The Saint Paul globe., 1898-04-24

You cannot tell. You might quote
Scripture and say, A bird of the air
carried it. But, Miss Butterworth. YOU
would never believe the truth Of your
own words, and yet that was the very
way 1t was done-a bird of the air car
ried 1T. In those days-it is three
months ago nOw-Mother Jane kept
two tame pigeons. They slept on her
house top, they ate from her hand and
they flew sometimes as far away as
Mr.. Trohm's garden. One day a young
man, equipped for travelling, paused for
a glass Of water at the famous we'll
there while these pigeous were picking
up corn which Mr.. Trohm had scat
tered for them, for his tatstes are not
conflned to the cultivation Of fruits and
mowers, but extend to dumb animals
to whom he Is uniformly kind The
young man wore a ring, and being
nervous was fiddling with it as he talk
ed to the pleasant old gentleman who
was lowering the bucket for him. AS
ne hddled with 1T the earth fell from
under him, and as the daylight van
1shed above him the ring flew out of
MS up-thrown hand and lay. the only
token of his now blotted out existence
upon the emerald sward he had but a
moment before pressed with his unsus-
plcious feet. 1t burned-this ruby
burned like a drop of blood in the
grass when that demon came again to
his senses, and being a telltale evidence
OF crime to him who had allowed MOTH
Ing TO ever speak against him of these
matters, he stared at it as at q deadly
thing directed against himself and to
De got rid of at once and by means
which by no possibility could recoil
back upon himself as it's author.
THE pigeons stalking near offered to
MS abnormally acute understanding the
only solution which would leave him
absolutely devoid of fear. He might
nave swung open the lid of the well
once more apd flung it after it's owner.
but this meant an aftermath of expe-
rience from which he shrank who de-
ngted in the thought that the victims
ne saw vanish before his eyes were like
something wiped out by a sweep of the
hand. To see or hear them again wouId
be contrary to his notion. He preferred
the subtler way and to take advantage
OF old Mother James characteristics. 50
he caught one Of the pigeons Che has
always been able to lure birds into his
hands), and tying the ring around the
neck of the bird with a blade of grass
plucked up from the highway he let II
lily, and so was rid of the bauble which
to Mother James eyes, of course. was q
direct gift from the heaven through
which the bird had flown before light
ing on her doorstep"
''Wondcrfulr I exclaimed. almost
overwhelmed with humiliation. but
preserving brave front What inven-
ton and what audacity-the audacity
of man totally irresponsible for his
deeds, was it not?' I asked. There is
no doubt, is there, about his being an
absolute manfac?"
mo, madam" What a relief I felt
yesterday and he found himself fully
discovered he has lost all grip upon
himself and filled the room we put him
in with the unmiStakable rawlings of a
madman. 1t was through these 1
learned the facts about the ring and
the pigeon"
I drew a deep breath. We were
standing in the sight Of several men,
and their presence there seemed intol-
erable. Unconsciously began to walk
away. Unconsciously Mr. Gryce fol-
lowed me. AT the end of several PAGES
we both stopped. We were no longer
visible to the crowd, and 1 felt 1 could
speak the words I had been burning
to say ever since I saw the nature of
Mr.. Trohm exposed.
Mr.. Gryce," said I, flushing scarlet
which l here solemnly declare is
something which has not happened 10
me before in years, and if l can help it
shall never happen to me again-"I am
interested in this which you say be-
oeuse yesterday, here in the open road,
Mr.. Trohm proposed to me, and
You did not accept H?'
mo. What do you think 1 am made
of, Mr.. Gryce? l did not accept him,
butt made the refusal a gentle one,
and-this is not easy work, Mr. Gryce,"
l interrupted myself to say with suit
able grimness-"the same thing took
n1Qcp hptWoan nd
and to him l gave a response such as
/ thought his presumption warranted.
The discrimination does not argue we'll
for my acumen, Mr.. Gryce. You see.
l want no credit that 1 do not deserve.
Perhaps you cannot understand that,
but 1T is a part of my nature"
Madam" said. he, and I must own
I thought his conduct perfect for the
nonce. had 1 not been as completely
deceived as yourself might find words
of criticism for this possibly unpro-
fessional partiality. But when an old
hand like myself can listen to the in
situations of a maniac and repose as
1 must say 1 did repose, more or less
confidence in the statements he chose
to make me, and which were true
enough as regarded plain fact but
wickedly false and preposterously
wrong as regards their suggestion, I
can have no words of blame fer a
WOllidH VIII, Whatever llSI QHuSTSldnQ-
ing and whatever her experience. me-
cessarily has seen less of human ma
ture and Its incalculable surprises AS
to the more delicate matter you have
been good enough to confide to me,
madam, / have but one remark to
make. With such an example of wonn-
anhood suddenly brought to their no.
tice in such a wild as this, how could
you expect them, sane or insane to do
otherwise than they did? I know many
worthy man who would like to fol-
low their example" And with a bow
that left me speechless Mr.. Gryce laid
his hand on his heart and softly with
drew.
(The end.)
$1,000 to Seattle, Victoria, Vancouver