Weekly Mail

ABERY ST WITH COLLEGE.. A CONDITIONAL GRANT OF X10,000 FROM THE EXCHEQUER, LONDON, Thursday. This aiftemoon the Chancellor of the Ex- chequer (Sir William Harcourt), who was accompanied by Sir Francis Mowatfc (Secretary to the Treasury), received a large' deputation from Aberystwith College. The deputation included Lord Kensington, Sir G-. 0. Morgan, M.P., Mr. Thomas Ellis, M.P., -Air. Lewis Morris, Dr. Isambard Owen, Priue pal Iloberts, Major Rowland Jones, M.P., Mr. W. Rath- bone, M.P., Mr. Bo wen Rowlands, M.P., Mr. Humphreys-Owen, M.P., Mr. Alfred Thomas, M.P., Mr. Egerton Allen, M.P., and others. Sir George Osborne Morgan, M.P., in intro- ducing the deputation, said it would be-diffi- cult to imagine an institution more in need of State help, or more deserving, than Aber- ystwith College. The University College of Wales was the of the Welsh University Colleges. It was established by the efforts of the people themselves, a hundred thousand persons having subscribed to its foundation. The college had had a hard struggle. It was not, like Cardiff, situated in the midst of a rich industrial district, but was in the middle of a country sparsely populated and, on the whole, very poor, indeed. At the same time, it was situated between North and South Wales, it was in the heart of the more strictly Welsh portion of Wales, and it was the educa- tional centre of many of the Welsli counties which had contributed most towards the in- tellectual life of the Principality. The lecturers and professors were very in- adequately paid. One great object of the present appeal for help was to provide a hostel for women. The results achieved in the col- lege supported their present appeal, for the number of students had steadily increased since the opening, when there was only 25 to 184 men and 131 women, of whom not less than 310 were students attending three or more courses of lectures. In the course of twenty years the Aberystwith students had obtained no less than seventeen first classes and fifteen second classes at Oxford. Mr. Rathbone, M.P., as president of the sister college of North Wales, corroborated and supported the appeal made by the pre- vious speaker. Principal Roberts, after stating that com- munications had been received expressing the regret of Lord Aberdare, Lord Rendel, and others at their unavoidable absence, stated that £ 7,000 of the restoration fund after the still remained unpaid. Nearly £ 2,000 of that balance was due to extensions of the building, which had become necessary within the last two years, and further extensions were urgently necessary owing to the con- tinued growth in the number of pupils. The temporary arrangement made for a hostel for the women students would expire in June next, and permanent accommodation for them must be provided about that time, which would alone involve an expenditure of not less than 215,000, towards which they already had a trust grant of £ 2,000 and a site granted by the corporation of Aberystwith. Sir William /larcourt, in reply, said this was a special application justified by special circumstances. His duty—not ajlwaj's a pleasant one in applications of this kind- was to protect the interests of the general taxpayers; and, therefore, "lie was obliged. jealously and carefully, to watch that he did not create precedents which might have an injurious effect upon the taxpayer at large. In the present instance he 'had been rather anxious to find reasons for acceding to some portions of their request, rather than 'objec- tions to it. for he had great sympathy with their remarkable efforts in favour. of higher edueatioin Wales was not rich in its resources, yet it had made great educational efforts, and the Aber- ystwith College had led the, way. Tie knew something1 of its products, one of its most dis- tinguished students being a valued colleague (Mr. Ellis), with whom he had a great deal to do every day and every night. (A lauali and applause.) He found that Aberystwith had got less than its share of the original grant of £ 4-, 000, besides the misfortune of the fire. Their claim divided itself into three heads (1) the liquidation of the debt on the college building, (2) the completion of the buildings, and (3) the erection of a hall of residence for women He wMafraid he could not deal with the third demand; but the two others amounted to £ 15,000. Dealing with this ass ?o special case, he was prepared to promise grant' of £ 10,000—(applause)—in respect of that building fund, on condition that the locality found the additional sura of £5,000 within two years. He hoped that help, might be of use to an institution with which he had great sympathy and to which he heartily wished well. (Applause,) Sir G. Osborne Morgan then. in the name of the deputation, thanked the Chancellor of the Exchequer for his courteous reception and kind promise. This concluded the interview. e IIU:

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ONLY COUSINLY LOVE. "By Jove, but this is a night when a grate fire, an easy chair, and a pipe make a fellow feel that life really is worth the living. Whew! how the. wind howls and the snow lashes against the window. I'm sorry for any poor beggar who has 'to go out and rough it," and Jack Howard leaned back in his chair and compla- cently puffed his "English brierwood," watch- the, gray smoke as it curled and twisted, weav- ing its magic spell over him until gradually the room and his surroundings faded away into the dim background of a picture, against which, boldly outlined, stood one fair figure, and like Pygmalion of old, he worshipped the creation of his own imagination. "Well, old fellow, wake up! Are you going d, to sit there dreaming all night?" Thus aroused, Jack quickly collected his scattered senses and turned towards the door. "Ton my soul, if it isn't Arthur Drayton Where in the world did you spring from on a night like this ?" "Well, you see, you are such a 'gad-about, replied Drayton, "that one never knows when lie will find you, so I just thought this after- noon 'Let Jack Howard alone for venturing out in this storm,' and here I am." "I see you know me pretty well. But vou were a regular trump to come all the way up from town to see such a 'tramp' as I. Just make yourself comfortable in that smoking jacket and then tell me what you've been doing with yourself since last I saw you. By the way, how did you manage to get up town to- night? I heard that the cars had stopped running." "Well, I must confess," said Arthur, as he drew a Turkish chair before the fire and settled himself in it with a groan of satisfaction, "that we did make rather slow work of it, but you know I have a queer way of studying people's faces in a car or any public place, and as I had just eaten a hearty dinner, I didn't mind the delay, for it gave me an admirable oppor-. tunity of riding my pet hobby. "Did I ever tell you, Jack, about one of my 'character study' men, whom I saw one night on the Riverside line? No? "Well, that's queer, but you were out of town then, so that may account for it. "Well, he sat right opposite me, and I noticed that he had a most dejected, disconsolate look on his face. I really felt sorry for the fellow, for he looked as though lie had just received some sort of How which had overwhelmed him. Shortly after getting on he drew a letter from his overcoat pocket and began reading. As he read I could see the lines of his face har- den, and when he had finished the second page he stopped abruptly, and cramming the opened letter into his pocket, buttoned his coat, turned up his collar, and strode out of the car. Ilis very carriage had the -tir of ami was really half-tempted io follow h'm. "As I stepped on the bar to-night the first face that I saw was his, and as there was a vacant seat on his right, needless to say I took it. He had no idea of ever having seen me before, and it was an easy matter, during our long ride, to fall into conversation. I was greatly surprised, upon exchanging cards, to find that he was Devereux Jasper. "I have often heard you speak of his cousin, Nell Thursby, and quite naturally I asked him if he knew you. Jack, you should have seen the look he gave me when I men- tioned your name, as he muttered: 'Know him? Yes, I think I do! Would to God it were not so!' After that my remarks failed to elicit any reply, and as we rode on in silence noticed that same desperate look come into his face. "VVhat's in the wind, old fellow? I never imagined you had such bitter enemies in the world." "Well, Arthur, they say 'murder will out,' so I may as well tell you. This is the only thing that I have kept a secret from you, but it lies very near my heart and one always tries to hide such things, even from his friends. It's a long story, so just null your chair to the fire and I will proceed, as the girls say, to tell you all about it. "About five years ago I went, with mother and Bess, to England, and while there met Nell Thursby. Naturally we had a gay time, for Americans abroad usually do enjoy life pretty, thoroughly. We stayed in London to- gether for a fortnight, and then. separated, she and her party returning to America, while we started for the continent. "I did not see her again until the time of the Paris Exposition (you know she used to travel continually, so that one seldom saw her, except by accidentally meeting her away from home). As before, we were tog-ether but a shOirt time, and yet I must confess I found myself admiring her immensely. She was the style of girl who enters into a gay time with her whole heart, is truly sympa- thetic, and yet with it all ofttimes extremely- haughty. "During our stay in the gay metropolis I was not the only one who learned to admire her. Bess and she became fast friends, and it is owing to their friendship that i am sitting here telling you this litle oage from my life's history. "Last fall when I returned from that camping expedition of ours I was agreeably surprised to hear that Nell was to spend the montns of January and February with moiher and Bess, in Jacksonville. Needless to say, I made it a point to spend most of my time at the villa during those months. At first mother and Bess were surprised at my de- votion, for I had never been known to -L.,it GearleiHh Villa for more than a few days at a time, but they soon realised,that Nell was the attraction. "Art, call me a sentimental fool if you will, but until that winter I never knew what supreme happiness meant. I lived as though in a dream. Perhaps it was air-heavy with the perfume of orange blossoms or the endless blue of the sunny sky, combined with the companion- ship of a true woman, but Jack Howard felt his bachelor's theories and his old-time scorn of love and sentiment die out of his nature, and through every fibre of his nature surged that mighty passioR-love. Yes, I was deeply in love with Nell-Nellie, as f called her then. "How well do I remember the night on which I told her all. 'Twas one of those soft, bright, moonlight nights, when the earth seems hushed to sleep by the gentle breeze. Nell sat on a rustic seat in the daintiest white gown, with a large straw hat lightly resting I on her curly hair. One arm was thrown up carelesly, as though holding her big hat in subjection, and as she leaned back against an old tree I really envied the soft wind and mellow moonbeams as they kissed her cheek. "Her answer was just like her:—'Jack, I admire and love you now, but, knowing as I do how much both of us enjoy change of life and companions, would it not be wiser for us to remain but friends for a year, and then if we still think the same of each other we shall journey through life side by side, loving and working for each other, and truly nothing could be sweeter ?' "I knew her far better than she did herself, and the look which followed her words and the kiss—ah the memory of it lingers still—which sealed our contract told me that she was and always would be my truest friend. "Our year was up last week, and. Art, I am the happiest man in the world, for early in June the'bells from the old church are to tell the world that she is mine. "I see by your face that you are still puzzled as to what connection Devreux Jasper has to this little love affair of mine. Well, he is really a double cousin of Nell's. It was a case of brother and sister marrying brother and sister. About a year and a half ago Carrie Thursby, Nell's sister, was married. Nell Devreux came from England for that affair. Until then he had never seen Nell, as he had been at school in France when she visited England. He fell wildly in love with her. but never betrayed it by word or look until one night shortly after she returned from Jacksonville. Nell scolded him soundly, telling him that had she loved him she would never have married him. 'The iaea, of cousins marryh1 and double ones, at that. too! Aren't you really ashamed of yourself, Dev?' "He at once surmised that some one else had won her heart, and he would never come to see her aerain, though he lived but a few squares from her. Occasionaly they exchanged letters, and in one of these she told him of the rela- tionship existing between us, and in reply she received a, most bitter note. saying that had it not been for me she would have married Em. "Jove! but he must be more conceited and thick-headed than the average Englishman to misjudge, Nell in that fashion. He swears that some day he will ha.ve his revenge, and in the meantime he is just ruining his own life by ratting in some wa,v to injure us. Nell and I jog on perfectly happy, regardless of him. A me What fools these mortals be "Come on, old fellow; let's go to the billiards room and roll a. game."—"Chicago News."

TOLD AT THE CLUB. Perhaps you will say that this is not exactly a club story. But my excuse for giving it to you is that the Old Beau told it to me one night while we sat in the cozy, curtained alcove just behind the buffet, and long before he had finished I called the steward to refill our glasses, for it sent a creepy feeling down my back. "I have been a member of the club for five and twenty years," said my friend, "and in that time I have come to know intimately the lives of many men. Some curious things have happened within these 'rooms, but none so. strange as this thing in the life of a man who was once the soul of our inner circle. There I did not mean to use that word, for before I have finished you may think it was mis- placed. But no matter. Other and wiser men than we have had their doubts. ■His name was Eugene Wallace. We used to sit here and talk, and drink 'B and S.'jusfc as you and I are doing now. One night we fell to talking about marriage. 'If I wanted to marry any woman,' said Eugene, 'which, thank heaven, I do not, nothing should stand in my way.' 'I can readily believe,' I said. for I liked to urge Eugene on, 'that you would permit no little matter of conscience or sentiment to stand in your way—or prevent you from accomplish- ing your desires. Yet I do think, my dear fellow, that it is possible there may be obstacles in this life which even you will find it difficuli to surmount.' a 'Don't Me sarcastic,' he returned, time enough to twit me with lack of conscience or sentiment when I have set up a claim to the possession of either.' 'Truly, Eugene,' I said, 'if a man could only throw overboard some little things that hamper him. from within, he might work to better advantage at times.' 'Nothing but the externals are worth considering,' he replied slowly. 'In fact, nothing is worth considering—much.' 'Thinking,' he went on presently, and in a manner calculated to give force to his words, 'is a heavy task, and it does not make things go any better in the end. If I wanted to marry any woman I should do it, and let the future bring what it would.' "It was not long after this that Eugene me Bertha Yoisdene. I must give you a word about her. Orphaned in childhood, she had been carefully reared within cloistered walls, and the dawning of womanhood had come out upon the broader stage of the world as unsophisti- cated as a child. Her youth and innocence charmed him as the attributes of no other woman had done. Now, .add to this that her father had been my boyhood's friend, and it will help you to understand what follows. "I soon saw how things were going between' them, and I knew what Eugene's past had been. No worse than yours or mine, perhaps, but he had lived the life of a man of the world. I am not meddlesome, but I felt I must speak < word of caution to him—and I did so. "'Ah, you are about to turn moralist,' he' said, lifting his eyebrows at me. 'But do you think it worth while to waste your maiden effort on so unlikely a subject?' < "'Miss Voisdene,v I answered, not heeding' this, 'has known so few men that any passably, decent fellow who might make love to her vio- ■ lently might interest her. There is no doubt you can succeed. But you have been through too many fires. If she should, later, find there was such a thing as real passion in the world, the result might prove a little annoying for. all concerned.' "Eugene answered this lazily, as if the, matter^' after all, did not much interest him. 'I told you once,' he said, 'that conscience should never stand in my way. The reason was—I think I have no conscience. Nor do J2 ,e think I have that other attribute which is sup-' posed to be co-ordinate with it-the soul, you know. That little place at the base of tha brain where the soul is supposed to reside, i; verily believe is hollow. If a clever anatomist ever has me on his table, I hope he will not neglect to investigate this matter.' 'What has all this rigmarole to do with Miss Voisdeno?" I demanded, growing im. patient with his nonsense. 'I am coming to that,' he answered quickly. 'By the way, it is curious,' putting his hand to the back of his head, 'that the saw-bones say the very easiest place to cut off life is just lere,; right below w-ere the soul—the incarnation of life-should bB. Now, it is true,' handling j*; long, thin knife such as surgeons use, 'it is true that such a thing as this, thrust right in at the base of the skull, would cut off that which we call life, on the very instant.' 'Yes, yes, I suppose it would,' I answered, annoyed at the way he kept from the question 'it would sever the spinal cord. But let us stop this idle talk. I would like to know what you intend in regard to Bertha Voisdene?' i "Ah, yes," he said, laughing a little; "I had; forgotten the important, matter in hand. I said' I would marry any woman, if I wanted to. But I don't want to, thank heaven. I love Bertha, Voisdene, and I think she loves me. But you are right in what you have said. I am not aj fit mate for that pure child." is ') "With the last word, so quickly that I could not interpose, he had driven the knife witE' which he had been playing directly to the vitaf spot—and what had once been Eugene Wal- lace and my friend—was only a lifeless tiling upon the floor. "An hour later I stood beside hi. body, alone with the surgeon whom I had summoned, and' his words came back to me with startling dis- tinctness. I told this to tha medical man, [ and, with the cold passion of an anatoT>V6t, ha, put his implements into play and laid blre the base of the skull, and deftly removed the neces- sary portions of bone. "Just as he had done thi3 the outer door o £ > the room opened, and I stepped hastily toward it. Bertha stood there, quiet, pale, beautiful. 'Where is he?' she asked.' He told me to come to him, here, at this hour. We are to fly, together.' -1 "This was the woman who had killed my. friend. I grew hard and cold towards her. "'Your punishment be on your own head, I said; 'you would have thrown vourself away for a man who had no soul. Look.' "I flung a book open upon the table before her, and pointed to a passage which the saw- bones had just shown me. These were the words:- 'The seat of the soul is in the oorpus callosum, a spongy little body at the base of the brain.' Then, motioning her towards the form, I threw back the wrappings and exposed the incision that had just been made. 'Look,' I said again, 'this man never had a soul.' "But poor Bertha Voisdene saw only the face .of him whom she had learned to love, and the eyes, now wide and staring, that had charmed her heart away. And, with a single cry, she fell fainting across the body of her lover. The old beau paused, while I hastily swal- lowed a glass of something warm to still that creepy feeling. Then my friend asked me, as usual: "Do you want the end of the story?" I nodded, though halt alfraid to hear it. _e "Well," lie said, quietly, "all this might have happened, I suppose, but it did not. I know no happier couple than my dear frienda.. Eugene and Bertha Wallace. We will go around and see them some night, and tell them this story. And, remember, young man, you need never look for such grim tragedies among the records of our club." Afterwards I asked the old beau why he had done this thing to me. "To show you fellows, who are so fond of spinning yarns for the public, that some others can spin yarns as weIL"J ame Knapp Reene.

"How many foreign languages can your. wife speak?" "Three-—French, German, and the one sh$: talks to the baby." Irate Mother, (strikingly) Take that, and that,. and that. Subdued Son: Not so fast. I'm not Ait instantaneous camera. "The piano is out of tune," remarked Mrs., Foster.. "H'm" retorted her husband. J'I wish was out of doors." Wilkins: Well," Cooper, how do Jyoù. fhiif; yourself? -1 Cooper: Oh, I M'ake up in the morning- and I aia.