Erunetta Roth burst unceremonious
ly into her friend's room.
"Mary , " she cried , "is it possible
you have refused Christopher Patton ? "
Mary Vane , a tall , pretty girl , who
was adjusting her fur collarette be
fore the mirror , turned quickly , her
soft cheeks flushing scarlet.
"Why. , Brunetta , " she exclaimed ,
"how can you expect me to answer
such a question ? "
Brunetta , who was small and stout ,
and attired in the height of the pre
vailing mode , sank down in a chair
and laughed.
"I didn't expect you to answer it.
There is no necessity you .should do so.
Mr. Patton told Tom last night that
you had thrown him over. I don't see
-how your conscience allowed you to
act so. He is such a catch young and
good-looking. Best of all , he is enor
mously wealthy. "
Mary smiled as she speared a crown
of her demure little turban with a long
pin. She was thinking of a man who
was no longer young near forty , per
haps who was handsomer in her eyes
than all other men , and who was by no
means wealthy.
"I really believe"went on Miss Roth ,
"that you have an absurd fancy for
Charlie Everett I do , indeed ! "
Mary's smile became quizzical.
"Really ? " she said.
"Oh , I have no patience with you ! "
declared Brunetta , wrathfully. "You've
known Charlie Everett three or four
years. All this time he has been most
devoted to you , but not one of your
friends knows to this day whether you
are engaged or not. "
The smile faded from Mary's lips.
"We are not , " she answered , and the
gay little cousin fancied her tone was
sad.
sad."And
"And yet you have been more gra
cious to him than to any of the others , "
pursued Miss Roth , relentlessly.
"Mary , are you in love with him ? "
"Isn't that , " counter-questioned
Mary , evasively , "what the lawyers
would call a leading question ? I don't
wilh to seem rude , or to hurry you ,
Brunetta , but I have an engagement to
sign some papers this afternoon at the
office of Deal & Burrlt. Can't you
come with me ? "
"Yes. I must see Mme. Mireau about
my Easter hat One must arrange with
her'in time , as she is always' rushed"
with orders. Are those papers con-
saeted with your uncle's will ? "
"He left you everything ! What a
lucky girl you are ! I suppose now you
feel you can afford to marry whom you
please. "
The conversation again turned on
Charlie Everett as the girls rode down
town together on the Metropolitan Ele
J vated.
"He is a mysterious fellow , " Bru
netta remarked.
"Mysterious ! " Mary sent her a sud
den look of inquiry. "What do you
mean ? "
"well , there really is reason why he
should be considered a good deal of an
enigma. While not wealthy like Chris
topher Patton , Tom tells me he has a
good salary , and adds to this by writ-
Ings. But yo.u know he does not spend
money as other men in our class do.
He is not liberal in the matter of thea
ters or flowers. He lives quietly. He
has no expensive habits. Where , then ,
does his money go ? "
Mary Vane was silent
"There Is one house in the suburbs
where he is known to frequently vis
it , " the other went on. Brunetta , as
will h.0 observed , was not above enjoy
ing a gossip. "Two women live there.
One is apparently a superior sort of
a servant The other is a pretty , deli
cate-looking little creature of about
twenty-five or thereabouts. Occasion
ally Mr. Everett takes her driving
through the parks. Has he ever men
tioned her to you ? "
Mary forced herself to answer :
"No. " .
"Nor to anyone else. But I have
seen him out with her Who is she ? "
A feeling of unrest , an undefinable
? fear , thrilled the heart of Mary
vane. She recalled the night Charlie
Everett had told her of his love , "I
cannot now ask you to be my wife , "
he had said. "I will some day , God
willing. The time may not be far
off , but I love you too well to bind
you by a promise you might later
find burdensome. And yet dear , you
will trust me and wait ? "
"I will wait for you till I die ! " she
had replied , and had questioned him
not at all.
Then he had protested that this
was not an engagement that she was
free quite free. Only ho was bound.
"Very well , " she had agreed. "We
are not engaged. "
But the understanding that existed
between them was sweet to both.
That was a year ago.
And now she had to acknowledge
to herself that she knew little more
of his private life or of his personal af
fairs than she knew then. She was
unusually silent as she and Brunetta
descended the steps and walked to
gether to the lawyer's office. Her er
rand there attended to , Mary Vane
went with Brunetta to see about the
latter's Easter hat Then the two
walked down State street just as the
matinee-goers were flocking from the
theaters.
Brunetta paused suddenly before a
florist's window.
"O , I had almost forgotten ! Mamma
told me to order some flowers for to
morrow. Will you come in with me ? "
They stood a few minutes admiring
"TWENTY-EIGHT LILIES , " HE SAID
the display in the window , the golden
daffodils , and shy blue crocuses , pure
lilies of the valley , flaunting tulips ,
starry jasmine , and cool green ferns
forming a tender background for them
all. The attendants were busy when
they entered. The girls stood back of
a high rubber tree admiring some rare
chrysanthemums when the door was
flung open and a gentleman came in.
He was of medium height and had a
kind , brown-bearded , thoughtful face.
Not noticing any one in the store he
went directly to the counter. To a
man at that instant disengaged he
gave his order.
"Twenty-eight lilies , " he said. "Yes
like those. Have them tied with
broad white satin ribbon. Send to this
address. "
And he laid a card and a bill on
the counter. An instant later he had
received his change and walked out.
The girls stared at each other.
"That , " gasped Brunetta , "was Char
lie Everett ! "
"Yes , I know , " murmured Mary.
Before she could put out her handle
lo stop her meddlesome friend the
A r.
;
'
>
"Oh , she cried. "She Is dead ! " E
alter had stepped to the counter and t
ead the address on the card which lay c
.here. c :
"Just as I thought , " she remarked I
i few minutes later , when they were i
> ut in the street together. "The adI
Iress is 14 Forest Avenue , Idlewild. I
Fhat is the suburb in which his myso >
erious acquaintance of whom I told Ij
rou lives. " t
That number , street , place , burned in I
Gary's brain. She parted from Bru-
ictta and went home. A fierce fever
) f jealousy possessed her. Who was \
his woman to whom he sent Lenten i
Hies ? Idlewild was directly south or t
her own home. A cable car ran out to
the pretty place. She would go there
She would call at the house. She would
ask the lady who dwelt therein : "What
Is Charlie Everett to you ? " When that
was answered she would know how
worthy of continued loyalty was her
'confessed lover. But not until the
morning. She would not go until morn-
Ing.
'
"Shame to doubt him ! ' cried her
heart through all the sleepless night
that followed. But her rigid will si
lenced that assailing protest So the
morning'of the beautiful day that
followed found her at the gate of a
cosey cottage set back amid a group of
bare-branched maples. There were
drifts of snow in the little garden , but
the air was warm with the effulgent
presence of spring. So peaceful was
the place , the hour , her courage almost
failed her. All the blinds were down.
The entrance she chose brought her
to a side door. She rang the bell. A
maid appeared.
"May I " Mary Vane began , then
faltered. For whom should she ask ?
"Yes , " the girl replied. "Come in. "
Marveling , Mary followed her. She
led the way into a front room. The
curtains were drawn. Tapers burned
in the dimness. At first Mary fancied
that
"There was silence , and nothing there
But silence , and scents of eglanterre ,
And jasmine , and- roses , and rosemary
"
mary
Then she saw that there was some
thing else. A coffin , and in it lying a
white-robed form , with folded hands ,
and lilies lying on the pulseless breast.
Mary shrank back.
"Oh , " she cried. "She is dead. "
"Yes , Miss. I thought you wished
to see her. A good many of the neigh
bors were in last evening. She had
many friends hereabout for all her
misfortunes. Ain't those lilies beauti
ful ? Mr. Charlie sent them. Twonty-
eight for twenty-eight years. "
Mary went nearer , looked Sown on
the dead face , a young face which had
once been lovely , but bore the unmis-
takahle impress of sorrow and suffer
ing.
ing."It's
"It's not many men. " went on the
servant , wiping her eyes , "who would
do what Mr. Charlie did. After his
brother was injured in that railroad
wreck four years ago he begged Mr.
Charlie in dying to take care of his
young wife. Mr. Charlie promised
him. He has supported her and given
her every comfort since. She was al
ways weakly , and when her mind gave
out from brooding over her husband's
death , and she was such a charge , Mr.
Charlie was that gentle and patient
with her my ! She had spells of un
derstanding. Then she'd beg not to be
sent to an asylum not that Mr. Char
lie would think of such a thing. She
wouldn't hurt a bird , poor dear !
There ! That is Mr. Charlie now ! "
A step crossed the hall. Looking
pale and worn , Charlie Everett came
into the room. His face lighted up at
sight of his sweetheart.
"You Mary ! " he cried.
"Hush ! " she begged. She broke
town , crying bitterly. "Don't look at
me don't speak to me until I have
Lold you how it is that I am here. "
She brokenly whispered the truth.
"You can never trust me again , " she
said in conclusion.
He took her in his arms.
"Perhaps I should have spoken to
rou of her , but I hated to cast so dark
i shadow over your young life. I
ould not keep up two households , and
he was penniless. She was my charge
jefore I learned to love you. My first
luty was to her. The doctors agreed
she could not live long. As for trust-
ng my dearest , you must forgive me
or not having confided in you I you ,
or your doubt of me. So we are equal ,
s it not Whittier who writes :
'Love scarce is love that never knows
Phe sweetness of forgiving ! "
They passed out together into the
rillianee of the Sabbath morning.
Occasion It Tricky.
Fortune is like the market , where
nany times , if you can stay a little , the
irice will fall ; and again , it is some-
imes like Sibylla's offer , which at first
iffereth the commodity at full , then
onsumeth part and part , and still
loldeth up the price ; for occasion ( as
t is in the "
common verse ) "turneth a
ald noddle after she hath presented
ler locks in front and no hold taken , "
r , at least , turneth the handle of the
lottle first to be received , and after
.he belly , which is hard to clasp.
Brands Bacon.
During the last century the Bible
ras translated into 250 languages , and
t is now accessible to nine-tenths ci
he world's population.
Speak little of you ill luck , and
boast not of your good luck.
A Month's Test Free.
If yon hare Dynpepsla , write Dr. Snoop Karlne ,
Win. , Dos 143 , for six bottles of Dr. hlioop'a Keatorn-
Uvecxprc8npaia. Scndiioinoocy. Pay ea.SO If cured.
The sky Is not the less blue because
the blind man. does not see It.
PUTNAM FADELESS DYES do not
spot , streak or give your goods an un
evenly dyed appearance.
Despise not a small wound , a poor
kinsman or an humble enemy.
Deafness Cannot Jio Cured
by local applications , as they cannot reach the
discard portion of the ear. There is only one
way to cure deafness , and that is by consti
tutional remedies. - Deafness is caused by on
inflamed condition of the mucus lining of the
( Eustachian Tube. When this tube is inJlamcd
you have a rumbling sound or imperfect hear
ing , and when it is entirely closed deafness is
the result , and unless the inflammation can bo
taken out and this tube restored to its normal
condition , hearing will ho destroyed forever ;
nine cases out of ten are caused by catarrh
which is nothing but an inflamed condition of
the mucus surfaces.
AVe will give One Hundred Dollars for any case
of Deafness ( caused ny catarrh ) that cannot
bo cured by Hall's Catarrh Cure. Send for
circulars , free.
free.P. J. CHENEY & CO. , Toledo , O.
Sold hy Druggists. Too.
Hall's Family Pills are the best.
He Avho takes the child by the hand
takes the mother by the heart
Ask your grocer for DEFIANCE
STARCH , the only 16 oz. package for
10 cents. All other 10-cent starch con
tains only 12 oz. Satisfaction guaran
teed or money refunded.
One man often talks another off his
bench , , and seats himself upon it.
lam sure Plso's Cure for Consumption saved
my life three years ago. Mrs. THOH. ROBBUIS ,
Maple Street , Norwich , X Y. . Feb. 17,1000.
The tooth often bites the tongue ,
and yet they keep together.
Ask your grocer for DEFIANCE
STARCH , the only 1C oz. package for
10 cents. All other 10-cent starch con
tains only 12 oz. Satisfaction guaran
teed or money refunded.
When there is room in the heart
there is room in the house.
f 148 will buy new Upright piano on
easy payments. Write for catalogues.
Schmoller < & Mueller , 131 ? Farnam
street. Omaha.
While the great bells are ringing
no one hears the little ones.
Mrs. "Wlnslow's Soothing : Syrup.
for children teething , soften * the gums , reduces IP-
Cumulation , allays pain , cures wind colic. 23c a bottle.
That which has been thrown away
has often to be begged for again.
PATS TTVE TIMES AS MUCH AS CORN.
Buy Rice lands In S. K. Texas and S. W. La. at $10
to 1S per acre. Nets * 20 per acre. Write N. L. Mills ,
Go south via Santa Fe. 111. Cen. & So. Pnc. J rate !
Hewho will not take cheap advice
have to buy dear repentance.
TO CUKE A COLD IX ONK WAY.
Take LAXATivn UROMO QUIKINE TAULETS. All
druggists refund the money if it fails to cure.
X "VV. Grove's signature is on the box. 25c.
That which is false can never be
scientific.
Why with unti-ied
experiment rem
edies for pain ? Use Wizard Oil at once
and be happy. Your druggist has it.
A few drops or any essential oil will
insure leather from getting moldy.
What Do the Children Drlak ?
Don't give them tea or coffee. Have you
tried , tbp new food drink called GKAI&O ?
It is delicious and nourishing , und takes the
place of coffee. The moru Grnin-O you give
the children the more health you distribute
through their system ? . Grain-O is made of
pure grains , and -when properly prepared
tastes like the choice grades of coffee , but
costs about } { as much. All grocers sell it.
16c and 23c.
If modesty was the fool-killer most
women would die of old age.
Garfield Tea is an excellent medicine
to take in the Spring ; it produces a
healthy action of the liver ; it cleanses
the system and purifies the blood.
As soon as a woman falls in love
her complexion , gets better.
iFollowed
JB
A -woman is sick some disease peculiar to her sex is fast
developing in her system. She goes to her family physician
and tells him a story , hut not the whole story.
She holds back something , loses her head , becomes agi
tated , forgets what she wants to say , and finally conceals
what she ought to have told , and this completely mystifies
the doctor.
Is it a wonder , therefore , that the doctor fails to cure the
disease ? Still we cannot blame the woman , for it is very em
barrassing to detail some of the symptoms of her suffering ,
even to her family physician. This is the reason why
hundreds of thousands ofvomen are now in corre
spondence with Mrs. Pinkham , at Lynn , Mass. To
her they can give every symptom , so that when she is ready
to advise them she is in possession of more facts from her
correspondence with the patient than the physician can
possibly obtain through a personal interview.
Following we publish a letter from a woman showing the
result of a correspondence with Mrs. Pinkham. All such
letters are considered absolutely confidential by
Mrs. Pinkham , and are never published in any way or
manner without the consent in writing of the patient ; but
hundreds of women are so grateful for the health which Mrs.
Pinkham and her medicine have been able to restore to them
that they not only consent to publishing their letters , but
write asking that this be done in order that other women
who suffer may be benefited by their experience.
Mrs. Ella Rice , ChelseaWis. . , writes :
" DEAR MBS. PINKHAM : For two years I was troubled with falling
and inflammation of the womb. I suffered very much with bearing-down
pains , headache , backache , and was not able to do anything.Vhat 1
endured no one knows but those who have suffered as I did. I could
hardly drag myself across the floor. I doctored with the physicians of this
town for three months and grew worse instead of better. My husband
and friends wished me to write to you , but I had no faith in patent medi
cines. At last I became so bad that I concluded to ask your advice. I
received an answer at once advising me to take your Vegetable Compound ,
and I did so. Uefore I had taken two bottles I felt better , and after I had
taken five bottles there was no happier woman on earth , for I was well
again. I know that your Vegetable Compound cured me , and I wish and
advise even- woman who suffers as I did to try Lydla E. Pinkham's Vege
table Compound. Uelieve me always grateful for the recovery of my
health. " Mus. ELGA. llicn , Chelsea , "Wis.
Owing to the fact that some skeptical
people have fron time to tmie questioned
the genuineness of the testimonial letters
we arc constantly publishing , we have
deposited with the National City Bank , of Lvnn , Mass. . $5.000 ,
which will be paid to any person who will show that the above
testimonial is not genuine , or was published before obtaining
the writer's special permission. LYDIA. .FNXIIAM MEDICINE Co.
Spinach and dandelion leaves areA '
excellent for the kidneys. BrBuil's
A dyspeptic is never on peed terrnx xith him Cures all Throat and Lung Affection * .
self. Something is always wrong. Get it right
by chewing lleeman'- . Pepsin Gum. COUGH SYRUP
Probably the majority of clergymen Get the genuine. Refuse substitutes. ,
are poor because they preach without IS SURE
riotes. Salvation OH cures Rheumatism. 13 & aj eta.
EDUCAT
Donrt neglect the slightest sign of irregularity but
see that you have at least one natural , easy movement
a day. Pills , salts and black draughts are dangerous
because they strain and weaken the bowels. What
you want is a mild but sure tonic laxative , that tones and
strengthens the bowels and stimulates their movements.
Such a laxative is CASCARETS , and when you
try them , you will find that it is the easiest thing in
the world to make and keep your bowels clean and
regular , strong and healthy. Sample box JOc. * Month's
treatment 50c. By keeping the bowels clean , all serious
disorders are
JOc.
25c. 50c , NEVER
ALL DRUGGISTS. SOLD IN BULK.
all bowel troubles , appendicitis , bll- TO CURE : Five years nno
lounncHK , bad breath , bad blood , wind the ( Ir t box of CAKCAIt-
0:1 tlio stomach , bloated bowel * , foul KTB wa sold. 3iniv It 1 *
B , - - . - . mouth , headache , Indigestion , plinplcs , year over , six creator million than boxes nny n
palas after eating : , liver tronblc , wallow complexion similar medicine In the world. ThU U ulnolnte proofof
and dizziness. When your bowels don't move regu ffrent merit , nnd otir be t trttlmoultil. We have faith and
larly you arc setting nick. Constipation kills more will ell < * AHCABETH absolutely cuat"teed to cure or
people than all other dlsea cx together. It la a money refunded. Gobuytodny , trvo n cboze , clrcthema
starter Tor the chronic nUmojit * and lon C yearn of fair , hone t trial , an per tluinlf direction * , nnd If yon are
. " . '
not satliflrd. after n Inr ne "JOcbor : . return the/unnicd.'iOc
sufffcrlnc that como afterwards. No matter what box nnd the empty box to us by mail , r the < lrncsl t from
alia yon , start taking CASCAICETS to-day , for you whom you purcbated It , and cotyoiir money back for both
will never get well and bo well all the time until lioxcc. TaUe our advice no matter what nil. you start to
you put your bowels right. Take oar advice ; Mart day. Health will quickly follow and you wilt hlcs the day
witli CASCARETS to-day , under an absolute guar you llr t started the ineotTASCAKKTH. Hook , free by mall.
antee to euro or money refunded. Address : bTEKLLNU KEUEDY CO. , SEW YOUK or CUICAOO.
