Newspaper Page Text
• A LITTTE TALK.
A STORY r
11/ Harriet Prescott Rpoffard.
[Copyrighted, ISM, by 8. S. McClure.]
Such a lovely thing It was, that home on
Ferncroft Hill, with Its lawm and gnrdona and
groves about lt, you could never fancy evil
coming near it. Such a lovely atmosphere of
peace and bcanty was there, sneh lovely woman
were sitting In their wlckor chairs on the flag,
ged space under the shadow of the lofty group
of Interlacing elms, surrounded by the brilliant
beds and great vases of flowers flaming in the
sun beyond! For all the world suclf Innocent
ideal life It seemed, this life of theirs, in such
» plan, as that life pictured on the Watteau
fans. But after all, was that Watteau lift any
thing but wolfish guilt and conspiracy masque*
radlng under lamblike fleece with pastoral gam
bols?
Yet, to say troth, thtro was never woman
made with leu conspiracy end guilt about her
than Mrs. Louie, the responsible lift and soul
of tho place; I doubt If the was ever acquaint
ed with an artldee before that crnel December
day; certainly aho nover wu nftorwnrd, And
surely her paler ahadow, Mias Margaret, had
less of enrth than heaven in her competition;
and the breath of reproaah in -any sort had
r nover touched the stately Laura, nor the pretty
Bose, nor Julia, nor Virginia, nor any of tho
rest of the alstera and slstert-ln-law and ooaalna
who made the place gay and helped live this
Ufe.of a perpetual pleasure party. So why did
I speak of the Watteau life of guilt at all?
When Francis and Bussell and Herbert cams
home in the afternoon from the hot and dusty
city it Homed to them that they came to a life
above the clonds, a course left over after Eden,
and they grumbled all tho morning at golug
away, and felt as though there were wings on
their feet, hurrying, impatient wings, all the
afternoon iu thinking of coming back. It w.u
so cool there under tho trees, so sweet, so fur
from turmoil! Ko thought of trouble there,
no loud voices, or bitter words, nothing more
noisy than the bees and breezes In tho tops of
- tho trees, nothing, at least, till Mts. Flossy
- Venning camo, and then It was a ripplo of
laughter and exclamation and question and
* answer alt day long, breaking In on'Julia's
song, or Boso’s guitar, or Laura's alow reading
of somo verso eho loved, or Mrs. Louie’s lulla
bies; and when it was not laughter it was deep,
absorbed interest m the lust thrilling recital of
tho straugo doings among tho poople whom
Mrs. Flossy-Venning know or heard about, but
who, for tho most part, seemed to he a sort
that never entered into the Innocent.circle of
JYracri.lt IliU cxc|||^tbrough Mrs.. J-'lessj
at mircaorr hill.
Venning's gossips. Sbt did not come there
every yesr, however, and when she did coma
she brought such word of tho outsido world to
those gentle peoplo who knew so little of it
thatshs was like tho open pages of a fairy
book to them. Thtlr own lift was so qaiet
that pononal news of those whoso nernes tboy
heard in dull rumor far remote, or road of In
the journals, gava a sort of enlarging acquain
tance with them, and Mrs. Venning found her-
veir encouraged till word of tba grant plsyot's
domestic meannesses, and of tho great novel
ist's private Jealousies, and the great poet's sly
Iovo aflhirs, led on to gossip shout any of her
acquaintances that had tho least piquancy or
flavor, lfthey had known it was gossip, (bow
horrified they would have been 1 As it was,
they considered It only Flossy Venning's little
he story of the way
Ms wife and the way
talk. Today It .
General Tollifer abased
that woman held up her head, and called Mm
•■Dear," and smiled at people when everybody
knew her armiwere black and blue, nui her
spirit, oh! her spirits were black and blue, too.
“Ah, how thankful I ought to be," thought
Mrs. Louie, “that Francis la the perfect Chirac-
_ _ And tomorrow tt wnt the story of
the my in which Maria Bum smuggled her
diamonds through the posteffieo, would yon bo-,
lieve It? pin alter pin, with a diamond In the
head of It, Jnet planed iu to a letter, tba oflioiala
thinking nothing of mneh value would bo sent
so carelessly. “And whan yon tee Arietta at a
cablnctlre ceptioo, if you ever do sea her. Rote,
-it’s Bote's turn to go somewhere now, isn't
_ . sine* Lauti went to Florida last year?—
when you see bar with a perfect choker of die-
ruondsxoand her throat, you'll know how she
camo by them 1”
‘•But. I don't aoe," asked Laura, looking np
from her book and her hammock: “are things
or that sort so much cheaper abroad ?"
“Worlds cheaper 1 And you gntlovsly things
in the pawnshops. Whv, wagot a tnrqnotao
onco in a gem shop at Munich as Mg as the
end olyonr thumb, for forty pfennings-Just
think of ltl And than Arietta escaped the
duties, too. Ok. m thorn nooM was ao cheap
a necklace In this country as Arietta'*, oxcopt?
io.be sure, th* one that Kickopntorbridf* sold
for hU slaters, aad that, well that was such an
outrage on decency! Only imagine Ik Leaje,
Helena's diamond* that bad horn bar great-
grandmother's given to the eldest daughter for
four generations, and that brother of bore add
them for a song and spent the money on Bis
* “Hosr'ihocklng 1 Whom did you say ho
“Why. I teUyoa—hsr brother Klrke. And
yon never could believe it to am him, om-
tinned Mr*. Vanning. “Supuh looking feUow:
no tall, and bright-ftced—just like one’s ideal
° t “I < n*virr had‘any Ideal of a Greek cod," said
Mm. Louie, feeling klindly that tbo cherishing
of tuck an ideal ms like tho tacit countenanc
ing of such a nation as thiamin wko defraud
ed his Motor, Itinay Is. u
•Well. I should be sorry to knee my ideal do
such a thing ns that," said Boa*, taking a new
needleful of her annsene, and happy la the
• that inch poople and such thing*
his bend or not* hot
heard of him everywhere, they say, one wild
whirl of ditalpstlon; and house alter house
went, one piece of property alter another, and
at last there was nothing left of all that for
tune bnt the old homestead mansion In what
bad become a cheap out-of-the-my street, and
their pictures and books and jewelry. Ho re
fold .to tell that old mention house, to my cer*
tain knowledge, because the buyer Insisted
upon settling thi
bad to gives
rtgsgo on the home, In order
time to previ
pledge the dlamouds, and ham.— —— „.
Klrke; and Instead of pledging them he told
them outright, and that is the last they ever
heard of lb I never quite understood about
tho mortgage and sll task perhaps; hut I know
the woman who wean tho diamonds—ah least
I’ve had tqem pointed not to mo on her. It
wouldn't be so bad, you know, if ho hadn't
been living a luxurious Ufa blmsalf of riotous
days and nights, as they say, till [he is com:
pletsly worn out with his dissipation by this
time. Never ms anythlog bnt what they call
a man about town, anyway- I-do- pity those
Outbridge girl*!"
"Poor thing*, its e shame, a wicked shame!"
esld Mis. Loole; “can't anything be done to
uve wbat they-have left and keep that ont of
bis clutches V”
'I don’t suppose than can. They adore him,
you know, sndbslievi in him, for nil. Mels
juitibo sort of man some women adore. I
his clutches?"
teupposo
in know, and believe in him, for' nil. Me
jrtof n
despise the sort!"
“And so do I. What a despicable srreteh!
And such n sacred trust—his own younr
siston. his dying Hither’s charge! How coaid
he ? Oh, Flony, it seems to mo tho world ont
there is too full of wickedness to continue—
something must happen—the way It did to the
five cities of the plain. I can’t be thankful
enough that we are shut In from It here. It
makes me tremble to think- how superior
Franc! is to nil that kind of mon—how good
he is never to bring homo anything of that cor
rupt world. Perhaps ho nover sees anything
oflt—be never mentions such things, that I
remember. I should feel ns if the elimeofthe
terpen* had soiled ns nil if sneh a man slept ono
night beneath the roof bore."
"Well he Isn’t likely - 16 come thts w»y,’ r
laughed Flossy. “Vourllft would have no at
tractions for him. And If he did you would
all he captivated with him. He knows how to
win the heart ont of war body.”
“Stop a moment, Flossy,” said Laura, who
was now sitting up In her hammock, with a
whits, Ectfaco, "I think it right to sty to yon,
to Louie, to nil tho rest,- that 1 .know this
gentleman conoernlng whom such extraordi
nary statements are made. I know him very
well. And there la not n srotd of truth in nil
of them. Ho la the noblest, loftiest—”
“Dear, dear," said Mrs. Flossy. “Dldn 1 1 toll
yon he could win tho heart ont of your body?
Here’s • caeo in point. What was that—oh,
my goodness, wlmt wm that? Thunder'.’ And
, there It is again .' You don’t alt ML nudpr
these iretsIsa lliundcrgust nnd temw Pro?.-
denOS ”
“Ttanpt Providence to what?” asked ltoie,'
although gathering up her balls. *
“To nothing, sorer ns I am conoemed, for I
go in,” said Mrs. Venning. “I shan’t stay ont
with thunderbolts blowing about those hills.
Gracious, what n flash! I should liko to live in
; California or.somewhere where thore are no
thunderstorms; but there yon have to lutve
earthquakes, and I don’t know what la worse.
’There’* nothing true but heaven,’ ’’ oho aang,
rushing after her flying silka and wools,
ar.d hurrying nwuy, followed by nil
the others, «*ve Laura. 8ho sat thore
till, rsrelres of rain or wind. If tho
lightning chose to thrnst its blade down among
ho trees and And her ont— let it! Itwontdbo
a good day’s work. For that was this atory
about Kirk* Oatorbrldgo that ah* had just
bean obliged to beer—Klrke Oatorbrldgo, In
whomjbo lov* of her Ufo was bound, although
neither Boas, nor Louie, nor Virginia, nor Ju
lia, nor Margaret, knew that ehe had ever met
him. How should they, Indeed, when It had
been settled between tba lovers In Florida
whither Laura had journeyed with n friend
the year before, that not unless his health wu
thoroughly regained should lov* be apekea of
again between them—health seeming then n
far off thing to Klrke Ontorbrldga with his
racking cough and aching aide, hla Inheritance
from his gentle, early-dying mother. The
storm tamo down about poor Laura there; but
there was a worse storm In her poor heart—a
storm of anger nnd disgust at the outrage on n
men’e good name, of half a donbt, a pang of
unwhlspered horror leat any of It might be
true—n atorm of indignant protest, of Impo
tent wrath, of sclf-contcmpt,of passionate ap
peal to lore. But at hut eho row Intuitively
and went in before the wu completely dronoh-
tremor
HH _ to her,
nobody theta thought anything more of Klrko
Outerbridgc or of bia listen. The Interest of
Mrs. Flossy Venning’s nut story lu pc reed id
that In their mlnda; and at last she and bar
stories had gone together, nnd other gneata
with other characteristic* had taken her place;
and Mrs. Louie ires busy with her pleasant
household cares, and her cue of other people,
aud Laura with the poor, la whole sorrows aho
lost her own—If It really wens sorrow to love
and he beloved, although unknown to any.
And eo summer wore into autumn, nnd the
autumn into winter, u cold and wild n winter
as ever mads the' coining spring seem nn Im
possibility nnd n miracle.
diamonds; and he raised enough money on it to
buy this house—ho wouldn’t positively soil Ik
because ho says if his rebomes work right he’ll
hive tt hade again—aud be cells the house a
lyshow
raaprol
tkfttn
from our darling brother! He sent mail Sway
for a month at tho seaside, and when wo cant
beak bebrought ns here, and here nil onr pet
things; everything movod, everything done,
every room in the house rented tojrespcc teblo
people, so that we are sure of n living, he says,
let what will come to him. 0. wo shouldn't
tore anything about a living IfAoythlhglll
came to him!"
“ And he took the little lull chamber him*
self,” said Helena; "nnd Insists uponpaying ns
rant fer that. He la sneh an amusing bey! He
says it is i ' - ‘
for him, tl
tamed ont
mty of n <
ho went nbont leading a gey, careless life that
might have degenerated Into something worse
if nn hadn’t been brooght up with n round'
tom; nnd that having to bo ont In tho world,
and dealing with rich and gtypeople, It is for-
-—■- *- - lisaurh af "
him to ko Into this. I could get Col. Evans, to?,
and that would make tho thing surd. It comer
to mo llko au Inspiration—ami you should al
ways attend to an inspiration on tbo apot. II
itwasn't 86 confoundedly cold and raw nnd get
ting up fora blustering night I’d be disposed
to try It. And I don’t know why tbo wosther
should stand In the way. I might take
the 3 o’clock train tomorrow, If I don’t find
Fern croft intown, that gets modownnthalf
past ftur, do mywork there, take the train fer
Evanston-afterward, and bo back on Mia mid
night train. Wo matter If it Is Saturday. And
If I succeed, then the whole thing's as good as
done—my girt* are independent, let what wilt
follow—and peeelbly—possibly—”
And when the girls bed gone ef?
behind their soreens to their soft
* e*z r™i- lD i ***■*«
oof responsibility;i
; nnd bones,anas
that, ever tempted him; the thought of neon
hit hands would b* and ha? boon his saving
grace. Isn’t that heantlftl for blot to say
when sre felt wo trero really only a burden?
O, I don’t hnow what we shootd do lr it wasn't
for him—he to brother nnd father and hus-i.
band to all three of us. We don’t want any
body else a* longne we hnv* Klrke.”
“He la >0 kind, to cheering, so helpful, so
uuolflib, so considerate,'* chimed in Anna.
“And it’s Lust n pleasure to- look at him,
he’s so beautiful P’ cried Helen*.
“Wall,' If thla isn’t here worship," exclaimed'
their crony, " tell me whet-la?”
“Bnt we’re, worried to death about his
health,” continued Anna. “That oough of his
teaaoasTory ono to pieces—as mush-as It
does him—It seems too bad that it eeoldn’t
bare come to one of us girls, motber’acough.
Ws all set out last fall that he should go to
Florida for it—it took onr united effort to enr-
ry the day; and it was long first; bnt Dr. Day
.... U| sniDtoc his lift a roar ft
ho wanted to live for
■Bit
said ho would not guana
guarantee his llfoarcat
he didn’t go, and-If he wanted to 11vol..
nothing eli« than to bo of uao to ns girl* ho
must go. And hataid—only jnattfalnk! Klrko
said It sre* of (he-utmost Importance for him
to lire till the city could be penuaded to toko
theoldOuterbrldgo placo for its now publlo
buildings and ran n street through the garden
—that la hla great scheme, yon know, to make
all oor Untune*—the dty will pay such a price
fbr the plan, nod the lot* In the garden will
ipeaklc
comparatively speaking,- If
s to have It done, or if ho <
himself; bat it takes ao me
can only manage HI
only do it nil by himself; bnt it taken so much
time ana-talking end inilucnco. I am nfrnuf I
ho will gcfcaJl worn out iu trying, and wo nrgo
him to let it all alone, and juMjlivc along as we
trust
of Hfereft*,
docs It. What do wo care about fortunes?" .
"They aro very pleasant things—fortunes—
nevertheless,” said llicir listener.
“The dear heart forgets all about himself."
said Kato. “I know ho thinks ho Is doomed.
For sometimes,’’ lowering her tremhli ug tones,
“ho looks at ns, sad I se<|tesrs swim Into his
eyes; nnd I know ho Is thinking who will toko
care of ns, stand be twcon ns and tho world, a Rer
he is gone; and then we sll znnko bollsve wo
are so merry, and Helena begins to play a
tarantella, and Anna begins to sing and dance
it as if she was to gay aha conldn’t keep still,
and IJnst sit nna hold his hand. O! I don't
think I can hear it!"
“I don't know if its nil for na that some
times Klrko is so dull," said Helens. “Onos
in a while I fluey there was somebody in
Florida—and yon know Klrke it so high-spir
ited ha never would marry ir ho thought his
■ it, if be
In your hands and his—your experience is more
than mine in tliht direction."
“Well, come along. Woll settlo tho matter
pro or cost speedily. If yon won’t stay over-
night I wouldn't lievo you lose that train fer
twice the money! 1 It wonld be blood monoy!”
Bnt as they went their way to tho door,
Klrko Oatorbrldgo looked about him at tho
place flaunted by one fair pretence, seeking
perhaps some sign of her. Haw should he
have known that It ires-upon Laura's open
hook that quietly and unseen he laid the fresh
and dewy hunch of violets he hnd brought?
1 At the word “btulnosa” Mrs. Louie had
swiftly Tend discreetly withdrawn; and now
coming to a toiler comprehension of thoevont
she stood in the adjoining mnsio room, where
sho would stilt hear tbs Inarticulate murmur
of their voices, qutvorinjr with Indignation.
Klrke (lutcrbridgol That wretch, that rep
robate, that dissolute, bad man,the swindler o(
his sisters, the utterly, base nnd contemptible
person, inside her doors! That creature here,
bids,, and ho had tfrod blmsolf
>.!lug over bis accounts, whore for yeati.few-
had been the peunioo to bo recorded as wasted,
he still rat there, with tho last of tho fire
throwing Its flicker uvor walls and draperies
in all fantastic shadows, lost in a happy dream,
tho placo toll of visions all rising from that-
cue word “possjbly.”
Poor Klrko’ Outcrhrlilgo! Slnco tho yba
or his early manhood lie ono had over tost
more tolly than he tho truth of tho words Ul_..
“men Is hern to tumble as tho sparks fly un-
ward.” From the day his father died mid loft.’
on Ills hands hi* three aiders and. .tho most
cmiim-ly involved estate tlinl ever foil l:uv-
(suits, he had neverknown what rest was. .Vow
'lie saw mt just before him. How fair looked
A vsly dlflfcrent place from the lovely hill
side heme was the small city house In “
the
were for astride their sphere,
"Wasn't It dreadful f Yen knew their father
iar«r sssss art
must have left a million dollars' worth of
house! and real estate, and Klrke was the o-w-
cutor and manager, and all that I don’t knew
dark, noisy street, where the young girls kept
tbs baas meet and one floor and rented thereat
to lodger*.
That ops floor they had certainly mad*
• harming with tho remnants of nn old splen
dor that had once aurroundsd them—soma
bcantttol family portraits of Mastered chll-
, tome old draperies whose very tarnish
n chum, hooka, screens, bill of china,
nothing, indeed, new, bnt everything sugges
tive of quiet beast/ and of real comfort? al
though within More nnd somewhat narrow
bounds. “If anyone had told na that we girls
could havshesneo contented on ana floor, wit h
scram wad taAobodsteads, and door hrothsr 1-i
just p ball chamber, w* never should bats bi-
llevsd It," Anna, one of the girls, WMtiyltrx
to an intimate, In that eery twilight tlia:
which tempts to open expression.
‘•Well, we ahotli have been, if b* haln’c
such an Inventive mind: w* owe thn whole of
this pretty comfort to him," said Kate. “ Wo
ehoulfl have sold everything at once, nnd h iva
nutted to lock fbr mean new things—J4ts
fancy—or cheap furnished rooms. But heatld
they would nercr bring a fraction of their
worth to ns, and no matter whet happened, wo
should noth* stripped of tba thing) that htd
always been about ns? and that nukes even
this olsce seem like home. There- never wu
Eucbnhretherl How tench he has been t* us
* vir since fhther died and left things tocos-
fused, though brother says if hn had Uvad
everything would have worked ont well; hat
see misfortune bos followed on another ever
since, and fm rare nobody the in Kirks'*
health would have kad the coongotodo ail
that he ha* dona, H* hu ununy ideas, to*.
Do yon know, he look Helena's old diamond
have worn it, Helena couldn't? sad we don’t
go anywhere saw where any of a* coaM weir
health did not Justify it, If be thought
not going to lire. And thon I don’t know uut
he may have reasoned that he ought not to
marry with us upon hla baud*—and, oh, yoa
don’t believe,” cried Helens, qnice breaking
down, that we are really atanding in th* way
ofKIrk’a happiness, we .three great, useless
girls? It would break our hearts! And it
would ho to lovely If he had n beautiful wife
to make him as happy a*ho always madens,
and to he one of n»,too, even Ifahehadto
live In onr crowded qnsrtors. We wonld do
everything tor her—only It seeme as though it
should be happiness enough -or her just to be
Kirk’s wife."
“Klrke Is so bright and sunny and original,''
said Kate, taking up the bunlcn.
“I think 1 am awtolly good to listen to yon,”
raid their Mend, “slnco I am not In love with
him, end since—”
“0,r ' ' ‘
nnsgp
things—once he took nil onr
'a too good for this world!'’
" said the friend. “Nebtdyfe
•expected
Chriatau pre
cost, you know, gad nude us send a man dying
of consumption out to Texas,ud called bias onr
emigrant, and followed bis fortntua, and Urt
Dsn’s allra now on n rancho nnd bringing ont
other consumptives, o, yoa, Klrke istways
cornea In chccrftl, bo always has aomothlng to
tell, ho always has some now pleasures to pro
pose, if its only s night at the theater.”
“And ba mafcen you leave oil' thinking of
yon nairas by giving yon something ala* to
think of. He tells us of people he bog found
poorer than we are, and he says If wo have
nothingelw to glv* wa can give ourselves;
end ho goes with us sometimes, and comas for
ns other times, when wo go to sit and read with
persona who are bedridden nnd disabled and
have nobody. O, there never was rath a man
as Klrke.
“Ml
too |
havi
ter than anybody die in
"Well, it mtkeana cringe somatimas to think
bow perfect ho la, and how miserable he Is.
It’s Jnet in the Bne of the way things mare
that we should lose him becaaeo bo's eo Inval
uable. ud so—"
'Things don't mere that way,” said Helena.
“ IPs wicked to nay ao. Only, if anythlog
should happen to Klrke, it would happen Jnat
the lame to all ot tu, he ts to prertoas to us?
ai d ire do so srant him to Ufa after ail share
wiu
irtaa. .
And just then tho hay toned in the latch,
ud Klrke came In, the tall, bright, knightly
fellow,and after theaxhaastienof* fit of cough-
log had subsided) proceeded to show the girls
and their friand a new trick of legerdemain,
a meet interesting trick, wktek tamed a par
cel *f pennies into a shower of chocolate
creams, and then he took from hla groat-ooat
pocket tho lost new poere end read a part of it
to than; ansi, after the friand had gaaa, ont
raiMlk mapt ill nitrating kic boil domic hemes
* ith the old Mbs* and land, and ha axplaiaed
anew to th* listen hi* Immediate plans, shear
ing tii«* th* advantage of this and the disad-
vantage of that. “If the Mty doe* this, it is
care ud cans potency for us nil,’’ ha said. “Bnt
lately it has seemed to me that if I could poe-
tibly do it myself, or with the aid of bat on*
or two other*- one or two others I must hare-
tken It Is absolute wealth. Ansi I'v* htlf the
mind to try. Half tea atfasdl’’ he sai l. “1
to try. I know of a good fellow dawn
--Tp|»dy*«
a sre no so nan aim n> uvo attar an snore
ary yean la which bn has hast so littl* are*
i luppinfM of his awn. H* has bean.Bring
bet’s Ufa and man; not 'hlrewn ”
on Fcincroft Ulll.withp
I think h* wonld do nay
I wonld do anything he I
?ef ready meney.
' atk—I kuw
If I coni I get
recesses perhaps health
" 'jkwould te with
tho leak and so
van bofore ho left It.
coldest day of the year, a day the tscomdd tho
raider .bocauac there was ns snow on tho hard
andfrozen ground, when acnrrlngqdrov* raj
Idly up Ferncroft Hill, ud a visitor \
crcd Into the great square drawing-room that
nlwnys seemed In winter liko n space of the
remaining summer. There were hone there at
tie moment but Freneis ud Hrs. Loufo; and
ns the light of tho fire shot nn on all tho Idao
and silver of the room, and lalda its ruby glow
on the gnest’e face ud lofty bearing, Mm.
Louie found hotaeir thinking that with inch a
faceand hearing tho knights of ancient story
i-bould bsvo carried tbemsclvos—when nil tho
fsbria of her too swift fancy was -shattered
liko n pricked bubble by Francis’ exclamation,
ukecricd: “Onurhridge! KirkcOntorbridgo!
Yon down hero »nd out in thi* allocking
weather! Louie, thts Is my friend. Mr. Out-
ertridgo—my wife, Klrke. Why, toll me wbat
thi* means? I am delighted to see yon—bnt
In your et*t* of health—or srant of health—
thi* weather—you ere It’* lurprieing!"
“Ko wonder,” laughed Mr. Ontorhrldg, af
ter n stately greeting.
“Mo wonder that I wonder' Here, drew
thi* chair ^to th* blase. You moat be
cbUltd—"
“Mo, ao. Tho fact Is, I had a matter of bus-
inern that wouldn’t wait.”
“Yon mesa sen wouldn't wait. Thosamo
Impulalve hall* winged mortal that yon uud to
“And I can't wait now. It ha* occurred to
m*, In relation to tbo afllslr of which I was
cure speaking to yon, rent* time ago, that It
I* quito as fcaaihlo to manage that In n private
way as through the city,and,if yon and colonol
Evans rare to go In with me on eqo*l terms, It
might bo wotth your while. Only the paper
has to b# Maned to-night, for Monday thn city
acts, and, If wa are before them, be they don't
really care, It will be nil right. There la no
donbt It’* a great thing, ud ono worth doing;"
and, as lie warmed hi* cold hands at tho blase,
her end her alrtere, to speak with them? She
felt It a contamination! she felt it u Insult!
she grew more nnd more eugry, nnd every
moment soemtd nn hoar while ehe waited, and
jonly served to work bar into freak fever.
Thore were Some things, aho said to herself,
that she could not bear. This sort of thing
was one of them. She wonld not brer It. Sho
could endnre n groat'dcal, but this wss alto
gether beyond her strength or her willingness.
Francis could not nek her to beoomo the com
panion of men who ought to be eonrlots;
1'rsnds could net possibly know nbont him;
there wss no time for hor to giro warning;
die htd rether dlo herself than to seo Francis
the companion of auch a mau. Already aho
felt dlrgniced Iu the ulr; already they wore
diaggea down Into tho slime and corruption
nrdperto imeli poople,-when suddenly Koso ran
In saying Francis ms calling wildly on the
universe to know tho exact time for the lest
train, ho having lost Iris tlmo table,
“Why, what Is th* matter with ynuf’ eh*
cried, “ Yon look liko tho statue of a bronze
Fate here in the dark 1"
Wicked and trembling Un, Lottie! She
knew perfectly well the time of the last train?
Bnt she answered directly, at calm as sho could,
take her breath > r
Francis knurrs that I never had uny tlmo
table."
“Bnt what tlmo la It now?" cried Francis
, from the don. “I don’t moan, of coarse, by my
watoh or by Uy of these absurd clocks of
cure, but by your real old reliable Jorgensen :
that never falls. Finished writing, Outer-
bridge? Here’s my-nnroe then—there's never
a decent pen in this honso! Yen soo, two min
utes, will make onnar.yon. If there aro forty-
fattx minutes you cat moke tho train, and If
there arc only forty it'i no use ut all trying,
and yon may as woll stay hero—you've hceu
In worso places—and bo ua.‘ ‘
part nil the love-lines of tho Ideal life of Fern*
croft Hill into eclipto. r
“And with that ont camo the whole story,
with hot, harried, Indignant breaths nnd shak
ing lips. “And I think I havo tho right to ask
how n base, had, dissolute wretch liko that,
who rob* hla own alstcrsand spends all the
money he cu lay his hands on In hla own
£ Ieararcs, came to be a friend of yobm?’ said
Ira. Lonfo at tho finlah,
“May I aak where yon heard nil this precious
Etuirr" said Frauds gcutly.
“FIcaay Venning told ns every word of HI”
“I thought so. Woll, it Is an Infamous false*
hood. Doyen hear mo, Iteuic? An infamous
hUaheed. That woman has 'wrought more
contamination under this roof lu one hoar
than an army of really bad men could da In n
year. Oulcrbridgo has been my friend for
twentyfyeare. Wo wore In tho same class. Wo
have drifted spurt In onr varying pursuits,
hut when wo meet we always begin where we
leltnir. I would don greit deal fur him; ha
wonld de anything for mo. I never expected
iny wife to he the ono to blacken hla charac
ter. It is terrible, Louie. The best nnd finest
fellow 1 ever met, the purest, the most ,-clf-
(lenying, the most high-minded. Louie, you
ought to get down on your knees to him for
this."’
“I—I will,” stammered Mra. Louie before
the thought, In n sudden contrition.
“And don't ask that woman lu this house
again. Louis ” ’
“Mm. Lonlo hung her hrsd; the fire had all
gone out of her. “But—oh, Francis—If this 1*
true—”
‘■Tras?” reared Francis. “Of coarse It's
trno!’’
■Then—then—don't—oh, don’t yon thlnlc
wo’d better send efter him? Ho—ho csnT
catch that train 1 What wa* he going to do If
bo didn't catch it?'
“He dr dared that he should taken team and'
drive over to Evanston. But 1 don't bsllove he'
will do such s foolhardy thing. His life is too
precious to those girls of hie to risk It that
way. But—I don’t know—ho la n wonderfhlly
determined fellow—he always carries out what’
bonndntakea. Ifheehould drive—”
“In that single coat, with no wrap* or hot'
soapstones, and this wicked weather—It’* two
below rero now 1 Oh, Fnnols, let Teddy put
; the honea right In nnd overtake him, and at
any rate cany him your Mg cloak and some’
mgs, nnd If ho must go lot him have onr close 1
cnirlago’’—all In a bpsstb.
“Hi no nao now, anything of tho sort Ho'a
too ft t off to ho canght. Whoever drives Kitko
bee to drive like the son of Klmshl, Teddy Is-
off an hla holiday, besides; and Patrick's eolil
Is too bed fev him to venture It. No, he's s'
roan grown, and must direct himself.” ' •
“Ho hnd only fifteen minutes,” said Mrs.’
Loulo under her voice.
“Wbat!" cried Francis, “Wliatl Then yen
and FlotBy Venning havo killed him!"
They liad Indeed. That night a team
“■is bam* wssn so warn am thus.
they wan so white sad thin that yoa
could nlmost see through them.
“Mo doubt *t *11," said Francis. “To toll
yon the troth, I have wondered you saver
Hiked roe. I don’t knew hut I will look Into It.
Tonight,youssy? Walloons* alongIstomy
den sad we'll eremia* it. Hew are you going
to!get Gel- Evans, thongfc, ir I do?"
“(I. cully. I take the Isat train over. Th*
driver—I took n back at your station—aays I
hnv* time, with economy. And if I mice It, I
•hall drive over.”
“Dnvoover! In this weather! Twelve mites,
and the road rough as cobbles. Why, it’s im-
pceMble! 1 ’
“Nothing is Impassible to a man in earnest,’’
said Kirks, “slid God knows I’m fear felly in
“Well, yon mustn't
“11*00% Of estate, provided I here yesr
signature firrt. Without that, na to.wilt oom
it’s of no use to go to Evana; with it, he will
•tanotol ,
Mgn ot once, nnd my fortune is msds,snd
yuan considerably salannd. IshsUtostsfeU
the details of future management s good deal
•'Be irai'ciouD ron that last briatb and was cons.”
“It Is too much risk of losing nil, was tho
reply, In deeper tones,
“ Louie, don't you bear mo?” cried French.
Thera wu bnt ono idea In Mrs. Lonts’s head
u she listened, bearing everything with fetal
distinctness, lie htd to havo forty-fonr min
utes In order to resoh his train. If ho had only
forty ho would stay the night, and over 8an-
,dty, end that night too. She felt In her Infatu
ation of horror that all the perfumos of Ara
bia wonld not sweeten the bouu after that. Be
rid of him she must, bo rid of him In any way.
Who knew what degradation ho might work
even upon Francis m that time! Meanwhile
Francis hsd been interviewing the bookman
who was threshing his arms at tba door, with
sundry subdued otuurgatlont, nnd had turned
Diet the train toft at tbarp.
“ Did you ode me what tiros it was?" said
Mra. Louie from tho distance, In th* cold vole*
that, from some UtUo sxperieara, in spite of
general loveliness, Francis ought to havo
known boded mischief. “Watt a moment. By
this watoh it is Just bslf-psrt 5. Jt Is a little
slew, may ba,” Poor Mr*, l-ouial 8h* bad
jnetquiokly put tba buds back thirty minute*.
Hhe did not too that hardly mors degradation
could have been wrought on Francis by this
injurious companionship than hed already
been wrought on herself by th* effort avoid it
“Uslf-pssto!" cried Francis. "Well, then,
If you will, you will. OK with yon! Yon can
jut make it, and catch your breath. And good
luck to y«ur fishing.” Tho noxt minuto tho
wheels were llinndoring down tbo hill nnd into
tent of toy air had ceased, and Francis wu
calling har again, and sho wu drawing s long
gate ot delighted relief. "Yes, be can jut
make it.poor fallow,” raid Francis. And Loul*
thought with great content that If b* didn’t
make it be could go to the inn, nnd than was
an cad of him ao far u th* Farmroft family
wb» concerned. And then eho looked 'round
to ee* If latum bed known anythlog of this
prfried* sflato Th* poor little woman hod *
grist Oral on her bezidiln looktogsatforotber
i« epla’s soul*. Ur. outarbridge bad really
been tent out in tba eoU by bae with exactly
fifteen miouUeto do that which nqnirad f-ir-
ty fe-or. A blind ecou of guilt wu Jnet be
hind Mr*. Louie, end overtaking hor. Asa
natural coneeqaasee, all at one* the wu vary
cron, the vexation of n moment before coming
again to the top.
"IIow came aoch a mao a? that In our house.
Franco?'' aha demanded.
"Ouch a man u what? ’ uked Francis, tam
ing In enrprie*.
"A* Uut creature who hu Jnet gout!"
“Untai bridge! Wbat ere you talking about;
Why, ho is a friend or mine.”
“A Diend of yean!” Aad her tone spoke
not volumes merely, but oncycloocdus.
“Yes, n friend of mins! And I should like
SXrtmRfWdTti
man, who hnd been breathing tbo bitter bluls
of the rasping air firr all that time, and cough
ing nnd strangling with tlio prolonged sting
ing u every frozen Inhalation plowed Its way
through fire, chilled now to tho marrow, and
covared with tho cold sweat of bis effort for
breath, dragged himself out and wont in at tho 1
opening door.
How warm wu tho soft atmosphere of the
wealthy home, eweet with Its spicy lire and
Illuming flowers, nnd dazzlingwerotbo lights!
Were these women, kind women, tho.o ftfr
•bapes about him? Wore thoso walls about
him, or parts of shining and receding space? -
Wuthietbeend? “1 bare come," ho tried to
*»y, and fell heavily forward Into tho clielr
thst some one hsd wbseled to receive him. It
wu Ibc end, ludeed. His mouth wu full of
bleed. He straggled for that last breath, aud
"Flossy Venning killed him," said Francla
afterward, "with that reckless tonguo of hors,
that never stooped to find tho truth or false
hood of It Ml." He never uid a word of
Unri’e share. “Floaty Venning killed him
with a lHllc talk Just u much oa If sho bad
done it with * knife I”
Were They Married?
The Clinton Public tolls of a young man ami
H omen at Wepetla who appeared before a Justice
to get married. The young nun handed th* JntUoo
wbat ho thought wutbo marriage license, and tho
ceremony wu proceeded with. Arriving at hem* '
tbe justice dbcorerrd that wbat ho supposed ivrt
the llcenaowu limply a pedigree of a bull. Altaic
*■ Mi irgz would carry blm he ran to the heals of
tbs MW ly married coop!c. lhe young tody had
already mired ud the young msn was to tea sat
““-laffiassR;
•shade hla Intended bride good '
Igbt end went away Eommfully. The neu day
be mral—to wu mao, tho ceremony wie prr-
i,.:ir.<d over again, and happiness reign, In uut
A Itoy'i Ritiy on Columbna.
Pram the London Handard.
Thn following ttory comes from* school in tho
Utdlanda. Tho muter told the bora of tho third
Lihstt essay on Oolomhui. Tbe fol-
eat up by tn ambition? evuylii:
rsaehlp,’ So be bed e il.-lp. iidun-1 o.rt iho
scsin a flirtation whero ne tliansM AJUrion
ought to be found. Tbo tnitore querrri'.ed oi l
said they boUavtdihf ro wu no t-wh place. Hut
tin r men)' ■!*>, llie pilot <-ID,-U, hlul end talri.
'Colourbut, I too lead.' 'Then that 1- America/ ?
echl Columbna Whin Uioehlpaot noon the lend ;
wutolloftdaok men. Oolnmbu* ■aU/Ti thi*
America:' 'Yet, it It,’ Utd they. Tun he aeidr
Tuipi-u-rvouare lh* trifuor 'Ye*,' they e*td ,
sESwsy&I a'WRBSBr •
4
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