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on tho wall, and then gravely sat down
opposite her.
"I regret that you should have gone
to the trouble of ordering dinner,'- said
Lady Herbert; "I shall be obliged to
leave within the hour."
"Madame is evidently new to this kind
of meetings," remarked tho young man.
Lady Herbert admitted that she was;
that this was an entirely new experience
for her; that she wasn't half disappoint
ed, though.
"Perhaps Madame will grant me a
further interview," continued the young
man, with a deference and decorum
Lady Herbert could hardly understand.
She felt no strangeness, albeit the sense
of the oddity of tho occasion was not
lacking.
The man whose face she was now
studying had dark blue eyes, extremely
blond bair, aquiline features and a well
bred air. His bauds were small, well
formed and cared for. He was not
dressed for dinner, but wore morning
clothes of fashionable cut.
"Mad? me is of the haitt ion," he ob
served. "What has induced ber to act
so indiscreetly? for is it not an indis
cretion to meet an adventurer like myself?-'
Lady Herbert smiled at his honesty.
"I havo always had the reputation of
being eccentric," she replied; 'but who
can tell of the pleasure this chance
meeting may give me?"
"Madame must not forget that it is
purely and simply a matter of quid pro
quo. As Madame is known to me and
the wealth of her husband is such that a
few thousands would be but a mere
bagatelle I must request a slight pay
ment before we part," remarked the
young stranger, rather abruptly.
Lady Herbert turned very pale be
neath her complexion. "Oh, a black
mailing scheme' she answered, her
voice not betraying a tremor.
"As you please to call it," he replied,
"although the term sounds harsh."
"How came you to learn my identity?"
she coolly demanded.
"As you stepped from your carriage
one of two men passing remarked,
There's the roan I sold Sir Peter HerJ
bert. When you entered tho restaur
ant I apked jour coachman if your
ladyship was dining here. He vouch
safed me no reply. Turning on my heel
I caught sight of the crest on the panel
of the door. It interests me the crest
of Sir Peter Herbert!"
Lady Herbert was a cold-blooded, cal
culating, clever woman of the world,
designing, reckless and daring. She
had been in worse positions. Coute que
eoute, 6he would have excitement;
really, this was growing interesting.
"You are indeed clever, my young
friend; and were I young and unsophis
ticated your mysterious manner might
well overawe me. I am always ready
to pay the reckoning, and, so far as the
entertainment goes, I will willingly pay
you to prevent any esclandre. But tell
mc why the crest on my carnage uoor
excites your interest?"
The joung man threw off his frock
coat and rolled up his shirt sleeve. On
the biceps of his arm was tattooed the
crest of Sir Peter Herbert a lion ramp
ant, holding a crescent between hid
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paws.
"Isn't it odd?" exclaimed her lady
ship; "pray, how do you account for it?"
"Ravelle put it there," said tho mys
terious joung man.
"And who is Ravelle?" asked Lady
Herbert.
"Ravelle was king of the swell mob.
Some say ho was my father. He al
ways treated mo well, and he gave mo
his savings tho savings of years the
night he was brought homo dying
stabbed by some unknown assassin."
"Do go on," replied her ladyship.
"Really, London is not half dead yet; I
never expected romance in such a meet
ing." The young man helped himself to the
ruffles and replenished the glasses.
"With tho money left me by Ravelle I
havo managed to exist; but professional
pride cbidicg, I have sought to make a
mark among my fellows by entangling
and entrapping game like your lady
shipin fact, any well known and
wealthy woman."
"There is no slow music or pizzicato'
dryly observed her ladyshin; "the or
chestra in the restaurant below is play
ing two-four time; but tell me, do you
remember your early childhood?"
"I remember woods," answered the
strange young man, dreamily and sol
emnly; "I remember woods and a park,
and dark swarthy men, one of whom
took me up in his arms and fled, while
the other struggled with a woman who
tried to follow."
"My son!" exclaimed her ladyship,
lighting fresh cigarette.
"Mother!"' cried the strange young
man, with rare business acumen.
"I can now explain the tattooing on
your arm," said her ladyship. "All
your underwear, as a child, had Sir
Peter's crest stamped on it. Ravelle,
the man who stole you, destroyed the
clothes, but gave you instead that in
delible impression the secret of your
birth."
"Ye ," eagerly gasped the strange
young man.
"You are my son, and I oh, happy
woman that I am your mother!" con
cluded her ladyship with a burst of
laughter.
The strange young man bit his Up
and knitted his eyebrows.
"Well and good. Lady Herbert; bnt
this escapade must be paid for," ho said
angrily. "At least a pony for tonight
until we meet again, Lady Herbert."
Her ladyship drew a 20 note from
her portemonnaie and threw it across
the table.
The strange young man quickly
pocketed it.
Lady Herbert poured out a goblet of
champagne and tossed it down in a
draught.
"It is really too bad that neither of us
can believe this beautiful Drury Lane
story," she said, half regretfully. "I love
coincidents even if they aro contrived,
and crests, you know, aro awfully com
mon. Yes, Sir Peter did lose a child,
stolen at the age of five, some eighteen
ears ago. Men of your class, clever
criminals and blackmailers, make use of
the smallest details in perfecting their
infamous plots. Permit me to look at
your tatooed arm again," and Lady Her
bert grasped tho whito tlesh firmly with
her left hand. Her right hand hold
her lace handkerchief. With a sudden,
deft movement she dipped it in his
half filled glass and gavo tho crest a
heavy rub. It came off like court
plaster.
Ho smiled admiringly at her.
"How did you guess?" ho asked.
"Merely my artistic perceptions," she
replied. "I saw at tho first glance that
it had been hastily drawn evidently
from an impression in wax made on tho
door panel. A confederate did the
work on your arm by soma process
known only to yourself. Now, really,
hbw came you to hit upor such a bril
liant scheme to find your long-lost
mother?"
"The swell mob reads the papers.Lady
Herbert," answered, the young man,
dropping his accent and lapsing into
professional argot. "We don't drink
green milk and we know a float face
when the sob breast sings. The story
of your child's kidnapping was handed
down by Ravelle he was a deep one
but it was only tonight, when I learned
your name, that I thought of playing
the long lost child on you . We Jeph
sons act quickly. No sooner had I and
my pal assurred ourselves of your iden
tity than the trick was ready to bo
phyed. I soon saw what kind of a
woman I had to deal with, and relin
quished all hope of working the decep
tion on you. However, I can always
depend on a generous allowance to keep
this little meeting a secret. Lady Her
bert eh?" he asked, impudently.
Lady Herbert had had all the fun
she wanted. Her Irish blood began to
boil. It was the O'Hara blood, and it
ran hot at times.
"You dirty, low lived scoundrel!" she
cried, "I would havo played you fairand
allowed you tho twenty pounds for the
elaborate pains taken to afford me an
hour's amusement, but now I shall seo
this matter to the bitter end and put
you wher you belong. Robert!" she
screamed.
The door was thrown violently open
and Robert tushed in, followed by two
men.
"Yes, my lady, and here's some gentle
men from Scotland Yard who have been
waiting outside with me."
"ThiB must never get out!" cried her
ladyship.
"Trust us for that, my lady," said one
of the detectives. "Miss Coster, of the
Gaiety, will appear against him. She
made an appointment to meet him hero
toget backadiamond brooch he relieved
her of last night. Jim ard me have
been laying for the rook these ten das
past, and Miss Coster was the one to
put us on his track. If he wants to get
off light he'll never breathe your lady
ship's name. This is not his first big
play, but it will be bis last for five yearst
at least."
Lady Herbert threw her purse to the
officers.
"Divide it between you," she said.
Then to Robert. "We dine at 8. Tell
John not to spare the horses."
That night at dinner Lady Herbert
got off a wretched British joke. "I con
sider the criminal classes distinctly Sir
Giles," she observed.
r
Ono of tho distinguished company
asked lier,"Whj?"
"Becaueo they Overreach," replied
her Iudship.
And Sir Peter laughed with tho rest.
Tho West finder.
hie it by line 1
PlCTOV
Actual time travoling.
31 hours to Salt Lake,
til hours to San Francisco.
G8 hours to Portland.
77 hours to Los Angeles.
FROM
LINCOLN, NEB
City office, 1041 O street.
See the new Photochromes at Cran
cer & Curtice Co.'s. 207 South lltb
street, the newest thine In picture.
SULPHO-SAT.TNB
COR 14 AND M.
LINCOLN, NEBRAI
Open at al! Hours Day and Nlflt
All forme of baths.
TURKISH. RUSSIAN AND ROMAN.
Witk special attention to the apptfs
catioa of natural salt water batftav
Several times stronger than aea water.
Special department for surgical caaea
aad diaeaaea peculiar to women.
Kkenmatisip, Skin, Blood and Nerrone D1a
sea, Llrer and Kidnor Tronblea aad ChroaJe
Allataota are treated sneeesrf ally.
6m ba thine may be enjoyed at all seasons ft
omt lane salt nriramlnt- pool. 50x142 feet, M
K feet deep, heated to uniform temperatcxa
M decreet.
DR8- M. H. AND J. O. EVERETT
Managing Physician.
Under sew management
MEBCHAOTS' HOTEL
OMAHA, NEBR.
PAXTON, HUXJETT DATZXFOKT.
Proprietors.
Special attention to state trade, (vest aa4
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jTTgSS
BnTHinilll
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pas toe door to aad from all carta of Ms
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