Mysterious Eyes

Colonel JaKon gave }is frio:id3 and crouii s n terrible shock last week. The . bad oelebrated the ciyin of the oíd year iu truo Jagsonian style and staxted for home wben the iofant 1895 - uly three hours ol(!, currying i )o:u {lmt was heavy eren for .so expert a ruínele ív.í tlie Jagson anatomy. Tlieu ibe surprise came. When the old boy appeared later iu the day and took his asnal teat alongside the oíd guard, a tuinbler of "straight" was u.t ones brought. A!l the others raised their .'Jasses, muruiured 'Happy New Year!" sinking thf last syllahle into theglasses as they quaffed ttie rare old brew, and then ooked at Jagson There sat the veteran. but his hand had not touched the glas?. Sileutly hereachrd forth, and jaking a tumbler ful! of water he [ ly drank. Consteruation but feebly ■ prosses the feelinga of the old guard. ! Jagson drinkiug water, and that, too, on New Year's day! Wbat had i pened? Eager niries bronght no satisfaction to au:, us friends. "No; I'vu not sworn off," said Jagson. "Never going to drink any more'-" aaked tho old guard in chorus. "1 maj-, ' replied the hero of many a tussle with old red cye. "SiokV" ugain oame from the chorus. "No, " carue from betweeu the colonel's tightly compressed lips, and with a curt "Good day!" he strode majestically from tbs cafa This acti: -u brought dismay. The old guard's ranks were already depleted. Ouly four now rendezvoused daily, and Jagson's defection meant more to the survivors than can well be understood by outsiders. Nevertheless, despite all the efforts of entreaty and solicitous inquiry, the colonel remained a total abetainer. He came daily to join hiscomrades, to gossip and gwap stories, but never once did he betray, by word or sign, the reason that led him to abjure the winewheu it was red or the bowl when it was fiowing. Thu9 affairs ran ou. The Old Guard was troubled, and Colonel Jagson looked worried and acted like a man overburdened with eerious thought and a deep flnanoial disorder. The fear that Colonel Jagson was caught in the financial stringeucy induced General Soake to take his wife into his confidence. With that tact and intuition that are woman's ohiof charin she went at once to cali on Mrs. Jagson, and with the usual result - she got the root of the trouble in short order. Mrs. Jagson was positively radiant. The colonel was always sober, the household allowance had been iucreased, the table bore more delicaoies of the season, her wardrobe and bonnets were new, and Mrs. Jagsou began to think that the declining years of aer married state would be happier than the earlier period. "And how did it all come about?" quoth Mrs. Soake. Kow, Mrs. Jagson knew that Mrs. Soake had suffered from ihe same rivalry that she heiself had endured, and that soft pity to which feininiuity is so prone swopt over her, and she gave the cause of the reformation away to her frieud. "Yon know, niy dear Mrs. Soake," began Mrs. Jagson, "the colonel carne home just before daylight on New Year's niorning and was not quite himself. The conviviality had proved too much for his equilibrium. but after muuh fumbling he got the door opened and came up stairs assoftly as ciroumstances would perruit. Contrary to my usual custoru, I had put the light in his room entirely out. He seemed unable to find a match and evidently tried to go to bed in the dark. Faint rumblings aud mutterings caught my attention, then a wild roar. I rusbed in to find him on the floor grasping at the carpet. When the gas was lighted, he became quiet, went to bed, and I lef t him in the dark again. "A second time he called and asked me to sit with him in the light. I did so until he feil asleep. The next morning he feit that some explanation was due, I suppose, and told me tbat brighs spots like twinkling eyes had peered at him from the floor about the bed, anc when he tried to grab one uothing was there. Youmaybe assured Colonel Jag son was badly frightened at the effecta of his overindulgence, and from tha day to this he has not taeted liquor o any kind. " "But the explanation, my dear Mrs Jagson!" cried the excited Mrs. Soake "Well, you must keep it secret I the truth be found out, the colone might go back to drinking again. I was this way: You see, I'd been having the colonel 's room cleaned and fancied only fancied, you know, that the bec might have some of those little pest lurking in the crevices, so I told the girl to use a phosphorua powder, ant she carelessly let some sift onto the car pet. Of course, in the dark lt 6hone bright, and that is all there is to the 'eyes' that haunted the colonel. " "Just phosphorus bed bug powder!' exclaimed the wife of the old guards man, who had not stopped sipping th cheering bowl in more than 40 years "Just think of itl Broken from a habi of so long a time by 25 cents' worth o bedbug poison! I shall go and get som immediately, " Thus bubbling with eagerness the lit tle woman rushed into the chili atmos phere of the outer world and into the arms of her dearest friend. Mrs. Majo Everfull. So the secret was told toon more and was received again with rap ture. Things began to look sad for the ol( guard. With these determined wouiei on the trail, and dne man already ii captive chains, red eye bourbon aud applejack were doomed. The n?xt .iay, whon the groupof old timers were gathered for the morning nips, General Soake said to the waiter: "Guess I'll have some apllinaris. Don't feel very well today. " Jagson 's ginger ale habit was a shock, Sonke falling a victirrj to the mineral habit was a calamity, but when Major Evcrfull c:ilmly, but with a quiver iu his voioe, cii(i, "Vichy, please, " tha bottom dropped out of evprything. Evorfu.l siijhert and put nis hand wearily tohis eyes, as though to blot out some horrible sight. Jagson leaned forward and gazed at the major, and j General So;ke seemcd fascinated by the trivial aotion of his friend. One moment was givcu to thought. and then Jagson blurted out; "Do your eyes trouble you?" Thus encouraged the general looked from th major to the colonol, then from the colonel to the major, aud in a noarse whisper breathed: "Seen anything qttóer?" Tho major and colonel stiffened aud seemed like wootlen mon. Their astonlshment was so groat they just had strength to gasp: "What did you seo?' "Spots, by George, sir, shiuing spots, like devil's eyes last night iu niy bedroom. ' ' "So did I," quoth the major m alarm. "I saw them days ago, " chimed iu Jagson. "That'8 why I stopped driuking." "Gentlemen," interjected the fourth niember of the Old Guard, Mr. Deeptank by name - "gentlemen, my wifu yesterday roceived calis from Mrs. Major Everfal] and Mrs. General Soake, and later in the day Mrs. Colouel Jagson came, ' ' "Kothiug remarkable inthat,"said Soake "Old friends, ain't they?" qtioth Jagson. "What'a that got to do with devil'3 eyes?" put in Everfnll. "No offense, gentlemen, no offonse at all, I assure you, but I think I see the solution of this mystery. I am willing to sacrificemyself on the altar of loyalty to you, and tonight I will go home sober - hem - but will pretend I'm a little bit hit in tho weather eye - er - will stumble up the stairs, just acting, you know, gentlemen, but on my honor I'll be clear in the top story. A sacrifica to do n, gentlemen, but the ciroumstances require forgetfulness of self. " XVith wonder the party broke up to meet next morning. What has Deep;ank discoverse] that will lift this awfui )all? was the thought of the three afiicted men as they wearily toddlod nome. Could the world ever come right 'gaiii' Meanwhilo the shades of night had Falleu, the hours crept on apace, but Mr. Deeptank thought not of home. He had a mission to perform, and, though sittihg np mi til 2 a. ra. was nothing to him, sitting np without grog was decidedly unpleasant. Nevertheless he fought the battle and wou the fight. Faithfully he refrained from nightoaps, and wben the hour of 3 arrived hn heaved a mighty sigh, buttoned his coat aud made a line for home. When within sigbt of his domicile, he pnt on as natural a jag gait as one svould wish to see. Ha kuew Mrs. Deeptank had often told him she oould see him staggering along, as she put it, and now she should have chance to see him stagger. "Too bad to deceive thewife of one's bosom. ' ' ruuttered the viotim of loyalty. "Too bad, but it's a good cause," and then he begau to ascend the steps with an imitation of profound alooholism as realistio in its effect as any germine Deeptank jag ever was. The keynote was finally found, and Deeptank began to have histrionic aspirations. There was no oneasyet toappreciate hisabiüties as an actor, but within himself ha feit that elation which great actors say is the highest reward of the art. Deeptank was the last to arrive the next day at the meeting place. He took his whisky plain. as usual, but aboul his eyes was an unusual twinkle, and in his hand he carried a small round wooden box. "Gentlemen, " he bogan in hia suave, apologetic voioe, "I have made a discovery. A deep conspiracy bas been laid by our wives - pardon rae, gentlemen, but hear me - a deep conspiracy, I say, has been hatchod to break down the customs of our friendship, to destroy our pleasure in life. As you know, I had a theory yesterday. That theory today ia a fact. Last night I saw those shiny spots like devil'seyes, but I was perfectly sure of my eenses - pardon me agaln, gentlemen - and called upon my better half for an explauation She could see nothing, of courso, but after my sufferjngs, gentlemen, I was not to be put off that way, and as a result I hold in my hand the solution of the mystery. My wife confessed to the whole plot wheu she discovered I was not - er - under tha influence. The spots were inade by sprinkling phosphorescent powder on the I fioor. The powder is not made to rival the Keeley cure, but for the destruction j of the bedbug. Here is the box, bearing its own inscription. " Silently the box was passed to General Soake. He adjusted his glasses, read the label, and in tones loud and clear yelled, "Waiter, my usual decoction!" By the time the drink was brought Qolonel Jagson had perused the colored inscription, sniffed at the oontents of the box and acoepted the explanatiou. and he demanded of the waiter why hia usual drink was not there. Then Major Everfnll tumbled into line. The toast was drunk in silence, but the eyes of three of the party were turned with thankfulness to the hero who had made lite again worth living. That night Mrs. Jagson realized that the surest way to have a secret kept is notto teil it to oue's dearest friend, bus the Old Guard is happy and never speaks of phosphorus.