'4
'
THE
PILLAR of
LIGHT
CHTINUED.
"Hero's to the reconciliation or
Brand nnd Ills wife," ho said, with a
lighter tone and more cheerful mnnno.'
than he would have deemed .possible
Uto minutes earlier.
Pyne followed his example.
"Say, uncle," ho cried, "hero's a
rneer item! When I first met Con
stance I spoke of Mrs. pmsittnrt, am'
1 called her my prospective step-aunt'"
"A. very silly name too."
"Constance seemed to think that, or
ite feminine equivalent. She corrected
me, 'You moan your fiancee's aunt,'
she said."
"Oh, did she?"
"Yes, and here'a to her bolus my
fiancee's mother."
With the morning came doubt. A
maid who was given" charge of the two
children told Pyne that Mrs. Vanslt
tart had boon greatly upsot the pre
vious evening. The girl was sure that
lie lady had passed nearly an hour In
tears kneeling by the side of the bed.
Then, having regained control of her
self to some extent, she rang for the
maid and asked at what time the first
train loft for Loudon next day. She
ordered her breakfast at an hour which
seemed to Indicate her intention to do
part by that train, said that she would
leave Instructions with Mr. Pyne con
corning the children, and gave the maid
two letters which she had written.
Tbe.se were to be delivered at 0 o'clock.
TSTiat was to bo done with the letters?
As they were addressed to Pyne and
his uncle respectively, ho soon settled
that point.
His letter read:
Dear Mr. Pyne I am leaving for Lon
don quite early, so I will not see you
again In Penzance. I have supplied the
little girls with all the garments thoy will
need during the next few days. If, on In
quiry, you ascertain that they have no
relatives anxious, not merely willing, to
tako charge of them, I shall bo most
pleased to assume that responsibility. In
that event, kindly write me, care of my
tankers. Yours very sincerely,
E..VANSITTART.
The communication to life uncle was
equally brief. Mr. Traill read It to
Mm. It ran:
Dear Mr. Traill I cannot marry you.
Please forgive me. I did not realize when
you honored mo with" your proposal that
Jin Insuperable obstacle existed. That Is nil
a lame explanation, but complcto so far
as It goes. A woman who has wrecked
her life Hnds It hard to choose her words.
Your sincere friend, E. VAN81TTART.
They discussed these curt notes dur
ing breakfast.
"I do not like their tone," said Mr.
Traill gravely. "They Impress mo as
the hurried resolutions of a woman
driven to extremities. Wore It not for
her request about the children I should
think what you thought last night,
Cliarlie, when that policeman turned
wp."
"I must have telephoned my Ideas to
jou mighty quick," was the retort.
"My dear boy, even at this moment
we don't know what she intended to
do. Vuy did she go out? What Is the
nature of her sudden Illness? How
comes it that she Is at Brand's house?"
"I may be mistaken, but I think wo
will bo given answers to all your ques
tions iu due time. Nothing really serl
011s can be amiss or we should have
board of It from Brand himself. Now,
will you rdmnin on guard hero while I
go out with Elsie and Mamie? The
ono tiling that matters iu their little
lives this morning Is that I shall hurry
wp nnd go doll hunting with thorn."
"I will hold the fort until you return.
You will not be long?"
"Perhaps half an hour. While I am
out I will make some inquiries as to
the condition of our other friends of
tiio Chluook."
"By the way, many of them must bo
destitute. It is my desire, Cliarlie, to !
pay tiio expenses of any such to their
destination and equip them properly
for the Journey."
"You are a first rater, uncle, but it'll
make your arm tired if you O. K. the
bill all the time. Now, hero's a fair
offer. Lot me go halves."
"Be off, you rascal! You aro keeplug
two Ia'dlos waiting."
With seeming anxiety to atone for
the excesses of the week, the weather
that morning Justified the claim of
Cornwall to bo tho summer land of I
England. Tho sun shone from a blue ,
sny tiecueu with wuue ciouus. tuo
waters, of Mount's bay sparkled and
danced in mlnlaturo wnvolets. Tho nlr
was so mild, tho temperature so equa
ble, that IJ; was hard to credit sea and
wind with tho havoc of tho preceding
days.
The Gulf Rock disaster did not stand
Jilono In tho records of tho hurricane,
Even the day's papers contained be
lated accounts of casualties on tho
oDaets of Normandy, Holland and far-
V i
Louis Tracy,
AUmt at
"Tke
Wing
of tka
Copyright, IBM, by
Edward J. Clode
off Denmark. Hut nowhere else ban
tliero boon such loss of life, while re
newed Interest was evoked by the finnl
relief of all the survivors.
Pyne's appearance outside the sit
ting room was hailed with a yell. Not
withstanding her own perplexities
Mrs. Vanslttart iiad taken good caro
that the children were well provided
for. They were beautifully dressed,
ami the smiling maid who freed them
from control when tho door opened
said that they might go out without
Jackets, the day was so fine.
lie descended the stairs with a cigar
In his mouth and a delighted young
ster clinging to each hand.
In the hall he encountered a dozen
Journalists waiting to devour him.
A dcli'jhtcd younastcr clinging to each
hand.
They had failed to penetrate tho stra
tegic screen Interposed by tho bead
waiter. Now the enemy was unmask
ed and they advanced to tho attack.
Pyne was ready for them. Ho bad
already outlined ids defense.
"Will one of you gentlemen, repre
senting all, kindly glvo mo a word In
private?" he asked.
This was readily agreed to.
"Now, this is the deal I will make,"
ho said when the two -were Isolated.
"I will meet you all hero in an hour's
time. I will bo Interviewed, sketched,
snapshotted, give you locks of my hair,
my autograph, my views on the far
cast, the next presidential election and
the fiscal question If you bind yourself
to one thing."
"And Unit Is?"
"Among tlits passengers saved from
tho Chinook is a Mrs. Vanslttart- She
Is very 111 and Is being cared for by
Mr. Brand and bis daughters. Make
no reference to her in any way what
ever beyond including her name in the
published lists. Promise that, and I'll
talk a page."
"I am sure I can agreo without con
sulting my colleagues," said the sur
prised reporter.
"Come along, kids," said Pyne. "I
nm delivered bound to the torture." ,
Ho passed out Into tho Btrcot, when
Elsie's sharp eyes, searching for a
shop, suddenly caught sight of Enid
hurrying toward tho hotel.
The child ran to meet her, and Enid,
Hushed with excitement, began to ox
plnln that Mrs. Vanslttart was In bed
suffering from collapse nnd In a fever
ish state. The doctor's verdict was
that she was In some danger, but
would recover If carefully tended and
kept In absolute quiet.
"Is Constance with Iter?" asked Pyne.
"Yes."
"And whero is Mr. Brand?"
1 "He will be bore soon. Ho asked mo
to call and tell you and Mr. Traill
what had happened."
Enid's speech was not prone to trip.
Pyne's eyes gleamed Into hers.
"Mr. Brand asked you to see my un
cle?" he said cautiously.
"Yes," sho faltered.
"Did ho say anything elso?"
"Yes cousin."
"Let me tako you right In. I guess It
would mako a sensation If I hero,
Mamie, Just hug Miss Enid good and
hard for me, will you?"
While the children watted In Uie hall
ho accompanied the girl up the Btalra
and threw open tho door of tho sitting
room.
"Hero Is somebody you want to see,
uncle," he cried and rojolned tho llttlo
onos.
"noo-roosh!" bo yelped. "Now lot's
buy a toy store."
Enid und her father faced each other
for somo seconds In silent bewilder
ment. Then Mr. Trnlll rose nnd camo
near to her. She did not know what to
do or say. This tall, stately man was
ono who should be doarer to her than
v
1
any one ele In the world. She was Ins
daughter, yrt they were strangers one
to the other.
"I I" How could she utter eon
ventlonal words Im such a moment?
Her lips quivered, and tears trenf l'd
In her eyes. Then h kn Th" hep
around her while " '. is fidciied
wIMi a i'ttlo "old brooch V-irlu n fo r
leafed rhamrorlc In oncril Is. He loo':
m1 at her with a profound reverence
and eaui'ht her by the shoulders.
"My dear." he murmured, "you are
cry like your mother."
"I am glad." she said and kissed lilni.
I
CHAPTEU XIX.
.""""I WEEK passed. In the fickle
j A memory of the outer world tho
f story of the Gulf Hook Ihht-
house was bocomim: mellow
ltli acte. Men now talked of war In
Africa, of the yellow peril, of some
'mocarat squabble In a West End club
But its vitality lingered In Penzance
There were side Issues which Pyne's
device had kept from tho public ken,
but which the town's lolls pondered
Lady Margaret Stanhope, obeying her
kou' behests, tantalized her friends by
tiiuillnu: serenely and telling them mull
ing when they pestered her with ques
tionsthat Is to say, she spoke not
one word about the lady who was be
ing nursed back to health In the light
house keeper's cottage, but filled their
souls with bitterness when she hinted
at marvels concerning Constance and
Enid.
In such a small place, where every
man's affairs are canvassed by his
neighbors, It was Impossible to pre
vent an atmosphere of mystery from
clinging to Mrs. Vanslttart. A'uln,
the uosslns were greatly concerned
about Enid. For a young woman "In
her position" to be engaged to an olll
cor In the royal navy and admitted to
tho sacred ranks of the aristocracy
w'&a a wonderful thing In Itself. Hut
that sho should bo on open terms of
the greatest intimacy not alone with
the elderly Mr. Traill, but with his
good looking nephew, even calling the
latter Charlie and treating him as a
near relative, was an amazing circum
stance only surpassed by the compla
cency with which Lady Margaret and
her son regarded it.
The actors In this comedy seemed to
bo sublimely Indifferent to public opin
ion. That was tho worst of it. Enid
wns escorted about tho town by each
and all of the men at all hours. Now
she was at the hospital cheering Bates
and Jackson or tho injured people from
the wreck, now arranging for the de
parture of some of tho poorer sur
vivors when they wore nble to travel,
now flitting over to Mnrazlou to see
.Mm Sponce, nnd onco actually visiting
Mr. Jones, the innkeeper.
At last n part of tho secret eked out
Enid went with her father to ask how
Mr. Emmett, tho sick chief officer, wns
getting on. Thoy found him smoking
in tho front garden of tho liouso in
which Brand had lodged him.
He started when he saw them np
proaching, and his weather beaten face
wore tho puzzled look with which lie
regarded Enid ono night on tho light
house stairs.
Traill ''noticed tho sailor's covert
glances at Enid, so ho said:
"By. the way, Mr. Emmett, you were
on the Britannic when my wife and I,
her sister and two children camo to
England before tho Esmeralda' was
lost?"
"Yes, sir." Ho paused.
During many an Atlantic crossing ho
nnd Mr. Traill had talked of that last
Joyous journey when he, a boy who
had Just joined tho servlco, sat at their
table, as was tho custom of Junior of
ficers In those years,
Mr. Traill smiled. Ho kiiew what
was In the other man's mind.
"Do you see a likeness In this young
lady to any ono you bavo ever
known?" he asked.
"Well, sir, I liopo It will not hurt
your feelings, and it's a good many
years ago now, but I could havo sworn
well, I must out with it. Sho is tho
living imago of your wife."
"Indeed that cannot hurt my feel
ings, as she Is her daughter."
"Her daughter! Your daughter!"
gasped Emmett.
A small serving maid with tho ears
of a rabbit was listening spellbound at
the open window. Hero Indeed was a
choice tidbit for tho milkman and tho
postman and tho butcher's and gro
cer's boys. From this lower current
tho stream of talk flowed upward until
It renched tho august drawing room of
Mrs. Taylor-Smith.
Sho drove hi frantic haste to Lady
Margaret's villa and fired questions
broadside.
"Oil, yes," said Jack's mother suavo
ly. "It Is quite true. Of course I have
known it from tho first According to
present arrangements, tho marriago
will tako place in tho spring. Enid's
marriago settlement will' bo nearly a
quarter of a million."
Llko most women, sho loved that
word. A million, even In fractions, Is
so glib, yet bo unattainable.
Tho only person who wns slightly
dissatisfied with the progress of events
was Pyne. Constance nover appeared.
Sho shared with Mrs. Sheppard tho
care of her mother. Enid, blltho nnd
guileless In tho public eye, did tho
housekeeping and represented tho
household.
Brand, too, save for a couplo of vis
Its to tho hotel, remained 'invisible He
did not mention Mrs. Vanslttart's
name. He was pale ajid worn, a man
Fall and ttjinter
I UNDERWEAR
Infants' all-wool Vests, button down
front, all sizes
2 for 75c
Infants' all-wool Rubens Vests, No. 1
Rising 5c per size
Children's; .separate Cotton Garments
with llece back, size 16 at
2 i-2c rise per size
Children's Cotton Garments, extra
heavv fleece, size 18 at
Rise 4c on each size
Union Suits in Cotton at 25c, 50c, 60c
and 75c
Union Suits in Wool at . . $1 00
Ladies' separate Garments at 25c, 50c
Ladies' separate Garments, extra
large sizes, at 50c
Ladies' Union Suits at 75c, $1.00, $1.25
YARNS!
ixa
Our stock of Tarns was never
so complete in colors and qual
ity. Prices the lowest.
INFANTS' WOOL HOSE at 15c and 25c
CHILDREN'S WOOL HOSE at... 15c, 25c, 30c
LADIES' WOOL HOSE at 25c, 35c, 40c
F. NEWHOUSE,
LDry Goods, Laces
at war with himself. Tho young Phlla
delphliin for Pyne's family homo was
in tho Quaker City, though his estate
lay principally In Now York was not
pleased by the Blight signs perceptlblo
behind tho screen of Hraud's reserve
"Constance takes after her father,"
he told himself. "There may bo trou
blo about her mother. In tho scurry I
may get left I must think this out"
At last camo a day of warm sun
shine when Enid nuuouuced that tho
invalid by tho doctor's orders was car
ried dowustalrs.
"Has Mr. Brand seen her yet?" asked
Pyne.
"No," replied Enid, with a llttlo
cloud on her fair face. "Ho nover men
tions her. And how wo Nvish ho would.
Ho Is suffering, but keeps silent, und
neither Constance nor I can make any
suggestion."
"But what will bo the outcome?"
"How can I tell? That night after
,wo left tho hotel he told us tho story
of his married life. It did not seem to,
bo utterly impossible to straighten
matters, but wo knew nothing of her
career during so many years. Was sho
married again? I have asked my fa
ther. Ho believes sho was, but is not
certain."
"Father" was Mr. Traill; Brand re
mained "dad." Thus did Enid eolvo
tho difilculty.
"Is sho aware that Constanco knows
bug Is her mother?" '
"We think so. Indeed wo are sure.
She has been so ill and is yet so frag
ile that we dare uot excite her In the
least degree. So Constanco has been
very enreful, but every look, every syl
lable, showu that her mother Is in no
doubt on that point"
"It's a pretty hard nut to crack," said
Pyne, Ho blew cigar smoke into rings.
Seemingly the operation aided reflec
tion, .
"Say, Enid," ho went on, "if tho
weather Is flno tomorrow do you think
Connie would come out for a drive?"
"I don't know. Certainly Bho needs
somo fresh air. What between her
anxiety and her mother's Illness they
aro beginning to look llko sisters."
"Just mention to Connlo In her fa
ther's presenco that if tho suu shines
at 11 I will bo along In a dogcart
Mrs. Vanslttart will be downstairs by
that time."
"Yes." .
"And If Connie, comes out wlthme
- ta
I
40c
4cc
12AC
18c
HMKI
and Embroideries ft
you Just find an errand in town. Hope
Jack Into tho scheme or any old dodgo
of that sort Tako caro Mr. Brand
knows of It By tho way, Bend Mrs.
Sheppard out too." -
"What in tho world"
"You'ro Just too pretty to think hnrd,
Enid. It causes wrinkles. Do us I ask,
there's u good girl."
Enid wns delighted to find that
Brand strongly supported tho sugges
tion that Constance should take tho
drive. Pyne, sharp on time, drew up a
smart pony iu front of tho cottage and
did uot twitch a muscle when Con
stance, veiled aud gloved, ran down
tho pathway.
"Excuse mo getting down," Bald
Pyne. "I dispensed wltli a groom. I
guess you know tho roads round hero."
She climbed to the scat beside him.
"It Is very good of you to take this
trouble," she Bald, and when ho looked
nt her a slight color was visible through
tho veil.
"How Is your mother?" he asked ab
ruptly. Ho felt rather than saw her start of
surprise.
She did not expect the relationship to
be acknowledged with such sudden
candor.
"Sho is much better," sho assured
him.
"That's nil right," ho announced, as
If a load wero off his mind, nnd then,
Homowlint to her mystification, ho en
tertained her with tho uows.
Elslo und Mnmlo had quitted Pen
zance tho previous evening, an aunt
' having traveled from Boston as soon
, us tho first tidings of tho wreck reach
ed her.
"She was a young, nice looking aunt,
too," ho Biiid cheerfully. "Aud I was
powerful fond of thoso two kiddles."
"Tho association of ideas might
prove helpful," sho suggested, with it
touch of her old manner.
"That Is what struck Elsie," ho ad
mitted. "Sho said Bho didn't know why
I couldn't marry Aunt Loulsn right off,
and then wo could ull Uvo togethor so
ciably." "Oh! And what did the lady say?"
"Sho thought It was a great Joko un
til I said that unfortunately I bad
made other arrangements. Then she
guessed her nieces had got a bit out ot
hand."
"Ho
(Continued on Pafet rilx.)
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