Evening star., 1901-12-21

have believed that the girl was the daugh-
ter of a drunken, degraded wretch such as
her father; no one would have believed
that she had gone through so terrible
time of privation and anxiety, that she had
been dressed in rags and pinched with
hunger. Now, her cheek was touched again
with the dainty bloom of youth; her beauty
was apparent to all the world; her eyes no
longer shone like lights of despair upon
pitiless world; her step was light, her car
riage free. She carolied, like bird, about
the house; she ran after Isabel and antici-
pated all her wishes; she became her secre-
tary; she kept her household accounts; she
became keeper Of the wardrobe.
Isabel, looking on, every day rejoiced with
complacency over the thought of atone
ment Surely, surely she said to herself,
1.-The debt is paid The mother is happy be-
cause the girl is happy, and because she is
safe. AS for the father / did not lead him
into drinking ways, and / cannot cure him.
That debt he owes to himself. Yet little
while and the man will be no more.
What | owe the man / pay to his wife and
child" Atonements, however, of this kind
are not always accepted, nor are they al
ways effectual.
How could the girl do her IN injury? She
could not. Isabel looked in her frank eyes
and saw that she was to be trusted; the girl
was honest through and through, all her
thoughts We're honest, she seemed not to
know that she was beautiful. The eyes Of
gallants in the park were thrown away
upon her. She had. indeed, no thought, ex-
cSDI OF the dHeCllOn WHICH DcSdu Will
gratitude; of duty, which also sprang out Of
gratitude of gratitude Itself, which needed
no awakening; of the wish to do something
in return for so much kindness, and of the
natural joy in the moment which Isabel
made so pleasant.
"The girl" said Mrs. Brymer. a prophet
ess like all her sex. will do you mischief.
For sure. she will do you mischief
Isabel remembered the prophecy. 1t was
absurd. What mischief could this girl-such
a girl-do her?
Yet the mischief was begun already; the
poor child knew nothing of It, and suspected
nothing. Yet the mischief was begun.
CHAPTER X.
Lord Stratherrick, In his lodgings-the
lodgings provided for him by his sister-in-
law-awoke that morning in singularly
bad temper because he had lost steadily and
without a gleam of luck; because it was
still early in the month, and because he
had written to Isabel a request for money
and knew that he would be refused. 1t was
a hot morning, too. and the air Of the lodg-
ings was sitting and confined. He looked
| round the room and remembered the ~ne-
cious apartments Of his town house before
| the money lenders had gotten their life In
| terest in it; and he realiZed-a thing which
| happened every day-the depths Of his fall.
| In his hand was hisspurse, nearly empty:
| the sight of 1t made him comprehend still
| more vividly the depth of his fall. One who
| has been rich and lived in noble house
| does not always trouble himself about the
| heavy change or he would go mad, Mostly
he rnbs along, eating and drinking, content
| ed with the days food and the days drink
| without remembering too much. But the
| memory rises before him from time to time.
! He sat In loose gown with slippers on
! his feet and nightcap on his head; before
/ him was tankard Of ale which he
| made his breakfast. The room contained
! no books of any kind, nor anything by
| which dull day might be got through.
| Lord Stratherrick had but one recreation,
| one occupation, one amusement He would
| willingly have gambed all day and all
1 night and always; he would have looked
| forward to heaven itself-a place which
such as he regard as provided for men Of
! rank, but dull-with pleasure had 1t been
| provided with hazard table.
| Presently the door opened and Mr.. Pin
] der appeared.
| II beg your lordshfp's pardon. May
| have speech with your lOrdship?''
| What do you mean. Pinder." he replied
| peevishly. by interrupting? Can't you see
| engaged with the morning draft?'
| Il will look in again. my lord"
| NO. Now you are here, stay. Pinder,
| had the most Internal luck last night"
| Dear! Dearr' the ex-valet murmured
softly. II am sorry to hear it."
| You know the miserable allowance my
sister-in-law makes me. It Is only the sec
ond week OF the month. Pinder. ! lost very
| nearly the whole Of 1t last night"
| THE whole OF 1.-THE whole of ft-dear
me-'tis sad; Perhaps her ladyship. Mrs.
You are fool. Pinder. / have told you