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^ ^^ OR. THE O.. CHAPTER XXV.â€" (Cont'd). 1 remembered that Gedge had sliown me some official parchment which he had explained were con- cessions obtained from Prince Fer- dinand of Bulgaria. That this wo- man had been the means of secur- ing to me the greater part of the enormous profits which I had ap- parently made within the past five years was certainly surprising. "On the day I recovered consci- ousnessâ€" the day of my departure fiom Denburyâ€" I was shown some documents, but took but little heed of them," I said. "You admit, however, that the employment of British capital in Bulgaria has realized a very hand- some profit, and that the greater part of it has gone into your own pockets." "I suppose that is so," I respond- ed. "It is to you that I am in- debted for those concessions?" "Certainly." "Are you, then, an ambassadress of the Principality of Bulgaria I -66 of to in- -jd Yard in "Therefo any furthe you will noV "I am honcrt that you should en. opinion of me," I sa\ over, without a slight i^ cnsm. I did not forget that she hau riscued me from my enemies ii. turn for my silence. She was . a woman to act without strong mo tives. Moreover, she had admittec knowledge of that strange midnigh Clime at The Boltons, and was, tliereffire, an accessory after the fact. "Yoii are the Prince's confiden- tial agent here, in London, and I come to you on a mission direct from His Serene Highness." "From Bulgaria 1" I inquired. "Yea. I left Sofia a week ago," she answered. "It was at first pro- posed to place the matter in the hands of GuechofI, our diplomatic representative at the Court of St James's, but, on consideration, His 'W«ii „„„' ;f " u 'â-  i .1 Serene Highness, knowing that with it 8^'* ^ ^ ""'" " i^''« present State of high feeling ^n "TK^n o- I 1 i 1 -i • M'^'*' Sobranie a single hint leaking with some f.-rLrfi"!*^' .'• '! ""^ "^'^^^^ V'^^'^ disastrous to thl That v.rL!^ t fh^ "'Jt- "''J^'^^tl.v nasty, and perhaps to the nation, thatjou have sought me this even.| ,;3„i^^-;, ^^ pf;^„ /,,„ „,^tt„ ^^^^l "Exactly " I *'''*^'*'^'>' in my hands. The Prince This latest development of the af- f'° ">« the honor of referring in fair was certainlv most remarkable *"'"" " Praise to my previous deal- I had never dreamed that o this .'"Kf ""^^ >,V»' «"d instructed me hitherto unknown woman I had ^'' ^T '""«.>" ,"""'"8 >"" *"<* been indebted for the unparalleled '''':' f'^'L^T'^Ztir.r.V' success which had attended my ca- J" ^^at direction reer during those last six years. ^^ f " *'"'*''•'"« ^^f ^ ^^""l*' Yet, from the facts she subsequent- 1 '^"'^'"^ ^^'^f"'/ ^'^"'u ""<'°"f j ly placed before mo. it would seem I """'?«^« *"-?'"'^- "-'^â- *^" '"' P««"^^f"» that I first rather her agents, had obtained for laced before mo. it would seem !'"T if « so powcriui ,ts Minister, it was at her instigation that "' **»«.''""••'• "f fi""*"*-" that reign- r,l for. On 9t dabbled in finance. She, or '"f.rPr'"''\'""^ 'i T ''fi«t»"^«.' '''"* had th .- !.„_ .„ ».„,! „i,^_:__j » .1 1 have here a letter from His fhe had soot Serene Highness;" and she handed I n-e a note which bore the Bulgarian roj'al ar<ns, and had apparently been written by the Frinco's own Th^ pioji railw Sa.ghr.' Rasgra^ i I opera Rustchuk.'' al declarations no. Minister of FinanceXi Prince himself. ^v The documents werA very ingeniously contrivA. conceal the real purpose loan. I remarked this, companion, laughingly said â€" â- â€¢Deception, to some extent, is always necessary in delicate diplo- niacy." / Tho discovery that the ijlysterious woman â€" whose name she^ had with- held from me^wtts a^ually a se- cret agent of the aut<^nonious Prin- cipality created â-  hy the Berlin Treaty â€" that turbulent State most- notable for tho assassinetion of Its Ministers â€" was entirely unlook- the night when acoi- rown us together, and fhe had soothed my brow with ho cool hand, I had believed her to be ly to the my l.rfhtly. ^ntinued.) J RISKY. le tramp had seen a t life, ho was no judge r, otherwise he would 3aid what he did to Miss rfawkins. When she said would give him a good diii- ne would saw and split wood .gh to pay for it, he attempted appeal to her sympathy. "Madam," he replied sadly, "I'd glad to saw and split the wood, be glad to do anything, but I'm â- t physically strong. I have a eak heart, madam, and I have to ok out for it. -You see, I carry ly life in my hands, as it were," he said, with what was meant for a wan, pathetic smile. "Indeed!" and Miss Hawkins gave an incredulous sniff as she glanced at the palms outstretched tor aid. "I suppose that's the rea- son you don't wash 'em â€" for fear of getting drowned?" i, STARTING EARLY. HING PIGS. * -y m wallowing in tho a the most filthy holes pro- â- ^ .lem with conditions which ap- to give them the greatest de- . ght, says W. R. Gilbert. Some assume that when they roll in the mud they are desirous of getting dirty. I am not so sure of this. Judging from what I have seen, tjie reverse seems to be the case. No rig I have ever owned has gone on enjoying having a crusty coat on any part of its body. When hamp- ered with such they soon rub and scratch with the object of getting it off, and they find peace and relief in this. I believe they often take lo the mucky mud-holes to roll and get the hardened softened. I have always noticed that a pig with a thick layer of dirt on it will roll on the slush much sooner and more often than one that is clean, and I have satisfied myself by practice that pigs that are kept clean are more contented and thrive much better than those that are always i^n fidgets with an irritating coat, ill warm weather they will rush in- o the pools and streams and have a bath, but there is nothing objec- tionable in that. How they do en- joy a good scrub and they almost seem to take pride in avoiding dirt afterwards, but the clean skin does not suggest a return to the addi- tion filth. When pigs are being turned o"t on the clean grass, I would urge that all be scrubbed be- fore they go out. Use a liquid com- I pcsed of one gallon of hot water. Wangles was married recently, half a pint of parafin oil, and two and there was a regular hail of rice, | ounces of soft soap, when all para- a young girl who had taken pity upon mo in my helplessness ; but the revelations she had made dnr mo the negotiation of a substantial loan to Princo Ferdinand, and this had been followed by «11 sorts of concessions, not one of which had tunicff out badly. The mysterious Edna, whom I had, - , , . , â-  , , , , , always liclieved to be a typical! r^P*"^*'',"'^!','";*"'''' ^'^ P'*^^*^ ^^'i •"^'"« '* '»"• blouse-and-bi<ycle girl of the true I f'""*:-'".? â- .''.•'- H'° ^P^'^^- . . . . I She alone knew the truth of that Kensington typo, was actually a po confetti, and old shoes, for good luck, as he got into the cab. More- over, on turning round, he was struck above the eye by a friendly shoe with rather a heavy heel. As the cab immediately drove away, no notice was taken of the accident, and, despite the large handkerchief tied by his sobbing bride over his injured optic, tho blood still flowed down Wangles' face. pu When tttey arrived at their des- g\yiation,,-'the newly-created Bene- band. It was merely a formal note • ing that half-hour showed that there ! asking nic to consider the secret j had been some firm purpose under- litical agent of that most turbulent of all tho European States. I sat looking at her in wonder- ment. She posseshod a superb car- riage, a smart, well-dressed figure, a smiling intelligent face, white even tooth, a complexion just a trifle dark, but betraying no trace r>f foreign birfh. Her English was perfect, lior manner purely that of the patrician, while hor surprising tact possessed all tho finesse of an accomplished diplomatist. "I confesc, that I have all along been in entire ignorance of my in- debtedness to you," I said, after "Well!" I inquired, when I hadjtragc occurrence at Tho Boltons, read it. Explain." and I saw that in this matter I had "Briefly," she said, "the facts tr. deal with a very clever and in- are as follows: The throne of Bul-igenious woman, garia, never very safe owing to the j 1 had now a double purpose in eternal bickoring between St. Pet- lifeâ€" to discover Mabel and to elu- crsburg and the Porto, is at this moment in imminont danger. The People's Party in the Sobranje have boon defeated, and the ])oliro have learnt of a projected popular uprising against His Highness in favor of a republic, the agitation being, of course, causpd by paid agents of Russia. Jit' is an open secret that Russia, art. the first sign (if an outbreak, wtnikl endeavor to listening to he' while sho explain- "' nex the country, hence the posi e(i how obediently I had followed the instructions containcci in the letters signed "Avol," and how I had HO materially advanced the in- tnreiit:-) of the Principality that the thiinks of the Bulgarian President, or Sobranje, had been tendered to nie, and tho Prince himself bad a couple of years ago conforred upon me the highest distinction within bifc power. Yet it was more than strange that while this shrewd grey-eyed wo- man, the possessor of tho secret of that puzzling crime, held aloof from me, she had ingeniously contrived that I should bocome tho unwitting catspaw of an unstable State. I was thinking of Mabelâ€" my thoughts wore always of my lost love â€" and I was wondering how I might obtain from this woman the secret of her whereabouts. and seeking roe this CHAPTER XXVI "Well," I inquired at last; your reason for evening?" Sho hesitated, as though uncer- tain in what manner to place hor project before me. Sho moved un- easily, and riling, drew forth a larg« (lo»patch-box from its Icath tion of the throne grows each rao- ipent more j)erilouR. Fear of giv- ing offence to Russia prevents or- ders being i».sued for the arrest of tb() secret agitators, and it seems therefore as though a revolution cannot long be delayed. It is your aio' His Sorene Highness seeks â€" your aid to negotiate a loan of half a million sterling.'' "Haifa million!" I ejaculated "A large sum!" It seemed incred-* ibie that I should be a dealer in millions. "A large sum, certainly, but you can easily obtain it," she quickly apsurod me. "I have all the neces- sary preliminaries of tho securities here ;" and she pointed to tho pile of papers at her side. "I take it that the money is re- quired for the Prince's private purse?" "No; solely for defence â€" to pur- chase arms and ammunition ; to pay tho army the arrears due, so as to secure their support in case of an outbreak, and to pay certain heavy sums as secret-service money. All this is imperative in order to save the country from falling into the hands of Russia. But it must be done, of course, in strictest sec- recy. His Highness, as I have al- !:f!.'*''^,r!L\rP'rl./'.'!.P''"..!!::|ready explained, hesitated to tabic. I noticed that the outer case bore a count's coronet with ai cipher bearath. Having opened the box with a tiny gold raaot-er-koy which hung upon her hrao«let, she drew forth some oIKcLol looking papers, and then roJurnod lo iier chair. "You have already bflim entrust- ed with a secret, vhich you liavo rot botrnyed the sei-rol of that un- foitup^ki occ'irreiv'c (.n tho even- ing when accident fi-.it hror.ght us togather,"* en- tiuat the matter to his recognized minister here because the spies of c idate the mystery of the crime. Towards that end I intended to strive, and as I sat with my glance fi.\ed upon those mysterious grey eyes, 1 endeavored to form some plan of action. "Madam," I said gravely, at last, "as you appear not to place suffici- ent confidence in me to tell mo your nnme, I regret that I can place no confidence in these documents " "My name !" she laughed. "Ah, of course ; I had quite forgotten. There is no secret about it;" and from her purse she drew forth a folded, much-worn blue paper, which she handed to me. It was an English passport, boar- ipg the name of "Lucy Edna Grain- ger." "Grainger ![' I repeated. "Then you are English?" "Yes, I am legally a British sub- je<-t, because my father was Eng- lish. I was, however, born abroad." A silence fell between us. The rear of the traffic in Piccadilly came >'P from below; the summer night vas warm, and the window stood open. At last I deterraineii upon a bold course. "Now that we have met," I said, "1 wish to ask you one or two ques- tions. First, I am desirous of knowing the whereabouts of Mrs. Anson and her daughter." 1 was watching her narrowly, and saw her give a distinct start at my mention of the name. Next instant, however, she recovered herself, and with marvellous tact reneatodâ€" "Anson? Anson? I have no ac- quaintance with any person of that name." I smiled. "I think it unnecessary that you should deny this, when the truth 's HO very plain," I observed sarcaa difck went out to a doctor to get the mficdlog stopped. "How did you come by this, my riian,?" ^•AVell, you see, doctorâ€" aw â€" I got marrid this morning, andâ€"" commenced Wangles, when the doc- toi broke in : "What, has she started already?" SATISFIED. "Please, sir," piped the tiny cus- tomer, whose head scarcely reach- id the counter, "father wants some oak varni.sh." "How much does your father want, my little man?" asked the shopman. "Father said you was to fill this," said the little fellow, handing over a half-gallon can. It was duly filled, and handed over. "Father will pay you on Satur- day," said tho recipient casually. And then the face of the shop- man grew dark. "We don't give credit here," he said. "Gimme back the can!" Meekly the little lad handed back the can, which was emptied, and handed back to him with a scowl. "Thank you, sir," he said. "Fa- ther said you'd be sure to leave enough round the sides for him to finish the job he wants to do. And I think you have, sir." sites will be killed, dirt removed and clean, sweet skin supplied. Ex- tra feeding may cause pigs that havve come to a standstill to develop more freely, but I can say a good wash whenever necessary, will move them on wonderfully. I have often admired the pigs shown at the big shows, for their skins. What a difference if they were all tiu.i No doubt much good food is given ij them ill such prime condition, but the finishing touch is the clean coat, and to this alone I give cre- dit for their superiority. LEFT ON HIS HANDS. A little girl of seven or eight years stood one day before a clos- ed gate. A gentleman passed slow- ly. The little girl turned and laid to him, "Will you please open this gate for me?" The gentleman did so. Then he said kindly, "And why, my child, couldn't you open the gate your- self?" "Because," said the little girl, "the paint's not dry yet. Look at your hands." BREAKING IT GENTLY. „ ^ ,-., , tically. "You will, perhaps, next Russia are everywhere and if any' deny that a young man wis foully knowledge of his intentions leaked , nu.rdered within that house in The Boltons ; that you wore present, and that you aro awaro of the identity of those who comnntted the crime?" 'i'he pallor of her ch?eks showed I^liiinly that I had rccalJad unwcl- ciimo memories. "The unfortunavc affair is all of the past," she said Kiarsely. "Whv out it would be fatal to his plans "And so he trusts me!" I said, smiling. "He does, absolutely." "And where does His Highness think that I am to get half a mil- lion of mniii'.v from at a moments notice, pray?" T asked with a smile. .1 » " I I "With these in voiir nossessinii she commenced gravely, t,,^,,. ^.i„ ,,, „^ .limculty!" she re need wo disoi.ss it?" "In the intc'csts of justice, Foreman (at the door) â€" "Did yer husband hev a new suit av clo'es 3n this mor-rnin', Mrs. O'Malleyf Mr.s. 0'Malley-"He did." Foreman- "They're rooin«d en tirely." Mrs. O' Mai ley --"How did ut hap- pen?" Foreman- -"He was blowed up bo a charge av dinayniite." HEH SHARE Cousinâ€" "So tho nearly all tho estate gel aiiythingf" _Gnor!<eâ€" "Oh, ye.i! ot the lawyers !" lawyers gut Did KtTi«l She got one STORAGE OF POTATOES. In a community that produces many potatoes, storage houses be- come a necessity. Potatoes stored in an ordinary storage room lose weight rapidly and soon become shriveled and of poor quality. The inderground storage combines all the qualities for keeping potatoes in the best condition. Possibly the most important re- quisite is to keep down the temper- ature of the cellar. These cellars thouid be built lengthwise with the currents of air so that in the fall when the potatoes are put in, s draft through the cellar can be es- tablished at night to carry off the heat brought in with the potatoes during the day. The practicf is to til in the bins in layers of not more than one foot each day and let this layer cool down during the night. After the potatoes are all in, the ventilation is regulated so that the temperature is kept as near freez- ing point as possible without freez- iijg the potatoes. This ventilation i« necessary, not only to regulate the temperature, but to keep the air pure and dry. It the air be- comes foul and damp, moulds will grow and dry rot or Fusarium will develop. Many potatoes are spoil- ed in the stores and in the store rooms of dwelling. The potatoes are stored near a furnace with more or less light. Before the sack or barrel is all used the potatoes be- come greened by light* and are no* only unwholesome, but to a certain extent, poisonous. HOG WEIGHT AND SHRINKAGE Hogs shrink from live to dressed weight 18 to 80 per cent., according to weight. Heavy, solid hogs shrink the least. Most packers estimate £0 per cent, shrinkage, and this is about the average. This is on a lot basis, of course. There is a further shrinkage of about 1% per cent, in chilling. A test of a large number (f hogs averaging 23.21 pounds live weight, showed a shrinkage of IS. 84 per cent, from live to dressed weight. This, of course, was the hot weight and not the chilled dressed weight ; also, of course, with the head on and the ham fac- iriga. The net yield ot these hogs was 69.51 per cent, of the live \.'eight, figuring sides, nams, shoul- ders, lard, grease and I'ough or market meats. \ "I got R cold .iupper when I wont- homo to-night, and .you hot I kick- ed about U." "Did that do any gv)od'f" "Well my wife ii>ad«> it warm tor me " 1