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- i The Prime W The autumn morning was gray and misty’ in Parliament Street. Big Ben, looming up against the tendon sky, had chimed nine o’clock, business men were hurrying toward Charing Cross, eager to commence the :lays‘ work, the police about \Vh-lteâ€"l malllf were going off duty and hasten- l ing to warm themselves, and the sen- i :inels at the Horse Guard Werei :hlanging guard. The great blocks of Sovernment Offices were not yet op-, 5n, even fourth division clerks were , not due for another hour and their’ principals not for a couple of hours more, yet the Most Noble the Marquis >f Macclesfield, her Majesty’s Prime Minister and Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, was in his _ private room overlooking the great [madran-gle in. Downing Street, busy yithl the affairs of the British emâ€"i ure. He had entered that room soon after midnight, taken till-c broad rib- bed of the Garter from across his ih-irt-frontâ€"for he had been attending 1. reception; at the German Embassyâ€" placed it carefully in. a drawer, turn- 5d up his shirtâ€"cuffs as was his hab- it, and sat dawn to write. Headless of time, he had written on, the silence broken only by the scratching of his luill, rising only once to drink a glass of water and to pace the room two or three times about in deep thought. Then, he had returned to his work, nning a dispatch with his own ‘andand reducing it :to cipher of fig- ares by aid of the small leather- bound book open at his elbow. ' .A grave, grayâ€"bearded, scanty- naired man, he possessed keen dark eyes which had not lost their brilâ€"l liancy although he was nearly seventy. I Something of a misanthrope in private life; a retiring man who hated popu- larity, who never spoke in public un-. less absolutely compelled» from politi-{ :al motives, he was nevertheless ac-l knowledged from end to end of Eu~ rope as the greatest living diplomatist ind the most successful Foreign Minâ€"i ster England had ever possessed. To: preserve the old tradition of his an-l :ient and noble family, and serve his lovereign, were his only aims, and to: that end it was no unusual thing fOI‘g' Minister’s (3 up. ‘ spent his life on railways, and had the times of departure and arrival on the European trunk-lines committed to memory so that he had no use for a Continental Bradshaw. “Ath Macdonald,” his lordship exâ€" claimed as the man: entered, “I’m glad it’s your turn to carry dispatches. I Wants you to go to Rome without de- lay. \Vhen shall you arrive f" "If I leave Chari-ng Cross in half an hour's time." said the Queen’s mesâ€" senger, glancing at his watch, “I shall bel in lllome at seven o’clock in this morning of the day. after to-morrow." "Good." grunted the Minister for Foreign Affairs, handing him‘ the seal- ed ,dispa-tch. "Give this into Sir Charles Durant’s hands at the earliest possible momentâ€"mud." he added, “re- Your duties I admit are extremely 1m- fidential. If its contents were known, all our diplomacy would be thwarted â€"you understamd.” “Exactly,” replied the captain, tak- ing. the document. “I trust however, that my previous services have show my trustworthiness.” “Of course, of course," the chief said, quickly. "In you, Captain Macdonald, the Queen has a faithful servant. portan-t at this crisis,” the;. -Minister added. "You are carrying backward and forward across Europe secrets which might land us in war. or es- tranige us from every possible alliance. With unscrupulous spies about you, as you have on every hand, it' behooves you to keep your eyes always open." Macdo'nald smiled. “'We are too clever for those inâ€" teresting persons,” he laughed. “The spy is more successful Illl' France. on in Italy, for there he can! bribe. The clcverest spy has never touched‘ a. crossed dispatch of your lordship’s." “And that is a credit to your, corps. In no other messenger service, in Europe could) that be said. It is true, as Bismarck once remarked: to, me, only! the English are honest. 'But you’re losing time,” added his lordship, hastily. "Go. Audi good luck to you on your journey.” The captain, with the dispatch 1n Ills p0cket, strode out, closing the door, and the great Minister was once more alone. At! half-past eight that same even- him to work through the silent hours 3' mg' MaCdfiflald Salt in the Smallt but“ while London slept, and then drive in tel; at the Gare de LYODl 1'11 Paris. I hansom to his lgreat dismal old house : W116” 113 Was well known: 081111115”. eat“ in Grosvenor Square, where he lived, 1113’ 1115 (111111612 He dined therey Per" I. lonely and essentially simple life.2haps, on an average oncct. a. week Twenty years ago ‘his wife had diedflthroughout the year, and Jean, the and beyond the servants, his nephew, 2 head-waiter, always advised himl as to who acted; as ‘his private secretary,lhts dishes. That night he had eaten was the only other resident in that I exceedingly; well, and now idl-ed- over severely furnished barrack. A proâ€".coffee, a green chartreus and agood digious worker, he would frequentlylclgar, awaiting the departure of the be. busy for twenty hours out of the! twentyâ€"four, examining and masterâ€"‘ lag the dispatches which came to him daily from her Majesty’s Ambassadors abroad, sealed in those well-worni boxes of red morocco, making notes,: deciding the most difficult points of an intricate diplomacy, and giving adâ€" vice to one and) all of her representa- tives, at the various courts of Europe. Five thousand pounds per year was‘ certainly an inadequate remuneration for his onerous office. No man in all. England had such grave responsibility, i for often upon those words he wrotci depended the integrity and, prosperity of the great empire. 'A‘s Big Ben boomed forth, ihe glanced at his watch. Then, having written another line, he appended his well-known sprawly signature, col- lected the written sheets of blue dis- tch-paper with its wide margin and ts word, “Confidential,” printed in the corner, and having taken from a drawer an envelope upon which was a large, broad' cross in scarlet, he sealed it with the oldâ€"fashioned cut amethyst attached to his wachâ€"chain and bearing :his arms. .-Then he siglhed heavily, rested his wearied brow. upon his lhands, and af- terward; rose, drew up the blind and stood at, the window, gazing gravely out upon the silent quadrangle of the Foreign Office where the pigeons were strutting in the. gray morning. "It must be doneâ€"must” he- mur- mured. ."It is a sacrificeâ€"a great sacrificeâ€"but it is imperative. At this moment .we are within twenty-four hours of war, and the honor of Eng- land is in my lhands." He tookfrom his ‘pocket a telegram which he had received over the private wire on the (previous night, and reread it. The words in cipher for his eyes 1.th0 were from his Sovereign Lady the Queen.‘ - Thrice he placed the room from end :0 end, his chin upon his breast, his :hin, nervous fingers twitching in ag- itation, murmur-ing: : “I wonder how_ it will all and? Ahl [ wonder 3”, And he halted, drawing a long breath. There was upon his ashen Dace a look all profound alarm. A sharp tap upon the door caused him to stlalrt, andl there entered a tall, smiavr‘tslooking man of about forty, wearing -‘a heavy travellingâ€"ulster, M11039! gait showed him to be an offi- :er and whose easy bearing made it plain that he was on intimate terms with the Premier of England. His intendly feeling toward the personnel of the Foreign Office was one of the secrets of the Marquis of Maccles- field’s success. He 'WlalS a man of few words, even to the Permanent Under- Secreraries, but he was accessible to ill, of whatever grade. The main who had entered was a wellâ€"set-up, fiafir-mustaohod, good- looking fellow, who had come in reâ€" sponss to am order of his chief which had reached him late at night. ’He was Capt. Ill'Oml Macdonald, one of "the Greyhounds of Europe," or to be more explicit, one of her Majesty's Foreign Service Messengers, a: man to N‘th a jounney from London to St. Petersburg was about as fatiguing as I journey around the Inner Circle of the Metropolitan District Railway. Ho Rome express. He had wired from Charirng Cross securing his berth in the wagon-lit, and as hd made it a rule never- to join a train until it: was on the point of departure he tools mat- terss very easily, chatting and: joking With the manager of the buffet. At last the clock struck nine, the bustle and excitement on the platform , where the Italian mail was being put in increased, and a ticket-collector beâ€" gan calling passengers for Laroche, Macon, Dijon, Aixâ€"les-Dains and Mo- daneu to take their places, whereupon the Queen's messenger paid his bill tardin ainrd strolled in a leisurely manner to the sleeping-car. The conductor touched his hat re- spectfully as he entered, and saidhfgl have givon- m'sieur the center salon, as; usual." -. '5” "Number Six!" "Yes, m’sieur." The conductor, Bonna-ud, had bash known to him for years. He‘ had traveled hundreds of journeys with him and the Nord, the Orient. and-'t’he Nice expresses, and this official of] the International Sleeping Car Company knew, all his likes and‘ dislikes. The car that night was pretty; full, for a party of Americans was gotng through to Rome. Ere he 'had placed hts bag in his berth, however, the horn was blown, and the train moved: off on its long journey to Fthe «south of Europe. - . 'Forra-n' hour, as was his, habit, the captain sat in the corridor of; the car, smoking, sipping: the whisky and soda which Bonnaud' brought him, chatting with. one or two of. hlsgfellowâ€"travelâ€" ers, and; making himlselfjust as much at ease,‘ as though he were ilni his own chambers in. St. James's Street. In- deed, spe'ndi-ng nearly half his life in those cars, he was absolutely. at home in them. ' _ He was the last to turn: in, and when the train ran onto Amberieu: at a quarter past five next morning, al- though it was still dark, descended and obtained, two long glasses of cafe-au-lait, one for the captain and one for himself. He took one to the door of: Berth! Number Six and knocked. He heard a re- sponse inside, and announced, "Cafe, m’sxeurl" Then,’ setting the glass on the floor before the door, he was com- pelled to descend again to the plat- form, to speak with the, controller of the train. The-instant, however, Bon- naud had left the car, the door. of the compartment next Maqdonald's opened notselessly, and-‘8. man’s hand reached round; and dropped a tiny white tab- loid into the steaming coffee. A. second {later the door closed, and the only sound was the captain stir- ring. Next moment he unbolted his door and took in the glass. The scene: in the adjoining compart- ment was meanwhile, a somewhat curious. one. The little chamber, like Macdonald’s, contained tv‘vo berths, and was. separated from: his byi a clos- ed door, so arranged that the two com- partments could be thrown into one at will. Its occupants were a tall, ,dankwbearded, gsutlemanly man, and a good-looking woman} attired quietly in a dark-green travelingâ€"dress with a little satchel at her waist. in. that manner affected by Frenohwomen ' {failed to outwit them, might now be spoken with them. they were Paris’issns, husband and when traveling. In the corridor on the prevmus night Macd'on'ald had and found that wife, and a very pleasant pair. . It; was plain, however, that: neither had slept. .Thoy conversed only in low- whispers, and the man, whom she addressed as Greizat. stood witl( his eye to asmall gimletâ€"hole Ln: the paneling. ‘lGood'l" he whispered at last In French. "He’s drunk the lot, andl he hasn't relocked the door. The thing Is: quite easy now.” .The-n, lifting; the blind, he looked out. “How infe-rnally dark it is. We ought to wait, ,I sup- pose, for the light.” “But delay may upset everything," observed his, companion. “I’ve given him sufficient," the man said, grimly. "He wan't trouble us. Only I Wish it would get light gsoon." “I hope you haven‘t given- huni an overdose," the woman said, apprehen- 'Slvely. {‘If anything happened, there mlght be some very awkward in- qulries.” "Bahl" the man laughed, as the train, increasing its speed, roared on, the wheels grinding louder beneath them until conversation in whispers became almost impossible. "I’m not a bungler. Leave. it to me, if you’re afraid to help.” ‘ “Afr-aid?” the woman echoed, with a curl of the lip, "VV-als I afraid'_when we put that Genma'n hog out; of Elbe way at Perm-groan? Did I not assist you! when we traveled from' Parts ’to Salzburg, andnext day the newspap- ers were full of a 'mylstery'f Mlys~ terms I don’t like. We want no “mys- tery' this: time. Recollect the narrow escape we've already had.” VEnough," cried the man,‘ im- patiently, his eye again at the tiny hole. "Stop your chatter. He's go- ing to sleep." The woman remained silent, sitting on the edge of the sleepingâ€"berth. Her hat was off, her dark hair disheveled, for she had reclined wide awake 'dur- mg the long night, and she looked pale and tired in the ' flickering: lamp- light. ,For fully half an hour the man Grezat‘. kept watch at the! hole until, satisfied that the Engljlshlmam slept, he opened his door carefully and look- down the corridor. 'Bonnaud was agal-nl asleep. Then he crept to Mac- donald's door, opened it nonselessly, and reaching across draw back the bolt which secured the doort m the partition between, the two compart- ments, leaving next instant, and re- turmng to his companion. "It’s all right,” he said. Then, The Prime MMinister Coup glancing at his watch, he:~ saw that it wanted a quarter to six. “Inl an- other quarter of an. hour we. mush act, daylight or no daylight." . The minutes slowly went by, and he still kept a silent, patient. watch through the gi-mlet-hole, until at the half-hour he tu-mted to the! woman, telling her to prepare all the-things, adding: . “He’s as sound asleep as though lhe were in his coffin; and," he added grimly,; with a strange glitter in' his small eyes, ."be'll go there, if .. ’he moves." ” To be Continued 01‘ THE WOLF THE BROTHERS My position was indeed desperate. I had heard sufficient of their inhuman Itreatment of those: who refused to l‘pay ransom, to know that I, having ,murdered without the slightest com- punction. By that ill-advised note I had foolishly shown myself their enemy. “You have seen that open grave be- yond," the notorious outlaw said in a hard Voice. "It is prepared for you! You will pay, or you will not leave this place alive!” - "Enoughl’ I cried, springing sud- denly upon him. "Take thatl" and drawing my revolver, which still re:- mained in my pocket, apparently over- looked by them when I was' uncon- scious, I fired point-blank in his face. "And that!” 1He sprang back with a startled‘ cry, evidently amavzeld that I had a weapon.- A third shot I directed at, his com- panion; ano. ere the flash had died away; I had; dashed through the ’door and up a'short flight of broken steps into the light of day. Q I emerged amid the ruins of: the great old castle; but, running to the rampart, I sprang over it, and! found myself outside the village, with the path by which I had ascended; deep down before me. Away I dpshed for life. Behind me sounded wild shouts and vehement curses; and as I ran rifles cracked be- hind me, and several bullets whistled unpleasantly about, my ears. The hasty footsteps of my pu'rsuers grad- ually gained upon me, and I knew that it would be useless to make any stand against them. Therefore, headless of where I Want, and urged to take ter- rible leaps by a courage begotten, of a strong desire for life, I- sped on; down, down the mountainâ€"side, until I reached the broken bridge and the highroad, where I found that, having successfully leaped several places where my pursuors feared to follow, ‘I had once more gained con- siderably upon them. Those wild leaps saved met Again my pursuers fired at‘ their bullets went wide. The Ave Maria was ringing when, having joined my anxious driver, who was waiting for me at the hamlet, I drove into Ponte e Serraglio; and it was past midnight when our wheels rattled over the .‘uneven pebbles of gray old Lucca. 1 .Next morning I told my story to the Questomei, or chief of police, and then went my way, full of vivid recol- mel, but lections of my exciting adventure. Since. then, during the past year, the- daring robberies and outrages commit- ted by the Brothers of thq Wolf have been innumerable. A paragraph which I, however, read some six weeks ago in the Tribune. caused me considerable satisfaction. The cutting, now before me as I write, translated, states, that a strong force of Carbineers secretly ascended to the village of Monte Lupo by night, and succeeded in surprising the outlaws. A fierce encounter en- sued, during which the guards suc- ceeded in shooting" the ringleader C'onti and four of his companions. Some twenty prisoners were taken, all of whom were recognized as desper- ate thieves, including the Syndic, who was alleged to have profited consid- ably by the deprodations of the villagâ€" ers, and to have given then? his coun- tenance and protection. The Minister of the Interior had, on hearing of this, issued an order that the village should be destroyed by explosives, and this had been done after the household ef- fects of the whole [place had: been heaped up and burned. "The Carbimeeirs discovered a large quantity of stolen property hiddcrn in the ancient fortress," the paragraph continues; "but what was strangest - of all was a chamber wherein was an open grave. In this horrible place, one of the anciemt dungeons o tt-thc castle, was a coffin containing the body of a victim apparently awaiting burial in quicklime. At first the guards were horrified; but their hor- ror was turned to laughter when they found thatvthe supposed body was in reality only a wax-faced dummy, and that the whole scene was cunningly arranged to terrify the victims from whom the thievels endeavored to exâ€" tort money." The explanation of the open grave was humorous enough; but there is at this moment when I write a terrible picture posted on the notice-board of the Communal Palace of Lucca; it is a. gruesome picture of the notorious brigand Conti and his four companions whose bodies were, after death, stuck up against a wall and photographed, by order of the Italian Government, so that the public should know that the scoundrels wera really dead, and like- wise to warn all other outlaws of the fate awaiting them. As for my affable friend the Syndic, he is at present on the island of Elba, serving a sentence of ten years" imprisonment. I revisited Monte: Lu-po, with some English friends a few days ago. The dynamite of the corps of Engineers has done its WOII‘k well, for there is scarce- ly one stone standing upon another, â€"â€"._.___. HOW TO BE POPULAR. Do not manifest impatience, nor on- gage in argument. Do not interrupt another when speaking, not find fault, ctc., though you may gently criticize. Do not talk of your private, person- al and family matters; it shows bad taste. Do not appoazr to notice inaccura- cies of speech in others. Do not always commence a. convolu- station by an allusion to the weath- or. Do not, when narrating an incident, continually say,‘ “you see," "you know,” etc. _ Do not intrude professional or oth- er topics that the company ganerally cannot take an interest in. Do not talk very loud. A firm, clear yet mild, gentle and musical voice can be distinctly heard. Do not speak disrespectfully of cer- tain personal appearances or physical infirmities when any one present may have the same defect. Do not be absent-minded, requiring the speaker to repeat his remarks. Give all your attention to anyone. talk- ing to you. _ Do not try to force yourself into the confidence of others; if they; give their confidence never betray it. Do not intersperse your conversaâ€" tion with foreign words and high- sounding terms. It shows affectation and bad taste Do not carry on In conversation with another in general company about matters known only to you two’ It is almost as impolite as to whisper. Do not use slang phrases, » vulgar terms, words of double meaning or language that will bring a blush to any check If, when you are paying an after- noon call, another lady arrives, the hostess should chat with you both, the first arrival should be the first to leave. A bow to the other caller and a few words to your hostess are all that it is necessary 'to say. on part- ing. . â€"â€"â€"+â€".â€"_ A Boer farm and. homestead is, it is said, to be. one of the (features of the Paris Exhibition. In this farm will be exhibited the chief wild animals of the Transvaal. The means of trans- portation in the country are also to be illustrated. Lord Wolssley, Lord Roberts, and Sir Evelyn Wood have all written conâ€" siderable for the press. Sir Redvers Bullor has never written anything but dosptatches to the War Office, and shows his aversion to any other chan- nels of publicity. , The most famous mule cpiSode in his- tory is probably the celebrated charge of the mules after the battle of Mis- sionary Ridge, in the American Civil War, when the miniles, finding them- selves no longer under the lash of a master, started on awvii'ld run, and, soon breaking loose from the waggons, stampeded directly toward the enemy. In the darkness the Southern soldiers took the onslaught for a cavalry charge, and in turn stampeded, leavâ€" ing the mule 'victons in the possession of the field. BUT IT WILL BRING HOPE TO MANY SILENT SUFFERERS. .â€" Ncrvous I'I‘oslrnllonâ€"Ilenrc Wenkncuâ€" " Agonlzlng l'nlns nml- Mlsery Studios Women Alone I-Jndure Made the Life or Mrs. Thus. Sears 3 Burden. , Just a woman’s story. . Not strange because it happens every day; not romantic or thrilling, but just a story of misery and suffer- ing such as, unfortunately, too many women endure in silence. ' For several years Mrs. Thomas Sears, of St. Catharines, felt her ill- ness gradually but surely gaining a firmer hold upon her system, and ul- timately she almost despairod of re- covery. To a reporter who called upon her, Mrs. Sears said :â€" . “What I have suffered is almost be- yond description. , My illness has been gradually growing upon me, and eighteen months ago I found my- self almost helpless. My nerves were shattered, my heart weak and my entire system seemingly broken down. I had norest night or day; the little sleep I did get did not refresh me. I was in constant agony, and onlya woman can understand what I on- dured as I tried to do my household work. Any sudden noise would frighten me and leave me in a condiâ€" tion bordering on collapse,. At times I experienced attacks of vertigo, and these seemed to ra. time to affect my memory. The least exertion would leave me almost breathless, and my heart would palpitate violently. I had no desire for food of any kind, and yet I had to force myself to eat to maintain life. ’{I treated with three different doctors and spent much money in this way, but with- out avail, and I was in a condition bordering on despair. Iwas urged to try Dr. Williams’ Pink Pills, and in December, 1898, I consented to do .“ so. I first got‘ four boxes and notic- ‘ ed a. change for the better after Ihad finished the second box. When the four boxes were finished there was a. great change for the better, and I then procured another half dozen boxes. Before these were all used I was again enjoying the blessing of good health. There can be no doubt of my cure because months have pass-ed since I discontinued taking Dr. Williams’ Pink Pills, and. during that time Iha'v-e never felt the slightest symptom of the trouble, and lcheer- fully and strongly urge other wom- on ,who are suffering to use this wonderful medicine, feeling sure that it will cure them, as it did me." Dr. Williams‘ Pink Pills are especi- fic for all forms of weakness. The blood is vitalized, the nervous sys- tem is re-brganized, irregularities are corrected, strength returns and dis- ease disappears. So remarkable have been the cures performed by these little pills that their fame has a read to the far ends of civilization. hor- ever you go you will find the most important article -in every drug store to be Dr. Williams‘ Pink Pills. __+_..- \ WOMEN IN PERSIA. Life is sad, in Persia, especially the woman's life. The law of Islam allows each man to have four wives. His wivfi he may divorce at will. Our word "hash" is the Turkish word by! which a Moslem divorces his wife. It dOQIB't count if he says it only once or twice but if said the third time, the woman must to, and there is no recourse. There are no words for wife and home in Persia. ,Thcre are no homes and wives. It is curious to hear a ,ha'fnd- some woman say: ‘I have told my, husband if he marries another Wife; I shall poison him, and I intend lto do it." Or to ask a woman about, her home life, and. get the answer, "Love my husband! Oh .yes, I love him. I love him as much as a sieve holds waâ€" ter.” In the cities the 'Moslem womenâ€"‘- and all but about 60,000 or {so of tho 4,000,000 women of the land are Mos- Ismsâ€"never appear in public save dressed in black and heavily roiled, tho‘ eyes looking out through a small meshed space of the. veil. Custom, fear of men, and not modesty.) imposq this dress. The poorer women or the women in the villages wear no veils,‘ or throw the veils back and leave their faces uncovered, unless now and then - in a coiqucttlsh‘ way they draw a fold of the dress across the mouth. The Fire Wolrshipers, or Guebros, are but ,few, in Persia mow,( though it is the land of their origin , but their women can be picked out at' once in Tehsran, Oll‘ in the few cities; where they are found, by their dress,‘ Out- side of Teh’eram is the Tower of Sil- ence, where believing neither in cre- mation nor in burial, the Fire Wor- shipers expose their dead. From the - hillside it looks out in solemn still- ness over the broad, dead plain, even as the dead of this dying! people look up in solemn stillness from their ghastly burial place to the unanswer- ing sky. Any additional act of bravery which would, have wo'n the Victoria Cross for its holder had he not already possess- e'd, it is si'g'nnlized by a bar or clasp be- ing added to the ribbon just above the bar from which the Cross is 'Suspondâ€" ed’. The Cross carries with it open- sion of $50 a year, and an additional $25 is given for each bar. In killing game, the Boers use abul- let of which the load: point is exposed so that it ” mushrooms " when it strikes. On entering the bullet cxâ€" parade and tears an ugly hols. If it strikes sidiewise tho effect is horrible. I .Kv WW ,. ;~.-.n';,«.-,;»,â€" â€"» - -â€"--â€"-~â€"~rm- . urnaznsz'W W” ‘- Anr\r~¢'\ .. -y...-.a--. , .v lama: -. :r «