I
i
ft
The Planter's Daughter
2 FATE'S REVENGE
Br AIRS. ALICE P. CARRISTON
Author of "A Waif from the 8ea," "Her Brightest Hope,"
"Wayward Wlnnefred," etc.
CHAPTER XII. (Continued.)
In th dlmnc of the hdowy hall
tfter the outer glare she scarcely no
ticed the form Chat lootued beforo her
until two arm encircled her aud he felt
henrtf drawn Into her father a embrace.
"Claire, uy darllug chlMl" exclaimed
the old man fervently; "how happy, how
unutterablr baiiPT I am to-dayl Dr.
Groahara ha just left jour mother. He
ha tnaita a thorough examination, and It
entirely atifled with her condition. A
Croat change ha taken place lit her,
which he aMtirea me will be permanent."
Glair druggled out of that fond em
brace, and atared at her father In araase-
tnent.
"What do jrou mean?" ho faltered;
"can It be that mother' life wa In
dancer?"
"We hTe purposely kept you In lroor-
ance of the facta," wum the trailing re
ply; "but now that all danger I pait, I
can apeak frankly. Yes; we entertained
the gravest fear for your poor mother'
life. Gresham warned me that our ml
arable poverty waa killing her by Inches."
"Killing her!" gaped tho girl; "kill.
Inr my mother!"
"Yea, my child; nd her aaWation I
due to the thought of your marriage, of
your happiness to this respite of peace
and comfort."
Claire turned away with a ghaitly pal
lor overspreading her countenance, which
the dim light of the ball served to con
ceal; and staggering toward the italr-
cae she supported herself for a moment
upon the rwwel-poat.
"Merciful heaven!" aha thought, htr
brain In a dlzxy, alckenlng whirl; "my
refuial to marry signifies our return to
the misery of poverty, and that will kill
my mother. Father, If I have been of
advantage to you, do me a favor In re
turn!" She panted an Instant for breath,
and then wen: on swiftly: "When Mr.
Courtlandt aaka fur in, beg hhn to ex
cuse me; tay that I am overcome with
diffidence anything you choose, so long
as I do not see him until to-morrow.
Father, will you do this for me?"
"Certainly, my child," was the sur
prised rejoinder: "you shall not be dis
turbed to-day, I promise you. But,
Claire," bo added baatlly as she Mixed
the stair rail and sprang up a few steps,
"Claire, there Is something it U our duty
to Inform you of to-day 1"
"Yes, yes; I knowl" she janted, glanc
ing back at his anxlons face; "you mean
the poor little child whom we have to
recognixe. I agre to k; I will receive
him n-benorer Mr. Courtlandt sees fit to
bring him to me."
And as If patience and fortitude had
alike departed, she tied up the staircase
and vanished In her chamber, locking the
door behind her.
No less mystified ttnn relieved, Pblllp
nurget gazed after the white robe with
It fluttering violet ribbons until It was
lost to rlow.
"flho knows all!" ho muttered; "who
could have told her?"
In spite of the innumerable questions
with which he was plied concerning
Claire's mysterious dlnappearance, the
old man was as good aa bis word, and
Insisted upon his daughter being left un
disturbed. All that day and until the following
morning Claire's wedding morn peace
and quiet reigned throughout the Bur
sea mansion. It waa not until Martha
Dunn entered ber young mistress cham
ber at 8 o'clock that the very iihadows
that lurked In the radiant sunlight were
startled by the tidings that she brought
down to I'htllp Burgee.
"Bend for the doctor!" cried the faith
ful creature; "Mis Claire U III, very HI
and looks as If she were dying!"
It was no exaggeration. Poor Claire
had pawed a night the horrors of which
roust ever remain a secret with ber, so
that when the dawn broke it found ber In
great exhaurtion.
Grevham, upon his arrival, added fuel
to the Are of excitement by stating that
Claire might be able to be dressed and
stand long enough to be married In the
house, but he should forbid her making
the exertion of going to church, a she
might expire on the way. To Luclan
Courtlandt, who drove hastily over upon
the receipt of the startling tidings, the
wily doctor said:
' "It will be Just as well, perhaps, for
you to make no public parade of the cere
many, since I am informed that your
first wife Intend to be present."
"Sylphlde here I" gasped Courtlandt,
In dismay.
"She is staying at the village Inn under
the name of Mm, Hastings. So the soon
er and more qulutly the affair is gotten
over the hotter!"
CHAPTER XIII.
Dr. Grcshaui's advice was followed
la every particular, and while the little
church In tho village was filling with a
crowd of townsfolk, curious to see the
strangers from the city, the clergyman
was speeding away in bis carriage to sol
emnize the wedding ceremony at Elm-
When they had attired her In her
snowy robes of costly satin, with the veil
and orange bloasoms In her hair, her ap
pearance was so absolutely ghastly that,
but for the nervous flashing of her rest
let eyes, she might well have been mis
taken for a llfelets bride wrapped In the
ceromenU of the grave.
The woment his experienced eye rested
upon her livid face, Dr. Gresham whis
pered to the clergyman In attendance!
"lie aa expeditious a po Utile; I have
my doubts whether she laata until the
benediction!" f
Hut In that he wa mistaken. With
remarkable nerve Claire kept her feeOjt
Courtlandt' side. When, howover71h
last "nmen" waa pronounced, she way
ed blindly, and had not ready hand plac
ed htr gently In a chair, she would have
fallen.
And yet not a word had ben exchang
ed between the bride and groom, and
though I.uclan Courtlandt would hav
been glad to have ipoken tome rcaurinc
word to the luffcrcr, Greihant hurried
him out of the room with the murmured
words:
"Leave her alone for the preaent; he
needs ret."
Later In the afternoon, when the sun
sent lU blood-red lances through the clon
ed blind of that (tatcly flower-scented
drawing room, the widow Courtlandt
found henelf alone with the bride. Ap
proaching the chair where Claire lay ap
parently loMt In a day dream, the lady
raid with tender solicitude:
"Will you not retire to your room and
rest you, my dear?"
Claire ralred her heavy eye with a
total abaence of expreialon aa she re
plied: "Thank you, madam, I am resting
here."
"Are you suffering?"
"Sol I am only weary. I may ay o
now, I tuppoae," with a faint ami),
"sine the comedy I over."
Bending over her, Mrs. Courtlandt
pressed her Up lightly upon the pallid
brow.
"I admire your bravery," ahe said.
"I have need of considerable yet,"
murmured Claire, "In ordtr to faes ths
enemy."
"The enemy! Whom do you manl"
"Tho who wish me dead."
"My dear child, my fondeit hop and
dearest wish are to win you back to life
and health. I would give the last drop
of blood In my Telna to aee you wU and
happy!"
"You hav a kind heart, madam!"
There entered at that moment a little
'Child, with a marvelous!? beautiful face,
great, wondering eye and ringlet of Jet
black hair that couched hi walit. With
a glad cry he opened hi tiny, dimpled
arm and ran to the elder Mr. Court
landt. "Grandma!" he cried, affectionately,
nestling In that lady's arm.
"Who is tbi child?" demanded Claire.
"Can you not guess? He call me
grandmother."
Attracted by her voice, little Leon
walked ihyly to Claire, exclaiming:
"Oh, what a pretty, white lady! Won't
you take me In your lap?"
Claire stooped and cast her arms about
him.
"I cannot lift you, my darling," she
faltered, after a Yatlant effort; "I am
not strong enough."
With glad alacrity Mrs. Courtlandt
raised the boy and placed him on Claire's
lap, while the latter murmured, kissing
the sweet Up:
"Yea, thete are hi feature, hi eym
hi son!" and with a sudden access of af
fection, gathering the child to her bosom,
"and my onl"
"My mamma," faltered the child, with
a puzzled expresrlon.
"Yea, Leon," said Claire; "are you not
willing? Will you not be my boy?"
"Ye. ye," cried the. boy; "I kv you
whhe lady!"
With th child nestling in her bosom.
Claire suddenly raised ber eyes to find
Luclan Courtlandt standing upon the
threshold of the room, silently regarding
the lovely picture. Quickly putting the
child from her, she exclaimed:
"Mr. Courtlandt, I suppose you hare
come to receive some tidings of me; make
your mind easy on that score; I am suf
fering horribly."
"Claire, retract those cruel word,"
he critd.
A she did not epeak, and in the awk
ward pame that eniued, Mr. Courtlandt
took little Leon' hand and led hhn to
wards the door.
"Good-by, little white mamma," lisped
the child, and then went tripping away,
"Good by, good-by," sighed Claire;
then, turning to Luclan, abe added;
"Pardon the Irritability of an Invalid. I
beg you not to be offended if sometimes
I am lacking In a due cense of roy obliga
tions." "Obligation!" cried Luclan contritely!
"the obligation I entirely upon my shlc.
Do you fancy that I fall to appreciate
the Immense sacrifice you bare made for
me to-day?"
Claire shook her head aadly, aa she
answered:
"No, no; my part of the contract will
not bo fulfilled until I am gone. Would
you hare choien me, had you been told
that I could be cured?" she demanded.
"Is not the mother of your son alive?"
"Yes," came the reluctant reply, "she
Is alive."
"Do you lore her, or not? Answer me,
upon your word of honor, as a gentle
man." lie turned away from her and wiped
the beads of perspiration from his brow.
"How much you will bare to say to
each other the day after my death!"
It U probable that his patlenc would
not hare stood this last hard tt had sot
a errant suddenly entered the room.
"Mr. Courtlandt," ho siild, "there I
n lady at tho door nuking for you.1'
"A tadyl" ho gasped; "what I her
name?"
"Mrs. Hartlng."
"Sylphlde hero? How dared sho
come?"
Kre he could command himself sum
clently to articulate a word, Claire ruio
from her chair.
"You ace," ahe aald, with cutting dis
dain, "the poor woman tins been neglect
ed for two week, and die ha come to
Itnd you." Then, ns sh staggered to
wards an Inner door, ih cried:
"She will not even wait until I am
dead!"
Aa she pnaaed out of light he came to
hi senant with a start. Ho turned to
find himself face to fci with Sylphlde.
"What are you thinking of?" he said.
"Why arc you here here In my wlfo'a
very apartment?"
The rigidity of her feature relaxed,
th spell wa broken, and In a low, tetiae
tone that thrilled with Indignant reproach
idie replied:
"Your wife, do you ayl Ah, you uae
that word a though you had been mar
ried as many years aa you have known
her day. But, my good air, you have
but one wife, your child ha but on
mother and I am hl"
"Sylphlde," he faltered, advancing a
step, but pausing abruptly aa though her
accusing eyen distilled aome baleful Influ
ence; "Sylphlde, why are you here?
What have you come to do?"
"Why am I here?" came the iharp re
tort "are you aware that It I two mortal
wee . since I have een either you or my
aon' I am here to satlafy myaelf that I ,
hav i not been forgotten. Since 1 hav
beet separated from you," she continued
pltrously, "1 have become ss one mad;
the strangest fancies have taken poxes
flon of me. I Imagine that you have
abandoned me forever, that I shall never
see you again; a (lend kee-ps wblipcring
In my ear that they have stolen your
heart and my child's heart from me.
I leaven help me, I doubt ths very sun
shine which Is all the warmth I have left
In llf.l" I
She prrned her hands upon ber eye '
for an Instant, a though striving to blot
out tome hideout prorpect; then, remov
ing them, h concluded In low-toned de-.
peratlon:
"Then muat be an end to thlit When
ever the horrible vagaries ovsrpower
m, I must be ao placed that I can see
you, apeak to you."
"Impossible!" h lnterpod, firmly.
"Whil Claire live I must not I will
not, tr you!" ,
"It I true, then!" ahe panted;" my
antplclona are correct. Your paternal .
ollcttud I all a farce; you hav clever-'
ly dlrembarraaaed yourself of m In order
to marry a woman who. In all probabil
ity, I no more an Invalid than I am!"
In th very desperation of desptlr,
Courtlandt glanced from right to loft, Itn
potently hoping to find ome proof of a j
convincing nature that would satlafy thl '
moat obdurate of doubters; aa luck would
have It, Fate stepped In at the eleventh
hour, and discovered to hi wandering
eye a web-like bit of lace which Claire
hud repeatedly presaed to her lip, while
he occupied the chair bealde which It
had fallen unnoticed. Darting upon It,
Courtlandt held It aloft by the two cor
ner before Sylphlde' eye.
"Take back tboie word!" be cried;
"ah, do not turn your eyes away! Iok
at that stain. Her blood, her life blood!
lt the right of It dlaalpate our fears; i
he will not last long. Hut I conjure you
hare pity upon ber; let hr die In
peace." I
She crept step or two toward him
and laid her hand upon bit wrist I
"So, Luclan," ahe faltered humbly,'
"your bouae 1 closed to me? And you .
will not come to me? And I may not see
my child?"
"No, Sylphlde. You ought to know by
this time that the word of a Courtlandt
I Inviolable; I had rather die than break
It. So long as Claire shall live, I will
fulfill the ascred duty that the title of
husband impose while Claire live, you
xhal! remain an utter atranger to me. '
Hut when God In hi mercy ha called
the poor tufferer home to him, then w
will return to you, Leon and I, and wa
will never more loave you. I wear it"
"It I well," she rejoined, prerslng ber
Up for on Instant upon hi hand, and
then relinquishing It ss one replace a
dad hand upon the pulaelea breait. "It
Is well. I know what your plighted word
mean. I will wait." I
She slowly gathered her dark wrap
about her and prepared to depart; but,
aa though the place exerted in Irreahtl
ble spell. he turned to one of the win
dow and adjusting the data of the blind,
looked out upon the un-lit garden with
the lawn beyond.
"I am somewhat more at peace with
myself," she murmured. "She Is really
rery III, and Luclan feel more pity than
lore for her In ber suffering. Still It
I of paramount Importance that I ahould
know everything that take pace In tho
house! I stand alone, forlorn; with erery ,
man's hand against me. I muat hare a '
friend at court, here on thl rery spot!
I will know from hour to hour how furea
this highway robber who has deprived me
of name and lore, and trampled my moth
erhood beneath her feet. Should ahe be
tray the allghtcat symptoms of Improve
ment, I muat know It beforo other sur
pect It, so that I may take her fate- Into '
my own hand. But whom shall I se-1
cureV"
Tho words expired In a startled whis
per. A quick step smote the plnzza, and i
a pair of eyes, set clone to tho blind, '
f.Tnnrmt thmtltrh friA nnan alnta Intn li.r '
own. Had fate sent her an accomplice?
iTo be contlnnril I
A Price to He Paid.
"I thnmrhr." aald the Hhonner. "Hint
-. -.---.
this was a bargalu; that I could get It
for a song."
"Well, you can haro It," replied tho '
denier, "If you enn rench a fow high
notes." Philadelphia Prt.
A ton of sugar beets
pounds of refined sugar.
yields 210
Bell Boy (outsldo of room Ml) Any,
tho gns Is escaping III (hero. Country
imtn (Insltlo of room M) No, It ain't:
I locked tho door. Kx.
Mother Johnny Jones, did you get
that nwful cold out skating? Sou
Mother, 1 think I caught It wnahlug
tny face yesterday morning. Judge.
Chumply I don't know whether I
ought to tnko your daughter from her
father's roof. Her Fnthrr Slip doesn't
live on tho roof. Plillndelptiln llullo
Un. "I any, Broom!" "Coll me by my
whole name, If you ploiian. It bus a
handle- to It, nnd It wan mrnnt to be
ucd. air." "Thnt'a so. Well, llrooin
handle, how aro your I
Curtoio Your name 1 Ephraltn, la
It? How'il your parents route to give
you that namo? Modrstui I don't
know for certain, but I sunpect It waa
becnuse I waa u toy. Boston Tran-J
script.
"Women claim that tho way to Ret
on with n uinn la to give httn plenty
of nicely cooked food " "Well," an
awercd Slrlua Barker, Irrltnlily, "why
don't loiim of them try It?" Washing-!
ton Star. I
A Great Debt: BraRit I owe noth-'
Ing to any man. Now lit Oil, yea, you
do. Brnge No, alrl Ncwltt Oh, yea.
You owe nn npology to orery man who
has to listen to you blow. Philadel
phia Press.
ImproTomcnt at the flna OITIcp: "Did
you hare any luck when you went to
complain about the gas tilll?" "Better
luck than Inst month," anawrred Mr.
Meekton; "the man didn't laugh this
.time." En I
"Funny about Balaton wanting hi
former wife to get a dlrorco from her
second husband o that they might gel
married again." "Not rery. Ile'a al
ways been falling In lore with othet
men' wires." llx.
Dally Gulde to Flattery: If there la
something on the table that tin
hostess know la ao badly cooked that
ih feela tored ntout It, ask for morn
and cat It with the grrntrat apparent
rclleh. Baltimore American.
"Hnve you any tasto for Thacke
ray?" naked Mrs. Oldcnatle. "No, I
can't aay that I hare," replied her
hostess: "la that nnrthlng like this
paprika they're puttln In everything
now?" Chicago Itecord Herald.
What ho Would Bother llao Ex
pressed Differently: Gushing Lady
Oh, but Mr, Jones, I should lovo to to
beautiful even If for only half an
hour! Jones Yes; but you wouldn't
like tho coming back n gal til Punch.
Conductor All aboard! Please get
aboard quickly, Ml; the train Is
about to start, Young Ijdy But I
wish to kiss my sister good by. Con
ductorGet aboard, get i board; I'll
attend to that for you. Yolo Itecord.
How to Hold Actor: "It always
makes tnn mad to tnlk to nn actor. 11
pretends to listen politely, but his at
tention Is wandering all tho time. Krer
tmtla lV "Vn I iilirnvi tnlU In I
them about themselves." Philadel
phia Ledger.
Owner of Plihpoud (to man who Is
trespassing) Don't you scu that sign,
"No Ashing hero? Angler Yes, and
I dispute it. Why, there's good flail
ing here. Look at this baakctful. The
man must haro been mud who put
that board up,
Cholly A fellow told me to day that
I didn't know enough to go In when It
rained. Mlns Sharp And what did
you say? Cholly I assuhrd him It
was quite unnecessary, doucher know,
because I nevah go out when It rains.
Philadelphia Ledger.
"It whs only llvo years ago that I
started In with our firm nt Ave dollars
a week," said Bragg, "and now I earn I
fifty a week wltnout any trouble." I
"That's so; It's kixj to earn that," re
plied Nowlt, "but how much do you
get?" PMUdelpbln Press.
Ida I don't bollovo Mr. Smart be
lieves roy handkerchiefs aro linen.
May Why not? Ida I told him I
had my pin money wrapped In my ,
handkerchief and lost It Ho said ,
thcro was a great deal of money lost,
lu cotton theso days. Chicago News.
Fond MoUtcr I don't know what to
do, I want to scud my daughter to
collego, and yet 1 don't want to send
her Into the world unprotected, wise
visitor, who lias observed tho daugh
ter's disposition You menu that It
would bo unkind to send her out Into
the unprotected world I
Nover say again that a nowspaper
writer Is not a master of diplomacy.
One of the fraternity was to wrlto up
tho history of an old lady of 08. Ho
vas told she had nover so much as
learned her letters. Did he blurt It
out In priut? Not a bit of It He
merely stated on his finely written
I article that "abe can read the finer
print as well as she ever could."
Aytrs
Impure blood always shows
somewhere. If the skin, then
bolls, pimples, rashes. If (he
nerves, then neurnlcla, nerv
ousness, depression. If the
Sarsaparilla
stomach, then dyspepsia,
biliousness, loss of appetite.
Your doctor knows the
remedy, used for 00 years.
"Il.lutnlii trow l'U r. I
f.if.M wifk. Mr kll W.I, h4 iii
illli wm ion. ltMll txlll.ot Aftt't
tMIMHIIII HUlUr M.IM"
II. C lk)im.tt.hinU,r.
SIM tMlt,
All .Imjiiuu.
t p. irspro.,
for
I Impure Blood
Aid the Snrflnpnrllln by kooplng tl
bawels roitulnr with Avora Hill
Aid the Snrflnpnrllln by Hooping tlta
bewols regular with Ayor'a fills.
It takes two to make a quarrel unUI
you hare one of your own, and then It
la alwaya the other one who make It.
riTO rrmnntir Ctimh. xonu.r n.rroutnM
rlld fl.f llr.lilr'UMu(lVf.Klli.llfIN
rill)
kMiorr. kb4 n Y' lrullmlmj Intita
I, u. it. uiio, ij a..u akJi m, rtiiihiiii, r
rltu'ora.
Rome proplu think success means
simply to get rich. Others think It
menu merely to keep out of Jail. One
of these definitions la about n near
correct as the other, eaya a phlloso
nhrr. lKceMiy Livuwnimrnini" i ubaiiui
LTgura iMHis rirawflLniLTturru)
-- ton run. rwriKuiMJ
w HrtnivaamMii poTt ANOjOflfr
Sometime we may learn more from
a man's trrors than from hi virtues.
Loegfdlow.
MottMiiwtllnnd Mm. Wlmlowi'a Boo thin
napthUatrin1r la um lor tbttr child i
during lbs utnlng psilod..
Indian and negro, a a rut, are
poaseaacd of ketnur bearing than whit
people.
IMio Cur f a remedr forrough, cold
and romumptloii. Try It. Prlc3onU(
Idrugglita.
The population of Japan I twtlv
time n dent aa that of th United
State.
ABSOLUTE
SECURITY.
Genuine
Carter's
Little Liver Pills.
Muat Boar Signature of
I'ac-SlmlU Wrppr thtow.
Try smU aaul wr
t take as aegits.
FOR HEiSACHE.
rOR DIHIKUI.
itti r run lUUUiHL).
iVPR FOR TORNB LIVER.
PILLS. FOR CONSTIPATION.
ruaa.au.utf imhi
rOR THE COMPLEXION
HI Ull I MM Will "
cuns sick headache.
""HOWARD i mTONAuavtr soi Qrnuit"
Hp.dni.il rrlrn. Ould, Mlvtr. lm, II J Hold, HIV
vr.T.MiioM.luailnaofCptr,l, t'nlUIMl.
Milling tnvt lopM and full prlr lul "nlon pplK'
lliio. Control and UinMrvwor .nllrttrd. I.d-
111. Uolu. JllirmicCirtcDtfl'l liaak.
W. L. DOUGLAS
$4.00, S3. 50, S3.00, S2.S0
VM SHOES TtATOMo.
W.UDOUglflflBhoCH
nro worn ljy moro
men than tity otlior
inako. Tho rcitflon
Ih, they hold tholr
nhnpo,ritbotU)rwoiir
loiiKor, und havo
Krontor intrinulo
valno than any
Otlior 6110CH.
Soli Cmruwhirt,
I.IIOK lup MMMta and i.rlea am bul Imu.
Iluuicls lite Corona Cuttakln, which I
Trrnlierncuiiriileilnlitliallnrt 1'Klent
jMlieryelirniliicil. fatt Color lylilmH.
Oboe li ui.ll.u niiIi itr. Wilt fof CnUlo.
Y. I DOUULAM, Urooklou, Has.
Bs.tlSrr'.'Iii.'Lb. B
I lutlm. Boldbrdnuutou. If
CARTER'S
I
afc ft
S "'Bafl fjf
XtFWjfl
fskw9 ' rlfy
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