OUT OF THE STORY Or, GRACE WRAYS TRIALS..

BY M.AJOR ALFOBB Xr jC)IEI'ORT,

CHAPTER, XV.

GRACE MAK.ES A DISCOVERS.

tftfi Instant R.alph Thornton offered his protection and. told his name Grace recog fclised him, and knew he was a gentleman. Poor girl, she had no time to give thought to love, yet more than once since she had first set eyes on Ralph Thornton he had come into her mind without any effort of her will, and more than once she had seen liim in her dreams. " You know who that wretch is?" asked Ralph, as lie drew Grace's crm through his and walked on. "Mr Pegg, sir, of Davis,i,ent &, C 0.," she replied, "You are in his employ, I believe!" " I was, sir, but I left on Christinas Eve, and ana now working for Mrs Lansing," replied Grace. "Ah! I can imagine why you left. I believe you live in Brooklyn";" said Ealph, 'wondering why Grace should be making Tor the illuminated barrel that marked the ■entrance to Bauer's Hotel. "No sir. My uncle and I left there on the night of Christmas Eve," said Grace, woudering how this handsome young gen tleman knew she had been livingin Brooklyn. " I am surprised to hear that," said Ralph Thornton. And in his turn he began 4o wonder what disposition the grocer had madri -jf the basket of provisions and the \m '*. tJ. dollars !.o had enclosed in the envelope and intrusted to his care. " IVe thought, sir," said Grace, sur j>rised at the confidence she was reposing in this :aan, despite the necessity for caution, " we thought, sir, that if we remained in Brooklyn we should be subjected to annoyances, and-so we left without letting any one know our purpose." " Bad neighbours, eh !" "No, sir; our immediate neighbours were good, generous, honest people, but—" Grace hesitated, and Ralph Thornton did nob press her to finish the sentence. He had no right to know more than his com panion chose to tell him. "And where are you living now, Miss Wray ?" he asked, as they came nearly in front of Bauer's Hotel. " With Mrs Bauer, sir ; she has proved herself ti: be a friend indeed." ■"Mrs Bauer, eh? Why, she and I are old friends. The Bauers are my tenants, or rather tenants of the old Seville estate, which is iv. toy charge. If you permit me, I will go it with you," said Ralph, as they reached the family entrance to the little hotej. "If you d.jsire it, sir," replied Grace. " But while I am deeply gratefurto you for your protection, I must beg of you not to tell my uncle of the encounter with Mr Pegg, for if he knew of it, it would make him very unhappy every time I went out." " I wili see to that," said ftalph, as Grace opened the door. ?~Jli3 " « She was about to ascend the stairs to the parlour, when Mrs Bauer rose up before them, all dressed as if she were going out. It was not till she had kissed Grace that Mrs Bauer became aware of the young gen tleman's presence. Then she reached out loth her hands and cried : " Ach, Himmel !is dot you, Mr Ralph ?" " Yes, Meeny," laughed Kalph, who had known her ever since he was a boy. " Are you surprised to see me 1" "Ivos surprised most glat, Mr Ralph. Where you goom from, eh ?" " As I was goinir home I saw a disturb ance on the street, and as this young lady was in some danger I offered her ray pro tection, and here we are," said Ralph. "Unt you knowed her before, eh 1" asked Mrs Bauer, with a slight flavour of suspicion in her voice. "I have seen the young lady at Davis, Lent & Co.'s,and again when she brought a parcel to our house for Mrs Seville," replied llalph, with a blush that the darkness con cealed. "Oh, Mrs Seville !" laughed Mrs Bauer, with a sense of relief. " I hafe heerd of her. She is de bootiful, rich young widow you vos to marry, eh ? Veil, now only to tink bout dot, yen I knowed you yen you vos only a leedle poy." "Thatis what the world says, Meeny," replied Ralph. . And he felt at the moment that he would give_ a great deal if the world Gould not say so with truth. " Veil, dot's how de wolt goes." Then turning to Grace, Mrs Bauer said, with a changed manner: " Don't go de stairs oop, my chilt; your ■uncle is not dero." "My Uncle not upstairs!" exclaimed Grace. " No," replied Mrs Bauer, with a solemn shake of the head; "your uncle voz not dere." "But where is he?" asked Grace, her .voice trembling with alarm. " Dot vas a surprise I hafe for you." "A surprise?" " Yes. You goom mit me unt I show you vere de olt uncle vas. Mebbe Mr Ralph -will gif you his arm again, unt walk mit us out ? " I shall bo delighted," responded Ralph. But where are you going to take me to ?" asked Grace, certain that there was some pleasant surprise intended. " You ax me no lies, unt den I tole you no kvestshuns," laughed Mrs Bauer- "but goom mit uns unt see." Taking it for granted that they would fol low, Mrs Bauer whirled an anaconda-like comforter about her neck, ran one hand into a big muff suspended by a cord, and walked out with her customary stride " There is nothing left lor us but to follow her said Kalph - " for Mrs Bauer, as her husband will tell you, i s one of those ■women who is bound to have her own wav ■ and fortunately for him, and all who como in contact with her, her ways are eood ones." fa " I cannot understand her to-night," aaid Grace ; "but lam sure that she means to he kind." She took Ralph's ami again, and as Mrs Bauer was whatathletos call "afineffo-as-you please " pedestrionno, she kept them on a quick walk tor a number of blocks. At length she halted before a door lit by a suspended lamp, on whose glass globe was the painted inscription : " Mechanics' Apartment House." "Ms vos de blace," said Mrs Bauer, en tering the hall; " unt do beauty oaf it all is, dot dore's only one flight oaf stairs oop." Without more ado she began to ascend the one flight of stairs, and Ealph and (j race _the one greatly assured, and the other greatly perplexed—followed her. After loading them along a wide hall, in to which many doors opened, MrsJßauer stopped before one and gave a loud double Inock on the panels. "Whose's thero? asked a woman from the other side. The voice struck Grace as strangely familiar. , „ .. "Soomfrients," was the. roply. " Thin come in, for any friend is as wel come here as the flowers in May," said the on the other »de.. (

Mrs Bauer, with a backward glance that i said as plainly as erer a glance did in the i world, " Now proparo not to be too much surprised my dear," opened the door and sailed majestically in, Ralph and Grace coming close behind her. It was a large, airy room, warmed by a cheerful open stove, and lit by three i>articu larly brilliant lamps. And there was George Wray, standing with his back to the light and his face to the door. A glance at tho furniture assured Grace that she had seen some of it before ; but ere she could make an inspection she became aware of a faint odour of soap-suds, and the next minute she was caught in a strong pair of arms, and she felt tears on her face as she recognized Mrs Murphy's unmistakable voice, as she <cried out: " Och, medarlint, acushla, machree ! sure it's mesel' that's deloicjhted to see yor purty face this blessed noight ! An' on'y to think ay yer having to fly away widout a word. Sure it cum nigh to breakin' me heart. An thin the foine baahkot ay tilings that was sint, an' the handful ay money, an' the dinner that was cowld aitin' that day, an' on'y Dinny an' mo to the fore. But glory be to Heavin ! I've found yez ; an' here's Dinny, that sthopped work to-day an' helped mo an' Mrs Bauer to carry the things an' fix thim up—an'—an'—" Seeing that Mrs Murphy was too over come by her feelings to continue, George Wray helped her out by adding : "And to bring me here, my child." As he spoke he reached out his arms, and Grace went to him and for some minutes re mained with her head on his breast. The kindness of these good people moved her as she had never been moved before. " To make a long story short," as Mrs Murphy would put it, the following will ex plain the situation : After Mrs Bauer had leamod Grace's story, her first desire was to prove its correctness as far as possible ; not from any feeling of suspicion, but the bettor to aid her. The very morning that Grace went to work in Mrs Lansing's shop, Mrs Bauer went to Brooklyn and found Mrs Murphy ; and they at once put their heads together. Though of different nationality, and talk ing English each with her own quaint accent, these two strange women were not long in discovering that their hearts were moved by the same humane impulses, and that in all the better things they were sisters. Mrs Bauer was not only a wonderful woman at making new and highly original plans, but she had also the rarer quality of energy to carry them out when they were made. .-,?,■';..>;-<^;J7l She found in Mrs Murphy a worthy part ner in the undertaking which she had set herself ; indeed, that estimable woman touched neither a wash-tub nor a flat-iron for two whole days, so busy was she in get ting the new quarters for Grace Wray and her uncle to rights. All the old furniture was taken over from Brooklyn, and a part of the one hundred dol lars that came with the basket was spent to add to the comfort of the rooms ; and they certainly were quito palatial compared with the old ones. In the hope of seeing Grace again, Mrs Murphy laid away all the groceries that were not perishable, and she saved the tur key by keeping it frozen on the roof. The odour in the apartment told Tory plainly that this particular turkey was no longer in a frozen state. Grace's eyes were full of happy tears ac she heard her good friends each telling her story, and like a generous soul, giving the other tho praise. One great mystery no one could explain, and that was as to the donor of the money and groceries. Grace said aloud that she feared it might have been sent by one of the firm of Davis, Lent & Co. Ralph understood her, and he tried to set her mind at ease without tellinn- on him self. "I know every member of the firm, and I don't think there is one of them that would do anything of the kind, though it is a very small matter for those who can afford it." Ralph subsequently declared that he never spent so enjoyable an evening and was never so much touched in his life. Mrs Bauer introduced him as an old friend who was going to get married pretty soon, and then she insisted on his staying to sup per, for the morrow was New Year's day. and the holidays would be over. Ralph Thornton forgot that he had an en gagement at ten o'clock at his club ; forgot that he had promised Mrs Seville to sit up with her tttat night and "see the old year out and the new year in ;" forgot everything, indeed, but his happy surroundings till the church bells tolled the birth of the new year.

CHAPTER XVI. FORTUNE FAVOURS TETEU MONKS. No man likes to have his love affairs, whether they bo serious or trivial, good or bad, treated with contempt; much less does lie like a rival, real or imagined, to flog him for pressing his suit in his own way. Mean and brutal though Tom Pegg was, he imagined himself to be a gentleman ; he certainly would have resented, in his feeble way, any intimation that he was not a gentleman, for, like many others who are so ready to do battle for what they call their honour, he had none of that thing to defent outside his imagination. His indignation against Ralph Thornton knew no bounds, and he was very sure that Grace Wray was responsible for his punish ment. Feeling sore in body and revengeful in spirit, Tom Pegg was making his way to the hotel where he boarded, when he chanced to meet Hans Klopock, the porter, on his way to Bauer's Hotel. "Hans !" cried Pegg, as he seized the alarmed porter by the collar, "do you know Ralph Thornton—Mr Thornton?" "MrT'ornton, of Fift Avenue?" asked Hans. "Yes." "Young, hantsome, pootytall, goot-look in'—" " Confound you, you know the fellow I mean I" exclaimed Tom Pegg. " Veil, dere voz dree Fift Avenue. T'orn tons ; but I know Mr Ralph. One day, way last summer, yen I vos dhriven by de Park out, " long come dot young—" With an oath Pegg brought the porter to a stop. "I don't care to hear that," he said. "Thornton is about this time at Bauer's Hotel. I will pay you five dollars if you find out how long he stays there, and then watch him till ho gets home." " All right, sir," said Hans, reaching out his hand for the money. He was quite ready to play detective all the time if it paid as well. Handing him the money, which ho had not thought of paying till the work was completed, Pegg said? I shall be at Monks's Club House till midnight. Do you know where that is, iiana V "Oh very veil," chuckled Hans. ■ • tS* lac see ** y°u aro right." «s yere de gambler fellers meet," said .?^ Wlth.ak°ow-aUwink. • «o, sir," blurted out Pegg ; "it is wnere gentlemen meet. Do you suppose that I womld go there if it was hot I"

" Oh, oof goarse not," replied Hans, as he rubbed his nose with the thumb of his leather mitten. " Bring the news to me there. Now off with you, ior there is no time to lose," urged Pegg. Hans hurried off, and he had not been parted from his employer many minutes when ho saw Mrs Bauer across the street, and close behind her Ralph Thornton, -es corting Grace Witty, whom he knew, or, rather, recognised as the young lady who had former charge of the cloak-room at Davis, Lent & Co. Hans was much surprised at this sight, but being an honest enough fellow in°his way, and anxious to stand well with his employer, he resolved to play detective to the best of his ability. Tom Pegg had no appetite for dinner ; but ufter he had gone through the form of eating, and while it was yet too early for the patrons of Monks's Club House to assemble, he went round to have a confer ence with the proprietor of the establish ment. Ho sent up his name by the factotum, Sam, and, to his delight, Peter Monks returned word for him to come up at once. Peter Monks was in high spirits. For the past few nights the tido of success j had been setting in favour of tho bank, and '■ he was getting Dftck some of the money he had recently lost. "Hello, Tom; glad to sco you. Sit down and take a cigar. How does tho world use you, eh !*' This was the salutation with which Peter Monks greeted Pegg, and Pegg, j seeing the other in fine humour, said with ! an oath: "The world isn't using me well, Peter." " Sorry to hear that. What's upV" "You know Ralph Thornton." " I've heard of him," replied Monks, with a strange twinkle in his eyes. "Then you'll hear more of him," said Tom Pegg, and thereon he proceeded to narrate the adventure of the evening, taking care to place himself in tho light of a hero, while he aimed to show that Ralph Thornton and Grace were old acquaintances. On hearing this, Peter Monks, instead of expressing sympathy, as Pegg expected, burst into a long, loud laugh, and kept it up till he was forced to wipe the tears from his eyes. "What the deuce do you see funny in the affair V asked Pegg, with genuine indigna tion. " Oh, I can't explain at this time," said Monks, again breaking into laughter. " But you might tellme part of it, so that lean feel funny too." " Well,you may have hoard that Thornton is engaged to a certain beautiful young widow—" "I've seen her," said Pegg, "and she's a bright one, or I aint no judge." " Well, I guess you are a judge. Now, wouldn't it be a huge joke if the young widow were informed of Mr Thornton's sub rosa flirtations 5" " She can be informed," broke in Pegg. " That is a small matter. Do not give it up. What is that about a faint heart never winning a fair lady !" " Oh, I won't give up. Curse me if I mmldn't rather marry the girl than lose her now." " That's very kind, I am sure ; but it is not every rich man that can have any poor girl for the asking. But I have clone all I am going to ; you must now paddle your own canoe." " Well, I've got the whip hand of that girl, if 1 want to use it. But I'll talk to you later in the evening about it," said Pegg, as he rose to leave. Soon after midnight—indeed, the bells were still ringing-in a welcome to the new year—Hans appeared at Monks's Club and inquired for his employer. As Pegg was eagerly waiting, he soon found Hans, and heard from him the story of his watching. Hans declared he was nearly frozen wait ing for Ralph Thornton, to leave the Mechanic's Apartment House, which he had entered with Mrs Bauer and Grace Wray. WTiat had been a suspicion in Pegg's mind now ripened into a certainty. Dismissing Hans, Pegg went up to the gambling den, where " Moses," the man with the white beard and hair, was playing as usual, and losing, as was not usual. Tom Pegg was not a little surprised to see in the well-dressed throng that watched the players Harry Gray, whom he knew as a rising young lawyer and a very warm friend of Ralph Thornton, with whom, it was said, ho had been at college. There was a concentrated expression in the young lawyer's face that told that busi ness, rather than the love of excitement, was the cause of his appearing here. Without seeming to do so, Harry Gray watched Peter Monks, out of the corners of his eyes, and appeared to be making a mental estimate of the man. As for Monks, he was as cool and imper turbable in the face of his winning as he had been when he saw his last cent being swept from the bank. He talked, laughed, and pretended to drink with his acquaintances. Some one introduced him to Harry Gray, and he at once measured him as a young man he should take pleasure in fleecing the first chance that offered. Peter Monks invited Harry Gray to join him in a glass of wine, and though the young lawyer was an advocate of temper ance, he made an exception in this case and drank " to their better acquaintance." After the gaming for the night was over, Pegg remained behind to tell of Hans's re port. Harry Gray went down immediately after the man named, or rather called " Moses." The latter, as on former occasions, soon rid himself of his disguise, and he and Harry Gray walked on side by side and talked in whispers. . "That man Monks," said Harry Gray, "i 3, as you say, undoubtedly Monckton Seville ; but ho is hardly wanted, unless it is by the law. He knows about his interest in this estate without one telling him." "That's true; but I claim that the law should seize him," said the other. "We must wait. The point now is to find if George Seville and the girl are alive," said Harry Gray. " I can't lay my hands on them ; but if they aro not ailve, then I am the worst fooled man in the world." " But where are they?" " Here in New York, as Itold you before." "Well, you find them, and it will bo a golden feather in your cap, Horace Weld." While this talk was going on in the street, Tom Pegg was engaging Peter Monks in ear nest conversation at the club. " Well, I can't blame young Thornton," said Monks, when he had heard Pegg through. "I suppose it is -human nature for young men to love pretty girls." " But what am I to do, Peter 2" " Get him out of the way." "You,mean to kill him?"a3ked Pegg, eagerly. "Ho has Seville blood in him, and it is a hard race to kill, I hear. But in my ex perience I have learned that it is better not to shed blood if it can be avoided. Use policy—tact." " What do you mean, Peter!" " You know young Thornton -will soon be married." "Theyaay bo." " Good ; now if Thornton has been to sco this girl once, you may depend on it he will

go again. The oftener he goes, no matter how noble his motive, the worse it will be for the girl's character. Rich young men, who stand high in society, do not make a habit of visiting sewing girls. If she were an angel, her name must suffer under tho circumstances. But this is the point I want to impress on you." Here Peter Monks lowered his voice, not from fear of being overheard, but that he might appear more confidential. " Write to Mrs Seville. Ex cite her jealousy. My word for it—and I know women's nature—she'll keep still at first, but she will put tho detectives on his track. Then will come an explosion, and she will rule or ruin him." " Why, you talk as if you knew her," ex claimed Pegg. " No, but I have seen her." "Is that all?" '' That, Tom, and tho additional fact that I can read women and men too, as well as the next. Now, if you excuse me, Tom, I'll go to bod, for I am tired." " So am I tired and sore," said Tom Pegg ; the last word was out before he could stop it. After the hint to leave he walked home to his hotel, but before he went to bed that early New Year's rnorning he wrote a i letter to Mrs Seville, setting fo~th not only I all he knew, but a great deal more that he made up. Of course, he did not sign his name to this letter. He mailed it at once, and it reached its destination early the next day. Tom Pegg could not know the effect of this letter at the time, but it can be truth fully said that it was exactly as Peter Monks had foretold.

CHAPTER XVII. MRS SEVILLE AND TOM PEGG JOIN FOROKS. The reader has already seen enough of Mrs Seville to be satisfied that she was as fine a type of the genus adventuress as ever came to New York, that best field in the world for such characters. She had the advantage of a good introduc tion and the reputation of great wealth. She was the widow of a man of good family, once well known in New York. She looked to be young, and she was cer tainly fine-looking, even beautiful, so that she had every advantage on her side. She wa3 now, to use Peter Monks's ex pression, " playing a mighty bold game, for big stake, on a comparatively weak hand," and she was not the person to hesitate at any means, right or wrong, to achieve success. Before noon the day following the writing of the letter by Tom Pegg, Mrs Seville re ceived it. Ralph Thornton did not get up early tho following morning. >Why •'. He had been detained at the club by some old friends whom he unexpectedly met. He told Alice Seville this while sho still held Tom Pegg's letter in her hand. It is ours to record the fact, not to defend it. Here again she showed her amazing com mand of self, for she read that letter over a second tim« in his presence, and all the time she carried on an airy conversation, joking him about his old friends of the night before, and begging him to tell their names. He said he would make no New Year's calls that day, but she begged him to do so, remarking gleefully: " I should feel flattered, Ralph, that yon prefer to stay with your mother and me rather than to go out and exchange empty nothings with the dear creatures who, without doubt, are ready to tear my eyes out for taking you away from them. Yet I feel that your going ,is like the courier's who goes throughout the empire announcing some triumph of the queen. So I shall not hear of your staying at home." " Ralph never did like making New Year calls," said Mrs Thornton, with a loving glance at her son. "But as this will be his last chance to do so as a bachelor, I am sure Alice will not be jealous." " Jealous, my dear Aunt Thornton ! Why, I am delighted to have Ralph visit his old friends. And when he returns to me I feel the more flattered by his love 1" And in her playfulness Alice Seville came over and ran her white fingers through his crisp dark hair. A few woeks ago Ralph Thornton would have been much delighted at this act and tho words that preceded it, but now he had a difficulty in concealing a shudder at her touch, and on the instant his thoughts re verted to Grace Wray, and the last, the most delightful evening of his life, that he spent in her company. He was too much of a gentleman not to feel that he was now in a false position. He was puzzled, for ho could see no way out of it. He wanted to do right. He realised that he was engaged, and to a man of honour that is as binding as the marriage ceremony. But he also realised that he did not and never had loved this fascinating woman. What was he to do ? He asked himself the question every ten minutes, and honour told him that he must keep his pledged word by marrying Mrs Seville. In his perplexity he made up his mind to see Harry Gray the following day, and after telling him the state of the case, to ask for his advice and follow it. After luncheon the following afternoon Mrs Seville again left the house on foot. This was nothing unusual. As on the former occasion, she wore a heavy veil. She was very plainly dressed, and in this sober attire she seemed to take on a different bearing and manner of walk ing the moment she was out of sight of the house. She made her way with all speed to Monks's Club House. This was her third visit to that place. The instant she entered the restaurant, Sam, who had his orders, conducted her to Peter Monks's sitting-room. Peter was at home, and although he did not shake hands with his visitor, there was that in the manner of both that told they had come to an understanding, and that if they were not friends, there was certainly a truce between them that in the end might result in their becoming allies. The moment Sam shut the door behind her and could be heard walking away, Alice Seville took a letter from her pocket, and handing it to Monks in a business-like way, she said: "Read that and tell me what you think of it." " I think it is a strange letter," said Monks, after reading it. "Do you think it is true?" r " I should not be surprised. You know young men just as much as I do, Alice," said Monks, as if ho were talking to another man. "Very true. lam finding no fault. But what do you know about this young woman, Grace Wray J" "Nothing." "Neverheard of her before I" "Think I have." " In what connection ¥' "I believe she was some time ago in the employ of Davis, Lent & Co., and that one of the firm was smitten with her charms." "That's 'the Co.'?" " Yes—Tom Pegg. Much of an ass." " He is a friend of yours ?" " I have no friends, Alice. I long since lost faith in the name.. If you ask

mo if Pegg is a patron, and if I know him, I will say 'yes,'" said Monks, in an ofl hand way, enforced by elevating his dark eyebrows. Alice Seville glanced at the letter again, and as she twirled it in her lingers she asked : " Do you know who wrote this ?" "Ithinkldo," ho replied, promptly. " Da you object to tell?" "Not if you insist on it." "Then 1 do insist." "I am very sure tho letter was written by Tom Fegg. Tho facts set forth there I believe to be true in the main. But why not see Pegg and talk tho matter over with him ?" " Can you send for him f" "I can, but he usually comes here to lunch at this hour. Wait hero whilo Igo down to see, and if lie's in the restaurant I'll send him up." - Glancing at his watch to make sure of the time, Peter Monks went out, and within five minutes ho came back, accompanied by Pegg, who seemed to be very much excited. Having seen each other in tho store of Davis, Lent & Co., Pegg and Mrs Seville now recognised eauh other without an in troduction. "Now," said Monks, standing in the door. " I will leave you two alone, and let you make your plans for mutual attack and defence. Only be careful," he added, with a laugh, " for we live in a land of law and order. Like all weak men, Tom Pegg was full of cunning, but ho was the merest child in the adroit hands of this woman. Before he know it, she had drawn from him his story and all the plans ho had made to get Grace Wray into his power. Not until she had him completely un masked and committed did she develop her own plans, and even then ho was not sure she was in jest, for she laughed while she outlined a scheme that startled him. So perfect was this plan in its every detail, and so prominent was tho part she assigned to him, that he would have backed from the compact if it were in his power. But tho influence she at once exercised over him was so magnetic that he boldly pledged himself to an act of villainy that his coward naturo would have shrunk from under tho circumstances, though morally ho was not above it. " You will not lose heart," she said, with a smile, as she gave him her hand_ when they rose to part. "Not if I have you to cheer me," he re plied. "I -will meet you whenever you say. When could I see you at the store?" she asked. "This is Wednesday. How would two on Friday do ?" " Very well, Mr Pegg. And you will surely be in ?" "If alive," he replied. And with this understanding they parted. Mrs Lansing, or rather Miss Groshartz, for the work was in her charge, had done some dressmaking for Mrs Seville, and so she was not so surprised to see that lady onter the shop a day after the events just narrated. Mrs Seville wanted a sewing-woman to come to her home by the day for a week or two, as she had Home particular work she wanted to have done under her own supervision. " I can let you have a girl for dree dollar a day," said Katvina Groshartz, who was much better at a bargain than Mrs Lan sing. " I will gladly pp.y that for tho right party," said Mrs Seville. " Den you want a good seamstress?" "No. I want rather a girl of artistic skill—" "Oh, I see. But dot will be four dollar a day." " I will pay that. Let me see the girl." Katrina Groshartz disappeared into tho shop, and soon came back escorting Grace Wray. With a sweet smile and a gracious nod, Mrs Seville recognised Grace, and explained to her what she wanted done. " I think I can do it, ' said Grace. "Then," said Mrs Seville, handing her a card, " piease to come to this address to morrow." (To be Continued.)

A Pair of Model Mashers.

" A delicious incident occurred the other day, for the truth of which the ' Winning Post' can vouch. At a recent dinner party in the neighbourhood of Belgravia, among the guests wero Lord Wolseley and Sir Henry James, the Attorney-General. By some curious incongruity, after the' ladies had retired these two great and worthy men found themselves cheek by jowl with two mashers of the first Gaiety water, neither of whom had the least idea of the personality of his t neighbour. Jlasher Number 1 commenced to lay down the law of libel to the learned Attorney - General (apropos of the Belt case), to whom, he was good enough to explain that he had made it his .special study. Sir Henry listened attentively, much to the amusement of the other guests. But the crisis was reached when Masher Number 2, address ing the hero of Tel-el-Kebir, pooh-poohed the whole Egyptian campaign, and gave it as his opinion that Wolsoley was a much over-rated man. Then mine host thought it time to make a move, and when the ' dudes' were apprised of the lachc they had perpetrated they sought to hide their diminished heads in that haven of shelter which a masher's collar alone can afford."

An American Execution.

An execution took place at J.lacon, in tho United States, on the Ist inst., and was ac companied by some extraordinary features' An enterprising speculator put up a largo number of seats, guaranteeing to each and every occupant a fine view of the gallows at one dollar a head, and he paid the regular showman's license of 100 dols. The culprits were two men named Winbush and Bailey. They had both committed murder, and the circum stances under which they appeared on the gallows were of unusual interest. Wira bush was working one day on a railroad ■with a man by name Washington, and the two had a discussion as to which could do the most work. Wimbush remarked to Washington, "I have a good mind to lick you; just say 'sheep'and I will do it." "Sheep," replied Washington; and in an instant Wimbush sent a knife through his body, killing him upon the spot. Bailey was an intelligent negro, moving, it is stated, in "the first coloured circles of Macon," and a member of the lodge of "Tho Sons and Daughters of Jacob." Having a difference with another member of the lodge, he shot him dead. It hap pened that Bailey was tried by Judge Simmons, who formerly owned him as a slave. The judge, when sentencing him to death, could not refrain from call ing him by his old name "Jack," as before the war, and then burst into tears, as did also Bailey. Two seats were reserved by the showman for the culpiita' wives, who were treated with the most courteous considera tion, and accorded every advantage to en able them to gratify a wish they had ex pressed to witness— the hanging of their husbands.

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, SEPTEMBER 29, 1885.

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