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 'i tt^ PARDON ED AT LAST. A IHRILLING CHRISTMAS STORY BY "JACK FllOST." Arrirad there, Mr. Dane paid the fare, «I- thoagh Moll/ protested that it waa her tarn to otand treat. Ojening a private door in the boundary wall, he led them ap to a magnificent man- Bios, and strangest thing of all, admitted tbnm by means of a private latch-key, Udhering them into the libruy where there was a fire, he tamed ap the gas, and said " Make yoarself at home. Myrtle, and yea too, Molly this hoose lielongs to a very old friend of mine. Lxonse me for half an hoar â€"I want to have a chat with my friend •boat yoa. Yoall see him presently." When they were alone, Molly nadged Myrtle, and said in a tone of awe, as she looked r'onnd at the magnificence of the f arn- itare and the valaable array of books " Woald yoa mind giving me a pinch I don't believe I'm awake I" " It's very struige bis bringing na here, certainly," remarked Myrtle. "I hope there's no mistake " " I won't stand by and see yon.* poor old father chacked oat," caid Molly, stontly. ' I've got a strong arm, and a big nmbrel- la." MoIIey's awe was increased, and ner eyes opened wider with {astonishment, when a liveried strvant entered with a silver salvor laden with wine, frnit, and biscnits. " y oang man, wou'd yon mind telling ns if this is for as I" she asked, eyeing the good things as if she expected to see them vtmish instantly. The servant bowed deferentially, and qaitted too room, ",Poor fellow, he ain't bad-looking," said Molly " but he'd as deaf as a post. I won- der what's in them there decanters. Miss Myrtle " " Poor some oat and try," laaghed Myr- tle, much amused bt Molly's eccentricity. \Vnile she was following this advice, the door opened, and a handsome gentleman, in fall evening dress, entered, hi« face beaming with welcome smiles. This was |the ^proverbial last straw, for Molly dropped the decanter as if she had been caught in the act of thieving, and blurt- ed out- "Please, sir, don't scold me it ws that deaf yoon^ man as tsld us we might have some sherry wine." Disregarding thia laughable appeal, the new-comer took Myrtle's hand, and said "Have I the pleasure of addressing Miss Dene!" "Qiite right, sir," put in the irreprersible Molly "she's Miss Myrtle, and I am Molly Spriggins, her maidofallwork." "I'm very pleased to meet yon. Miss Spriggins â€"how d'ye do?" he said, with grave politeness, that qiite " fl.'kbbergasted" her, as she afterwards averred. Bobbing a curtsey, Molly answered ' "I don't mind I! I do hav£ a glass of sherry wine, sir. I'm quite well, thank you, my lord." He helped her, and then seating himself beside Myrtle, said :j "Your father, who is a very old and dear friend of mine, wished 'me to excuse his absence he is rather tired. With year permission I will ring for the honsekeeper, who will attend you all yonr wants yon most be tired after your long â- â€¢urney,' Myrtle assented, and he bidding the pair good-night they were taken under the honse keeper's wing, and all the heart could wish for supplied them. Bafore retiring to rest that night Molly looked under the bed, searched every cup- board, and fiaally placed her umbrella within handy reach of hor. The bedchamber Myrtle was allotted was a perfect gem no princess could have wished for a better. The cost of cpholstoring it must have been immense â€" in fact, its magnificence might well have formed a description in a fairy tale. Amazsment and speculation kept her awake for some hours, and j ast as she was sinking into repose came the sound of music under her window â€" Christmas waits singing carols. The fresh young voices of boys sounded angelic on the frosty midnight air, and the orchestral accompaniment added enchant- mest to it. la the morning, when she sprang out of her snowy nest, fresh surprises were in store for her. On the occasional table was quite a collection of presents a superb lady's dressing-case and a casket of jewels Ha- monds of the fiaest water), as well as other gifts from that mysterious Christmas visitor, Snta Clans. Molly, too, had not been forgotten by that beneficent being when she drew on her right boot, something hurt her. "^Drat the stone " she cried, testily, put- ting her hand in and drawing out the offen- der. When, lo she found ten sovereigns neatly rolled Up in tissue paper. " This honse will be the death of me," she muttered, as she attempted to draw on the left boot " bless my heart alive if there isn't something in this as well." It was a large packet of delicious sweets, the sight of which proved too much for har, and forthwith she oommenoed to eat them. The same gentleman who had excused Mr. Dane's aba^ce overnight met Myrtle at breakfabt, which waa aerred in sumptaoua atyle. " Is not my dear father well enough to leave his room, air?" ahe aaked anxioualy. ** Ion will nee him after breakfaat," he re- plied. " Pleaae do the hononra, Mlaa Dene. I take coffse, pleaae." Myrtle waa too full of excitement to eat mnon, though her hoat plied her with every delioaoy. Artleaaglrl though ahe waa, it waa plun to her that there waa a myatery behind all ttiia. Conduoting her to the librafy, he placed her Id a chair near the fire and began talk- ing of things of general intereat, to which â- he replied In mono ayllablea only. !~ ' Excnae me, air," ahe aidd at last bloah ing at her own Impetuoaity, " but let me intreat tii yon to take me to my fatber he ia illâ€" wretched." "Myrtle, my own true-hearted darling, can you forgive me my deception I am your father," lier companion aidd tenderly. " Yon " waa all ahe ooold aay the an iiHUicein«it quite took her hraatA away. ' Yea, L A year ago 1 esoaped from Si- beria, leadiedPArla, waa aad with a dan- gerena llloeaa, bvt reobfverei, thaaln to iny old friend l^farre Verloa'a devotion." " Why did yoa not aend fm ms, dear fa^-r?* dM aaked, in a tone of gsntle re- fxowiii. BeoMue there waa mneh to be done before I revealed myself. In P*ris, too, I had an^lm- placable enemy who would have recogniaed you from the atriking resemblance of your- aelf to your mother." "Is ahe living? Pierre Verlon would never tell me anything about my pareata. He was wise the story of our wrongs would have poisoned tha springs of yonr young life, and made yon pant for vengeance. Haavens how I have prayed, longed for revenge as I lay in my dungeon cell, or toiled in the mines of Siberia| " Such a vengeful look came Into his face as made her shudder. Sha was sorry to hear him aay this on Christmas Diy, whan from every pulpit tlironghout the length and breadth of the land peace and goodwill would be proclaimed. "My dear f«th8r, you have sufFared," ahe said gently. "L3t my love heal your wound do not talk of vengeance, on tbis day, at least." "1 am fitly reproved. Myrtle but I, the escaped convict, condenmed ud justly by Buborned witnesses, would not change places with my enemy, his rank and wealth not- withstanding." "Tell mo ot my mDther.?" Sie pleaded. •Am I like her?' "Yes, judge for yourself," placing in har hand an exqiisibely-painted miniature, fram- ed in diamonds. Myrtle kissed it reveren::ly, and gentle tsars fell upon it from her gloriouly dark eyes. "It is my Christmas gift to you, my dar- ling Myrtle. I am richâ€" a millionaire the wealth I possessed when I waa sent to Siberia, and which I made over to Pierre Yerlon, has accumulated, thanks to his j idicious investments but remember I am still only an escapsd convic!i, though some day I hope to prove my innocence." ** Yonr secret is safe with me," she said, simply. " Not a word must be breathed aboat my past^ or I shall have to q lis England. Yon will meet the noblest, the most famous people of the land here in time, I hops but let them only suspect who and what I am, and I should be treated with scorn, fon will help me. Myrtle " "Y?sâ€" f jr your own and dear mother's sake, I will." Father and daughter embraced lovingly as the church bells clanged oat Christmas greet- ings â€" '.a message of peace and good will to all. Bsrtram D^ne and his daushter spent a happy, if not merry, Curistmas. He had a fund of anecdote to tell her, and havin$r mixed with the world of fashion freely be- fore his incarceration, gave her an i dea of what her life would be when she launched on it. A qtiiet j ?y fi'.led their hearts when they knelt together in church and thanked the Giver of all good for His mercies to them â€" to him more especially. Fjiirlawn H^use was filled in every avail- able space with holly and mistletoe, and on Boxing Day the servanta had a ball and supp3r, to which they were psrmifated to in- vite their friends. Molly was in the seventh heaven of delight, and struck up quite a flirtation with the footman whom she had thought deaf.' Myrtle and her father opened the ball, and stayed for a time to join in the merrymaking, Tae supper was a chef-d'sseuvrsâ€" turkeys feese, ducks an 1 green peas, fjwis, every ind of msat and puddings, and a dessert fii) for a king. No expense had been spared to make it perfect. Christmas games followed â€" kissing under the mistletoe coming in for more than its fair share of patronage. OiiTwelth Nijiht, there was a gigantic Christmas tree, to which all the poor children of the neighbourhood were invited by Mr. Dene. What mountains of cake.and piles of oranges, apples, nuts and fi^s were consumed, and gallons of lemonade, wine negus, tea, and coffee drunk If anything csntd make the host forget the dungeons of Siberia or thegloOmy mines, it was a sight like this. The happy voices of children have a con- tagions ring, and hard must the heart be that is not touched by their fresh innocence and true ab^don. Myrtle nad a delightful time of it in shopping. Her father gave her carte blanche and insisted that she must have one of the most perfect wardrobes obtainable. Nor WM Molly forgottenâ€" she was amply provided with everything necessary for her position. Myrtle foresaw some trcuble with the faitUul Molly, to whom her father had taken a great liking, and meant to raise to a better position. " Now, Molly dear," Myrtle said, aa they aat together aewing, " I want you to attend to your education. You ahall share my lessons if you like â€" my father haa engaged a first-claaa govemeaa." " I can read and write already, Miaa Myrtle," ahe answered, demurely. "Yes, but there's a great deal more to Im learned, Molly, before you oan hope to Im- frove your position in the world, you know. t ia not merely being able to read and write, or even ordinary acoomplisbments, that make a lady. Yon moat oonaider there Is such a thing aa aooiety there ia aujh athix^ aa urine your acoompUdunenta In the right way there la aach a tiling aa taot and judg- ment in meeting people, and anltin(g your oonveraation to tfaMr taatea â€" in fact, a thoua- and and one little thinga you will have to Icam before you can take a poritlon." "Ob, lor, Miaa Myrtle, I'm afraid It oan't be done. I oonld never think of all that." **, Well, at all eventa you promiae to Im- prove, don't yon, Molly T ' "In oonrae I do, Mlaa Myrtle but who'a tiila govemeaa â€" ^what'a her name. If I nuv make ao bold to aak?' "Miaa-Rsbeooa Pride." "AU right, I'U take leiaona of Be^ky Pride." aald MoUy, with a deep aigh ef realgnatlon. "Yon muat not call her Becky." Mvrtla aaid, laughing "ahe'a a lady." ' "And I'm to be a lady ' Myrtle nodded, when Molly puraned • i*I'tSiLL!°"?L"' ^*•^ " kiaanirfer tiw^ttMoe, oclox a ohap'a eara when he'a J^l^f^' " '^^â- ^^' ^^ it •If a what Tve been naed to, Misa Myrtle. Sf'lf P^f "??• •"» •Sunda/J^S the leopard dean hia walea. or the ai^ leave off biting hia »imt1-t»»*'"â„¢*L_i'" off, if you pleaae." .- m. ACT THB SECOND. For two whole yeara Myrtle led a vary happy life, free from aU oare, wMto bee education waa being completed under the ffloat accompllahed maatera of the day. Her father never once referred to hia unhappy paat, or gave any rign that life for diem waa not to run on evenly and nn- brokenly. That he had oommand of ample meana waa aelf -evident, for the word "wealth" waa written large on every detail of their resi- denoe, Fairlawn Houae, aitnated between Patney and Rchmond, on the banks of the Thamef. Although the manrion atood between the highway and the river It waa thoroughly aeoluded from the vulgar gazs by high wall^ within which were a miniature park and fljwer-garden, kept in perfect jrderata vaaS expense. The house Itaelf was In the Elizabethan style, and protected at the bask by conser- vatories, s locked wiih the choicest exotics. Like most houses of the claai, It had a p:i- vate doer abutting on the river. Mr, Dsne had not brought hia daughter to this palatial home, which he had purohaEed right out, until it was ia thorough order.^ He had superintended every detail him- self, and had every right to feel proud of the result. A magnificant la^nn, as green and even aa a billiard table, skirted the back and sloped down toward the river. In the centre of this waa a miniature lake, where aquatic birda diaported them- selves amid water-lilies. O J the lawn itself psa-f owl strutted about the gaudy plumage of the peacocks, when they spread their fan-like tails, looking like sun- kissed jewels. It was a terrestrial paradise, and in the summer â€" of which the English, it must be admi*°ted, get a v«ry small share â€" looked quite Oriental In its blaze of colour. Mr. Djiie's bedroom wai the only excep- tion, in its severe simplicity, to the other- wise gorgeously upholstered apartments. Like a famous duke, he slept on a straw paillasse Bipported on an iron bedstead. No carpet or curtains were there, and for furniture, only a couple of Windsor chairs, a deal-topped toilette- table, a cheat of drawers, and a plain wash stand. There is a story of a prisoner libarated when the Bastile was destroyed, who for years had slept on a spiked bedstead, having a similar thing made for him, because he could not rest on any other. No doubt some snch experience as this, gained in Siberia, guided Mr. D :iae'8 caoice in this instance, thus illnatrating the old adage that " Use is second nature." The only othw piece of eccentricity he conld plead guilty to was in the arrangement of his study or retreat. 0;iginally that room had led off the bil- liard room but he had that blosked up, and an entrance made from the back of the man- sion, thus severing it from any intercommuni- cation. This apartment he jealously guarded, making it a kind of Bluebeard chamber no servant's brush or duster ever intruded, and Myrtle hprself was tabooed, much as he loved her. In other respects, the household was on a princely scale liveried footmen and others were there In almost prodigality. Bat, as yet, no "Open Sesame" had been found to this magnificent honse by the world of fashion. Crystal, silver, and gold services of plate were lavishly placed on the table at each meal, and a profusion of edibles, enough to tempt theappetite]of ananchorite, was always there, although the family circle consisted of only three personsâ€" Mr. Dene himself, his daughter Myrtle, and her companion, a Miss Pride, who, to use a homely simile, was " fat, fair, and forty," but essentially the lady for all that. In all matters of etiquette and deportment, she was a past- mistress of the art, her voice was like the cooing of a dove, her still hand- some face wreathed in perpetual smiles like f. cloadles3, sunny Italian sky. Temper she had none in fact, ahe must have been b3rn without one, or, if not, ahe kept it oarefully locked on 3 of sight, and succeeded in life in conseqienoe. In matters of dress, she was faultless, and, had she been rich, might easily have become an acknowledged leader of the fashion, and, as such, one of the most redoubtable. Bat the time arrived at last when Myrtle' no vitiate waa finished, and she was to make he' debuiâ€" her first bow on the world's stage of fashion after a rehearsal of two years' duration. People's curiosity had been whetted by the reports circulated by servants' gossip of the magnificence that reigned In and about Fairlawn House. Following this came the most ridiculous assumptions. Dine was an exiled nobleman, a merchant prince, a suooeasf ul apeculator, a fortunate gold-seeker; in fact, tnere waa no limit to the indulgonoo which people, eapeoiaUy thoae moving in fashionable society, gave way to in information. « "Bit,d«r Miaa Pride, we don't know anyone, 'aaid Myrtle, when she commenced .^r ' writing out the Invitations. Of courae not, dear; but people wUl oome for aU that, ahe rejoined, VlA one of her aeraphic amilea. ;; Why • ariced Myrtle, in her Innooence. Became rumour, I beUeve, hai already OTedited your papa with being aa rioh M CroeMs; and aa magnificent aa Louis yolept ;S:t«;;*/Irr «""" »-•' '^^ of SJ^orii "" " '--' " *• "•y ..^'^^' ^9 gtuiA reception oame offat SSttSt'*^ rjiidwoe-f alrUwn Houi!! ?Si«^ "^^ "" ^^ « •dventore. xvaa a lovely annunar evenlns. tha breeze waa sighing through the treea to the aooompanlment of innnmeraUe feathered maaioian^ and the ran waa sinking to rest in a blaze of glory. " ""'"â-  Glad to eaoaps from the houae. where even at thfa late hour, men werT ariS preparing for tte grand forthcoming evw J M^Ue reoUned in a boat which WM^mooS to ^e l»iik, and read one of the Imttmt fashionable novela. r.^ ^!:"?v'*.*'*^"'»^ •••»•* Ae fid *ot mSw'i^"'^-**^* •Uppedfromlta Bjiaterona laughter and abonta of • Hi there, youMP 'ooman I get ont of tiie way eM't yer I" diapdled thToharm of CbSt. Mid,to her ;.9rror, ahe aaw a large boat freighted with " Arrya and Saraha' inaking atn3ghtior Iwr.^y antt, aeemingly intent °^3 ^BUbiMnd WM abe at the right of her Impending doom that ahe 'Oonld not utter a ^figlmarf, ai evti offer np a nwte prayw foreafeif. ., Nearlier waia gentleman in a dingy, who, perojivlng hat danger, paddled to her aide, uid with « firm hand and practlaeo eye pulled her arido, only juat in time to avoid the Impending ooUuion. .., Inatead of wasting hia breath in Idle re- monatanoes on theee rnde Vandala and Qotha, who kissed their hands and pooket- bandkerohiefs, besidea Imitating oat calls, Myrtle'a reaouer turned hia attention to- warda reaaauricg her. ••J trust they have not terrified you? he said, keeping one hand on the boat, and speaking in a tone of genuine aympathy that made hia words scund all the aweeter. ' Tttuik you. I'm afraid I must own to being horribly frightened," ahe replied, with a anule that won its way to his heart in a moment. .â- , " Pray let me aaalst yra further I h« pleaded, greatly atruck with her beauty and wondering how ahe got Intc her preacnt dilemma, for he aaw, at a glance, that not only waa the boat oarlesa, but also rudder- less. " First, let me thank yon ainoerely tor the great aervioe yon have already rendered me," ahe aaid animatedly, the roaea return- ing to her f aoe with deepening color. " I am only too pleased to have helped you in so trifl Jng a way," ho replied, eager- ly. "I see y on are without oara. " " Yea I was reading, and did not notice that the boat had broken away from its moorings till I found myself here. I live yonder, at Fairlawn Home." " With your permission, I wHlhave much pleasure in towing yonr truant boat back ta its moorings," he aaid, with a frank amile, displaying a fine aet of teeth under a blonde moustacha. "Thank you, very mnoh. I hope my father haa not discovered my mishap' he would bs very upset," ahe rejoined, with another of those heavenly smUea whioh formed one of her chiefest charms they seemed to spring from the very soul itaelf. In the absence of a rope, he made the boat fast to the dingy with his scarf, and in a short time â€" all too short for himâ€" Myrtle was onoa more in absolute safety. " Myrtle, Myrtle " she heard her father call from the lawn. '~*' With a hasty farewell, and reiterated thanka, she sprang out of the boat and disappeared through the door, leaving hiih to dream of her beauty and that smile wnioh was to haunt him for all life. Chance meetings frequently have more to do in moulding our destiny than any formal introduction in society. Perhaps this one waa of that character At all eventa, the handsoma stranger might be met paddling his dingy near Fairlawn House, and Myrtle never seemed tired of being in her pretty boat whenever the op- portnoity offered of stealing down to the river. (to bs continued.) Babies And Dag Days. It is qiite wrong to auppsse that the "dog days" are the most fav jrable to canine madneas. Rabies occurs among dogs in the arctic regions as well as In the torrid z mea â€"indeed, slxby-five of Kuie's sledge doga died of rabies â€" and at M, Pastsur'a institu- tion the largvt number of patlenta are treated in the oold month of February and the amallest number in the hot month of August, entirely disproving our notion of the dog days of Summer. The term "mad dog" is a misnomer, since the word "mad" is now used to denote inaanity, which Is a non-febrile disease, while rabies is a febrile disease, the delirium of which is analogous to the delirium present in all bad kinds of fever having the peculiarity that it assnmea the form of irritability of temper, and hence the victims manifest It by biting, while lunatics do not bite at all, or at least very rarely. Some dogs howl, others have a curious sharp and incessant bark most are dejected and srllen at first, and all are more or less violent in the later stages of the diseaas. Must dogs, aa well as human be- ings, have a horrer of water in every form, either the alght,sound, or feeling of It throw- ing them into convulsions. This fear ot water manifeata itself in the rabbit. Some dogs die of psralyais without dread of water, but with an inability to swallow Itâ€" the mere eff jrt to do so always bringing on a spam of the gullet. Paralysis Is in general the last act in the drama of rabies. Paralysis stands in aa inverse ratio bo that of the dread of water in relation to the'rabbit, do?;and man. In man paralysis is rare In the dog occas- ional, an i common in the rabbit, which Is exactly the reverse order ot things in the case of the fear of water. Malioiie's Macbine. The Virginia correspondent of the Cincin- nati "Commercial" a :â€" There could not be anything nearer perfection of political erganlzition than that of the Rapublicana of Virginia under Mahone. The organization ot the coloured voters, who are all Republl- oans, and the. white men who vote the Republican ticket, la aa perfect and compact ai that of an army diylaion. As I have said, the Rspublioan voters of Yirgbiia are aa diatinotlvely and perfeotlv organsd aa an army oorpa. and their organfasation goes even to a mere Damooratio extent than the army itself, iMoauae it reaohea to oompanles of ten instoad or stopping at 100. Every ten men ot the Bepublioans ate under the control of a captain of tens, who wews a large badge, and who gives a smaller one to eaoh of Ua oompaoy. Ten ot these oaptadns report and arebeld raepandUe to a commander of hnn- orods, and the oewnandws of hundreds re- port and are h^d responsible te the oolonel ofthoniands. It is the business of eaoh oap. t^ of tens to see that his ten men are at the poUs and oMt their vote, and the same re- Utivo duty U imposed upon each commander up to 1^0 grand commander himself. AU of these ffioers and men are furnished with handsome badges and others emblems of authority, so that in the end every man he- comes an officer, for even the humble mem- b«B of oompanies of ten wear with great pride theb own plain badges andgaz,wiA ?hdr«p^'""^° tlie6x4\adge of ^Johnston-Wen, oW bey, ywte,t your uaJS%r^"' **" " " muofii Johnston-L-ke neoessity, how I Jones-He knew no Uw. THB _,„,.,„ le«(len AnMng u Ur,. At present South Africa i. one of the sevewat period, o|l ever experienced. RilnhttlJl year In many very large tnJS^' consequently there is an atn« °" among cattle and of mUerv in^H* hearts of prosperous farnwrirt "H^ be understood by the bhaSf.^' more favored in ihlsr^JSt^.^^ the geologist, who hw just L^f^ N of the country, says thit the iSS Meaopotamia, andludia, lu'li. moat fertile countries b th^ *« become nothing but desert w" the ignorant destruction of Si ""t neglect of re-planting, .re wSl.'Sj Africa. All over tae « '"â„¢""' .u.i...^. a.n uvcr lae oaQQfpv " have been denuded of treei io,I*® Bupplying^fael, and even for ' causes. v-»,B». Far "up the connL"""' distance 200 miles north (rfT. ' ' oountry haa been ruthltsjly .w*Ti treea. ' "«PN J Prof. Seoley saya that the h^» I have been stripped of it« tree," fl the knowledge of the hrm ^^ beyond the cattle, above whiVl, ?^ a little elevated intellectuilly ijj.' COAL IN ABUNDASCK " in South Africa, and if att*n« devoted to its mining, there bn°° Why Industries which depend for ill* perity on the supply of tusl should *1 fl)urUh here. Africa req^l .,» blankets to supply the native ml alone. Besides this, there ia dJIv^ wolien clothing for the evertr white population. The PfoleMoriL he anticipates hereafter a UrgerdeveC of coal than is at preBent known. enca to gold_ he says that be be J gold occura m the C pj Colony verv, more widely than has hithertc bednnstL espeoiaUy in tha lava sheets whick^ exrenaively developed io thecsntrth the Colony. It is qiite newtlLl fi ad gold as it Is fouad here inthnj sheets. A great many cf these coj3 very large psroentige of gold, u fact of interest is that when tbeselaviii come up they constantly Joveifljif or a trate into the fissures of the rook, expi an when left bare crackiag, so yu;, w*ter catches the dusolwd constitnia the lava sheet, and a new minenl, belongs to the family called zjolytaJ resulted. These z olytea, are noti minerals like the felspdir combined certain amount of water m the proceil recrystallization. In mMy csei m snbitanods are found to ba camp'ntil rich in gold. 1 Conc3ming asbestos diasDveries, thtJ fessor said the specimens were t^e£is] had ever seen, and ia so far aa he cosldja^ by the ordinary method of tiristiigtbea and gei^tiug same idea of its dorbllitjJ elasticity, it seemed to be of consiiiq commercial value. MinganeBeiBalniii here in considerable qaintityâ€" afact ifi portanoe in connection with the maaiiii of ateel. As to the diamonds, he had vuiieji mines of Kimberley, and he wasstroDSf| pressed with the tact that MANY Of THB DIAMOSDS were broken, and this proceas of I has not occnred in the washing or fenii; rook out of the mines, bai took plan I they reached their position la wbatii i there "the blue." The iufereare is thiti diamonds are much older than the rackii contains them, and the scieatiS^ sig^ concerning the occtirrenceof tbediam they are found here ia that, as the t composed of pobbles found in tbecougla ate of Z vartberiT lower down in the Cil^ conglomsrate may havs spreal f arthstn than even Kimberley. It ia in com* with this that the coal beds are foaai Ii| the extraordinary pressure whiah pro heat the coal has been cbangedandr lized, then volciuio action pierciij beds may have brought up the diailuMi the surface, and diamond mines miy found in other parts of the CjIjuJ" where they are now worked. The August output of golii has not p* ao large as was expected, bnt yetii' ciently large to satisfy all those intif in the mines. The total is 32, 1*2 oa that is, about 7000 ounoes 1»J the May output. The fan't ottbM crease in no way lies in a dcfiiiencyi ore, but rather in the mode of m August h kaown to be a dry monA 1 steps musi be taken, by storage reserâ„¢ oth er wise, to preserve the witer ag*." emergencies if a high ayerigs oatpn. UT maintained. Tae ore becomes n:wi deeper the workings are,batsom be done to provide against the rnai" j of water in the future, as well asaguo"'" ing of- the mines in the wet seas in. I An unforeseen diffiraliy in "*^j arlasn this month in a strike among i^ workers of Johannesburg. I"" ° J-l seeking increase of P^'y-""" thdif satisfied, as they may well be, » J ranging from £5 to £7 per «'««,»'°V wUh a sh wtening of the hours of 1»mJ the employers are not likely to g»^. strike wUl soon collapse, as there "fg of hands ready to agree '» " terms. Transvaal share markete nsv activity during the past weefc ^. Earjpean orders have come l^^ Itookaa Rsbinaons, I?'°I^Qa^tl Deep Langlaagte Royals. No. I -r m Levels, Jampera Daen Levels, daohta, and others have been inH. aaoncB, ana oiners n»vo """ |.ijiP as weUas Dj Beers diamojd mn^^j whIoh are now looked on aa» "Wâ„¢ as oonsols. JL,tm A good deal of discussion n",^,, J Eogland and in the Colony owrffl' J of granting a royal charter to w headed the Hon.CecUB^Bp known as the Diamond King- ;[%^ intends to push its operanooi w' land and as far north as the Z 'O^. gold reefs and aUuvial are «»" It wiU lay down railways fr»»^ j, through Bwhuanaland; .^.Ltjot'l means of opening up to "»«» ,iiii tract of territory from wWcn w j has been hitherto exoladed. Chicago forethoujiit- Wife of Lawyer-(who u e% f^ Oronin murder trial) -vVhy Tommy la the library w »";, lii»* Great Lawyer-I w»« P"" this trial. ,i,AitW "Wiiafc fori TheohiW" «o# alMut Buoh tilings u, « "Perhaps he is now. »^l take my place in it wl»«" know." S,