OUT OF THE STORM; Or, GRACE WRAY'S TRIALS.

BY MAJOR ALFORD noCIIKFORT.

CHAPTER XXI.

A PRISONER.

The police officers were under the charge of a detective and a deputy-sheriff.

Thoy were certainly surprised at finding the rooms occupied, for their intention was to search, and if they found anything to warrant their making an arrest, to tako their prisoner by surprise.

Police officers rather like those fine drama

tie effects,

" Well, gentlemen, what do you want here'" asked Ralph Thornton, when the officers looked about them without speak ing. «* I am Detective Striker," said a man, in citizen's clothes; and lie throw back the lapel of his coat and displayed his budge. "I do not care who you are. 1 asked why you came here," said Ralph, nettled toy tho man's manner ; and it may be added that, like many of tho young gentlemen in the city, he had an unreasoning dislike for policemen and detectives in general. " Your name is Thornton, and I guess you have no more right here than anyone •else." " I will prove your mistake to you, Striker, beforo lam through with you. You have a. search warrant," said Ralph. "If (you knowed that," said Detective ■Striker, " Why did you ax us what wo want hero?"

The other oilicers and the deputy-sheriff coughed and winked at 'each other, as if they thought Striker's question directly to tho point. * "Because, sir," said Ralph, angrily, " you should have shown your authority the moment you entered ; and if you do not do it at once, I will fling you down the stairs, and these men in blue coats will be wise not to interfere."

Ralph Thornton was right, though his manner of asserting himself was a littlu too strong. Ho certainly looked as if ho would carry out his threat, and Denny Murphy und his mother acted us if they would bo disappointed if ho did not, But Mr Striker saved himself and others troublojby pro ducing the soareh warrant.! ; «JJ«... $-.' "J Ralph read it, and tliough ho had novor seen a search warrant before, ho was sure this was in proper form. "Go ahead and search," ho said. "In tlio meantime I hIiaII call in a lawyer to sco that you do not transcend your duties." Ralph Htartod for the door, intending to go to the nearest telegraph station and send a doH[Nitch for Harry Gray. Hut ho found his progress stopped by a burly policeman. " (lot out of my way, said Ralph, curtly. For reply the officer drew his club, and, with a brutal laugh, said i "I'm thinking, young feller, that you're a bit fresh." "1 want to get out." " I see you do." " Then gut out of my way." " You must think I'm a fool—" " 1 do." "To let you loavohero till you're noarched. Vou'ro a purty sharp fellow, no doubt, but you'll have to get up curly to como it over me—" The policeman intended nay ing something olso in praise of his own shrewdness, but he was prevented by a man who appeared be hind him and shewed some anxiety to get in.

Thin man proved to bo Tom I'ejrg, who lial agreed to meet the oiHcors here in ordor to recognise the property of Davis, i.ont& Co., should any be found. Tom l'egg did not expect to find Grneo Wray present, and, above nil things, ho did not dream of mooting Ralph Thornton. Ho was much confused, but ho hod enough presence of mind left to get some of the ollicurs between himself and Ralph as speedily at) possiblo. " Do you think you can find a telegraph office?" asked Ralph of Denny Murphy. " I want to get a message to a friend of mine. I thought to have gone out myself, but you see I was prevented, and now 1 think it i« better for me to stay."

" I can get tho message off, but I guoss they'll search mo boforo they'll let me out," replied Donny. " Very well. Let them do bo. We are in their power for tho present." Ralph told Striker that ho wanted to send Murphy out with a despatch, and asked to have him searched at once.

" I don't see Unit IVo got to oblige you," Haid Striker, wlio was still nettled at the nmnner in which lliilph roooivedhim ; " but if ho bo you want to do ft square stroko of business, I'll search yer friend here and lot him oft But if wo find thiit yor playing any foino on us, it'll go mighty hard with you, can toll you that, young man." Though provoked ut Uio fellow's insolcnco, Ralph kept his temper in check and wrote a despatch to HnrryUray. la tlio meantime tho officers had gono tho to tho next room with Donny ; and as his motlior foAred they might do her son soire bodily harm, she insisted on going along. It did not tako the office long to discover thatyoung Murphy had 1.0 flflftl skin sacques nor other wraps concealed on his person, so they lob him go. Ralph ordered tho despatch to bo sont to a half-dozen places wheroit was possiblo for Harry Gray to be at that time in the even ing; and Ucnny started off with the feeling of a man bound on a lifeand-duath mission. " Do you think, Mr Fogg," asked Striker, " that you'd know the missing things if you was to sco 'em 1"

" I—l think so," roplied Tom Pegs;, stammering as if struck with n sudden chill. ♦' You know all such articles sent out from our house have thetirm name on some part of thorn, usually on the collar loop of snequcs and wraps." "All right," said Striker. Then to the police-men : " Now, boye, let us go to work with caution."

Tho police officers insisted that Ralph and Grace, with Mrs Bauor and Mrs Murphy, should bo herded up in one corner of the room, from which they had pushed hack all the furniture, till tho search was comploted, ut least in that apartment. Mrs Bauer and Mrs Murphy showed a strong desire to assault the officers, and they expressed their opinions of Tom Pegg with out restraint.

Both the women were confident that no thing would be found,so that when the search of the living room was completed without finding anything they expressed no delight, but showed a disposition to jeer the officers. Striker and two men, accompanied by Pegg, who was very glad to get out of sight of niH victim, went into the room that had been Grace's and closed the door, the better to prosecute their search. They had not been in there many minutes when Pegg wns hoard to cry out: "Hello there! That's ours ! That belongs to Davis, Lent & Co., I'll take my oath !" The door opened and Striker came out with a box and laid it on the pine table.

It was the box, and Grace at once re cognised it, that had been left by tho man who had sub-lot the rooms from her uncle i in Brooklyn. Mrs Murphy and Mrs Bauer had supposed it was the girl's property, so when they were packing up they brought it along and placed it in a closet in the other room, whore it had escaped Grace's observation. With a strong knife, one of the officers prlod open the lid of the box, and after re moving a number of papers from the top, he drew out a long fur robe. It was one of several that Tom Pcgg had given to Peter Monks, and was the only tiling in the box. Monkii had sold the other things on his own account, but Tom Pegg was too much interested in what was going on before his eyes to think of this now. "Do you recognise that garment as youre, j Mr Pegg?" asked Striker,, with a look of j triumph at Ralph Thornton. Pegg examined the robe, and replied : .'I do, sir." "You've seen it before ?" " 1 have." "Where?" "In our store—Davis, Lent &Cos. store." " Did you sell it ':" " No, sir." " How did it leave your possession !" " Don't know." "Didn't give it away?" "No ; Davis, Lent and Co. don't do bus iness that way." "Then it wasstolon," said Striker, em phasising the last word, and shooting another glance at Ralph. " T suppose so," replied Pcgg. " Well, we know the possession it was found in," said Striker, evidently delighted with his luck, but not yet satisfied that he had found everything. "Come, boys," he called out, "thero's other things missing, and we might as well make a thorough search as we're about it." Tho officers resumed their search, and Grace, strong in the full consciousness of her innocence, said to Ralph, but loud enough for Mrs Bauer and lira Murphy to hear her :

"That box was left in my uncle's care by a man who rented our spare rooms ! You remember him, Mrs Murphy?"

"'Deed do I!" replied Mrs Murphy, "and whin he kern back on Christmas mornin', after you .'in' the uncle had gone, I pitched the six dollars at his dirty black face, an' bid him take himsel' away from the presonco of dacent people." " And it was you who put that box in with Miss \Vray's things?" asked Ralph.

"Sure wo didn't know who's or what it was. But Mrs Bauer an' Dinny an' mo just bundled in nil the things an' brought thim over. I tould mo son that that man was a thief, an' sure if he hadn't sthole that fur thing over there, don't ye think, sir, that he'd havci como back for it?"

" I certainly do," replied Ralph. Then, as if thinking aloud : " 1 Bhould not be sur prised if ho was in tho employ of this i'egg." "Ho was tho man, Mr Thornton," said Grace, "who frightened my undo away." "Faith, that's what I tould Dinny," said Mrs Murphy. " Did your undo tell you why this man frightened -him ?" asked Ralph. " He did not." " Do you remember tho man's nnmo?" "No; but let me seo." And Grace took out her pocket-book, anil finding thero tho slip of paper her uncle had given her tho night after renting tho rooms, sho read aloud : " l'eter Monks." " l'uter Monks?" exclaimed Ralph. " Yes, Mr Thornton ; you can read the name for yourself," said Grace, handing him the paper. " Did your uncle write this»" "No ; it is tho writing of the man whoso name it is," said Grace. Ralph Thornton's brain was in a whirl. Ho know, through Harry Gray, that Pegg and Monks were close associates, if not warm friends, and ho rightly hit upon the idea that tho men had conspired to ruin the poor girl whom lie had token it on himself to defend.

Ho was about to denounce l'egg at once, but ho checked the impulse, und asked Graco :

"May I keep this scrap of paper?" " Certainly. Ido not know why I kept it so long—" Grace was checked by tho re-entrance of Striker and tho officers, who had been searching Georgo \Vray's room. Ho laid on tho table a bag containing something that jingled, and a small box, such as ladies use for holding jewellery.

" Lot me see," said Striker, taking n paper from his pocket. "I've got hero a list of the jewellery lost by Mrs Seville. She sent it to the chief of police a few days ago, and she told mo yesterday that this Grace Wray had been sewing for her. Now, it'd be a vory curious coincidence if we found the things hero that correspond to this list. Hore, Mullen," to ono of the men, "you road over tho list, whilo I sort out tho articles."

Tho glittering contents of the bag and box were thrown out on the table, and tho man with the list read out:

" One hunting-case lady's watch, gold, madebyKirk.ofLiverpoo). Number 13,401." "Ha, ha ! Hero's the identical, self-samo watch," said Striker after he had carefully lookod at tho number.

" One iparbunclo brooch, set with Arizona garnets, in silver." "Good ; hero wo have it, and a mirhty pretty bitof ornament it jr. Goon, Million. "One pair plain gold bracelets." " Yes. '

" Onepair,ditto, with gold quartz centre." " Horo they are." "One gold lady's watch-guard j English mako ; catch broken."

" Horo she is."

" Ono jKiarl ring, with blue enamel, slightly worn." "Got her, too."

" One moss agate ring, with initial ' A ' in small diamonds." "Another beauty. .Go on, Mullen." "A pair of purple amethyst earrings; one drop broken in two." "Here they are."

" One pair of fire opal sleeve buttons." "Yes. "One gold button-hook, with ivory handle." "Yes."

"One gold butterfly, with seed pearls on wings, for tho hair."

" Here's the gold bug," chuckled Striker, And so they kept on to the end. During the reading of this long list and the examination of tho articles it called for, Grace Wray stood with her eyes fixed on the men and her face white as marblo.

What mattered it that sho know her own innocence, and was sure that some enemy had done this thing, there was no reasoning as in tho case of the fur robo, that could con vinco Ralph Thornton that she was not a thief.

Sho raised her eyes several times to his pale, pained face, but he did not see her. He looked like a man who was compressing his lips, to keep from shouting out as a relief to his agony. Ho could not think that the beautiful girl by his side was a thief, and yet he could not hide from himself the fact that there vraa enough proof of her guilt there before his eyes to convince any jury in the world.

Mrs Murphy and Mrs Bauer never lost faith for a moment. They reasoned from their feelings, and Mrs Murphy was sure that these things had been left by tho thief who hired the rooms, and that they had not attracted at tontion during the packir.g up. "Well," said Striker, "I'll leave an officer in charge here, for I guess we've got enough to hold this girl on. You'll swear to the fur robe, Mr Pegg?" "Yes; but I don't want tho girl to be taken to gaol," stammered Pegg. "You don't?"

" No ; and I am sure the rest of the firm do not." "I hope," said Striker, "no how Davis, Lent & Co. aint a going to compound a felony." "They want to do right," said Pogg. "Very well. I've got to do right. My duty is to arrest this girl, and if I don't do it to-night, off goes my head to-morrow morning. I admire pretty girls as well as the next man ; but I never saw one I'd lose my place for." "jSee here, my man," said Ralph, waking up as from a dream, and corning forward, can't you leave this young lady hero in charge of an officer till morning ? Davis, Lent & Co. will prefer no charge, and I can say the sumo for Mrs Seville, whose jewels were found here, but which I cannot think Miss Wray took." "I aint no judge," sneered Striker. "My duty is to ferret out criminals and make arrests. This here girl may be as innocent as.'i baby and all that; but, if she is, t'len there aint no thieves in gaol. You put on airs to mo when I first came in, and then I don't know who you are that I should hear you. You ought to think your self mighty lucky that I don't put handcuffs on you ;uid lock you up in a cell, so as to give you a chance to cool off." "Try it, you scoundrel !" shouted Ralph, now beside himself with anger, " and you will make no more arrests!"

"I won't, eh ?" Striker pulled out a pair of handcuffs and approached Ralph, who at once assumed an attitude of resistance. •

Suddenly tho officer standing guard at the door was seized by a man from behind and thrown into tho hall.

Then a strong man leaped at Striker, and with a well planted blow sent him into a collapsed heap in the farthest corner. This warlike person then assailed the policemen, and with so much rapidity that lie laid them all on the floor before thoy could think of resisting. This, done, he rushed at Mrs Murphy, and catching her in his arms, ho said : "I saw the bin-guard going to put hand cuffs on you, and my blood took fire." Mrs Murphy was too much delighted with the jesult of her son's mistake to tell him about it at the timo.

The officers drew their clubs and rose to their feet, but before they could use their weapons on Denny ono of the men who had first entered shouted:

" Stand back, men ! You deserve what you got." And the astonished men did step back, for they stood in the presence of the chief of polico. ' The other new-comer was Harry Gray, and that young gentleman's coolnesß, as Striker explained the situation, struck Italph Thornton as something phenomenal. Ralph appealed to him to use all his in fluence to have Grace kept from arrest. But the young lawyer answered : " It is better die should be arrested."

" But why no V "Because I believe her innocent, and if she is not arrested and h-ied the crime will stand against her for evor." "But the poor girl! I cannot think of hor going to gaol." "I have despatched a police justice to have his court open, though it is now near midnight. I brought along two carriages and the chief of police. We may be able to lix bail, and get her out to-night." Harry Gray drew the chiet of police to one side, and they talked in whispers for some time.

The result wo* that the Murphies and Mrs Bauer wero left in charge of the house. Striker went off with " tho plunder " and the crestfallen officers, and Grace and Ralph, with the chief of police and Harry Gray, got into one of the carriages and were driven rapidly off.

CHAPTER XXII.

MllS SEVILLE FEELS ALARMED,

It was midnight when Ralph Thornton got homo that night, but, an unusual thing for his mother, she wus up waiting for him. " Whore is Alice ?" was his first question after he had kissed iier.

" She was not feeling well to-night, and so wont to bed early. But, my boy, tell mo about Grace Wray. Poor girl! I could not roet for thinking of her." " Some of the things that Davis, Lent& Co. claim to have lost wore found in Miss W ray's rooms—" " You amaze mo, Ralph !" "And all the things that Alice Seville lost were found in the same place." " Don't say that, Ralph." "I must tell you the truth, mother." "Then the girl is a thief! I cannot—l cannot believe it!" And Mrs Thornton placed her handkerchief to her eyes and wopt as if sho had just learned of the death of a dour friend.

1' I don't know what to think," said Ralph, doaporately ; " but if Grace Wray in a thief, I shall loso all faith in human nature."

"Is tlie poor girl in prison J" asked Mrs Thornton, botweon her sobs.

" Sho was n. prisoner, but thanks to Harry Gray and his friend, tho chief of police, sho was brought before- a magistrate, who heard her case, and released her on fifteen thou sand dollars bail. Sho is back at Bauer's hotel again." " But who went hor security ? " "I was with her, mother, and I would have beggared myself rather than see her beautiful face through the bars of a prison." "God bloss you, my boy ! " said the fond mother, as she gavo him her hands. " And God bless Harry Gray. You know his mother and I are second cousins. But— but, Ralph—"

"What, mother?"

" What will Alice think of your interest in this girl?" "I hope she will think of if exactly as if the girl were a boy." "But you know she will not." " That will bo her misfortune. I propose to do what I think is right, whether married or single; and if Alice Seville objocts, then there is trouble ahead for her and me."

This was said with something like desperation in his voice and manner. His mother looked at his averted face for some time. He was her only child, and it had been the one object of her life to see him grow up a brave, noble, loving son, of whom she could feel proud, and on whom she could lean when she became old.

She had studied all his tastes and moods, and she had even learned to interpret his whims, so that she knew him much better than he knew himself.

Being well enough off, Mrs Thornton did not look upon the getting of more money as the one object of life. Sho did not like Mrs Seville because she thought she was rich, but because she would make her son a noble wife.

For twenty-six years Bhe and Ralph had been together, so that his unexpressed feel

inga affected her, and the colour of thoughts came from him. She felt as he did, without any thought of the reason why, and she now knew in her heart that his love for Alice Seville was not of the kind that a groom should have for his bride. , , " My boy," she said, as she reached out and took his hand between her palms, "do you not still trust me ?" His reply was a kiss, though his heart smote him at the moment, for he had in trusted Harry Gray with a secret he had kept from his mother. "Ralph." " Yes, mother." "You do not now and you never have loved Alice Seville V

" I fear not, mother." " But you have learned to lore this girl, Grace Wray ?" "Do not ask me, mother, while honour binds me to another," he said, huskily. "But honour and truth are twins, my son." rl , T "You know all, mother. Whether i express them or not, you read my thoughts. I feel crushed and desperate. I have tried to do right, but oil my efforts tend to involve me in trouble and blast my happi-

ness." "Better be right in torture than happy and wrong. Now go to sleep^ my boy, and we can talk again to-morrow." Mrs Thorntoa kissed Ralph good-night and went to her room, and soon after he went to his. They had been gone from the parlour but a few minutes when the curtains near which they had been sitting parted, and Mrs Seville came from their folds, and with a white set face went to her own room.

Alice Seville knew that Ralph was out, knew why he was out, for his mother had told her, but she could not know how he felt, nor how Mrs Thornton felt about Grace Wray, without hearing them speak. She concealed herself, as we have seen, and what she heard afterwards was not calculated to make her sleep lighter, or her dreams more pleasant. She locked her room-door, stirred up the fire in the grate, and sat down before it, with her strong chin resting on 'the palms of her up-turned hands. It was no novel situation for her. She was not cast down by thought of the dangers that surrounded her. She had been in more trying situations before, and she had invariably come out light. She hod grown to believe that Fate was her servant, and that no matter how des perate her schemes, they could not miscarry if she persisted. To be the wife of Ralph Thornton, the leader of the fashionable world, the envied of her own sex, and the admired of the other, were the objects of her ambition, and she saw them within her easy reach.

She knew that Ralph loved " this sewing girl," as she called Grace Wray, but she looked upon love as a whim—an emotion, that could have no permanent influence on life, f* •■•T» aT"39' ■ ... She measured Ralph's love by her own capacity in that way. What if he did admire the girl? it was only a child's admira tion for a new doll, and could have no endurance, particularly after the doll became disarranged and soiled. But there was a difference between Grace Wray and other girls, not simply of beauty and refinement, but a difference in the actual, though unknown, relations she held to Ralph Thornton. Grace Wray and Ralph Thornton were half cousins; of this Alice Seville was as well convinced now as she was that she sat there looking into that fire, and trying to see how she could hide the truth from the world, as the white ashes were hiding the glow from her eyes. Grace Wray did not even know her own true name, or that of her uncle ; that was evident.

George Wray knew ajl about it, but he preferred suffering and poverty rather than discovering himself to his kinsmen.

Monckton Seville—Peter Monks—believed that his brother and his daughter were dead, and in all the world—so she reasoned—there was only one who knew the exact state of affairs, and that one, herself, was most interested in controlling them. We refer to the things with which we are mast familiar for figures to illustrate our thoughts. illsee every hand," said Alice Seville to herself, " every hand and my own. Why, then, when I alone have that knowledge, should I not win ?"

She answered this question by hissing between her tooth,—beautiful white teeth they were,—"l shall win." She piused and then said : "Thia Pegg is an idiot; I should1 not have trusted to him, but he must dp what I say, or I will ruin him, if, _ indeed, so da graded a creature can be ruined. Ah, with all his faults, Monckton—l should say Peter Monks—is a man. He has nerve, courage' and audacity. The world would have thought him a great man if he could only hare been a good one. " What a fool I am to talk of goodness ! It is something I only know as a name. Well, well, if the world believes in its existence, it is all the same. One with the reputation for great wealth has unbounded credit, bo what's the difforenoe ? "There is hard work bftfors me, so I must have sleep. There is much acting before me, so why worry my nerves ? I will to bed."

And Alice Seville wont to bed and slept with as little sign of anxiety as if har body had been wearied by healthful labour. She come down to breakfast at her usual hour in the morning, looking to sweet and calm as to form a striking contrast with Ralph and his mother, neither of whom had slept much during the night. As had been her custom, Alice Sovillo kissed Ralph and his mother, and was in evory respect her own bright, charming self.

She felt something of a pride in her position, and in the ease with' which she bore herself, knowing what she did. Mrs Thornton and her son felt her magic influonco at once, and Ralph- thought lie was doing her an.injustice by his recent conduct.

Gentle Mrs Thornton could not hide her feelings. She wanted to speak to Mrs Seville about Grace Wray, and so eager was she that she could not wait till the breakfast was over.

Of course, Alice Seville knew it all before, having heard Ralph's story when he told it to his mother, yet she acted now as if she were listening to a most startling bit of news.

She was so horrified to hear the things had been found in Grace Wray's possession that she stopped in the middle of her break fast and declared that her appetite was gone and that she was sick at heart.

When she camo to hear of Grace's arrest she burst into tears, declaring that she would rather lose all her jewels than have such a thing happen. And when Mrs Thornton told her that Ralph had gone security for Grace, and that she was free for the time being, Alice Seville was so delighted that she sprang from her chair, and putting her arms about his neck, said, with intense fervour :

"It is what I would expect! Oh, Ralph, you are no more noble and chivalric than I believed you."

At that moment Ralph Thornfcnk^?' If himself on a of the meanest1, ta. '^WV" H world, and the woman with-h^^^'i^B his neck one of the noblest. *n>»b^ H On the pica -and it was a trno Xl he had business down town, R !l l!i,Otl6^S| H soon after breakfast, and Mrs SmS""^: ■ to her room and dressed in the^ .**#' B way and with the same heavj iSrW'-B former occasions. .'.™M-(n, ■• Before going out she went to^ThSii'--'i: iH ton's room and said: ° ■Dwin. m " I am going down to see my'w P want them to go to the police «ftP& I! P say that I have no charge to w? "& to | this poor girl. Rather than hamt^ ' I I will tell a story and say that'fpfe I II the things," , P*6 lijf* ' I ■'', «lt v did not «ivo thethin ßfltl ,, ■ I said Mrs Thornton, is " I don't remember having i m ■■£&■ L;; plied Alice, with the charming S j3. !»• | one who wishes to gire anothettC?W J I of a doubt. *%' ■ fi "Can you imagino how those tor 111 F' i to Grace's rooms V ■ ■ PW I. "I cannot, Aunt Thornton."'"® |: " I have heard," Raid the EoodoM i j S anxious to fortify her belief *itlW ■?• 1 frailest reasons, " that people do ttr ■ 1 their sleep, and often act invoißJftjSrjifr''1' I! out any memory of what they<M^fffl' p when I was a school girl a^gliS*=:, fs mental philosophy, I read of tS» j3?%r'?l P prising things done by people (2 ***» It awake, who knew nothingaboattbZw?. i H wards." ,™«WN I;.; "I believe there are suoh.rii»j M ca=es, Aunt Thornton. Owttfflgll)'..-: W —this poor child shall not suKirT 111 Il' help her." ;■■■"** \i With this Alice kissed^rs ThonAi j \* wen t out. ' - ™■•*« 'l| It had been her intention to goitnnmt. I? Teter Monks, and after talkinff'ifjii^Hj* if to send for Tom Pegg and to *m\fa& V, press the suit; but she changedT*r7ts I! and went at once to police h^dqumJ, 11 Curiously enough, she waJSd (£ M there without making an inquiry TK ft once asked to see the chief of mßk R While she was waiting for aiajW^SS 1 request, which she had pencil^ 3T back of a card, a handsomely dresg^J^jS 1 gentleman entered the office andmk^ & " Is the chief in I" B «o'J'n ST Mr,< ;irey'" replied^ | Shall 1 send in your name?" .:; v^p: X "If you please," replied Harry Gay I handing the clerk a card. ™» 1 The peculiarity of heavy vdb.'fetjl.' 1 can see pretty well without beingeeen i> Mrs Seville had her veil dow^ bat sta S had met Harry Gray before, «iidat2 : E recognised his voice and face. .:.-■;■< B She knew that he and Ralph VereoldiM ' W warm friends, and for some secondsahe«gi: W at a loss how to act. fi Her conclusions were quick and 1» 1 actions followed on their heels.lS at Putting back her veil, she aptoaciiM « Harry Gray with extended hjuj,1 jjj' B "Is not this Mr Gray, Mr Ralph Thi I ton's friend ?" | " Yep, madam," said Harry, talagjut tt hand ; "and you are Mrs SeviUe^whstiJ E have had the honour of meeting sevut! P times before, but never in such &placsjj". i this. Can I offer you my prq&aionjl ' service* I" he asked, with a laugV '' I know that you are joking, Mr &nj< she said, with her mostfascinatmxaumJf " but I really feel that if youaa&tlisofer in earnest I would accept." Jauk " Then, my dear madani, I do MaWfe offer in all earnestness. Pray simaad " I am here in behalf of thii pon ail Grsne Wray. Ralph told me t bat - m im | all about the case." : I " Ralph gives me credit for tail tr» | ledge tlian I possess. I kno-.v a' little about. 1 " My object in coming here, awiyottc&a ■ I help me, is to tell the chief of policeftitl i have no charge to make. I know o! this,; I poor girl's sore trials, and Ido not twoi to | "A fact that does you credit, Buifet; I me ask you a question." i Harry Gray paused, and she said: .\) j "Do you believe Grace Wray stole vow- j " I know nothing about that. They mt lost by me, and I have been infijrmedtjat..: they were found in her apartments; : I "That is the truth, and it mak : « aT«Tf strong case of larceny," said Harry. . ~, "Still, I shall not press it." • " But it is your duty." " People do not always do their duty," " And the world would be full of iwegs if we never forgave." " That is equally true, madam."; " You are mis girl's lawyer. | " You want to clear her ?" : " And I want to help you." "lappreciate that. Butthe trualawyw'e object is to get justice, not to avoid it., .If. this girl is a thief, she should bepuni«h(d. "True, sir; but I do not wish to win instrument of punishment." " But you want to do justioe f". ; "I should, Mr Gray." "Thon, as you haro asked for my adviw and I will tell Ralph the same-it «i g* home and let the law take its course."* ■■, "And send the poor girl to prisonr " Aye, to the gallows, if she deaerresft said liarry Gray, with more warmth OiM. men of his profession usually manifest (To be Continued}. I

Romantic Old Age.

A veritable romance was concluded in the orthodox fashion in Philadelphia on Wy ■; 30th. As the steamship British G»wn swung up to the American Line dook,«a*«■;•■■ woman who had been walking thedpoksnW;:; sunrise leaned over tha teflrail.qMWftW* ungrammatically, "That's him !"»nd (Ui appeared in the cabin. At the samemOTHot ■. a still more elderly man on the deckMinekW "That's my Benedicts 1" gambolledWtM gang-plank, followed by a body 8"*™.".,. friends, and rushed after the rewesoßf! , woman into the cabin. Twenty-eighty**;,;., ago a scene as sad as this was M 0!* 8 rj? enacted by the same pair on thO: Ottnw* , dock at Liverpool, when Thomas -Em™" bade farewell to Benedict* Price, sad m out to find his fortune amid his km beyim*. the sea. Kin at home had made the tmion of this couple an impossibility for the tuns being, and although their ages were^m respectively 42 and 35 years, they conoluw to await the removal by time of the famuy obstructions to the course of true UW ; - Time took nearly a third of a P 6"^I?^.-.' tlie task, meantime upsetting most ol W institutions of the year 1865, except m ocean mail. Its expeditions hardly Kept pace, however, with the epistolary araOTr •, of the lovers, until' about a »0"?. . ago the strain on the postal'service eeasw ; with a letter from Miss Benedicta, a'"lo^, ■ ing that at last she was free to Vedeem w> , , v plSdge she had kept bo well. The res^t was the union and demonstration «»»■;■ British Crown. As the concluding opisoos. the happy old couple took a canf^S^. were driven to Frankford, where they«e« married in the evening. Barbour owob a cooper shop and has several thousana. dollars invested in real estate.

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, OCTOBER 13, 1885

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