Grey Highlands Newspapers

Flesherton Advance, 25 Oct 1894, p. 2

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LOVE REASONS NOT. CHAPTER XVIII. A WHOSr.KD WOMAN'S THRstAT. For some five minutes there waa silence, and the two who were to be moi tal enemies looked at eaoh othar. Leone knew then that all prayers, all pleadings were in vain; that they were worse than airless; but ID the heart of the foe there waa no relenting, no pity, nothing but scorn and hate. She had poured out the whole of her soul in that supplication for pity; and now aha knew that she had humbled herself in vain ; the mother's cruel words smote her with a pain like that of a sharp swcrd. She waa silent until the first smart of that pain waa over, then ahe said, gently: "Why do you aay anything so cruel! why do you hate ma '" "Hat* you?" replied my lady, "how can you be no mistaken ? It is not you I hate, but your class the class to which you be- long although the word hate ia much too strong. I simply hold them in sovereign contempt." "I cannot help my class," aba said, briefly. "Certainly not; but it is my place to see that my SOD takes no wife from it. To you, yourself? I can have no cislike; per- sonally I rather like you; you have a plea sain face, and I ahould lake you to be clev- er. But you have not even one of the qualifications needful absolutely neces- sary, for the lady whom my son calls wife." " Yet be choae me," ahe aaid, sim- piy- "You have a nice face, and my son has lancied it," said the countesa contemptu onaly. "You ought to be grateful to ma for aeparatiog you from my sou now. I am doing for him the kindest thing that any one could do. I know Lord Chandos better than any one else, and I know that he tires of everything in a short time. He would be wearied of yon by Christmas, and would have loathid the chains he had forged for himself. When he waa a child he tired of a new toy in half an hour hia disposition liaa not changed." "1 cannot believe it," cried Leone. I will not believe it, great lady aa you are. You are wicked to malign your own aoo." "I do not malign him, "said the countess, indifferently. "Many gentlemen think it iiuiu- complimentary to he called change- able. My son haa alwaya been known aa one of the most variable of men ; nothing pleaaea him long ; it ia seldum that anything pleaaaa him twice. You think he wi'l al- ways love you ; let me auk you why ? You have a pretty face, granted ; but there is nothing under the sun of which a man tirrs sooner. You have nothing else ; you have no education, no accomplishments, no i(ood birth ; I should nay no K'xid breeding, no position, rank or influence. If I may speak my mind plainly, I should say that it waa a most impertinent presumption for you, a farmer's niece, even to dream of being Lady <.'handue a presumption that should lie pnmaiied and must be checked. You would, without doubt, make an excellent dairy- maid, even a tolerable housekeeper, but a oountess never. The bare idea ia intoler- able. " She grew more angry as she spoke ; for the girl a grace and beauty, the wonderful aweetneaa of her voice, the pasaion, the power, the loveliness of her face, bsgan to tell upon her , ahe could not help owning to herself that she had seen nothing so marveluus as this wonderful girl. 'Then, "said I^eone, calmly, "I have appealed to you in vain?" "(Jutte in vain," replied my lady. "Re- member that againit you personally 1 have nothing to say, neither have I any dislike ; but if you have common sense, you will see that it is utterly impossible for my son to lake the future < '..union of Lanawell from a farm house. Now try and act rationally o away at once, leavr my son, and I will eee that you have plenty to live upon. ' "Whatever may bo said of the clais from which 1 spring," aev'l Leone, "I believe in the sanctity of marriage, and I would corn to barter my love for anything on eailh." "Yea, that is all very pretty und very hignflowu, "said the couoless, with a con- temptuous laugh ; "but you will find a few thousand pounds a very comfortable matter in a few years' lime." "You said you would rather see your or dead than married to me. Lady Linn well ; I repeat that I would rather die of hunger than touch money of yours. I did not know or believe that on the face of Uod'a earth there was ever a creature so utterly hard, cold and cruel as you." The light of the setting sun had some- what faded then, and it moved trout i In- proud figure of the counteas in ihe lovely young face of Leone, but even as the hghl warmed it, new pride, new energy, new paaaion seemed to till u. The prayer and the pleading died the softened light, the weel tenderneaa left it j it waa no longer the face of a loving tender-hearted girl, pleading wuh hot tears tint nhe might not be tali tn from her husband it was the face of a tragedy queen, full of hie and passion. She ntiHid, with one hand upraised, like a aibyl inspired. " 1 have done, Lvly Lanawell," she eaid : "you tell mo thai Lord Chandos is tree to marry aa he will when he is twenty- oue." "II yoi can find any comfort in that statement, 1 can verify it," she replied ; "(Mil sursly you are pot mad enough lo think that, when my son ia of age, ha will return to you." "i aia .are of it," said Leone. "I believe in my busband'a lora, snd my husband's mnittaajfy, as I kelieva ID Heaven." "1 hope your faith in Heaven will be jftore useful to you," laeared the countess. "I have womanly pity enough to warn you not to let your hopea resl on ihis. I proph- esy that Lord Chandos will have utterly forgotten you by next June, and thai he doea not see you again." "1 will nol believe 1 it. Lady Lanawell. You are my auperior hv birlh and fortune, but I would neither exchange mind nor heart with you. You have sordid and mean ideas. My husband will be true, and aeek me when the lime comes." My lady laughed. "You are very happy to have such faith in him ; I have not half ao much in any creature living. Yon hold that one card in your hand you aeem to think it a win- ning one ; it may or may not be. I tell you one thing frankly ; lhal 1 have already aellled in my own mind who shall be my eon s wife, and I seldom fail in a purpose. "You are a wicked woman," cried Leone. "I have no fear of yon. You may try all that you will. I do not believe that you will take my huaband from me. Yon ate a wicked woman, and Uod will punish you, Lady Lanswell. You have parted huaband and wife who loved each other." "I am not very frightened," laughed my lady. "I consider thai I have been a kind of providence lo my son. I have aaved him from the effect of hia own folly. Will you allow me to aay now that having exhausted a very dis agreeable subject, ihis interview musl be considered cloeed ? If you would like any refreshments my housekeeper will be pleas- ed to " Rut the girl drew back with an imperial gesture of scorn. "I want nothing," she aaid. "I have a few words to aay lo you in parling. I will repeat lhat you are a wicked woman. Lady Lanawell, and that Uod will punish you for the wicked deed you have done. I nay more, whether Heaven puniahea you or nol I wilt You have trampled me under your feel ; you have insulted, outraged, tor- lured me. Listen to the word you have tortured me ; you have, received me with scorn and contumely: you hava laughed at my tears; enjoyed my prtyera and humiliation. I swear that 1 will be revenged, even should I loae all on earth to win lhat revenge. I awear that you shall come and plead to me on your knees, and I will laugh at you. You shall plead to ma with tears, and I will remind you how I have pleaded in vain. You hava wrung my heart, I will wring yours. My revenge shall be greater than your cruelty ; 'hint, then, how great it wili be." "I repeat that I am not frightened," aaid the counteaa, but ahe shrunk from the fire of those splendid eyes. "I was mail to think 1 ahonld tind a wo- man'a heart in you. When the hour of my revenge cornea, my greal grief will be lhal I have a heart of marble to deal with !" cried Leone. " Youcannot have such greal affection for your husband, if you speak to hia mother in this fashion," aaid lha countess mock- ingly. '1 he girl stretched out her white arms with a despairing cry. " (>ive me back my husband, and I recall my threats." Then, seeing that mocking amile on that proud (ace, her arms toll with a low sigh. "I am mad," she said, in a low voice, " to plead to you quite mad '" " Most decidedly,'' said the countess. It appears lo me ihere ia more truth in lhat one observation than in any other you have made thia evening. AJ I am not par- ticularly inclined to the society of mail men or mad women, you will excuse me if I withdraw." Without another word, my lady touched the bell. To the servant who entered ahe aaiil : " Will you ahow thin persouout aa far aa t he park galea, please?" And without another look at Leone, ahe quitted the room. Leone followed in silence. She did not ever look around the sumpluous home one day she lielieved to he hers ; ahe went (o the great gate* which the manservant hold open as she paaaed through. The sun had et, and the gray, sweel gloaming lay over ihe land. There was a sound of falling water, and Leone made her way to it. It waa a rancade that fell from a small but tep rook. The sound of the rippling water waa lo her like ihe voice of an old friend, the eight of it, like the face of some one whom ahe loved. She aat down by il, and U sung lo her the a* me sweet old aong : "A rlntc In pledge liuguve her. And vowrfoflovo we ipoke; Tin,-e VOWK .rr nil forgotten. The ring aminilrr broke," It would not be so with her. ah no ! If ever the needle was true to tho pole, the Mowers to ihe aun, the tides to the moon, Ihe stars to the heaveus. Lord Chandos would be true lo her. So she believed, and, despite her sorrow, her heart found resl in the belief. Tri; MX. I.KO.NK'S i-Koriiifv. No worla could do justice to the stale of nrmd in which Lord Chandoa found himself after thai interview at I'awdor. He rushed liack to London. ()l the three previous days remaining he spent one in hunting up the shrewdest lawyers in town. Kach and all laughed at him there waa the law, plain enough, ao plain lhat a child could read and understand it. They smiled at his words, and said, half-conlemptuoualy, they could .n.t have imagined any one so anorant of the law. They sympalhi/.ud with him when ht spoke of his young wife, but avi'or help there waa none. The only bright side to it was this, he could remarry heron the day he came of age. Of that there waa anil could be no doubt, he aaid, but he waa bent on rinding some loop-hole, and marrying her at, onca, if it were really needful for the ceremony to be performed again. It could not be, and there waa nothing for it but to resign himself lo the inevitable. He did not know lhat Leone had heard the terrible sentence, and he dreaded having to tell her. He was worn out with sorrow and emotion. In what words was he lo tell her that she waa nol hia wife in the eyea of the law, and that if they v ishad to preserve her charac- ter unspotted and unstained ahe must leave him at once? Ha understood his mother's char- acter ti.o- wall to dare any delay, lie was aura that if Leone remain ed even one day under his roof, whan the lime came lhal he should iniroduca her to the world aa hia wifo, hia mother would bring the fact against her, and so prevent her from even knowing people. There waa no help for il he must tell her. He wrote a letter telling her he would be at River View for luncheon on the follow- ing day; he knew that he muat leave that aama evening for Ihe continent. He would have given the world to have been able to renounce the royal favor, of which he had felt ao proud, but he could not. To have done so would have been to have deprived him not only of all position, but to have incurred disgrace. To nave refuted a favor so royally bestowed would have been an act of ingratitude which would have de- prived him of conn favor for lite. He musl go; and when the first pain was ovar, he said to himself it waa, perhaps, the best thing lhat could have happened. He could no', have borne to know lhat Leone was near him, yet nol see or apeak to her. It wa all for the beat, painful aa it waa. If for theae long mouths ihey musl be parted, it waa better lor him to be abroad he dare not nave trusted himaelf at home He loved Leone so well lhal he knew his love would have broken down ihe harriers which the law had placet between them. He would go to River View, and let il pain him aa il would, he would tell her all, he would leave her aa happy aa waa poaaible under ihe circumstances. He would slay away until the time waa over ; then the very day he came of age, he would return and re- marry her. He laughed lo acorn hia mother's prophecy. He prove untrue to his darling ! The heavens must fall first. Not for him the mill-wheel story not for him the broken ring. How happy they would be, then, when the time had paaaed ana h* could introduce Leone u his beloved wife to the whole world. He would try and think of that time without dwelling more than h could help on the wretched present. He went home lo River View, bul ihe first glance at Leone's fnoe told him that aha knew all. It was not so much that the beauty bad gone from il, lhal ihe beautiful eyea were dim with long, passionate weeping, or lhat Ihe lips Irembled aa ahe tried to amile. Her whole face had changed ao completely; in tragic in tenuity, the power of iia despair, overmastered him. Lord Chandoa claaped her in hia arms, Mid covered ihe sail young face with kiaaee aud tears. " My darling," he aaid, " you know all ; I can see you knew all.'' The ring of happy music had quite died from her voice he hardly recognized it. "Yes," ahe answered him, "f know all "My darling," ha cried, "it ia not my fault. You will think 1 ought to have known it; but 1 awear to Heaven lhat I never even thought or suspected il. I woulu rather have been dead than have pet you in a false poaition, Leone you know that," She laid her fair arms on his neck, and hid her white face on hia breast. "I am sure of il," she said, gently; "I have never thought of lhat: I know that you intended to make me your wife." "So you are my wife, let who will say to the contrary you are my beloved, revered, honored wife, Leone. Why, my darling, all the alrength has lefl you! Look up, Leone. They have done Ihe worst they can do, and what is il? They have parted us for a few month*. When the parting ia ended we shall be together tor life." She lightened the claap of her fair arms around hia neck. " 1 know ; I have faith in you, but it i* so hard to bear. Lance. We were so happy, and you were all the world to me. How shall 1 live through the long months to come? Lance, perhaps you will be angry with me I hava done something thai perh.ipa you will not like. "That would nol be possible Leone. I musl always like every thing you do. Why, my darling, how you tremble ! Sit down, theie is nolhing in all ihe world lo fear." " N.I ; lei me tell you what I have to aay with my head here on your breast. You must nol be angry wuh me, Laocr. When 1 had seen Mr. Sewell, I felt that I could not hear it. 1 wenldown to Cawdor aud aaw Lady LantwelL" lie started with surprise. She raised her face to his, louging to see if lie were angry, yet halt afraid. " You went lo Cawdor to see my mother," he repealed. " My darling, it waa a strong measure. What did ahe say or do?" ' You are not angry wuh me for it, Lan -e :' aha aaked, gently. " I angry, my darling? No, a thousand times no. I could nol be angry with you. Why did you go for what purpose?" 1 went lo ask her lo have pity on ui ; nol lo enforce this cruel senienoe ; to be pitiful te me because I love you so dearly." edL eagerly. Aud her anawer ?" aaked Lord Cbandos, "Her answer waa everything that was cruel and wicked, .vh, forgive me, Lance, ahe is your mother, I know, but she has taken in her cruel hands a divine power. She has parted us anil I prayed her to be merciful. 1 lold her how dearly we loved each other, but she had no pity no mercy no woman's kindness, uo sympathy. Sha waa cold, criK-l, proud, haughty. She insulted, humiliated and outraged me. She refused lo hear oue word, aud when I left her, 1 swore to lie revenged on her." The slender form trembled with pasaion. He drew her even more closely to his breast. "My darling you neeu not think of ven- geance, ' he said "1 am grieved that my mother was unkind to you. Had you consulted me, I should moot certainly have said do nol go. Mind, I am nol angry or annoyed, ouTy so far as this, lhat I would not liavu you irritated for the world. I must nay that I hadulwaya felt that if my mother could sue you our cause waa won. 1 did nol believe that any creature living could resist that face." She looked up tit him with unutterable love . "Do you really care so much for it, Lance ? Have you never scou a face you like as well '' "No, aud never shall see one, my darling; when we are parted il will live in my hearl bright and fair until we meet again." Then the tender arms omng more tightly to him. " Must we be parted, Lance ?" she whispered. "We were mained in the sight of Heaven muat we leave each other? Oh, Lance, it cannot be true; no one can say that lam not your wife." Quietly aud ca:mly trying to command himself, he told her then how inevitable it waa that they muat submit to the voi.-e of the law during tl.a next few month*, ao aa to insute their future happinets aud fair name. And than he told bar of the favor conferred upon him, and how he was com- pelled to accept it or never to hope for court favor again. She listened wi'.h a face that seemed turned to stone. Slowly the tender arms unwound themselves and fell by her side : slowly the beautiful eyea let: hia and tilled with despair. He triad to console her. "You see, my darling," he aaid, "that in any case we muat have parted. Though this appointment is a mark of royal regard, still u is quite imperative. I could not have refused it without ruin to my future career.and I could not have taken yon with rae,ao that for a lime we musl have parted." "1 see," she aaid, gently, but her hands fell, and a shudder that she could not con- trol paased over her. "Leone," aaid Lord Chandoa, "We have not long to be together, and we have much to arrange. Tell me, tirst, what you thought of my mother ?" "She ia very beautiful, very proud, very haughty, cola ami cruel if not wicked, said the young girl, slowly. "That ia nol very flattering." laid Lord Chandos. "I could have loved and worshipped her if ahe had been kind to me," aaid Leone; "but ahe waa cruel, and some time or other I shall have my revenge." He looked gravely at her. "I do not like to hear that, my darling. How can you be revenged 7" A light came over her face; "I do not kuow. I have a prophetic insight at limes into the future. Aa I stand here, I know that a time -will come when your mother will weep to me as bit- terly oa I wept to her, and just aa much in vain." "I hope not," he answered. "All will be well tor us, Leone. But revenge, my darling, is a horrible word, and doea nol suit those sweet lips stall. Let me kiss away ihe sound of it." He bent hia handsome head and kissed her lips with love lhat seemed stronger luan death and true as eternity . (TO BE CONTIMfKD.) DANGERS OF BALLOONING. A Balleealsl Make* a esBarkable > ace Leal her lull., I B* *.<! kel > Like LlfkllBaj. Ada Mitchell made a balloon ascension from Rutland, Vt, Wadneaday. She alight- ed on Rochester Mountain, twenly-six miles distant, after a remarkable and peril- ous voyage. " The wind waa blowing almost a gale," Miaa Mitchell aaid, " when I waa prepar- ing to start. The balloon pitched consid- erably, and it waa with difficulty that I got fairly off. I had no sootier left the ground than I diaoovered lhat two of my baga of ballaat, weighing -J5 pounds each, had slip- ped from the basket underneath my feet, so that only one bag remained. The ballaat had hardly left the basket when the balloon shot upwarda and off lo lha North with a marvellous speed that increased every moment aa I got into ihe higher air current. This, with the triple ascending force due to the absence of the ballast, gave a maximum speed of a mile a minute. " As I neared the cloud* I look out of my pocket an aerial barometer and found I was 4,00:) feet above the sea. I hat 1 no sooner entered the clouds than the car began to tos< and lung* frightfully in Ihe cross currents. The wind seemed lo blow 'rom aeveral directions at once. ClilXIUM U1TII A CTCLOSC. "Suddenly I was in ihe mid-lie of a whirl- wind of great violence. The balloon lurned tint one way and then another. It pitched and swayed until 1 thoughl I should lose my hold upon the ring around my waist, or slep from the board upon which I waa standing. More than thia it was tarr.bly cold ana a damp chill seemed to creep into my bones, numbing my hands until there waa no feeling in them. I do not know how long I was in the cyclone. 1 1 was not more than a few seconds, probably, but it seemed an age. Suddenly again the blast struck the lop of lha bal- loon, keeling it over ao quickly that I almost loat my hold on the ring. Then il lurched upwarda so suddenly lhat the lart bag of ballaat waa pitched over-board. Aa the bag lefl Ihe baskel, ihe balloon with P2S (ounda less ballast then it should have- had, shot upward with the rapidity of lightning, and in a few seconds I waa glid- ing quietly but rapidly through a. clear atmosphere, with Ihe bright sunshine aboul me. It waa alill cold, but the air was free from the dampneas that prevail" 1 in Ihe clouds, and 1 hegan to get warm again and regain my composure "As soon as I was oul of the clouds I look out my barometer again and found that I was in an altitude of S.OOO feet. 1 continued to sail steadily for aboul a minute when 1 struck a current of air moving in a northerly direction. Immediately the speed increased again. Having paaaed some distance be)ond Ihe section of lha clouds through which I had ait-ended, I began to think of coining down. Accord ingly I pulled Ihe rope connected with the escape valve and soon began lo deacend rapidly, at the aame time contfhuing in a northerly direction with great velocity. A MOM KMT OF rKH.IIT. "On reaching the clouds 1 again encoun- tered violent cross currents of air lha) caused the balloon to pilch and sway fright- fully, a* before. Suemg thai I was again in an aerial storm, I tried to close ihe es- cape valve, but it had become jammed in some manner and woul.l nol shut. Kr n momenl I was thoroughly frightened. However, I finally succeeded in closing the valve and casting the air anchor in time lo slop the flight of the balloon. 1 landed in the top of a pine tree on one of the mosl desolate heights of the Creeu Mountains, thankful to escape alive and never agam lo tempt fala above ihe earth." A FOREST FIEND, THE BUTCHER BIRO. OR SHRIKE, KILLS FOR MERE PLEASURE. II l a Vrrlfalile Trrrnr rifce Woil asul aac* IU l.-nni> In Tm Wkesl It ".in ! Itetosjr ThrsB <<> ! taaada. No bird native to this country is so little known and surely HOIK- has such striking habits of life as the shrike or butcher bird. Ha is a member of a family com- prising soms two hundred species, of which only one well-defined sub-family is resident in North America. Bold, daring, handsome, he is at once the braggart and the beau of the woods. At i little distance a Souther- ner would readily mistake him for the mocking bird. Mil bluish-gray plumage, tail tippod with white and broad black patch across ei.cn e y. glv* him a trim, jaunty air quit* pleasing to the eye, but, alai ! a dreaded object to smaller and weaker birds. His habitat ia Northern North America, and though ha breeds in the hi^h ground of New England and New York, ha grows more common after the Canadian line i crossed. The shrike is A BOBX TV IV* NT. Not content with killing and derouring all insects large enough to attract his fancy, he attacks snakes, mole*, mice and small birds whenever opportuntity offers. His disposition is as unlovable at home a* abroad, for seldom are two or more aeen together but they are engaged in an ugly family quarrel. They are truly carnivorous, and except for certain weaknesses of bone And muscle would rank aa true birda of Parental solicitude. Dauihter-" Hut, ma. I don't like him * Mother He i* an only son, and his I father is very rich. ' "Well, as u. that, hi* father isa w:do er aud may marry again. ' " True. 1 did not think of thv. Perhra you'd better marry the father.' There ia one strange, uncanny character- iatir, however, which separates this wood- land bully from all knownbirda. Natural- ists have watched it, studied it, pondered over it and written long pagea of inexplic- able explanations of it, and common people have doubted in their superstition or ignorance whether il waa ihe doing of a bird or a demon in bird form. To-day it remains as deep a mystery aa it waa oue hundred years ago. THIS H Til* I-CZ/.LE. The butcher-bird in hieriotoua love of kill- ing alaya many more victims than he haa any possible use for. He seems to do it for th mere fun of ihe thing. Instead of leaving the dead, however, be carries them one by one to some thorny hedge or tree aad there impales them in all sorts of fantastic positions in the branches. Il gives one a start to come oul of a piece of woods when gunning and see a thorn-tree laden witb a jhastly crop of locusts, toads, sparrowa, gras- snakes, lizards and chipmunks. If the ahrike ever returned to feed upon Sis grim hoard there would be an explana- tion of hia conduct and he would be credit- ed witb the epicurean taale of a thorough- bred vulture who likea things "a hit gam- cy." But such is not the caae. The wierd fruit hanga for days upon the limbs, and if aawks or crowa do not find and steal it it will rot, until only a few tiny while skeletons remain to tell of ihe massacre. Comparatively few dweller* in the back- woods know this eccentricity of the butcher- bird, and hence arise many carious and apparently well-authenticated stories of treea thai catch birda in their branchea and of atorms lhat rained down loada sad lizard s.^ so that the trees were full of them. Not more lhan a fortnight ago a, leading New York daily had a ' half column devoted to a mysterious "RAIN Of SNAKES." in a vilage in the northern part of the state The alory, which was well auihenticaled, stated that two prominent farmers of the place, driving past, an orchard after a storm saw an apple tree hanging full of small snakes. Had they been men of less estab- lished characters for sobriety iheir reputa- tions might have suffered seriously after such a reminiscence, but aa it was, aeveral other persons afterwards visited the spot and saw for themselves the unusual spec- tacle. There were, it 'earns, at least a hundred young garter-snakes and adders dangling from the ends of the lowest limbs, and on .-loser examination it wa* found that each reptile was transfixed by a sharp twig, upon which it had appaiently been impaled. No similar caae haa ever been known in thai region, and ihe only poaaible explan- alion was, as the two farmers claimed, that the snakes had been thrown down in lha rainstorm. How they were ever car- ried up in the first place was not explained. This waa but the handiwork of our friend theennke. 1 1 was only good luck, how- ever, which threw the anakea in hia way, for he woulti quite aa willingly have decor- ated the tree with ihe pretliest soug- birds in the woods. The butcher bird is A IIOHN TIIIKF a. *ell aa % murderer, and often meeta hi* death while hopelessly endeavoring to kill and carry off a lame pet hird from a cage or to rob a hunter's cabin of fresh meat. Any tid-bit he hud* he will Heal, even if only lo MMHiiil from locuat bough hard "by. The Canadian fur Iraders and trappeia despise him heartily.and never lose a chance to kill him. Til., half-breeds call him " H hiskey Joe," and claim he is half drunk all the time, aud hence doea these foolish things. He will spy out the most carefully hidden trap and always manage to purloin the bait without being caught. The wild country north of the great lakes ia a favorite haunt of these butchers, and the Indiana who hunt and sell furs lo the Hudson Bay Com pany complain bitterly of tho depredations of "Whiskey Joe." Th shrike builds a bulky, tomewhat elaborate rest of heavy sticks below, and upon thia foundation a warm covering of lark, leaves and grau ia laid. It usually msome low tree, and the eggs, which are somewnat smaller than a pigeon's are. de- cidedly pretty. They are of a grayish green, mottled, specked* and scratched with reddish brown. The you-ig muling* begin their education by wrangling ,! rjhtiog as eoon aa hatched, in whiol. amiable di version their food parent* set them striking and perpetual example*. 1

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