BY MISADVENTURE
:BV
FRANK BARRETT
CIIAtTEIt ' XII. Continuei)T"
I glanced around to see that there irai
tothing Mr. Lynn couk pry into or take
way durinx my absence, and seeing all
aft, I left him. In my aitting room I
found Dr. Awdrey waiting to see me.
"I saw Lynn's horse outside, and I
cropped in to know if he were here. I
hould like to see bim before he goes, if
you don t mind my waiting here."
iio in and see him at once,"
I have done with him."
He thanked me and went into the office,
while I slipped Into my dining room,
which, as I have said, is divided from
the office by a half-glased door, that In
tercepte sound so slightly that what takes
place in one room la audible in the other.
If anyone thinks it is wrong to play at
eavesdropping, let them remember that I
m only a lawyer. I have no compunc
tion to listening In a case of this kind.
They had got through their first greet
ing when I reached the door, but as I
aaw through the old green taffety cur
tains, they still held each other by the
band.
A mere sprain; that's all. Painful
enough at Prof; jnt enough to Vn me
from running about, you know," Lynn
was saying in his bluff, open tone.
"Why on earth didn't you write a word
r two to us?" asked Awdrey.
"Oh, I didn't want to make a fuss
bout a trifle especially at such a tim
and you know what women are when
there's anything the matter with fel
low," Lynn replied, throwing himself into
chair.
"Your silence made us think that the
accident was not a trifle," Awdrey said,
half seating himself on the table and fac
ing his friend. ,
I see now that I was to blame. I'm
sorry for It. That's all I can say, my
dear fellow."
"I am sorry also. It must have trou
bled Miss Dalrymple; it would have of
fended her bad she been an ordinary girl.
Old Keene here doesn't like you ; I war
rant he has put a bad construction on
your silence and done his utmost to set
her against yon. Indeed It taxed my
Ingenuity to find excuses for your neg
lect." Lynn toyed with his riding whip In si
lence for a few minutes (during which
his quick brain had conceived a plausi
ble means of escape), and then he said:
"Awdrey, old fellow, I must tell you
11. I can't keep a secret at any rate,
from you. I purposely stayed away I
was purposely silent."
"Why? Let us have the whole matter
trt from beginning to end."
"Some months ago this old rascal here,
Keene for what purpose I cannot im
agine let me to believe hhat I was heir
to Flexmore's fortune. In the belief that
I should before long be In a decent posi
tion to maintain a wife, I sought to win
Gertrude Miss Dalrymple. Well, on the
day of Flexmore'a death I discovered the
truth that I had nothing to expect from
him."
The barefaced effrontery of this lie
nearly took my breath away.
"I had been living rather extravagant
ly, continued Lynn beyond my means,
. In fact relying on being able to recoup
myself sooner or later, and then suddenly
I realized that I was thrown upon my
own resources, In debt, and incapable of
providing the woman I loved with the
home I had absolutely offered her a few
days before. Of course, I am to blame
I know that. I ought to have been pru
dent, I ought not to have counted upon
Flexmore's generosity, I ought not to have
offered my hand before I was assured
beyond the possibility of ' doubt that I
had enough to marry upon. But you
know what I em a headstrong, Impuls
ive, thoughtless, reckless, thriftless, un
happy wretch !" His voice faltered, he
covered his face with his bands, rose ab
ruptly, stamping with Impatience at his
own wenkness, and turned in silence to
the window. It was not. a bad piece of
acting; it took Awdrey In completely. He
rose, went to the window, and, slipping
bis hand through the other's arm, said :
"There's nothing unpardonable In that,
Lynnnothing that she will not readily
torsive."
"I know It, Awdrey, and that's the
worst part about it. I must break off the
engagement, but I know not how with
such a generous girl as that. I know
whnt she will say when I tell her I am a
beggar: she will say, 'No matter, I can
wait till you are rich. Wait good gra
cious ! I am In debt now ; a penniless
bcgcar I must remain. I haven't the
ability to gain fifty pounds a year, and
never shall have. No ; It must be broken
off. I sn id that from the first. Do you
know, I forced myself to affront her, that
she might throw me over I pretended a
brutally cruel feeling towards dear little
Iaure, poor child I that Gertrude might
think me unfeeling. I went oil to Lon
don without a word of farewell, I re
frained from writing one kind word all
with the same purpose. Don't you see
now?"
"Yes ; but all that mnst be made clear
to her," said Awdrey, slowly.
"Made clear to her? Is that the way
to break off this unfortunate engage
ment?" "No ; but there Is no necessity to break
off the engagement."
"What do you mean? Surely you
wouldn't have me ask her to wait till I
grow rich rich I I, who never did a
decent day's work in my life."
so; yon will not an her that, flhe
did not inquire whether you were rich
or poor when she consented to be your
wife ; she will not refuse you now for any
reason of that kind. You must explain
youT silence, and ask her to marry you
at once. Listen to me, Lynn I am not
advising you without reason. Flexmore
wished you to be the guardian,, with Miss
Dalrymple, of little Laure. and to take
the interest of the money in trust for her
until she came of age. By an accident
that wish was prevented from being- lezal-
ly carried out ; but, virtually, you are as
much entitled to the money as though the
accident had not happened. Miss Dal
rymple has consented to take care of the
child permanently relieving me of a cer
tain part of my duty. Legally I shall
remain her guardian, and shall In fart
exercise niy function whenever a question
arises respecting her welfare, but virtu
ally she is Miss Dalrymple's ward, and
her services must be paid for. I shall
settle upon her all that la paid me as in
terest arising from Flexmore's bequest.
"But, my dear fellow, you are robbing
yourself you are carrying generosity be
yond all the hound of ressnn!" erf-lalm-
ed Lynn.
"No, I am doing nothing of the kind,
I shall simply be carrying out Flexmore'i
Intentions, and I shall remain as rich as
I have been. Whether you marry Miss
Dalrymple or not, I shall settle the money
on her. But now you know you have no
excuse for breaking off the enzacement
Did you ever read of heroism to beat
till man relinquishing fortune, and
the fair chance of making the girl he loved
am wife, from chivalrous consideration
of that girl's happiness, and a conscien
tious feeling of duty?
rnoee sponsors made a pretty good
forecast at his character and disposition
when they gave him the name of John
Howard ; for I doubt If the great philan
thropist was ever more loving to the good.
more generous to the erring, or kinder to
the weak.
CHAPTER XIII.
I should like to know what von wnnlil
nave done, seeing an honest man bam-
Dootfed and cheated by a lying, subtle
rascal on the other side of a half-glased
door with taffety blind. If von tn
ordinary person, with an ordinary love of
truth and an ordinary hatred of deceit,
i 11 oe oound you would have flung open
that door and told simple Dr. Awdrey
that Lynn Yeames was a llnr and oho..
and proclaimed all you knew about him
and bis motives ; but If you are like me,
ft wily old lawyer, yon would have done
nothing of the kind. For Dr. Awdrey
oeiiereo mai my prejudice against Lynn
Yeames amounted to a
- - I ueau uv
proof whatever to substantiate a charge
agamat wtn, and in the absence of proof
Dr. Awdrey would be full tn.Hflori i
believing a trusted friend In preference
to a Biased lawyer. How could I prove
that he knew nothing about the will be
fore his mother teleerathed to him Ftf
the reading of it? I could only declare
that he did not know; he could declare
that he did. He had ineenultv tn ln.
reasons as good for his knowing the fact
as tnose i could produce to show that he
was Ignorant of the real truth Tn .
of hard swearing the judge must lean
towards the side which seems least capa
ble of duplicity, and It would go hard
wun ine lawyer in such a case.
These conditions decided mm t
the half-glazed door as It . n,i
seek some more than ordlnnra
discomfiting an extraordinary rascal. I
leit sure or wis that Dr. Awdrey would
insist upon Lynn roinir at nnra fti
Ing his story to bis sweetheart; and it
seemed to me that the best thing I could
do was to go to Flexmore Hoiiua w.,.
hend and prevent Mr. Lynn deceiving
ansa uairympie as De had deceived Dr.
Awdrey.
"Mrs. Guttridee." said T t . .
keeper, who is a careful woman, and de
livers messages correctly, "I can't wait
any longer: I don't wish tn (,.k tv.
Awdrey and his friend, who seem to be
navmg a nice little chat. If the k
for me, you will sav that T ...
polntment to keep, but that I shall be at
home from nine till twelve to-morrow
morning."
With that I trotted off tn pi
House as fast as mv le? TX7M1 1 1 ...
me ; but there was plenty of time to think
on the way, and I had plenty to think
about. How was I to warn Miss Dal
rymple? To tell her bluntly that her
lover was a scanm would nnt Ar. it
love would only strengthen in defending
mm against nis accuser.
Hut did she still love him? ii.j -i.-
ever really loved him? I was inclined to
answer no to both questions. I believed
that as yet she had really loved no :.
Yet I was not sufficiently mm i"
that I could with safety speak openly on
the subject. And that is why I made up
a fairy story a pretty oecunstfnn f, .
lawyer, you will say.
They saw me, Nurse Gertrude and lit
tle Laure, from the drawi II If rAAtn tiMn
dow as I came tip the gravel path, and
the child darted off to open the door, and
both welcomed me with smiles on the
threshold.
I found onnortunitv onlv tn ho.in -
- " a " 'v h " 11J J
story when Mr. Yeames himself appeared.
I gathered up my hat, great coat, com
forter, and stick, and, tucking them under
one arm and little Iaiii-a nnH h. mi...
si i&ved Into the adjoining room, where
we shut ourselves In, Just as Mr. Tsames
was admitted to the drawing room by the
other door.
I would have given anything to know
what was taking place there ; but I could
not well put my ear to the keyhole in the
presence of little Laure, so I had to con
tent myself with the hope that Nurse
Gertrude would see through the wiles of
her crafty ' visitor. It was exasperating
to bear the murmur of voices and not to
distinguish what was being said, however,
I learned later on from a certain source
what took place, in this interview, and I
will set k down here as if I had seen and
heard ail which, in my mind, I certain
ly did when the mere facts of the case
were made known to me.
Standing by the door as he closed K
Lynn made a grave inclination of his bead
expressive of respect, contrition any
thing you like; then he stepped forward
hastily with his hand out, his head erect,
his chest thrown forward, in a manly,
honest way. She put her hand in his.
"Can you forgive me?" he asked, hold
ing her band and speaking in that rapid,
full undertone that la supposed to express
earnest anxiety. "Gertrude !" he added
wiuh a tender inflection, putting forth his
left arm to take her by the waist.
Nothing succeeds like audacity with
certain women ; but Gertrude was not of
that set, and, quietly shrinking to avoid
his touch, she withdrew her band and
seated herself with the slightest depreca
tory movement of her head. I can see
that graceful, dignified movement as I
write a kind of "no-thank-you" move
ment. With a deep sigh Lynn dropped
his hands by his sides and sank into a
chair.
"I ought to have spoken out at the very
first, I know that," he said. In the tone
of a man candidly admitting an amiable
weakness. "I ought to have given you an
explanation ; but I was beside myself that
morning."
"As you have not offered any explana
tlon since, I am to suppose that you have
been beside yourself rather over a week,"
aid Miss Dalrymple, with sympathy in
her voice.
"Indeed I have," he said.
"Then I think a little apparent eccen
tricity of conduct must certainly be for
given;" and so, aa if she had dismissed1
the subject, she aaked In a tone of ordi
nary civility, "And when did you re
turn r
"Oh, I er came back this morning,"
replied Mr. Lynn uncomfortably.
"Dr. Awdrey has asked frequently af
ter you. I suppose yon have not had
time to call upon him."
"No that is, yes; I saw hhn coming
along."
- "How very fortunate! Mr. Keene has
been inquiring about you. Of course, you'
have not seen him?"
Not knowing how much she knew, he
had to admit the fact that he had seen
me also.
"Er yes, I have ; had to call upon bin
on a pressing matter of business, you
know."
"Then, now I suppose you have satis
fied nearly everybody's curiosity. Isn't it
a great relief to you?"
(To be continued.)
TE.EE-DESTEOYTNQ BJVEB.
Wester Stream that Ckem Vp the
Growth Along; (he Banks.
The Gila river enters the Colorado
Just west of Yuma, and we crossed Its
angry waters through a maze of eddies
and whirlpools through which Immense
quantities of driftwood were whirling
In a mad race, says a writer In Har
per's Magazine. Escaping the worst of
the turmoil, we reached the town at
racing speed and made trlumnbiint
landing with half our Journey acom-
plished. i
At most places along shore the rlvek
had reached the line of older growths
and was leveling the larger trees by
hundreds wherever a bend of the river
directed the force of the current against
the far shore. Trees ten Inches In dlnm-
eter and twenty to thirty feet high were
constantly toppling Into the Insatiable
river.
The fall of these larger trees was
always graceful. The first Intimation
of It was a distinct shiver that ran
through the entire tree, but was most
marked In the upper branches; a mo
ment later the tree would bend grace
fully forward as If bowing to Its
enemy. An Instant's pause and It
would sink slowly Into the rushing
waters that had reached to the loosened
and Inshore roots.
Tree after tree of this larire irmwth
would start down the river broadside
to the current. Slowly at first It wnnid
roll over nnd over, tangllnsr Its branch.
Into a great skeleton wheel, rolling fast
er and roster as the branches become
more Impncted and presented fewer
projecting points, to catch and hold a
momeiit in the shallower reaches.
Eventually the brandies would ho
off In such progress, leavlmr onlv thn
tougher roots to retard It Then the de
nuded tree would give up the struggle,
and whirling Into the line of least re
slstance, would float head on down
stream until caught by the snreadini?
roots In some shallow.
The Philosophers Also Increasing
(r irrrm Tlin fnmlnln. . ..
""fcs" population
seems to have Increased wonderfully
uunu( luc i.iri itw WWHH,
ti,.i.mi rv 1 . ,i .
Mi uu ,vuu nieanj
Tlrlfrtrn YVhv. ivlinn f .
-r.r- --.1. nB UllirriPQ
a month ago, my wife seemed to be the
only woman In the world. Boston
Transcript. w
Between 5,000 and 0,000 alcohol n.
fflnAS srA now In nnaratlnn In r, .
-- - r- -..vm iu uvria&nj
iuvcri UDIipin,
A novel device recently patented by
a West Virginia woman Is the unique
dustpan shown In the illustration. It
blowing off t h e
pan after It hns
been gathered. In
NEW DUSTPAN.
this Improved
dustpan It Is Impossible for the dust
ana dirt to drop on the floor. This
dustpan, when closed, is In the form of
a box, one of the sides of the box form
ing the front edge of the dustpan when
the latter Is opened. In the top of the
box are slots, through which extends
the rods of the handle. These rods are
pivoted to the front edge of the box.
After the dust nnd dirt have been
brushed Into the dustpan the Iwx Is
lifted by the handle. As the latter Is
drawn up the front of the dustpan Is
drawn up, throwing all the dust Into
the box, the lid effectually scaling the
front and preventing the accidental es
cape of the contents In any way.
nanana Pie.
One and one-half cups hnnana pulp,
1 cups milk, one beaten egg, one-half
cup light brown sugar, one level tea
spoon cinnamon, one-hnlf level tea
spoon ginger, one-half level teaspoon
salt. Add the milk gradually to the
banana pulp, then the beaten egg, and
stir the mixture Into the sugar, spices
and salt mixed. Line a deep pie plate
as for custard pie, pour In the mixture,
and bake In a modern oven until brown
id over the top.
' - Soft Icing?.
One cup sugar, one-half cup boiling
water, one-fourth level teaspoonful
cream of tartar, whites of two eggs
and one teaspoonful vanilla. Boll to
gether the sugar and water until It
threads when dropped from tip of
spoon. Then add the cream of tartar,
and pour It gradually over the egg
whites beaten stiff. Beat constantly,
and vanilla and continue beating until
stiff enough to spread.
Norwegian Sandwich.
Chop separately the whites and yolks
or several hard-boiled eggs, nlso slices
of cooked bacon. Dispose on siloes of
hot buttered toast, placing thereon first
a row of the finely chopped bacon, to
the right of that a row of the bits of
pgg jolk, then bacon, then whites of
eggs, lastly bacon. Heat a few mo
ments In the oven and serve. This rec
ipe furnishes a good way to utilize
left-overs.
Glnfrer Snaps.
Mix one cup of molnsses with one
half cup of sugar, add a half-cup of
melted butter and a tablespoourul of
ginger. When thoroughly blended
stir In quickly four cups of flour In
which has been sifted a tenspcionfiil of
soda. Knead the dough until smooth,
then set on the Ice over night If pos
sible. Roll as thin as pasteboard, cut
Into rounds nnd Imke In a quick oveu.
Fried Cauliflower.
Clean a cauliflower and separate I,
into its flowerets. Soak In cold salted
water for one hour. Drain, cover with
boiling salted water, and cook until
tender. Drain uud cook. Sprinkle with
cracker crumbs, thcu dip In egg beaten
with a tablespoon of cold water, then
In crumbs, and brown in deep hot fat
Serve on a folded napkin garnished
with parsley.
Kitchen Scissors.
Scissors are so useful In the kitchen
that a pair should be had especially for
that room. Halslns are nUvr cut than
chopped; grapefruit and oranges nre
more easily scooped from their skins
If the pith Is clipped In i. few places;
lettuce may be cut In ribbons and cel
ery cut up for salad, therefore a scis
sors Is almost Indispensable.
Quick Dnrknbrut Cakes,
One cup buckwheat flour, one level
tublespoonful sugar, one-half level tea
spoonful salt, two level tensioiifule
baking powder, one and one-fourtli cups
milk. Sift together the buckwheat,
sugar, salt and baking powder. Pour
In the liquid and heat vigorously until
smooth. Cook at once on a well-groused
griddle.
IVeck of Mutton Stew,
One and o half pounds neck of mut
ton, a largo onion. Cut meat up In
small pieces, fry a .few beans, cut a
good-sized cabbage Into eight or ten
pieces and prepare about as many po
tatoes. Lay all on top of the meal
and boll about three hours. Befora
serving thicken the gravy with flour.
To Sweeten O renin.
Cream or milk that has turned, hut
Is not soured, may be made sweet by
stirring Into It one teaspoonful of car
bonute of niagneslii to each quart ol
FLAT DWELLERS' WATS.
Watering; the Fire Escape Gardea
Plpe-Smoklng Ktlqurte.
"What I don't understand," snM
I hj u iStrW lOIlk ?UI1
Aim Irlnfiitfiil.t.. n k- v- i. t,
"lun' 18 tlie way me folks water the
Plaurs they keep on the fire escape,
I "Kov'. you see, we've got a few plants
was designed with "ul ul imlr nre escnpe, ana wnen I
one object In vlewiwater them I take care always not to
to overcome the fl001 'It her the pots or the saucers,
objection of theITnpre are people living under us, and
ordinary dustpan.!1' Is nt Impossible that they might
In the latter no ' nave out on their fire escape something
provision Is made , drying, or they might have plants thore
for preventing the j that they don't want water to drip on.
dust and dirt from , " they have nothing there they don't
BI" water aripping down from abovu
anyway, because It would spatter from
the fire escope to the windows.
"I have lived under people, nice peo
ple, too, who seemed to forget entirely
that there was anybody living under
them, and who would simply pour
water on their plants and let It run
down In streams to spatter everywhere.
Don't you think It's queer about that?"
"What gets me," said Mr. Flatdwell
er, "Is how a man can sit at an open
window smoking a pipe and when lie
gets through smoking knock the ashen
out of his pipe on the window sill.
There may be sparks lu the nine as
well as ashes, and both are liable to
be blown Into open windows below. I
don't exactly see how men con be so
thoughtless as to do this, but some men
lire. So, you see, women are not the only
tnouglitless creatures. There nra
thoughtless men also.
"Hut I don't pour wnter down the
fire escapes," sntd Mrs. Flntdweller,
"and you don't kuock ashes out of tha
window."
"True." sold Mr. Flotdweller, grow
ing phllosophlcol now, "but If we
should consult our neighbors and they
would tell us frankly, I dare say that
we should discover that we do. with
out thinking, things that they don't
line, just as they do some things that
don't strike us pleasantly. It Is so
much easier for us to see the faults of
others than It Is for us to realize our
own."
gooooooooooooooooooooooooa
BABBIT DANCERS.
A captured rabbit brought an even
ing's amusement to a party of campers
In the Rocky Mountains. In "Nlmrod's
Wife" Mrs. Grace Seton tells of secur
ing the rabbit in the "telescone case "
good-sized valise made of leatherold,
which acted aa a sounding board to his
drumming.
"If there are any rabbits within
hearing they will come. The little fel
low Is thumping for them. It's the rab
bit way of calling for help," said Nlm-
rod. "There, did you see that? Keen
quiet, and don't move."
A big rabbit had dashed Into the cir
cle of the flrellglrt. In a few minutes
another flitted In. Tlmmn! thn
could be heard from different parts of
tlie foreat.
Bobby brought out a lighted acety
lene lantern. The rabbits, startled at
nrst by the strange light, were aulet
also watching. Then one bold chap,
moved by curiosity, hopped cautiously
near; others followed. No harm result
ing, the first one advanced still nearer
and leaped across the patch of lighted
ground. One, a dozen rabbits, big and
little, followed him. Circling, he came
back again and again, each time nearer
to the queer little sun. What he did
others did, In augmenting numbers, un
til we counted twenty playing the gam
of follow the leader.
Hop, hop, hlniety-hop, ba-kword and
forth and round went the shadows, a
fnlry scene. But a venturesome Jnck
came so close to the lamp In his Investi
gations that he burned his nose and
sprang back.
Instantly every rabbit dlsaimeared.
For long we sat quiet, hoping for a re
turn of our entertainers, but tlie charm
was broken.
Rph's Letter, '
Ah wish dls wind what's a-blowln yo'
way
Would toll yo' de words what Ah wants
ten say.
Ah thinks ob thlnirs when Ah'm all fllnnA.
Dat would sholy win yo' foh ma own,
But It seems when Ah looks in yo' eyes
Dat ma tongue gits soht ob parrylize.
So Ah wish (lis win' what's a-blowin yo
way .
Would whlHpeh do words what Ah wants
teh sny.
Kansas City Times.
0O00O0O00O0CNXK)OO0O0000OC)d
Misrepresentation.
"Why nre you so distrustful of tho
railways?"
"I lost faith In Vin the first time I
notli-ed that every one of 'cm Issued
maps showing their own lines drawn
with a ruler mid the others looking like
bent hulrplns." Washington Stur.
Foregone.
Should you a keynote sound, be Bur
That this will be your solemn fate ;
Your foes will vow your speech Is poor
And all your friends will say It's great t
Washington Star.
l
Uillk.