The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-19

w TRAVELLER.
 who did not at all lilee her starting out ! ui1h such white face and lips. She vas dIny and faint, and her brain seemed to have lost its power ef upderstanding.
 As the gate of the inn-Earden fell to with sharp click behind her, the lady on the balcony, with somefhing of the sane shadow of fear upon her face, tuned to her son. He had raised him self from his leaning position. and vas standing rigid and upright, gazing afier the yszeating figure. His mother laid her hand upon his arm.
 Armand, who is sha. woman ?r "That womanm He looked down into her face with the very spirit of bitter mockery in his eyes: That woman is my wife. and that child--
 His strained voice stopped with a sud- den dry sob in his throat, and he broke into shoFt laugh, the desolate pain Of which vent like the stab of dagger to the heaSers heart He turned abruptly and went back into the room. Madame de Nismes stood where he Jeff her, her hand resting on the iron railing, on which she had laid it as If for support.
 And that child my grandson" She finished his sentence slowly to herself. "Apres tout. 1t was terrible risk"
 Then the color returned fain,ly to her cheeks, and some of the old brightness, born of her indomitable will and pride, to her eyes. clearing the mist of doubling fear that had dimmed their keenness. AlA ~.-l. sity, but, after all, we could not have had . daughtcr-in-law without name and for tune, and he would not have given her up. He has the De Vismes wilI--thank heaven their pride, too, otherwise we should no. have succeeded. Bu, that pride-it IS their weakness as well as their strength-i, blinds even loves eyes. It might have not been necessary if Tules had lived, but Armand. as heir to the land, needed a differen, wife But the child, he was beautiful and the mother he was right, she is a lady but then something else was needed But how pale she was, and dressed SO poorly it would be terrible if they were ;n want. Yes, 1t was fearful necessity" and the proud face paled again. and something like shudder shook the stately figure from head to foot. Blu, it was a neces- sity: and why should she come here. of all places, with her child, to reproach us Good heaven. No, no i, had to oe''
 CHAPTER III.
 It was long past the ehild's usual bed time when the train reached Paris. His sleepy, happy chatter, which had broken n m the Nf |. some far-of echo, had ceased for a time. and his flushed cheeks rested heavily on her shoulder. Her arms were strained and tired, and as she stepped on 10 the platform she staggered little She would i have dropped the flowers, which were troublesome to carry. cYaniped as her 1 arms and hands were with the weight of the child, but an occasional sleepy mur- mur, :" My angel-howers, prevented her.
 Oh. how sweet the lilies are .- said a | woman passing her. "You bring back 1 the country with you but they are too l strong-a little for the child"
 But in the momentary fain,ness tha, had come over her, Estelle did not hear ! the warning.
 After second or two of res,, she made | her way to one of the doors of the sta- ton. Some omnibuses stood outside, one ! of which went close to her home. The | moments pause had given the other peo. pie an advantage. It was fult, but the people seeing her pale face offered to i Aake room. She could only get sea, far away from the door. The vehicle was ] crowded and the heat suffocating. But she could wait no longer She saxk down | in the narrow place made for her, faint and dizzy. only conscious of one thing the fear that she nigh, let the child slip hCm her arms. In this fear she held him tighter, so tightly that the flowers in her hand were pressed close agains, his cheek so close tha, his head partly rested on them, as upon some fragrant csshion, bruising their petals and mak- ing their perfume still stronger. And the child slumbered on with flushed face and parted lips, excited still, apparently, by the beautiful things he had seen, for he murmured every now and then a bseken word as if dreaming of them.
 Mother :" he cried once
 am here, darling" she said and she bent down and kissed him. He opened his eyes once, and gazed at her for a sec oad, then the heavy, thick-hinged lids seA again, and with a contented murmur vsat ofi into a deeper sleep, fos after ,ha, h did not speak nor move again.
 HSs mother leaned back iu her place. hes face white and still, her eyes gaxing stsaight before her. And as the close air ef the crowded omnibus. heasy with the kagyance of flowers, seemed to lull her head and limbs into heavy. unwholesome rest, she did not see that oce of the fra- grant, white blossoms lay on the very kps of the child, as if with kiss claiming him in his purity and beauty as ore ot thaiY own. q
 The omnibus came to a stands,ill, and the passengers descended. Estelle rose b her feet How heavily the child slept He did not even stir. She carried him toward the doo-, where the light of the lamp fell full upon them. Then suddenly something in the strange stiffness made her lf0k douru into he fa~~