I y O LA 7N t) E 1
BY WILLIAM BLACK
3
CHAPTER XI. (Continued.)
"What I want to know, first of all,"
Mr. Winterbourne said, with a kind of
despair In his voice, "is whether you
re certain that the Master will Insist?
Why should he? How could It matter to
him? I thought we had done everything
when we let him know. Why should Yo
lande know? Why make her miserable
to no end? Look what has been done
to keep this knowledge from her all
through these years; and you can see the
Jesuit in the gayety of her heart. Would
she have been like that if she had known
if she had always been thinking of one
who ought .to be near her, and perhaps
blaming herself for holding aloof from
her? She would have been quite differ
ent; she would have been old In sadness
by this time; whereas, she has never
known what a care was. Mr. Melville,
you are his friend; you know him bet
ter than any of us; don't you think there
is some chance of reasoning with him
and Inducing him to forego this demand?
It seems so hard."
The suffering that this man was under
going was terrible. His question formed
almost a cry of entreaty; and Jack Mel
ville could scarcely bring himself to an
swer In what he w'l knew to he the
truth.
"I cannot deceive you," he said, after
second. "There is no doubt that Les
lie's mind is made up on that point
Y hen I undertook to carry this message,
he more than once repeated his clear
decision "
"But why? What end will It serve?
How could it matter to them living
away from London? How could they be
harmed?"
"Mr. Winterbourne," said the other,
with something of a clear emphasis,
wnen i reported lesne s decision 10 Mr.
Sbortlands, as I was asked to do, I re
fused to defend It or to attack It, for
that matter and I would rather not do
ao now. What I might think right In
the same case what you might think
right does not much matter. I told Mr.
Shortlands that perhaps we did not know
-...v.!.. tu . ,1 in
cision; Leslie has not been on good terms
with his father and aunt; and he thinks
he Is being badly used. There may be
other things; I do not know.
"And how do we know that It will
suffice ?" the other said. "How do we
know that it will satisfy him and his
people? Are we to inflict all this pain
and sorrow on the girl; and then wait to
ee whether that is enough?
"It is not what I would do," said Jack
Melville, who had not come here for
nothing.
"What would you do then? Can you
suggest anything?" her father said eag
erly. "Ah, you little know how wo
should value any one who could remove
this thing from us!"
"What I would do? Well, I will tell
you. I would go to that girt, and I
would see how much of the woman is in
hers I think you will find enough. I
would say to her, There is your mother
tli at is the condition she has sunk into
through those accursed dTUgs. Every
means have been tried to save her, with
eut avail every means save one. It is
for you to go to her you yourself
alone. Who knows what resurrection of
will and purpose may not arise within
her, when it is her own daughter who
stands before her and appeals to her
when it is her own daughter who will be
hy her side during the long struggle?
That is your duty as a daughter; will
you do it? If I know the girl, you will
uot have to say more!
The wretched man opposite seemed al
most to recoil from him in his dismay.
There was a sort of blank, vague terror
in his face.
"Oh, it is impossible Impossible!" he
cried, at length. "It is Inhuman. You
have not thought of it sufficiently. My
girl to go through that have you con'
sldered what you are proposing to sub
ject her to?"
"I have considered," Jack Melville
eaid. "And I have thought of it sulll
cieutly, I hope. I would not have dared
to make the suggestion without the most
anxious consideration. I would put the
case before her, aud I know what her
own answer would be."
"Aid to go alone "
"She will not be afraid!"
"But why alone?" pleaded the father
he seemed to be imagining all kinds of
things with those haggard eyes. "She
-could not! My girl to go away by her
self she could not! It is too terrible!"
"Try her."
"She has never traveled alone. Why,
ven to go to London by herself "
"Oh, but that has nothing to do with
it. That is not what I mean at all. As
for that, her maid would go with her as
a matter of course; and Mr. Shortlands
might see her as far as London If he is
going south shortly, as I hear. She could
put up at one or other of the hotels that
he has already stayed at with you. Then
you would give her the address, and
leave the rest to her."
"You have been thinking over this,"
Mr. Winterbourne said. "I have not. I
am rather bewildered about It Shall we
ask Shortlands?"
"If you wish. But first let me explain,
Mr. Wiuterbourne. As I understand,
several arrangements have been made
with this poor woman only, unhappily,
to be broken by her. Well, now, why I
want Yolande to go alone Is to prevent
suspicion In the poor woman mind. I
would have' no third person. It should
v.
be a matter between the two women
themselves; and Yolande must Insist on
seeing her mother alone."
'You have thought of everything you
have thought of everything," the father
murmured. "Well, let us see what Short-
lands says. It is a terrible risk. I am
not hopeful myself. The thing is is it
fair to bring all this distress and suffer
ing on the girl ou such a remote chance?"
'lou must judge of that." said Mel
ville. "You asked me what I would do.
I have told you."
Vhen they got to the other side they
found John Shortlands seated on a boul
der of granite. He was not much startled
by the proposal Now,, as they talked
the matter over, It appeared that he
stood midway between these two, having
neither the eager enthusiasm of Jack
Melville nor the utter hopelessness of his
friend Winterbourne.
"If you think it is worth trying, try
it," said he coolly. "It can't do much
harm. If Yolande Is to know, she may
as well know to some end. Other things
have been tried, and failed; this might
not. The shock might bring her to her
senses.- Anyhow, don't you see, If you
once tell Yolande all about it, I rather
fancy she will be dissatisfied until she
has made a trial."
"And who would undertake to tell
her?" her father said. "Who could face
the suffering, shame, you would see In
her eyes? Who would dare to suggest to
her that she, so tenderly cared for all
her life, should go away and encounter
these horrors?"
"If it comes to that." said Melville.
"I will do it. If you think it right if
it will give you pain to speak to her
let me speak to her."
"You?" said her father. "Why should
you undertake what cannot be but a
dreadful task? Why should you have
to bear that?"
"Oh," said he, "my share in the com
mon trouble would be slight. Besides, I
have not many friends; and when one
has the chance of lending a hand, don't
you understand, it is a kind of gratifica
tion. I know it will not be pleasant
except for one thing. I am looking for
ward to her answer; and I know what
It will be. I am quite at your service,
either on Tuesday or any other day,
whenever you let me know what you
have decided."
He would not go on to the house with
them, despite all their solicitations; on
the other hand, he begged them not to
say to Yolande that they had seen him.
So they went on their way down to the
little lodge, while he went back and over
the hills.
"He's a fine fellow that, and no mis
take," said the plain spoken John Short-
lands. "There is a sort of broad human
nature about him. And I should think.
Winterbourne, you were very much oblig
ed to him."
"Obliged?" said Yolande's father. "It
is scarcely the word."
CHAPTER XII.
All had been arranged. Early one
morning Jack Melville walked slowly
and thoughtfully up to Allt-nam-ba. He
knew she was at home; for the dog-cart
had gone by with only Sandy in it. Per
haps she might be indoors working at
the microscope he had lent her, or ar
ranging her plants. She had seen him
come up the strath; she was at the door
awaiting him, her face radiant.
"Ah, but why are you so late?" she
cried. "They are all away. Shepherds
and gillies and all, two hours ago.
"I did not mean to go with them. I
have come to have a chat with you, Yo
lande, if you will let me."
He spoke carelessly; but there was
something in his look that she noticed;
and when she had preceded him into .the
little drawing room, she turned and re
garded him.
"What is it? Is It serious?" she said,
scanning his face.
Well, he had carefully planned how
he would approach the subject; but at
this moment all his elaborate designs
went clear away from his brain. A far
more happy expedient than any he had
thought of had that instant occurred to
him. He would tell her this story as of
some one else.
"It is serious In a way," said he, "for
I am troubled about an unfortunate
plight that a friend of mine Is in. Why
should I bother you about It? but still
you might give me your advice."
"My advice?" she said. "If it would
be of any service to you, yes, yes! But
how could it be? What experience of the
world have I had?
He did not wish to be too serious; and
indeed, he managed to tell her the whole
story in a fashion so plain, matter of
fact, and unconcerned, that she never
for an instant dreamed of Its referring
to herself. Of course he left out all do
tails and circumstances that might posi
tively have given her a clew; and only
described the central situation as be
tween mother and daughter. And Yo
lande had a great compassion for that
poor debased woman; and some pity, too.
for the girl who was kept In Ignorance
of her mother being alive; and she sat
with her hands clasped on her knees,
regarding these two imaginary figures as
it were, and too much Interested in them
to remember that her counsel was being
asked concerning tnem.
"Now, you see, Yolande," he contln
ued, "It appears that one of the results
of using those poisonous drugs, is that
the will entirely goes. The poor wretches
have no command over themselves; they
live in a dream; they will promise any
thing they will make the most solemn
vows of abstinence and be quite unable
to resist the temptation. And the law
practically puts no check on the use of
these fiendish things; even when the pub
lic bouses are closed the chemist's shop
is open. Now, Yolande, I have a kind
of theory or project with regard to that
poor woman I don't know whether the
doctors would approve of it but it is a
fancy I have; let us suppose that that
poor wretch of a mother does not quittt
understand that her daughter has grown
up to be a woman most likely she still
regards her as a child that is a very
common thing at all events she is not
likely to know anything as to what her
daughter is like. And suppose that this
daughter were to go to her mother and
declare herself, do you not think that
that would be enough to startle her out
of her dream? and do you not think that
In the bewilderment of finding her rela
tions reversed the child grown to be a
woman assuming a kind of protection
and authority and command over the
broken-down creature Bhe might be got
to rely on that help and encouraged and
strengthened by constant care and affec
tion to retrieve herself? Don't you think
it is possible? To be startled out of
that dream by shame and horror; then
the wonder of having that beautiful
daughter her companion and protectress;
then the continual reward of her cham
pionshipdon't you think it is possible?"
"Oh, yes oh, yes, surely! said ths
girl. "Surely you are right!"
"But then, Yolande, I am afraid you
don't understand what a terrible busi
ness it will be. It will demand the most
constant watchfulness; for these drugs
are easy to get; and people who use them
are very cunning. And It will require a
long time perhaps years before one
could be certain that the woman was
saved. Now look at it from the otiier
side. Might not one say, That poor
woman's life is gone, is done for; why
should you destroy this other young life
In trying to save a wreck ? Why should
you destroy one happy human existence
In trying to rescue the mere remnant of
another human existence that would be
worthless and useless even if you suc
ceed? Why should not the girl live her
own life In peace and happiness?' "
"But that Is not what you would say;
that is not what you think," she said,
confidently. "And do you ask what the
girl would think? for I can tell you
that. Oh, yes, I can tell you she would
despise any one who offered her such a
choice!"
"But she would be in ignorance, Yo
lande; she would know nothing about it."
"She ought not be In ignorance, then!
Why do they not tell her? Why not
ask herself what she will do? Ah, and
all this time the poor woman left to her
self It was not right it was not just!"
"But she has not been left to herself,
Yolande. Everything has heed tried
everything but this. And that is whyI
have come to ask you what you think a
girl In that position would naturally do.
What would she do if she were told?"
"There cannot be a doubt," she ex
claimed. "Oh, there cannot be a doubt!
You I know what your feeling is
what your opinion is. And yet you hesi
tate! Why? Go; and you will see what
her answer will be!
"Do you mean to say, Yolande," h
said, deliberately, and regarding her at
the same time, "that you have no doubt
whatever? You say I am to go and ask
this young girl to sacrifice her life or
it may be only a part, but that the beat
part, of her life on this chance of rescu
ing a poor broken-down creature
"Her mother," said Yolnnde. "If sho
is the girl that you say, oh, I know how
she will be grateful to you. She will
bless you. She will look on you ns the
best and dearest of her friends, who had
courage when the others were afraid,
who had faith in her."
"Yolande," said he, almost solemnly,
"you have decided for yourself.
"I?" she said, in amazement.
"Your mother is alive."
She uttered a sharp cry of pain, It
seemed.
"My mother my mother like that!"
For a time this agony of shame and
horror deprived her of all power of ut
terance; the blow had fallen heavily.
Her most cherished and beautiful ideals
lay broken at her feet; in their place
was this stern and ghastly picture that
he had placed before her mental eyes.
He had not softened down any of the de
tails; It was necessary that she should
know the truth. And she had been ss
much Interested in the story, as he pa
tiently put it before her, that now she
had but little difficulty alns! she had
no difficulty at all In plncing herself In
the position of that imaginary daughter,
and realizing what she had to face.
He waited. He had faith in her cour
age; but he would give her time. This
was a sudden thing to happen to a girl
of nineteen.
"Well," she said, at length, in a low
voice, "I will go. I will go at once. Does
pnpa know you were coming here to-day
to tell me?"
"Yes. He could not do It himself, Yo
laude. He has suffered fearfully during
these long years In order to hide this
from you; he thought it would only pain
yon to know that you could do no
good."
"What induced him to change his
mind?"
He was embarrassed; he had not ex
pected the question. She glanced at his
face.
"Was that the objection at Lynn Tow'
era?" she said, calmly.
"No, Yolande, no; It was not I dare
say Lord Lynn does not quite approve
of your father's politics; but that has
nothing to do with you."
"Then it was your Idea that I should
be told?"
(To he continued.)
The censure of those that are oppo
site to us Is the nicest commendation
Unit can be given us. St Everuioud.
Mb.-
vention
One thousand five hundred and flfty
ilx tons of meat, were destroyed in
London last year as unfit for food, ac
cording to the report of the health of
ficers. This, however, was only a small
part of the moat consumed, which
reached 410,500 tons. The tubles show
that 23 per cent of the total was
"country killed," 8.6 per cent town
killed aud 73.4 per cent either Ameri
can or colonial meat frozen.
A quite extraordinary combination of
merits Is claimed In France for a new
explosive, which consists of a mix
ture of powdered aluminum and
nitrate of ammonium. It is not liable
to spontaneous decomposition, cannot
be prematurely exploded by shock or
friction, burns only with difficulty, li
not affected by frost or dampness, and
the gases from Its explosion are harm
less. It can be exploded readily by
an ordinary detonator.
Twenty years ago the average yield
of wheat for California and the San
Joaquin valley was forty bushels to
the acre. Now a yield of twenty bush
els is considered an exceptionally good
crop. The millers of the State com
plain of a marked deterioration in the
quality of the whent now grown. The
gluten content Is becoming more
starchy. The land used for the produc
tion of wheat has been used for the
same crop since Americans 'have been
in California.
English miners are Interested In a
new compressed-air coal cutter recently
Introduced by a Sheffield firm. The ma
chine weighs only 150 pounds, and It Is
said that it can be used In seams so
steep that the miner cannot stand up
right, and so thin that he has to crawl
on bands and knees. A piston carry
ing a pick, and governed by a valve
movement flashes to and fro with
great speed, the point of the pick being
gradually moved across the coal by
means of a lever so that a continu
ous cut la made.
Aluminum-coated paper, made In
Germany for wrapping food sub
stances, Is prepared by applying a thin
coat of an alcoholic solution of reslu
to artificial parchment then sprinkling
aluminum powder over the surface,
and finally submitting to pressure. The
artificial parchment paper Is paper that
lias been treated with sulphuric acid,
The aluminum paper Is not attacked
by the air or by fats, Is much cheaper
than tin-foil, and late analyses in Purls
of this paper and of aluminum foil
showed but a small proportion of for
eign matter and no arsenic or poison
ous metal.
Dr. A. Charrln, a French savant,
fed two groups of guinea pigs on car
rots. One group took the vegetable
after It had been sterilized by boiling
and all germs thus destroyed; the other
after It had been sprinkled over with
dust or with the soil In which the
carrots had been grown. Of seven
teen subjects in the first group twelva
died before those in the second, and
the Investigation showed that the to
tal absence of germs In the sterilized
food Impaired the digestion and low
ered the assimilative power of the ani
mals. Only five altogether were lost
of the group fed on the germ contain
ing food.
In a recent address Prof. II. F. Os
born gave some additional facts abont
ancient American horses. It appears
that in North America there were al
ways from four to six entirely differ
ent varieties of the horse family Uvlng
lng contemporaneously. Some were
slow-moving and relatively broad-footed
horses, living In the forests; others
were very swift, having narrow feet
more resembling those of the deer, and
lived on the plains. Moreover, there
were American horses larger than the"
hnge Percherons of to-day, and others
smaller than the most diminutive Shet
land. Strangely enough, the greatest
beauty and variety In the development
of the horse family were exhibited here
just before the total extinction of
horses on the American continent a
catastrophe which still offers an un
solved problem for Investigation.
The Dram Analyzed.
Mrs. Craigle, better known to novel
readers under her pen name of "John
Oliver Hobbes," has Just come for
ward with a new dramatic generaliza
tion, though she frankly admits that
In stating It she Is but the self-np-polnted
mouthpiece of a small girl of
her acquaintance who frequently ac
companies her theater-loving parents
to the play. According to this tt-ycar-old
authority all drama Is to bo di
vided as fellows:
"Tragedy Is where you wear fancy
dress and get murdered.
"Just plays Is where you're like
other people and die of Illness or com
mit suicide.
"And comedy Is where you go
through with a greot deal and yet
live." Philadelphia Ledger.
The only human being In the world
whose obligations and duties are not
bound by the clock, Is tho mother.
THE DUTCHMEN IN JAVA.
Dutch Idea Has Permeated Island
Kven Afrectlnit Chinese.
The Dutch Idea has permeated Java
so thoroughly that even the hitherto
changeless Chinese are affected by it
says Outing. Not content with flout
ing the empress dowager with a defl-
lte desertion, the Cantonee advertises
allegiance to his new masters by dis
carding In a measure, the silt-like,
loop-up eyes and by acquiring for bis
face a composite Dutch aspect which
renders it Immensely whimsical. As
If charmed by the seductive languor
of the lotus-eating tropics, he takes on
a lackadaisical, lovelorn air, plaits
baby-blue and shrtmp-pluk ribbons
In the folds of his cue and ties a true
love knot on the end thereof. As an
equatorial dudeklns be then blossoms
In bell-shaped lavender silk trousers.
a yellow jacket and spats, and suc
cessfully competes with the heavy
Dutch boys for the favors of the na
tive women kind. As he mounts the
social and financial ladder be comes to
consider his wits nimbler than those
of the Dutchmen and he frequently
proves it by amassing wealth and in
fluence and by becoming a conniving
thorn in the fat sides of his governors.
He shows his appreciation of the "for
eign devil's" gewgaws by Importing
blooded horses from Australia and fine
carriages and automobiles from the
west
Though In point of numbers the
Dutch are greatly In the minority they
overshadow the natives as effectively
as the mountains overshadow the ad
jacent plain. In the absence of an
onerous color line the foreign blood is
tinging that of the native as the for
eign thought Is affecting his brain.
On the island there exists snch a slid
ing color scale that one knows not
whether to speak Javanese, Chinese,
Hollandlsche or Malay to those one
meets. To the credit of the Dutch It
ean be said that every Inducement is
offered the natives who would rise to
their social plane; and generally the
native aspires to such honor.
Many of the town houses of the
wealthy Dutch are little tropical pal
aces standing amid noble grounds and
almost smothered In a riot of trees and
vines. ' They are austerely sentineled
by giant banyans, amid the pending
roots of which the children play hide-and-seek
and sometimes almost lose
themselves In the maxe of miniature
forest paths.
RUN8 MINE TO AID WAIF3.
Society Woman Earns Money for
Juvenile Conrt Work.
Operating a gold mine to secure
funds for the juvenile court of the city
of Denver Is the latest fad of Mrs.
J. J. Brown, one of the society leaders
of Colorado's capital, according to the
Cleveland Leader. The funds of the
treasury upon which the Judge of the
Juvenile court In Denver has drawn
to reclaim boys from their wicked
ways have been fearfully low of late.
Judge Ben B. Llndsey, father of the
juvenile court movement In the west,
appealed to a Mrs. Brown, whose
wealth and social position have made
her the patron of all the charities .of
tho city.
"If you could only Insure us an in
come of $5,000 a year," said the Judge
to this resourceful woman.
Mrs. Brown was lost In thought for
a brief space and then said: "I will
Insure you twice that sum; the boys
of Denver deserve attention from so
ciety. I will lease a claim In Cripple
Creek and give them the proceeds."
The next day Mrs. Brown penned re
grets to a round of fashionable func
tions and was off to the great mining
camp. She exchanged the frilled and
flounced gowns of costly material
which bad set two continents agog by
reason of their cost and beauty for the
rough "togs" of a frontier woman, and
surmounted her wealth of glossy hair
with a sombrero Instead of a Parisian
creation.
Personally she Inspected the ores of
the claims from which she hopad to
select the property should would ope
rate for the Denver Juvenile court.
She went down Into the mines often in
the Iron-bound bucket dangling from a
rope windless. She knocked fragments
from the hanging wall with a miner's
pick and took them to an assayer to
determine the value of the "lead." She
examined more than a dozen claims In
the four days she spent In Cripple
Creek and out of this number she se
lected one that was rich enough to
pass muster.
Since the mine was opened six weeks
ago the smelter receipts, besides pay
ing expenses of operation, have added
ver $1,000 to the Juvenile court fund
Denver.
Cards for the Dead.
The fashion Is becoming popular in
Paris of leaving cards at the ceme
tery. An oak box, placed on a tomb
stone, Is Intended for the cards of
those who visit the resting place of a
departed friend. In this way the near
relatives And out those friends who
still cherish the memory of tht dead.
When some men have no better oc
cupation they hunt up something for
their wives to do.