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CHAPTER XVII.â€"â€"(Cont’d). A bravo little struggle, and at last the limit of the strain was reached. Margery could remain silent no longer. and she deter-‘ mined that her aunt, should 11013., no night, when Cnp'n Dan had left for home, Margery followed. her aunt to the old lady’s sitting-i room and demanded the uni/oiling of the mystery. “You must speak to me, auntie; tell me what you know. This torâ€"l rible silence is worse than any truth could be: What is David do- ing, why doesn’t he come?" “Whv doesn’t he come." the old. lAll unknown to her, Miss Manesty,‘ Far into the deepest hours of the: night Margery crouched on the rug‘ by the fire in her room, and‘ strained the eyes of griefâ€"racked love for a. glimpse of the invisible. too, shared her vigil; down on the harborâ€"side at Allerdale, caring not for cold or darkness, Cap’nr Dan dodged among the shadows,, keeping an eye on David’s ships, and looking for he know not whatp, whilst. under David’s roof-tree, Bella. Mackitterick rocked herselfL too and fro with her apron thrown over her head, until the grate emptied and she fell asleep. “You must. speak to me, auntie; tell me what you know. This tor- rible silence is worse than any truth could bo‘. What is David do- ing, why doesn’t he come?" “Why doesn’t he come," the old lady dojc-ctodly repeated, “I ex- pect. that it's because he's got a. lady db pact. th sump (g “From what I've heard, he's eat- ing his heart out, for a. sight of you. lassio. It’s weary for the man he's afraid of thosc he loves." “What is it, auntie? The night let him go you begged me to try nd save him; how can I if you opp mo in the dark?” “It was a, light task I set you then, doarie. I urged you to try and save 9. man’s name; now it's not, the nam‘o but the man himself that needs salvation. And I'm like youâ€"this is what has kept me quiet râ€"I’mâ€"in the dark.” scrap of commence lett." Gently she pushed back the looks from the fair brow, amd looked lov- ingly into the depths of tho sor- rowful eyes. Miss Manesty puckered her and thought deeply for a. few ends ere she answeredâ€" “What is it, auntie "l" Margery’s lips were dry and bloodless, and her voice a. whispeg. “Simply this. David’s set his heart on gold, and he’s making it fast, making it out of flesh and. blood and breaking hearts. He's' brought a, man down from Liver- pool to teach him how to do it, and made him his manager”â€"â€"the apâ€"i pointment, by the way, has been made at Michael Strang’s suggesâ€" tion; the manager is one of ,Strang's creaturesâ€""so that nowl David's sailors cannot get speech with David, but only with this man' who’s in his pay. It’s a. cowardly trick but a common one, I’m afraid, and it’s not confined to shipping either.” “Butâ€"David’s ships, auntie '2” “Cap’n Dan shuts his eyes when‘ the talks about them. They’re not: only filled up chock full to tho: hatches, but they carry deck loads! that are far too big; every ship has one man less, some of them two, than when old Jacob sailed them; if what the crews say be true, they’re victuall-e-d with stuff a pagan would turn up his nose at, and soon there won’t be a. sound boat on the list. They’re cheap, lassie, cheap, though Cap’n Dan has one crumb of comfort to offer; he fancies they’re cheaper than Daniel has any conception of.” “Does he thinkâ€"” “That there’s trickery some- where.” “What can we do? We can't lemve him to go his own way, like this. How can we save him?" “You mustn’t think me cruel, idlearie,” she observed at length. “You asked me to tell you what I'd learned, and it’s best, that; you should know. As for saving him, it sometimes happens that you can’t pick a. man upâ€"until he's fallenâ€" low enough. I’m sore afraid that David's not ready for help yet. We must. just stand by, keeping him in sight, with our hands ready for his signal.” “Stand by!” Margery sprang to “Stand by !” Margery sprang to her feet, her eyes flashing, cheeks .aflanle. “Stand by!” she criedâ€" “no, there must be no standing .as long as action is possible. Think of your own gospel, auntieâ€"work, work, work. Tell me what to do. It won't be too hard.” “Not too hard 'Iâ€"saving a, man frmn the sin he’s in love with ‘l Why lqsme, phat/s a. thing that; some- Miss Manesty hopelessly. “You mustn’ work, work. It won’t be “Not too from the sin lassie, that’ 'timos God plia‘a." ‘ Struck by the reckles ment of the tone, Ma upon the 01d lgdy an I wan Mm 3cm Its him; Or, The Girl With the Nut Brown Hair and Dreamy Eyes. himself of intense interro; strongly, delibera etc-d her aunt’s d Y C shook her head left goodâ€"night to think argery bent oddly curi~ @®@®@@@@ abandon- l 11KB . . . . m Now he 15 seething With disconâ€" le qulet tent. He has begun to fear the u‘geryka.rnenifestation of some latent flaw SS and in hisprmect. Cap 11 Dan’s un~ ’ obtrumve but persistent watchful- ness has scared him, and he has Lking it heard enough of David’s love story ‘sh and to make him dread the influence ’ Heys' of the girl whom he has robbed of her lover. What if Dan should re- set his 33:23 assert his old sway; What if, for ‘ }t11e sake of Margery, David should the ap-' . . . ~ . . abandon his ambition , what if Tin- ” been ion should blahI suggesâ€" - one of All these, and other possibiliâ€" lat now ties, have conspired to urge him speech further along the highroad of his man'haVOC. On David’s reputation owa-rdly fresh daubs of discredit must be [afraid’ plnstered, his remaining friends ,hjpping‘driven beyond the outer barriers, Timon more deeply involved. So me '1" he has devised another move, and BS whengto-night he has paralyzed his ally fire not‘ by a. disclosure of its details, and to thOEthen compelled him to a. hot de- ;k loadslnunciation of its author. -ry ship “You black-souled scoundrel.” of them Once upon a time such an indict- ) sailed ment would have amused the ship- say be. owner, but toâ€"night his mood is dis- ,th stuff tinctly one of extreme irritation, nose at, and as the accusation rasps from a sound-the sailor’s tongue, Strong’s up- cheap, per lip curls back from his gleam- ’n Dan ing teeth, and he snarlsâ€" ;0 offer; “Be careful, Thomas Tinion, be er than careful‘ Such words as those come of.” iwith ill grace from the man who ran the Habakkuk on the Bulger.” some- The shot hits the target. All the trucelence vanishes from the sail- e can't or’s demeanour, and his tone is 33', like one of sullen submission as he un- m?" lsteaxlily repliesâ€" v lips sec- dec try and )mâ€" On the night, when tidings of the [Habakkuk’s destruction reached *him. he ranged his house from celâ€" lar to attic, heart and brain in a. ferment of ferocious joy; on the day when he scattered the first seeds of slander upon a receptive soil and before his eyes they burst into growth, he hastened home that he might hide his satisfaction, lest; he himself should be his own beâ€" .tmyer; and later, when he looked | upon David Graham's face, he told ihimself that his cup was running I over. Close to the w drlven on a. 1( Through the self same hours, too, Malice also kept viligant ward. Michael Strang had learned that hate was a. hungry maw, an appeâ€" tite that. may never be satisfied, one that is ever crying out for more. “Well, you don’t need to fling that in my teeth. I only did what I was fooled into doing.” “You did what you were paid for doing. I offered you five hun- dred golden sovereigns for the job, and you took them, and that fact is quit-o enough to land you in Carlisle Gaol. Moreover, when I bought you for that particular com- mission, I purchased you body and soul; you are mine until I’ve done with you. If you care to serve me still further, you’ll be as well paid itsâ€"well, as for sinking the Habak- kukâ€"” Tinion shivered and raised his hand in protest. “But if you decline to aid me fur- “And what, am or fiercely cried into a show of about you? I “But if you decline to aid me furâ€" ther, you must look out for squalls, nay, for a. tempest, a. typhoon, one that will blow your white-livered heart into spume, and wreck you as completely as you yourself as complete wrecked Dav your :Lff 011 r you? I didn’t I was only a. t cursed gold that by Heaven, if y (1F WlI about _\j( i all my life }0 t shore now. Don stun 18. s brig U, once I wrec Ell E delude yourself with the fancy that §I‘ve entered on this business with my eyes closed to any of its possi- bilities. Mark me, man, I’ve fing- ered every rope on the craft, and among them I've handled one that will do all I want. There are re- wards in this for both of usâ€"gold for you, ambition satisfied for me â€"but the penalties are only for one. Haven't you learned yet that it’s only the tool who pays?" His shabby shred of good intent shattered by terror, the sailor re- mained silent, while the man who held him in the hollow of his hand watched him with contempt, men- tally congratulating himself of the , triumph of blufl. ; :‘Why d'ye want me to do these [ things?" Tinion whined at length. i‘deep for nx-wdeep as the dewl 1 himself. I only wish I'd been down {in Davie Joncs’s locker before I =clapped my lights on your figure- lhead. Think! What can I think? When I started on this cruise with you, I thought. it was money you were after, but. that’s not it, be- cause you're paying it; out instead of hauling it in; then it seemed as if it were David Graham’s ships you'd got your spite on, but, it’s not that. All I know is that David's lost a, boat, and that you paid for the wrecking of it. lknew she came to me with a. smile that was like an angel’s, an’â€"she â€"a.ctually bent over meâ€"an" kissed my brooâ€"an’, eh, man, I felt as happy asâ€"as when I was a. lad. Then I wokeâ€"an’â€"â€"I was just floundering in my own hell. “Let me go, Mr. Strang, let me go. Don’t ask me to do this other thing. You've paid me well for what, I’ve done. but I don’t want 'the brass, an’ if you’ll let me sail my own course an’ say nothing of what’s gone, I’ll bring it, all back, every penny piece. I will; I’ll go for it now.” He sprang to his feet and shuf- 'fled towards the door. Not till then did Michael Strung speak again. “As you will,” he said, “but 1 warn you that before you sleep, Ben Hetherington Wlll have tried ‘bhe fit of his gyves on you. Per- haps you’d like to dream of David Graham’s henefactions and Mar- gery Manesty’s kisses in the stone “It's not this risk it's for." “What “How “I tell you, man. it’s horrible. Here’s David going about with this disgrace on his shoulders, even the bonny lass that had promised to wed him has taken back her word‘ because of his shame; everybody’s agen him, barring Cap’n Dan and Bella Mackitterick, an' yet a word from you or me would set him right,” “Well, go and speak that word." Tinion shook his head. “I dm‘sn't do it,” he groanvod; “I darsn’tâ€"but my punishment-’3 growing harder’n I can bear. I cast away his ship, an’ he comes an’ pats me on the back an' begs me not to take it too much to heart, an’ says I mun have been varra, badly, an’ that he doesn’t blame me a bit; an’ after that he moves his men about so as to make me- t’ mate of t’ Noahâ€"an’ I'd sunk his other brig, man, ay, he didâ€"l he pats me on ’0’ back, an’ squeezes me hand, an' gives me another berth. “An’ now, when I lie in my bunk, I’m hearin' t’ grindin’ o’ t’ Habakâ€" kuk’s timbers as she pounded on t' Bulger rocks; an’ when I shut my eyes David Graham’s white, harrassed face stares through the lids that willn’t keep out the sight, an’ in my dreams that bonny lass at Sleddlemere comes to me with tears an’ pitiful prayers, an’ begs me to clear her lad. One night 1 thought in my sleep that I’d done lthe thing she wanted. an’ when she 3mg With a. gesture of despair, Tin- ion returned to his chair, and Strang, drawing closer to him, and laying his hand on his shoulder, impressively continuedâ€" m-o and I’ll pay you better yet. Why, man, already you could buy a. brig :of your own.” Five hundred earned, more for the taking! Tinion’s eyes glistene-d .with the flash of greed. Twelve months ago he would have been satisfied had he been assured of such a sum as the product of a. when lng he 11 I’ll let let. you go, Tom Tinion, I’ve finished with you, and I’m done you’ll be a, richer Ian you are to-day, and thank me for what I’m do- i’ve paid ypu well, you say, fair letting 1110 run all and not telling me what d'ye think it's f earn I tell'l You're too earned. more for )n’s eyes glistene-d f greed. Twelve would have been gazed into the the imploring prayerfuL eye ,d have been n assured of product of a. and here in- offered him, take. And OI 113â€"8010 in my treasuryâ€"you've seen them. fled f0? 1110 I'm a, lone manâ€"don't know what 5 only £01“ to do with all I’ve gotâ€"can give led yet that to whom I likeâ€"who knows ‘2" pays?" He leer-ed suggestively. l good intent “Yours,” the syren-voiced temp- e sailor re- tel- continuedâ€"“yours for an e man who hour’s service~service without of his hand risk. Why should you hesitate ‘l empt, men- David Graham is nothing to you. nself of the Why should you slave all your days to pamper him? Let him to do these sweat for his bread as you have 1 at length. dono. Why do you hesitate? Is u; we run all Margery Manestyâ€"why should you ,3 me what lose all this to give her a. sweet- heart? It doesn’t matter, man, one lover’s as good as another, You'm too and she’ll be just as happy with y the denl the next. Don’t be a. fool and [been downlwrecl: your future for a. crop of 31. before 1 empty notions; don’t throw away your figure- the greatest chance of your life." a“ r Ql-n'nlr') The chance of his life. forsooth! s for 7" comes ' begs heart, vane, blame moves The chance of his life! And deep down in his heart abject despair. Strang snaps his desk and turns the key. Tinion goes back to his chair, drops his chin upon his hands, and once more bends his gaze upon the fire, and again be- ‘holds those faces ’mid the ember glow. That of the man still begs for mercy, but in the luminous depths of Margery Mancsrty’s eyes prayer no longer pleads. There he finds a, smile of derision, fearâ€" less defiance. It is a. relief to him when Strang breaks the silence and dispels the vision. “You’ll lose no time about it?” he asks. “You’ll be wanting to finger that gold, I’ve no doubt.” “No, curse it; I’ll get the job done to-night; the sooner the bet- ter. I think I’ll be off now.” click of the lock. the shitpowner beckoned him to his side. and then dro ping the front of the case, reâ€" vened a, heap of glittering gold piled on the green baizo cover. “Yours, lad," he luringly whis» pared, “Mid there’s more of them in my treasuryâ€"you’ve seen them. I'm a lone manâ€"don't know what to do with 3J1 I’ve gutâ€"can give “In that case, I may expect to see you again to-niorrow night." Tinion declines a. reply, and slouched from the room, Strang in his wake. Their feet, beating the boards of the passage, are still rousing the slumbering echoes of the house when the door at the 0nd of the parlor is gently opened, a close-cropped head is projected through the aperture, and The Cap- tain bestows a, knowing wink upon the furniture. Translated into speech this meansâ€"- “You’re a very clever chap, Ir. [Michael Strangâ€"very cleverâ€"but not clever enough to stop a. key- hole.” The chance of his life! It is enough. Hats and Greed, children of the same foul brood, confeder- ates ever linked in Shame's con- spiracies, have triumphed. The chance of his life, forsooth! As if in this case, as in so many of the crises, humanity must. meet, the chance did not lie in renuncia- tion. Sohool Managers and Applicant for Position Broke Even. The managers of a school in a. little village in the Far West were examining an applicant. who de- sired the position of head master. The young man had satisfied them of his knowledge of geography, arithmetic, and grammar. At this point the chairman of the managers drew a magazine from his pocket, peered intently into it, and re- marked :â€" “Well, young feller, now we see whether you’re up in the Eu lish language. What's the mea in’ 0’ inconxpreheqsu‘bblgl” “Incomprehensubblel” faltere< the applicant. ~“Why, incompre hensubblve means the proximity o‘ the corollary to the molecular in genpity.” \ 1-. “Jest so,” commented the chair- mam. “Now, what is the dofinin’ o’ sublimination ?" “Sublimination is when the over- plus goes into perihelion with the decussat'ion of the Instability and produces transfixity of the protop~ lasms.” “M’yes! An’ what does disinâ€" tegrate mean?" “Disintegrabe means the general consanguinity of the hyperbole when affiliated with the zodiac.” ' ‘ iou’ll chalrman hands all 1' make his a SBI‘V lin oke on 111 um thmk words. wa “I'll do 111118 Yes > 1115 urty CUT B9111 WAVES. candidate, down To be continued.) )110 me asn round, and t arrangements smart feller, member 01 the 11d the chalrman 11, though, {ne :3 hensubble n’ what does disiu andidat Lppllcant who (le- 11 of head master. had satisfied them ge of geography, 1th overjoyed, shook and then left to of defeat announce think words that about h was chu a-makin them bi} faltered ID83- board aw lug ran Enough food should be given at each meal to be eaten eagerly and greedily, and no more. The poultry should neither be starved nor over- fed. The happy medium can be arâ€" rived at by feeding them until they begin to pick and choose, and con- sider which are the tit bite; and then promptly stop that meal. It is not possible to lay down any hard and fast line as to the amount of food always to be allowed, as some breeds eat more than others. indi- viduals vary in their appetites, and hens when laying eat a. good deal more than when they are not pro- ducing eggs. It is an error to feed the big fowls and the young chickens toâ€" gether. When this done the lat» ter do not get their proper share and they are invariably trampled upon and peeked and ill treated. However small the space may be, if it is large enough to rear chick- ens in, some portion should always be divided, in which the young~ sters can feed by themselves. A ‘ shelter for them can be easily made with a. few pieces of board and some wire netting. It is particu- ‘ larly necessary to give young chick- ens food at regular times and not just as it happens to be convenient; : and as they quickly go ill if offered anything stale or sour, the feeding vessels require constant attention. Nf+0§§¢f§§¢¢§¢f+f§9¢9fi a++++++¢§¢+++¢+o++‘++i ERRORS IN FEEDING. There are a, goodly number 0! small poultry keepers who, after trying fowls for a year or two, give them up in disgust, as troublesome, unprofitable th ngs. Though in reality it is a. simple matter to keep hens so that they will lay enough eggs to allow a large margin for profit, there are a. few conditions that must be observed. One of the most important of these is that they should be correctly” fed. Tho most common error in feed- ing is to give the birds too much, so that the food may bo seen lying on the ground at all times. The egg supply, under such conditions, is poor. and the hens look dull and unhealthy. If poultry kee'pnrs would keep an account of the eggs they obtain from their fowls in the course of the year they would genâ€" erally find that they do not get nearly as many eggs as they should ~â€"-.t£hér result ing. If the horse is inclined to loose- ness of the bowels, look at its teeth. They may be so sharp that he can- not chew his food well. If the tettb are all right, look into the matter of the watering and the feeding. There is no better winter break- fast for hens than equal parts, by weight, of bran, midldlings, ground oats, cornmeal and meat scraps, to which add its bulk in cooked cub oats, cornmeal and meat scraps, to which add its bulk in cooked cub clover hay, and five per cent. of linseed meal. Mix the grain with the tea. made by cooking the clover. In these days, the specialists are the ones that get; a. reputation and make money; but, in this case, the grand secret is that. with one kind the breeder soon finds out the posâ€" sibilities of the breed, soon learns it thoroughly, the breed improves in his hands, hlS strain becomes noted, he derive-.3 an added plea.- sure in handling and his pocket.- book grows fat. narkably Aim? the Farm RIGHT SORT 0F EXPERTS LIVE STOCK NOTES msura. Native re rlgm IldE em m a aifxly of 031er at We (2 “pt 11; 13 necessary i be kept, separate, ' one or the other onfined at, least a. ime. And there is gained in keeping rs. while there is a mst have a. re- Board of Health agcnts." rt of men 12.1w ut th be given at cagcfly and The poultry Healthâ€" 11k many) I can