f
i
CHAPTER IX.
For some reason Pauline Mailing was
in a very irritable state of mind. Per
haps she was regretting the moment's
impulse that had prompted her to ac
cept a nameless young painter. Babette,
too, seemingly had a weight on her mind.
She crept about her .work, laying out
Miss Mailing's elegant evening toilet
with a subdued air very different from
her usual noiseless activity. Babette was
doing her best to get through her duties,
when, as ill luck would have it, memory
for a moment asserted itself and brought
before her a picture of a pretty black
eyed urchin tossing from side to side in
his small cot and crying out her name
unceasingly as he refused the cooling
drink offered by a hand he did not love.
The maid sobbed sobbed audibly.
Miss Mailing raised her eyes from
their contemplation of the carpet and
looked in dignified surprise at the young
Frenchwoman. Noting for the first time
the signs of tears on her face, Miss
Mailing felt angry.
"What in heaven's name is the matter
with you, Babette? Pray don't let me
have any weeping and wailing. If there
is one thing that exasperates me more
than another, it is a crying woman."
"Pardon, mademoiselle; the grief over
came me in spite of myself. I did hot
intend to speak; but, as you have noticed
my sorrow, I will make bold to tell you
that I have a little stepbrother, the only
being in the world who is related to me,
and I have here a letter telling me he
is very ill, and that he asks for me night
and day night and day." The poor girl's
voice broke for a moment; but she rallied
and went on. "If mademoiselle could
spare me for just enough time to get to
Boulogne and back to see the poor little
fellow!"
"And what am I to do in the mean
time??" Pauline asked icily. "Of course
you can go if you like; but you need not
come back. I am surprised you should
ask me such an insane thing, when you
know the house will be full of people the
day after to-morrow. I could not possi
bly do without you. Pray do not say an
other word about it, and please leave off
crying."
Babette moved away to the far end
of the room, wiped her eyes, and stood
for an instant quite still, repressing the
sobs that shook her frame.
"If my little Pierre dies without see
ing me I will never forgive you never!
I will watch for a chance of doing you
a great harm; and it will come if I am
patient," the girl thought.
After dressing Miss Mailing and mak
ing the dressing room tidy, Babette pass
ed through the picture gallery on her way
to Mrs. Perkins' sanctum for her usual
cup of tea. Thinking everybody must
be downstairs, she stopped at Jack's easel
and looked at Pauline's picture.
"So you think the world is made for
jour pleasure? You are too high a lady
to trouble yourself with your servants'
affairs; but perhaps they will trouble
themselves witjl yours, madame! I have
seen you flinch and shrivel up strangely
sometimes. People don't shrivel up for
nothing, unless they have a fear of some
thing; and if they have a secret fear,
there must be something bad to cause
it. If my little darling dies without the
comfort of kissing his Babette once, it
will be your fault; and all my life long
I will watch, watch, watch, to try to
repay your cruelty to me and him!"
and she looked as if she meant it.
Jack, who had stopped until the last
moment finishing his rather difficult let
ter to Ethel in his own room, was struck
by the intense hatred in the woman's
face as he opened the door, wondered for
the moment what could have caused it,
wished the next that he could call it up
at will and use her as a model for a fiend,
and the next moment forgot all about it
Throwing his letter on the hall table,
he hurried Into the drawing room to
make his peace for being late.
Babette had her quiet cup of tea with
Mrs. Perkins, and, with a plentiful shed'
ding of tears, wrote to the woman who
had charge of little Pierre, to say that
she could not come to her darling just
now.
The letter was full of loving messages
and promises, and the poor girl's heart
felt very heavy as she put it into the
bag. She had taken it into the hall her
self. There was another letter lying
there ready stamped for the post; she
took it up carelessly, recognized it by the
red seal as the one Jack had had in his
hand when he passed her in the gallery,
and stood trunstixed with surprise as she
reud the address.
"The address of that pretty demoiselle
that I followed home from the museum,
by her orders! Why, there is something
in this! Why, if she wants the address
of a lady who Is known to Monsieur
Dornton, does she not ask him, instead
of setting me to follow her like a po
liceman? I shall have that to hud out!"
"Babette, I want you," Mrs. Perkins
called from the door that shut off (he
servants' quarters.
' Something in the voice, some subtle
touch of sympathy, struck Babette's
quick ear. She turned so sharply that
Mrs. Perkins had not time to conceal
the black bordered letter she held In her
hand. With a heart rending cry, Babette
started forward and snatched the letter
from her.
She was a quick, impetuous, unreason
lng and unreasonable creature; she did
not stop to consider that she could not
have reached the child ven U Pauline
The ife's Secret,
OR A BITTER RECKONING
By CHARLOTTE M. BRAEMB
had given her instant consent. She re
membered only that her mistress had
been cruel to her in the time of her
trouble; and she registered a vow that, if
there was any secret in Pauline Mail
ing's past life, she would hunt it out and
humiliate her. '. ,
.
A letter lay by Ethel's plate; but she
did not touch it. Mr. Mallett, self-absorbed
as ever, did not notice how his
daughter was struggling to preserve her
usual composure all through the break
fast time.
Jack Dornton had not intended to be
cruel when he wrote; but, after destroy
ing a dozen sheets of paper in hi desire
to be neither too soft nor too hard, he
decided at last that the shorter and plain
er he made it the better; and this was
what he had written:
"My Dear Ethel I should not have
had the courage to do as you have done;
but perhaps you are right as indeed you
always are. For the future will you
allow me to consider myself
.. - "Your faithtul friend,
"JOHN DORNTON?"
"I am glad so very glad I wrote it.
It would have been dreadful if we had
married, and Jack had found out that
he did not care for me afterward. Now
I had better destroy that anonymous
letter. I thought that perhaps Jack
might have wished the engagement to
continue, in which case I should have
sent the letter to him and asked for an
explanation."
So Ethel went bravely about her home
duties, though her very lips were white
with the restraint she was putting on
her feelings. She tried with all her
strength of mind she possessed to put her
humiliating grief away from her.
"Why should I sorrow for him If he
can throw me off without one word of
regret?" she asked herself, angrily. '
Still, in spite of her determination to
crush her love, under the weight of her
self-respect, she now and again felt as
if her heart would break. She resolute
ly denied herself the relief of tears, and
suffered far more'-' intensely in conse
quence. The thrushes and the lively robins and
perky sparrows were having a good time
of it on the lawns at the Wigwam that
morning. Captain Felling was fond of
these small birus, and liked to see them
about the place, and he had determined
to do what he could to tame them dur
ing the hard winter weather, should he
decide to stay on in the Wigwam, which
he had taken furnished for six months.
He did not take much notice of the little
creatures this morning, though. He was
in a "brown study." and sat so motion
less on his comfortable cane chair under
the veranda that the more courageous of
the birds hopped about within a yard
of his feet. '
The fact was Captain Pelling was dis
appointed, i He had expected a letter
either from Ethel or Mr. Mallett that
morning, to settle theil visit on the mor
row. '
"Even if they do not care to come,"
he told himself, "they might have been
civil enough to send some conventional
excuse."
After awhile it occurred to him that
perhaps the Mallets had written, and
that the letter had miscarried and he
felt somewhat relieved at the bare idea.
He made up his mind that he would go
up. to town in any case; and as he went
along he would decide upon what course
he would pursue. And all through his
vacillation he never once admitted to
himself that it was his longing to see
Ethel again that had for the moment
transformed him into a human shuttle
cock. Notwithstanding a short notice, the
phaeton was ready a minute before the
appointed time, looking perfect in every
detail. Pelling had the reins in his hand
and his foot on the step, when he noticed
a telegraph boy coming toward the house.
He waited a moment. Yes, it was for
him!
"From Geoffrey Mallett, Buckingham
street, Bloomsbury, to Captain Pelling,
The Wigwam, Wimbledon. Shall be with
y"ou at 2 o'clock to-morrow. Get sketches
in inspection order.
And the man of thirty felt a lad again
in his light-heartedness, as he sent his
handsome bays along the road.
CHAPTER X.
Jack's love-making went on swim
mingly during the lovely summer weath
er and among the beauties of Mailing
ford. The house was full of visitors
now, and, In accordance with Pauline's
wishes, their engagement was kept strict
ly private. Still, in spite of all their
care, the state of affairs was pretty
shrewdly guessed at by most of the peo
ple about them, and the well-bred guests
wondered immensely at Miss Maying's
sudden fit of unworldliness. Strangely
enough, Babette, with all her sharpness,
was one of the last to hear of her mis
tress' Infatuation for the "artist chap,"
as he was scornfully described among the
servants; but the moment she did hear of
it she began wondering and watching un
til in her own mind she was sure that
Miss Mailing was really deeply In love
with this good-looking -Mr. Dornton.
Babette liked Jack, and, knowing, as she
believed she did, the evil of Pauline's
heart,' she was sorry to think that such
an altogether too charming yonug man
should be so thrown way.
So Babette was always on the watch
to some clew that would help her to
.discover her yonng mistress' secret) and
at this time she Bhowed great Interest
in Mrs. Perkins' gossip about the family
hoping to gleHu some scrap of Informa
tion that might be of use to her in fur
thering her revengeful purpose.
"And if mademoiselle had married
against the wishes of Milord Snuuners,
or without his consont, Blie would have
lost the whole estate?" she asked, one
evening in August, as she sipped her tea
leisurely,
"Yes, if she did so before she was
twenty-five; but after her twenty-fifth
birthday she wui be free to marry whom
soever she pleases; and, as she will be
twenty-five on the seventeenth, of next
month, there is not much chance of her
sacrificing the estate at this late day,
after waiting until now."
, "That is so," observed Babette, with
a disappointed sir. She reflected for a
few moments, and -a flash of intelligence
crossed her face as she asked, "And If
mademoiselle had married in her ex
treme youth before she was known as
the heiress of the property how then?"
"I think she would lose everything."
"Who would have it after her?"
"Sir Geoffrey, the . late' baronet's
brother."
- "To be sure! It must have been a great
blow to him when he found himself rob
bed of everything by his brother's In
justice. What did he do? Where did he
go?"
"I don't know. He is as proud as any
of the family, and, when his brother
told him never to come near the place
again, he put on his hat without one
word, and walked away with his head as
high as if he were the heir of thousands. -We've
never seen a sight of him since
that day, and it's my belief we never
shall."
Babette believed 'she had found the
keynote to Pauline's secret trouble. That
there was secret trouble she never'doubt
for an instant. She had observed her
mistress too closely to be misled on that
point; she knew that nothing but some
mighty fear could ' cause those sudden
starts, followed by periods of anxious,
heavy-browed thought, to which she was
subject. And, when Babette went up
stairs, she reasoned the matter out.
"I have heard that she never knew
she was her uncle's heiress until after
her father's death. What is more likely
then than she should have married out
there in Italy married some poor idiot
who was caught by her pretty face? And
then, when my lady suddenly finds that
she is a rich woman, she is tired of this
poor fool, and runs away and enjoys her
life by herself. I believe I have found
the dark spot in my fine lady's life! If
this is as I think, I can take from her
her beloved fiance and her riches at one
blow. How glorious that would be!"
Her face glowed with savage satis
faction at the bare thought of so com
plete a revenge. She left her seat by the
bay window of Pauline's dressing room,
and paced up and down, her excitement
being too great for her to remain still.
The dusky gloom deepened until the room
was all in shadow, and presently a house
maid came in and lighted the candles in
the large silver branches on. the toilet
table.
As the door closed behind the maid Ba
bette resumed ber promenade, and came
to a sudden stop as her eyes rested on
the key left in the lock of a small bronze
box. This box contained Miss Mailing's
private keys! She locked up very little;
but what she did lock up she was rather
particular about, and her keys were in
variably kept in this Indian, box, the
key of which she carried about with
her.
As Babette stood looking with a dull,
fascinated gaze at the key, she heard
the rustle of silken skirts in the gallery
outside. With a swoop like a hawk's,
so swift and noiseless was it, she" pluck
ed the little key from the lock and slip
ped it into the pocket of her dainty frill
ed apron. The next Instant Miss Mailing
turned the handle of the door and saw
Babette rearranging the lace draperies
round the looking glass. She crossed the
room and went straight to the table,
glanced quickly at the box, and then
turned to Babette.
"Have you seen the key of this box?"
Not to-day, mademoiselle."
"Provoking!" She took it up In her
hands and shook it. Yes, the keys are
inside. Babette, I wish yon not to leave
these rooms to-night until I come up
to bed. I have dropped the key some
where. I don't suppose it will be found
until we have daylight to help us it Is
so small. Have your supper sent up to
you here."
"Very good, mademoiselle."
Babette stood with her hands held
tightly over her heart, listening to the
rustle of the silken skirts along the gal
lery and down the stairs. Then her
expression changed 'from strained atten
tion to vivid triumph. She threw heT
clasped hands high over her head. She
locked both doors, closed one window to
prevent the blinds from fluttering, and
then unlocked the small bronze box. She
laughed as she picked out a key from
the bunch and tried to unlock Pauline's
large desk.
"At last!" she whispered, as the lock
of the desk flew bad.
(To ha rontlnned.)
Just Resentment.
"You say your beard began to grow
when you wore 10," remarked the vis
itor at the dime museum. "May I ask
how long it has taken you to bring It
to Its present magnificent propor
tions?" ' ,
"Sir," said the Bearded Lady, justly
incensed, "you are the first man that
has ever dared to ask my age!" Cat
cago Tribune, .
Artful Dodger,
ne Then I may hope?
' She Well, you may ask papa.
He Impossible.
She Why do you Bay that?
ne Because I haven't been able to
get light of him since I loaned him $10
before Chrlatma.
Catarrh is usually regarded as nothing more serious than a bad cold or
Blight inflammation of the inner skin and tissues of the head and throat,
when it is, in fact, not only a vexatious and troublesome disease, but a com
plicated and dancrerous one. It is true that Catarrh usually begins with a
cold in the head, but when the poisons, which are thrown off through the
secretions, find their way into the blood, it becomes a constitutional trouble
that affects all parts of the body. It has more annoying and disgusting symp
toms than any other disease. There is a sickening and offensive discharge
from the nostrils, a constant buzzing noise in the ears, headaches and pains
in the eyes are frequent, while filthy, tenacious matter drops back into the
throat requiring continual hawking and spitting, and in certain stages of the
disease the breath has an odor that is very offensive. Catarrh is worse in
Winter, because the cold weather closes the pores and glands, and the pois
ons and unhealthy vapors which should pass off that way are thrown back
on the tender linings and tissues, causing the inflammation which starts
the unhealthy secretions to be ab- , . , . . .
sorbed by the blood. When the blood
becomes diseased with this catarrhal
matter all kinds of complications may
be looked for. As the blood circu
lates through the body the foul mat
ter finds its way into the stomach,
ruining the digestion and producing
chronic Dyspepsia, or Catarrh of the
stomach. It also affects the Kidneys,
Bladder and other members of the body, while the general health is weak
ened, appetite lost and the patient feels despondent and half sick all the time.
But worst of all, if the trouble is not checked the lungs become diseased from,
the constant passage of poisoned blood through them, and Catarrh terminates
in Consumption, the most fatal of all diseases. You cannot get rid of Ca
tarrh by treating it with sprays, washes, inhalations, etc., because they only
reach the membranes and tissues, while the real cause of the trouble is in the
blood. These relieve the annoying symptoms for a time, but the poison is
all the while getting a stronger hold on the system and when they are left
off will manifest itself in worse form
all blood rjurifier9. and when it has cleansed the blood, this Dure, rich stream
circulates through the' body, carrying
parts. Then the inflamed membranes
i
o
URELY VEGETABLE.
k m it- ,n RSfTN m
ease permanently, and at the same time builds up the entire system by its fine
tonic effect. S. S. S. is a purely vegetable remedy non-injuiious to the sys
tem and a certain, reliable cure for Catarrh. Catarrh sufferers will find our
free consulting department helpful in advising local treatment to be used
with S. S. S. THE SWIFT SPECIFIC CO., ATLANTA. GA
Her Miaerable Lock.. .
First Summer Girl Did you hear
about the miserable luck I had yester
day? Second Summer Girl No; what was
it?
First Summer Girl While In bath
ing a man rescued me from drowning.
Second Summer Girl Why, I'd call
that good luck.
First Summer Girl But the man in
the case Is married.
. European Breakfasts.
Mark Twain, in speaking of the typi
cal European breakfasts, said: "Do
you know what I'll do? I'll nail a
piece of cuttle-fish bone to 'the chim
ney, and every morning I'll hop up on
the mantel and take a pick at it with
a tin bill. It will be just- s filling
and much cheaper than a European
breakfast."
It is evident that Mr. Clemens pre
fers the typical American breakfast
dish of Pillsbury's Vitos with good
cream and sugar.
Economical Thought.
"Oh, George!" said Mrs. Youngman,.
"my canary bird's dead."
"Yes?" replied her husband. "You're
not grieving much."
"No; you see, I can have it stuffed
for my hat next fall, and then the rest
of the hat won't cost you so. much."
Philadelphia Press,
In. After Year.
Wife But during our courtship you
never objected to my talking.
Husband Of course not. Being
talked to. is one thing and being talked
ait Is quite another.
The Kind You Have Always
iurc oi viius. xa. i leicner, una nas uecn niaae under Ms
personal supervision for over 30 years. Allow no one
to deceive you in this. Counterfeits, Imitations and
Just-as-good" are but Experiments, and endanger the
health of Children Experience against Experiment.
What is CASTOR1A
Castoria is a harmless substitute for Castor Oil, Pare
goric, Drops and Soothing Syrups. , It is Pleasant. It
contains neither Opium, Morphine nor other Narcotic
substance. Its age is its guarantee. It destroys Worms
and allays Feverishness. It cures Diarrhoea and Wind
Colic. It relieves Teething1 Troubles, cures Constipation
and Flatulency. It assimilates the Food, regulates the
Stomach and Bowels, giving healthy and natural sleep.
The Children's Panacea The Mother's Friend.
The Kind You toe Always Bought
Bears the
In Use For
th eiNTftun eoMMNV. tt
S7
M iiiinaa
M ANNOYING-DANGEROUS
end I hadln addition a dreadful case of
Catarrh. My nose vti atoppad. up, I
had headaohea, ringing- noiaea In my
ear and fait unfit for work, I. oom
menoed the use of 8. S. 8. on the recom
mendation of a friend, and in a short
time it oured me sound and wall. It pus
my blood in a-ood oondltion and I have
never had the alia-htast return of thai
Catarrh slnoe that time.
GEO. D. CARE,
Ho. 200 Edsrar St. EvamviUe, Ind.
than before. S. S. S. is the greatest of
healthful properties to the diseased
and tissues begin to heal, the dis
charges cease, the general condition ol
the system ie strengthened, everyone
of the annoying and disgusting symp-
toms pass away, and the patient is left
in perfect health, S. S. S. is the best
remedy for Catarrh. It goes right into
the blood and removes all effete matter
and catarrhal poison and cures the dis
Everything Limited.
The old farmer went to one end of
the swaying coach to wash his bands.
He could find only a few remnants of
soap. "Boy," he druwled, "there don't
seem to be much soup here?"
"No, sah," chuckled the porter, "you
know dls is de limited. Ebbythlng
abohd am limited."
Then the old man tried to fill a
glnss from the water cooler. He could
only force out a few drops.
"Where's the water, boys?"
"Not much water, sah. Dat am lim
ited, too."
Presently the porter brushed the
old farmer down and the latter hand
ed him nine coppers.
"Why, boss," protested the porter,
"yo' gib de porter on de udder train a
quarter."
"I know that," chuckled the old
farmer, "but you know this Is the
limited, and everything should be lim
ited." Chicago News.
No Ruben's Work.
Mrs. Al de Mustahd And have you
any paintings by Rubens? , ,
Mrs. Justin de Bunch Mercy, no!
All our pictures are by the best ar
tists. Mrs. A. de M. But Rubens
Mrs. J. de B. Don't tell me. I nev
er saw a rube yet that could paint
Cleveland Leader.
Restoring the Balance.
"Wonderly has made a fortune in cot
ton." "Yes, but according to his wife's
dressmaker, he's fast losing it In silks."
Detroit Free Press.
Bought has borne the sisrna-
Signature of
Over 30 Years.
Mima amtrr. new rami city.