The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-04-21

not asking too much, and taking too great liberty-would he mind talk ing just one picture of a remarkably beautiful Alderney COW and calf. If the young gentleman would do an old fellow such kindness-though, to be sure, it would prove picture worth haviDg-would he come over then and there, as they (cow and calf) had just been sold and were about to be taken away?
 Now Dick had not the smallest in- clination to add to his collection a study of an Alderney COW and calf. But there was just this in it: he would rather take a whole herd of cows and calves, than another group; and whispered suggestions for another group were already afioat in the morn- ing air. So he assented to the cattle tancier's request, and went at once to get the apparatus. AS he fitted his camera into the leather sling case, he could not help regarding the inoffen- sive Honduras and brass and leather with an expression of gloomy mis- trust. A morbid feeling came over him that after all it was the destiny of himself and that mahogany thing to rise to nothing better than perpet- uators of grotesque buffoonery. To- day, certainly, it was bovine beauty for change; but what was there in that to satisfy ambition-to even mit- igate disgust at the whole thing?
 "So Dick has gone over to old Par tridge's, and left word he won't be back for some time," said Jack. "The old sinner! That was such stunning idea we had for photo up at Hamp- ton Court-wasn't it, May?"
 Rather !" returned May. "I wonder what the maze man would have thought of it-of course, we would have laid him in itl But we must in- sist on it another day. However, there is no reason why we shouldn't row up there as we had planned, even ii we don't have a photograph. Eh, Jack?"
 "None whatever. It will serve old Dick right for leaving us in the lurch. You coming, Nell?"
 "Mew cried Nell, the youngest; "should think I am. Did any one ever know me to refuse row?"
 "Then there's Elsie" Jack continued. "She's over here in the hammock. Of course you'll come, Elsie !-River- Hampton-court-now."
 Elsie opened her hazel eyes just wide enough to distinguish Jacks blazer through the net work of her long, dark lashes. "Of course noth- ing of the kind Dear me, how we do take things for granted this morning You know very we'll I have head ache, and that the sun makes ones headache worse. don't intend to stir from this hammock or leave this dear old cedar for hours"
 Jack went over and told May, add ing sotto uoce that he didn't believe a word about the headache. May de- clared she would not dream of going on the river and leaving Elsie all alone behind. Whereupon Miss Kes- wicke vowed that if she (May) dared to stay at home, she (Miss Keswicke) would go straight to bed, and that was all about it. And as the latter young lady was known to possess quite alarming twill of her own," May at last gave in, reluctantly and almost tearfully, and left her friend to the shade of the grand old cedar and the lotus-like luxury of the hammock.
 Half an hour later back came Dick from old Partridge's, and deposited the camera base and telescopic tripod on the lawn. Then he complacently filled and lit his pipe, and made up his mind to develop the negative he had just taken in thoroughly scientific manner, now that he was sure of peace for an hour or two. He went into the house, and presently returned with heavy, unwieldy tripod, which plainly belonged to no camera. This he set up with care before bringing out curious, square box, which he fixed to the triangle at the top of the tripod by means of a screw and nut. Dick next put his hand through a small, square opening which had the appear ance of miniature window, undid a couple of bolts within, and lifted off bodily one of the sides of the box. He then took up roll of dark yellow cloth and shook it out, displaying piece of the size of large travelling rug, with a square opening three feet wide in the center. The edges of the opening in the cloth he fastened with spring clasps to the edges of the open side of the box, from the top of which it hung like curtain over the open side. Dick now inserted a ruby -col- ored glass slide in the small window like opening and finally he held up the curtain, thrust head and shoulders into the box, wrapped the curtain closely round his body, and satisfied himself that not ray of white light penetrated within. For this was what Dick called his "dark tento-the pro-