The age-herald., 1898-02-27

Carroll. he is trying to attract your at
 Moorsome Decastro. Oh, dear mel What
 have I done now?"
 For Miss Carroll swayed, turned half
 round and fell to her knees, gasping. Him !
 My husbandr'
 Mrs. Tivvers, grooming, "Oh, dear mel
 What have done?' hastily got out of the
 room.
 I suppose every one there heard what
 Miss Carroll said, although she really, did
 not speak above a whisper. Everyone saw
 her turn and fall, for Mrs. Tivvers' exhi-
 bition had quickly become the center of all
 attention. Instead of a general stir and
 busble, an awed silence followed the first
 faint, involuntary murmur that had es-
 capped us. Miss Carols strange exclama-
 tion seemed to stupefy us. Mrs. Alfred
 alone showed presence of mind She knelt
 by her friend, gathered her in her arms.
 and lifted her. The sudden cry, the physi- cal collapse that accompanied 1t, and the recovery, al occupied less than half a minutes time. We, the other guests, could hardly have begun to wonder whether we
 ought not in some less prepcipitate man. ner to follow poor Mrs Tivver's example, when Mrs. Alfred, with her arm twined about the girls waist, faced us. "Madge," she said aloud and distinctly, 'you must let me explain for you" Then, without waiting for express permission, she went on, Miss Carroll made an un- happy marriage three years ago-on east, where we were at college. The law set her free and gave her the right to bear her maiden name. She has as much right to be called Miss Carroll as I have to be called Mrs. Alfred Landon."
 Somehow, during the excitement Eugene Landon had got to my elbow. Until then I had not seen him in the roon- He nudged me and whispered, You know, Barker she can't see them unless they're dead, can she?"
 .I don't understand it. was all I could answer.
 understood nothing. Nobody there seemed to understand anything. Mrs. AL fred spoke in low voice to her mother in-law and Madame seemed not to hear. Of course, people began to look for their
 hats and wraps muttering that it was all
 very wonderful That was safe thing 10
 say; there was not the slightest difference
 of opinion about it.
 But was not allowed to get my hat and
 overcoat Eugene insisted upon giving me
 his views about astral shehs. - "IIyen if the woman has this horrible power" he said, 'I hon't see how an astral she'll can come on or man Whlie Ho 5 alive. Do you?"
 CT don't know, old fellow. It's all be- yond me- answered trying to get away. "But see here. This is very serious
 business, Barker. You see, my mother has old-world notions about divorce ana all that. Now say. do you thinK sne Wouiu have been so much affected if she hadn known the man was dead? She can't care anything for him. He behaved like brute."
 What could I say? It would have been
 unfriendly to run away as if Mrs IlVVefs had discovered smallpox in the house. So I was constrained to attend a secret council in the library upstairs. Madame was not present; she was ministering 10 the victim of nervous shock. beyofi Wal@'
 I had already guessed, was enlightened, if at all, only by Alfred's very emphatic
 discourse upon his mothers French pour
 geoise prejudices. Madame's attention nao been carefully kept away from the conui- tion of affairs as between her younger so'i and the masked divorcee. Eugene, It now appeared, had only that morning @ learneu M of the most significant episode in Miss Oar rolls history. Mrs. Alfred had had no idea of the strength and comprehensavemes or ta her mother-in-law's feelings in regard 10 ,, American divorces Clearly. it was not yet nearly time to think about reconciiing Eu- genes mother to Miss Carroll as a pros pectiye daughter-in-law; the immediate and urgent problem was to relieve the em- | tarrassed situation of the divorcee eneer- i tained unawares and Madames outraged | ideas of propriety.