The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Echo of the Past. “Well, sir.’ said Farrier, after lengthy pause “I've taken you all cvm the premises, what do you think of my house 9" His tones betrayed the keenest anxiety. for was not Mr. Butler his prospective fatherâ€"inâ€"law'.’ "I like the house,'" replied the old man, pompously. as he sat heavily inâ€" to abig armchair, "how does business go on. eh i“ Is the practice increas- lng‘?" His inquiry, as Farrier well knew. was a command. and he replied eagerâ€" ly enough: "I can honestly say, sir, that it has surpassed my expectation. Somehow everyone seems to overwhelm me with kindness, mainly, I fell sure, due to your interest in me." Mr. Butler solemnly head. "Yes, yes;I may say I have done my best for you. because I felt from the beginning that you were a good and uprigh t man. You might care to know that, before I permitted my daughter toeven be introduced to you. I made every inquiry concerning your character. Fortunately all was as I expected, and I am glad to give my consent to your engagement with my daughter and to welcome you to my family." Could the worthy banker and pilâ€" lar of the church have had but one glimple of his future son‘in-law's mind he would have somewhat altered his opinion concerning him. for an intense desire to shout or to laugh was agi- tating the younger man. whose nerves were at high tension. "I trust in the future to continue to merit your encomiums, sir," Farrier inclined his wulama-flw-nufl-n_-_-lm-flfl wounded through the house. Already he heard his boy running downstairs to open the front door and he felt frantic. Gently lifting the woman. who seemed still htil’i fainting, he plzic» “‘1 her on the. stool and locked the door. "You might have whistled buck, Jack!" rcprom-lifully exclaimed a tall. h'indsmmJ girl, :is she hurried inln the room followed by a stout elderly lady. "You look ill. dear, what's the matâ€" ter?" :lw ilnkt‘ll,l{‘thllt‘l'ly, ‘lflel‘ sht- had shyly kissed him. "I've. had a weary day, little one, and I feel utterly done up. l’rn afraid [ cannot let you both stop, for I'm expecting several patients." His lips seemed strangely dry and his tongue almost refused its office. "Now, look here. Jack! I'm your guardian angel now. and I insist on teaâ€"don't you agree mother 2" At any other time Farrier could have smiled, but now. with his past in the old cupboard, the. idea (if merry mak- .ng sickened him. Laughing and talking. the two w0« men helpwl the boy fetrh the tea things. while the man tried to be animated, but failed utterly in the attempt. He was trying to drink. when he heard with ears sharpened by anxiety 3 deep sigh coming from the cupboard, followed by a slipping. sliding noise. His heart nearly suffocMed him until he saw that nonr but himself had heard it, and he laughetr loud and long in a hysterical burst of merriment. "I'm awfully sorry, little woman," he gasped when at last his ghastly mer- riment had ceased, “but the fact is I've been overdoing it lately, and I want a holiday, badly. Please forâ€" give me." His face was white and drawn. \\'i h tears in her eyes Miss Forrest looked at her lover. “Very well. Jack, dear, we'll be off now, for it's close on (i, and I mean to try and persuade mammy and father to let us be married soon; so that your can get your holiday." She. turned lovingly to her mother. “Doesn’t he look ill inammy'l “’3 must look after him a. bit more and see that he doeSn’t overdo it." "Good-by. Jack, darling, You’ll come round toâ€"mcrrow, won't you 'I" In a few moments they were hurry- ‘mvely remarked! and the“ the inter‘ ing home through the dark streets, and View so long dreaded, was ‘at an end. "Thank God, he's gone!" he ejaculat- ed. wiping his forehead and throwing himself into a chair; "it only shows how careful one has to be. I wonder who he wrote to for my character? Well, it's no good looking at the past for now it's dead and buried, and I'm on the high road to fortune. If only I could push on the marriage I'd be rid of the haunting fear that clogs me that some ghosts from the past may throw their shadows across me even now." The door Opened, and his housekeeper, demure of aspect. and 50 years of age, glided in. of her, for he felt sure she spied on him. "Would you mind, my going out for In hour, sir i" she asked. ' "Certainly, Mrs. Capos, by all means." In a few minutes the slamming of the door told him that, save for the surgery boy, he was alone. The after- noon was foggy. and. thankful to have an hour to himself, he basket] in the warmth of the fire. ' Suddenly the surgery bell rang. and 'with a subdued grumble he went to the door. A woman. dressed quietly In Black, stood waiting in the gloom. As she entered, he caught sight of her] face, and muttered an oath. , Muriell Why do you come here '5" he asked in sharp, agonized tones. "Lpt me sit down. for I am tired out.’ _sha gasped, and reeled with ex- haustion against the closed door Half-carrying and half-dragging her. the doctor succeeded in getting his halftunconscious burden into his con- sulting room, and gently laid her on his_ sofa. Finally, after a pause which seemed an eternity, she said:’ ' Don’t look at me so fiercely. Jack. it bre‘ks my heart." l 'Jlie man. sitting on the. edge of the table, sullenly swung his legs backward l and forward, while his heart thumped.i against his ribs. "When you left London you were generous tome. I'll own, but nothing has gone well with me since. My lit- tle busmrsswent to rack and ruin, and many a. time I've starved when I had- n't bread or the means of getting it. At last. I could bear it no longer, and I have come to ask you to help me once more. I know I've done wrong in coni- ing, Jack, but no one knows my errand, andIam unknown in this out-ofâ€"theâ€" Way place. Say you"ll help me, Jack!“ .How cheerfully in the past had Farâ€" rier forged the chain that seemed deâ€" stined now to ruin and to degrade him l and honihe loathed himself as he felt it dragging now at his heels! "By all means. I'll help you, Muriel,l but don't come here again. I've done With the past forever, and I'm going to be married.” He went nervously to the door, opened it and closed it again. The woman feebly nodded. “If anything of this were to come out, I should be utterly ruined; and after all. I‘ve tried to be a good man.” Utterly absorbed in this unexpected blow. Farrier failed altogether to no- tice the increasing pallor of his visi- tor. "Let me see, would thirtyâ€"â€"â€"" .»'t quavering whistle from outside sent the blood madly to his brain. for he knew that in another minute his fiancee would be knocking at his door. “Come. .Muriell here come some visi- tors of mineâ€"and you must hideâ€"stayl get into this cupboardâ€"there's lots of room. and I'll let you out shortly." He in 12 open the door, thrust asmall stool Into the deep oldâ€"fashioned recess and tried to raise the unwelcome guest. The bell peeled and a loud knock 'had owed countless kindnesses. She suited the doctor well, i but in his heart he loathed the sight. Farrier was alone once more. Half dreading what he was to find, he forced himself to unlock the cup- board door, which swung violently op~ on. To his horror he saw in an inâ€" stant that the still figure which had slipped down against the locked door, and which fell with such a sickening thud as it was opened, was but the dead body of one to whom in the past be He stood as if turned to stone, while the loud ticking of the clock seemed alâ€" most unbearable. Then his numbed brain awoke again to life, and project after project flashed before him. while ever present in his thoughts were his servants and their virulent gossip. To 9.9.9.0.. .0000. 000000000: About the House. OOOOWOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOO FOR THE BR AKF‘AS’I' TABLE. Here is a new version of ham and eggs. The end of boiled ham, or aham that has passed the slicing stage, is sometimes difficult to dispose of wilh- out waste. Chop very fine a cupâ€" ful; mix with equal quantities of crac- ker or fine bread crumbs and moisten to a soft paste with cream; put in a. flat buttered dish, take a small,round- bottomed coffee cup and make depres- sions in the mixture, break an egg in each, dot the whole with bits of butter and place in a \good oven until the eggs are set. Sufficient for four persons. The ham and cracker should be made hot before putting in the baking dish. New potatoes stewed in cream and light corn-meal gems are nice accom- paniinents. Sautcd licef kidneys with rice mufâ€" fins or pancakes is another favorite breakfast, \Vash a fresh kidney and cut in thin slices, rejecting all the hard white portions; lay in cold water containing a spoonful of vinegar for half an hour, drain and dry inacloth, Put but ter the size of half an egg with a. spoonful of dripping» in a frying pan, and when very hot throw in the kid- ney, stir and shake for five minutes; season with salt and paprika, shake over a. tablespoonful of flour. and when browned slightly add a half pint of stock or gravy of any kind. -'AS soon as a thick, smooth gravy has formed, finish the seasoning with a teaspoonful of lemon juice and two of minced parsley. Scrambled eggs and tomatoes are excellent, and so are eggs and chipped ysmoked beef, but a mixture of the three was voted the best of all. Have ,ready half a cup or two large table». spoonfuls of minced smoked beef and heat in a frying pan with one cup of drained canned tomatoes; season with lpaprika, a little very finely minced .onion, which is best if colored in a teaspoonful of hot butter in the pan before adding the beef and tomatoes; when smoking hot, add twelve beaten eggs whipped with a tablespoonful of cream; stir until the eggs are cooked :and ppur over neat strips of toast. Sometimes a nice change is made by the addition of a little grated cheese stirred in with the eggs. A Spanish omelet, which is not an “.00... 0 O O O O 0 call in the police was, he knew, thelomelel‘ at all. is 8. great favorite {with wisest course, and to trust to his luck ' many. Peel with a sharp knife. with- to extricate him from suspicion. Then doubts began their paralyzing mission. Suppose some one found out his acâ€" quaintance with the deceased. would not the fact that he had conCealed the body during the visit of Miss Forrest be damning proof of his guilt? Would he be able to convince the world that the woman died from exhaustion and not from the close cupboard? Then he wondered if his housekeeper would come in. and with giant strength he raisedthe dead body and placed it up- right ill-the armchair, where, with glassy. staring eyes. it seemed to ac- cuse him with pitiless severity. Time was slipping away. and still he had come to no decision, while every minute increased his risk. Lacking the door, he opened his side entrance and looked out. ing was dark and foggy, and but few people were about, and it was only by the sound of their steps that he knew that. Opposite his side door was 'I long narrow court which divided two rows of houses built in the pre-sani- tary past. and which ended in a cul~de- sac. He unlocked the door once more and turned down the gas, and took the body in his arms, and, daring every- thing, ran unsteadin across to the dark passage. Here. placing it in a sitting position against the wall. he left the dead woman alone! closing the street door, he entered his consulting~room and turned up the gas, while the sweat. stood in great beads on his face. and knees be searched for any evidence of the catastrophe, and found a glovei and a. bonnet pin. The glove he thrust deep into the fire and the pin he broke into pieces, and then with a low cry dropped into his chair, for he heard the key grate in the outside door. Conâ€" trolling himself by left him quivering, he waited. "I've come back, sir," said the houseâ€" keeper, looking curiously around and noting the teaâ€"things; "I'm sorry I was 011,." "It didn’t mattter, Mrs. Capon; "the‘ lady I am to marry shortlyâ€"Miss For» restâ€"came with her mother. You needn’t wait," he added. irritably. _And no one ever knew or connected his name with the tragedy of Culvcrsâ€" town. but never until the day of his death will Dr. Farrier cease to regret the past which. with its palpable cloud hangs over his mind. NO'l‘ ALLOWED TO USE NICKNAMICS Mrs Grateliarl said little Susan Slay~ . bolt. looking,r in at the open door. my mother Wants to know if you will lend her a little 'sarahratus. Sarah llalus! child? said Mrs. Gratebar. Why. for the land‘s sake, what on earth do you mean 1! Well, I suppose you call it sallyratus, said little Susan. but you know my father doesn‘t let us use nicknames. , LOVES YOUNG DREAM. Sweet Girlâ€"Papa, Mr. Poorchap pro- posed to me last night. and I told him I would marry him, if you were will~ ingg. Fatherâ€"Send him about ness. Sweet Girlâ€"He hasn't any. his busiâ€" he. The even- ' t i l :50 ,est 4 " ' '- h an effort \Vhit'hi g? a mum" Of dlbhbs’ out scalding, three good-sized firm and ripe tomatoes; slice them, with Ithree small, sweet, green peppers from which the seeds have been removed, into a frying pan containing butter ‘the Size of an egg. that has been made hot; season with salt, pepper and a trifle of sugar_or the veriest pinch of baking soda to correct the acid of the tomatoes. Do not stir, but shake the pain. When the peppers are cooked, which Will be int about 15 minutes. slip into the pan from a shallow dish six eggs beaten a: for scrambling; stir With a fork until the eggs are cooked. For variety‘s sake the eggs may he slipped whole. as for poaching, into the stewed tomatoes and peppers and copked covered, until the eggs are so . A savory way of serving remnants of a roast of veal, mutton or beef, whch the family have dubbed a "left- over iagout," is made as follows: Fry ip butter until tender and colored a light yellow, a cupful of sliced Spanish, Bermuda or young, onions; add acup- ful each of cold gravy and canned or fresh stewed tomatoes with paprika salt, and a pinch of curry powder, if curry is liked; stew fifteen minutes and add the sliced cold meat; when hot thtough, arrange a. mound of nice- Gemlyfly lioiled rice in the center ofasteak platter, lift out: the slices of meat let them overlap around the rice, and pour the gravy over all. SWeet pota- toes boiled, ~ ' v . , Then on his handsé mashbd‘ made “no um“ Cakes. dipped in egg and crumbs and fried brown, make a nice accompani- ment if the meat be cold veal. For mutton oi beef, white potato cakes or oysterplant fritters. _ Indeed, to the ingenious housekeeper it is the left-overs themselves that will the for- mula. for which oin be found in no cook-book. principally because these ar- ticlesmust noces<arily vary as to quantity and kind in each individual 0&36 USE AND ABUSE 0F BROOMS. l'he virtuous woman who, according lto Solomon, "lonketh well to the ways of her household," takes good care of her brooms, as of her other ‘belongu ings, which in consequence last much longer than do those of her less careful iiieighbors. An old broom well kept. will sweep clean for a long time In the first, place, have abroom pocket and keep your broom therein. It will pay for its cost many times in the saving be- fore its life of usefulness is over. A broom not in use should always be kept upside down, so that the straws fall outward. This keeps it in shape. In sweeping, use first one side and then the other. If you sweep always on the same side of your broom it will soon grow one-sided and have to be cast. aside. \Vhen, however, a. broom is not badly worn, only mashed out of shape, it can be straightened by wetting, pulling into shape and drying, bottom upward. 0n sweeping day have a pailful of warm suds, made by dissolving a tableâ€" spoonful of pearline in 8‘ pail two- thirds full of warm water, and rinse your broom off whenever it becomes dusty. A (lamp broom sweeps a (lusty surface much Matter than one which is home dry. Have a bag of heavy canâ€" ton flannel to fit your broom, with drawing-strings to tie around the handle, and use this over the broom for shellacked hard wood floors. Iii pursuance of this idea a clever woman has patented a sweeper for such floors. fashioned something like a miniature garden roller, with the cylinder covered with canton flannel in several thicknesses. Highly polish- ed floors cannot be treated too tenderâ€" ly. When done sweeping, pick up all the lint, etc.. from the straws of the broom and rinse it. before setting it. away. It seems superfluous to say that separate brooms should be kept for different purposesâ€"that the kitch- en bi’oom should never be used either for the pavement or for upstairs, yet most servants must be watched lest this be done. Exact that. your carpet sweeper shall be thoroughly cleaned on every sweep- ing day, and never put. away dirty. Un- lock it over a newspaper and take out every bit of dust, lint and dirt; then Swedish servants have a supersti- tion that taking an old broom in anew 1 house when the family moves brings misfortune, and will entreat that all such may be left behind with the rub- bish to be cast on the dump. POOR W'AY TO ECONOD/HZE. “It is difficult. to economize, and the most difficult part of it is to know COULD NOT S ROOT. our Hnnlcrs Might Tnke a Lesson In llnnmnlly From Pagans. A Hindu looks upon the slaughter of on animal with the same dread and horror with which he would witness the taking of a life of a human being. It would be well for some of the hunâ€" ters of our own country to learn from such pangs a lesson in humanity. Rev. B. Fay Mills tells the story of a hunter who employed as a. decoy for deer a peculiarly constructed whistle, which closely imitated the voice of a Young fawn calling its mother. \Vith his rifle in hand ready for in- stant action, he was one day blowing his whistle, when suddenly amother deer thrust her braid out of the bushes and looked straight toward him. There she stood. trembling with fear, yet looking this way and that in search :of the little one, which she supposed to be in danger. The hunter said: "As I looked into those eloquent ,eyes. anxiously glancing here and lthere with maternal fear, my heart ,‘melted. I could not shoot." Young deer that have not been chas- ed or fired at by hunters will fre- quently come very near to unarmed travellers. The writer has had adeer walk just in advance of the horse for some distance; and it is well known that wild deer often come into pas- lures and feed with the cows. To trike advantages of this confidence in what possible direction to practice economy," said the wise woman. "Oft- en those who do it will carry their economy to too great an extreme. The right. way to do it is to get along without extras and use just what is necessary for everyday comfort. It does not. mean that there should not be enough, or any deprivation of ne- cessary comforts. "There are women Who when they economize, will do so at; the wrong end. She comes to the conclusion that whenever she doesn't buy anything or cuts off an item of expense she is economizing. She will attend to the grocers' bills. That is well. but come- times she will expend 20 cents' worth of time, and strength to save 5 cents. Then the same woman may economize on her luncheon. She will convince .herself that eating a midday meal is la mere habit, and will dispense with it. She finds it all the easier to do so because her husband is not home at that: meal, and of course she does not want him to go without enough to eat. She thinks that he needs more food than she does. "The woman who practices this sort of economy will find that, the depriva- tion impoverishes herself and her chil- ln the long run. it is more expensive in actual cash, for the doctor has to be called in. "The right way to economize is in extravagances, not in necessities." DELIG HTFUL PERFUME. An exquisite mixture for perfuming clothes that are to be packed away and which is said to keep out moths also is made as follows: Pound to a. powder one ounce each of lcloves. caraway seed. nutmeg. mace. cinnamon and 'l‘onquin beans and as much orris root as will equal the weight; of the above ingredients lput together. Little bags of thin musâ€" llin should be filled with this mixture -and placed among the garments. SEWING HINTS. If you are in the habit of doing much sewing do not; bite off the thread; use a pair of scissors. Apart from the fact. that biting the cotton is injurious, the trick often results in a. very sore mouth. When silk thread is bitten the danger is greatâ€" er. for it. is usual to soak the thread in acetate of lead, so the result may be very serious, and even lead to blood poisoning. ‘FIRS'I‘ MAHOGANY BUREAU. Many people suppose that the use of mahogany for the manufacture of fur- niture is very ancient. As a matter of fact, the first record we have of this rare wood is in 1695, when Sir \Valter Raleigh repaired one of his ships with it in the port of Trinidad. The next we hear of mahogany is many years later. when an Englishman who was sailing from one of the \\'est Indies used quite a lot of what appeared to him rough lumber for ballast, and, when he arrived in England and found his brother building a house he gave this apparently ill-featured timber fol him for his house. \Vlieii his brother Iturnetl the lumber over to his carpen- iters, they refused to use it, because .it was so hard that it spoiled their tools; 50 its use fur luildiiig that house was abandoned. (His wife, however, a short time aft- er gave some of this wood to her cab-. inetmaker in order to have him make for her a candle box. He, too. com- plained of the hardness of the wood and its effect upon his tools. The candle box was finished at last. how- ever. and it was so handsome, having} taken on such a beautiful polish. that this box became quite ii cui‘iOSity among the society people of that dayp so much so that the lady's husband had the same Cilllink’ltmfikflf make him1 a bureau of the same wood. The bur- eau was so unusually beautiful thiltl the cahinetmakei' went regularly intoi dren mentally and physically. Often,‘ “ of his feline beauty. seems very near to murder. FAMOUS MADSTONE _n~ Gave Sh- Wiilter Scott lllspll‘nllon for “The Talisman. The famous madstone is to be sold; and thereby hangs a tale. This strange bit of mineral which is said to have furnished Sir lNalter Scott with his inspiration for “ The Talisman," is now under lock and key in tho Loudoun Naâ€" tional Bank at Leesburg, Va. At the. December term of court the old stone, whose virtues have been her- alded for a hundred years, will be sold in order to settle the estate of the late Mrs. Fred. This stone, whose pro- perties are asserted by some to be merely of a superstitious nature, while others show them to be a scientific rea- lity, is now awaiting the decision of a lawsuit. The madstone is about the color of chocolate in tint, is two inches long by one inch broad, and half an inch thick. The facts regarding the madstone, as gathered by a lady visiting in Leesâ€" burg. are that it came over to Canada from Scotland in 1776, and has been religiously preserved as one of the most. valuable relics of the age. It is able to cure the poison of a mad dog by ap- pliC’tlfO-n to the wound, adhering to the bite till the virus is entirely ab- sorbed. A SILENT COMPANION. He is not my fellow student in the sense of attending the same educatiom al institution as myself, and I have little knowledge of the source from which he derives his training. However, it is evidently 'one well adapted to his mental calibre. Nigger is. nevertheâ€" less, my friend and fellow-student; his face at all times expressing sympa» thy and feeling, and his superior intel~ ligenoe leading him to take an interâ€" est in things of which others of his social position have. no knowledge. He is over near while I am busy with my studies, ready to assist me if occasion require, and to give his opinion on matters of importance. In fact, at this moment, from his position on my shoulder, he is critically examining my writing, and purring a tune of satis- faction'wil'h my description of him. The most striking feature about this extraordinary being is th'it he is al- most entirely devoid of colorâ€"no light spot breaks the blackness of his Sombre He bus the ordinary size of a full-grown domestic cat, and, indeed many of his external qualities are common to all his race, but his mental attributes mark him as a out among cats. His head is of unusual size; the phi‘enologicnl humps of upprobaliveâ€" ness, mirthtulness, iove of home. being well developed; those of salinhuess, tie- structiveness, and secretiveness being unusually small. As is the case With every Ltl’lsiotil'ulil' pussy, his brow is low and broad; his rhubluy face, good- natured; his round eye, well opened; his small mouth, well shaped. His large ears give evidence of the fact that his is an Open-handed nature, if the expression may be applied to one of the lower order; and, although il- niitui‘ed people have said that. his rziâ€" crxit. ithei~ llat nose pi'uved him a lazy and indolent eat, his firm chin, evincing great strength of character. entirely contradicts the statement. Pussy has just. jumped down i'."‘il his elevated position, in (llletl. of the mouse making itself heard in its wainscoliiig, and, as 1 should liar like to hurt his feelings. I wish to state, ‘ while he is not watching, that my poor old cat is cross-eyed, and that Some . wicked boys, in default of other s OH, one ill-fated day cruelly cut of his ‘ whiskers, thereby robbing him of much Not wishing Nig- ger to see those derogatory remarks, ‘1 shall close, before he returns, this ordinary attempt to describe trnordinarv cat. an ex- the business of manufacturing bureaus, and made not only a reputa- tion. but a large fortune out of the‘ business. ' s â€"â€"â€"~.â€"â€"â€"_.â€" In Italy 600,000 find employment in testing silkworm.