A Heart's Bitterness

By BERTHA M. CLAY, ■ Author of "For Another's Sin," "A Fair Mystery," &c.

CHAPTER LXf,

SHE LIFTED HER BYES, AND KENNETH STOOD

For a time tho vagrant heart of Loigh seemed to turn to Violet with gratitude, almost with love. Ho spoke kindly to her, had qomo thoughtful care for her com fort.

'Ton wanted Mogery Kogors for the boy's nurse," lio said, "and you thall havo licr. Ailam shall go am* bring lier horo. You shall not be frightened again by a stranger." He sent Adam for Mngory, telling him to bid her be silent about lier insano lodger, Bart Kemp.

In a fow days Magory had returned to the sceno of her childhood, and the nursory whore she had been littlo maid to the lato lord's sister. Her passionate devotion to Violet and her child know no bounds.

" My lord," said Adam, socking a private conference, the day after his return, " whilo gone, 1 saw an advertisement asking news of Bart Kemp, and describing our man exactly. I went to the address given, and I found a little groy, shrewd lawyer. Ho told ma what the man was like, even to the big plaid suit, which is up in my closet now, for I put other things on him when I took him away. He told mo, my lord, that Kemp had been over twenty years in Australia, and had made money, and that. ho had funds and papers belonging to him in his office. Ho says Kemp is rather rich, and was with him the middle of November, and said ho was going to Sussex-, to hunt up ,a relation who was ' high quality.' "

" Confound his impudenco!" cried Leigh. " If jie wa3 rich, Adam, why did lie come here? What did ho want from me? Why threaten mo ? For. T admit to you, ho did threaten me, and held up papers that wore dangerous in me, ho said. And when ho heard Helen Hope, as ho camo in, threaton to ruin me, he promptly promised to help her." "Did Helen Hope see you together, ray lord ?" " Yea." "She saw me in tho wood, and a.iid you had ridden by an hour boforo " ( Adam hold down bis head and pondered. •Then he laid hii long forefinger on Lord JLeigh'scoat-cuft', and said, earnestly :

"Master, I have it. Sho saw him fall ; slio thought you did it: sho meant to screen you from others, and havo you iq hor power." "It la (rue, Adam. Sho has already ac cused me of murder."

"Of murder? You! n Lord of Leigh? Then, master, aseoon as the hears of thig advertisement, sho will bo back to mako you trouble. Oh, marter, master !in whit

a hopeless not does a man outangio himself svlien ho puts himself in Uio power of a bad woman?"

Lord Loigh naccd up and down. Tho Iron was in his soul. Then ho stopped abruptiy a<<d asked :

"How much did you tell tho lawyor, Adam ?"

"I told liim Konip wont to Sussex, and I being out in a wood, otio day, saw him fall os in epilepsy, and ho struck hia head, and I did what I could for him, and an ho was out of his mind I took him to my -sletor, to be cared for till ho recovered, and that eorno months ago he escaped. I gave him my references and my sister's ; and I told him it was dono out of kindness—and so it wna-tG you."

•" Well, what will ho do about it?' asked (Leigh, eagerly.

■"He pays ho must advertise for his man, and if that does not suceee.-i, luust set tho police to search for him. Ho has fiftcon thousand pounds of his " "Then why did he como to mo?'

"My lord," perhaps curioaity ; perhaps with the money he desired to get into some society ; or he may have wanted your aid to get a government position in Australia," said Adam, who, from long living with iiio foster-brother, Leigh's fathor, was educated above his das?.

" If he could havo found mo alone I might havo satisfied him peaceably," said Leigh, v with a sigh. Lord Leigh felt that eomc attack waa jsikely to be made upon his birth and title. What ft could be he did not know, as he (feVt finely established concerning both ; but ttbeie was hia jfcenderest point, and there ho Iwdieved that Helen's vengeance would yoaad bus. He would need friends and lie.'eer.s jn such aa emergency, and ho RniVa v * to consolidate friendships with such men as *•' 2om Churchill, Lord Keith, and tho Maraud "I Alwold. If an attack jy.ra mado on hU" «tJ^/ lt mast bo <ried betora his fellow peoi."'. .. . „ , He concluded ri»3* lt wooid be well for Violet to renounL^ bee resolution of with drawing entirely .'«>» SOCiSt>l, a"d ro' maining in Sussex anring «U . tha*e,f°, a- She would coma to tow.^ *»tv thexsl r -d for at least a month. "I am sure you must ba i^ly a?™> Violet," ho said, when ho .^ad^ Mof J)l3 brief visits. "I am. a little," said Violet, "tbaogh darling little Kupert is bo love.y etui amusing. But now the weather is better, the woods ore beginning- to leaf out, tho earliest spring flowers are blooming, ittjd our gardens ate full of crocue, hyacinth , and tulips—it is co pleasant here. I have boon begging Edna to como here, and she i will not; the posilively refuses me, and yet she loves me—l know she loves me." "No doubt; but she does not love me."

" But why cannot she come here, if she does not care particularly for you, Nor man ?"

"I'm always playing tho fool, Violet. and when she \va3 hero last eiraimor I offended her with references to our earlier acquaintances, when she did care for me. I have not made you happy myself, Violet, and I hava succeeded in cutting you oft from your friends. I'm sorry, upon my word I am, for you try to ba good to me. Edna will not come here, but you can see her in town, and porhap3 convoy my apologies, and make a peace between us. You must come to town for a month or so, and entertain my friende. I suppoeed Miss Haviland's wedding would illuminate this season. Is Keith the happy man I" "No : it is tho Marquia of Alwold," eaid Violet, flushing. " So, she will be an earl's wife in time ? Tha little Cornwall beauty, whom I won, and cast away," said Leigh, bitterly. 11 Do not speak so, Norman ; if you had ever really won hor, think it would have been for ever. Edna in not a woman to lovo Sightly or forget easily. It was merely a cMid'n fancy, not a woman's lovo, she had for you ; and surely, if you had really loved her, you could not havo left hor."

" Lovod ! 1 ijelievo, on my cou!, it ia not ;in my nature to Ick-o anybody," said Loig'o, roughly, and iiuri-fcd.out of tlic room. But his jealousy of Edna aud hi 3 frantic pasßion for her WGrc j-.ememborcd. It he bad Violot in London thoj' past attend and give entertainments, which c.outo at least ibring him where he could see Edna, if even it was far off, and tho joy of feeing hor was dashod with tho pain of watching othew .worshipping at hor Bhrino, or boholding a favourito suitor by her side. Violet dreaded to go to London : her country home wag so §sfe, quiet, and happy for hor and for her child. But Leigh in sisted, and when the primroses were all abloom, ahe went back to her Belgravian residence.

The morning after her arrival she drove to Lady Burton's, taking Magery and the little Jiuporr, desirous of showing the dailing to the friends whom she most valued. Her coming was aa a festival. Mother and babe were overwhelmed with caresses and praisea ; Edr.a carried tho infant up to Lady Burton's boudoir, and Lady Burton came up, clasping her arm around Violet's waist.

" You must; have off your wraps and stay to lunch," said Lady Burton. "We are alone. Kenneth ha 3 been at the caste this week, overseeing plana for new school houses. We have an undisturbed day be fore v«. I will give orders to admit no one. Tell us all your new joya and experiences, my little Violet! Hosv young and sweet, you loot, with the mother joy in your shining brown eyea I" " And look at tbia love of loves !" cried Edna, dancing the baby free of hie satin and down cloak,and hia marvellous French cap. "He ia our Violet all over again. See! he has her dimple?, and her short upper lip, and her pretty brown rings of hair,- and hsr eyes, all r<*ady to laugh or cry. Oh, the pefc !" And Edna caught the laughing infant ft. ispr bosom and smothered ; him with kisses. _ . ~ lo] , "Dearest Violet," sttidlMy Barton, 'tenderly, «I know .ho W to fe£ fcr^you "Your experienced W e> ■ ■ ■ •

child comforts and soothes your heart, and heals its wounds, and swootens your bitter nnp"

"He does indeed, dear Lady Burton; and I am trying, oh, so hard, to improve, and to be a good, wise mother to him. He is so bright you cannot, think. Let me have him, please Edna; I want to show you what he can do !"

Violet took her child on her arm, and standing, an imago of gracious beiuty, in tho centre of the room, said, coax ingly :

"Now, Rupert, ki-s your hand for mamma. Only sea him !' Sho lifted her eyoa. Kennoth stood in tho doorway.

[This story will In future be con tinued in Wednesday's Supple ment only. Its place in the Saturday s issue will be filled by 'a new and romantic story by a loading novelist ]

TWO KEYS: OR Margaret Houghton's Heroism

By MRS GEORGIF. SHELDON,

Anther of "Urownie's Triumph," "The For-

•!»>• Bride," " Audrey's Recompense," &o.

CHAPTER XLI. TflE DIRECTORS AUK AMAZED. " I rhat.i, go straight through this alley to tho Rue Caetigliono," Louis said to Mar garet, n» they stepped into tho narrow stioet, "tho distanco is not great and wo shall not attract attontion this way. I can got a carriage for you thoro and send you ojmfortably homo." " Louie, I shall gc to tho odico with you —you may need my testimony, you know." " I hopo that the company will accept my explanation of tho affair without adopt ing any legal proceeding, for I dislike, oxcoedingly, the thought of dragging you before tho public." Margaret glancod up at him. His face was very pale and wore an anxious expression. "I shall go with you," ehe repeated do eiJecUv, and he mado no furt'ior objection. They walked on silently and swiftly, both

feolins* a desiro to got the precious contents of that ba»kot into a placo of safety as soon as possible. They reached tho and of tho alley, turnod the corner to tho loft, and wore at the door of tho cilice.

Tho outer door waa open and tho young couple ontered. Louis hesitated a momsnt as his hand touched the knob upon tho ii.nor door, and Mai-garet could soe that he was greatly agi tated.

But it was only for an instant—tho next he had onterod that familiar room, followed by hia faithful betrothed. Thoro was no one in this outer otlioo ; tho olork had evidently just gono out, and for a few moments only, as hia desk win littoi'cd with pnpers and letters. Louis pa?sed with a rapid step acroj« tho room to tho inner cilice, whore the cashier was fitting before his desk busily engaged in making up fooio accounts.

Ho glanced up with an impatient air, as Louis entered, us if annoyed at tho inter ruption. But instantly a look of astonishmont spread over his face. It grea- to one of horror, as if ho almost believed himsolf .confronted by a disem boHiod spirit. His pen dropped from his nerveless Cm gors, and ho staggered weakly to hh feet. " lion Dicu'..' Dunbar!" hi) criou, in n hollow voico.

" Yes, it is Dunbar, and not his ghost as I fee you are half inclined to beliovo," Lauii said, putting down his basket, and iioiding out hia shaking hands to hia old comraSo.

The man took it mechanically, but s;iil regarded him with a ccrj!: of ch<zed air. " We—l—thought you must be—dead," lie Btammered, at last. "Then you did not believe that I had absconded with the company's monoy ?" Louis questioned. "Dunbar —if it ij indeed you, aa I am half inclined to doubt," begun the man. shaking himself, as if to arouse hia benumbed faculties—" I knew you were as truo as stuel. / never bolieved for a moment that you played any trick upon us." "Then others believed it, if you did not ?' quickly returned LouU, with a pained quiver in hia voice as ho noticed the ooi phasis upon the pronoun, "Well," ho answered, flushing, "of course people will surmise all sorts of things when a man disappears os you did and .% lot of money with him ; but I knew you too ( well to believe anything of the kind. I i was confident that there had been toul play ia the matter." "Thanks, There has been foul play," Louis answered, deeply hurt that tho com pany, or any membor of it, should have doubted his integrity. " Well, I never was mora glad to greot anyone," sdd tho cashier, heartily ekaking the hand he still held. " But come, tell me how it B7&8--give an account of your ad venture, for advfinipre I am sure you must havo had. £h ! pardon," he continued as ha caught fight of Margaret, who had re mai'iad 'standing in tho bnck?round. "Miss TJougbton, Montieur Fro^ua,- Louis said, titaesntiug Margaret to him. They saluted ea,-;h other in mutual recog- Diii'on, and then the polite Frenchman Bpra.ng to get a chair Ut the young lady, after Vhicii he again turned esgerly to Louis for an explanation of his startling ap pearance. "1 must not tell you Anything—l cannot rest " Louia faid, as ho uncovered his basket and'removed tha little tin trunk from it, " until this money haa bceD counted and ►afely lodged ia the bank." •' Tho money ! the money ! arniOßt shrieked the excited cashier. "Havo you brought t!ip money back also? Whore did you got it? Ah! how—" Ho could not go on. A hundred thoughts flashed with light ning rapidity through his mind at this startling intelligence; and. for the first time since Louis's strange disappearance, something like a doubt of his integrity .013 ---turbed him. . . ' Louia saw it He was as keonly sensitive as a woman to feel this distrust, and in voluntarily hia lip curled. " If I had been dishonest enough to run away with it, it ia not likely that I should bring it back myself, even if I had roponted of tho deed. But come," Louis added, with nervous impatience, " lock that door, pull down the shades Tho money must be counted. I must Jjnotv how much is mies jio himself strode to the door and locked it, while the excited cashier drow the shades before the windows and tho half-glass pai titions that separated i^n inner from the outer office?. Louis then put hia precious burden upon tho deak, threw back the lid and revealed the treasure within. Monsieur Froquo grew whito as death as ho looked upon it ~,,„, "Ah, thia is wonderful, wonderful!' he murnwed. , , .. . "Count," Louis commanded, while ho lifted tho crisp uotcg .out for hijiself and pushed tho gold coins coward the cash ier. , For a long time there was not a sound beard in that room save the rattling of paper and the musical chink of gold. People came into the outer room, tried the door leading into the inner office, and finding it locked, wondered what private business was being transacted within. But no attention was paid to them and ..hey were obliged to nait, or go about oiher affairs, as they saw fit. "The bills are all here? Louis at last f aid as ho laid the last package down ; •■ the villain evidently did not dare to pass them, fearing their numbers had been taken and ho would thus be detected, .fclow does the coin come out f" The cashier had not finished hus .counting and did not answer j ho simply pushed a heap of the gold toward Louis, motioning him to assist him in hia work, and another silence of ten or fifteen minutes ensusd, At last it was finished. "How much ia missing?" Louis asked, with dry lips and a husky voice, when Monsieur Froque had footed up the different amounts. " Less than a thousand francs.

" Thank heaven ! That amount can easily be replaced, and the interest of tho whole be added to it," responded Louis, fer " Yep, yes. But n ow tell me about it—l am boiling over with curiosity," urged the cashier.

" Not yet. We must send thia money to the bank ; it must never remain in this

office another night. After lhat thoro will bo time enough for my ?tory," Louis replied while lie hastily returned it to the tin box.

"I will take it myself," said Monsieur Froque, after a moment spent in thought. He put on hh overcoat, donned hia hat, and taking up the box left the room. In tha outer ofllce he etoppod to confer a moment with tho clerk, who had returned soon after Louh had entered, and who was as much astonished to learn of his presence as tho cashier had boen by his Eudden appearance ; while, judging from tho glances of suspicion directed toward the inner offico, and the strict watch kept upon its door while M. Froquo was away, he had not the utmost confidence in tho man who had been so long and strangely absent. At tho eatue time messages went thrilling along tho wims. Biiminoning the directors and othor mombei'3 of tho company for an immediate investigation of tho nutter. Louis knpw very well, as soon as tho door closed aftor tho cashier, that ho was to ba held a prisoner in that room until an ex animation of hU statements had been held. But this did not disturb him ; ho had ox pected it, and svas as anxious as anyono cou'd be ti havo tho mystery explained, and his own position and honour ro-es tablished. " How long ho is !" Margarat remarked, unca?ily, whon a hulf-hour had elapsed and M, Froquo did not return. " yesves ;it will take some time to deposit tho monoy, for of course it will havo to be counted again at tho bank." At last thoro camo the sound of many footsteps in tho room without. The door wan then thrown opon, and M T-Yoque, accompanied by four othor gentle mon, mado his appoaranco. Louis arose to receive them,' and was greetod with profuse expressions of dolight over tho fact of hid yato return and tho restoration of the monoy.

Tho cashier explained that ho had immediately telephoned for the gentleman upon leaving for tho bank, thinking that time would thus be saved if a number of tho directors could hoar his etory at tho samo time. Thi' would havo given Louis no uneasi ness, neithor would ho have suspocted tho motives of M. .k'roquo, it his quick glance had not caught sight of an armed policoinan in tho other room as thogontlemun ontortd. Ho knew that tho cashier had sotno mis givings still, and had determined to socuro Ids arreet if his story should not provo satisfactory in all points.

But he related all that had oacurrod upon the night of his disuppearaneo. and dos cribod the subsequent events. At first tho directors woro inclined to doubt hia story ; but aa it progressed, all suspicions of its veracity disappeared. Long beforo Louis hurl finished, thoy began to realise how unjust they hid been to tho man who had suffered so much. As Louia finished his narrative one of the directors steppod forward and j.;ras.|i3d him cordially by tho hand. " If there has boen a doubt In any of our mind?, it haa vanished. Now about the bird you havo captured ; may wo dotain you horo still longer whilo wo send au ollieer after him, and learn what he has to say for himself ?"

" Certainly ; it is my wish that this affair bo settled as scon as possiblo. But may I ink as a poraonul favour that, you will deal leniently with him !" Tho gentleman regarded Louis with a; tonixhmeut as ho made this request. " I will gladly make up tlia amount that has beon taken," Louis continued, "also tho interest on tho whole for tho time that it has been lying idle; and —if it could bo possible to persuade you not to arraign him for public trial-if wo could eottlo this privatoly " "This 19 cortainly a most singular 10 quest," interrupted ono of hia 'icarera, sternly. "Tho man has beon guilty of a twofold crimo. Ono would suppoto, from what you Imvo suU'oroJ at his hands, that you would deem tho severest Fontonco that .cou'd bo pronounced upon him insufliciotit t> atone for your Injuries."

'.'Ho is ono of .iiy own countrymen," urged l.oui?. "We wore fnhool-mutos in our youth, and the pcctiliir circumstance? under which ho has recently laboured may have marie tho temptation irroa'or than it would othorvvijo havo been. He ha^ always boen accustomed to every luxury, but re ccntly has lost both p.rents, and with them a largo fortune, which all hi-" life he has OX poctei would bo his upjn their death. He found himself in a strange country, without oven money enough to return to his native land, except whit was givon to him by a friend; so jou perceive ho wast Rorely tempted." The directors consulted together fora few moments, and grow considerably exciiol whilo (iiscufuing thp matter. Tlioy did noi appear to bo in favour of granting tho io quest, even if It was in their powpr to do s->, which some of tliem doubted.

" Wo cannot dcciJo that question now, Mr Dunbar," one at length remarked ; " but," with a Finilo, " there i? another upon which we uro all agreod -tho largo reward offered for tho recovory of the money and tho apprehension of the thief U youra." Louis flushed deepest crimson. Ho had paid ho would not touch so much as a sou of tho promised reward, and he had not intended to do so. But, aftor thinking deeply for a moment, ha looked up with a smile, saying : "Gontlemon, to show you how much in earnest I am regarding this matter, if you will grant my request and hush thia nfTiir as r-.;«ch a? poisiblo, allowing my country man to go fi.o-3—ho U young, and upon this act may depend his salvation 1 will choc-r ---fullv resign all claim to tbo reward " '■But he may do the same thing again tc soraGor.o else." "No, no!" taiJ Louis. "Wo will oxact a pledge from him that he will hoed tho lesson and strive to become aa honour.iblo man. Ido not believe he will ever become si thief again " " You are mote (It to bo an abbe than a bußine33 mun, Mons-ieuf Dunbar; but we cannot promise" And Louis was obligod fc) let tho matter rest for tho presont. The fccliffsman that ho had aecn outside waa despatched wjth one of tho cbrks to conduct Arthur to thooiTica, and, after con- Eulting with Margaret a moment, i ouis a?ked permission to sand a message to Mr Hcngbton requesting his presence also.

Thia being granted, the party fell into social ftmverio while waiting for the appear anco of Arthur,

CHAPTER XLII,

AH INTERESTED MAN,

As soon as Louis and Margaret left the building after finding the gold, Arthur commenced with renewed vigour to dig away at the hojj |lp waa making in tho It' was astonislrine to sco Kith what energy tho usually indolent, p'.eaanre-seok mo- v onng man toiled. Tha knifo was ttull, and it waa alow, hard work. At last, however, he had two Utlm rut away, then something confronted htm for which he was wholly nnproparod. Bemud that lathing there was a solid brick wall- a fire-proof wall ! He sank down upon tho door with a groan, nil hops eriHiod out of his heart. 'He lay thsra in a crouching attitude) for nonio time, then he glanced up eagerly at th.o other ullp of his prison-(he roar Tharo might not bo any wall upon thai tide. His table stood in tho corner ;he sprang up and moved It out, and in doing do dis covered another hole not quite tho siKe of tho one oa which he iiad been at work. , , , A.h! the diamond-wotkor who had owned the shop in the years gono by had seen that hi? treasures ehould bo carefully guarded ; while Louis had not, after all, been such a fool as he had at tirst supposed. He, too, had tried to escapo ill the earx.e way, and been badhd by that impassable But what hnd hs dono with tho dobris ? The safe ! He sprang toward it. Yes, it waa bait full of lime and broken laths. ... He threw himself upon his couch with an oath that endod in a groan of despair. Must be stay there and be run down like a rat in a trap ?- bo arrested like any com mon thief—bo tried and condemned to a fate tha,t to him would bo woree than °His eye caught the giearo of his pocket knife, which ho hßd thrown upon tho floor cftor breaking it upon the tougn lath?, and he stertod: whilp a thiyer van through his "" iThad been very shavp, snd a steady, de termined stroke across an artery, oven with that broken blade, would place him beyond all fear of man or law. -/es, all fear of man ! Dare Us do it? Had he courage and nerve to make that fatal stroke ? He grew faint and sick [ there oamo o sudden shock, a strong revulsion at the thought. . . A blur fell before his eyes j a ringing, as of discordant bells, was in his ears j a cold

swoat, started out upon his forehand, and his hoart boat with heavy throb-?. No, ho h.'nl tint the narvo ; for, away back in the past, when ho nnn a littlo child and liad Inioll at hi j mother's lumoa to bo taught to lisp his childish prayers, them hud been instilled into hi? tender mind the fear of (_Jod, find accountability to lTtm. Ho might succce'l in c-scapine tha bar of human justice by becoming a suicido, but he know it would only be to find himsslf before the bar of Goi to bo judgod —yos, and condemned—for all etornity. tian woman, and ho had lovoi her as woll as his aollish, exacting, arrogant nature would permit him to love any one. She had been faithful to him, instructing him, aa many an othor mothor ha 9 dono her boy, and reaping no return during life ; but he knew that ull her lifo sho had prayo-1 to tho Cod in whom sho bclievod for him, end that with her latest breath she bad epokon his name, nnd pleaded that sho might bo ullott'ed to moot him by-andby in the upper world to which sho wag going. Sho was gono; but, though (lead, Bhnyot seomorl to npoak to him, and in tho awful silenco of that room, where for a moment tho mud thought of taking M? awn life hai come to him, ho soomod to foel her presonco while a vi?ion of his past aroeo boforo him. What had it amounted to » Ho had lived for himsolf nlono, for tho gratification of hia whim and caprices, malting ovorything subaorviont to liiß own eclfish doeiros.

Ho hnd plottod and intrigued from his earliest boyhood to gain his own onds j li 3 had allowed nothing to stand in his way, if trickery, or meanness, or decoit would avail. Ho had novor, that ho could remember, dono a noblo act, porformod a really good dood, or denied himself for tho sako of nnothor. Ho had sown tho wind—was ho P,bout to reap tho whidwind ? For tho first timo in his life ho stood faco to faco with his own eoul and saw it as it wa°, realising how ho had warpod, marred, and misused that God givon treasure.

Was It too late to vedeom hiimelf 1 Ho groanod aloud In montal agony at tho thought, Yes, In thought, It was too Into, for coon the world would know him as ho was, and he would bo brandod for all timo with a mark which nothing could over elf ice.

Suddonly lio heard a noiao bolow. Some ono was coming. Was it Louis returning, or had ho sent a gondarmo to arrest him ? In a fow moments a koy was inserted in the lock, tho door was thrown open, and two mon onterod, ono of thorn a gendarme.

" Why are you here?'1 Arthur questioned, hoarsely. "You are wanted, monsieur,'" was tho brief reply, ns tho gendarmo produced his koy to hia prison and unlocked it, bidding

him to como forth and prop:iro to go with them, and he knew then that Louis had given him up to justice With a fuco that was perfooily ashen, ho oboytd tho command, and, each tilting him by the arm, thoy led him fiom tho building

into tho Hue de Blanc, where thoro was a c(U'ru>go waiting. Th« thoy ontorcd and woro driven rapidly away. Arriving at tho office where they woro oxpoetod, tho nvieonor was led directly into tho inner room, whoro tho door was immodiatoly locked and tho key withdrawn.

Iloro ho found thoso whom wo Invo already montiono.l, while, during tho absence of llio oflloor and 1-ho clerk, Mr and Mia Houjjhton had arrived, and. to tho nstonUhmont of Margaret nu! LouU, they woro accompanied by Mr Forest.

This gentleman had made h'u appearance in Mrs Houghton's parlour noon after Margaret wont out. upon her visit to i.ouia. Almost his flrit inquiry was rogarding his Bcphow. Mrs Houghton, of courso, emid toll him nothing except that ho hid montioncd his intontiun of leaving P-irla for a few days. Mr Forest appeared surprised and troubled about thia infolligonoe. Then ho asked fcr nowa of Louis Lhinbar. " Poor Louis ! have yon not heard I ho pad now? regarding him ?" asked Mrs Ilonghton, mirpiised "S'idnows, uvidam ! Great: heaven* ! has* anything lmppcnol to him ?" Mr Forest oxelaimed, greitly agitated. "Yo»; ho fiuddonly di-.appi.iroi] shortly aftir you left Paris, and nothing has boon heard of him eineo." •'Nothing* Ia thoro no eliji—nothing to loid any ono to wuspeet what has boconio of him ?" " No : and that is not a'l " ■ "Tell mo quickly!' interrupted Mr Forest, growing palo, find act\i"l y tronib ling with apprehension, "A lirgo amiunt of money—forty thousand dollars—di-appearod with him." " Impossible !' " It ia true, my fiisnd," said Mrs tfough tnn, sadly, although she wondered s une v. Int. at his oxciion;ont over ths m-ittev " D.i they siy that Ac took it and - run away ?" demandod hor companion, lio.tri>oly. " Som*. s-uspoct htm of b-ini; tho de faulter j but—" "Never! I would s-tako my life upon hie integrity." "So would wo," answered Mrs HsiiL'h ton, wiping a tenr from her cyo ! " but whatover has bocomo of him —whatever to learn as yot The whole affair i< a dcop mys'er}-." " Ah, madam, you unnerve me. 110 wjs such a noblo young man. Thoro was nothing but truth in his oyo, honour anil manliness in hia countenance and bearing. Begin at Die beginning and tell mo llio whole etory," Mr Forest begged with omo tion.

Mrs Itoughton complied and rrhoarscd

.vhatis so familiur to us tjll: butsha waequitu :hrough, when hor husband entarod Iho ■oom, locking flurried and anxious.

" What i° i', Wallace ?" pho asliol, rising hastily and going fonvurj to meet him. Har first thought was ul.rays tor Mar garet. "Whoro is Margaret?" ho asked, ro grrding her oirnoetly. " Sho went out somo lime ago. Yes, a long timo ago," ehe replied, with a start, as, glancing at 'ha clock, fhe saw ho-; lato it was. "' Ila3 anything happened to her?-

" No, dear ; I do not think any harm ha 3 happened to her," ho replied, reassuringly ; " but I have a note from her, asking mo to como to thcoflne of tho tolophono company immediately and bring you with me," 'JHou' strango? What can it moan ?" " \Ye will not stop to conjec'.ure," Mr Houghton said ; " ws must go to her with out, do'ay." Mrs Houghton iod him forward to greet Mr Forest, and then hastened from the room to prepare to go to.Margaret. In leas than ton minutoa she was ready and back again in tho parlour, and at her almoft impatient " I am roady, Wallaco," Mr Houghton aroao and excused him-iolf to hia guest.

" I will accompany yon, if I may bo per mitted," Mr Forest said, rieing also. "If it id anything connected with tho affair that your wife has just been telliug uio about, I air, as much interested as any body." They wondoroil at his request, for they know that ho had met Louis but a very few times, and.was almost a stranger to him.

(To be Cantimini.)

An Algerian Wedding.

A MARRIAGE eolobr-'tion in Algeria 13 an in teresting rulic of ancient curtouiß, The bridegroom goes to bring the bride, und the guest", aascmb'cd ou'sido tho house, will wait for his return. Soon tho sound of pipi)3 ie hoard coming from the summit of some noiutibouring hill, aud tho imrriago procession approacho-3 the bridegroom's housa. Tho pipers ahv'.ys como. tir^t in tho procession, then tho bride, mufiled up in a Teil, riding a mulo led by her lover. Tlion come 3 a bovy of gorgeously rire.j?ofl dam sels, sparkling with silvir ornament, riftor which the friends of tho bride follow. Tho procession stops In front of the bridegroom's house, and tho girl's friends Hue both eido3 of the pathway. Tho pipers march off on one side, while tho bridegroom lifts tho girl from tho mule and holds her in his arms. Tho girl's frieuds thereupon thro.v earth at tho bridegroom, when ho hurries forward and carrie? her over tho threshold of his hoiisa. Those abiufc tho do:ir beat him with olive branches, amid much laugh ter.

In the evening, on such occasion?, (ha pipers and drummers are called in, and the women danoo, t.vo at a lime, facing cacli other; nor does a couple desist until, pant ing arid exhausted, they step aeide to make room for another. The dance haa great energy and movement, though the si'epa are email and changes of position slight, the dancers oaly circling round occasionally. Bat they awing their bodies about with an aotoni3hing enprgy ?}nd suppleness. 4 leaves flutter befove the eaje,' to or they vibrate to the music; they shake j they shiver nnd tremble ; they extend quivering arms, wave veta, aud their minds seem lest in tlje abandeii and frenzy of the dance, while tho other women, looking on, en courage by their high, pierping, trilling cries' which add to the noise of the pipes and drums.—" Brooklyn Magazine.'

General Booth's Visit to America.

How a Vow VorJc Paper V)<™Hbe<: HI: Farewell.

(■rnerat, Bnirnr has roturneil tn England from tho United State?. Tlio Now York " Sun " published a most extraordinary ac count of his farewell meeting, which we may fairly discount to some extent on the ground of Amoiicin sensationalism. Tho article commences by detailing the prepara tions for tho fight, "fighting majors being ranged on tho main floor so that they could tacklo sinners hand to hand. Yells, groans, moaning^ and fandaDgoes followed, the latter boms danced -with delightful sugges t'venes t. The O-jneral bo yaw h st'e when he wished to modify thoso demonstrations, whilst 'Boxer Bill' and tho 'Salvation Bouncer' paraded tho o:el:s, keeping order, and occasionally 'tapping tha claret' of any too-noisy saint. ' Satan-hating Sarah ' asseverated her 'godlinos*' with shrill screams in ono corner, whilst ' Happy John ' in anothor kept averrinn that ho was ' blosEod, if he wasn't more blessed than any other blosscd oaved soul.' This objurga tion, which boro a strong family likeness to fonio well-known bad language, seemed to givo special pleasure, and was greeted with froquont 'hallelujahs.'"

Towards' 2 a.m., of tor tho Genl. had spoken and Captain Si-ter Brown had related hor ox]ioriencos of 1-envor, most of the audience woro in a state of frenzy. Lot u.s allow the "Sun" ropoiter to speak for himself: A woman would go 1: up on a bench, shriek, and tumble off. Tho men stooi up here and there over tho hall wailing in reasonably moaHired cudonco. Now and then one of tho mile or female shriokors would make a speech, to which niboc-ly piid much at tontion Thoy would talk till they woro tirod or until Oenoral Booth blow tho wliilstlo at them. Somotimea thoy woro too far gono ovon to hood tho first noto of tho whistlo. In that case General Booth blow again. Ono of tho women was about forty years o'cl and woe called Soldier Mary. Sho said : " I'm off from the world. This heart no longer goes out after the sealskin cloak?, ['A a-amn'] This hoart no longer goes on t after pluce? of amusements; no longer aftor lino bonnets." " Hallelujah I" yellod tho part of tho army that wore paving at tontion to hor, and a young lieutenant pcrocchori. Oenaral Jiooth arcse airuiu and said : " Wa have dono a great deal of talk in?, now It 'js testify sorno. Tho time has como for action. There aro sinners hero who aro ti bo convortod." Tho army stripped for tho charge. Tho soldiers and oliiccrs tcok oflthoir coats. Some 'iod flags around their nocks. There was a lull. A pretty quadroon woman got up and swayed to ami fro. gobbing and wiping her eyes. Colonel Djwdoll shouted lmndatory exhor tations. Tho eleven fighting captains knelt by the wcodon bench on tho platform. Tlio whole army, except tho workers and Fklrmishor.-s prayed out loud urd sang. Thoro was no coheronca in the son^s or projors, A group in ono plaeo would sing one sung, while a group a few feet olf might be singing anothor song. Half tho women wore frenzied. Tho skirmishers and tho working captains made a direct assault on tho audienoo. Malo and fem'ilo Fo'.dicr? sallied out of tha wings and went down tho aisles. Whenever lho ofiieor." pointod out a man or woman, tho soldier wit down be^.lo him or hor, put hid or her arm- around 111* or her i,uck, talked to him or her osrnostly, and tiled to Ui,i Minor hor up to tho platform, where tho fighting mnpirs would look uflcr till captive and cn-uro t.'io victory. At 2.3 ii am. the first convoit, a man with a full bl icU beard, was nulled up to tho platform, and the fighting rnnj-nM Mo>l up and shoutc i and sani;. The man ehout»d nnd eang too, only in a bathful way. Homo of tho nudienco tied bjforo the onsot of tho Salvation cohorts. Woruon wore f.iinting lioro and there over tho hall. Nobody troubled much about thorn, know ing that thoy would como. to. A delicate girl with black hair, liig black oven, and a pile fa'.'o sat on tho third scat from tho door. One of the foumlo Foldiora talked to hor o.i noatly. AH at oneo tho girl wont into hysterics. Up in front several womon had what the S:ilv.ilioni-ts c ill fits. Thoy jump:.l up and down, touring off their hUrtand lotting their h»ir»tn»m oat. Their shrieks went up ii volhys. Long aftor threo oVook tho tone ot tho mooting changed. Tlicro was a triumphant psal In tho Hhrieks of tho converts at tbo plat form thoro wash joyoua noti". Finally, with a victorious phout tho whole army, tho eon vert?, nnd nuny if tho audlanco who had gono tlnro to scoff, bagan to sing thi" Rong ot triumph : "I'm saved, I am, I know 1 am " Finally, (ianerul Booth, at I o'clock, got up and closed the mooting,

Woman's Life

" Wniiic and worry" includes whit are usually called sociil enjoyment", for whan those t>re crowded fast upon one another A-ithoit i.-i'i-o or ce-sitijii tluiy involve tho hardest kind of l.ihjur. It is impossible to keep mind and body constantly keyed •ip to tho pi'oh nccaseaiy to make of these th|.i..<* plwuuiOJ, and yjt these who Imvo bden ilraft-n into tiiocqitont and on ii.toilio whirlpool of social (rayetiee find it impossible to get outs'do tho tumult r.n I reich tli-i quiet bhoro beyond. And tbia is i,i ;.o .-auto strange, for It U only tho churl win doca not apprcciitj and desiro to i-hcuv an npp.aeintion of an attention that speaks of kindly foaling. Whon it come*, however, to two, throo and four sjcial gatherings within tlio twenty four hour?, no ono can en dur-j the strain and have a.iy (jhyeic.il ur mental piwer for anything cl*o. It is not the socitty 1-dy only who finds nor life ono prolonged hurry. Tho o who have othor aiir.s and purpose*, who aro in tore-tod in phiUnthropi'3 undertakings, tho butiue^a woman, t'io writer, ilia ani>r, •ho student-, find tho diy too phort to ac complidb all that ambition, dcs'ro or duty bring to thoir hand. Evon tho few whi h. Id ba~k out of tho whirl finil themselves perilously near its edgfS, and foel its in iUenco in spite oE all cfl'jrti to tho con trary. It would not matter so much if wo couUl always 1)0 sur-', in tho midst of thin rush, that wo aro doing tbo things wo ought to rio and not leaving vital duties uutullillcd, tho ghott^ of which will ono day rise up and reproach us with bitterness for our nrglect. In our effoit to accomplish so much it h inevitable that somo things will rumain undone, and tharo is danger that thoy will be Uio very onoa that should bo tho most stored, whoso demands ehould be mo<t rigorously regarded. Kv6n when tho con^oionco i.-s koonly ulive to whut is jaat and right, it \n often difficult to decide whether the moiivo cf action is tho dictate of duty, tl|O prompting cf ambition or the lovo of ploaeuro. How i^ one to know, then, whero to draw the lino?

It is hard to tell. Ono thing is always certain. Just as soon aa you find yourself always weary, und yet with a nonetant im portunate feeling that you havo a moun tnin oE work beiore you, and that there are Alps upon Alpa boyond ; when you dis cover that you are, however unwittingly, neglecting thoso who have tbo strange^ and uioat undoubted right to your timo and effort" ; when you percoivo that you aro growing nervous and irritable at home,'and th.it you can no longer enter sympathetically into homo pleasantries und ploasmoH ; thon you mny bo auro that you aro undertaking too much. The ivoravi novor livod jot, ur if kliu did pho is an anomaly among women, who eou.d fulfil her duti.iH to her family, (inter largely into wxiil lite, b;> n working mem ber of a half dozen charirablo and literary organisations, besides, perhaps, doing church work, belp her poor neighbours and read and stu^y enough to keep her intel lectual faculties bright without breaking do.vn unler tho strain; and yot this U what many are attempting to dp.

Tho only way out of tho whirl is to study carefully and deliberately what duties you cannot under any conekieration let go of. Next sco whore your eflbrts aro most needed aud where is tho labour most adapted to you ; then retain active partici pation and interest in what you can do without exhaustion, and with some time left which you c^n call your very own to u-'o as you please. I do not in the least counsel an idle or a selfish life, nor tho narrowing of the sym pathies to tho home circle and immediate friends Tha world is full of opportunities to do good, but to lift the fall.in, to heip the unfortunate, and that woman, who never ltts her thoughts go out to struggling human ity ia to bo pitied. It is tiuo that there aro those who confine their thoughts and labours to their own domestic circles, not through real selfishness, but that they do not soo their way to other doing or have not beon an v i.H to a personal realisation of tho neceasiiio! of tho outside world. The over burdunod wom»n may look around her and fiiid JLi.-st aai'h parsons who will bo ready and willing to ussumo some of her responsi bilities, thus fringing rolitf to her and broadening their own mental and moral naturaa.

A Trench duche^p, who had eloped with some one beneath her in rank, and had been disowned by her family and deserted by her husband, ia said to have been found earning her livelihood by plucking up beet roots on a farm near Saasons.

THE GUILLOTINE IN AMERICA.

A Criminal Reaily lor the Axe, but the Machine Not Yet Ready.

Nkw York, Deo. —"Could you mako a guillotine a.xo if I ehauid furnish drawings and dimensions ?" This singular question was addressed by "\ gentleman, ovilontly Froncb, to tho manager of one of tho cutlery concerns in Now York, and was accidentally hoard by a reporter who happenod to ba in the store The mtnagor replied that tho company would undertake to supply anything in the cd^o tool line, from a s-urgeon'e lancot to a double-hooded sword or a med ieval buttle ax. Tlio gentlemm mido in quiries about tho cost, the tima required for filling an order, etc., and said that ho mii^ht. order an axe within a short timo if he should rocaivo finai i"structions from his principals. Tho remarkable character of tho inquiries induced tho reporter to in quiro for what purpose so ghastly an instru ment aa a guillotine could ba wanted in this country. Tho gentleman replied :

" i have no objection to telling you al about it, as it ia a matter of public business, and my part in it is merely that of an agent, ,-ictina to accommodate curtain officials in a

friendly way, I would prefornot to have my namo appear. I have boon requested to make these inquiries by the officiate of St. Pierre. St. Pierre, tomoUmos called St. I'otcr, is the capital of t!io Franch colony of St. Piorre at Miquelon, tho only possession in North America remaining to France. Tho colony consists of the inlands of St. Piorro, Lnngloy, Miquelon and Isle au Chiona, off tlio southorn coaat of Newfound land. It is a small but very important

colony in a comtnorcial senso.. Almost the solo occupation of the population of 0,000 people is catching and curing fl=h. In tho fishing season the population of tho colony ia eroatly augmented by tho presence of tho fishing Hoot from Franco, and

millions of dollars' worth of codfish, mack oro), and other varieties are cured and ox ported. The town of St. J'ierre has a per manent population of about :S,OOO, mostly French, of couise, although all tho maritime nations are represented. The colony has its peculiar looal customs and regulations, but is governed by the lawu of Franco in all important inattore. Tho poopU of St Piorro cc Miquelon have boon in much agitation lor the pa-st^ five months over tho ' cause celobre ' of Carlos Z-izuar rogui, ro 'detuned to death for assassination. It is tho only case of the kind within the momory of the oldest fisherman of Miquelon, and is regarded Dy ther.o simple pooplo as ono of tho t'roatost oases in tho history of the world, although in a'l probability it has not boon heard of south of tho St, Lawrence tn any groat oxtont. You have hoard of it ? Well, then, you know that, under the French law, the assassin must bo oxecutod by the guillotine " Tlnvt v whero llio hitch comes in. Nobody has been guillotined in this country, and thero U no maehinory hero. Tho isiind never had nny uso for such a contrivance heretofore, and after sentence was pronouncod tho quostion of executing it came up It was discovered thit under tho law nobody but Monsieur de Paris, the public executioner of Franco, can behead a criminal. Zuzuarrogui was sentenced to be executed in September, but Monsieur do Paris and Mine. La (iuillotino cnul 1 not p.rrivo in time if sent for, and a respite was cranted. It w.wlearnnd (hat Monsieur and his tools cnu'd not leave Fr.ince, oxcept in a Ojvcrnmonr. chip, and that a man of-war would have to brine; him over at. on expense to tho colony of ."iO.OOO francs. It was prnpo.'orl to appropriate this sum for the purpose, and if all other methods fail tho money will bo appropriated, and Monsieur fnvitnd to visit tho vorv interest ing colony of Franco. But 30,000 francs is a lariro mieo ti pay for chopping a man's head off, and the Colonial Court is trying to dovisa Bomo way of getting around tho difllnnlty. Ono p-opo.-ition is that n guillotine bo cec'ted at St. Pierre, and eomo resident appointed by the French Government as n deputy of Monsieur de I'iiris to carry out the eontonco. Nobody on the I-fland c-in mnks a piopor axo. "I have been requested to ascertain if pucH an instnimDnt can bo procured here," said tho man already quoted. " 1 have been to t!io HoPton Muaenm to eon fho guillotine axo tha1; sheared tho head of in-kg nt Marie Antoiutte from her beautilul thouiders. That ghastly historical relio, rusted and stained with romo of tho best blood of Franco, is in a glasi ci=o at tho head of one ot tho Btnirwnys, and doubtless U pa?sed un nolicod by miny visitors. But thero it is, and (ho si^ht of it recalls that hideou* niyhtmiro of tho world, tho Koign of Terror It is a simple instrument; merely a sheet of steel about, a foot equare, or poihaps fourteen inches in hcrisnntal width, ilxod in a heavy wooden bar by itsupperhorizoßtnlodge. The lower or cutting e^tro is a straight diagonal, that, is, tho lift s-iJu of tho blade, which -lidos in n groovo of tho oppo-ite upright. Tho purpose of this form U to securo a clennor, neater cut. Aa tho axe descend? it shears through tho nook of tho victim di agonally Ilio principle is like that of ming a knife to cut wood. Press the edge of tho blade along its wholo length evenly against a "tick nnd you do not cut much, hut draw the whole blade from tho heel to tho point wi'h a quick mot jhi aid you can whittle effec tively. That is the reason why tho great invention of Or. Guillotine does its work so beautifully. Tho axo is tho most important part of tho machine, and that can be pro cured : any good carpenter who haa ever seen a pile-driver Ofln make tho rcat. If M do Paris will como over to superintend (ho nfl'iir or cm appoint a deputy, a michinn irmy bn built "nnd I mny order the axo OHierwieo Oarloa Zusiaarrsgui may be sent to F-anco and thcrj beheaded. It U expected that the execution will take place this month or eail/ in January."

Tho colobrated cao o' t'io " Isles St. Piorro of Miquelon" is riinirkablo mainly for tho cMd-bloodod atrocity of the crime. Carlos Zuzuarrtgui, tho assassin, was a Spaniard from tho Ba?quo Provinces and an outlaw and refugee from his own country. Ho appeared at Miquelon in 1573, and worked at the fishery establishment of Mr Calais for pome twelve years. Ho next worked for Pierre Cormier, and soon became insanely joalous of the superior skill of the foreman of tho gang, named StanilausCorte. On tho day of tho murder Carte wag at work In an alley, on hid knoes, arid tho a-sassin walked up behind him, and, bringing his eharp edged, hoavy cloavor down with all his might on Corto's neck, caused the latter's head to roll on the ground. On tho 23rd of August last Zu/.uarrogui was convicted of pro moditatod murder, and sentenced to death by guillotine. The sentence is to be ex ecuted probably tl\U month at St. Piorro, under warrant of M, Homy do Lamothe, Commandant of tho lalcs St. Pierre et Miquolon ; or later, in Franco, by M. de Paris.

PATTI'S GODCHILD.

A. Ltttlo Girl Who Won tlio Favour of tbc Songstrean.

When AJ'ilioa Pjus.l w»s in the heyday oi !ior triumph <:i- Sr. Petersburg -do livod at. the Ho'el Demuth. then a very sty'is'i

plant). Nex r< door tn her livo'i tho Bairris, erea': iron founder?, of Scotch-English family. The Uairds and Adelirm were vory intimati, and this intimacy continued aftor tho diva's mu-riage ti the Marquis Ue Caux The youngest child in tho Buird houaehol.l was named for Patti, and was a particular pat of bora. Every day the b*by Adelina was sent in to see Patti, and often about Go clock, which was the baby's bodtirao Patti would Blip into her neigh bour's hou*o and, running into thonuraory, cive the littlo Adelina hor good niaht kies. The baby girl, being astute after the manner of hor ccx, found out that Patti could sing charming lullabies, co whenever phe appeared tho little Adelina would demand a son?. It was nothing uncommon to see Patti in tt splendid dinner dres3 holding her little namesake in her arms and sing ing her to ?leep. Years went on, and Patti loft St. Petersburg and hor husband bo hind her. She had formerly had great eocial success in London, but when she re turned there in IS7S sho found a painful difference The Bairds had a London es tablishment, and one of the first drives Patti took after coming to London was to the Biird house. She did not send in her card, but sent word for tho little girl to come out to her. Adelina came flying, de lighted to see her old favourite and god mother, nnd the two hqrj a long and affec tionate interview. Although the Bairds did not resume their former intimacy with Patti, they put no obstacle in the way of the two Adelinas seeing each other, and they are still the most intimate of friends. The little Adelina is now a young lady, lately launched into Bociety, and Patti is as proud of her as ever. Every birthday the diva remembers her goddaughter, and the beauty and costliness of her gifts are ex treme,

MARSHAL YON MOLTKE.

How the Croat Soldier Passes His S/asf. Ways.

A PEACEFUL LIFE IN SILESIA.

A Quiet Retirement—Mourning at the Grave of a Lost Love—Tlie Affec tion the Germans Bear tho Aged General.

Beckntly Yon Moltko celebrated hiseigh'y eixth birthday He spant tha day in his Silesian castle of Kreienu-a purchase from his princely reward after ISOO -far removed from the din and roar of tho metropolis and oatontatious homago ko distasteful to Ins ti-nple soldier's heart. Ho is awaro of th 6 love borne him, certain of Ma Kaiser's ro specr, but hies away to this Silesian retreat to escape open expression of both and pass his birthday unmolested. The Kroisau caetle is to him a hallowed place, in the contra of the foroet park which surrounds it stands a mausoleum, which, since ISGS, has been his altar—the p'nea of Communion with his "god of battles." It is the tomb nf his beloved wife. Moltko is alone in tho

world ;no children blessed the union. And annually, when tha October day re turns which gavo him birth, ho pilgrims to the silent, sombre edifice, and at midnight sits at "his Mar.v'a grave" quietly mourn ing her Io?s. There tho people leave him.

Eighty-six yearH ago on October 20. ISCO, Holmut Karl yon Mnlt.co was born at Parchim in Mecklenburg, tho home of Blucher, the immortal ■' Marshal Forward." Hia father, Baron yon Moltko, was on the rotired list of the Prussian army, and the owner of an estate in the grand dukedom natiied. Moltko's mother was a daughter of Horr Pasehem, "Councilor of Finance in Hamburg." It is a fact worthy of notice that both Bismarck's mother • from whom ho inherited hia superior talents-and Moltke's were not members of the nobility, but simple burghers' daughters, whose genius and worth alone had made them dia inguished. In fact, in those days-and it ehowed tho calibre of each of tho fathers -it required no littlo moral courage on a noble man's p*rt to marry a " burghermadchon " subject, as sho inevitably via?, to perpetual ostracism from tlio blue blcodei relation?.

Tn ISOO, the your of tho French supremacy, the family lived in Lubeck, that proud Hanaoatic city. Napolean had humbled Prussia in the awful battle on the heights of Jena, and Blucher retreated to Lubeck at the head of 20,000 men and there took his final stand. But Waterloo day had not yet dawned, and the victorious French forced tho Marshal from hig posi tion aftor storming the city, and ordered a general plunder, which lasted three days Baron Yon Moltko's house was most severely sacked, his property ruined, and his valuables stolen. Wrath was young Holmut, who then made hia first ac quaintanoe with the hated French, and made hia vow to deal vongeance upon thoir heads ; a.id it seems an act of re taliatory deßtviy that he should live to revenge the disgrace his father's house bad suffered. Tha old Councilor of Finance had also lo?t his fortune by the fall of the fatherland, and tho Moltko family was thrown faca to feco with poverty. The father, unablo to fuppirt his large family longer in the wontod way, requisite to his rank, euterod the service of the Danish king, where, years afterward, ho rose to the rank of lieutenant general.

Tho Bchomian life of tho soldier being

unfavourable for tho education of his chil dren, the Baron introduced his two eons, Fritz and Helmut, in 1811, into the house of Pastor Knickboin in the village of Hohen felde. And hero tho boya found a charming home and profitable school. "Helmut has grown somewhat too fast," said Father Knickbein in a report of his pupils, "nnd locks the vigour of his brother Fritz, but poe»es?O8 superior talent?. Ho ia silent, and one cannot see his qualities at a glance, but he will one cjay baa groat savant." During hia whole lire Multko ha 3 remem bered with glee those days in tho " old manse " In 1841, whon his first book was published, fulfilling in a manner the pro phecy of the Hohenfelde eoer—fqr Mdtke W an author as veil aa a Boldior—he cent the prime copy to his "dear teacheranH fatherly friecd, to whom he was indebted for so much, as a small token of hie eternal love." Tho Hohenfelde house, because of tho Moltke associations, ha? become th 6 Mecca of many soldiers, and oapecial attention is always given a little island in the centre of a lake in tho pastor's garden called ''Mol tko's Islaud," the scene of his first strategic victory ; for it was hero, aa a ohiW, he "plfiyod soldier" w th his schoolfellows, and sucoeeded by an admiral piece of strat egy in capturing tho island from his elder brother. It really presaged, say military judges, his future greatnoss. But theso ideal days in the country par sonage wero of short duration, and the eona exchanged its comforts for the bore walla of tho military aoademy in Copenhagen, to enter upon their imrtial career. They were both more striplings. The father was so poor that spending money _wa> out of the question, and they grew up in the academy friondles3 and accustomed to every de privation. It was a training which one day came to Helmut's good, but which saddened him then, and made him, aa a youth, what history has subsequently called him, tho Silent One. Even as a hoary man he wrote of these sad days with bitterness and regret, and bewailed their having been. But they too passed, and shortly after his eighteenth birthday Moltko was able to pass his examination and rooelve his lieutenant's patent.. But ho waa hindered from im mediate service by a potent reason His cidet life was that of the ordioary German soldier and hia advancement slow. " You nrnko a mistake," ho once wrote a pro-

minont journal, " if you think my life suited for brilliant description, as the poets and public love. My career is co devoid of all episodes that one might almost call it tedious, and I do not see what tho bio graphers could write but dates and dates again." That was ■ his modest way of sta'ing what ho considered his lack of brilliancy. At 32 Yon Moltko was made lieutenant. With his first promotion ho was transferred to tho general etaff, and Ins since that day never served in the front. In ISSS he secured leave of absence for a short oriental

journey, bub force of circumstances ex tended it to four years He was chosen by tho Sultan—who seems first to have recog nisod hia powers—to reorganise hig army, and spent nearly half a decade as a chief advisor and counsellor. His letters during thie period have boen published, and sur paeß in interest and style all German litera ture, and are ranked even by some with Goethe's letters from Itnly.

Many of his adventures seem incredible, but Turkey and its provinces were then hardly licked by the tongue of European civilisation, and the Eastorn question had not assumed the importance of later yeara. Glad in the wide breeoho', blouse, and fez

o£ tho natives, followed in every town by hordes of veiled women and children who greeted him as " the son of the Prince of tho West, the bringor of sweets," ho pressed on to tho cradle of civilisation and spread his tout at the sourca of the Euphrates. That strango. romantic country taught him the enjoyment of a cigar, noxr tho invariable aid to hU reflections. " Formerly I could not smoke," ha writo?. " but when I made ray visit at the War Minister's and the inpvi rsb'opipowasbanded mo. thecomingteasick ness frightened mo. Butlbavebecomeaceu? totued to it now, and find me (Table pleasuresit ting under adatotreein view of mountain and ocean and forming ljnglets of smoke.'' After tho lapse of four jeajfs Moltke began his homeward journey. When he behold tho Black Sea again—grown strange in the interval — he cried with Xenophon's Greeks :

"Thalutta! Thalatta !" Long absanco in that land of eeprivafion had made him even fotget the usa of many things, and the miserable vessel in which ho embarked, with

its excuses for tables, chair?, books, knives and forks, seemed more desirable than Mohammed's heaven. He returned to Berlin and was reinstated in his ojd position, receiving only Iho order " Pour le merit" for bravery in the Turco-Epyptian war and permission to year the Julian's decoration. Soon afterward, though forty-two years of a,ge, Moltke " sailed into the uncertain harbour of matrimony." The courticg of the baehful Moltke was half done when he fell in love with the beautiful and feminine girl who made it easy to lead hor to the altar in the following winter sfter his promotion to the rani? of major. They lived together a quaiter of a century, when on Christinas evening, 1868, she died, not having lived to see her hueband'a greatest glory and leaving him a eaddenedman.

Hie gallant services In the war with Austria are too well known to need re petition. From that time Yon Moltke'e popularity was unbounded. But he did not rest upon his eword in the days pf peace following Sadows. Persuaded that France would look with envious eye upon the laurel-leaved march of the hated Prussians, be believed war inevitable in the near future, and during the

winter of 1868 9 drew up the plan of the French campaign. Mastorful work was that, worthy of the masterful mind. He studied the topography of tho country till every tree, hill and houae stood marked in that famous red building of Berlin. Every contingency was met and the plan of operations so thoroughly la d that it was pos3ibb, as in no other war to direct from "a four walled office" the directions of a "heavy" army. Orleans, Metz, and Paris were as clear to Moltke's mind before the French Embaasador had left Berlin as after poor, eick Napoleon had surrendered hia Bword on the field of Sedan, and the Princea of United Germany had proclaimed his beloved ruler Emperor^ of Germany. Grand days were those which followed the unparalleled euccess, and even Moltke accepted the homage of a grate ful people on that glorious Hay in '71, when the laurel-crowned troop returned through tlio Brandenburg gate, with himself, Bis marck, and the King at their head. " Our hero" was created a Count and given 8500,000 from the war debt of Franco, with which headded to hia beautiful estate where he recently celebrated his eighty sixth birthday. In all the intervening time thu greatest strategist of the world's history lias ro inained in Berlin at the head of the stall', an honoured citizen of the Capital. It is a common sight to meofc him slowly walking about the city clad in his brilliant uniform, with the highest order of the " Iron Cross " about his neck, tho most honourable dis tinction in thegift of his sovereign. Children follow the "old schoolmaster," as the "junker" of Berlin have baptized him, as they once did Father Wrangel, eager for the pennies which he threw. Eighty-six years of age. He ia stooped now ; tho once upright, soldierly bearing has succumbed to years and time, though he is still a marvel of preservation. In the House of Lords,, where the Emperor called him as a life member, or in the Reichstag, his finely chiselled, clean-shaven face, with the thin, determined lips and Roman noee, blue eyos and iron-grey hai*, form a cynosure for all occupants of the galleries. He is an ardent attendant of Parliamentary sessions, and rarely consults tho more inviting comforts of the lobby rooms and corner sofas. And despite his age, when a military question is on the boards, ho throws off his mantle of silence, and in the role of the "old man eloquent" inspires his colleaguos with an enthusiasm which Bismarck alone is able to rival. Kof-p?cted by Conservative and Democrat, by high and low alike, he begins his eighty-seventh year. And to the multi tude of good wishes that he has received, we add ours, that h& may be spared for yeara as the Emperor's friend and chief of Stfiff

A Ghost! And a Real One

Tiir following etory was told by Mr Butlor, of London, to Lady Blomfield. Mr Butler, when a boy at Harrow, contracted a most intimate friendship with another lad. They worked, they walked, they played together ; and in order still more solemnly to empha sise tbeir friendship, they one day cut a holo each in the other's arm, and signed a paper oach in the other's blood, binding the one that died first to appear to the survivor in person at the moment of his deeea°e. After leaving Harrow, however, the lads saw but little of each other. Their lives Uy far apart; the friend wenc out to fndia, Mr Butler to college, and then to the English bar. An eager cor respondence was maintained at first, but as yeirs rolled on it elackened, and the friendship gradually died away, es boyish friendships will. One wintry d*y, Mr Butler, oppressed by business, worried and overworked, felt the necessity for a breath of country air, and, cold a<j it was, deter mined to run down to that comfortable little inn, the Wheatsheaf (by Virginia Water). That evening he was pitting in the parlour, the better to enjoy his pipe, when he was startled by the face of a man looking in at the window. He did not know the face, and yet it seemed to have a mysterious attraction fox him. H9 got np presently under pretence of relighting the. pipo, and passed before the window to examine the face more closely. It reminded him of some thing, he knew not what—of someone. Yee, it ruddenly flashed across his mind, that was the face, not of the boy he bad known bo well, but of a man such as that boy might have grown into, such as he probably would be now (though Mr Butler had not seen him for years). Disturbed by this sudden re-awakening of old recollec tiaus, Mr Butler spoke to the landlord. "There'a a man looking into the window," said he. "'lmpossible, sir," was the re ply. " That window only looks into the court, and the gato of that was shut an hour ago " The face had disappeared : Mr Butler, unsatisfied, resumed his seat, but could not rest—a strange haunting sense of uneasiness took pofSO3sion of him ; once more he rone to his feet. "It is a tilling in here," he said. " I must go out; I cannot breathe." " You had better not, sir," said the land lord, aa he opened the door; " there's a keen east wind blowing, and you'll catch your death of cold." Now, the Whoatuhoaf is close to the lake, and Mr Batter, stepping over the tijrpahold, stood looking out across the vater. A dark and gloomy night—and as he gazed the darkness eeemed to_ grow and gather itself together, deepening into a sort of focus, which appeared to him like the mouth of the tqnnoi, and aa he watched there came out of the tunnel a train, all brilliantly licuted from within by lamps, and as the train approached he Eaw in the centre carriage two men engaged in a mortal struggle One had the other by the throat, and was forcing him backwa-d toward the window. The man thus attacked was re°istine with all his might, when maidenly the door of the carriage )flew open, and he was hurled violently'to the ground, falling at Mr But ler's feet. Ther, bending over the man, Mr Butler looked into his face, and, behold ! it was the same face he had seen gazing in at the window, and which had affected him ,an strangely only a few moments be'oce ! And again, even as he looked, the face had melted into air, the lighted train, the tunnel, the body of the victim, all had disappeared, and ne stood alone there t>y the water's edge, in the deep, durk, wintry night. With a cry of horror he staggered back into the house, and in answer to the landlord's anxious inquiries, said : "lam ill—evidently in a high state of fever—delirious. It won't da for me to be laid up here. I roust go back to town a,s fast I cm." And, late as it was, he went off to the station, and back by the last train to London.

The next morning Mr Butler awoke, somewhat refreshed by hie excursion, in spite of the unpleasant association connected therewith. He found awaiting him some interesting work, into which he plunged, and the incidents of the past night ware forgotten. Two daya later, however, they were recalled to his recollection, when, walking in Piccadily, he saw on the other side of the way a gentleman whom he had known slightly in former days fis being the brother of his schoolboy friend. Mr Butler croßßed over to him at once. " Wh&t nowa of Arthur?'' he in quired " Bad news," said the other, gravely. "Dead?" paid Mr Butler. A vnoliccholy thako of tho head wan the only vooly. "Killed? thrown out of a railway train !" continuoJ he, excitedly. " Too true," returned the brother, regardicg him with undisguised astonishment, " But how on earth did you know? We only received the telegram from India this morning!"

Flag Wagging.

Lokd Charles Bekesford,' speaking at Grantham lately on the crisis, may clnim to have added a new word to the vocabulary of politics, which I have no doubt will "catch on" at once, and be heard often enough in the House of Commona debates. He had notioed (he said) that when the late Chancellor of the Exchequer resigned a number of them thought that the Conservative paity was going to be divided. "Now," they said, "is the time to attack," and the signals went np. The expression used in the navy was " flag-wagging." (Laughter.) The Liberals commenced this. They called for a re-unitiDg of their fhgwagging farces, and they ran up the signals, V Propose to attack the enemy immediately." But when they found the enemy- meaning the Con servatives —had not divided or altered their course of action, there would be no more flag wagging to tbe effect, " Propose to part company again." Speaking on the question of naval re: form, Lord Charles, after alluding to eomo he regarded aa urgent, said, "I fear that we are on the brink of a great Continental war ; and, though I do not believe England will be drawn into it, still it behovoa hor to be prepared." ' ,

Jakey—" Fader, doro'a a fly in der soup.1' Mr Cohn—" Veil, eat all but der fly before you show it to der waiter; den you can get Borao more,"

HUMOROUS.

She—" I think any man ought to be able to support a woman." He—" Well, I don't know about that; some women are insup portable, you know." The meanest girl in the world liven in Philadelphia. " Pa," she said, ''I do wish you would lend me your lovely red nose to paint my cheeks with."

Circumstantial evidence. "Uncle Bet), how can you tell that your hands are dirty— they're co black, you know ?" "He! he ! wot a chile yo' is Yo' see, honey, de water gits riley.' The name of a poem just received ia "Evermore to Thee I'm Mute." If the poet will make an affidavit and attach it to tha poem, we will then consider the amount it will be worth to us. M. Tack has been elected Yice-Prosident of the Bulgarian Chamber of Deputioc. We trust for tho sake of humanity that no one will venture to sit down on him with out due consideration and sufficient padding.

There ia said to .be a man in France who can render himself insensible to feeling at will. There are a great many such men in this country, as anybody who has ever had the misfortune to engineer a sub scription paper knows right well.

Doctor—" What ails you, sir ?" Patient —''I don't know, doctor; I have such a buzzing sound in my ears all the time. Would you like to look at my tongue?" "No, never mind ; bring your wife around some day -I'd like to look at her."

Lottie Litewaite—"Ob, Amelia, just think! Amy Blifkins ia married." Aurelia Bagley—" Do I know her, dear!" "Do you—why, Aurelia, don't you remember at Vaßsar how you—" "Oh, yes ; that wbb the little girl to whom I vowed eternal friendship. That accounts (or my not re membering her."

"Why," asked tho teacher, "dldPayno write: 'There's No Place Like Home?'"

"Because," replied the smart bad boy, "it was the truth. He had no home, and, of course, there was no place like a place that wasn't anywhere." And the teacher started to make him zero, but stopped and got to thinking and thinking, and finally told him that wasn't correct and marked him per fect.

" I sco they have had a little trouble in a Boston Church." "Ah," said Beezum, "how's that!" " The minister gave out the hymn, ■ I love to steal awhile away,' and Beacon Boodlebas, who is a bank cashier, took it as a personal reflection and gave up his psw."

Mre Greene—"Timothy, what have yon done with the letter that was lying on the bureuu ?"—" Timothy, I put it in the letter box ma'am." "Oh! provoking! Didn't you see there was no address on the envelope 1" " Yes. ma'am: but I thought yer didn't want nobody to know who yer was writin to."

The former manager of an unfortunate local theatrical venture was negotiating fcr a certain dramatic attraction to fill tho following week of dates. He received a telegram from the agent of the company, agreeing to come for SO per cent of the groi a receipts. Although staggered at first by such unheard-of terms, the Lowell manager recovered sufficiently to wire a reply in these words : " Cannot give you more than 65 per cent. Willing to go ragged. Mutt cat."

One oold night a man was hastening across the common with his overcoat buttoned up to Mr neck. He was rather anxious to know what time it was, but he was too lazy to unbutton his coat in order ta get at his watob. Just then he saw a man of well dressed appearance coming in the distance. When the man came up, the man who wanted to know the time touched his bat politely and said : " Sir, do you know what time it is!" The stranger paused, removed hisrightglove, unbuttoned bis overcoat from top to bottom, unbuttoned his undercoat, and finally pulled out his watch, while the cold wind beat against his unprotected cheat. Holding up the watch ?o that the light would shine on it, he scrutinised it an instant and said : " Yes." And then ho passsd on without another word.

Women as Dentists

Six women in Philadelphia have solved the problem of earning their bread and batter in a somewhat unusual way, although they have but followed the example of 333 men in this city alone. Dr. James E. Garret eon, dean of the Philadelphia Dental College, says he considers dentistry the beat opening for women he knows of, bub as yet the field is almost un occupied. Perhaps one reason why there are so few women dentiats is the fact that girls do not, as a rale, study a profession until obliged by adversity to earn their own living, and then they may not chance, to possess the l.OOOdol. neoeaeary to complete a college courso, A recent graduate places the ooafc oi tuition, books and. an outfit at SOQdol,, but this aunt does not include board and other expenses. Besides, it ie not prc bable that one woman in a thousand has a toate for dentistry or the talent to fit herself for a profession to which she nrast bring ~ A knowledge of the entire human system. Women are naturally sympathetic, vnd the majority -would suspend operations to exclaim, "O, you poor thing; I'm sorry I hurt you !" so frequently, that filling a tooth would be a process of tfine.

In 1869 the liret woman graduated at the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery.. She was a Prussian named Henrietta Hirtch feld, and she afterward became dentist to the Crown Princess of Prussia. In 1874 two more women graduated, and it few years.later the Philadelphia Dental' College also opened its doora to women. Now both colleges graduate on the average six women each year. Moat of these students are Germans, who generally return to their native land. Most of the Americans go West, but a few have braved the prejudice of Plnladelphiane, and opened offices in the heart of the city, where dentists' signs decorate every third window-sill. •' ~ .

One young student, whose husband is a clerk with a moderate salary, gave hor ex- • perience as follows:—" I found last year that 1 must help support my family, so I applied to a friend, who offered me 25 cents an hour to write in his office. I didn't do very well the first day. I hired a woman to tako my place at Imme, and she:charged me a dollar. Then I had to buy my lunch, and I ordered ice-cream, cake, and a glass of milk, but the waiter brought me a glass of cream, and. there I sat and calmly drank it, thinking iit was milk all the while. The bill wap 40 cent?.* Something happened every day. My friend gave me some business letters to answer and I had to take off 25 per con*, discount, and in the evening my< husband went over the figures end foundl 1 had charged just twice too much,,: He said I could-write the people and say I had de cided to take half. I wrote five Jotters cor rectiag my error*, and of course used my own stamp. I bought a little book in which to koep nooounts of the amount I earned, and found'at tlio end of tho week that it had cost'me just $1.66- to earn §125. :■• :<: .;■,. .-, .; ;',. ~:

VI tried to think of something else to io. I couldn't sew and I oouldn't paint, and I couldn't teach mnsio, so at last I took a, few boarders. I rented my parlour to a dentist, and through him became interested in dentistry. finally I entered tho oollege and expect to graduate next spring. I shall settle right here, in Philadelphia* and I don't cafe how many signs with George or William or John on them are on the same square. The children are tho patients I'm after. A great burly, man will frighten the child half to death the moment he opens his month. What the little imps want is coaxing and pettiDg, and they are* seldom afraid of v woman. I shall buy a musical box and candy by tho pound. Make money ! Why, a woman dentist I know of made $10,000 last year."

Parental Brutality to a Child.

Hebe is an, instance of " justice's justice " in this fine old country. When I read it, I ..". thought with grim satisfaction on theoxem- Dlary eentence lately executed in Sydney on,:, a batch of young ruffians who had crimin ally assaulted a r defenceless girl, .Last "" October, in a town in Shropshire, a doctor • and his wife:—by name' Mr and Mrs Henry ■"•'■ E. Williams—moving in respectable society, well connected and so 'forth, 'flogged their poor little daughter: Gladys- nearly Wr. death.. The. child, who was only sir years old, had been negligent with her lessons-she could not spell " fox.'1 Where- ■ upon after a dry-bread luncheon, th» \, was taken into the nursery and flogged by her unnatural father with a riding whip for half-an-hour. Her screams.were dread--' ful.: After thirty minutes' torture wort-winr M was sent for, and then the flogging was re sumed. The poor girl, who was mueb bruised on the lower part of her body, fainted aw.aj; at tha close ofiluer, pnhißttH* <j ment. The jury found the aocused"grintyi)» -and the'chairman, instead of sending thum to pao), inflicted tho miserable' fine of JB2S each.

AUCKLAND

■VEjNING STAfi, SATURDAY, MARCH 5. 1887

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