it that I shall be quite well again by morn. in .†. Therese Cobran, although Swiss by birth, had resided in England for so many years that only by a slight peculiarity m the pro- nunciation of certain words could her forei norigin be detected. . , . “ o, by all means. Of course, it Will. be very inconvenient for me if you are not beliter by morning; but, in that case, Dr. Marsden had better see you as soon as pos- sible.†“ Madame is very kindâ€"as she always is; but I shall be quite well by to-nior- row.†“ You had butter go at once. As you pass the nursery, you can tell Fanny Dale to bring me my cup of tea this afternoon, and that she will have to attend me later on while I dress. " Therese curtsied and left the room. As she shut the door softly behind her, the ex- pression of her face changed with startling suddenness. It was as though a mask had been plucked away. She was no longer the same woman who was in the habit of gomg about her duties with a general air of self- cdacement, and whose manner towards her somewhat imperious and quick-tempered mistress Was one of aervile, not to say fawn- ing, obsequiousness. The thin hard lines of her mouth curved into a smile of inalicious~â€" it might almost be called malignantâ€"Tui- umph ; her light-coloured eyes, neither oluc nor gray, but an indeï¬nile mixture of the twoâ€"which usually looked out at the world from the ambush of the white lashes with such a cold and almost ï¬sh-like regardâ€" seemed as if they had been lighted up from behind, and gleamed like two vivid sparks of baleful ï¬re. “Step number one, chem madamr," she said, turning as if to address her mistress, although there was the closed door between them, while nodding her head slowly_and meaningly, “ Step number tWo to-night. Ah, but you shall sufl‘er 3â€"you shall suffer .’ you shall suffer ‘.†Pressing her clenched hand to her bosom shestood motionless for a few moments, as if tolgive time for the ï¬re which hadso sudden- ly lazed up to die down again. Then, with swift and noiseless step, she went the length of the corridor and opened a door at the farther end. As she did so, a pretty picture met her view. The room, which was a large one, was ï¬tted up as a nursery, witlia rock- ing-horse and a swing, and toys of varioui kinds scattered about the floor. Its only oc- cupants were a girl of seventeen and a sturd y handsome, brown-eyed lad somewhere about three years old. The child was Frank Overton Marchment, grandson and heir to Sir Harry Marchnient of Rothwell Chase ; the girl was his nursemaid, Fanny Dale. At the moment Therese opened the door, Fanny, with a long rein affixed to one oflier arms, the other end of which \vas held by the boy, was slowly careering round an im- aginary sawdusted circle, while Master Frank enacted the part of ring~master, do- ing his best to make his whip crack and shouting “ Houp-la l†in a shrill treble. “ Law, mamzelle, how ill you look, for sure! exclaimed Fanny, as she came to a. sudden halt. “ It is nothing but a sick headache," re- plied Therese coldly. “Madame has given me leave, and I am going to lie down for a few hours. She asked me to tell you to take her a cup of tea at half-past-ï¬ve; so please not to forget. You will also have to attend her when it is time to dress for din- ner. By tomorrow I shall be quite well.†“ All right, mamzelle ; I’ll not forget,†reply-l Fanny, who was the essence of good nalure. “ And I’m sure I hope you will be better by morning.†’l‘herese stared at the child for a moment or two in silence, then nodded to Fanny and withdrew, closing the door softly be- hind her. “ Me no like Ma’zelle Teyase,†re- zuu rl. ml Frank with the outspokenness of his a C g" Why don't you like her, darling?" de- manded the nurse~girl. “ Me ‘uot like her eyesâ€"they frighten me." . Therese ascended to her room, which was on the next floor, and having secured her- self against intrusion by locking the door, she proceeded to apply a lighted match to the contents of the grate, which had been laid ready for kindling. It was a chilly afternoon in early spring, and Therese al- ways took sensible views where her own comfort was in question. A person in her position was not supposed to need a ï¬re in her bedroom ; but a shilling given now and again to the chambermaid smoothed over all difficulties in that respect. The next thing she did was to take off her black dress and her cashmere shoes and put on a comfortable wadded wrapper and a pair of warm slippers. After that she proceeded to let down her hair, of which she had a greet quantity, and the colour of which was as indeterminate as her eyes. Then she unlocked a drawer and took from it a square green bottle and a liqueur glass. Twice she filled the glass from the contents of the bottle, and twice she emptied it, Sip- ping the cordial slowly and appreciatively. Her nextmove was, by means of a sponge and a little soap and water, to wash away the streaks of bistre under her eyes, now that they had served their purpose. After that, knowing a couple of hours of inaction were before her, there. was nothing left her to do save to bask in front of the ï¬re in ii. chintz covered easy-chair, with her feet on the fender, and immerse hci'self in a French romance, which she took from the drawer that held the bottle and glass. Sir Harry Marchment of Rothwell Chase l He was a. widower and childless. His only son, a man of thirty, had died in Italy about a year before the opening of our narrative. There had been a coolness between father andson, owing to the fact of the latter having married in direct opposi- tion to Sir Harry‘s wishes, and the two had not mel- l'ur some years till that last meetâ€" ,ing of .2'; uv.;i' Frank's :loutlibcd. The woman '. me inuriage \Vllli his hcir the l baronet had so bitterly resented was the daughter of an Italian music-master and an English governws ; and Sir Harry, who had been quite aware when he left England that his on’s condition “as hopeless, had been much exercised in his mind during the journey as to the best mode [of getting his grandson, who was at that time nearly two years old, into his posses- : sion, and atthc same time having as little as possible to do with “ that low adventuress,†the child’s mother. But he had not been a dozen hours under the same roof with his daughter-in-law before the affair presented itself to him underu totally different aspect. There was no longer any question of separ- ating mother and child. Mrs. Marchmcnt‘. future home must be at Rothwell (‘hascs She was a woman any man might feel proud to have at the head of his table. That her father had been nothing higher in the social scale than a foreign musicmuster was a fact kll’lwn to but few people and the chances were that it would never reach the ears of English society. Giulia Marchment was not mercly a very handsome woman, but a very cupablc oneâ€" so capable,indeed,that the late heir of Roth- wcll Chase,with hisstolid intellectand limit- ed range of emotions,had been as wax in her ï¬ngers,to be moulded into whatsoever sha pe might suit her purposes best. {\‘he had been fairly educated, albeit after the somewhat slipshod fashion necessitated by her father‘s wandering life, (\‘ignor Viscari having been one of those restless mortals who can never settle for long at a time in any one place ; but what Giulia might lack in the way of book-learning she more than made up for in Worldly knowledge, She had lived for a longer or shorter time in nearly every Euro- pean capital, and having a gift that way, she had not failed to avail herself of her [in- guistic opportunities to the utmost. In person she was tall andstatcly, with what is sometimes termed a “ Juno style of ï¬gure." She had inherited her mother's delicate complexion and her father’s brilliant. Italian eyes, and ï¬nely arched but somewhat too prominent black eyebrows. Something else she had inherited from Signor Viscari~lo wit,a liability to sudden volcanic explosions \of temper, to bring about one of which, the morest trifle that happened to go awry would, when the mood was on her, serve as the requisite spark. Likc tropical storms, they were short and sharp ; and scarcely were they over. before fair weather would set in again. to last with all but unbroken serenity till the gradually accumulated forces, no longer to be restrain- ed, would break outoncemore, and that-some times after a. fashion which Mrs. Marchment herself was afterwards ashamed to recall. So, poor Frank Marchment having been laid to rest in alien soil. the baronet, the widow, and the youthful heir journeyed to England by easy stages, and after halting for a couple of days in London to pick up Sir Harry’s ward. Vliss Edclinc Fcnton, who had been staying with the Dowager Lady Cosgrave during her guardians absence abroad, they all travelled down to Rothwell Chase together. Since that time, nearly a year had gone by, and Mrs. Murchuieut was now looking forward to the day when, with a clear conscience, she could discard her widow’s weeds, of which she had long ago grown heartily tired, and be able again to shine forth resplendent in the silk! and velvcts which became her to perfection. Edeline Fenton, Sir Hurry,: ward, was the orphan daughter of a man who had been far dearer to the liaronet than any of his own kith and kin had ever been. At this time she was between nineteen and twenty years old, and on coming of age would in- herit a fortune of ï¬fteen thousand pounds. Her home since leavmg school had been at the Chase: and had she been Sir Harry‘s ‘ own child he could scarcely have thought more of her than he did. She had, however, during the time of her stay with Lady Cos‘ grave been guilty of a terrible blunder, which, notwithstanding all his affection for her, the baronet found it well nigh impos- sible to condone. She had allowed herself to fall in love with Evan Marchuient, her guardians nephew, and the last person on earth whose wife he would care to see her become. It was not that Evan, either by word oract had been guilty of anything which would suffice to account for his uncle’s hostility towards him ; indeed, the two had never met but twice. Evan‘s sole fault lay in the fact of his being the son of his parents, The young fellow’s mother had Chosen tojilt Sir Harryinfavourofbisyonnger and moreattrac- tivebrother,and hebadncver forgiven either her or Godfrey. Although he afterwards married, he had never carcd for Elfra Vane; and even now after the lapse of thirty years, the wound still rankled, the sore was still unhealed. When his brother died in a state that bordered on destitution, if he did not absolutely rejoice, he certainly could not be said to feel any sorrow even in its most mitigated form : and when a little later, certain timid overtures reached him from the widow, they were coldly rejected. Neither to her nor to her son should the hand of reconciliation ever be put forth by him i The widow had follOWecl herhusband to the grave no long time afterwards ; and now, at four-aud-twenty years of age, their son was ï¬lling a. responsible position in the offices of one of the largest ship-broking ï¬rms in the port of London. It had been a bitter surprise to the baro- net when his nephew called upon him at his hotel in town and asked permission of him, as the young lady’s guardian, to pay his ad~ dresses to Miss Fenton. The two were all but strangers to ca. ‘ other ; and the elder man, as he staren into the face of the younger, traced in it, or persuaded himself that he did, an unmistakable like- ness to the unforgotten features of the woman who had so cruelly jilted him. The interview was a brief but stormy one. Sir Harry stigniatised the young man’s suit as that of a mercenary fortune-limiter, and ut- terly refused to sanction his addresses in any way. So long,r as be retained his powers as guardian over Miss Fenton and her forâ€" tune, so long should Evan Marchment’s suit be treated with contumely at his hands; in- deed, his last words to him, as he pointed through the window, were : “ I would rather my word should marry yonder cros- sing-sweeper than marry you.†Sir Harry's first impulse after Evans de- parture hall been to seek an interview with was nearer seventy than sixty years of age! Edeline, tell her what had passed, and bring lto bear whatever influence he might possess over her in order to induce her to break with his nephew. But second and wiser thoughts prevailed. \Vhat if laldelinewâ€"who was a girl of spiritâ€"should refuse to recog- nize his right to interfere between her and her private aï¬cctions, and while to a Certain extent submittin to his authority (luring the eighteen months she would remain un- der age, should avow her intention of bold: ing to her engagement and of taking her own course in the matter, without let or hind- rance, the moment her twenty-ï¬rst birth- days should have come and gone. In that case, he, Sir Hrn-ry, would be made to look considerably fOolish, which he was by no means desirous of doing ; in addition to which, he would have created a. breach between liimsclfand his ward which nothing could ever wholly heal over. No ; he would bring lo boar thc wisdom of the serpent, if he could not pretend to imitate thc gentle- ness of the drive Me would ignore "the whole affair as far as Edeliuc was concerned no word as to the interview between himself and his nephew should pass his lips. \Vith Evan hard at work in London and I'ldeline secluded at Rothwcll, there would be little or no opportuniy for their meeting again for at least eighteen months to come, and there was no knowing what might happen mean- while. In short, it seemed to him that op- position. if carried further, might only serve to fan the nascent flame of mutual af- fection between the young people, whereas by quietly ignoring it, it might gradually fade and flicker out of its own accord. All this had happened ncarly a year ago, dur- ing which time Evan Marchiuunt’s name had never been mentioned either by Sir Harry or l‘ldclinc. And now iorcturn to the afternoon on which Therese (,‘ohran asked permission to be relieved of ln-r duties for :1 few hours on the plea of illnrm. Fanny Dale hopl. a watchful eye on the clock on the nursery chimney-piece. Mrs. Marcliment‘sleawas always- taken to her at half-past llvt , to the minute, Two min- ’ iitcs before the regulation time Fanny quit- tevl the nursery, closing thc door behind ; her. and ran lightly th‘VIl'St‘alI's to the kitchen, it being the cook’s duty to havcf the tea equipage in rcadincss. She would not be absent from the nursery more than three or four minutes at most, and no harm could poasibly happen to ‘ Master Frank meanwhile. She left him sit- ’ ting in the middle of the floor, happy 0\'€l‘ a new toy ; the window was shut, and the ï¬re was protected by a guard. The day had been gloomy and overcast, and although the ; short afternoon was fast closing in, it was . . . .. l scarcely dark enough to light the lamp. l he l girl told herselfthat it would be time enough . to light it after she should have taken Mrs. , Marchment her tea. After lingering for a minute's gossip in l the kitchen, Fanny took the tray up to the 1 smalldmwing-room. There she found Miss l lf‘enton who had just come in from riding, and, at Mrs Marchment’s invitation, had agreed to join her over tea. Fanny was accordingly sent down-stairs for a second cup and saucer. It might be said of the widow and Sir Harry’s ward that they were on good terms with each other without them being any , pretence of cordiality on either side. They had too few qualities or tastes in common to allow of their ever being attracted one to the other. They generally met at the brcak~ fast table ; but after that meal each went her own way, and they rarely saw anything : more of each other till the (liiincznliell once more brought them together. Fanny having brought the second cup and saucer, at once went her way back to the nursery. She had not been gone more than seven minutes in all. The first thing she was aware of on opening the door was that the long window which gave on the balcony was wide open. With an exclamation of dismay, she made a hurried stop or two for- ward and then paused, while her eyes went instinctively in search of the child. No~ harl darkened during her absence, and the corners of the room lay deep in shadow. l Frank had a child's delight in hiding him- self when nobody was about, and but for the open window Fanny would have felt sure of ï¬nding him crouched behind one or another ’risk of appearing paradoxical, that, if this I where could she soc him ! But the afternoon . promise CM! settle if. and that When the time W THE II‘RANI'O-GERMAN SITIIATION. An Inevitable Conflict Pemllng. To-day, as yesterday, as to-morrow, and as for a long time to come, the situation of France and Germany forms the great sub- ject of anxiety which is imposed upon the meditation of all European statesmen. At no other point is it foreseen that war can break out. Russia has great ambitions, and Italy has strong desires ; but Russia is for years doomed merely to cherish ambi- ’tions, for she cannot realize them single 'handed, and it does not depend upon her to provoke a general war, which would be one result of her combined action with France : while as for Italy, she will never :venture to give the signal of War, for if she did, she would be left to herself, and would be speedily crushed. It could be solely as the result of a general war that Italy could obtain her share, and in the present state of her alliances she could take that share only from France, so that a general war alone could procure it for her, inasmuch as, if she were left Single-handed, she would not be able to overcome France. Neither Austria nor England dreams of war. It is therefore still, as twenty years ago, France and Ger- many who could occasion war ; because, ’ whatever may be alleged, whatever may be proclaimed, or whatever may be concealed, . these two nations desire warâ€"war, ï¬rst for : its own sake, and next for the rest ; and if, in order to have done with this everlasting Franco-German nightmare, Europe could now promise to fold her arms, and after- wards tomtervene merely as arbiter, War would break out tomorrow between France and Germany, for the fatality of war haunts and overrides both nations. An end should be put once for all to the ï¬ction which everybody affects to believe, but which is believed by nobody who is accustomed to search for the truth of things by probing humandcpths: it is not true that the Alsace- Ijorrainc question is what places France and Germany face to face with hater in their eyes. I have long been tormented by the desire of telling the simple, real, and unrlisguised truth on this subject. What makes the Germans and French implacably confront each other is the unexpected defeat of the latter and the crushing victory of the for- mer. Alsace and Lorraine are objects of gricf and pride chiefly because they are the Signal and tangible testimonyof the triumph of one party and the overthrow of the other. By this I do not mean that the French do not love Alsace and Lorraine. I only mean that they love them all the more because by recovering them they would at the Srlmc time rcstorc their prestige. Nor do I mean that tho-Germans do not set great szorc on them, seeing that by keeping them they remain at the same time victors holding the from: rank. Thus Alsace and Lorraine, dear to the one, precious to the other, are for both, above all things, the symbol of defeat and the symbol of Victory. Their restitution pure and sim- ple would not suflice those who have lost them. It would not ofï¬ce the bitterness of the vanquished or the pride of the victor 2 it would leave untouched, despite protocols and treaties, the irremediable antagonism which separatf‘s the two nations : arid this feeling is such, I venture to affirm at the were not an absurd hypothesis, -the French would be more easily resigned to leaving the Germans Alsace and Lorraine after openly defeating them, just as the Germans would suffer less from a. surrender of these two provinces after winning a fresh victory o‘er the French. For if at this moment France is anxious to prove that it was the empire much more than herself which was vanquish- ed, Germany, if the case arose, would like todemonstratc that it was France herself Which shc vanquished iu overthrowing the empire. The conclusion to be drawncfrom this is that the question remains intact be- tween France and Germany, that no com- comes, the battle-ï¬eld, the fate of arms, can alone decide afresh the antagonism of cen- turies which separates the Gaulish from the Germanic race. Till 1870 France held the supreme control of the peace of the world. No sword could piece of furniture. There were the toys she had given him to play with scattered about the floor, but the boy himself was nowhere to be seen. “ Frankie, Frankie, where are you ‘2†called the girl in frightened accents “ \Vhy don’t you speak, darling?’ A moment she stood listening, but save for the wild heat ing of her heart, all was silence. Even yet she could scarcely realise the possibility of what had happened; but a brief agoniscd search in every corner and behind every piece of furniture proved to her, a minute later. that her charge was not in Hue room. Last of all, with a dreadful sinking of the heart, she passed through the open window on to the balcony. Here it was lighter than inside the room. light enough, in fact, to have allowed of her seeing any object out of the ordinary on the gravclled drive some eight or ten feet below. But nothing was to be seen. The drive on its outer edge was bordered by a narrow margin of turf, beyond which spread a. dense shrubbcry of laurels, rhododendrons, and other even greens. Not asign of life was anywhere visible. Leaning over the balcony, the '_'ll‘l, in half-choked ~accents, again called the child by name, while feeling sure there would be no response. For a few seconds she stood with her hands pressed to her head, striving to collect her thoughts, which kept fluttering and circling round her like a flock of frightened birds of which she had lost all control. Then she said to herself: “ Perhaps he managed somehow to open the door, though I didn‘t know that he could, and has hidden himself in one of the empty rooms on purposc to frighten me.†But then came the terrifying question : “ In that case, why is the win- dow opeuwand who opened it The child himself couldn’t reach the hasp unless he were mounted on a. chair, and the chairs were all in their places. But it was imperative that action of some kind should be taken, and that Without an- other minute’s delay. “I’ll go and tell Thercsebefore sayinga word to any one else,†was the distracted girl’s resolve. It was the instinctive impulse of a weak nature to seek the counsel and help of one strongerthan it- self. .,n (TO ME CONTINUED. Nâ€"W “ Now, Johnny," said papa, “ who was Adam ?†“ He was the man who discover- ed the world,†said Johnny. When a. man starts out to lecture he puts on a dress suit. When a women starts out to lecture she puts on a nightgown. be unsheathed in Europe withoutlier consent. Nupolcon III. was the great arbiter. A frown from him darkened the horizon. The day after he expressed regret to Biron Hub- ner at not being in accord with Austria, the the stock exchanges were in a panic. and Austria and Prussia concluded a hasty peace before the master had time to show dissatis- faction. Since the war of 1870 this role has ceased to belong to France. Germany has usurped it, and her claim to it is what has revolted the Czar, who remains alone, striv- ing by his deliberate isolation to neutralize the unwelcome supremacy of Germany, allowing France to render him apparent homage in order to emphasize his attitude but really knowing himself to be doomed to immobility as long as he remains outside the allied empires. We may rest assured that what weighs upon the heart of France is the inversion of authority, the lost place in the front rank of Europe. her supremacy ques~‘ tinned, the victor for twenty years regulat- ing the march of events, the settlement of which till then belonged without dispute to the supreme will of France. This is what she cannot hear. Those who dream of set-fling the Franco-German question by a compromise must, alas I resign themselves to this. Never will this question he settled in the pure and christian atmosphere of peace. If Germany now agreed to restore Alsace and Lorraine to France in return fora pledge of everlasting peace, France Would agree to such an arranaemcnt with the greatest re- pugnance, and w0uld avert her eyes forever from the mocking deliverer who at such a price bade her sheath her sward. She has not, however, to dread any such mortiï¬ca- tion, for Germany would fly to the arms a hundred times sooner than lose her conquer- ed prey ; and notwithstanding her past victory, she, too, dreams of conï¬rming it afresh. No, peace is not concluded between the two nations. No, the era of combats between them is not over, and the sword is what must again and again decide, until the unknown time when a new morality shall govern the world, and when the God of peace shall be universally acknowledged.â€" Mr. or. BLOWITZ, in Harper’s Magazine. Jelly that has sugared can be used to sweeten cottage and batter puddings, and will add very much to their flavor. Where it has refused to jell it can be used in the same way. This fruit sugar also makes very nice sirup for cakes by putting it on the stove and adding home water to it. Make it about the consisto acy of maple sirup. FIGHTING A MAD WOLF. A Dangerous Guest Hidden in a, Newiiexl. can House. My room was at the end ofa long ball. I was familiar with every crook and turn about the house and didn’t need a light, so I passed into my room and closed the door. It occurred to me then to take a smoke, so I felt around in the dark and found a clear and struck a. match to light it. The nzxt minute I think you could have knocked me down with a feather. Away down in the darkness under the bed two ï¬ery eyes shone out like burning coals just for that brief moment that the match was burning and then it went out. Before I had time to think the creature was springing for my throat, the most savage animal I had ever met. I felt rather than saw what it was. The creature was a wolf, and it was mad. Several animals aï¬iicted with hydrophobia had been seen in the neighborhood during the past few months. There is no animal more formidable than a wolf when it has rabies, and I knew with what I had to con- tend. I had to struggle with a large wolf shut up in a dark room, and that the slight- est wound from its shar teeth meant cer- tain and horrible death to me. As it came to me ï¬rst I threw out my hands, and by some good fortune happened to strike its neck. I got both my hands about its throat and managed to hold it away from my face, but it was all that I could do. I was nervous, I suppose, and the Wolf was far stronger than it would have been under ordinary Circumstances. The froth was dripping from its mouth, and flew into my face as it struggled. It was the most desperate struggle of my life just to hold that Wolf and keep it from my face and throat, at which it constantly leaped in the most furious manner. All the time, from the moment it sprang at me ï¬rst, I had been shouting and calling to the top of my voice. There was very little hope of doing any good with it, as the servants were too far away, and my room was on the opposite side of the house from their quarters, but that was the only chance. It was very evident that I couldn’t let go my hold for an instant. It was just as evident that I couldn’t hold out this way long, and that unless help came aftcrawhile my strength would eventually give way and the wolf could tear my throat, as it was struggling then to do. And how long do you think this kept up? For two hoursâ€"- for two mortal hours by the clockâ€"I stood there, ï¬ghting for my life with the savage wolf and shouting for help every moment of the time. A I hundred times thought my strength was gone and that my arm would surely sink down powerless the next moment and yet always managed to hold him offa little longer. At last, just as I was almost in complete despair, one of the servants was aroused by my continued shouting, and came running with his gun in his hand. I managed to hold the wolf until he made a light, and then I held him while the man put the muzzle of his gun against the wolf's head and killed him as dead as Hector. And then I went to my sister’s room and had a spell . of something that would have been hysterics .- if I had been a woman. Being a man it was nothing but a case of nervous prostration. ~â€"â€"~â€".â€"â€"â€"â€" Distant Sounds Focused by Ships’ Sails. It is a well-established fact that the wide- spread sails of a ship, when rendered con- cave by a gentle breeze, are most excellent conductors of sound. The celebrated Dr. Arnott relates the following circumstances as a practical proof of this assertion : A ship was once sailing along the coast of Brazil far out of sight of land. Suddenly several of the crew, while walking along the deck, noticed that when passing and repas- ing a particular spot they always heard with great distinctness the sound of bells chiming sweet music, as though being rung but a short distance away. Dumfounded, by this phenomenon, they quickly communi< cated the discovery to their mates, but none of them was able to solve the enigma. as to the origin of these seemingly mysterious sounds. Several months afterward, upon return- ing to Brazil, some of the listeners deter- mined to satisfy their curiosity. According- ly, they mentioned the circumstance to their friends, and were informed that at the time when the sounds were heard the bells in the cathedral at San Salvador, on the coast, had been ringing to celebrate a feast held in honor of one of the saints. Their sound, wonderful to relate, favored by a gentle, steady breeze, had travelled a distance of upward of 100 miles over the smooth water, and had been brought to a focus by the sails at the particular locality in which the sweet sounds were ï¬rst heard. This is but one of several instances ofa. sim ilar kind, trustworthy authorities claiming that it has often happened under somewhat similar circumstances. .0â€" Slieletons “’ith Tails. A discovery which will prove of immense interest to ethnologists has been made at the little hamlet of Sinaloa, Mexico, within the past few days while breaking ground for a. large coffee plantation, which is being established by an English syndicate. The ï¬nd consists of thousands of skeletons either of large apes or of prehistoric human beings of a very low order. If the remains are of apes they were of gigantic size and of a variety no longer extant, while if they are of men the men were provided with dis- tinct caudal appendages, very thick and Short, and curled up like a squirrel’s. That they are the skeletons of apes can hardly be doubted, judging from the arms, which reached nearly a. foot below the knee, and the thumbs which are also abnormally long and curved, with exceedingly sharp and powerful nails. The feet, too, show that they were intend- ed for climbing, rather than walking, and are also provided with claws and prehensile toes of unusual length. It is probable that the large number of skeletons fouud‘is due to abattle between tw0 bands of the animals having taken place at this spot, which is further proven by the number of broken skulls and other bones among them, and the fact that several of the skeletons were found 0 weapons, however, were discovered, but as these were probably of wood, they havé perished in the course of time. Jiii a deadly embrace. A newspaper editor sayS»-“ \Vc have re ceived a notice of marriage for insertion to which was appended the original announce~ ment, ‘ vaeethearis at a distance will accept ‘Lhis intimation.â€