-
H
1
Ihc ifc's Secret,
OR A BITTER RECKONING
By CHARLOTTE M. BRAEMB
CIIAPTER IX.
For some reason Pauline Mailing was
In a Tt-ry irritable state of mind. Per
haps she was regretting the moment's
impulse th.,t had prompted her to ac
cept a name ta 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 subd.ied 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 be 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 iu 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 not
intend to speak; but, as you have noticed
my sorrow, I will make bold to tell yu
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
Boulojme and back to see the poor little
fellow I"
"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
your pleasure? You are too high a lady
to trouble yourself with your servants'
affairs; but perhaps they will trouble
themselves with 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 inteuse 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 np
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 tue drawing room to
make his peace for being late.
Babette had her quiot cup of tea with
Mrs. Perkins, and, with a plentiful shed
diug of tears, wrote to the woman who
hud 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 U by tne
red seal as the one Jack had had in his
hand when he passed her in the gallery,
and stood translixed with surprise as she
read the address.
"The address of that pretty demoiselle
that I followed lmme 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
Dorutou, does she not ask him, instead
of setting me to follow her like a po
liceman? I shall have that to find out!"
"Babette, I want you," Mrs. Perkins
called from the door that shut off the
servants' quarters.
Something in the voice, some subtle
touch of sympathy, struck Babette's
quick ear. She turned so Bharply 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
ing and unreasonable creature; she did
not stop to consider that she could not
have reached the child even If Paulina
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 Mall
lug'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 struggl.ng to preserve her
usual composure all through the break
fast time.
Jack Dornton had not intended to be
cruel when he wrote; but alter destroy
ing a dozen sheets of paper in his des.re
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
discover her yonng mistress" secret; and
at this time she showed great interest
in Mrs. Perkins' gossip about the family
hoping to glean some scrap of informa
tion that mijht be of use to her in fur
thering her revengeful purpose.
"And if mademoiselle had married
against the wishes of Milord Summers,
or without bis consent she would have
lost the whole estate?" she asked, one
eveni.ig in August as she aipped her tea
leisurely.
"Yes, If she did so before she was
twenty-five; but after her twenty-fifth
birthday she wiu 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 air. 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 he 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. lie is as proud as any
of the family, and, when his brother
what he had written:
"My Dear Ethel 1 should not have told him never to come near the place
had the courage to do as you have done; again, he put on his hat without one
but perhaps you are right as indeed you
always are. For the future will you
allow me to consider myself
"Your faithiul friend,
"JOHN DOUNTON?"
"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 a nou vinous
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 ber
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
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!"
II er face glowed with savage satis
faction at the bare thought of so com
plete a revenge. She left her seat by the
CATAHMSi
Catarrh is usually regarded as nothing more serious than a bad cold or
slight inflammation of the inner skin and tissues of the head and throat,
when it is, in fact, not only a vexations and troublesome disease, but a com
plicated and dangerous 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 ha3 more annoying and disgustin g symp
toms than any other disease. There is a sickening and offensive discharge
from the nostrils, a constant buzzin 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
ou the tender linings and tissues, causing the inflammation which starts
the unhealthy secretions to be ab- . . . .
, , , ,, -i i j vim .i. vi Several years aro my blood jraa be
Sorbed by the blood. When the blood and I had in addition a dreadful ease of
hwotnea 1iMSPfl witTi tV, a catarrhal Catarrtt. AiT nose wu aioppio. up, i
had headaches, ring-in noises ia my
ears and felt unfit for work. X com
menced the us of S. S. B. on the recom
mendation of a. friend, and in a. short
time it eared me sound and wall. It pat
my blood in rood condition and X have
never had the alia-htest return of the)
Catarrh ainoe that time.
GEO. D. CARK,
No. 209 Edsar St. Evansville, Ind.
of it on the lawns at the Wigwam that t,ay wiudoirbf Pauline's dressing room,
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 Felling was dis
appointed. He had expected a letter
either from Ethel or Mr. Mallett that
morning, to settle their 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. Felling had the reins In his hand
and his foot ou the step, when he noticed
a telegraph boy coming toward the house.
He waited a moment les, it was for
him!
"From Geoffrey Mallett, Buckingham
street, Bloomsbury, to Captain Felling,
The Wigwam, Wimbledon. Shall be with
matter all kinds of com plications 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 Kidnevs.
Bladder and other members of the body, while the general health is weak
ened, appetite lost and the patient feel3 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 than before. S. S. S. is the greatest of
all blood purifiers, and when it has cleansed the blood, this pure, rich stream
circulates through the body, carrying healthful properties to the diseased
parts. Then the inflamed membranes and tissues begin to 'heal, the dis
charges cease, the general condition or
the system is strengthened, every one
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
ease permanently, and at the same time builds up the entire system by its fina
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. THZ SWIFT SPECIFIC CO., ATLANTA, GA
rv3 i
ns3 i
PURELY VEGETABLE.
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 her 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 you 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
Her Miserable 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 la married.
European Breakfasts.
Mark Twain, in speaking of the typi
cal European breakfasts, said: "Do
yon know what I'll do? I'll rail a
piece of cuttle-fish bone to the chim
ney, and every morning I'll hop np on
the mantel and take a pick at it with
a tin bill. It will be just as filling
and much cheaper than a European
breakfast
It ia evident that Mr. Clemens pre
fers the typical American breakfast
dish of Plllabury'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.
Everything Limited.
The old farmer went to one end of
the swaying coach to wash his hands.
He could find only a few remnants of
soap. "Boy," he drawled, "there don't
seem to be much soap here?"
"No, Bah," chuckled the porter, "yon
know dls is de limited. Ebbything
abohd am limited."
Then the old man tried to fill a
glass 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.
you at 2 o'clock to-morrow. Get sketches lerr n1 aown tne stairs. Then her
in inspection order."
And the man of thirty felt a lad again
In his light-hearteduess, as he sent his
handsome bays along the road.
CIIAPTER X.
Jack'a 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 Mailings
sudden fit of unworldliness. Straneelv
enough, Babette, with all her sharpness I to Its
was one or the last to near or her mis tlons?"
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
for soma clew that would he'n her to
expression changed from strained atten
tion to vivid triumph. She threw her
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'i
large, desk.
"At last!" she whispered, as the lock
of the desk flew bacr.
(To h mntlnned.
Jnst Resentment.
You say your beard began to grow
when you were 10," remarked the vis
itor at the dime museum. "May I ask
how long it has taken you to bring It
present magnificent I propor-
"Slr," said the Bearded Lady, Justly
incensed, "you are the first man that
has ever dared to ask my age!" Cbi
cago Tribune.
Artful Dodger.
He Then I may hope?
She Well, you may ask papa,
He Impossible.
She Why do you say that?
He Because I haven't been able to
get light of him since I loaned him $10
before Chrlatmaa,
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
at Is Quite another.
No Itubem'e 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 hia wife's
dressmaker, he's fast losing it in ilka."
Detroit Free Press.
c
3
r iiMtii VviWn-n:V
The Kind You Have Always Bouirht ha hnmn ci na
ture of Chas. II. Fletcher, and lias been made under his
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 CASTORIA
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 Fcverisliness. It cures Diarrhoea and Wind
y,1 r,elieves Teething: 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 Hp Always Bought
Uears tne Signature of
In Use For Over 30 Years
TMt OIHTU eOMMMV. TT MURRAY imn, HIW YORK OITY.