Tthe charity oirlT I By EFFIE A. ROWLANDS I Mrs. Thorngate wits waiMng for her, anil came up to hor nt once. At tho first glimpse of her sweet, motherly face Au drey's nervousness went. The vicar's wife spoke cheerfully and kindly to tha girl, and ns they walked out of the station together her thoughts were very Inisy. "What could George ha been think in S about when he spok- of this child :is 'nice looking?' Why, th words are lieresy when used to deser'be hor face! Poor soul! 1 am sorry for t.er ! Such leanty in her station of life does not mean happiness." Audrey found herself rpwking quite naturally ami easily to this kind man- luuvd woman, and answered nil the (pies lions Mrs. Thorng.ite put to her in her fresh, clear voice and refined tones. Hut whatever the vicar's wife was turning over in her mind it was never permitted to ripen, for just as they were l assing in at the rectory i.ir'lc n a pret ty place even in the chill February weath t a young lady, mount ;d on a bay horse with bhek points, .ind attended !y a smart groom, ro.le swiftly along the road. She drew rein as she saw Mrs Thorngate. "(rood morning," she cried, !n a clear. rather hard voice. "Have yea seen any thing of Lord John? They 'ell me he came a cropper just by Pelf Woods, and went back by train to get 'mother mount, ns he had lamed old Hector. You have not seen him, Mrs. Thorngate? Pear me, how tiresome! The day is quite hot, and we shaped the have such a rattling good run." "It is a pity," Mrs. Thorngate assent ed heartily, for in her youth she had been a first rate sportswoman, and fhe sym pathized with the girl's disappointment warmly ; "but can't you cardi them up somewhere, Miss Fraser? Where was the meet?" CHAPTER III. Sheila Fraser explained fverj thing in lier sharp way, and Audrey, standing modestly in the background, looked In admiration and surprise at tbe neat, well turned figure sitting easily iu the saddle, at the small, oval face under the straight lut brim, and the coil of red gold hair at the nape of the neck. How pretty this Miss Fraser was! Her teeth were so even and si white, her cheeks so rosy warm in color; only her eyes seemed cold and hard. They moved about quickly, and to Audrey were just like sharp nevrlles. "I rode back to inquire after Lord John at his mother's reniest, because pome one said he was really bi?rt. Now, I wish I had not been so r.uixotie. I really don't quite know what I shall do." Miss Fraser tapped her smr-U foot with her whip impatiently, and then frowned. The wind had blown the ve'l over Au drey's face again, but she could see through it easily, and she did not like that frown, it made the eyes irore sharp and cruel than before. "I suppose it is no use n'k.ng you to have some luncheon with me," Mrs. Thorn gate said, and then, all at once, she re membered Audrey, and uttered an ex clamation. "I very nearly forgot." she paid, turning to Miss Fraser, "your new maid has arrived. This is she.'' Sheila Fraser looked carelessly at the Blender form in its black clonk and ail. "Oh!" she said shortly; she paused a moment, and then addressing Audrey, 'you had better go up to Pinglewood at once; ask Blrcham ; she will tell you what your duties are, and tr what is your name?" . "Maxse Audrey Maxse," Mrs. Thorn gate replied, quickly. "Well er Maxse, you must alter your dress. That funeral cl ak and veil are simply absurd. Please see to that at once." Miss Fraser bent from her saddle to ask one or two questions coniic'entially of the vicar's wife, and then her fice flushed, and she uttered an exclamai;on of pleas ure. "Here he is. after all !" is a horse man came fleetly toward them. Jack Gleudurwood pulled up with a jerk. "Halloo, Sheila, you here? Why, I thought you would have been at Sher wood Powns, at least, by this time." He was thoroughly well e'eansed of all mud, and looked as speck f.nd span as Miss Fraser herself, as he temoved his hat and greeted Mrs. Thorngate. "Heard you had a cropper, and, as your mother was anxious, I rode back to see what was left of yo.i," Sheila re plied in a curt, somewhat mumline man ner. "Poor mother," he said, lightly. "Well, Ibe best thing we can do is to tear down to Welland ! The hounds w-nt through there a few minutes ago, 1 heard; I thought I might catch them up here, but as they have not come this way, we are Iiretty sure of tumbling in with them in that direction." He looked eager to be off, and his eyes Tiever went toward the gate where Audrey stood, shrinking back Bhyly, in her black jrarinents. A few more words exchanged and the two young people rede off, and Mrs. Thorngate came up o Audrey. "Well, how do you like your young mistress' looks?" she asked, Vrdly. Audrey paused for a moment, then in a numb sort of way she answered : "She is very pretty, I think." "Miss Frase is the acknowledged beau ty of these parts she is an heiress. Pin glewood is a lovely place. I hope you will get on well with her, cj dear, and be happy in your new home." Miss Fraser came home very tired about 6 o'clock, and found Pircharo, her first maid, carefully instructing the new comer in the various duties ixpected of her. Audrey, mindful of her mistress' commands, had put on her only other (town, a thick gray one of rough material, with neat collar and cuffs, and a black ribbod apron. Her hair was brushed etraight off her face, and rolled in a huge knot at the back of her exquisitely shaped head. She was pale, but her eyes were hiniDg with admiration and ct:rprine and aome excitement. Never, in Ler wildest I dreams, had she conjured up so many lovely things as were massed together in Sheila Fraser's apartments, with their silken hangings, their dainty furniture, costly oruanietits, and the hundred and one appointments which finished every corner. "It Is like fairyland," Audrey said over and over again in her bewilderment. She hardly liked to tread on the Per sian rugs and furs thrown on the floor, and she held her breath as she stood be side the ivory toilet table, and gazed at the brushes and array of bottles and oth er knickknacks in old Puteh s'.'ver. "If Jean could but see them!" was her thought. She was quite dazed with nil the love liness about her, and gave little cries of surprise and delight ns Hicham lighted the piuk-globed lamps and st'rred the fire into a blaze. She felt It must be some delicious, heaven-sent dream,, and ih-it presently she should wake and find herself in her cold, hard bed at the home, the bell clanging the time to rise. Sheila's arrival dispelled this feeling, and, as the young lady entered, she seem ed to bring a rush of cold air with her that destroyed the illusion of fairyland. "My bath at once!" she ordered, sharp ly; and then, looking aenss at Audrey, she added : "You must remember to have it always ready for me when I have been out hunting, Maxse. Bircham, you have told her everything?" "Yes, miss, everything." "Let her remain here an! watch yon to-night." Audrey stood In a dusky corner with her hands folded, as Miss Ftaser, having plunged into her bath and th is refreshed and invigorated herself, sit before the long, ivory-mounted duchesse mirror, and put herself into Bircham's hands to have her hair dressed. Audrey thought she had tjever seen anything so beautiful ns Slvvla Fraser's hair; every thread seemed of burnished gold as the brush went through it, and the lamp light shone on it, and when by and by her young mistress slood adorned for dinner in a black crepe gown, with diamonds glittering in her wavy tresses and around her white throat, the girl was quite dazed. It had been such a long. t onderful day, full of such agitation and so many new experiences. CHAPTER IV. Audrey woke with a start the next morning, and her first thought was how angry Miss Irons would be that she was late. The faint, golden rays of the Feb ruary sun were streaming in through the sides of the blind ; the bell was not ring ing. She looked about her in a dazed, mechanical fashion, sitting np in bed, with her mass of black hair tossed loosely on her shoulders. Where was she? Surely that was not Jean's bed in the other .j.rnsr? Jean never snored like that. She rubbed her eyes, shivered a little with the cold, and then was wide awake. She was not in her old bedroom, but in her new, and that sleeping form across in the other corner was not Jean's small, thin one, but the large-boned, heavy frame of Bircham, her fellow-servant. She shut the door quietly and went down stairs, and brushed away briskly at the riding habit and other garments for a good half hour; then, with a shy laugh, she determined to go on to the servants' quarters and reconnoiter. "I must meet the others sooner or later," she thought. A rosy cheeked housemaid was busy with her broom and stopped to courtesy as she saw what she took to be a guest coming down the wide oaken staircase there were always two or three strangers at Pinglewood. Audrey was gazing out of her lovely dark blue yes with deep pleasure and interest at the fresh won ders that met her gaze at every turn ; her young, buoyant, nervously excitable heart thrilled as with delight at the carv ed oaken panels, the full-Ietigtb costume portraits, the figures in armor that stood in their niches, as though gunrding the old house as their dead and gone wearers did in the days of yore. Th.? housemaid's respectful courtesy first proroked a smile and then a little sigh. "I want to find the kitchen ; am I going wrong?" she said, and tlen she put out her hand. "I am the new maid, Au drey Maxse! Shall we be friends? What is your name? If it is like your face it is sure to be nice." The housemaid stared at her in amaze ment; but when she saw (hat Audrey still held out her hand, she put her own rough palm into it, while she grinned good naturedly. "I baint bad frens with no one, I baint, and I likes you! Whv, I took you for a lady. There ! My -.lame's 'Lisa. What's yourn. did you say?" Audrey explained all that was neces sary, and then Eliza showed ter the way to the housekeeper's room, the servants' ha'll and the kitchen. "You come down the wrong stairs," she said. "Them's the ones you must use," pointing to her right. "Here's the kitching. My ! Don't the brtkkus smell nice? Ain't you 'ungry? You must eat a lot, and then you'll get red cheeks. Here's Mr. Powns!" and Elira broke off to giggle, as a yonng man a very good imitation of a gentleman sauntered in through the open doorway that led to the courtyard, thence to the stables and the kitchen garden beyond. "He'a Lord John's valley," she whispered in a loud toice to Audrey, "and such a swell!" Mr. Downs smiled with :meh superi ority as he caught Eliza's ingenuous tone of admiration. He was soon chaffing and joking with her, while Audrey, who felt an indescribable vexation and dislike aris ing within her at the man's presence, went to the doorway and walked out into the courtyard. It so clear and fresh in the cold morning air that he soon lost ber vague disMmfort, and fx-gm to make friends with t'r.e half dozen dogs of every sort and description, who came from the stables to Inquire into tha new arrival. A voice from behind broks her silence, and, turning, with a frown, she saw that Downs had followed her. "You'll get cold out here,, miss," tha young man said, fixing his eyes on her exquisite face with astonished admira tion; "and you're much too pretty " Audrey drew herself up. She was very young, and she had. never had occasion to feel' the sort of angry resentment that this man's hold stare awakened in her breast. She was too neryous to make any reply, but she turned lound quickly and went indoors before he knew what she wns doing. "Oh! That's her sort. Is it V" observed Mr, Henry Powns to himself. "Who's she, I'd like to know, though she' Is so pretty, to give herself airs i'ke a queen? Well, we'll soon take that out of her, or my name ain't Powns." And, dispensing a few kicks to the dogs, the man walked away down the courtyard to give his master's order to the head groom. Audrey, to her great relief, found that a message had come for her to go to Miss Fraser's room at ones, t'heila Fraser was lying in her luxuriant td. her red go ij hair thrown over the pillows in pity turesque confusion as Audrey entered. "Light my fire nt once," she ordered, sharply; "then pull up the blind, and give me those papers and letters, Maxse." Audrey stirred the smol lering embers into a blaze, threw some wood on to it, and then drew back the silken curtains. Miss Fraser took the letters anr stared at the girl. "I don't think I shall ':ke this girl." she said to herself. "She is evidently t upid, and stares at one in nn uncanny fashion. Go to Mrs. Fraser's room you know where it is give her my love, and ask how she is this morning," she said, shortly. She lay quite still as Audrey went ov ay, then, with a sudden movement, she slipped from the bed, went across the rich carpet to the mirror, and gazed silently at her own image. Never before, in the whole of her life, had she ever viewed her own reflection with anything but pleasure. What was it that jarred her uow? Not only the lack of symmetry in feature, the difference in coloring was it not a certain air of unaccounta ble refinement a something that bespoke the patrician in Audrey's face, and that was wanting in her own? She was not patrician hon she was of the people. Her father had been a hard-headed Scotch merchant, born of re spectable Scotch tradesfolk ; her mother the rich and only daughter r-l a Cumber land brewer. They were wealthy, they had land, they had retinues of servants, but still they were beyond the sacred inner social round. Sheila o'.ild remem ber distinctly the days before her moth er's death ; she was ouly a g'rl of eight, but she was wonderfully sharp and pre cocious for her years. Mrs. Fraser had no other children. She was an unloved wife, her ambitions did not keep pace with those of her husband, and the rift, begun almost immediately after the mar riage, widened and widened until they were virtually separated altogether. George Fraser neither felt nor pretended to feel any sorrow when his wife died, lie was considerably enriched by her for tune. (To be continued.) His .Mistake. Fred The ways of women are past all understanding. Jack What's the trouble new? Fred While I was in the parlor alone with Miss Pinklelgh, she lowered the gas, and, thinking It was i' hint for me to propose, I did so, but she refused tue. Jack Huh! Y'ou ought to have known that negatives are always devel oped In dark rooms. Conrage Promoter). "Women," remarked Weddcrly, "sue a great Incentive to manly courage." "What's the explanation ?" queried his friend Singleton. "Well," replied Wedderly, "since I'ro been up against the matrimonial game and had a few little tilts with my wife, the prospect of a scrap with the tough est citizen In town seems like mere child's play to, me." Slow March of Manic. It takes time for some operas to come to England, but Gluek's "Armide," beloved of Marie Antoinette, probably establishes a record in this respect. To be exact,, "Armide" produced at Co vent Garden last night has taken 120 years to reach our shores since its In itial production In Paris. London Dally Mall. In Boston. For nice distinctions In the use of the English language even the Phila delphia lawyer might learn something from certain street car conductors of Boston. Thoughtlessly and lightheart edly I said to a conductor the other day: "Do you go to Blank street?" Tbe answer came: "No, but this car passes that street." nriurht Modern Thievery. A new idea In stealing was reported to the Kansas City prosecuting attor ney. A woman gave her feather beds to a cleaner, weighing the feathers be fore and after, and found that they came some thirty pounds short. It Is not possible that there could have been thirty pounds of dirt in them, so she claimed that that amount was stolen. Perhapa. She They say the darkest Lour is Just before the dawn. Why? He I think it has something to do with the increased difficulty experi enced In finding the keyhole. Cleve land Plain iM-aler. The I anal Variety. Jaggles Is his flying machine a suc cess? Waggles Half way so. It always comes down flying. Puck. -No Tragedy. The engineer was asleep. Happily no tragedy followed. It was time to le off duty and he was In his bed. Philadelphia Ledger. The crown of Portugal Is valued at $0,500,000, a world'! record for crowns. ONE OF COLORADO'S WONDERS. i ii - 1 1 ii r-' if fe ' -ii 1 1 frt iH i, MOUNT OF THE HOLY CROSS. Justice has only recently been done to one of the most majestic moun tains of Colorado. For some years a persistent rumor has been afloat that the famous Mount of the Holy Cross had suffered an accident In the shape of a rock slide which had destroyed one of the arms of the cross, or rather had filled up one of tbe transverse canons and excluded the enow therefrom, thus obliterating a portion of the cross. Photographs showing this defect have actually been made, but a short time ago the Denver and Rio Grande Rail road 6ent its photographers, W, H. Jackson, the noted landscape artist of Detroit, and George L. Beam of Denver, on a trip to the wonderful Holy Cross region, for the purpose of proving or disproving the statement as to the partial destruction of the cross. Leaving the town of Red Cliff, after an Immense amount of hard trav eling through an almost unbroken wilderness, the summit of Notch Mountain, a long and Jagged eminence directly opposite the Mount of the Holy Cross, was reached, and from the first point of view one of the arms of the cross did appear to be missing. However, on bearing to the right and rising higher a fine thread of snow became visible on that portion of the summit, and after continuing in this direction for some distance the entire left arm appeared and it was found that the cross was as complete and beautiful as ever. A comparison of the new photographs with the first one ever made, which Mr. Jackson took thirty-three years ago, shows practically no change even in the spots of snow on the mountain, to say nothing of any alterations In the masses of rock of which It Is composed. Evidently the story of the demolition was started by persons who had not ascended to the proper height or at the proper point to obtain the full view of the cross. Doubtless this magnificent mountain will retain Its shape and remain one of the wonders of America for many generations to come. Toledo Blade. MEMORIES OF THE FARM. When I was a boy we had one unfall lnjr iob husking corn. We husked all winter. We husked from crop to crop. It was like a curse on my lire, it was the unfailing remedy for the least appearance of laziness. "Go down to the north field and husk a few bushels cu corn." That was the order and It had to be obeyed. And with a com crop running into the billions of bush els they still husk It by hand. Why doesn't somebody who is sorry for farmer boys, invent something? Bush nell, in Cincinnati Post. SILENCE CLUB OF PARIS. Members Do Not Talta Unless They Have Something to Say. "It la not surprising that the first year of the Silence Club of Paris has closed with such gratifying results that the club may be said to have achieved success In its decidedly unique sphere of usefulness," remarked a psycholo gist to a Washington Star man. "I look for similar clubs to be es tablished In this country among the cult s tnelr foundation and purpose Is anything but a Joke or of a freakish nature. The idea is new In this coun try, however, though the success of the Paris Institution will give It an Im petus among the advanced thinkers among us and those who have made the interesting problem of mental phil osophy a critical or a pastime study. "The niles of the society do not call for absolute silence, but the members are supposed not to talk unless they have something to say. Chatter Is ab solutely tabooed. Each member pledges himself to avoid noisy places and par MiriHnn In nubile demonstrations. At a recent meeting the members declared that since they had Joined the club their nervous systems were In much fetter condition than before they be came members. "Of course such a club could not be composed of the fair sex, even though they were all devout believers In and followers of psychological teachings. A congregation composed of silent women would be Impossible of conception, and while our fair sisters may experience chagrin that they are to be shut out of participating In any form of club- life among themselves that Is also Indulged la by their brothers, this U one form of assembly that bars them out. Neith er would politicians be eligible for membership, unless as a disciplinary measure. "The club Is based upon the sound psychological principle of not doing unnecessary things or calling tho brain cells Into play by unnecessary thought. In practical everyday life this princi ple Is exemplified In the establishment of retreats among certain of the relig ious creeds to which members may re pair for meditation and rest, and In medical circles It is shown in another form In the so-called rest cure. If one wishes to enter Into a study of a mild form of this particular principle let him consider the nmount of wasted en ergy, physical and mental, that the av erage person each day expends In need less talk and needless action; It will be found to be prodigious. All rules of mechanics converge to the concentration of force and the elimination of waste energy. In hu man affairs generally every Individual endeavors to expend as much energy as he can iu the simplest as In the greatest of his endeavors, seeming to think that the more force he puts Into an act, a thought or a speech the bet ter It Is." The Kara of Insects. Simply because a bee has no ears on the sides of Its head It is no sign what ever that It is wholly without Rome sort of an auditory nerve. This Is proved by the fact that grasshoppers, crickets, locusts and files all have their ears situated In queer places under the wings, on .the middle of the body and even on the sides of their legs. The common house fly does Its hearing by means of some little rows of corpus cles which are situated on the knobbed threads which occupy the place which are taken up by the hind wings of oth er sj)ecles of Insects. The garden slug or shelless snail has Its organs of hear ing situated on each side of Its neck, and the common grasshopper has them on each of Its broad, flat thighs. In some of the smaller Insects they are at the bases of the wings and In others on the bottom of the feet. Scranton Truth. Queer Thing: In Kanaan. A Kansas City man has Just suc ceeded In getting a patent on an elec tric motor fastened on a cow's back, the electricity being generated by a dynamo attached to her tall. It strains the milk and hangs up the pall and the strainer. A small phonograph ac companies the outfit and yells "So!" when the cow moves. If she kicks a hinged arm catches the milk stool and lams her over the back. Osawatomle Globe. Ilia Normal One. First Nurse The doctor says yon must observe old Mr. Skinflint's mean temperature. Second Nurse lie hasn't any other kind. Baltimore American. Uncle Eben. Don't criticise folk fob. not beln' sat isfied," said Uncle Eben. "When a man is real satisfied, he's H'ble to git de big head an' be disagreeable." Washing ton Star. RAM'S HORN BLASTS. Warning Notes ill 11 n the Wicked to Itenentiinee. Give love the pow and It will always help. There are still some folks who think that making a noise In church is kKS our doubts they will kill us. The happy Christian Is always a busy one. Some people never look up as long as they can stand up. The wider the Bible Is opened tha harder it strlkes'at sfn. Every land flowing with milk and honey has giants in It. When a lazy man looks toward heav en, angels close the windows. Whenever a wise man makes a mis take It teaches him something. TTie man who Is always going to start to-morrow never gets there. You can tell how much people love the Lord by the company they keep. The nation has no better friend than the mother who teacues her child to pray. No matter how much religion we claim to have, all that counts Is that we live. We are all the time making charac ter, whether we are doing anything else or not Lazarus did more for the Lord with out saying a word than Martha did with all her bluster. Theer Is something wrong with the man who is more concerned about his reputation than he Is about his charac ter. MAP IS AID TO PEDESTRIAN. Enjoyment for the Walker When He la Properly Kqnlpned. "The bicycle, and later the automo bile, gave a great Impulse to the sale of road maps, but," said a man who takes his outings afoot, "useful as good maps are to those who by such means traverse the country maps are, as they have always been, no less useful and desirable for the pedestrian. "I wouldn't dream of walking any where without a map. The map Is not only a guide, but It Is a companion and friend that tells you about the country as vou sco along. It tells you not only precisely-where you are at whatever moment you consult It, and the dis tances here and there, but with the country outlined before you and Its fea tures marked there on the paper you can And a far greater satisfaction In the walk than would be possible with out the aid of this pocket companion. "Aside from the help the map gives you In getting where you want to go, halt where you will where some Invit ing prospect attracts and open up tha map. "Only be sure that you hold It cor rectly adjusted to the points of the com pass, and- then the map will tell you what ami of the sea or what bay or lake it Is whose waters you see far away to the east, or what village It is whose church spire ywi see rising to the north; it will tell you the name of the brook you have Just crossed, and of the stream you'll be coming to a mile further along on the road. "With a map, In short every feature of the country near and far Is revealed to you. You know not only where you stand at the moment, but with Intelli gence the country round about as far as the eye can reach. A region new to you, It is all the more Interesting be cause of Its novelty, but the enjoyment you find in it Is vastly broadened and heightened by the Illuminating knowl edge you gain of It from the map. "Invaluable as a guide, the map Is scarcely less to be esteemed In its ca pacity of companion and friend for, tell ing you of what you see, It makes. In a way, most pleasantly acquainted where otherwise you might be simply a passing stranger." New York Sun. Paradox leal f A young woman who has leen doing missionary work on the east side hail nn experience last week that came near ending her charitable efforts. On one windy, cold day she met in the streets three Itall-an children two girls and a n0y rvho were barefooted. She stopped ithem, and they told her that their par ents couldn't buy them shoes, they were so poor. The charitably Inclined young woman first fitted them out with stockings and then bought them three pairs of shoes. The children started for home looking very happy. The next day she met on of the girls on the street "Won't you come and visit us?" ask ed the elrl. I "I'd be pleased to," said the mission ary, who felt that what she had dona was appreciated. "Where do you live?" I "Oh, you'll have to go out to Engle j wood, N. J" said the little girl. "We're ! going to move to-morrow. Papa has bought two houses out there." New York Sun. Striven to Pleane. Uncle (to little Bertie, aged 5, who Is being taken off to bed) Good-night, Bertie. Of course, you always remem ber your uncles and aunts In your pray ers? Bertie Oh, yes. Uncle Felix. Shall I tell you what I say? "God bless Aunty Kitty and make her thin, and God bless Uncle James and make him fat, and God bless Uncle Felix and " which do you want to be fat or thin? And many a woman's greatness l due to the smallness of her husband. 1