ATEMDERCONSCIENCF
The Darky Had Both a Sin and
a Love Affair on His Mind.
By HARRY VAN AMBURQ.
(Copyright, JBIO, by American Trees Asso
ciation.]
In the spring of 18— I went to Louis
ville, Ky. One of the servants In the
house In which I was staying called
Tom was the most melancholy nogro I
«ver saw. He was an excellent man
and extremely conscientious. Indeed,
such trivial omissions or commissions
in the line of his duty so troubled him
that I was inclined to suspect him of
hypocrisy. But, becoming curious to
know whether or not he was honest, I
purposely left money In an exposed
position in my room, to which he had
free access at any time. But Tom
never took a penny. One clay when he
•was brushing my clothes I said to him:
"Torn, what makes you so lugubri
ous?"
"l's got a great sin on my con
science."
"Sin? What kind of a sin? You
haven't ever killed any one, have
you?"
"No; not dat."
"Well, confess to me, and I'll give
you absolution."
"Wha' dat?"
"Never mind. Tell me about this
great sin you have committed."
"Well, sah, I don' b'long to (lis state.
1 was borned down in Tennessee. De
name o' de place war Athens. My
inas'er owned a lieop o' niggers on de
plantation outside de town on de road
leadin' up to Nashville. De manor
house was a big square bulldta', paint
ed white an' galleries runnln' all
around de fou' sides. Back o' dat war
de nigger cabins, standln' all la a row
an' whitewashed lak a tablecloff.
"We was all happy on dat planta- ,
tion, fo' we had a good marst'r. Some j
ob de niggers dat abolltioners had been
talkin' to war plnin' fo' liberty, as dey I
called It, but we dldn' hab no use fo' j
dat on de Coolidge plantation, 'cause i
"TO' TURN 'LXj COStK SIIO'."
Mars' Coolidge war de iluest, kindest
gen'leraan in de souf. He had de soft
est heart for niggers an' would worrit
mo' if we didn't git eberyt'lng we
wanted than he would ober he own
chil'en.
"When dp wall come on Mars' Coo
lidge he raised a regiment at he own
expense an' war de cunnel ob it.l
nebber fo'git de mnwnin' befo' he went
off wid de sojers down to Pittsburg
Eandin' to tight de Yankees. lie sent
one ob de niggers fo' me. When I
went to him he was a-standln' on de
gallery below stairs nil dressed up In ,
gray uniform wld a heap o' gold braid |
twisted on lie arms, an' lie said to me: |
"'Tom, ob nil do niggers on (lis j
plantation 1 hab de uios' conference In
yo". I'm goin' to lenb my fambly under
yo' car'.'
" 'Mars',' I said, de wet comln' into
my eyes, 'I rudder hab a Yankee bayo
net poked in bof my eyes dan be on
richeous to de trust.'
"Dat war in de spring ob de nex'
yen' arter de beglnnln' ob de wah.
One mawnin' some men comln' up do j
Tennessee riber said dat a terrible
fight was a-goin' on at Pittsburg Land
in'. Dat place war fa' uway, but nils
t'ess an' do chil'n turned white at
hearin' 'bout it. But dere was trouble
nearer home dat we don' know nothin'
'bout.
" 'Bout dis time a nigger named
Mose Phillips, owned by Maja' Sam
Phillips, on de Columbia pike, died an'
lef' he wife a widder woman. Dat
man had got de gal 1 wanted. All de
niggers wanted her. If ilere is black
angels dat gal was one of 'em. Boon's
1 lienrn Sam war duid 1 reckoned all
dem niggers whn' wanted he wife ud
be puttin' in applications wld her
mars' to marry her an' if I wanted
her I'd berte' not be fooliu' 'bout, but
: ;.s' chuck in my own application. But
do Phillips plantation was 'bout thir
teen miles away—l mouglit 'a' knowed
dat number ud bring bad luck—nil' 1
had togo dere fo' to putin de applica
tion.
"What 1 gwine do? I dldn' lak to
leub inist'ess and de chil'n wid de
Yankees fight in' down at de I.nndln',
an' I knowd if I dldn' I'd lose de wid
der. But I argy'd it war mighty far
dowu to wlia' do flghtlu' war goin' on
an' no sojers ud likely come up to de
plantation. De debbll tempted me, an'
1 mounted old Bill—de hoss I alius
rode—to go ober to de Phillips planta
tion. I dldn' go twill do middle ob
do night, 'cause I dldn' want mist'ess
to know I'd gono away an' lef her an'
do chil'n wldout p'tectlon. I just
sneaked off like a dog dat had been
stealln' a bone.
"Old Bill had do heaves an' was
spavined, an' ho had togo mighty
slow. 1 rodo under do stars twill 1
sor a light whn' de sun conies up, an'
all ob a sudden I hearn somepln Out
Bounded lak thunder nway off. 1 lis
tened, an' 1 hearn anudder souu' lak
tie i'us, den anudder an' anudder.
"It's cur'us how do debbll makes us
believe what hain't so. lie sun war
gwluu to rise cl'ar, an' dey wii'n't no
sign o' storm, but if X gwine goon nn'
git de widder I got to b'lleve It war
storm. Ef It wnr guns, dey war Yan
kee guns, an' 1 got togo back to look
out fo' mist'ess an' do chil'n on de
plantation. 1 t'lnk nobody hab said
nothin' 'bout Yankee sojers beln' souf
of Nashville, so dat can't be Yankee
guns. Dat make it sartin dat it's
thunder. 'Git up, Bill,' 1 says; 'l'm
goin' on.'
"Fust off 1 had bad luck glttin' dar
when de funeral war goin' on. I
knowed I mus'n't wait, but I sor Ben,
de nigger wha' had de secon' chanct
befo' de widder married Mose, crowd-
In' Into git de fust chanct now, an'
dat made me hot to git ahead ob him.
lie sor me an' come up to me, an' he
says, says he, 'Tom, yo' want de wid
der?' 'Yes,' I says, says I, '1 does.'
'Got Mars' Phillips' p'mlsslon?' 'No,'
I says, 'I hain't.' 'I hab,' he says.
"I t'lnk nothin' could be done twill
atter de funeral, so I goes liurryin' to
Mars' Phillips for p'mlsslon. Mars'
Phillips knowed me —he t'ink I mighty
fine nigger—so he gib me de p'mlsslon.
an' I went back to de cabin wha' de
widder Jlst come home from the fu
neral. Daro 1 see dat nigger Ben jist
comln' out. lie looked at me kind o'
(iua', but 1 goes in de cabin.
" "How yo' do, Tom?' says de widder,
says she.
" 'How yo' do yo'self ?' sayS I. 'I
reckon yo' feel porely, seein' yo' los'
yo' man.'
" 'Yes. I nebber git nmidder sicli
man as dat. He war mighty tine man.'
" 'You inought try,' says 1. 'Yo' know
I wanted yo' befo' yo' married Mose.'
" "Beckon yo' did.'
" 'An' I waut yo' now.*
" 'Yo' mighty tlatterin', Tom,' says
she, 'an' I mought be wlilin', but yo're
too late. I jis' promised Ben a few
minute befo' yo kem in."
"I got up mighty quick an' says
goodby an' was goin' out when de
widder called me back an* gays, says
she:
" 'lf Ben goes to glory befo' me I'll
tak' yo, Tom. Don' feel bad 'bout it.
Yo' turn'll come sho'.'
"When I goes out I see wha' I
gwlne done—leaben mist'ess an de chil
'en togo lak a fool atter a 'oinan wld
anudder nigger ahead o' me, an' 1
knowed well enough dat de guns I
hearn off in de east dat mawnin' at
sun up war Yankee guns. It war de
debbll tole me dey war thunder. 1 jis'
mounted Bill, an' I lam him twill I
got to de plantation. It war full o"
Yankee sojers.
"Dey hud gone into de manor house
an' war a runnln' off wld all de sllber
an' ali de furniture an' clothes dey
could kerry. When I come up mist'ess
war standln' on de gallery, lookin'
drefful.
"'Tom,' she said, 'whar yo' been?
A man rode up to de plantation at
5 o'clock dis mawnin' an' tole us de
Yankees was marchln' down de pike to
Huntsvllle. I knowed dey'd be here to
day, an' I wanted yo' to hide de val'a
bles.'
"I 'membered Kunnel Coolidge stand
in' in dat same place on de gallery an'
sayln' to me, 'Tom, I'm gwine to leab
my fambly under yo' car'.' I just
dropped my heud down, an' I liuin't
ris' it up since.
"Dem sojers come from anuduer j
kentry wha' dey been used to kerry off
all de val'ables dey kin git dere hands
on, an' dey Jis' cleaned out de town an'
all de plantations round it. Kberyt'iug
Mars' Coolidge lef' in my car' war
tooken, 'cladin' de pianny. Ef I hadu'
been runnin' atter a 'owan dat war
busy buryln' her fus' husban' an' had
'membered wha' Kunnel Coolidge said
to me an' what I said to Kunnel Coo
lidge I'd been tliar to hide all de val'-
ables. I had a place all fixed fo' dat
away up In de trunk o' one o' de trees
wlm' dere war a rotten hole. 1 war
goin' to put 'em in a box I'd made fo'
'em a pu'pose, an' I had a ladder ready
fo' to git up to de hole, that war klv
ercd all over wld branches. But goin'
atter dat widder dat 1 didn' git nohow
kep' me from doin' all dis, an' I hain't i
nebber fo'give' myself nohow."
Tom finished his story, looking more j
distressed if possible than before. I J
gave him something to help him to 1
feel better and asked:
"Are you still hoping for third place
with the widow?"
"Reckon not," he replied. "Ef I
marry dat 'oinan I liab my sin always
befo' me."
On leaving Tom 1 told him he had
better get married and have a family
Qt his own. niinht ease the burden
he bore, lie needn't wait for the wo
man who had slipped twice through
his lingers. There were plenty of good
women left.
But Tom said he had never loved but I
one woman, and ho believed he would
always have ill luck in proposing to
her.
I left Tom as melancholy as when I
first saw him. But a couple of years
later I returned and found liitu h trifle
more cheerful. The second husband of
Ills love had died, aiul Tom was No. 3.
I asked liitn if he had hurried nway to ,
putin ills claim on hearing that sho |
was In the market ngaln.
"No, sah," he replied very soberly.
"There war lots o' time. She'd had de |
smallpox."
Westminster Abbey.
The full legal title of Westminster
abbey is "the Collegiate Church of St. .
Peter, Westminster" Very few peo
ple have heard the famous burial place j
so designated. A collegiate church, as
distinguished from a parish church, is j
one that is administered by a "college" j
of priests instead of an individual rec
tor or vicar.—Westminster Oazette.
Jock Scored.
"Well, Jock," said a laird to one of
his tenants, "you are getting very
bent. Why don't you stand up
straight like me, man?"
"Eh, mon," replied Jock, "ye see that
field of corn o'er there? YVeel, ye'll
notice that the full heids hang doon
an' the empty eens stan' stracht up."
—l.ondon Telegraph.
Piatt's Response.
Thomas C. Piatt was asked onco
upon a time whom he considered the
greatest 'Republican politician of his
day and generation.
"1 have often wished," was Piatt's
response, "that 1 had been Quay's of
fice boy for six mouths or more."—
Pittsburg Dispatch.
! Planning to
j Convert the §
| World!
O °
TO convert the entire world—this,
in a nutshell, is the aim of a
new religious movement that
is attracting worldwide atten
tion. The inspiration and backbone of
this colossnl undertaking is the lay
men's missionary movement, which
numbers among its supporters and
workers men high in the world of
finance and various lines of successful
business life. They come from every
Protestant church in the land regard
less of creed and expect to carry the
gospel to every non-Christian in the
world within the next thirty-live years.
The figures furnished by the lay
men's missionary movement give one
some idea of the immense task it has
set out to accomplish. The population
of the entire world is 1,500,(XX),000. Of
this number only one-third are Chris
tians, and to fulfill the vow taken will
require a great sum, the amount need
ed being estimated at $55,000,000 an
nually, which means $1,025,000,000 to
cpmplete tlie work.
"This will strike many as some wild
scheme that will fall through nlmost
before the work has begun," said J.
J. CAMPBELL WHITE.
Cnmpbell White, general secretary of
the laymen's missionary movement, in
speaking of their plans recently, "but
we have every assurance that til's
great religious propaganda, the great
est the world has ever known, will go
on successfully to the end. Back of
it are wealthy and enthusiastic men
from all the Protestant churches, who
will devote much of their time and
money to the work. The common no
tion has been thnt so vast an under
taking would require several genera
tions, if not centuries. The other be
lief is that when Christ said 'l'reach
the gospel to every creature' he meant
his people ill every age to do it —in
other words, that it is the clear duty
of the present generation of Christians
to carry or send the message of Christ
to the entire non-Christian world of
our generation."
The chairman of the executive com
mittee of the laymen's missionary
movement is Dr. Samuel B. Ca|ieu, a
Boston merchant. He is n member of
the Boston chamber of commerce and
serves on Its committee on metropoli
tan and municipal affairs. Dr. Capen
has recently been relieved of some of
his business responsibilities in order
that he may have more time to devote
to the movement.
The movement lias already begun
with a three days' convention in Chi
cago, called to discuss ways ami means
Lit. HAJIt UL 11. CAl'liX.
for carrying on tlie propaganda. The
addresses were not confined to the lay
men. but included among others I)r.
Isaac Taj lor Headland, head of the
Methodist university the
Ilev. C. P. Anderson archbishop of
the West Indies; Silas 11. Mcßee, ed
itor of the Churchman, and Ambassa
dor Bryce. It was the first time in the
history of the world that Protestant
Churches, representing every denomi
nation. met on common ground *
wage the greatest propaganda
Christianity ever known.
Parts of Speech.
Teacher—Thomas, what are the parts
of speech?
Tommy Tucker (after an exhaustive
mental effort)—lt's the way a man
talks when lie stutters.
The Better Scheme,
"The man who knows Just what be
wants is bound to be successful."
"Not half so much as the man who
knows how to get what he wants."-
Cleveland Lender.
Bnse gains are tlie same as losses.—
Heslod.
THE FIVE
CONSPjRATORS.
They Laid a Plot For Assassi
nation and Were Betrayed.
By PETER BCAREZOFF.
(Copyright, 1910, by American Press Asso
ciation. J
Prince Treboutskol, minister of the
interior to tbe czar of Russia, Hat In
his office examining police reports.
•'This," he said to himself, "notes a
conspiracy that gives no particulars.
This charges one supposed to be di
voted to the government with > ♦•in:
implicated in a plot to assassii'# tin
emperor on his coming trip to uio-i Hi.
kaiser of Germany.''
At this moment an attend:) 'itered
and announced that a youug . .1 *vi li
ed to speak with his highness on ii
matter of great importance to him.
"Are you sure she has no weapon
concealed under her clothes?" asked
the minister.
"\Ve can search her."
"Do so. Then If you are satisfied
admit her."
Presently a girl of twenty, with the
light hair and blue eyes of the north,
entered. She was trembling.
"What do you wish?" asked the
prince.
"To warn your highness of a con
spiracy."
"What object have you in warning
me? Do you act purely from loyalty?"
"No. I love one of the conspirators."
"What is the conspiracy?"
"A plot to assassinate you. There
are five of them. They will station
themselves at the bridge across the
SAW ONE or THE DIM SHE HAD IJXTRATED.
Neva between your office and your
home. One will give warning of your
coming, another will throw a bomb
under your carriage, a third will be
ready at the other end of the bridge to
shoot you In case the bomb falls; the
fourth and fifth will be ready to act
in case you escape all of the first
three."
The minister paled. He stared at
the girl, waiting for her to proceed.
"I will give you the names of these
men," she continued, "on condition
that you follow a plan 1 have conceiv
ed whereby oue of them whom 1 love
will live, while the others may be exe
cuted. They have persuaded him to
join them and given him the most dan
gerous position. 1 am willing that
they should die, but I wish to save
hltn."
"What Is your plan?"
"1 must protect him as well from his
associates as from you. If lie receives
immunity they will kill him, believing
that he has betrayed tliem. Therefore
when you arrest there arrest him as
well. Sentence them all to be shot,
but ut him fire a blank cartridge."
"Upon my word," said the prince.
"What a bead you have for such mat
ters! But supposing 1 prefer to pun
ish these men in my own way."
"Then my Hps are sealed."
"I can send you to Siberia."
"That would not move me."
The prince arose from his desk and
walked the floor in deep thought, then
turning to the girl, said:
"I accept your terms. I presume you
wish some guaranty that I will carry
out my part of the contract."
"No. if you suffer my lover to be
harmed I sinill take It upon myself to
relieve the state of your tyranny."
"But suppose 1 put you where you
will be powerless."
■ "There are two others to carry out
what you would prevent my doing. If
the first fails the second will take up
the work. If both fail there will be a
third and a fourth to carry it on."
"Very well. Now tell tne the rest of
this plot."
The girl gave the Information re
quired and had no sooner left the
minister than the prince uotlfled the
police to locate ever}' one of the con
spirators and when this was done to
arrest them simultaneously. That
night they were taken to the fortreps
of St. Peter.
Trials occur in Russia when it Is
deemed expedient to satisfy the people
who are cognizant of the case. But In
this instance no trial was needed. The
name of the man to be spared was
lirikoff, and the police had a descrip
tion of him, so that there should be no
Another Way.
"Why don't you throw away this old
Jnnk? It Is of no use to any one."
"But that would make me feel waste
ful."
"Then give it away and feel chari
table."—Washington Herald.
Exerclso is the ctief source of 1m
provement in all our faculties.—Blair.
Papa's Plan Prevents Proposal.
He (impecunious)— Hut you say your
self that your father is anxious to get
you off his hands. She— Yes; that's
why I don't think he'll listen to you.—
Exchange.
mistake made concerning him. The
orders were to take the men separate
ly into the prison yard, stand them up
against a wall and proceed in accord
ance with the secret orders given the
governor of tbe fortress.
At the same moment that the con
spirators were arrested the police ap
peared at the home of Vera Scerevich,
the girl who had given the information,
and took her into custody. This was
something on which she had not count
ed. She thought she had laid her
plans so well that the minister would
not dare to suffer harm to come either
to her or to her lover. This move on
his part filled her with alarm. More
over, the police came upon her so sud
denly that she had no time to com
municate a word to any one. She was
taken to tbe same fortress as tbe con
spirators.
in tbe morning, bearing a drumbeat
under her window, she looked out be
tween the bars and saw one of the
men she had betrayed led across the
prison yard. Several soldiers with
muskets on their shoulders accompa
nied him. He was white as a sheet.
Indeed, it was evident that he was go
lug to his execution. The party disap
peared behind a wing of the prison.
Vera listened and presently heard a
volley. Then she knew it was all over
with the condemned man. She shud
dered. Tor the first time the fearful
selfishness of her treacherous act came
to her in Its full force.
Another drumbeat recalled her to
the window. She would not have
gone, but she wished to see if her
lover would pass. No; It was another
of the conspirators whom she had
handed over to his death. He, too,
was followed by a firing party. He.
too, was deadly pale. Like his prede
cessor, he was soon lost to view be
hind the prison wing. There was a
horrible interval—a volley.
In like manner Vera saw four of the
conspirators marched by her prison
window. They disappeared—the in
terval of suspense, the volley. Every
time one of the condemned men passed
she vowed that she would not go to
the window to see the next man
marched to the death she had pre
pared for him. But every time she
was impelled togo lest tho man should
be her lover. By the time the fourth
man had passed she had been thrown
into a mental condition bordering on
insanity. Surely she was being pun
ished for her infamous act. She had
lost all expectation that the minister
would keep faith with her as to spar
ing Krlkoff. When for the fifth time
the drum sounded she saw her lover
marched past her window, ne looked
up, and she saw an expression of
loathing on his face at recognizing
her. By the movement of his lips she
knew that he cursed her. She gave a
wild shriek. She knew that he had
been told what she had done.
She heard the volley. Hardly had
the echoes of the shots died away
when again came the tap of the drum.
She started. She had counted those
who had passed, and there were five—
all those concerned in the conspiracy,
all the names she had given. For
whose execution could this drum tap
be tbe signal?
Suddenly the door of the room In
which she was confined was thrown
open, and there stood an officer of the
prison.
"Come!"
Terror stricken, she arose and stag
gered out with him. ne led her down
a staircase and out into the prison
yard. There stood a firing party. Sup
ported, for she was unable to walk
alone, she was marched around tbe
wing behind which the others had dis
appeared. On reaching a certain spot
she was placed with her back to the
wall; her eyes were bandaged; she
heard the words "Aim! Fire!" There
was a volley. Consciousness left her,
and she fell forward on her face.
Then she knew that she was not
dead, for she felt herself shaken over
paving stones. She wasin a carriage.
Gradually her full consciousness came
back to her. She felt for a wound,
but found none. She had not been ex
ecuted after all.
The carriage stopped before the
house to which she had gone the morn
ing before to inform the minister of
the conspiracy. A man got down from
the box and, opening tbe door, com
manded her to alight. She did so and
tottered to the door, which stood open.
An attendant conducted her to the of
flee of the minister. He sat at his
desk writing. Standing In a row near
him were tho five conspirators whom
she had seen going to execution, ev
ery man alive. One of them was her
lover. He did not look at her. The
men stood rigid; tli« inluister went on
writing The waiting for what should
next i ut. e seemed as tun h of a sus
pense to Vera as the intervals be
tween the disappe. r..■ i- of each one
of these men . •• 1 the s uttnl of the vol
ley tl t v : .<■<■[ t.. ! v.. ended
his exi-
Finally ■ et d writing,
looked up .i <1 •<!i i !
"You see tln»t I hftve i : to than kept
faith with ,\.
There was m . ■ ; ■
"I have tint ' . spar d your lover;
I have span I I. s :• - Hat"*."
Still tber. 1 was no reply, merely a
vacant stare.
The minister turned to the conspira
tors.
"1 am considered by you to be one
whom it is your duty to put out of
the way, but you must admit that 1
am not devoid of Justice. I could not
bring myself to spare one of you equal
ly guilty with tho rest and execute the
other four. You will be conducted to
the frontier under guard. If any one
of you ever returns to Russian soil_he
will stand agafti before a firlug party,
but not armed with blank cartridges."
As the men filed out Krlkoff turned
his back to Vera. She fell lu a heap
TO the floor.
torai That snocKs.
On the coast of tho West Indian
Islands a curious kind of coral is
found, called "mlllepoca." This has a
most extraordinary property which
makes the people who know it very
shy of handling it. The moment you
pick up a piece a sort of electric thrill
runs through you and at) agonizing
pain shoots through your jaws. You
feci as if every tooth and every nerve
and muscle connected with them was
burning. The acute pain lasts gener
ally for about half an hour and slowly
passes off, but the effects do not dis
appear entirely for hours. The reason
of this curious shock or poisoning l« a
mystery.
r HIS SUBSTITUTE.
A Long Absence That Nearly
Lost a Loved One.
By LOUISE WINTER.
ICopyrlght, 1910, by American I'ress Asso
ciation.]
"And there's this to be said in favor
of marrying Into the navy—you never
lack for an escort. If your husband
U away on sea duty there's always
some classmate of his to tote you
around and play substitute." Margery
had listened at the time to this de
fense of the service, but as It was her
cousin, not herself, who was marrying
Into the navy she did not pay much
attention to the argument.
A year later, however, when she
became engaged to Lieutenant Jim
Allen she recalled it thoughtfully.
For Margery was a southerner. Her
appearance proclaimed that fact even
before her delightful accent establish
ed It beyond question. She met Jim
while she was visiting her cousin at a
northern navy yard and became engag
ed to him after three weeks of ardent
wooing, and then she went home to
Altamara with his ring on her linger
and his Image firmly engraved on her
heart. Jim went to sea. It was easy
enough to be loyal while she stayed
quietly in Altamara, for she knew
every man In the town and had been
engaged to half the boys In her set,
but being engaged really was different.
A cousin of her father's who lived in
New York wrote and asked the girl to
visit her for the winter. Her parents
Insisted upon her accepting the Invita
tion. The day she arrived In New
York she slipped Jim's ring from her
linger and put it on the chain she wore
about her neck. It would save her a
lot of troublesome explanations.
New York was a revelation. It was
her first glimpse of the metropolis, and
she wrote glowing accounts of the
theaters, restaurants and parties to
Jim. Her cousin had three daughters,
and the house was never dull. A letter
from Jim one morning brought her up
guiltily. She was going motoring with
a man who claimed a distant relation
ship and who had been most attentive
ever since her arrival.
Jim's letter said that a shipmate of
SUE A WOKJS WITH A STAIIT.
his had just been ordered to the New
York yard and he had promised to
look Margery up as soon as he ar
rived. His name was Prater and he
would be sure to turn up in a few
days. Margery sat beside Miller
Wagram very soberly that day, her
usual flow of easy chatter silenced, ar I
Wagram glanced at her curiously, ii,-
divined that something was amiss, ami
he was troubled, but he feared to > -v
the position of confidence hi- hail
gained step by step by an injudicious
question, so he held his peace.
Prater called the next day. lie was
older than Jim, a hatchet faced man of
thirty, with small, shrewd eyes mid
a lurking smile at the corners of his
thin lips. Ho delivered message
from Jim aud then began to lay plans
for her entertainment as If he thouv'i!
she had been moping disconsolately
before he game. He invited lier to tea
at the yard, and she felt obliged to a<
cept. The day was decided upon, and
then he left. Cousin Kate received the
halting confession with great tact.
"My dear child, it was your secret,
and you had a perfect right to keep ii.
If you take r.iy advice you will go 011
being silent. We will have tea with
Mr. Prater and thank him for Ii -
charming courtesy, and in return. It
yon wish, I will ask him here to
iter. Then your Jim will have n< t'.
to complain of."
It seemed so simple that Margerj
felt a load slipping from her, at:d
threw both arms about Cousin Kate
and embraced her impulsively.
The tea at the yard was as delightful
as six bachelors could make it, and. ;
there was no open allusion to Jlr.i,
Margery soon got over her momentary
embarrassment and enjoyed hers, u
thoroughly. Prater scarcely left her
side; he was most attentive, and h>-
made her feel that he had gone out of
his way to do her houor. He accepted
Cousin Kate's invitation to dinner with
alacrity and proveil himself a most en
tertaining dinner guest. Then he in
vited them all to dine on board the sta
tion ship, and Margery felt the meshes
tightening about her. The arms of the
service were long, and they were reach
ing out. She had been on the point ot
slipping away, and they were stretch
lng out to recapture her. And In th«
ten days that followed she saw Pratei
almost dally and Wagram but twice.
"It's different. In the service I can
accept Mr. Prater's escort; he's Jim's
friend," she vouchsafed to her cousin
as tho latter ventured to protest against
her going alone to the matinee wltli
tho naval officer.
"And Miller Wagram is a relative
You can go with him better than with
a stranger."
" "Aii, but he isn't a stranger; he'a
Jim's substitute," and Margery forced
a gay little laugh.
"He's what?" Cousin Kate was
shocked, and somehow the explanation
sounded rather lame. To tell the truth.
Margery was miserable. She had
reached a point where she felt that she
had to come to a decision. Jim's out
line had become hazy, his lovemaking
stereotyped. She felt the cMstance be
tween them was widening hourly,
while Wagram was a real personality
to be reckoned with. His flowers, hla
candy, his books, were all pleasures she
must take into account, and now sha
must either decide togo on with a
shadow or cast it aside and confess
that she was mistaken in the strength
of her affection for Jim.
Prater came home with her after the
matinee and stayed until Cousin Kate
felt obliged to ask hltn to remain and
dine. He accepted, and in the even
ing Wagram called. Prater's intuition
told him that this was Jim's most for
midable rival, and lie was hostile in
consequence.
When Margery went up to her room
she had come to the conclusion to write
to Jim at once and break off her en
gagement. Tearing lest her resolve
might weaken in the morning, she sat
up till after midnight trying to word
j her letter so that it should not sound
too cruel and yet to show that her
decision was final. When she sealed
the envelope she was not satisfied, and
It was a white faced, tearful eyed Mar
gery who crept into bed and sobbed
herself to sleep. She had not dreamed
the actual break would hurt so much.
Wagram came In the morning to es
cort her to church, and she kept him
waiting beyond the traditional half
hour, and It took her so long to dress
that she forgot to mall tho letter lying
on her desk. The day was a busy one.
and she had scarcely time to think, but
when Wagram tried to draw her away
from the others, suggesting that ha
had somethlug of importance to tell
her, she put him off.
"Not tonight," she urged.
"Then tomorrow. Will you listen to
me tomorrow, little girl?"
Bhe nodded, not daring to trust her
self to reply. In the morning sha
would post the letter to Jim, and In
the afternoon she would tell Wagram
what she had done. Nevertheless, in
spite of the fact that she had stifled
all regrets, her sleep was broken, and
when she awoke her head ached so
frightfully that she could not raise it
from the pillow.
About 3 o'clock In the afternoon sh<»
crept downstairs for a cup of tea. Her
cousins had gone to a musicale, and
tho house was very quiet. The tea re
freshed her, and she curled up on tlia.
sofa in the library and rested cozily
among the cushions. She awoke with
a start to flnd a tall, clean shaven man
looking down at her, a heart full of
love and longing In his honest eyes.
She stared up at him, wide eyed, a.
culprit.
"Margery, my darling, have I frtghU
ened you? 1 wanted to take you by.
surprise, sweetheart, so I told Prater
not to tell you 1 was on my way home.
But now, Margery, speak. Aren't you
glad to see me?"
He was terrified at her continued si
lence. This was scarcely the girl
whose memory had never left him day
or night, whom he had loved during
the long, dreary months he had spent
In tho tropics. She had changed; sha
was no longer a dainty child; she was
a woman. And then be grew tender.
Women were made of softer stuff
than men. She knew what his com
ing portended, and she was a bit
afraid. In a little while she would
forget and give herself up only to the
joy of their reunion. He had been too
Impetuous. He should have let tho
maid announce him. But as he had
been as sure of her as himself he
' had insisted upon going in alone.
' At the sound of his voice Margery
felt her heart stir painfully, aud as
she kept on staring at him his dear
face gradually blotted out all memory
of that other till when he paused and
the silence betweeu them grew eiu-
I barrassing. A rush of feeling swamp
ed all other emotion, and she put up
her arms suddenly.
"Jim, oh. .11 m! I am so glad!" she
cried, and the rest was lost as he
gathered her close t < bis breast.
About an hour later, when Jim's
ring was again on her linrer aud they
sat side by side on 'he sofa, her hand
in his, he snoke of rater.
"ne Is a fine f< low, and I'm sura
you got on fain :sly together," he
said.
"Yes." Margery admitted. Then,
with a bur.?, of confidence, she added.
"Nevertheless, Jim. 1 think, after all.
I don't care for substitutes." She
blushed as she said it, and Jim iu- |
terpreted it in his own fashion.
"Still, with Prater, darling, you were
perfectly sa*e. You were in no dan
ger of falling In love with him, no
matter how he felt about you."
"No, dear"—Margery snuggled a lit
tle closer—"l wasn't in any danger of
forgetting you for Mr. Prater." But
had she been perfectly honest she
would have said that Prater was not
the substitute of whom she was think
ing.
sons if!
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JOHN 111 VSO V
NO. ll» E. FRONT *T,