extreme lower point of New
York city, they steamed up and down the Bay, looking out for their
prize.

The _Silver Heels_ did not put in an appearance, however, and after
waiting about three hours, the officers decided to go up the East River,
and intercept the vessel while she was still in the river.

The night was dark, and the river full of shipping, but every craft that
approached was carefully inspected, and still no _Silver Heels_ was
discovered.

After several tedious hours of waiting had been passed, the officers
decided to steam up to the wharf and find out what had happened to the
ship.

On reaching the pier it was learned, to the consternation of the
marshals, that the _Silver Heels_ had cleared nearly four hours before,
and had been towed up the Sound, instead of down the Bay.

With such a start as that it was felt to be useless to attempt to
overtake her, and the marshals left the cutter, and returned to their
homes, wiser but sadder men.

* * * * *

The young Cuban, Miss Evangelina Cisneros, about whom we told you last
week, has lost no time in putting herself under the protection of our
flag.

The very morning of her arrival she went down to the County Court-House
in City Hall Park, and there declared her intention of becoming an
American citizen.

It is a very unusual thing for foreign-born women to become naturalized
Americans. They rarely do so unless they wish to hold property in this
country, for, having no vote or voice in the conduct of the Government,
it is not so necessary for them to become citizens of their adopted
country. When a woman marries she assumes the nationality of her
husband, and can hold any property by right of her marriage, and the
fact that all foreign women who marry Americans become Americans by
their marriage is another reason why it is rarely necessary for women to
take out their naturalization papers.

Miss Cisneros was, however, afraid that the Spanish Government might
insist that the United States should send her back to her prison in
Cuba, and so she hastened to give up her allegiance to Spain, and
shelter herself under the protection of the American Government.

* * * * *

For some time past there has been a terrible epidemic of yellow fever in
the South.

An epidemic means a disease that affects a large number of people at the
same time and is widely spread.

The disease was first noticed