in
THE CHARITY G!
By EFFIE A. ROWLANDS
CHAPTER I.
"And is It really good-by, Audrey, really
and truly good-by? Oh, dearest,' I am
so grieved to let you go. I don't know
what my life will be like now."
The speaker was a thin, nervous look
ing girl, with large gray "yes, and a
weak mouth. She stood with her rough'
ened hands clasped tightly together, and
tears were rolling down her cheek, and
falling unheeded on her shabby serge
gown.
Audrey Maxse also wore un old serge
gown, but somehow the garment did not
seem to be as shabby or as ugly as that
which Jean Thwait had on; her small
hands were roughened, too, as with much
work, yet their shape was fxqiiisite, the
fingers slender and straight, not swollen
and disfigured with chilblains like poor
Jean's ; her little head was poised proud
ly on her shoulders; she carried herself
with a regal air, and gave evidence at
this early age of possessing that most
rare of gifts, a beautiful face.
What a dreary place thi Female Or
phan Asyplum was, to be sure ! There
was an air of gloom in tho dirty-gray-colored
walls; an unspeakable sense of
sidness and restraint in the unlovely,
high-walled grounds, the severe matron,
the young persons in their d'.ngy uniform
of blue serge, with their daster aprons
and thick gray stockings. It was called
the Girls Home in Broadborough, and
never was anything under the sun so mis
named. From morning till night the day
was one long round of drudgery, good
hard manual labor, lightened by many
prayers, and by one hour's ao-called rec
reation, in which the girls found many
odd tasks to perform that were not ex
. actly in the category of idleuess or pleas
ure. The Mayor of Broadborough had much
to say in the matter of election into this
asylum, and it was entirely through his
influence that Jean Thwait, granddaugh
ter of old Samuel Thwait, the bookseller,
was provided with a home when the old
man died suddenly and left her, a little
child, without a penny or n known rela
tive in the wde world. Everybody knew
that Ralph Thwait, Jean's father, had
made a bad marriage, but the shop of
Samuel Thwait had been nn institution
In the town, and naturally out of respect
to an old inhabitant the Mavor did his
best to get the orphan girl well cared for
in the future. This done, l'ttle Jean
Thwait troubled no one any more; so
J ."in was left to the tender mercies of the
matron, and grew up from babyhood to
girlhood, working in the gloomy routine
of the asylum as hard as though she
wore of the stronger, not the feebler,
sex. Most of her companions were cases
like her own, all respectaoly connected,
with an occasional ,aunt or cousin to
pay them a visit on the day set apart
for this function, and who all with one
accord held up their heads and looked
down on Jean's pet, Audroy Maxse.
How this latter ever got into the home
was a miracle to most people. A found
ling, the waif and stray :hild of a vag
rant woman who breathed her last in the
Broadborough workhouse infirmary, she
was, by general consent, considered as
outside the pale and therefore ineligible
for election into the institution sacred to
the memory of the pious wi.low of a rich
Broadborough tradesman.
Audrey's pride had brought down many
a weary punishment on p.r head ; her
fearless, outspoken disposit'on was call
ed rebellious; her innate nnse of deli
cacy and neatness became Inordinate van
ity, and her beauty was I he last straw
to the heap of objections that the matron
and her assistants piled on this girl. Ev
ery means had been tried to crush Au
drey's proud spirit. Every possible bar
rier had been thrown In the way of her
advancement in education, Rnd yet, in
spite of all, the girl progr-sased ; her hot
pride, her extraordinary will carried all
before her, and to the chagrin of the mat
ron and her other enemies, at the usual
public examinations, held !q the charnel-house-like
schoolroom, before the Mayor
and committee, it was always Audrey
Maxse who carried off the list marks for
proficiency and general satisfaction.
In all the years she had lived at the
asylum Audrey had only one friend, one
loving heart to sympathize and help her
In her troubles, and this was Jean
Thwait. Often and often at night, when
the two young creatures -vere alone in
their cold meagerly furnished bedroom,
they sat and whispered in the dark of the
time when they should be free from the
miserable place they called their home.
'.'We are alone In the world, Jean,"
Audrey would say; "there is nothing to
stop us. We must lcae here when we are
seventeen the rules of the borne won't
let us remain longer and then we will
go away togther, and work for each oth
er, and be happy! We will leave Eng
land, Jean, and go abroad I want to see
foreign lands, don't you?"
"But you forget, darling; we we may
go out to service before we are free I"
Audrey always shuddered at the word.
The parting was not a thought now; it
was a reality, a horrible reality. Three
days before this one that saw Audrey
engaged in putting her few coarse clothes
Into the yellow tin box, the girls had
been summoned into the chapel and cate
chised by a clergyman, who came in place
of the ordinary minister. He seemed to
find much pleasure' in examining Audrej
on certain points, and the girl's clear,
fresh Voice, added to her intelligence and
wonderful face, made a great impression
on him.
After the girls were dismissed, he hid
A short chat with Miss Irons, the matron,
in the course of which he told her he
was anxious to find a young woman as
maid for a lady who was one of his par
ishioners. "My wife can find no one suitable.
Your girls always give &wtt satisfaction ;
and so, if there is one ready to go out
to service, I might arrange this," he said
as they talked.
Miss Irons gave a cordial consent, but
looked vexed when he suggested Audrey
as the one to go. She bore many a grudge
and spite against the girl and had deter
mined to put her out into the hardest and
least comfortable situation she could find.
But fate was evidently against her, for
the board accepted the Rev. Mr. Thorn
gate's proposal and Audrey was given a
flew black gown, bonnet and cloak, and
was bid hold herself in readiness to depart
on the morning of the fifth day.
Jean spent the whole of the long night
that came before that fifth day in com
forting her beloved friend and herself, and
at last had the satisfaction of seeing Au
drey drop off into a deep, troubled sleep.
No rest came to her ; her poor young heart
was torn and bleeding, and no salve was
at hand to heal it
The parting between the two girls was
very quiet; neither of them could speak
the words of farewell, and their eyes were
too hot and aching for tears to come.
"Think of me always, Jean, dear.
Whatever happens, whatever lies before
us, I shall love you, darling, till I die!"
Then they kissed each other and Au
drey went swiftly down the stairs, seeing
nothing, hearing nothing for the passion
ate beat of her heart and the b.'ur of sor
row before her sight
Jean stood with her hands pressed to
her breast, and as the wheels of the cab
carried all that was precious to her away
from her, perhaps forever, sh gave one
moan and fell forward on her outstretch
ed arms.
When the assistant matron came in,
scolding and erumbline. AH tlflllfll aha re
ceived no reply from Jean Thwait and,
bending over the prostrate figure, she
saw that the girl had fainted.
CHAPTER II.
As Audrey found herself p.lone In the
cab, driving out of the high, iron gates
of the asylum, she felt she must be in
some extraordinary dream. She had nev
er driven in any sort of -snide before,
and the curious sensation of being car
ried over the road at a quick pace added
to' the vagueness that seemed to envelop
ner; Dut tne keen east wind as it rush
ed in at the window awoke htr, and with
a sigh, she knew it was no t'ream, but a
reality full of excitement, confusion and
unspeakable pain. The tears she had re
pressed rolled down her dieks as she
thought of Jean left alone !n that mis
erable life. Then her youag spirit rose
above her grief. She was free, and be
fore very long Jean should be free, too,
and they would go away together, as they
had dreamed and whispered ro often in
the night hours. Mr. Thorngate was
waiting at the station and spoke kindly
to the girl.
"There is your ticket, Maxse," he said,
"and when you reach Mounti'erry you
must get out and wait on the platform
till a lady speaks to you. She is my
wife, and will loolt after you. I should
have taken you down myself, but I cannot
leave Broadborough for another week.
Now, you must be a good, diligent worker,
and never forget your duty to your em
ployers and to heaven."
Audrey thanked the kind-hearted cler
gyman and accepted his advice gracefully.
The train carriage was quite mpty, and
they were proceeding at a quick," even
pace that had the effect of soothing the
girl. The rumble of the whiels buzzed
a sort of lullaby In her ears. She was
very 'weary and was soon lost to every
thing in a deep, dreamless clumber.
She was awakened by a sudden open
ing of the door, by several voices shout
ing, and by some person jumping into
the carriage and sinking on to the seat,
breathless, evidently with bnving run
very fast. It was a young man. Audrey
gnzed at him In startled amazement
through her veil. He was splashed with
mud from head to foot, but bis clothes
were perfect in make and fit. He wore
rough riding breeches and bcots, and had
a hunting crop in his right hand. He
laughed and brushed some of the mud off
his sleeve with his crop. Ha pulled out
his watch and consulted it.
"Just twelve," Audrey he.ird him mut
ter, and Bhe was bewildered to think
she must have slept for something like
two hours. She drew back a little ner
vously into her corner, for the young
man had folded his arms and was gazing
intently at her slender, black-robed figure
out of a pair of very handsome gray eyes.
As a matter of fact, Lord John Glen
durwood was not even aware of what
was opposite to him. He was busy mak
ing a rapid mental calculation.
"Ten minutes to the stables, and then
a good hour's hard ride hfu'k, and then
it will be just a toss-up or no whether
they will not be miles away before I even
am half-way there." Well, it's worth hav
ing a shot at anyhow. I must get a
brush-down somewhere. Sheila will have
a fit if I turn up like this. I don't know
how I came Buch a cropper; making such
a jolly fool of myself, too, before every
body. I hope poor Hector Isn't badly
lamed, poor old chap! Can't take him
out again this week, that's very certain.
Here we are at Glaston, another five
minutes, and then Beignton, and then
the stables just as fast as I know how
to run."
The train drew up at a little station,
and the guard came running down to the
carriage. He touehod his cap with great
respect.
" 'Ope you didn't 'urt yerself, my lord ;
but you know it 1b dnugerous a jumping
in like that, when she's on the move.
Won't you change carriages, my lord?
This ain't fit for the likes cf your lord
ship What did you my, ma'am?"
"Am am I near Mountberry Station,
please?" faltered Audrey, oreaking In on
the brief conversation.
"Mountberry? Why, we've passed It
a quarter of an hour ago. Right, Bill;
yes," giving a shrill whistle. "Right she
Is. Now, then, there!"
The train moved on. Aadrey looked
about her uncertainly; Bhe was fright
ened and bewildered. What snould Bhe
do? Lord John, usually called Jack,
glanced at the figure before him with
some interest.
"Looks like a widow. Can't be, though,
she's so small and young. Poor creature ;
She's very poor, at any rate. She's evi
dently upset at pasing her station."
He leaned forward and addressed Au
drey In his kind-hearted way.
"You can get another trnla back Imme
diately from Beignton. You will reach
Mountberry in a very short time. I am
getting out at Beignton myself, and I will
put you In the care of old Staple, the
station master, unless you know your
way about."
"No, oh, no!" she broke in nervously.
"This I am a stranger. 1 have never
been on a train before. I-oh! and I
shall have kept Mrs. Thorngate waiting.
Oh, dear !"
"Never been in a train before !" repeat
ed Jack Glendurwood in amazement. He
knit his brows and pulled b' handsome
golden-brown mustache. What manner
of creature was this, with ber sweet,
childish voice, her curiously black draped
figure in cumbersome cloak and thick
veil ; her shyness and her ijmorance? He
laughed a little easily. "It must seem
strange to you. But did 1 understand
you to say you were going to meet Mrs.
Thorngate?"
"Yes; at at Mountberry. Mr. Thorn
gate told me she would be waiting for
me, and now "
His voice was so kind that Audrey felt
irresistibly drawn toward him.
, "Well, she will not have to wait long,"
Lord John answered, cheerfully, and
then he all but whistled aloud, for Au
drey, with a quick gesture, had flung
back her veil, and he beheld her face
In all its beauty. Tears were still hang
ing on her lashes, but her eyes shone
through them like sapphires; ber raven
black hair, brushed vigorously back fronr
her brow, enhanced the cW'cate pallor
of her skin. Jack Glendurwood thought
he had never seen anything so perfectly
lovely in his life as the straight, small
nose, the red lips, the pale, ivory com
plexion, and those wondrous deep-blue
eyes. He forgot all about his haste, his
muddy appearance, or his lamo hunter
he even forgot his manners in his ad
miration and surprise, till a deep blush,
spreading over her throat, cheeks and
brow, recalled him.
"Are you going to stay with - Mrs.
Thorngate, may I ask?" ho inquired al
most involuntarily.
Audrey felt strangely shy and child
loh. He seemed to her like King Ar
thur, with his tall, strong figure and
courteous manner.
"I wish Jean could see him," she
thought to herself, and then she glanced
at him like a shy, startled oiid when he
asked her that question.
"I beg your pardon. I I !nve no right
to ask you such a question," he stam
mered, hurriedly ; "it was only because
Mrs. Thorngate is a friend of mine."
"I have never met Mrs. Thorngate,"
she said in a quiet, respenful manner.
"Nor am I ever likely to become her
friend. You you have made a mistake,
sir; I am not a lady, I am only a ser
vant maid."
Lord John felt an involuntary confu
sion in his breast. Audrey's clear, re
fined voice, her curt, proud words, roused
his ire against the fates thit condemned
so fair, so young a being to a menial
life.
"Staple will do everything for you,
and there is a train directly," he said
hurriedly. "I hope you will reach your
destination safely, and I will say good
morning now."
"Good-by, and thank you. Oh, thank
you !" Audrey answered, him.
Now that he was going, she clung to
him as to something bright and pleas
ant such as she had never known be
fore. In a vague sort of -vay he seemed
almost like a friend and protector to
her.
Audrey sighed as she felt herself being
whirled along to Mountberry. Now that
she was alone again, all her rervousness
returned, and she was quivering with ex
citement and fear as they reached her
destination.
(To be continued.)
He Relented.
Restaurant Proprietor Here's your
wages. I don't want such a careless
waiter arc.und my place.
Walter What's the matter?
Restaurant Proprietor Why, the gen
tleman ordered sirloin and you served
him porterhouse. '
Waiter Well, we all innke mis-steaks
occasionally.
Then the boss relented. Toledo
Blade.
Why She' an An eel.
Mr. Urban Commuter's wife must
be an earthly angel.
Mrs. Urban Why do you think so?
Mr. Urban He tells me they have
had the same cook for three weeks.
Chicago News.
Matrimonial Joy.
Mrs. Feckein Here's an Invitation
to my cousin's wedding. Will you go?
Peckem No, I hate weddings. I
sometimes wish I hadn't attended my
own.
Pure
la certain if you take Hood's Sarsaparilla.
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Sarsatabs-For those who prefer medicine In tab-
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A Slnxer'a Lung:.
The singer at the end of the practice
aria panted heavily. "I sang one hun
dred and nlnety-slx notes that time,"
he said, "without once taking breath."
"Indeed! Thnt must be a record."
"No. The record Is held by Cour
tlce Pounds. Pounds sang three hun
dred and sixteen notes without respir
ation in 18(18. The record previous to
that was held by Farlnelll, with three
hundred notes. Norman Snhnond has
sung two hundred and eighty-seven
notes in this way. vThe average man
could hardly sing fifty notes without
breathing; to the singer two hundred
would be nothing. Philadelphia Bulle
tin. Refused to Wither Away.
Miss Aseum Jack Hanson Isn't fat,
Is be?
Miss Newltt Not at all; he's quite
graceful and muscular. Why?
Miss Ascum I happened to mention
him to Miss Jilter, and she said : "Oh !
Isn't he disgustingly stout?"
Miss Newitt Ah, yes. She rejected
him some weeks ago and she's mad be
cause he didn't pine away. Philadel
phia Press.
How Colors Affect Mentality.
There are good and evil effects even
In color, not only in the inartistic ar
rangement of them to the trained eye
of an artist, but In plain every-day red
and blue and green, to say nothing of
others.
According to Medical Talk for the
Home, if a person were confined in a
room with purple walls, with no color
but purple around him, by the end of a
month he would be a raving madman.
Scarlet has even worse effects. Blue Is
very depressing; hence "the blues."
Green is quite soothing, and yellow
also has good effects on the vision and
spirits of most people.
A Kins that Brought Death,
Courtship In Spain is regulated by
the strictest etiquette. As Is well
known, a young man is never left
alone with his fiancee. Near Malaga
a beautiful young girl of 20 committed
suicide by drinking a cup of coffee In
which prosphorus had been dissolved.
It appears that the girl had been driv
en to the deed by the adverse com
ments of neighbors who became aware
that she had given her sweetheart a
kiss. London Mall.
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Worms .Convulsions .Feverish
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Facsimile Signature of
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EXACT COPY Of WHARF EH.
Til I U i 1 1 It. Hi1
ii
IjTi
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Blood
Poor Christina Fare,
A delegation of fellow townusmen re
cently called on Rufus K. Ccunbs, of
Midway, Ky., to congratulate him on
the receipt of a Carnegie medal.
As his friends wero taking leave
Mr. Combs, wished them all a merry
Christmas.
"And I hope," he ended, "thnt you'll
have a more bountiful dinner than fell
to the lot of a young friend of mine
last year.
"He, the poor chap, was stopping at a
cheap New York boarding ho,use, and
on Christmas day, after he had eaten
a turkey neck, a potato and a splinter
of sodden mince pie, the landlady said
to him, as he rose Just as the weak
coffee was brought on :
" 'Oh, don't leave thme table, Mr.
Smith.'
" 'I must, madam,' said Smith, grim
ly. 'It's hard wood, and my teeth are
not what they used to be.' "
III Constancy.
A story is told of General Sir Alfred
Ilorsford, who believed In a celibate
army. A soldier once sought his per
mission to marry, saying he bad two
good conduct badges and $25 In the
savings bank. "Well, go away," snld
Sir Alfred, "and If you come back this
day year In the same mind you shall
marry. I'll keep the vacancy." On the
anniverasry the soldier repeated his
request. "But do you really, after a
'year, want to marry?" "Yes, sir, very
much." "Sergeant major, take his
name down. Yes, you may marry. I
never believed there was so much con
stancy In man or woman. Right face.
Quick march!" As the man left the
room, turning his head, he said: "Tank
you, sir. It Isn't the same woman."
An Effective Riddle.
On one occasion when he was busy
President Lincoln received a delega
tion of men who were endeavoring to
hurry the passing of some petty bill.
When they entered Lincoln looked up
gravely, and said:
"If you call the tail of a sheep a
leg, how many legs will the sheep
have?"
"Five," said the spokesman.
"No," replied Lincoln, "it would
only have four. Calling the tall a
leg wouldn't make It one."
The delegation departed In discom
fiture. Sunday Magazine.
it hjiim ii m in jmii
f-"-""-
For Infants and Children.
The Kind You Have
Always Bought
Bears the
Signature-
of
In
Use
For Over
Thirty Years
Bl
thi onnwm ohmnt, mm Ton mr.
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