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WWWOWWW I t+++++++++++++¢++++++fl I I i + 1 {W that he Farm y 1++++++++++++++++ +++ +: CHAPTER II.â€"-(Continucm. Far too restless to keep still, he walked up and down the length of the chapel, until he was fairly tired out. Then he went. to the front door and Sat down, keeping his eyes upon the en- trance of the little thicket path. by which he knew that Joe must return. And although he knew it. was much too early to expect his messenger back, yet he still impatiently watched that path. Presently the sound of approaching horsemen struck upon his listening car. They were coming up the path through, the thicket, and presently they emerged from itâ€"not two or three, but couple after couple, until the old churchyard was filled with sheriff's officers and militiamen. Sheriff Benihwick himself was at their head. In great surprise, as if they had come in quest of him, Mr. Berners went for- ward to receive the party. Lyon Berncrs was known to have been the companion of his fugitive wife, and therefore a sort of an outlaw: yet, the sheriff took off his hat, and accosted him respectfully. “Mr. Berners, I am greatly surprised to see you here," he said. “Npt less than myself at seeing you," answered Lyon. “We are here to seek out. a set of burglars whom we have reason to be- lieve have their lair in this chapel," said Mr. Benthwick. “Then you errand is not to me,” ob- served Lyon. “Certainly not! Though. should I find Mrs. Berners here, as well as your- self, as I think now highly probable. I shall have a most painful duty to perâ€" form." “Ali, sirl' within the last terrible month, I have become all too much ac- customed to the sight of friends with ‘painful duties to perform,‘ as they deli- cately put it. But you will be spared the pain. Mrs. Berners is not here with me." “Not here with you? Then where is she ‘2” “Excuse me, Mr. Benthwiek.” said Mr. Berners, gravely, “you certainly for- get yourself; you cannot possibly expect me to tell youâ€"even if I knew mvself," he adden, in an undertone. . “No, I cannot, indeed," admitted the sheriff. “Nor did I come here to look for Mrs. Berners, hating had neither in formation nor suspicion that she was here; nevertheless, if I find her I shall be constrained to arrest her. Were it not for my duty. I could almost pray that I might not find her.” “I do not think you will,” said Mr. Berners, grimly. _ lAnd meanwhile the officers and mil- itiamen, at a sign from the' sheriff, had surrounded the chapel so that it would be impossible for any one who might be within its walls to escape from it. “Now, Mr. Bemers. as you assure me that your wife is not within this build- ing, perhaps you may have no objection to enter it with me," said the sheriff. “Not the least in the world,” answered Lyon Berners, leading the way into the chapel, as the sheriff dismounted frox his horse, threw the bridle to an attei- dant, and followed. The interior was soon thoroughly searched, having nothing but its bare walls and vacant windows, with the ex- ception of Sybil’s forsaken bed near the altar, the smouldering fire in what had once been the middle aisle. and the little pile of brushwood in the corner. “There is certainly no one here but yourself, Mr. Berners; yet hole are signs of human habitation," said the sheriff, significantly. Lyon Berners laughed painfully. And then he thought it would be safest to inform the sheriff of some part of the truth, rather than to leave him to his own conjectures, which might cover the whole case. So he answered : “I do not mind telling you, Mr. Benth- wick, that myself and my injured wife took refuge in this place immediately after the terrible tragedy that so unjust- ly compromised her safety. \\'c remain- ed here several days, and then departed. These things that you notice have been: and 3 brought for our accommodation. were left here when we went away." “So you were not at Pendlcton's ?” “Not for an hour.” “That is strange. But how comes it that you are here now without your wife. Mr. Berners ?” “Sir, I have told you all that I mean‘ to tell, and now my lips are sealed on the subject of my wife." said Lyon Ber- ners, firmly. “I cannot and do not blame you in the. least.” said the sheriff, kindly. “.\]I that we have to do now is to pur- sue our search for the burglars. unit If, in the course of it we should come upon Mrs. Berners, we must do our duty.” he concluded. To that proposition ;\Ir. I‘mrncis as- sented with a silent bow and bitterly compressed lips. The sheriff then went to the door of the vault. and. stooping, down with his hands upon his knees. peered through the iron grating. more in curiosity than in any hope of finding a clew to the robbers. And. in fact. he discovered nothing but the head of that narrow staircase whose fool disap- peared in the darkness below. "f’hew! what a damp, deadly air t t ,of no importance. ' there 2’" OR, SY BIL BERNER’S VINDICATION oWWwWMW comes up from that foul pit; it hasn't been opened in half a century, I sup- pose." exclaimed I\Ir. Bentliwick, taking hold of the rusty bars and trying to shake the grating; but, finding it im- movable, he ceased his efforts and turn- ed away. Then he went to the chapel door, and called his men around him. saying: “There is no sign of the miscreants inside the ruin; we must search for them outside.‘ ' And be divided his party into four de- tachments; and one he sent up the nar- row path leading to the fountain; another he sent up on the heights, and another down in the glen: while be him- self led the fourth back upon the path leading through the thicket. And they beat the woods in all directions without coming upon the “trail” of the burglars. But Sheriff Benthwick, in going through the thicket with his little party, met a harmless negro on a tired horse. with a little dog before him. The sheriff knew the negro. and accosted him by name. “Joe. what are you doing here. 50 I“? from your home ‘3" Joe was ready with his answer: “If you please. marster, I am coming to fetch away some truck left here by a picnic party from our house.” “Ali ! a picnic party I 1 know all about that picnic party I I have been up to the old ruin and had a talk with your mas- ter. and he has told me of it," said the sheriff. cunningly, hoping to betray the negro into some admissions that might be of service to him in tracing Sybil. But. his cunning was no match for Joe‘s: “Well, marster.” he said, “if Marse Lyon tellcd you all about that. you must be satisfied into your honorable mind. as I am a telling of the truth. and does come after the truck left in the chapel, which you may see my wagon a-stand- in" out there on the road bcyayit for yourself.” “Then, if you have a wagon, why do you come on horseback ?" “Lor’s marster, I couldn‘t no ways get a wagon through this here thicket." . The sheriff felt that that was true, and that he had been making a fool of him- self. He made a great many more in- quiries. but received no satisfaction from the astute Joe. He asked no ques- tion about the little dog, considering her And. at length, hav- ing no pretext to stop the negro, he let him pass and go on. Joe, glad to be relieved, touched up his horse and trotted briskly through the thicket, and through the graveyard, to the ruined door of the old chapel. Here he dismounted, tied his horse to a tree. and put down the little Skye terA rier, who no sooner found herself at liberty than she bounded into the church and ran with joyous leaps and barks,, and jumped upon her master, licking, or kissing. as she understood kissing, his hands and face all-over with her little tongue, and assuring him how glad she was to see him. “Nelly, Nelly, good Nelly. pretty Nelly,” said Mr. Berners, caressing her soft, curly brown hair. But Nelly grew fidgety; was wantingâ€"the best thing of all was wantingâ€"her mistress. So she jumped from her master’s lap, not forgetting to kiss him good-by, by a direct lick upon his lips. and then she ran snufling and whining about the floor of the chapel until she came to the mattress and blan- kets, where she began wildly to root and paw about, whining piteously all the while. “Nelly. good dog.” said Mr. Rerncrs. taking the blanket and holding it to her nose. “Sybil, Sybil! seek her I" The little Skye terrier looked up with a world of intelligence and devotion in her brown eyes, and recomincnced her rooting and pawing and snuflint,i around the bedding. and for some little time was at fault: but at length. with a quick bark of delight. she struck a lino of scent. and. with her nose close to the floor. cautiously followed it to the door of the vault. at which she stopped and began to scratch and bark wildly. hvs. formallyâ€"running back to her master and whining. and then runninrv {Orward to the door. and barking and staratcbin r with all her might and main. 5' “There she is, nlflf‘SIer. Mismsq ,q down in that vault. so surc’s I‘m ailit; in' nigger.” exclaimed Joe, who now come up to the door. “Good fleaven! she (‘01de not “w, there an hour: the \‘cry air is (jpnfihl‘ But if there. with a breath of life re. maining, she must bear and answer us." exclaimed Lyon Rerncrs. in breath- less basic. as he went to the door of the vault; and. putting his lips close {0 the bars. called loudly: “>ylul, Sybil! my darling. are you something her, scck But though be bent his ear and listen- ed in the dead silence and dread susâ€" pense. no breath of answer came. And little Nelly. who had ceased her noise began to whine again. ' Lyon Berncrs soothed her into quiet- ness and began to call again and again' but still no breath of response from the dark and silent depths below. “If she is there, she is dead!" groaned Lyon Burners. in a voice of agorrv. as ,he thought of all Sybil had told him of rcsignedly. A \VISE PRECAUTION. New Dentist (in Frozen Doglâ€"Will you take gas? I . Bronco Billâ€"Will it hurt much if I hum, a man who wants to hire help. don't? Dentistâ€"It will! Bronco Rilln’l‘hen, stranger, ICI‘ yom‘lhmgum “(It hillmy sake I think I'd better take it. the open vault. and the mysterious figures that had passed to and from it in the night, amt which he had set down as so many dreams and night- mares, reverted to hi memory. Oh. if this chapel were indeed the den of thieves; if they had some secret means of opening that vault; if they had come upon his sleeping wife while she was left alone in the chapel, and robbed her sf the money and jewels she had about her person. and then murdered her. and taken her body down into the vault for concealment: or if. as was most likely, for there was no ‘mark of violence or stain of blood about the placeâ€"they had taken her to the, vault first, and robbed and murdered her thcre. Oh. if these horrible fears should be realized I With the very thought Lyon Berncrs went pale and cold as marble in an anguish such as he had never felt in the severest crisis of their sorely troubled lives. “Joe I" he cried. “go search the wagon for that crowbar belonging to Captain Pendlclon. It must be there somewhere. And I must break this vault door open, or break my heartstrings in the trial." “The crowbar is all right, marster. And I‘ll go and fetch it as fast as I can. But we'll nebbcr sce mistess alive again! Nebbcr, marstcr, in this world !" sobbcd Joe. as he arose from his knees near the door and went upon his errand. Little Nellie renewed her passionate demonstrations of distress and anxiety; now furiously barking and scratching at the door, now jumping upon her nias~ ter‘s breast, and looking up into his face and whining, as if telling him that her mistress was down there. imploring his human aid to free her, and wondering why it was not given. “I knov: it. my poor little dog! I know it it” 1" said Lyon, soothingly. Ilut little Nelly was incredulous and inconsolable, and continued her hyster- ical deportment through the half hour which intervened between the departure and the return of Joe. “Ali, give me the tool !" eagerly ex- claimed l\Ir. Berners. snatching the crow- bar from the negro, as soon as he saw him. And he \vent and applied it with all his force to the door, straining his strong muscles until they knotted like ‘cords, while Joe looked on in anxiety and suspense. and little Nelly stood ap- provingly wagging her tail, as if to say: “Now, at last, you are doing the right thing." _ But with all Lyon's training and wrenching, he failed to move the im- passable door one hair‘s breadth. Joe also took a turn at the crowbar, but with no more success. They rested a while, and then united their efforts, and with all their strength essayed to force the door, but without the slightest effect upon its immovable bars. “I might have known we could not do it this way, for neither Pendlcton nor myself could succeed in doing so. Joe, we must take down the altar and take up the flag-stones; but that will be a work of time and difficulty and, you will have to go back home and bring the proper tools." “ hit the day is most gone, marster, and it will take me most all night to go to Black Ilall and get the tools and come back here. And is my poor mis- tcss to stay down there into that dismal place all that time?" sobbcd the negro. “.loe! if she is there, as the little dog insists that she is, you know that she must be dead. And it is her body that we are seeking," groaned Lyon Ber- ners. in despair. “I knows it, marstcrâ€"I knows it too. well; but I can't feel as it is true. all do same. And oh! even ’to leave her dear body there so long!“ said Joe, bursting into a storm of tears and sobs. "I'hat cannot be helped. my poor fel- low. Besidcs, I shall sit at this door and watch till your return, and we can She shall work down into the vault. not be quite alone, Joe.” So persuaded. Joe, unmindful of fatigue, once more set out for Black llall. But on this occasion he took another horse. which was fresher. The sun had now set, and the short winter twilight was darkening into night. (To be continued). “.\l:.rk my words," declared Mrs, I’ermc. laying down the law to her long-suffering husband. “by the end of the century woman will have the rights she is fighting for." “I don‘t care if she does," replied Fermc. “Do you mean it ‘3" cried his wife. “Have I at last brought you round to my way of mink. ing? \\'on’t you really care?" “x,” a bit. my dear." returned her Ilusbz'nd‘ “I‘ll be dead then." ‘Iltil'tl Iu’hn. CONCERNING FARM HELP. A growing demand for competent. farm help prevails all over the country. and some peeple marvel at this state of affairs. It is well to remember how- ever, that it takes brains for a hired man, even on the farm, to satisz “15 employer in all ways, and that the one who does come up to the rcquiSite standard is able sooner or later, to do fetter by striking out for himself. \Iv hercupon, rather than being any longâ€" er a man to hire out he beettmcs, per- Thc sum and substance of the mat- ter is, the, hired man is sometimes it enough esteemed. Particularly is this so if he has been it a place several years, where he has per- formed liis duties faithfully, and then .5 turned off simply because he asks a few extra dollars a month. which would be more than repaid in the course of the year by the difference in the work between such a hand and an indifferent one, it costing about the same to board one as the other. A man, in truth, needs to stay longer than a single sea- son to become familiar with his em- ployer‘s methods of work, and the long- until they are Seven or eight weeks OILI.‘ I let them have all the stop they want. ly giving them a small trough on the4 opposite side of the fence. I have my pens for brood sows on the southeast side of a building. By keeping them warm and dry. my hogs do well any part of the winter. I have had sows Iarrow from October to April with good success. Each pen has a yard with about eight rods. I feed in the. yard the year around. The pen is tight. except the entrance, and the pigs can go out and in at will. Brood sows do well by adding some pumpkins or bccts of some sort to their feed once. a day. I use a great many small apples and find the hogs like them. I believe they keep the animals in better trim when fed sparingly. LIVE STOCK NOTES. If well wintered, the horses will be better fitted for labor, or will sell for more money. It is not economy to skimp any animal. There is no such thing as a really good scrub cow, but there are lots of poor tlmroughbrcds. Name does not al- ways count. Buy for the sake of what the cow will do. and not because she has a high sounding name. Treat. a horse the best; give, him a warm blanket in cold weather; give him a warm barn to sleep in when it is cold. a good bed of straw to lie on; tn summer. a shade to sleep under. with green grass for a bed. Nothing is too good for the horse; it has served you well. _.___.__.+_._._ er he remains the better hand, as a rule, will he be. Hence the reason why hir- ing by the month is in some respects the most advisable. But this cannot. be done will all help. as. for instance, that required for extra work in the summer; still even then it is policy to secure the same hand, wherever practicable, for sucrecding seasons, if a reliable one can tic found. The kind of man wanted is he whom the farmer is not afraid to leave in charge of things if he goes away from tome occasionally; who makes him feel that the work will go on in his ab- sence the same as if he were there: whom. it anything gives out. knows how to repair the breakage; whose judgment can be relied upon as to how much a tram should do in a day, and who will see that they do it, although at all times kind and careful in handling horses, and, likewise. in caring for all other live stock on the farm; Who will work cheerfully and heartily as long as no- thing unreasonable is asked of him, and, if any little kindnesscs from time to time are bestowed upon him, will in cne way or another show his aprecia- tion of them. The fact is the hired man should be treated as well as if one of the regu- .la,r members of the family. If he is not worthy of this, he is not desirable to lure at all. Indeed otherwise he will not be a hired man in the proper sense of the term. but merely a substitute; one who only performs his duties perfunctor- ily, shii'king and slighting work wher- ever he can, and having but one object in viewâ€"to draw his pay as soon as possible. It is lamentable to relate, but this is what a large percentage of our lured help has fIPIlen to, and to some extent the employer is to blame. Alas! too often he loses sight of his best Ill- tcrests by hiring what ls called “cheap help,” thereby driving the reallv good hands out of the field and prompting them to seek their fortune elsewhere. KEEP SHEEP. The sheep business is a safe invest- ment every time. It provides the mast profitable annual crop on the farm. A few years ago many farmers did not \\ ant sheep and some said land was too valuable to keep sheep. but now while. the price of land is getting higher every year, nearly everybody wants them. 'lbey are considering everything except, perhaps, wool, no more profitable now than they were when nobody wanted them. n It appears to me that farmers do not realize what it requires to succeed with sheep. We base our claim for this as leing the most profitable branch of ani- mal industry. not wholly or the ordin- ary profit it brings the farmer, but in doing this we consider“ many things be- sides tlie mere returns that are receiv- ed for the mutton and wool. Not least among these is the sheep’s ability to turn it cash so much of the farm products that would otherwise be a waste, and also their ability to consume inanv nox- ious weeds, thus ridding the farin of them without any expense to the own- er. We also consider the fact that except during lambing time there is less work in caring for them than any other stock. in some localities there are fields where other animals could not live, but sheep would do well. In caring for sheep if well bedded and kept dry as tbcv shohld pc. it is not necessary to clean the stable every day as it is for other ani- mals. For those that now contemplate go-' ing into the sheep business, I would'ilw required to keep the pressure of eir say. do not be disappointed if you not reach the top. but consider vour gains as compared with other stock Sheep should have salt before them at all times. A sheep will consume more feed as compared with its weight than a cow, but consider it is producnw a crop of wool and lambs at the same time. Sheep should have exercise cvprv day for some weeks before lambin}V time. a do FEEDING SMALL PIGS. I feed mostly chopped grain the whme ,yrm. 1,, sum” pigs. writes Mr. John 5‘ Naugcl. I use corn, oats and rye about (-qual parts. chopped together. This is nixed in a thin slop with about one- I also use buckwheat and KAISER HAS GREAT ARMY IIAS SERVED AS A MODEL FOR OTHER COUNTRIES. German “"ar Lord Could [‘ut Ten Mil: lion Men in the Field on - Short Notice. The German army of toâ€"day is the largest and, on paper, the most efficient. tight‘ng organization that the world has ever seen, and it has served as a model for the armies of most other countries. The Australian army has been organized on methods copied ex- actly from the German system. The Ja- panese army also took its methods in organization as well as in strategy and tactics from Germany and German offi- cers. The Chinese army has now adop< ted German methods. Nearly all the smaller countries of Europe with aspira- tions to military efficiency have bor- rowed officers i‘rom the German army» to instruct their troops. The Turkish army was so organized. TRAINED MILLIONS. In the recent war the largest forces inet which had ever opposed one another in any conflict. The German army, how< ever, could put in the field a perfectly equipped military force eight times larg< er than the victorious Japanese army which gained the battle of Multden. It consists of more than 4,000,000 soldi- ers. But in addition to 4,000,000 trained soldiers Germany could enrol (3,000,000 more men who, although not trained for service in the fighting line, would nev- oitheless form a valuable reserve for the protection of lines of communica- tion and such duties. A large number of these reserves have had at least some military training and in 'case cf necessity could also be employed in ac- tive service after a brief period of drill and military exercise. Thus the stu- pendous number of 10.000000 ableâ€"bodied men could be mustered under the im- pcrial banner of the German empire: fence the statement that all Germany- is an “armed camp." The German Emperor, who in times. of peace shares the authority over the: army with his fellow German sover- eigns. the Kings of Bavaria. Saxony and Wurtemberg. becomes in time of war supreme and commancler-in-chief or “war lord" lot the entire military forces of the empire. _+_ NE‘V AIR ENGINE \VQNDER. Englishman's Invention May Do Away With Coal as Fuel. Arrangements now are being made to test a new type of engine, which, if it proves successful, may cause a greater industrial revolution than that which re- sulted from the discovery of the steam engine or application of electricty to motive DOV/("I'- The palcntcc, a Lancnshire man, al- readv has achieved some success as an inventor. This new production be (tr-scribes as a triple economic air en- gine. If the inventor can justify all him claims the business of the coal min- or will be practically gone so far as in- dustrial requirements are concerned. The summarized claims for the new engine are that it will save. the use (f' (out. and all the cost of fuel. It will take the place of steam, which will not; constai’it: it will drive a locomotive. pr0< pet a steamship, work a mill, forge; etc, without suing either gas, water,‘ coal. electricity, or oil; it will prevan smoke. The economic cylinder will be more- powcrful than any other type of cylin-l der of equal diameter. It will save the use of large boilers. and not more than two will be required for the large works. With two or more boilers filled with COIllpI'OSsm’I air up to the pressure re- animal in (‘fli‘h boiler the economic cylin- (joy will kon tip the pressure of air. If 3,: in work in loctunotives and other pm], pressure steam boilers. where the wear is considerable. caused by fires and the use of dirty watt-r. the constant changing of temperature and pressure at; having a tendency to pull them toI “tum! fir club when if is not {00 (.X_tpjoccs. this wear and bar will be, avoid-j pufhivc. I generally let my pigs sucked by the use of the air engine.