THE EED CLOUD CIUBF. I 1 x i H ., ( IfWii r YfcSJ'Sr'' iTiiBI:,; C rBMK.rJwil v v F " " 'i - 'i vy - ii nn-jrp ht" fis .''. .tsW.' ,;i vlL.uivs'iru L'T'We'aMWII 5 -' v":- INTERNATIONAL PRESS ASSOCIATION. fHXPTKH XXVIH (Coii'lnm-d i I 'Mil' mete mont'lon of a tni.i v i "M ill It'll? M send tile nurse ntf to till' Iniir ill .1 bustle; perhaps (lie good wo ni hi scented a lip In Hie n-ar future. njw.i. when the door was opened to Ui" groat man. he was astonished to I s. ,i stout. eomfoi'table-loJiiug Iiotly aMndlng, smiling and eiirtsojlng with fi "Vw, my lord; walk this way. my loid," and forthwith .she ushered him Into the droslng-rooni to relene Ei ther of the bahy. "A vety llno-li.oklng ild Kent Ionian, Miss." she lomurkod. Is hi'" said Esther. 'No. l'e nev er .seen him." Mo.intiine Lord Aj liner. neetlng nulling of what had .., .f'.itultiiK at the window, watchm .lis horses, his keen and wicked old oes having noticed during the few mo ments that he had lieen In the mom that Dick's portrait had none. He heard the sound of the door opening, and turned to meet, not Dorothy, in her Mowing blue draperies, with hei .tweet, shy gray eyes uplifted to hl.. hut u tall, dark-eyed young woman in a plain gray gown, who e.une forward ami held out her hand in what wasi unmistakably the fashion of a woman wao considered lioiolf his sot tal equal. 'Good morning. Lord A lmer," .die said, cordially. "I must thank oii .ry iniieh for all your kindness to my little cousin, who is wry loiiolj ju-t now. My name ia Brand Ksther Brand." Lord Ayliner could not help s'artlng a little, but he coveied It li .i pro fmnd bow and n protestation that he w is d-lig!ited enchanted, in fact to liavo the honor of making Mls-s Hiand's a, iiualntauce. So this wart the Ksther of whom she had spoken In her lettei Ksther Urand; ay, and likely to prove a brand between him and her. Ho looked with disgust, and a thousand bad wordu jostled one another In his heart the while, at Esther's pale, resolute face, her firm, white, capable hands, noted her fearless manner, and admitted thai Hlie was unmistakably a woman of ed ucation and guod In ceding. And it is only fair to say that Lord Aylmer pos itively cursed his Ill-luck even while he kept a smooth and smiling front to the enemy. "And shall I not have the pleasure of seeing .Mrs. or- Harris this morn ing?" he asked, tlmllug presently that there was no sign of Dorothy's appear ance. .Miss Urand laughed. "Well, hard ly," she answered. ".My cousin is as well as could possibly be expected un der the circumstances." "What circumstances?" Lord Aylmer uked, thinking that .Miss Urand was alluding to Barbara's accident. "The circumstances of a habj," said Ksther, smiling. "Of what? Forgive me. but I do not follow you," ho bald. ".My cousin has got a baby, Lord Ayl mer," said Esther, smiling still more broadly. Lord Aylmer jumped to his feet. Ks ther, not a littled startled, sprang to hers. "What?" he cried. ".Mrs. Harris hud a little sou horn at "what?" he cried. four o'clock this morning." paid lea ther, who neither understood nor par ticularly admired this unlooked-for and uncalled-for display of feeling. "Good God!" burst from the old lord's lips. For a few moments they stood star ing right Into one another's ops, he astounded, disgusted, b.iMlod; she puz zled and a little angry at his unusual mid extraordinary behavior. Of the two tiie old lord vnn the first to recover himself. " Ton my soul, my" dear lady," lie paid, with an Immense attempt to seem Jovial and even nmiised, "I nowr was ho surprised In all my life boloro never. You might have knocked me down with a feather, 'pon my word, you might, A baby a llitlo son and I left Mrs. Harris Into yesterday after noon, and hadn't tho faintest suspicion that anything of the kind was In the wind." Miss Urand raised her eyebrows and smiled rather coldly. "That Is not vory surprising, Lord Aylmer," she observ ed. "As you never saw my cousin be Coro yesterday, you could not be ex pected to havo suspicions." "Oh, no, no; but you surprised me as much er so very much. And alio Is well?" "Oh! yes, thanks; as well aa wo trpi j, .y I vt'x ' M r?fl I it tii'' I ' I 11 I Miii;i"i'iiL:y U z4HxJi H VfeU could posslhh wish Ksther answered "Anil not too iniii h upiet by lit '- lili tit In I he pnor old l.idy jcsti'i'ilny. I hope?" he inquired, tcndoilj. "Oil! no. Of (outse. she was upset at lite time, hut she was wnndeiliilly calm and quiet after I got here." "And my vuWs wife Amelia il. ' ris how does she like her?" he ij.keil. "Well, really. Lord Aylmer. she hardly knows. Amelia c.mie In, and I had to send her off for the doctor al most before mj cousin saw her. Hut I like her and Mud her ery useful; in fact, we should be but vorj badly nil but for her," "That l. good," Lonl Ajlnier said, with his most fatherly manner. He felt, this wicked ami wily old man, that h would base to be contin ually on his guard with this steady eyed young lady, By her advent the tlllllcitltles of the situation would be greatly Increased; If he succeeded now in ousting Dick and getting hold of Dorothy, it would be In spite of Miss Ksther Mrand. Yet the dilllcultics of the situation only made liim the moie anxious to come otf victor In the end. only untile him more determined to win Dotothy If possible, whether it were by hook or eiook. CHAPTER XXIX. K lose to go then, and held out his hand to his enemy. "I am not only glad, but greatly lellevrd. that Ame lia Harris is able to make herself use ful, because I feel that I am in a measute responsi ble for the accident to your cousin's own servant. I shall bo quite anxious to hear how she goes on your cousin, 1 menu. 1 wonder If you would send me a line now and again to Aylmer's Field, near Norwich? I should be so much obliged." "Oh. certainly will let you know; It is very good of you to lie so inter ested." Ksther answered. "Ah! that Is good of you. I am an old man now. and It is the distressing habit of old people to worry themselves about everything. I shall worry more or less about your cousin until I know she Is about again " "Oh. you mustn t do that." said Ksther, laughing. "Then you are go lug out of town?" "Yes, 1 am going to Aylmer's Field for a few days," he replied. "Hy-the-bye, I shall be charmed to place my carriage at your disposal during my absence for as long as you like after ward, for the matter of that," he add ed. "That is really very kind of you." said Ksther, "but it seems rather tak ing an advantage of you." "Not at all-not the least In tho world," put in the old lord, quickly. "I will tell them to send round every morning for orders." Me went hastily away after this, chuckling at the success of his visit. "I thought she was going to be dllll cult" his thoughts ran; "but she's a woman, and. after all. the same halts catch all of them all of them. Theie are two things a woman never seems able to resist diamonds and a really smart turnout." He sat still for a few minutes after they turned Into the High street, then called to Charles. "Charles, drive slowly from hero to St. George's Hospital," ho said. "Yes, m' lord," answered Charles. "Never knoo 'in take such a heap of trouble before," murmured Charles to tho coachman. "Ain't It wonderful?" returned that functionary, with a wink. The old lord was In luck's way, for Just as they reached the corner of the hospital Amelia Harris came out of the big building. She saw him In a mo ment, and Lord Aylmer called out for the carriage to stop. The carrlago drew up close beside the curb, and Amelia Harris stood quite close to the door, so that not a word of her conversation could lie hoard by the two stiff and sol emn figures who sat with their heads cirofully turned away from the wicked old man behind them. "Well?" ho said. "Well," she said, looking at him In a hard, dry kind of way, "have you been there?" "Yes." "H'ni-nloo little surprise for you, 1 should fancy." "Oh. a doll of a surprise," Irritably. Amelia Harris laughed cynically. "Ah, I've been wondering nil tho morn ing what you'd think. Well," sharply, "does it mtil'.o any difference, or aro you going on, because if it does " "Well?" "Well, I'll Fond on this telegram and give her this letter. Poor little fool! she has been worrying about the In dian mall all the morning." "You will do nothing of tho kind of course 1 am going on," cried Lonl Aylmer, sharply, under his breath. "Glvo them to mo what aro they? Thoro that will do. Go liaek tako a cab and look after my interests ns If this this- ereaturo had not como at all to Interfere with my plans. If any thing of Important.'!) occurs write to mo at Aylmer's Field. If you need to uso Uio telegraph, bo vory careful how you word your message." "On the old plan, I suppose?" alio J? asked. "Yes; now go. Charles, to my club." "Yea. m lord " ' Helm; September tho old lord fouinl his favorite cl.ib almost deserted not I that he minded; In fact, he wanted the club to himself, and practically he had I It. lie did not waste time, but lead the telegram at once. "Hoy -both well," ' with a sneer, and tore It Into a thou i sand fragments, which he tiling into , the grate. Then he opened the letter, i In Dick's well-known writing, bearing the Madras postmark. It was a long and lender letter, full ' of solicitude for her welfare and gl i lug her amusing desctlptlou of lil owry-day life. I "Madras Isn i much of a place, tnv darling." Dick said, "but I rhull like It well enough when you are out here " "Good God!" Lord Aylmer cried aloud, "then she means going out to him. i'ti that's ,our game, Is it. my little white eat? Ah we must see If we can't make a change in that pro gram." As lie xat there muttering over the letter an old gentleman, who was peacefully slumbering over the Morn ing Post, started lolently and began to make profuse apologies. "Hog your paidnn, I'm sure -afraid I was nodding over the paper ten thou sand pardons, and why. It's Aylmer! Hless my soul. Aylmer. ate you Hi town? How do you do?" "Yes, 1 am in town I'm quite well, thank you. and I don't want the paper because I'm reading letters of great Im portance." said Lord Aylmer. rudely and pointedly, and with an utter ab sence of the delightful fatherly man ner which h found so effectual ul Union. "Oh! really Deuced unpleasant let ters, too. I should think." said the old gentleman, who was a niiich more Im portant personage than Lord Aylmer. and did not cue a snap of his linger for him. lie got up from the chair wliete lie had been sitting, ami waddled off to a somewhat easier one in the big bow window, whi'ie he sal down, ami began diligently studying the paper, only presently to go fast asleep again with the paper dellantly clasped in his arms. Lord Aylmer went on studying Dick's letter, feeling better for the small pas sage of words, much as one of ten feels when a thunderstorm litis cleared the atmosphere on a hot summer's day. "All the same." tho letter continued. "I have got most comfortable quarters here, anil I have seen a jolly llttlo house about a mile from the town where I think you will be as happy as possible. I am looking out for a llrst-rate ayah for you. but really It will be the easiest If you get an ayah for the child In town there are al ways some who have taken children over nnd want their p'turn passage. You see, my darling, I have not been Idle about you, nor forgotten to make the best of my opportunities In gather ing information which may make you more comfortable, though 1 think sometimes that people must wonder why I want to know about ayahs and nurses." (To bo Continued.) WHERE TOMOHROW BEGINS. I'nliil In I lie I'iM'lllc WIiith Tnitrli'M l.fxn Olio l.l v. Out in the Piicllle ocean, somewhere about midway between San Fiancisco and Yokohama, is a place where to morrow Is born and the traveler skips from yesterday to to-morrow without being able to gel a grip on to-day. One day Is absolutely stolen out of his life, for If It be Tuesday on one side of the lino, It Is eithr Thursday or Tues day is repeated on the other. No mat ted which direction the ship may ha sailing, the passenger Is shy one whole day when he gets to that point. The weekly calendar operates from differ ent shls of the sea, and the result Is this conflict. In crossing the Atlantic from Loudon to New York the passen ger gains slightly over half an hour a day. From New York to Chicago he adds another hour to tho three or four crossing the ocean, another In reaching Donver, and still another on reaching Suit Francisco. The latter city reckons time eight hours latoi than London, and the hotter portion of a day Inter than Shanghai or Yoko hama. In crossing tho Pacific the trav eler couies to the time when he catches up with the proposslon and drops a whole day out of his life us easily us he glliles through the water, ilrhon by the ship's powerful screws. This line of (lemurkntlon is not a perpendicular ono from north to south. The Islands In tho Pacific tako theiv' time reckon ings from the continent with which they do the bulk of their trading. This causes the line to zigzag down the ocean In a very ragged manner. It might happen that the boat would strike an Island which clings to San Francisco time, tho vessel having al icady skipped a day. In such a case It would be Monday on shore nnd Tues day aboard ship. Theso features illus trate the eise with which the days got tangled up In the Pacific. A I.liiKlil Tiiiicle, Fanner liornbeak "While I was at tho village this afternoon I heard a drummer In Hopper's store say ho hnd Just rend that Hi Chins Lang h'm that don't sound right; Hang Ling Chi no; Lang Chung III- -pr-h'm!-Iciiiino see! It's Hangno; Chi Lung Hang-oh. pshaw! Clilng no, Lung " Mrs. liornbeak "Meiey on us, Kzry! What In time are you tryln' to git off?" Farmer liornbeak "Why, I was Jest goln' to say that Hlng Lung Chi oh, drat it! Chang, Lang, Hang, Jang, Dang; or, whatever It Is" Mrs. liornbeak "Groat day, Kzry! What nonsonso aro you tryln' to rcclto? You talk llk.i n dinner-bell!" Farmer liorn beak"! guess I do, for a fact. I was tryln' to say tho namo of that great JupiincB or Chlneso statesman." Mrs. liornbeak "Oh! you moan LI Hung Ciang. Well, what about him?" Farm er Ifornbeak "I I dunno." Judge. i vfevl Sk 7 TKr.ViU' fwk','mmwl Will III 111 V:';:P-JL--- . --Ji-i v: tWll r MEMORIAL DAY. Tin- nilii r ii.i;il.- li.i- tolled nwny: I'l'lice ul.it titi4 iiuei I hum to-IH'. Ami iidilcil stiiM in out Ikuiii'T glow. Tin ill ar o!il IIhk f lite leug "S"' We tlilnl, of Hii- toiuidfi-s of thi I'l'xt llllM. Our uriui..if iir.ivf In Morn com mand. Atlll list.. Mill IK ttio M'l'J.IIM it'll Of Wci'iIpm wiin. thousli tin le IiiiikIH will. Of ti'tili-vi'il IKislif. of gieal defeat. Tin o'iwut.1 iniu-li iitnl llie foienl i tieat. Then tutu wi1(. i ciillilliooil's limoex rent. While Ki'titli faiieles MiotlH the !.ivit. Then while we plueo Oil ein'll soldier' plot. On in It hallowed guixe. the forgcl-:ne-not . Thiinliliil in fiinl for lite phiiiiiki almwn Il Ihoie u,. weie tiroiiil to call our own, I'luit Hinht. iiliiniihant, tuny eloi'i hlml The ilex oi to) ally all tiiniikluil; With the Inwanl prayei : May nil w.ns Celtic. And uieii tie i,l;l.',t with tho skill or P" -Oolite Ilaiieroft Grllllth In Woman' Magn.ilie. I- A- "Good morning. Aunt Until. You roc I'm on hand bright and early for my lilacs. Aien't we going to have a beautiful day?" said Antoinette, cheer ily, seeming to have caught the con tagion of the bright May morning. "1 am so glad It Is pleasant, for I well remember how rainy It was last Decoration day. I'm sorry the lilacs are a little backward this year; still I think we shall llml enough for a lair hhowing. Did you bring a basket?" "I did. Tho scif-sume one that has done service for the last three years. Halph is coining for me about 11 o' clock." With that they started for the gar Jen. Miss Uosworth, "Aunt Hiith," as s!i'3 was more familiarly known was one of the oldest inhabitants of Pleasant villi?, a sleepy little town nestling among the Berkshire hills, its quiet undisturbed save by tho buzz of the sawmill, and, in bummer, the busy hive of workers at tho cunning fac tory. Kverybody knew Aunt Until, and none knew her but to love her. She was otio of thodo elderly women shall we say rare? who had preserved si sweet, happy nature, fieo from disa greeable habits both of speech ami manner. Although over UU years old, I she still possessed that blosbotl faculty i or adaptability which made her a cov eted companion of both young r.nd old, , Children were attracted by her cookie Jar and a fund of dollghtful stories, ...lillr. flinun nf t.ni it,..,. ..n...,. ...r...,. ""ill i..w.i.. w itiiiiiuiii Jt'll IHIU eliarnied with her personality and her entertaining conversation, which ever sparkled with subtle humor, despite an 1 unmistakable undercurrent of sadness, 1 which at times betrayed Itself In her i face. i Antolnotto Untlibun was particularly I fond of Aunt Uuth, and many happy I hours thoy spent together, reading or i discussing tho various questions of tho , day. ; Antolnotto was Just' now In a most ! beatific state of mind. That which i makes tho world go round had touched nor uio una imparted to u rrosh en thusiasm and delight, and this Decora tion day morning she seemed unusual ly happy. "After all. Aunt Uuth," sho said, "thoro Is no season of tho year quite so beautiful to me us tho springtime, when everything seems fairly bursting with life and delighting in lire." "Ah, my dear, It Is because you wo r'WlneVite v " u flIB I W T i tin - rr riirir-rT mT wr.i.v"i.rv. i r just now in the sptiiigtliuo of lite jour- nil i on tieem to me ery like that little -111 'lb jondei, the buds Just peep ing out which shall so mxiii unfold Into the perfect Mower. So do 1 see ill ()U the possibilities of a beautiful and no ble womanhood. Hut haven't we enough lilacs? The sun Is so warm!" "Yes, Indeed, we have and I don't care to rob ,ou even for a good cause. I am lelylng upon the girls for u good ly supply." "It's jour Sunday-school class, Isn't it?" "Yes." answeied Antoinette. "Aunt Uutli. won't juii go with us? That would make our party complete. Do say jes." "No, 1 would lather go ulono. I nui glad, though, that you are Interesting your class in this waj. for II seems to me that children In these days have too little patriotic spirit, ami too llttlo up pteclation of the cost of HUrty. The decoration of the soldiers' graves means little more to them than a half holiday from school and a happy time gathering llowois. After all, 1 guess II Is holler so. Let them have all the .sunshine possible; the shadows come joon enough to all of us." "Aunt Until," said Antoinette, ten derly, "I've wanted to ask you some thing for a lung time, but 1 don't know that I ought." "Certainly you may. What Is it?" "Will you tell me whose grave you visit so much, ami on which you al ways put such lovely (lowers Decora lion day?" "You will be surprised, my dear, when 1 tell jolt that 1 don't know. It Is an unknown grave, but all 1 needed to know was that he was a soldier. When did you say Italph was com ing?" "Not till 11." "Then come into the sitting-room wheic ll is cool ami lot mo tell you a hit of my own life. Somehow 1 feel Just like It this morning." They laid down their llowers and en joyed the restfiiluess of the coy room. "I'm going to lie down," said Aunt Uuth, "and you bring the hassock and sit light beside, me and let mo toll you what is in my heart. "When you came In this morning so happ; and llght-hearteiJ my thoughts Hew back thirty years, when I was about your age, ami bail Just as much to make me happy as you have now. 1 was engaged to a noble man, anil, strangely enough, his name was Halph, too. He was a lawyer, and bis line mind gave promise of a brilliant career. Wo were to have boon married In tho spring of '!:!, but when the war broke out his country's call appealed to his noblest manhood. Ho didn't say much at first, but I knew that the only obstacle In the way of his enlisting was tho pain It would give me. Ho was perfectly well and strong, nn added reason for his going. Ah, well do I remember the night we settled It! How earnestly and tenderly he talked about It! In a few days he was gone. It tcok more courage than I then thought to make that sacrifico, but my sense of duty to country would not allow mo to C'SK L W&tft3?'. o? r '. am fW "THK ni.OODY ANGLK." withhold tho word. He Joined the Fiftieth New York Volunteer Engi neers, Company G, and at Ilrst had an easy tlma. The letterr were bright and cheery and full of enthusiasm, so that after a time I grow less unxlous and more and more glad that he went. Hut there canio a day when tho regular letter fulled, and a week passed; und '$m . j . J - iT-'jC , h. . I Sj 1 . u I9ry '(Slr rw m-r i r -yjci Z& another, and another, and Until); one eiiine in nn imfiiiiilllar hand ami told the story I so much feared. They thought he wiu killed In the battle of Gettysburg, the despeiute charge ut the "illootly Angle," wheie so many bravo men on both sides gave up their ikes, hut dili gent search hi ought nothing more def inite. I sometimes wonder how 1 have lived through till theso long thirty years, hut you know wo poor mortals can endure moie than wo think. I have much that Is pleasant to look back upon, anil much In the future to dream or. And now nhout that lonely grave. He was a soldier, too, and there was no ono to caio for him, so 1 love to place my Mowers there, ami cannot help feeling tli.it perhaps anoth er Is doing the same for ..iph." A whistle Interrupted the story and Antoinette stooped to kiss the dear old lady, and In a moment was gone. Late that afternoon, after Antoinet te's class had gone nnd the cemotcry was quite descried, Italph and Antoln- etto lingered at a little distance from nun grave, quiie unonserveo oy Ainu Uuth, and watched her arrange the Mowers. "Do you know," said Italph, "I nevor saw anything more pathetic. The men who enlisted and fought with courage nnd fearlessness were Indeed bravo he roes, but not an atom more heroic than the women who gave their husbnnds ami sous and lovers to die for their country, and have lived on, year after year, bravely and cheerfully hiding their loneliness and heartache behind a happy face. All honor to thorn!" The Mi'timrjr of I lie Ont.il. There are few Inlluences so hallowed to the living as the memory of tiiu AT GUANT'S TOMB. dead. They make good mor. better; sometimes they muko had men good. It Is a grateful and beneficent cus tom which ban been established of de voting ono day In the year especially to the commemoration of the virtues of tho dead. Tholr memory comes to us, bidden or unbidden. It comes with tho morning light; It comes with tho even ing shades; It comes In tho stillness of tho night. Whenever It comes It Is always welcome and precious. Indeed, one of our chief companionships, which we cultivate and enjoy moro almost than any other, is the recollection of tlio?e wo have loved and lost. In the formal appropriation of Mem orial day, h.iwevcr. to tho decoration o graves, there Is a manifest, outward sign of respect which Is seemly nnd la keeping with our over-present fooling of affection for those who have gone before us, Many lmprovo it by car rjhii? Mowers to tho spot whero their loved ones He; all lmprovo it by re calling ! more vivid fancy the forms and qualities of the sleepers we sigh In aln for the power to awaken. Now York Ledger. American Himim for ICiikIiiiiiI, Hosegrower L. M. Noo of Madison, N. J has solved tho problem of pack ing American beauties. Some tlmo aro ho had an order for a huge hunch of lhl3 variety from n lady who wished to take thorn to Europe with her. Iu packing roses Mr. Noo inserts ench of tho long stems Into a potato, and oa their nrrlval after the voyage they were found to bo ns fresh ns If they wero .'us! takon from tho greenhouse. In a letter the lady said tho Unworn kept woll for a number of daya aftor her arrival, and tholr beauty was Greatly admired by her English frlonaj. r-t If . k i -I a I A. i5 I' J ul f ( k "I - - -'irfic' SUMiTj, -Wi ""-wTm . ' i