CHAPTER VII. (Continued.
"You don't know what a strange place
this world is, Miss Mallett," he began.
"Your father loves you, and .takes every
care of you. You must therefore bear
this in mind, and not be hard on the fail
ings of others who have not had your
privileges. .My wife poor girl! had no
mother when I first met her, and was
totally dependent on her father for so
ciety. It was a bad training for a young
woman, for her father was a good-natured,
careless fellow, always avoiding re
sponsibility as long as was possible, and
when at last compelled to show authority,
making up by exaggerated harshness for
his previous neglect.
"My wife was a high-spirited girl and
could not submit to the alternate fits of
Indulgence and tyranuy. She was about
seventeen when I first met her, and her
father's treatment was becoming unbear
able. I became desperately sorry for
her and suggested the only means in, my
power to help her, which was to make
her my wife. It was a foolish proceed
ing, I know, but I was young then, and
had not begun to look at life seriously,
or I should have asked myself how her
position would be bettered by being tied
for life to a helpless, penniless fellow, as
I was then. Well, we were married
privately, of course and for a few
wetks thought we loved each other very
dearly; then she had another fearful
quarrel with her father and begged me
to take her away to a home of her own.
I was earning a beggarly pittance at that
time. I explained my position to her,
and advised her to wait until I had ob
tained a certain appointment, of which
I was almost sure. She lost her temper,
poor child, and vowed she's never
come near me again. The very next day
I was telegraphed for to England. I
wrote to her, asking her to be patient for
awhile, telling her that I would work
hard and get a permanent post now that
there was a necessity to work, and prom
ising to come back shortly to take her
from the cruelty to which she had to sub
mit. "On my arrival in England I found
that an almost unknown uncle had left
me a property amounting to nearly three
thousand pounds a year. You can im-
flffina how crlnrl T wn a far mv nnnr rnrl'a
" - .. o " J f " - Ft
sake. I made up my mind to surprise
her and personally communicate the good
news, so did not write. I got through
the usual legal formalities as quickly as
possible, and rushed back to Rome only
to find them gone! Some told me they
had gone to one place, some to another,
until I was utterly at a loss what to do.
However, I traced them, after a month's
search, to Naples, and then It was only
to find that her father had died a few
days previously and that she had disap
peared no one knew whither.
"I did not know any of her people,
so I was compelled to search single
handed. For six months I went up and
down like a restless spirit in search of
peace. At last I found her or rather
her grave for she had died; she had
died in a convent, where she had been
teaching English. By the help of a ser
vant I obtained permission to see her
grave. There was a plain Btone with her
name only, and the date of her death,
which took place some few weeks prior
to my visit. Poor child! I cannot con
vey to you how great a blow it was to
me, and my grief was not lessened by
the fact that she had died at enmity
with me."
"We must hope she forgave you, al
though you did not see her," Ethel said
quietly.
Pelling did not answer, and there was
silence for a time. It was a relief when
Mr. Mallett spoke.
"She must have been of a most unfor
giving disposition . to resent your pov
erty so bitterly, and to nurse her hatred
in her dying moments."
"I don't think she did that indeed,
the chances are that, hi her poor little
way, she was looking for me as anxious
ly as I was for her. It was one of thdse
Btrange fatalities that human foresight
seems utterly unable to prevent."
lie rose aned shook himself, as if -wishful
to put away the memories that had
crowded upon him while speaking of the
long-silent past.
"You will think me no end of a bore
for annoying you with all this history;
but, if you can Imagine the relief it has
been to me to speak of it, and you have
any human kindness in your hearts, you
will forgive me for the intliction. But
my poor sketches? I have it! You must
come down and spend a long day with
me on Sunday. What do you say, Miss
Mallett"
Ethel looked perplexed. She had honed
agninst hope that Jack would return ev
?ry Sunday since his departure, and went
through a torment of expectation as the
day wore on. This had taken place for
the last three Sundays; but she went on
hoping. Her father, recognizing the diffl
culty in which Ethel found herself, came
to the rescue.
"If Ethel can arrange matters, it shall
be as you wish. I can't say more; for
it Is not my affair, Dut hers."
"Thank you very much."
. Ten minutes later the captain stood
alone at the gate, watching the dog cart
disappear down tne road.
"So if Ethel's 'affair,' " he said,
"Well, I hope they'll come and bring
Ethel's 'affair with them. I shall be
better able to judge of my own chance
fter I have seen myrival."
CHAPTER VIII.
It wm t day or two after Ethel's
TTic tfjife's Secret,
OR A BITTER RECKONING
By CHARLOTTE M. BRAEMB
visit to Wimbledon that she sat reading
a curious letter, which ran as follows:
"Your lover cares for you no longer,
nis honor and his pity for you alone
keep him to his given word. lie makes
light of you to others."
Ethel did not quite believe all this;
but she believed enough of It was true
to justify her In giving Jack an oppor
tunity of freeing himself from his en
gagement. She decided that she would
not worry her father, but would act for
herself. Acting on this decision, she
wrote;
"My Dear Jack You have now been
away three weeks. As yet you do not
say anything about returning, but, on the
contrary, speak of your work as being
likely to keep you for several weeks
longer. In the three weeks of your ab
sence you have written me four letters,
and those have evidently been an unwel
come task. Do you guess what I am go
ing to say? I wish I were sure you
knew, that I might be saved the pain of
writing the words. I think you have'
found out that you do not care for me in
the way you thought you did, and your
sense of honor alone is keeping you to
the letter of your engagement to me. I
have reasons of which you know nothing
for believing this to be the case; so we
have both made a mistake, and that, if
you are willing, our engagement had bet
ter come to an end.
"Please don't think I blame you In
any way; it was only one of those mis
takes that . everybody is liable to make.
"Ever your sincere friend,
"ETHEL MALLETT."
Poor Ethel! How she cried over that
letter! How she hoped against hope that
Jack might not be willing to end the
engagement! How carefully she read the
words through to be sure that she had
not definitely settled the matter that,
in fact, she had done only what she in
tended given Jack a chance of. accept
ing his freedom if he wished for it!
Had the matter-of-fact little epistle
arrived at a more favorable moment,
had Jack had leisure to read between the
lines and discover the wounded pride
and self-respect that had dictated every
word, his manhood might have asserted
itself in Ethel's favor. As it was Jack
read the letter impatiently at first, but
as its meaning dawned upon him he
turned back to the top of the leaf and
read it again, assured himself of the un
equivocal nature of the offer of freedom,
thrust it Into his pocket and went off
whistling enegetically to meet Miss Mail
ing at the station on her return from
town.
Pauline saw at a glance that some
thing had happened, and, knowing what
she knew, guessed shrewdly what that
something was. She had not been five
minutes in Jack's society before she felt
a subtle difference in his manner toward
her.
"I am so glad to find you still here,
Mr. Dornton," she said at luncheon,
glancing at him bewitchingly between the
leaves of a palm plant. "We were so
afraid that you would not have been able
to endure a fortnight of this terribly dull
place. Weren't we, Mrs. Sefton?"
"You forget that Mr. Dornton has
had a real occupation to make the dull
ness endurable. His life is not passed in
killing time, as yours is, dear."
'To be sure. I had forgotten to ask
how the pictures have progressed."
'The view of the house from the
woods is finished as far 'as I can finish
it here. The rest of the work I must do
in Newman street.
"That is where your studio is, is it
not? I should like to see some of your
completed pictures. Will you ask us 'up
some day to look at them?" '
"Any day you please. Say the day
after to-morrow."
"I cannot go back to dusty London
again so soon. I expect my first batch
of visitors on that day, too. At last I
shall be able to do something in the way
of entertaining you, Mr. Dornton, and
show my gratitude to you for enlivening
our solitude in the past."
"You are too kind. But I have made
arrangements for returning to town to
morrow.
"Nonsense. You speak of arrange
ments in such a serious way that one
might Imagine you had a wife and chil
dren; Instead of which you are the en
viable creature a man without a tie."
She paused an instant, dreading his
reply. He made none; but a dull red
crept slowly up his face to the roots of
his hair. She read this sign to suit her
self, and went on;
"That bejng the case, as you have no
one to claim your presence as a right,
why not favor me with It as a pleasure?
I should advise you to stay, Mr. Dorn
ton. There are some really charming
people coming on Thursday whom you
should know."
Mrs. Sefton was the embodiment of
discretion, a very model for lady-com
panions. She walked away, and Jack
followed Miss Mailing to the picture
gallery.
They were standing in front of the
easel on which Jack had placed his paint
ing of Mallingford House, it was a
Minrmtncr nlptlire.
"You must do me a copy of this, irfr.
Dornton," said Pauline, "as a memento
of that first morning when I found you
asleep in the wood.
"And awakened me!"
The words were simple enough, but
Jack threw a great deal of expression
into them, and his eyes conveyed a world
of meaning, juirs Mailing nashed a
glance at him as she asked:
"Did I wake you? It was quite unin
tentional on my part."
"And Involuntary o'u mine."
Pauline, fearing that the conversation
was getting beyond her control, turned
quickly and caught up the first picture
that came to her huud from the open
portfolio.
As was to be expected, Jack had spent
many of his spare hours during the last
lonely fortnight in painting her portrait
from memory; and it was this that she
caught up in hor nervous haste.
Oh, Mr. Dornton!" she exclaimed, In
rapturous tones. Even her vanity was
satisfied, and she blushed genuinely at
the lovely picture Jack had made or her.
I am Borry you found mat. You will
perhaps think it gross presumption; if so,
I can destroy it. I can't wish it undone,
for it has given me bo many pleasant
hours."
"Presumption? No, Indeed! I feel as
tonished at the truthfulness and the flat
tery you have managed to combine In
the picture."
After that there was an awkward
pause. Pauline half wished to hear Jack
say that he loved her, and she half dread
ed it, for she had not yet made up her
mind as to how she would answer him.
Her wish was fulfilled sooner than she
anticipated. .
Jack showed her his sketches one after
another, and they were discussed, criti
cised and replaced. As he put the lust
one back into the portfolio he turned aud
addressed her abruptly. With such im
petuous force did his words flow that
sue was compelled to listen to the end.
With regard to my staying here, Miss
Mailing, I did not care to discuss the
matter further before Mrs. Sefton at
luncheon; but I must doso now."
He drew a dceo breath, and clinched
his hand firmly on the back of a chair.
I cannot I dare not stay here with
out telling you the truth; for, if I allow
my feelings to become any stronger than
tney are, aud meet disappointment In the
end, I'm afraid I shall not be responsible
for my actions. Miss Mailing, I love
J'ou madly. While I am telling you
this I know the chances are that you will
presently turn your back and say, as you
leave me, Please quit my house at once;
yet I now tell you, because I cannot
stay in your presence with safety another
hour unless you give me some hope. I
have loved you from the moment I woke
and saw you that morning In the wood.
You will say that is not very long; to me
it is a lifetime. I never lived until that
moment. I shall never live again if you
send me away."
His face was very pale when he ceased
speaking. Pauline stood near him, the
color coming and going in her cheeks,
her eyes fixed on his face; but she said
never a word. When he spoke again his
words came slowly, hesitatingly, and his
voice had a stifled sound, as if choked
with despair. "
"You have no answer for me; but you
do not tell me to leave you! It cannot
be that, Pauline; heart of my heart,
queen of my soul, you love me!"
His last words died away to a whisper
of Intense rapture; and, as Pauline felt
his arms encircle her, his kisses on her
lips, she forgot all' the shadows that
lurked in the past, forgot all the ques
tionable means she had employed to at
tain this end. She only knew that she
loved him with all the force of her na
ture, that she was loved in return; and
for the moment there was in her heart
as supreme a joy as was ever felt by a
woman.
(To be continued.)
Ready to Start.
Motorist Are all of the tools in the
tool chest?
Valet Yes, sir.
Motorist Are all the ,cushlons and
laprobes in the tonneau?
Valet Yes, sir.
Motorist Is the tank full of gaso
line? Valet Yes, sir. 1
Motorist Have you brought down
all our goggles?
Valet Yes, sir.
Motorist Well, run up to my room
and bring down the roll of bills out of
the top bureau drawer so that we will
have enough money ready to pay our
fines. Then we will be ready to start
Strong Defense.
"01 hoy to appear In court to-day,
Nora," said Mr. O'Toole, as he care
fully shaved his chin. "Yez know 01
done up O'Brien Jast week."
"In court?" gasped Nora, dropping
her spoon. "Oh, Patrick, hav' yez limy
deflnse?"
"Oi hov six, Nora.. .
."Six lawyers, Pa thrlck?"
"No, five fingers awn a thumb dou
bled up."
A (tne.
"But I thought you told me this was
such a congenial country," said the
man who had Just moved out in the
suburbs.
"And It is," replied the s-uave agent
"Why, It is full of malaria!"
"And that is why I think is so
congenial. You see everybody is al
ways shaking."
Natnral Deduction.
Gruff Patient Are you quite sure
you understand your business, sir?
Thyslclan Well, I've been practic
ing medicine for fifteen years and not
one of my patients has ever com
plained. Gruff Patient Huh! Trobably not
Dead men tell no tales.
The Wretch.
"I spoke to your father last night
"Oh, Harry, this is so sudden; What
did he say?"
Houston Post. "
It "Listened Like" It
Two Germans, one from out of the
city, were at Electric Park Saturday
night hearing Ellery's band. The uon
residont Uermau thought he had heard
the band before, but wasn't sure. After
a well-played selection he turned to his
companion and asked:
"lss dot a Ccenclnnatl pand?"
"Oh, no; nod at all It Issen't," wbb
the reply.
"Veil," said the first, "it listens like
It."
Healthy Children.
Without good health life is not worth
living. Sickly, peevish children are a
source of endless trouble and anxiety
to their parents, yet the children's con
dition is frequently due to their par
ents' ignorance or thoughtlessness, or
both.
To make children healthy and to
keep them in that condition it is ne
cessary to feed them proper food and
to see that they get plenty of exercise
and fresh air. Meat is very bad for
children. It should be avoided and
food rich in phosphates, such as Pills
bury's Vitos, should be given in its
place. ,
This food is truly the "meat of the
wheat." It is made by the world's
greatest millers and it is free from arti
ficial coloring or aduteration. It is
not especially a child's food. Your
whole family will enjoy this common
sense cereal. It makes a wholesome,
substantial breakfast or an appetizing
dessert, and can be prepared in one
hundred different ways.
Every g )od grocer will supply you
with Pillsbury's Vitos. targe package
enongh to make twelve pounds of
strength-building food, 20c. Ask your
grocer about it today.
A Blackmailing Instrument.
The street musician paused at the
steps.
"Moosic?"
"No, no. Here's a quarter for you.
Move along."
"Tanka, signor. It is such a fine
org'."
"Fine! It's the worst box of discord
ant whistles I ever heard!"
"It is do finesto org' Pietro ever own.
It playa da tune not so much, but it
brings da more mon'."
FIT? Permanently Cured. No fltsor nervousness
I lu afternrstday'suBeofDr.Kllne'sGreatNerve
Kestorer. Hend for Free 2 trial bottle and treatise.
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A Pair of Rounders.
Husband (time 1 a. m.) I shay,
m'dear, I hie didn't 'shpect to fi' you
hie sittin' up for me.
Wife (calmly) Oh! that's all right,
old boy. I only got in myself about five
minutes flga.
The Century in 1906.
The lavish promises of a year ago
were splendidly fulfilled in The Cen
tury during 1905 its verse and essays,
its pictures and fiction, its articles of
timely interest and permanent value,
went beyond all promise and expecta
tion. The feast in 1906 will be even
richer than in 1905. There will be
the new novel by Mrs. Humphry Ward,
Fenwick's Career," a new humorous
serial by the creator of "Susan Clegg,"
and short stories by the ablest and
most popular writers of the day. There
will be authoritive accounts of such
wonderful work as our construction of
the Panama canal. W. S. Harwood
will tell . of "Saving California's
Crops." The director of Cornell's
School of Agriculture, Professor L. tl.
Bailey, will discuss the important
problem of the young man and the
farm. There will be many other arti
cles of kindred value and interest.
More horses fall from weariness than
from any other cause. ,
Very full cheeks indicate great diges
tive powers. '
Said the Right Thing.
Mother Why did you let him kiss
71 . .. . . .
Edith Well, He was so nice bdoui k.
Ho nflltcfl
"The idea! Haven't I told you you
must learn to say 'No?' "
"That's what I did say. He asked me
if I'd be very angry If he kissed me."
Ravages of Time.
"Even the hairs of our heads are
numbered," quoted the good old deacon
with the bald pate.
"Well, uncle," rejoined his irreverent
nephew, "in your case the count doesn't
take up much of the enumerating angel's
time."
rHI:
PwTFDl)l)nnP nil hi fl nTHIHG
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FOLLOWING OUR successes
AT PHILADELPHIA CHICAGO
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Best Cough syrup. Tastes Good, use
In time, ooia py qrugguta.
It Is strange that in Asia and Africa,
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MALLEABLE IRON STUMP PULLERS
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