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n\Voll, sir," said Frye fn n suave voice, "wo, too, uro looking to soo tho ends of justico served, but you must understand that In a mutter of this lm Sortnnee we must make no mistakes. ,n estate awaits a Claimant, but that claimant must establish Ills or her Identity beyond the shadow of a doubt in order, as you must see, that Justice may be done." "Waal," replied Undo Terry, stroking bis chin with bis thumb and finger while ho deliberated, "I s'pose I may ns well tell ye fust ns last. I cum here for that purpose, an' all I want to fix Is, If tbar's nothin1 In It yo'd keep It a secret an' not raise nnj* false hopes in the minds o' them ns Is near and dear to me." "It's a lawyer's professional duty never to disclose any business confi dence that a client may confide to him," answered Fryc, with dignity, "and In this matter I Infer you wish to become my client. Am I right. Mr. Terry?" "I didn't cum here exactly purposln* to hire ye," answered Uncle Terry. "1 cum to find What's In the wind, an' If 'twas likely to 'mount to anything to tell all I knew an' see that them ns had rights got justice. As I told ye in tho fust on't, I'm keeper o' the light at the end o' Southport island, an' have been for thirty year. "One night In March, just nineteen year ago eomln' this spring) thar was a small bark got a foul o' White lloss ledge right off'n the p'lnt and stayed thnr hard an' fast. I seen her Boon as 'twas light, but thar was nothin' that could be done hut build a flee an" stand on' watch tho poor critters go down. Long toward noon I spied a bundle workln' In, an' when it struck I made fast to It with n boat hook nn' found a bahy Inside an' alive. My wife an' I took enro on't and have beeu doing so ever since. It was n gal baby, and she growed up into a young lady. 'Bout ten years ago we took out papers legally ndoptln* her, nn' so she's ourn. From n paper wo found pinned to her clothes we learned her name was Etelkn Peterson, an' that her mother, an' wo supposed her father, went down that day right In sight o' us. Thar was a locket round the child's neck nn* n couple o' rings In the box, nn' we have kept 'em nn' the papers an' all her baby clothes ever since. That's the bull story." "How did this chlkl live to get ashore?" asked Fryc, keenly Interest ed. "That's the curls part," replied Uncle Terry. "She was put in a box nn' tied 'tween two feather beds an' cum ashore dry ns a duck." Fry? stroked Iiis nose roflectlvoly, stooping over im ho did und watching Ids visitor with hawk-like cyos. "A very well told tnlo, Mr. Terry," he said at last. "A very well lold tale Indeed! of course you have retained all the articles you say were found on the child t" "Yes, we've kept 'em all, you may j he sure," replied Uncle Terry. "And why did you never make any official report of this wreck and of the facts you state?" naked Frye. "I did nt the time," answered Undo Terry, "but nothln' cum on't. 1 gUCSS my report 1? thar In Washington now, i If It ftlu't lost." "And do I understand you wish to retain mo iih your counsel in this mat ter and lay claim to this estate, Mr. ! Terry?" continued Frye. * Waal, I've told ye the facts," re plied Uncle Terry, "an' If the gal's got ??oney eoinin* I'd like to see her git It. What's goln' to be the cost o' doin' ; the business''" "The matter of expense Is hard to ' state In sueh a ease as this," answered Frye cautiously. "The estate is a large one. There may he, and no doubt will be, other claimants. Litigation may follow, and so the cost is an uncertain one. I shall he glad to act for you in this matter and will do so If you re tain mo." I It is said that those who hesltoto are lost, and at this critical moment Uncle Terry hesitated. lie did not like the looks of Frye. j He suspected him to he what he was? j a shrewd, smooth, plausible villain. Had he obeyed his first Impulse he WOUld have picked up his hat and left Fryo to wash his hands with Invisible soap, and laid his case before some Other lawyer, but he hesitated. Frye, he knew, had the matter in his hands and might make the claim that his story was false and light it with all the legal weapons Uncle Terry so much dreaded. In the end he decided to put tho matter in Fryo's hands and hope for the best. "I shall want you to send me a de tailed story of this wreck, sworn to by yourself and wife," said Frye; "also j the articles found on this child, and j I will lay your affidavits before tho at torneys for this estate and report progress to you later on." When Uncle Terry turned his face toward home his pocket was lighter by $200. "I s'posed I'd git skinned," he mut tered to himself after he was well on his way home, "an' I recken I have! A lawyer knows a farmer at sight, an' when he ketches one he takes his hay! He's taken mine fur sartin^an' 1 begin to think I'm n cousnrncd old fool, that don't know 'miff to go In whou It rains! How I'm golu' to git tin* wimmln to glvo up them trinkets 'tliout Mowln' I've lost my senses Is oue too many fur me!" CHAPTER XV. HB effect of Albert Page's vig orous efforts to attain success was not lost upon his friend Prank. After their Christmas visit to Sand gate Albert had applied himself dili gently to the care of Mr. Nason's legal Deeds, This brought him Into contact with other business men, and the fact! that John Nason employed him easily Secured for him other Clients. In two] mouths he not only had Mr. Nason's affairs to look after, but all his re Uinlntng time was taken up by others' He had spent several evenings at the Nasous' home and found the family a much more agreeable one than Prank had led him to expect. Both that young man's sisters were bright and agreeable young ladies, and though little affected, they treated him with charming courtesy and extended to him a cordial lnvitntlou to have his sister make them a visit. Since the day he had shaken his tlst nt tlie eloped door of Mr. Pryo's law of lie Albert bad met that hawk nosed lawyer twice ami received only n chill lug bow. The memory of that eon tcuitlble contract he had tacitly allow ed Pryo to consider as made brought a blush to his face every time he thought of it. but he kept bis own counsel Once or (wlco he had be. n on the point, ot telling Krank the whole story, but had refrained. In Ins intimate relation; with John Nason he saw enough to satisfy himself thai Pryo's Insinuation against that busy man's character was entirely false. .Mi-. Nason seldom spent an evening away from his ho.'ie, and when he did it was to attend the theater with hi3 family. After their visit to Sandgato Prank and himself naturally drifted into more intimate relations, and a day seldom passed that Prank did not step into Ills ofticc for a chat. ' Don't mind me, Bert," that uneasy man wonk'. say when ho saw that l'age was busy, "and if you don't want IUO lo talk any time, tell nie to shut tip. 1 shan't feel offeiahHl. Tin? fact is I don't know what to do with myself. If it were only summer I'd go off on the (lypsy even If I had to go alone." One evening at the club he made Al bert a lather surprising proposition. Albert, who seldom entered Into any card games and only occasionally play ed pool or billiards, was In the reading room as usual enjoying a cigar and the evening paper when Prank drew up a chair and sat down. They were alone, and as Page laid his paper aside Prank said: "Do you know, 1 am getting abso lutely tired and sick of doing nothing. Ever since 1 left college I've been an Idler, and I can't say I'm enjoying it. I arise in the morning ami wonder how I can manage to get through the day. I read the papers, k<> down to the store, up to the club, down to your ofllcc, back to the club to lunch and maybe play pool for an hour or two with Home poor devil as lonesome ns I am Or go to tho matinee, and In the even ing only do I begin to enjoy myself ft* Uttle. I nm beginning to realize that a life of Idleness Is a beastly bore, aud I am sick of lt. t want you to let me come Into your olHcc and study law. Will you?" Albert looked at him a moment, while an amused biuIIo crept over his face. "Do you know what that means?" bo responded at last. "Do you know that to read law means two years per haps of close application aud perse verance? In my caso I had the spur of necessity to urge mo on, and eren with that stimulus It was a dry, hard grind. With you, who have all tho money you need and are likely to, It will ho much worse. I respect your feelings, and I admire your determina tion very much, and of course do not wish to discourage you. You are more than welcome to my ofllco and law books, and I will gladly help you all I can," and then, after a moment's ro 'Jcction, he added, "I believe it's a wise step, and I'll bo very glad to have you with me. You can help me out In a good many ways also that will ad vance you even faster than steady reading." Lie was surprised at the look of pleasure that came Into Frank's face. "I had half expected you WOUld try to discourage me," saltl lie, "and It'n very kind of you to promise to help me." "Why shouldn't I?" answered Tage. "I owe you n good deal more than that, my dear hoy, ami when you have been admitted we will go Into a partnership If you want to do it." "Here's my hand on it," said Frank, rising, "and I mean It, too, and If you will have patience With me I'll stick It out or own up I'm no good In this world." Ho seemed overjoyed, and for two hours they sat and talked It over. "When may I begin?" he said finally. "I want to go at It right away." "Tomorrow morning at 0 o'clock sharp," replied Albert, smiling, "and I Warn you I shall keep you grinding eight full hours six days a week and no let up, until July 1. Hut tell me, when did tills Idea enter your head?" "Well, to be exact, it ontno to nie In the parlor of your house in Sandgate just at dark tho last evening I was there, and a remark your sister made to me was tho cause of It." A droll smile crept over Albert's face at this frank admission, but he made no reply, and as he scanned his friend's face, now turned slightly away from him, and recalled that last evening at home and how Alice had so persistently devoted herself to the entertainment (.f this young man, a revelation came to him. "So it's that heart breaker's blue eyes that hove begun to work mischief in Frank's feelings, is it?" ho said to himself after In? had left the club, and !n? almost laughed aloud at tho thought. "Sis has some rather pro nounced Ideas about Idleness, mul may be she has read my young friend a Us on in a few words. She Is capable of It!" When Frank came to the office next morning, Albert s< t him to work and rave |;!m nil posslhioemouragoment. "Mt think rar more of you, "Frank,"" ho Bald earnestly, "for this resolve, and when you get fairly Into It you will be glad j'ou look hold. I believe every one in this world is happier and healthier for having an occupation, and certain ly you will be." Frank showed a persevering spirit as the weeks went by and became an ardent student. In a way, too, he was a help to Albert, for he could call on him any time to Und some references or some decision bearing on a case in hand. It was soon after Frank's new depar ture in life that Allee received a letter from her brother, and among other things he wrote: What wiib It you unlit to Frank tlio last evcnlm? of oar visit at homo) lie has de? Olded to study law In my ofllco and ad mits his resolution to do bo whs the re sult of n remark you made thon. Know ing what a lino vein of sarcasm you' me blossen with, l am curious to know what ?ort of nu nrrow you Ure\4 from your Quiver that evening^ Hut Albert received no reply to his question. HBfigJ a big, good natuieil, polite boy, rather conscious that he was like ly to be sought after and disposed to Bulk If he wasn't. Ills plea fur sym pathy on tlie score that his life of Idlo uess was a bore, which In; made the day they went sleighing, only provoked her derision, und us she was disposed to judge all men by the standard of her self reliant brother, he came near awakening contempt oil her part. It was not until the last evening of his visit that she discovered her mistake and realized that lie had more depth of character than she had thought. II is likely the keen enjoyment which he seemed to feel when she song for him had weight, for we are prone to like those who like us, and It was natural also that she should feel a little grati tude for what he had done for her brother. Her life, hidden as she was In a by way corner of n country town and fleeing no one nil the week except her small band of pupils, gave her plenty of time for thought. Once a week, usually Oil Saturday, she received a letter from her brother, and that, to gether with the mild excitement of Sunday churehgolng, was all that broke the monotony of her life. A week after the Christinas visit she received a package containing a new book, three of the latest popular songs and a box of candy, and pinned to tho candy Frank Xnson's card, on the back of which was written, "For the girl who wanted to kiss her teacher." She wrote a polite note of thanks. It was midwinter and two weeks after her brother wrote that Frank had be gun studying law In his ofllco when she received a letter from that young man that surprised her. He wrote: My Dear Miss Papo?I trust you will pardon me for IntruditiK myself upon you, but I wish y<m to know that u few point ed words spoken by you while I wns en Joying your hospitality havo not been for ? gotten and have Influenced mo to make I nn effort to be something better than an idler In the world. Your brother kindly consented to 1ft me read law In his office . ? ami ] am now hard at It. I do not Imag Ino this will Interest you, hut I felt that I you. hud scant PQBpCCjt for useless people^ OH AFTER XVI. LIOE PACE'S first Impression of Prank Xnsotl did not do him Justice. She thought him SBO ?s y?u could rightly" BO Vj i;n"iiT in. r wanted you to know Hint I atu capable of rising abovo my tilmli'Ks life. I have recalled so many llpioa all the llttlo incidents of my vlaft (?> your homo and lived over Hiokc ev&utnu graced by your pronoun- and lit by n cheerful flro tlmo and again. i?" n?>i think me Insin cere when i assure you that thoy wore tho most delightful ones l over pan ? id. If you find tlmo to write a lino to one who In now a worker In the lilve Instead of a drone, It will bo gratefully received by rno. To a girl with Allee Page's sympa thetic nature ft ml tender feelings words like these made her feel she was what she most enjoyed being an lusplrntlou and help to others. In this respect Krank Nnson had read her better than she had read him, or else some fortu nate intuition had led him aright, She answered the letter at once, thanking him for his Haltering words, but for bidding him lo use any m< ,v of them. "I do not like Ihltlorj'," she wrote, "because no one over can feel quite sure it is sincere, l will answer all your letters If you will promise not to tell Bort we are corresponding. Not that 1 am ashamed of It by any means, but he Is Inclined to tease me, and I love him so dearly 1 can't bear to have him do 80. 'the little rlrl you sent the candy lo was both astonished and grate ful. 1 did not tell her who sent it, for tlie fact would have been all over town in a week If I bad, ami I do not like to be gossiped about. 1 merely told her a good fairy had sent it, which was bet tor." (?net' a week thereafter Alice re ceived a long letter from Frank and as regularly answered it. "Frank in .?,(?!ling along nicely," Al bert wrote Alice in tho early spring. "I believe he has tltO making of a ca pable lawyer in him. lie grinds away harder than I ever did when rending law and has never yet complained of how dry ami dull it all is. lie is a big, warm hearted fellow, too, and I am growing more fond of him every day. He is more devoted to me than a broth er, and we have made a lot of plan? I for a month's outing on tho Gypsy this j coming summer. 1 like his family very much, ami Mrs. Nnson and both her daughters have invited me to bring you down when your school closes to make them n visit. I think I shall run up In June and stay over Sunday and bring Frank witli me. 1 imagine ho would like to come, for once in awhilo I overhear him humming 'Men Holt.' " "A very nicely worded little plot, but don't you Imagine, my dear Herl, I do not see through It!" was tho mental comment of Alice when she read the letter. "The young gentleman has bravely set to work to become a man Instead of a cipher. My brother likes htm; he whistles 'lien Holt;' my broth er Is to bring him up here again; I am expected to fall in love witli Mr. Ci pher that was and help him spend his money, and I am to lie barely toler ated by mamma and both sisters! A most charming plot, surely, but it takes two to make a bargain. I think I know Just the sort of people mamma and sisters are. lie told me she read him a lecture every lime ho danced twice with a poor girl, and now I am expected to walk into the same trap and cringe to her ladyship for the sin of being poor. 1 ^uess not! I'll tench SCllOOl till I die first, and he can think of me as having a 'slab of granite s > gray' to keep me in place." BTlt this diplomatic "Sweet Alice" wrote to her brother: "I run delighted, that you are coinlirg up, for I nm so lonesome, and the weeks drug so bard! Bring your friend up, by all means, Qtid I'll sing 'Hen Bolt' Uli be hates the na me of Sweet Allee. The country will he looking line then, and he can go over to the cemetery and select the corner I am to occupy. Pardon the Joke, and don't tell him I uttered It." To Prank she wrote: "He suro to Come up with Bert. I will slnj; all the old songs and the new ones you have sent me as well. If you come up on a Thursday you may visit my school Friday afternoon, ntul then you can see the girl you sent the candy to. She wears a called pinafore and comes to school barefooted." Alice's tactful r. piy to her brother's letter, coupled with his own sincere affection for her, brought hoi' a re sponse by return mail in tiie form of a cueek for si<h>, with explicit orders to spend every cent of it before he came. CHAPTER XVII. ?N 1AXI >f! ATP. was just budding I forth in a new suit of green, ?l^^sawi meadows dotted with ffla^'yCoi daisies, and hero and there a hunch of tiger lilies waved In the breeze when one Friday afternoon the teacher at the north district school heard a knock. The class In reading, then In evi dence, wore halted in their singsong of concert utterance, and Alice Page opened the door to Und two stalwart young men standing there. With a quick impulse of propriety she stepped out and closed the door hchlnd her, only to find herself clasped In a big brother's arms and to receive a smack was heard by every pupil in the little schoolroom. With a very red face she freed herself and then pre sented a small hand to the other young mini with the remark: "I think you are both just as mean a.-, you can he to surprise me In this way!" When explanations wen1 duly made, the two visitors were invited inside and given seats. The class in rending was Iben dismissed and that in spelling called to what was now seemingly to them an unexpected misery. A bomb shell or a ghost at the window would not have produced any more consterna tion than those two strange visitors. This class, that one by one tiled up 111 front of tho teacher's desk and ranged themselves In line, stood trembling, and the boy at the head, to whom was put the (list word, was unable to utter a sound. The next one spelled It wrong, and It was tried by two others and finally spelled right by a ?Irl who could hardly do better than whisper it. She was told to ;;o to the head, and after thai the rest did belter. The search for knowledge in that school had received a ! setback, however, for that day, and 1 A lice decided to do the wisest thine; and dismiss her band of pupils without de lay. When the room wits cleared of them she turned to her two callers and s iid with mock seriousness, "The first class In deportment will now define propriety." "Propriety Is?Is? Propriety," re plied her brother, "consists i:i two young men surprising or. ? small and very saucy Rclioohuu'nin and letting a 1 lot of Impri/oncd boys and girls escape t? the woods aud enjoy an extra hour of freedom." "Not right." Bald Alice severely. "The next pupil will now answer." "Propriety," answered Frank, "con sists In two young men escaping from tho city and relieving one tired school teacher from her duly and permitting her to go and gather llowers if she will. But -which was the girl you told tho fairy talo to, Miss Page?" he added as Alice began putting her books away. "Tho only ono In tho spelling class you two bold, bad men didn't scare half out of her wits," she answered. Frank walked about tho room, peer ing curiously at Its rather primitive fit tings. "So this is wdiat you call a temple of learning," he remarked as he surveyed tho barnlike room. "It is a curiosity to me, aud the first time l was ever In an old time country Bcboolhouse. I should like to peep through one of the knotholes some day and watch the per formances and hear a scared boy speak a piece." "You had better not try It," answered Alice, "unless you want two or three farmers to swoop down oil you armed with scythes and demanding to know what you are doing there." When she had locked the schoolhouse door they got Into the carriage tho two young men had come In nnd loft tho forlorn little templo to the solitude of the trees and bushos that almost hid it from sight. "I will stop in the village," said Al bert as they drove away, "and leave you two to go homo or take a ride, as suits you best; only, mind, be homo by tea time, for I shall bo hungry." There is no time when u drive along wooded country roads is more charm ing than when he trees are fast grow ing green and tin; meadows spangled witli daisies and buttercups. "Let's go around by tho mill pond," said Alice after leaving her brother in the village. "The road to iL follows the brook up a mile. Wo may lind a few lilies in the pond." Tho brook be?ide which they were soon walking the horse was a charming bit of scenery as it came leaping over mossy ledges, laughing, chattering and filling the pool-; with foam decks, and the old mill, with Its great wheel crip, ping and clattering, and the mill Itself proved even a greater curiosity to Frank than the school house, lie hitch ed the horse, and, helping his fair com panion to alight, the two went inside tho mill and watched the rumbling wheels. Alice Introduced her escort to the miller, and after they had been shown tli" mysteries of grinding lie In Vited them oul to the pond, and after bailing the old leaky boat so it was usable the two visitors started after the lilies. (TO Hi: CONTINUKD.) RHKU.MA'I If I'.'vlXS QlK'KLY Ulv LIEVED. The excruciating pains characteristic of rheumatism and sciatica are quickly relieved by applying Chamberlain's Pain Balm. The great pain relieving (lower of the liniment has been the surprise and delight of thousands of sufferers. The quick relief from pain which its affords is alone worth many times its cost. For sale by I.aureus Drug Co. and Dr. B. F. Posey. 85?41. 8 8 Two Stores "That's Making Laurens and Greenwood Famous" By Selling Same Goods for Less Money U=Come=U=See=U=Buy=U=Save Money Results of Red Iron Racket's Lower Prices outweigh other people's Extravagant High Prices Red Hot Prices Prevails in Each and Every Department of this House 23c, 39c., 48c. 89 cents 13c. 23c. 39c 48 cents Red Hot 7c. 10c, 13c 23 cents Fancy Vest Double orSingle 98c, $1.39 to $2.25 Megorious Patterns 48c, 69c. to $1.39 23c, to 48c. Beauties Keep Cool 5c, 8c, 10 cts Hats for Everybody 13c, 23c, 39c, 48c. to $1.98 MILLINERY 0! My, it is just beautiful and the prices are so LOW i Don't miss Seeing in Our Bargain Basement Clothing! Clothing!! All the latest effects and .styles are here from 96c. Suits to $14.37 98c to $1.39 Hot Shot 98 cents to 1.97 High Style 98 cents 1.23 98 cents 1.25 White and Black 5& 1.18 to 1.98 Black and Tan LACE CURTAINS 39c, 48c. to $1.68 Guaranteed Seamless Shell 25 cents fi "Burns" the Bargain Giver. Six Special Bargain Days Each Week ??? F??*rl D^rl^ai Laurens and Greenwood *^vu *.* V11 ?VCil^SVCrL. Shoe and Clothing Houses 1