The times., 1893-10-13

"WeLl, aUonldn, a0hdt do you aUtShf'
"And do you not know me, Eustace
Dunbar? Am I.so changed by misery
that you do not recall Estella LIE Barron,
or are you so proud and scornful you will
not stoop to notice me in my misery and
ruin?"
The men with natural delicacy fell
back, for there were some among
Georges company who came from their
home and knew of the LIE Barron tragedy.
"Oh, Estellal And is it thus find
you? And how came you, with all your
faults, among the enemies of your coun-
try?"
'1 have no country, no friends. The
villain for whom forsook both has cast
me out to destruction"
"Estella," interrupted Dunbar when
he saw how reckless she was of exposing
her own shame, "come with us to our
camp, and when there can procure you
safe and respectable shelter where you
can secure kindness and friends even yet
if you choose to deserve them. I can no
longer remain idle here. Will you come
and trust an old friends"
"I know not where you propose taking
me, but am sick, homeless, starving-I
have no choice but submission to your
direction"
She was really famishing and too fee
BILE to walk. Eustace saw that food was
given her and had her comfortably seat
ed In an ambulance, then fastened their
return to camp. To his great joy he
learned that Rose and Ralph had just
arrived. Rose at once assisted him to
convey the wretched woman to the hos
pital and placed her Immediately under
| the physicians care. The cold, hunger
and exposure of the last few days had
| made fearful inroads upon her constitu-
| ton. A fever was already upon her, and
when the excitement and danger of her
wanderings was over she sank under it,
and there seemed little hope of her re- .
cOvery.
Many days of imminent danger and
severe suffering elapsed before Roaons
kind and skillful nursing and the phyol-
clans unremitting attention were re-
warded by any symptoms of GONZALES
cence, and then, though broken in spirit
and weak as child, her heart was ap-
parently softened and ready to receive
the good seed.
One pleasant morning, when first able
to converse, she unfolded the history Of
her course after leaving her fathers
house. 1t was a sad and painful story,
but unfortunately so common that it
needs no repetition. LIE Barron's sup
posed wealth had been De Courtney's
attraction, and the same mistaken idea
Of his high position, dignities and un-
bounded riches had lured her on to that
fatal step. Love had had no voice in
this wicked compact. Not until they
reached Paris and his draft on LIE Bar
ron came back protested did the fortune
hunter learn the deceit that she had
practiced upon him.
The stormy scene that might have been
expected ensued, and then De Courtney
Informed her that their marriage was all
a sham, and that his wealth and titles
were equally fictitious. Thus deserted
by the man with whom she had fled,
not for love, but for selfish ambitions,
and left to bear her troubles and disap-
pointments as best she might, her fall /
was rapid. The money and jewelry she
had SO wickedly purloined from mother
and sister that terrible night she had
carefully concealed from De Courtney.
For short time It enabled her to lead a |
gay life, but with no protector in Paris |
her associations must Of course have been |
of class that opened the door to every
kind OF temptation, until at last she sank |
into abject ignominy and dishoner. In |
this condition Eustace saw and rescued |
her from the lowest depths Of degrade |
ton.
And now, though she rallied for few |
weeks, her days were numbered. The
physician from the first gave no encour- |
agement of recovery, land after q short pc |
riod of comparative ease speedy termi- |
nation Of her i'll spent lifewas certain.
When first compelled to realize her pre- |
carious situation, she was overwhelmed |!
with terror and despair. The chaplain |
visited her daily. Under his unwearied |
teachings and Roses gentle manifestations
the darkness was gradually dispelled, and
the hope that she, the most guilty, might
find mercy through that atonement so +
freely offered to all, even the chief of
sinners, began to comfort her.
As this hope frightened her heart
yearned after friends and kindred. She
had only heard vague reports Of her
fathers death and was entirely ignorant
of the condition of the other members of
her family. It was great trial to be
called upon to reveal to the poor sufferer
all the sorrow and shame that had over
whelmed her former home, but after her
heartr 80 long cold and hard, was brought
into better state she would not restun-
til she had heard every pal ticulaE Her ]
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