,?zy
v r
t
I
)
i
i i
i)N THE BRIDCE.
ffltn 1 U!l j oil, my only friend, to
cvlu!u ' so rarely write ami whom 1
more rarely see, liiat my lonely life has
not been without love for woman, you
and sighing, I would murmur inaud-
ibly;
"This is one of the bad Sund lys?"
There came a time when every Sun
day was a bad one.
What made me love this woman?
will perhaps laorji or doubt . .simply the unmistakable completeness
-What:- you w ill say; -that gaunt ol and constancy of her devotion to her
v.ier .a uis amc, wuu ins, ooos, ..is UUsband-the absorption of the woman
iucchvo ana niKUuee uo.ver pots: jie iu the wife Had the strange ways Of
ouiu not Know mat mere is sucu ( cuance ever maJe kno.Q to her Qy
a word as loe did lie not encounter it . frt.iino. ,- -,. c.,. ,,r,pi tr,.,n ti,t
devotion even to render nie back love
for love, then my own adoration for
her would surely have departed.
returned. Then my heart would sink, I Terrible r.xpcrieme .f a IMe.ih- j ,((EMRIC HEIRESS.
aow and then in his reading."
True, I have divided my days be
Wfeii the books in a rich man's count,
ijj room and those in my attic. True,
jrai. 1 have never been more tlian
CMa-eiy passable to look at, even iu my
test days.
Vet I have loved a woman.
Dunn? the live vears when my elder
brother lay in the hospital across the
river where lie died, it was my custom
to visit him every undav. I enjoyed
. the afternoon walk to the suburbs,
"whtre tlie air lias more of nature in it
especially that jortioij of the walk
which lay upon the bridge. More life
thn was iHiial upon the bridge moved
there on Sunday. Then the cars were
erowdtd with people seeking the parks
.Many crossed on foot, stopping to look
uliy down a', the dark and fcluggisu
water.
Out afternoon, as I stood thus lean
ting ovx the parapet, the sound of a
votuau's gentle laugh caused me to
turn and ocularly inquire its source
The woman and a man were approach
tog. At the side of the woman walked
oberly a handsome dog a collie.
There was that in their appearance and
naiuier which plainly told me that
tly were husband and wife, of the
Middle class, intelligent but poor, out
far a stroll. That they weie quite de'
voted to each other was easily discover"
al-a.
Tlie man looked about thirty years
f age, was tall, s!en r and with naith.
r strong nor handsome, but amiable
fac. He was doubtless a clerk fit to
'be somethihg better.
2 i woman was perhaps twenty-four.
Islie .a not quite beautiful, yet she
as more than pretty. She was of
guod size and figure; and the short
kkuii coat that she wore, and the man
airin which she kept her hands thrust
'aitiie pockets tliereof, gave to her a
-tfeantless air which the quiet and affec
N rjotiale expression of her face softened.
She was a brunette, her eyes being
luxe and distinctly dark brown, her
' having that "peculiar complexion
trfiich is most quickly affected by any
sSosijje in health.
The color of her cheeks, the dark rim
-odr her eyes and other indefinable
tji!-. ivdicatud some medical ailment.
tjie c.vtlc glance that 1 had of that
yii- v.l: the woman was smiling, a
tixiz of p. y came over me. 1 have
A-ve, i.evi r detected the exact cause of
iittt emotion. l'l iLas in the woman's
twe I read the trace of past bodily and
fe'-utal suffering; perhaps a subile
-rk that death had already set there.
J!keitlier the woman nor her husband
:ucednieas th-'jr passe 1. The dog
'marded me cautiously from the corner
Iiis eye. 1 prukvbly would never
Aave thougiit of the three again had 1
t seen them upon the bridge, under
exactly the same circumstances on the
stl?uiidiiy,
Sotbese young and then happy peo
'pie walked here every Sunday, I
TJjought. 1 his, iierhaps, was n event
Io 1 forward to throughout the week.
T.'ie Ixisband, doubtless, was kept a
-isoi:er and slave at his desk from
-Aloeday morning until Saturday night,
witlirespit.' onlv for eating and sleep-
Such cases are common, even
fl'iiliiiple who can think and who
-'iiiave some taste for luxury, and who
are not devoid of love for the beautiful,
The sight of happiness which exi3 s
despite the cruelly of fate and man
jtLhich is temporarily unconscious
vf its own liability to interruption and
'exJinctk :, invariably fills me withsad
ess And the sadness which arose at
heontemplation of these two beings
Cjegatinme a strange sympathy for
-widUti teres t in them. '
- On Simdays thereafter I would go
varly to the bridge and wait until they
timmedj for it proved that this was their
-habttcikl. -Sunday walk. Sometimes
' t toy would piuisc and join those who
i fazed, down at the black river. 1
would now and again, resume my jour.
'' untoward the hospital while they
' 61astoad, and 1'would look back from
- au&tavce. 'J lie bridge would then ap-
i to-iue an abrupt ascent, rising to
'-bkt!e city, and 'heir two figures
'would, stand out against the ba k.
ground
t Htlfcecanie a rr.a'Jer of care to me to
otaerve each Sunday whether the
1 e, I loved her if to fill one's life
with thoughts of woman, if in fancy
to see her face, by day and night, if to
have the will to die for her or to bear
pain for her if these and many mora
things mean love.
My richest joy was to see her content
with her husband, and the darkest woe
of my life wiu to anticipate the termi
nation of their happiness.
So the ! undays passed. One af ter
noonl waited until almost dink, yet
the couple did not appear.
For seven Sundays in succession I
I did not meet them upon their wonted
walk.
On the eighth Sunday 1 saw the doj
first, then the man. The latter was
looking over the railing. The woman
was not with him. Apprehensively 1
sought with my eyes his lace. Much
grief and loneliness were depicted
there.
Was he or I the greater mourner ? I
wonder.
I suppose two years passed after that
day ere 1 again beheld the widower
whose name I no not and probably
never shall know upon the bridge.
The dog was not .with him this time
It was a fine sunny afternoon in May.
Grief was no longer iu his face. By
his side was a very pretty, animated,
rosy little woman whom 1 had never
seen before. They walked oiose to
each other, and she looked wub. the
utmost tenderness into his face. She
evidently was not yet accustomed to
the wedditg rii'g which I observed up
onher finger.
I think that tears came to my eyes
at this sight. Those great brown eyes
the plish sack, the lovely face that had
borne the impress of sorrow and so
speedily had felt death these might
never have existed so goon had they
been forgotten by the one being In the
world for whom that face had worn
the aspect of a perfect love.
Yet one upon whom those eyes never
rested has remembered. And surely
the memory of her is mine to wed,
since he whose right it was to cherish
it, had allowed himself to be divorced
from it in so brief a time.
The memory of her is with me al
ls ays, fills my soul, beautifies my life
makes green and radient this existence
which all who know me think cold,
bleak, empty repellent.
You will not laugh then, my friend,
when 1 tell you that love is not to me a
thing unknown.
So runs a part of the last letter to my
father that the old bookkeeper ever
wrote. K. X. S. in Philadelphia.
ure I'arty
A small fishing schooner has just n -turned
froui a trip along the coast
aud.brought with it a ir'v of father.
sou and daughter, who had an exiwr:-, si olJ'
ence w hich rarely fails to the lot ot any
one.
The party is William Kuchannn. His
son Tom, and his daughter Xellie. .e
weeks ago they started on a e
along the coast in a small yacht, ti, ma
a pleasure trip They were pro-.i.-d
with guns, ammunition and fi ing
tackle, and expected to have a t rt.
night's sport and then return east
Miss Xellie was an expert with the
gun and rod as either her father or
brother, and all three were good sailors
About sixty miles south a small squall
drove their yacht out to sea and wreck
ed the vessel on one of the small
slands about twenty miles off the
coast.
Mr Ilucbanan was badly bruised by
being dashed against the rocks, and
Tom had his right arm broken in a
similar way. Miss Xellib was the only
one of the party who received no in
jury, and it is to this fact alone tint
any of .hem are alive. The guns, am
munition and fishing tackle were i L
saved, and Miss Xellie cared for her
wounded relatives and then started oui
to get them romething to eat. The
island is out of the way of travel, ano
in consequence not a vessel was seen
for tw weeks. During all this time
the young lady hunted and fished, ami
was so successfsl that they did not
pass one day without food.
The bland is so fiat and barren that
uidess a ve sel gets close to it the peo
ple on board cannot see it They could
not use the little wood they found loi
signal fires, for they were afraid iher
would not be enough to serve for cook
ing their food.- A storm had sent the u
on the island, and a similar occurrence
saved them, for the fishing schooner
had been driven off the shore aul ou
of her course, and when tho captrin
aw the island he sent a boat ashore to
see if he could get water.
Mr. liuchanau had by this time fully
recovered, but the son was still suffer
ing from his broken arm. They were
t iken off and brought to this city, and
are now feeling none the worse for
their experience, except Tom, whose
arm is in bad c itiditiou from neglect
of proper treatment during the two
weeks of suffering. Tacoma (Wash )
Cor. Philadelphia Press.
(jut the hug brown level f th
laulseai-e tLepi.k coats made vivid
The ms up-wlea Ci'U' i""-
i here iii.d theie, gmng
liver lames of shining li?'.'t-
nasasea wind at large, but it
ediate spaces
of
ere
was
of
--h told me that she
wii' ed to her lawyer and her guar
.! ..., t, i.mvtiiio trailed. "Vou
know she is a creature of nnxnU.
K.-ll well did Twin l.every know
l .id m ev. r see c!ee:!y how one stood
hler'' He departid crestfallen
s..,. ..r.iK. ftiniiiif. She had seemd
koii.etinas to like him well- very well
ai dshenas certainly a very hand
some cirl. and he. well, he was un
with her. and there
w as the money! 1 1 Hj peared outrage
oi.sto the young man, hse own
1 . t...
was lesa ami'ie m "r
iinncred Iv iliteriiu-
vtiidbur and of dead stretch ot meadow
jjrat.9, slinvlcd and dry.
The hunt was over. The wind blew
un ii.ure keelilv.
. . ..... . ... " ...i.i i,f i iit.tri'iioLV
yZ7:, Ul ha. wished M:u:;l3
ideiL hohad managed tokeep near and a stn, ing . .uulJ ha e i he td
her from start to fimsh. fortunate such wealth
we had a capital day There 11 be rain rid
. ... . ... . ui
tomorrow. . . !..-'. .....ino
tie remarks to J om Jieerj iu ". r-
whether the tutor eiersaw mncn
of
"Must be rati er rough ou the poor
Nothniz oricinal in
liut then whv exiect originaliry
Thomas shington Ilevery was a good, his plil sister.
,,, ..... II, ul,r s:it Till niOUlit WtJ
,w.UB ..it.. ... ..n"'
and was quite fauitieess in the matter ( map n ns ithu.. ....
,.f. ,t m.t. nail, and hands! It as a week later, and Miss Urock
.. ., ... m .u ' ton u as r.iit onlv at home this time
ailu ikiois. iiai more couiu one .
but had been Sitting witn .Mr. ievery
for nearly an hour.
Then l.:u! now fallen over the room
Fir.;otten ..c Had Ajreil.
"Men who are approaching old ace
are the victims of many delusions,"
said an oilicer of the Seventh cavalry
to a St. Louis Iicnublic man ,"but the
greatest self-deception of which he is.
guilty generally lies in the faith he
The Health of New York.
Wealthy Men.
With Jay Gould sick with the neural
gia, ('. P. Huntington out of sorts with
malaria and rheumatism, and John 1).
Rockfeller under treatment for nervous
prostration, it is not to ue ruaneled a!
that Wall street men ask," Are our
great financiers breaking down:''
Within the past six months the respec.
live presidents of two big trust com
panies have been r.dvised that they
must either abstain from business cues
or retire from ssH association wjili cum
mon humanity. ' he past year has in
deed Leeii a tryiifg period fir tie
nerves of great financiers. They have
had to battle energetically with adve.-M
ciru instances, and very lew l ave ioiih
out of the struggle Willi unhii a.ni
health.
Cornelius Valid rUlt, 1. O. Mil.
and 1 Missel Sae are conspicuous ex
captions to ti.e general physical di
inor.tiization of rich men. Mr Va.ider
bdt is not a very methodical man, hu
liut Miss (leraldme lirockton ap
peared to lmve an atiiiude vi asking
the absurd, the impossible. Had she
not owned a million in Lrr own right,
such peculiarities as hers - such things
would really have seemed in question
able form. She was even . 8 unsizahle
at every point as those long rays of silver-white
light thai filtered through
the clouds and melted and were gone
again as you looked. Here, a few mo
ments ago, with the glai blood in her
cheeks caused by the rapid motion, she
had seemed vivid, animated, plea.d
with herself, and with her companion
perhaps. And low the latter had
simply uttered a word or two in a softer
strain she had stiffened and frozen,
abruptly, unapproachably.
"D the whims f worreu!" said
Thomas Ashingtou Kevery to himself
"How is ohe to make headway with
such a girl as this?''
When Miss lirockton had dismount
ed at her own door she went straight
into the pretty room where she saw
her chaproue, relative and companion,
Mrs. G wynue, making lea.
This lady glanced up, caught the
look iu the girl's eye and said;
"What h.is Mr, llevery been doing'''
"Doing?" Miss lJrocktou's magnili
cent ej es lla.sl.ed fire. ' Do you sup
pose 1 care what that creature does?"
"'If you don t care for him he cares
for you."
a heavy silence. It lasted only a few
seconds, but the pause seemed an end
less one. Miss l'.rockton had risen
Rinlilenlv and was standing w ith an
elbow against the mantle. As lie'
visitor seemed helpless to fumble for
the, fitting word, she reneated a little
o
nervous!':
'I am sorry -very sorry -for this
misundersUndiiifi. Jtut I cannot
marry you, Mr. llevery. 1 shall never
marry at alL"
At this unlikely statement the suitor
regained courage.
' Miss Urocton! l.'eraldine!"'
"Xo; it is Improbable that I should
ever marry. Of course, many men
might be tet pted to propose to ni
thinking me rich. Jiut my property
will a hjii by rny own desire, be bo dis
posed of that I shall have only a mod
erate income. Kvei should I marry
my w ill is so made that nothing I have
in case of my death, would go to my
husband, royoti see such consider
ations may act as deterrents.
'Miss lirockton, you you cannot
think, it is not pos-iihle that you would
believe me-" lievery was turning In
rapid succession, from red to whte.
from white to red. The girl pitied hi
discomfiture.
"Not at all, Mr. llevery. I Buspect
rornie! Gernldine laughed with you of no interested motives, liut I do
ineffable scorn. "'or my money, you not care for you- In the way you menu.''
feels that the buoyancy and vigor of he has so many cotnptent lieutenants
youth are still upon him. An exam pie i in the management of his vast proper;)
of this kind of blind confidence and its that he does not ft el the wear and lea.
inevitable result was presented tle
other evening down at Jeff rson bar
racks, where I hive been doing duty
lately. An effort to establish a gym.
nasium at the barracks bore fruit hut
week in fitting up a muscle-developing
a:id neck-breaking apparatus, and
since then the recruits have been happy
while the consumption of lotions and
linements h s caused the medical de
partment to look concerned. Among
the oflicers stationed at the barracks is
one old fellow was said to be a gym
nastic fiend at West Point, but who, up
to last Monday, had not grasped a bar
or turned a "ilipflap" in twenty years
lie was still full of confidence, thought"
(hat he could repeat the feats of his
youth on live minutes' notice nnd all
the time they were fitting up the gym
nasium he kept promising his brother
oflicers a dollar's worth of circus fun
at the first exhibition. He gave.them
more fun than he had bargained for
The first evening after ths gymnasium
was finished he amazed the garrison by
appearing in athletic dress and turning
back hand-springs around the room
like a verata'jle Cesar of the sawdust.
Then he hitched the spring-board into
place and pel formed a decidely vigor
ous, but some " lint angular, somer
beaitb of either had va.'i 'd during t. e
f1. iMWUHillg ivfglr v,rtm liltatiaml alivm-S
& ' . in fl.fcir mnlca Thfl nffl.r
iaad fliat infrequently, liut the fltictua-
' fcioM of the woman, as indicated by
1 isomplfxioiv gait, expression and other
Mtoepxere numerous and pronounced.
1 Often she Ixiked brighter and more
filiation the preceding Sunday.
mould be then rounded out,
Iml dark crescents beneath her
Mulct be lees marked. Then 1
b myself elated. .
i)mt on U next Sunday the cheeks
knotted lifbtfy. the healthy luster
IUm cyiud (riven away to an omi
Mftow;tb warning of death had
Jumtme
wanted
him to try one at first, but he insisted
on having three, declaring that he
would start with that number and in
crease to ten, as he used to do at West
Point Two and a halt was bis limit,
but he didn't know It until it was too
late, and now he is under treatment by
the surgeon for a dislocation of the
shoulder, a fracture of the pelvis and
for innumerable contusions of the per
son where the last mule walked upon
him after be roiled beneath -tr. He doee
not believe that he is young auymore,
and when gymnastic an dlicessd at
hla bedside he looks pained and avfuees
to Join in Uw eoBTanathm.
of ti.e crdiuary man of millions, lie
sides, Mr. Yauderbiit pr"bab y givii
himself more res: and recreation tliai,
any other millionaire in this country
He never bothers about details. Mr
Depew relieves him of those, and iir.
Dejiew lias well trained assistants who
relieved him from worry. I). O. Milh
retains good health because he lias i
"ugged constitution and a i lac-id dis
position. Pussel Sage is seldom sick
becouse he caiuiot afford to spare lime
Xew York Times.
im-aii:
So that was the trouble again. Mrs.
'Iwyniie had iwnvivcJ at once that the
girl was in one of her ''moods."
"1 Ktmll advise you, (eraldir,
fid yourself ot that prepossession
jours, i ou have grown morbid on
t.'ie subject. You are quite capable of
being liked for yourself, even if you
are au heiress, lie re ison.it)ie. 1 sup.
pose you are not prepared to be an old
maid'.' Then Jon't ak toj much of
men."
GeralJine looked at her.
''1 hate my money!" she sai 1 with a
slow, vibrant intensity. "I hate it!"
"You would hate mure being with
out it," observed i.rs. Gwynne, sip
ping her tea.
1'ive minutes afterward she was sit
ting by tlie fire, alone, a scornful smile
on her lips that faded away and into a
Nigh. Some one came iu at the d)r as
lo, -she sat there, but turned ngaln retreat"
oMiu. At the sound Gerahline glanced
spirit seemed to posset Ji-
on, iroading her to abrupt d W
Ah, Aunt Martha! 1 woi.d m
be surnrised too. at mv t, .
": it
marl an flnnminam...
made au
stricken two men dumb with
mfitf alrafv 1 nil ,.
- ' i' h ii ( .
seem so strinire. doe itv a(
jir...
4'nUh.
Mr.
' ttoo
trail ge, mJ
oirf
arouiiij.
' Don't go, N'r. Severn; let me tell you
of an interview I have Just hud."
Mie had started to her feet again, and
stood iu the altitude she had assumed a
little b"fore, with her arms resting o;i
the chimney top. Dusk was coming on
and the room was lit a penumbra, save
lor the firelight. These leaping flames
illuminated the face above them. Such
a face! Arthur Severn felt di.y for a
moment. lie had never seen her look
l.ke that. She hud never flashed that
l ou tinriK so." said the girl coldly, smile, thateyebeam upon him. Hie
"You are mistaken!'
She paused abruptly,
burst into the room, f.
Geral
a little
How
ItiiMHway Charges iu Finnic
The etiquette of French law nuis
sometimes take the flavor of an uu
welcome surprise to lately expoile.
brides. Xot long ago the Countess il
la Forest Devo:ine, formerly Florenw
Audenreid, of Washington, was driv
ing io the lSois de Boulogne with hei
eousin, Mr?. Harrvm Caner, unothe.
bride from 1'nili.lphia, when hei
horses suddenly took lright and run
away without hurJng anybody serious
ly or doing percepitable damage. Witl.
characteristic promptness, however, t.
government ollicial called and laid be
fore the countess a bill for damages
The official documeut stated that soon
injury had been done to the barks o
the trees ard some little confusion o
roJay and bordering grass had bee;
cSnaed by her horses.
Well, this seemed rather amusing tL
an American, but when bills for dam
ages to Ave different carriages came in
the countess began to get anxious, ai,'
consulted her checkbook with a grow
ing interest and much wonderment a;
to whether there would be enough left
of her yearly income for necessary ex
peneea. Furthermore, she has no Idea
when the demand will atop or how
many more ancient and decrept vehicle
will come out aa good as new at her ei-
new i urn 1 unco.
young man tall and dark. This was
Eddie, Miss Brockton's brother and
pet, and his tutor.' The boy began to
chatter away to his sister, but the
tutor presently said :
"Come, my hoy."
"Shall I give you a cup of tea, Mr.
Severn?" said Mrs. (j wynue.
"Thank yon; no."
lie was gone with the bey.
dine had not spoken. After
3he laughed.
"What a model tutor he is!
well he keeps his place!"
Mrs. Gwy line flushed angrily.
"1 wonder at ion, Geraldiue! There
are times when you seem lacking not
only in feeling but in good taste! Mr.
levern is a gentleman-a scholar! More
of a gentleman and undoubtedly more
oi aomoMi man any u Wynne or Brock -ton,
perhaps!"
Geraldiue turned a little pale,
"How very cutting. How you take
Mr. Severn's part! Happy Mr. Severn"'
Then, abruptly, without warning of
any sort, she bridged the space between
herself and the little Moorish stand
and Mrs. Gwynne, in deep surprise'
felt the convulsive clasp of two young
arms about her neck.
"Oh. Aunt Martha! Aunt Martha'
Don't mind me! Don't scold me' Il
I am unhappy! And in doubt I
so tossed about! So so "
-Wby-why-Geraldine!
Tint l.a -t .. . ,
'"o ol"' ui or mat tihns r,t
ai least naa passed already,
dine drew herself up. She
teeth; her lips
"But I shall not b- anv longer- t
reaolved! I shall know what to exDecf "
iter eyes shone, a briliif
a . own,
iihiiou over me traces of tiar
opened the door and vanished
nnen j nomas A shin
Cthenextday.Mr,. (w 'nn7':
utHlnul 4 .11. . ' -
' IBII II III
Brockton had gone to town
-nnati already? Sh toi.i .
2Ssd,oreni'ln out until - 21
lier
wisp
i had never addressed him iu that friend
A lad had! ly jes ingtoivi. She was suddenly all
owe. I by a life, all softness, all charm, 'he seemed
io nun io aione lor lier sill4in-ss,
arrogance. What a will o' the '
1 .....t ! r.. ,. ,
one ..,13. v 11.101-1111 m ;l WKell,
"An interview?" said the young
man guardedly. Jle would not l.'t him
self go. He kept a tight rein on him
self.
"With Mr. llevery; yes-fancy! I
have all at once come to the conclusion
that 1 wish lo be married, if I am mar-
rii.il if t.ll t. . ........ i .... . .
" my sen. j ne iieiress
Miss lirockton, will in a idiort time
have practically ceased to exist and
there will remain only Geraldiue lirock
ton, though a moment before he had
offered his hand and heart to Miss
Brockton, the heiress.
Miewas laughing now. ' Her eyes
continued to Hash upon him with that
strange lambent insistence. It was
like a challenge. What could she ineae
Again Severn wemed to turn dizzy. He
nepi ins outward composure by a tre
mendous effort.
"if what yo say is tru?i Mis, Brock
ton you will regret it perhaps."
"Begret giving nearly all my fortune
lo charitable institutions? Ah vou
I
it
Geral
Set her
"e
She
Miss
"Oh she is onlr iron, in .
judge as the world judges, do yo'u?
n.iu inougiii uiiierently of you Mr
Severn. Why sliouli I wish to be so
rich?" she cried with a sort of flercs
ness. Other women may ! ablu to
stand the test. I could not. It was
making me hard, suspicious. It was
making me doubt the whole woMd. it
was .tilling ,e. i,,,aJl have mmgh
.v .o, me oecein.es and comforts of
life. And I am freel Yes I am free
Uw. l!t-forelwasaslave.s!aveto
-uers, io lortune hunters, to every
form of human hypocrisy, others mar
TTOIV f 4.4.1 tl i
' "i-"ieives exalted by
uch a position. I ft myself degrad
seems scarcely to believe that I i j
given away nearly all my forty,. 1
" hat nonsense!" said Mrt (j, J
"You do say such ettr,,..
thinirs at times "declareii r.
I'4.4..l4 trrf! r4ll 1.11...,. ... '
4 , " 4V.444J imiClt 31 lltljljj
you me 1101 quite ngni lerIijrif,
"Aunt Martha!' GeralJine
unr sin wiore ner. " nn t ,
- j-'ii i Uciit4f
me, either? It is true rue-! tw
rwnm ta-Ka I n-nut A 4
I . d . a . .
jits. m wynne naa laiien into a, J
4.1ft. .41 Tl -.1 . .
n iii; iiicu an I nave to sir f
M;.. I. ,JW
n.uiiir mil vu are insane iriJ
r.ri riiu vi a Kin giving anafljj
orvune oeiore
"Perhaps not, but"
"You will regret this!
Geraldiue gave a
bitter smile.
! hope not"
"Jerry! Jerry!"
It was her younger brother's
and it startled her from a fitful
Mie staruea up confusedly. The
called again. Ills room was j st sera
the halL An acrid odor smoke loud
her noetrils. Throwing e n her wr
ana weaa-aneea wun re.'.r, she Un
iiiJDfc 4.iic uwr. j lie nail f
dark. She opened the door of th.
room a dense cloud rose toward tJ
and smote her in the face.
r-ddy: t.aajr cried the girl ui
threw herself Into the room, she couif
see nothing. (She was blinded -,J
could nnt hrMt)ia Klia tnr. I,'., i ...J
.. . - .....v uv.4it..j4c4 yim
B prostrate body.
"rddy!" she stammered again.
11 l 4. 14 4 M
iiien sue ieii nerseu wreiic:eJ awu
by a strong arm, and some one had
seized the boy's inanimate form inf
dragged it out of the room and Lett
with It.
The next clear thing of w!,ira ibrf
was conscious was a toiigin- of flame
running up her pretty dressing-gownl
and of being suddenly enveloj-ed it
Arthur Severn's coat, while tl.it cow
ng and his hands and arms h',;.-d ti
ust-Ujrn blaze. They stoo l m tl
hall and the cloak and the arnu
were still around her, ami hhe u
trembliiijT iu their clasp. I.igl.ti
tliuhed out at the other end of tiie hail,
ai d people came rushing akm' it, arid
Mrs. G wynne upiieared wait and
breathless
"-Merciful heaTer.'."
It was only a little tire after aU
started from the boy's bed curtan bay
lug taken the blaze of a caudlu which
he had . left near it as In dro'ipt'lf
asleep. It was not long before tint laJ
had been restored fb consclotiMiess, tl.i
lattered curtain torn down, aul thi
charred bedding removed.
l.ut .Mrs. (i wynne did not regain k
color. What was that she had svti
Should she ever forget it? .raldii'i
Arthur Severn. Why lie had held U
in his arms! lie had held her in li
arms and she had not seemed to strug'
gle she had not seemed to move!
AH the next day Mrs. Gwume wenfj
about in a sort of a dream, l inaiif
entering the drawing-room t t.wligM
as she h id done the day hei. r, M
staurirered back. If there had ijeeaj
any doubt in the night there was n
doubt now. Geraldiue and N-vera
were there near the fire, very rl se to
gether, and he was bending over tLa
uplifted face.
"Aunt Martha!'
Arthur started and stood upris.it 'H
Is a man's misfortune never to l'Xikl
heroii thu railL-lit. in the ill t. 1W
Geraldiue only smiled a divine smile.
"Aunt Martliu Mr Severn and I ar
to be married next month."
An hour later Mrs. Gwynne -aid:
"And sothia was the reason for you1
giving up your money?"
Vin. M in. nev kent him a3J
J J a .
from me. And and I wanted.
to make sure that he loved iiu for my
self. And he does! lie does'
Mr GwvnriB looked at the radiant
face for a long silent minute. .
"You are certainly," she observed
with slow deliberation, "the most eccen
trie girl I ever knew in my life "
, And Geraldine only laughed. -Ne
York Me cury.
authors
and
estopped. She almost m.o.1
pai.U Theblixxl rushed to Kev.rn'a
. woa a step forward. What
he about to do-what to .,
haterer It might hare hero the po,
tier was dran Mld. Mfl
But Mia, BrockU. .poke. A strange
Tlie inquiry among French
as to the reiatire value of the n a
Ideal in fiction called forth the
in . 1...I.1 -in nrder to charm
ami allr-i. m novel should 1 Selltl
mental, impassioned, graceful, eh ganf;
fuUof illusions and not the "iI"
pho ograph of my ordinary t-xi.-t""1.
which weighs me down on account v
Its vulgarity and coinmonpiai-'. -v
follows me ere: y where, wu"" '
too weU and which I would nuo
et-"
rtmM tmr Morn-
In the k of steep ship l by l'avi
... I About oii
Hiiivr wh a , ,
ikMth. wee back freio the sooul
m 44 ..4 4k tkrn irrew e'
VI V W www m ww- w -
i..t- w-- . inat the same
DBCK. Aim UVtu w I
i.h and was abow
.T'li-7ri- lenath.-Dol
of U
- '. .V Mi -' ' " 4.
