THE CHARITY' GIRL
By EFFIE A. ROWLANDS
CHAPTER VII.
Eheila Fraser was a lii'Je perturbed
duiing the week that followed as to the
very apparent change that had come over
Jack Glendurwood. He came to Dingle
wood nearly every day, but in an almost
pointed manner he gave her ti understand
that his visits were to Mrs. Fiaser, and
not to herself.
Sue racked her brain to find the real
reason. Was it jealousy of Beverley
Koclu'ort, with whom she oeitainly had
flirted, though very mildly, since he had
coir.e on the scene ; or was it caused by
the knowledge that, as diy after day
went by, the poor Marquis of Iverne's
coi.dition grew worse, and he, John Glen
durwood, would be to a certainty in the
ilea 1 man's place and heir to the dukedom
before many months had elapsed?
The thought of this approa -hlng event,
It need hardly be said, whetted Sheila's
eagerness and intense desire to become
Lord John's acknowledged finncee. She
might worry and think until she was
tired, but she would never sucss the real
reascn of this change, never dream that
it Wfcs her unwomanly cruelty and indif
fen hce to Audrey that had opened Jack's
eyes to her true character, and planted
the first seeds of contempt ia his breast
toward her.
He had got the whole story from Mar
shall, who gleaned it from Audrey, and
certainly Miss Fraser's conduct did not
sound well when her furious temper and
hei virulent abuse of a poor, nervous,
naturally shy creature was detailed in a
calm, collected manner.
y.rs. Fraser knew nothing about her
new maid until Marshall, feeing her so
inuc, better, ventured to tell her, and was
more than repaid for her kind action at
the pleasure her mistress expressed In
having the girl about avt.
As for Audrey herself, she seemed to
be in one long, pleasant dream. Mrs.
Fraser's sweet, low voice and delicate
beauty, her gently uttered thanks and
eom-ideration for the comfct of those
about her was a new and a delightful sen
sation ; Marshall's patience and ready
wili, more than pleasant, and her life so
peaceful and happy that she c.uld hardly
realize it was herself who lived it and not
another.
Mrs. Fraser made no further remark
about Audrey's eyes, nor did she seem to
recognize that vague, curious likeness
that had so startled her. She was still
confined to her room. But she was not
dull: she had plenty of visitors. Miss
Fwser came first thing in the morning
and chatted in a desultory fashion with
her stepmother, and after her came Mrs.
Tlioi ngate, who was welcomed eagerly by
the invalid.
Audrey was never In the room when
the rector's wife called, out she always
not'fed how tenderly Mrs. Fraser spoke
to her when Mrs. Thorngate had gone
away again, and what a flushed, eager
look there was on the w-ia face. At
first Audrey had been afraid to meet Miss
Tra.er, but beyond a frown and a sharp
glance at the girl Sheila said nothing;
she knew better than to object to any
arrangement her stepmother might make.
One afternoon, toward itie end of the
week, Mrs. Fraser sent the girl out for a
Rtilk.
( "You have sat long enough over that
sewing ; a brisk walk will do you good ;
besides, I expect my lawyer down from
London on on important business.
"Are you happy with tue, my child?"
she asked in low tones, a sob sounding
as if it were behind her voice.
"Oh! soso happy!" Audrey cried
kneeling beside her. "I wrote and told
. Jean how good you were lo me, and
heard from her this morni'ig. She says
you must be an angel, und so I think
you are."
"Kiss me," murmured Cmhtance Fras
er, gazing up into the lovnv girlish face
almost hungrily, certainly passionately
Audrey laid her cool lips on those of
the older woman.
"I love you," Bhe whispered, Involun-
tarily.
"My dear! My dear!"
Mrs. Fraser clung to h for a mom'
ent, then with another kiss and a ten
der smile waved her on. .
"It must be true, I feel It here," she
Bnld to herself, as she was alone, and
iihe pressed her hand to her heart. "Oh,
heaven! If this comes to me, how shall
I thank Thee for Thy goni'ness?"
Audrey soon equipped heiself. She no
longer wore the hideous black bonnet,
but a smaller one, with a bripht crimson
ribbon as a relief to her dar't locks. Mrs,
Fraser had sent Marshall into the vil
Inge, and had bought he girl many gar
ments, which provoked wom'er and In
tense pleasure in Audrey's breast. She
could not bring herself to realize that
they were all for her.
It was a bitterly cold day, but Audrey
did not seem to feci it; she planted her
hands In her warm muff, and danced
along, singing gayly to herself from very
exuberance of spirit. J. lie world was
beautiful, after all so her s'mple, child
ish heart determined. She was quite
rich, for she had four good friends
there was her sweet mlstss, and dear
Mrs. Thorngate, and Marshall, and King
Arthur! She did not know which ghe
' liked best. She walked down one of the
secluded paths, and shrank, so she
thought, out of sight as she saw a party
of people coining up from the lake, where
kating was in high swing. Sheila, In
i magnificent sealskin, with a cap to
match, on her ruddy hair, was walking
beside Beverley Rochfort. She looked
bored, as indeed she was, and cross, too,
into the bargain, for there was Jack
still chatting to plain Louisa Everest,
and he had not been near her all the
afternoon.
Sheila did not catch sight of Audrey's
lovely face in among the bushes and
trees, but Beverley did, and his heart
leaped with passionate admiration as he
gazed. He had seen her about three or
four times, and his pulses thrilled to
madness when he even thought of her.
He let his eyes linger on her now, and
then he grew ashen white to his very
lips. Some one else had seen Audrey,
and was going boldly through the bracken
toward her. It was John Glendurwood.
He touched Sheila's arm ; he had soon
fathomed her and her intentions. It
gave him pleasure to tease her, especial
ly since he discovered that her money
would never be shared by him.
"Glendurwood has good taste," he said,
curtly, with a disagreeable .smile.
"I always knew that girl was no good !"
she exclaimed angrily. "What business
has she to talk to my our guests in
this way? It is disgraceful!"
You should blame the guests, not
her. Glendurwood sought her del'berate-
ly; that I can vouch for myself. She
is very beautiful !"
"I do not care to discuss the appear
ance of my servants, Mr. Rochfort," was
Sheila's spiteful remark.
No, nor any other person, servant or
no servant, when they hava a face like
this girl," thought Beverley to himself.
Jack was only asking after Mrs. Fra
ser, but he made no haste to join the
others when he had recilvel an answer.
Instead, he turned and walked beside the
girl as she moved onward.
"Have you nothing to say, Audrey?"
ha asked, after a long pau.
She looked at him in a shy, startled
yet inexpressibly sweet way.
I don't know, my lord,'' she said,
timidly.
They were going away from the beaten
track into a lonely and wider bit of the
grounds. Jack felt that every scrap of
moral courage and worldly wisdom In
which he had been trying to Infold him
self ever since that night in the avenue
was fast vanishing. He had not allow
ed himself to dwell much on Audreys
beauty and unfathomable charms, and
yet, despite himself, he had done nothing
else but think of her, and now, at this
first opportunity of being nlone with her,
he forgot the wide difference that lay be
tween them ; forgot all but that he loved
her. She was so young, so fresh, so
innocent ; her beauty of mind was no less
than her loveliness of face jt:d form.
"Audrey !" he said. He put out both
his hands and held them toward her, the
muff dropped to the ground and her small
fingers nestle into his. "Audrey !" How
sweet her eyes were, how bribiant ! He
shook off the intoxication that was steal
ing over him. "My darling, my little
child!" he said, huskily.
She drew nearer to him and gave a lit
tle glad cry.
"Ah ! You love me," she whispered,
you !"
"Yes, I, my dearest, dearest one ! Did
you not .know it before, Audrey?"
"I knew you were my Lnend, she fal
tered for something in his eyes, bent on
her, made her heart beat and tht blood
mount to her cheeks.
Friend and lover, aye, litt'e one, your
lover till I die. Are you frightened,
Audrey?"
She smiled timidly, and her head
drooped so that he had to catch her
whisper.
"Not frightened, only happy."
With an exclamation of joy he drew
her to him, folded his a.-ms about her
and sought her lips.
He kissed her long and silently, hold
ing her small form close to his heart;
then he lifted his head and smiled down
at her.
"Audrey, do you love me?"
She looked at him out of her blue eyes,
There seemed to be heaven itself mir
rored In their depths, but she made no
answer. Her speech was gone, she was
like one bewildered, yet so very, very
happy. No words could come, only as
he repeated his question she cuing to him
with a passionate gesture and buried her
face on his rough coat. A clock chiming
five roused them.
"I must go !" Audrey cried in surprise
and dismay.
Jack laughed at her eagerness.
"Never mind, we shall soon alter that,
young lady, when you belong to me al
together. What, you will go? Well
then, you must give me another kiss
another! Oh, darling, darling! How
have I lived without you so long?
shall come early to-morrow, my sweet
one, and we will confess all to Mrs. Fra
ser, who will give us her help, I know,
Heaven bless you, my don rest ! Bless
and guard you !"
Audrey smiled through the tears that
would come, and then, turning, ran fleet
ly away.
Jack Glendurwood stood gazing tender
1 after her, all Ignorant that a stealthy
figure In the background was creeping
after hlra as he walked through the
bushes. A smile was hovering on his lipi
when suddenly above his head swung a
heavy, loaded stick, and a it came down
crash on his skull Jack gave a sobbing
cry and fell insensible to the earth.
"I said i d oe even wun you, my
lord, and I've kept my word," muttered
Henry Downs to himself; then, with
many backward glances, he rifled the coat
pockets of all they contained, sbuddored
as he saw the blood trickling down the
white, still face, and dived In among the
bushes and left his victim to his fate.
I
I Mountberry rang with gW.p the fol
lowing day. Lord John Glendurwood
had been found In the Dingle wood
grounds, robbed and ha'.f muulered, and
: Audrey Maxse a charity girl, who had
come to Dinglewood House as maid to
Miss Fraser had turned out to be a
lady born, and none other than the daugh
ter of Mrs. Fraser by a previous mar
riage. This extraordinary piece of news seem
ed to give good Mrs. Thorngate unlimited
satisfaction, and she poured out tho whol
story to her nephew as they sat togethei
' in her cozy drawing room.
i There was a smile and look of eager
ness on Beverley's handsome face as ho
, listened.
"Ah!" he said to himself, "nothing
' could be better. I must see .lose lnwyei
I chaps to-morrow, and "nea I think 1
shall have everything cut and dried foi
my plans. I don't think Lord Jack Glen
durwood will stand much chance agn-inst
me in the future. I hold trump cards,
and I mean to hold them. lie has kick
ed me into the dirt, and put his foot on
me. If he thinks I have forgotten that,
he is mistaken. He loves this girl, but
he shall never marry her. T love her"
how his dark eyes flamed "and I swear
she shall be my wife !"
CIIAFTER VIII.
The story that Audrey hoard from her
mother's lips was a short and pitiful one
a story full of a womnn's misery, a
man's treachery, and a husband's broken
heart. v
Years before, when Constance Gas
coigne was a girl of nineteen, and had
just made her debut in tho world, she
went to stay with a half-sister of her
mother's, down in a small country vil
lage. The aunt with whjin Constance
,tn.rnr1 T n yl K k,J tnrA etna
one following no occupation, the other
a voune officer In a crack arsaoon reel-1
ment, and with this cousin the beautiful
oung girl fell most violently in love.
He on his side returned the love with
more than usual fervor. Constance was,
in his eyes, the most beimtiful, the sweet
est, the dearest woman in all the world.
For a month the lovers lived in a pnra-
ise; when suddenly an abrupt ending
came to the all too brief halcyon time.
'rank's regiment was ordered to Bur-
mah ; they were to leave In a fortnight.
What was to be done? Lady Ans-
truther, already an invalid, was dis
traught at the thought of losing her
youngest and best-beloved son. Her
heart's best love was given to Frank,
lthough by no outward sign did she ever
allow the world to guess that he was
dearer to her than her eldest, Roderick.
She was in no condition to be worried,
and that there would be no end of worry
connected with their engagement the
lovers knew full well. Sir Edwin Gas-
coigne would never consent to his daugh
ter's marriage with a man who had noth
ing to depend upon except his pay, and
who was, moreover, the son of a man
whom Sir Edward had always hated. It
was not a moment for delay, and Frank,
full of eager desire to bind his darling to
him, determined to make her his wife
before the day of his departure came.
When once we are married, my dear
est," he had urged, "not all the objec
tions in the world can part us for long.
You do not mind roughing it with me,
I know, and if Sir Edwin is very, very
angry, you can stay with mother till I
have made all my arrangements for you
to follow me out to Burmah."
His entreaties, his passionate plead
ings won the day, and Constance con
sented to become his wife. They would
have taken Roderick into their confidence
had he given them the opportunity ; but
Frank's brother had gone away almost
Immediately on Constance's arrival
had, indeed, shunned meeting the girl
in such a marked manner that Con
stance had felt vaguely hurt
I am afraid Roderick does not like
me," she had said to her lover ; but Frank
laughed the idea to scorn.
Roderick is a queer, odd sort of
chap," he had answered; "but I'll stake
my existence that "his feelings for you
are not anything approaching dislike."
You are so much alike In face, and
yet you are so different In nature," Con
stance often said, gazing with admiring
eyes at her lover.
The two men were, indeed, strangely
alike.. Both had coal-black hair, and
clear skins, and eyes of the deepest, rar
est blue. There was barely a year be
tween them, and in height, figure and
general bearing they were the fac-simile
of each other.
They were married quietly one morn
ing, the only witness to the ceremony
being Marshall and the village clerk, and
then, after a week of mingled ecstasy
and unutterable pain at the thought of
their forthcoming separation, the young
couple parted, Constance to return home
tD her father's house, her wedding ring
suspended round her neck till the moment
was opportune for speaking out her story,
and Frank to make his final arrange
ments. They had one farewell meeting, In
which Frank sought to cheer and consolo
his young wife by every means In his
power. He told her he had written full
particulars of their marriage to Roder
ick, and begged her to confide In his
brother, who had promised to do all In
his power to assist them.
"Bear up, my darling," he had entreat
ed; "In six months from to-day, please
heaven, you will be with me, and never
leave my side again as long as life lasts.
It your father is obgdurate well, we
must do without his forgiveness. Kiss
me once more, my wife, my heart's be
loved, and remember, dearest, whatever
comes, trust In Roderick.
(To be continued.)
Constant complaints never get pity,
From the German.
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Snrnntaha For those who tirnfor medicine
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Newspaper Nicknames In London.
Judge Bontoul's reference on tho
bench to the Times as the "Thunderer"
reminds ua how remarkably this nick
name has persisted. The Morning Tost
is no longer "Jennies"; the Standard
has not been "Mrs. On mi)" since the de
cense of the Morning Herald the ".Mrs.
Hnrrls" to whom it would nllude n in
Independent authority. But the Times
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name to Cant. Edward Sterling, who hearted neighbor screamed at the top
Is snld to have begun a Times' article
with the words: "We thundered forth
the other day an article on the subject
of social and political reform." Lon
don Daily Chronicle.
Lltards' Tnlla.
Certain lizards are remarkablo for
the fragility of their tails, although
tuls weakness Is not always the draw-
back that may De imagined
The dia
mond tailed gecko, for Instance, fre
quently owes Its existence to the readi
ness with which Its caudal appendage
can be snapped off. This reptile, which
will perch upon a rock head downward
and tall In the air, Is liable to be preyed
upon by hawks. One of these formid
able birds will swoop down upon a
lizard and seize what it takes to be the
head, but Is really ttie tall. The brittle
tall snaps off, and the gecko wriggles
away, not much the worse, to grow an
other. Precautionary Ventilation.
The man who entered the smoking car
of the elevated train at Forty-third street
strode to the rear end and opened the
doors.
Then he went half way back, sat down
and lighted a cigar.
An Icy gale blew through the car, and
two or three men startled for the rear
doors for the purpose of closing them.
"Wait a few moments, gentlemen," said
the passenger sitting next to the new
comer. "This man knew what kind of a
cigar ho was going to smoke a great ileal
better than we did." Chicago Tribune.
The Mmlt.
Jim Gruot is terribly absent-minded.1
Jack I should say so. I've known
him to telephone to his oflice and ask
if he was In.
Absolutely Neceaaary,
Chicago Judge Wait a minute.
Where Is the court Interpreter?
Attorney The witness Is an Ameri
can, your Honor. Why Is it necessary
to have the Interpreter?
Chicago Judge Because the witness
Is from Boston.
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SVfledicine
Mrs. J. F, flee, (SO Ooulil Htreet, Htonoham,
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Croon 1'arpoaea.
Marshall Wilder tells of an elderly
lady In Colioes, who, besides lier deaf
ness, experienced much trouble with
false teeth. Consequently she was
disposed to regard this world as a
vale of tears. A neighbor, passing her
house one day, behold the lady sitting
nt the window, wearing an expression
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of her voice:
"Good morning, Mrs. Blank.
Fine
weather we're having."
"Yes," replied the elderly lady, "but
I can't eat with 'ein ylt."
Experience aa a Teacher.
"The way to get a thing done proper
ly," remarked the home-grown philoso
pher, "Is to do It yourself."
"That's where you go lame," rejoin
ed the man with the absent hair. "The
proper way Is to let your wife do it
then she can't say 'I told you so.' "
Remedy for Exceaa In Ent In.
A hint to those who may thought
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Not a Single Stone Hat Formed
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