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* \ ; ' ' V * * % v ?TT?? : 1 v^JJOHF JEAN [COPYIUOBT, P.OEEBT 3c l CHAPTER V. 1 r * (Continued.) "I shall be glad to do this," Mrs. Graham answered. "If you tell me to-morrow, or the next day, or any day In the future that you wish this, I shall # believe that you do care. And now. good-bye, 'Just Little Me,' and all good things come to you"?for she felt that she might never again see the pretty face of this child-woman?"but promise me here at parting, dear, that you will be kind to those who love you. Love is easier to hold when won than tempted back when once repulsed." She knew, as she turned- away to Join her husband, who was waiting for her at the gang-plank?oven before the shy words of promise were whispered?that she could safely trust the girl whom all claimed to be heartless hnd thoughtless. Thf> niiffrwl nml snlnshed hrr way, and the Island, with its gleaming sand-hills and beaches, its fluttering hotel-flag and lighthouse tower rising calmly above the heaving and falling of the ocean at its foot, faded from view save as a speck upon the horizon. Meanwhile, pretty Bess, with her warm impulses, the words of her friend still fresh In her memory, turned to her Ttner glowering gloomily at the retreating steamer, and said, very softly and very sweetly, no traee of their quarrel upon her face, save a burning color on her cheeks and a tender wistfulness in her eyes: "If only the friends who are good to one would stay with one, Mr. Leland. It is so hard to be always misunder- t stood and unjustly judged. She knew that I don't mean half that I say that Is unkind." Those great black, wistful eyes of hers, like the reproachful eyes of a grieved child, scattered liis anger to ; the four winds of1 heaven. He scarcely heard what it was that she said. He certainly never heeded the lookers-on. "My dear lictle Bess!" he said, softly. Her Anger: were clinging to his arm Instead of Alecia's, and his eyes were bent upon the sweet, shy face in its beautiful color, reading the heart hid, den by the curling lashes over the betraying eyes. He was bending with great assur- : anee above the graceful figure in its creamy flannel morning-dress, as they turned from watching the steamer bearing away their friends. And it was heaven come down to earth that morning to Leland, as he sat on the beach with this willful girl, careful that her red parasol should shield her from the sun: that her camp-chair was net most comfortably upon the sand ? * -? -1"*aP l./v X&C'lIlg lilt* U1UC UUU Ui iuc ucvuu, whose white surf brought in many a fragment of beam or plank. What cared he that she had so often protested that she would never marry for less lhan limitless wealth, when there, in the broad light of morning, she whispered assurance that he must not believe all that she said, especially that, because she loved him; and what beside that, was wealth? "Particularly," she added, very gravely, but so sweetly that there was left no sting in her words?"particularly, Lane. dear, when you know that you are not poor. I couldn't marry anybody. no matter how much I loved him. If he were very poor and had no chance to rise, because I think it is ouite wicked. Every one should feel jis I do about this, Lane. They don't . think half enough. It isn't so much that I love luxury as that a man has 110 right to marry a woman if he cannot support her." And what could her lover do but acquiesce and murmur his astonishment et the wisdom of her words? "It is strange how the world can be shaken by storm one hour and brilliant with sunlight the next!" said Alecia as she and her husband and Gregory Ben- 1 sonhurst. with the party from the Queen Taplienes, left the steamer at the Babylon pier and took the stage for the depot. "And the strangest part of it is that the heaviest storm leaves no adequate trace of its violence." "But it is better so." said her husband. quickly. "Let the gardens of the East fall into the sea and the flowers of the West are just as sweet! That is but justice. Alecia!" 1 * '? boLI ' -?1111 u UU HUU1U ouiu one of the yachting party, laughing, 'that some lialf-dozeu hours or so ago we were in the blackest storm I ever saw; or caine so near never seeing sunshine again, whether in east or west?. It is a rapid world we live in. and, as such, let the gardens of the East fall, if they will, so long as the flowers of the West survive!" "Well, I like it best as it is here in the East?now?yes," said one of his companions. "It wasn't a specially , clever thing to be clinging to a wet ' rope in a wet sea, with a wet sky coming down on you. Earle got of? pretty lucky. I think?thanks to"?he came near forgetting his agreement to speak " of the adventure to 110 one outside o? ? 21 Noofl. I aj KATE LUDLtJfft. i11 >yytH'8 Sox*. 1*91 1 ' | c. ! u the witnesses, and caught hiinsolf with a slight tit of coughing?"thanks to the i ^ men on the beach! He came a trifle j *(! too near going under to pJease ine, j . were I in bis place:'' a "I wouldn't mind being in his place." ^ said one of the others, laughing, with h a shrug of his shoulders, catching the ^ strange expression upon Harold ^ Graham's face and believing that he ? knew its cause: "if by being there 1 i ^ could possess his wealth. One of the richest men in the city, he is! Look at the yacht that went down! Worth a good* sight of money! And his horses! 0 m;r, "Tt.Tr rrr.?rr. are enough 'fo make one howl from pure jealousy!'' 1 Conversation strayed upon indiffer- 3' out subjects after that. The gentle- | men. after boarding the train, burled P* themselves in the morning papers with i *( a comment now and then upon some point of politics or other thought as ft suggested iu.the columns before thorn. And before they readied the city most of them went into the smoker to refresh themselves against the trying day with a cigar ?all save Harold ':1 Graham, who protested that he did ! not care for this stimulant, hut would ; ^ remain with his wife. 1 "And now, dearest,'' he said, when ^ they were alone, as regarded their , ' friends, "this will he a hard day for | j both of us. I shall take you home at ^ once and then go down town. I will place everything in Clavering's hands \ ' and let them tight it out! It will be i the bitterest fight of my life! I regret that your mother and sisters are still ; ^ in Europe, Alec-ia! I wish they were hero with you at this difficult time!" ; "You need not regret their absence, i Harold," Alecia said, quietly. "I am glad they are away. I prefer having i only you until this is over. We will ! fight it out by ourselves and hope for the best that can come." CI "Your faith is wonderful, Alecia," j he said, rather coldly, his temepera- 8C ment changeable under the trials of " the past day. He had so little hope ^ for himself. "I think you will find it tried to the utmost ere you have doue." i "And stiJ there win De some goou tj left. Nothing is ever all wrong." s) "Nor half good." said her husband, a( bitterly, "except you. Aleeia!" ol But be as brave as she would Aleeia knew that much of bitterness must 0j come to them ere they could leave the jc city and begin their new life at the i West, where the flowers were still y< sweet in spite of the falling gardens 0, of the East. And in truth she was s, tried most bitterly during the weeks w that followed tnat day. The failure of the house of Graham P] electrified the city at the first shock; | hi a little later came the comprehension _ that this failure meant loss to many? fi possibly utter ruin to some?and then S( came the ruthless clamor for self and self and self. h "Literally every mar. for himself," Xv said Harold Graham, bitterly, one day, m "and the devil take him that comes e( last. Would to God I could but meet j . all my liabilities, and I would start afresh in a Western city and build up ^ a new name. But burdened as I shall B' be at the best " "If all Is done that is possible," said pi Aleeia, in her sweet, quiet voice, allc w- o ing no shadow of her own suffering to ' d fall upon her husband, "we can do ao ! d more than start afresh, anyway, Ht.r- ' b old, and build up the old name and pi y j w off the old debts and find a happy life 1?' through it all." j TP "I believe you would Cnd happiness if exiled to Siberia, Aleeia," said lie i TT husband wearily, yet always courteous ; ~ to her. "What is it in your heart thai lifts you over everything?you, too. K' who love every good thing as well as I do? One might think you the davgh- T< ter of Solon, my sweet philosopher. What would I do without you?" She went to him and ran her fingers , ' softly and lightlv through his hair. I I XT There were wrinkles of care in his face and threads of gray in the midnight hair, that had come within that short r' space of trouble. Very soft and tender ^ were her fingers and magnetic in their | ^ touch, until the lines softened and a i r smile fell upon the tense lips. . "Then Mr. Earle will not compro- ; ^ mise the matter, waroia?win noi give you any grace, uo matter how it is j., urged upon him''" "I tell you, he is implacable. Alecia! ^ He has such straight lines of integrity j for his own trading that he cannot see p s hair's breadth to left or right in an- ^ other man's affairs with leniency. 1 j, do not think the man is really hard- j 1 hearted. He believes himself right, j p Clavering urged the last plea for me (j rrith him to-day. He might as well have pleaded with a rock." "Then I will see what I can do. I ! ( am not a lawyer, nor so eloquent in j business phrases as Mr. Clavering, b;u j ( f shall see what a woman can do. We i ,, will not despair, I tell you, Harold. ! j. We will do everything that we can." lie p'jshc.1 the soft hand from h's ? S-. ?ad and arose facing her. A flush as fighting the pallor of his face, e was frowning heavily. "What is it you would do, Alecia?" "I shall go to Mr. Earlo myself," ie said, quieny, siauuiug a& lcsuiun.facing liiui us he faced her. "I sliail ppenl to his sense of justice I shall 11 liim. if every other plea fails, that e Is worse than cruel to he so implaible toward the man who save his fe at the risk of his own " "Never!" he interrupted her fiercely, art in? forward. "Pardon me, Aleia. for my harshness, but I will not ave that used in my favor. If he will ot pive me a fair chance to retreive iyse!f from purely business motives, e shall not ever say that I worked pon his gratitude. Who told you. any ay. Alecia? They pave me their ord they wouldn't repeat it. He did ot know." "No one told me." she raid, steadily: I guessed it, Harold. I knew, every ne knew, that you did much toward iving the other men. and 1 added this, knew you. and knew it was what ou would do." "But you shall not tell him," he related more quietly, the first Intense eling of anger at discovering that le was cognizant of that net?uneon ious also of his temptation ? was me. "You shall not go to that man, ther, Alecia. Do you think I would low my wife to plead with any man? o you think that I will allow you to ive anything to do with .Lis matter? ive me your word that you will not ?. that you will not dc this, as you ? f Uif, "Because I love you." slip said, very :-ntly, "I will do this. Harold. It is ?ry little. It may do no good. \ can lit try. You will allow nic to do it ?cause you must. I am a woman as >u are a man. and I will not yield hat I think it right any more than ould you. I may succeed where you ould fail: I am your wife: I shall try. ut I will not urge your act of bravery oon him. I will promise you that, rarest, as I love you." CHArTER VI. JUSTICE, i Mrs. Harold Graham was delicately lgraved upon the card laid upon the ?sk before Palmer Earle in his handime private office: and Palmer Earle's ay'Tirows were 'meeting" heavily' as j bade the boy admit her. "She has kept her engagement wit* omptness," he said, glancing from le clock above Ids desk to the man anding at the window. "You must .^knowledge that, Winthrop, in spite your scorn of women." "I do not scorn them," answered the :her calmly. "You misjudge me. Mr. arle. Only?they are not fitted for asiness or this sort of thing. I warn 3U beforehand to expect tears and ltreatJes. If you yield, it will be trongly against ray advice. This oman, his wife, has a fortune in her ivn right, and if she be a true woman ie will offer to give it toward her usband's liabilities. If she does not well, the matter has been gone sufciently over with their lawyer, it ;ems to me." "Perhaps her fortune went with her usband's," suggested Palmer Earle, ith no idea of arguing for the womn, but as the thought suggested itdf to his mind. The other shrugged his shoulders. "It isn't probable." he said. "If it ere 60, Graham's counsel would have :ated the fact." Further conversation upon this oint was interrupted by the entrance f the woman in question. She was ressed very plainly In a close-fltting ark-blue suit with a hint of gold raid about it, and a bonnet of blue 'ith yellow rosebuds almost hid in ice, one perfectly gloved hand held >r a moment in the strong hand of aimer Earle. For, stern business man tough he was. he was impelled to adliration by this woman. "I sincerely regret that you conidered it necessary to call upon lue ais morning in regard to this mat?r, although at any other time I am leased to meet Mrs. Graham," he aid in his large, grave way. "Mrs. Iraham, my counsel. Mr. Wintbrop, I elieve, is a stranger to you. Allow le to make you acquainted. Mr. Slavering, your husband's lawyer, arauged for you to meet us here this lorning, as you know. Believe nu\ 1 the first place, that I sincerely reret this misfortune and would have ad Mr. Wlnthrop close with Mr. lavering's offers if I might; but it is npossible?utterly impracticable!" "Entirely so!" supplemented John Vinthrop emphatically. His straight rows, frowning, cast a shadow of ardness into the dark-gray eyes look 3g so levelly into the beautiful violet yes of the woman before them. Her eart almost failed her as she looked 3to his quiet, stern face. He was ot a handsome man. but he was tall nd broad-shouldered and commandag; his cleanly, shapely hands belayed perfect self-control, and a powrful hidden strength of will and music; those steady gray eyes and the ulet mouth under the brown n:usachc made him a striking looking tan?one upon whom to reiy implicit 5*. but one who would never yield one i: ir's b. adih his standard of tight or justice. His heart must always yield to his will should there come any conflict between them. "I know that Mr. Clavering has done what he could to settle this matter," Said Alecia, her soft voice souuding Sweetly through tke*room, stirring the hearts of her listeners. "But he is a knan. Sometimes a woman's instinct bverbalances even a lawyer's keen insight." Her swift, brilliant smile light bd and faded from her face like the transfiguration of some passing dream of beauty. "My husband has given up everything as you know, gentlemen I I1L" iJ* ? UllLl^ 4(11(1 Uii^lUUS IU LLICtfL ill! demands against him; that he cannot do so is his misfortune, not his fault. I need not tell you it is against his wishes that I am here. You, also cannot fall to know that. He is too proud to plead for even simple justice where it is not freely given. Iiut I am his wife, and if iu auy way I can lighten his burden I shall be infinitely grateful. "Knowing that he has done every 'thing in his power, that he is willing and anxious to do what he can to retrieve his fallen fortunes, being hon jorable men' and men of justice, can you still refuse to make some conees'slon?to compromise with him for such . or such an amount on the dollar? Per : haps I do not understand business term3 or business itself well enough to meet .Mr. Winlhrop upon equal grounds of ; argument, but. being a woman. I have a heart and know that my husband's is very bitter and very heavy I. as ;his wife, therefore, ask you to be just. I appeal to you heads, not to your hearts, ami ask you if you can frankly toll me that you do all that any man could do under corresponding circum I stances?" (To be continued.) ???????LA30R WORLD. All the mlr.es iu the Tarentum (Pa.) I district are closed. Brooklyn (Ohio) carpenters arc matI lug an effort to form a new union. Electrical workers at Dulutk, Minn., liave b:eu granted an advance in wages. Advices from Mexico state that scarcity of labor is retarding railroad construct ion. The wages of South Wales miners, regulated on the sliding scale, are to be reduced ten per cent. The wages of miners and tankmen have been reduced two and a half per cent, at Newcastle, Eugland. Montreal (Can.) stonemasons threaten to strike unless granted thirty cents an hour and a nine-hour day. Brickniakers at Detroit, Mich., coni template forming a anion. They want more pay and a uniform scale. Boilermakers, sheet iron workers and Boilermakers' helpers at St. Louis, Mo., have asked for increased wages. The turners and slaters at Youngstown, Ohio, have been granted an increase of twenty-five cents a day. The International Union of Cat Builders and Itenairers ins increased its membership 10,000 in less than four ! months. Western women golfers will play for j tlie championship at Onwcutsia. Chi| cago, during the four days, August ! 27 to 30. The Stonemasons' Union, of Toronto, j Can., and their employers have agreed I on a rate of forty-one cents an hour for one year. The mills of West Duluth, Minn., have met the wage scale demanded by the lumber pilers, but refuse to recognize the union. Tacoma (Wash.) team drivers have returned to work. Concessions were made on both sides. Ten hours constitute a day's work and the union is recognized. * Wanted to See the Presses. A well-dressed, intelligent-looking gentleman entered the "den" in the War Department where the newspaper men have their working quarters, evidently in search of something. He removed his hat and politely inquire*): "Is this the press room?" "Well, it's a sort of press room." replied one of the reporters. "Well, that's strange." quietly remarked the visitor, looking around apparently for something he i didn't see. "Where are the presses and the printing machines?" It was at first supposed that this wa3 a "jolly," but as the gentleman seemed to be perfectly sincere fa his desire to see a real press room in operation he was provided with a detailed description of the most direct route to the government printing office.?Washington Star. Sympathy is all right in its proper place, but there are times when a kick would be far more effectlv? B3MHE Our fee returned if we fail. Any o any invention will promptly receive or 1 ability of same. "How to Obtain a 1 i secured through us advertised for sale Patent taken out through us rcceiw TnE Patent Record, an illustrated an by Manufacturers and Investors. Send for sample copy FfSZE. A< VICTOR J. {Patent A j Eyans Building, 1 ? . RAM'S HORN BLASTS f-p HE waves are AJPf I ' always stilie?l f where the Master walks. It is a greater thing to prevent a disease than to invent its cure. The good shei* herd thinks more of his flock than of hi3 fleecer.. Agnosticism in regard to heat will not prevent the blister from following th.e burn. There is a good deal of difference between having a mission before men and having one for them. Peace is the poise of the soul's perfect activities. . Crutches become a curse when we might have wings. if Christianity docs not grow out it canr.ot be put on.. Righteousness will not come by rote. His need makes another my neighbor. Lights are more important than lamps. A creed may be made a casket for a faith. He loses all who is unwilling to lose any. The eorrunt man cannot be cour ageous. Xo man can run away from bio own heart. Heaven does not wait for earth's applause. The oil for the night must bebought in the 'day. That which satiates cannot satisfy. Sweet fruits grow from bitter ieed. Preparation is the best prayer to Providence. Every blessing received creates an obligation. Religion is not in us unless it goes out from us. It takes a small breeze to raise a. storm in a puddle. 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