Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-05-15

"Ihts Is an. unexpected pleasure, Stuart"
truth. leave her this week, anyway.
I'd as soon live with the devils wife as
with her, and no mistake, begging par
don If she is your relative"
Stuart clinched his hands tightly, and
In his heart he uttered groan.
There stood Aunt Royal, her face
flaming. She had come into the hall
through side door right behind the
servant. How much Of the mans story
she had heard Stuart could not tell, but
1t was enough to let her know that Stu
art at last knew.
ITS a lie, a miserable lier' she scream
ed. 1t was the only time Stuart ever
saw her in n passion. He had his back
to the door, and for moment he look
ed her in the face, and then, without q
word, he turned around, opened 1t and
walked out. The warm sunshine SEEM
ed like something almost human as he
closed that door behind him and walk
ed away. He knew the truth now. At
last there was no doubt In his mind
that Louise had been denied shelter
in her greatest need by this society
woman, who would risk hell itself rath-
er than the possible loss Of society
standing and her own selhsh ease and
pleasure. And that he was right In
believing the servants story was shown
by after events as well as by items Of
news which came to him from various
sources through New York acquaint-
ances.
Putting all he could gather into a
connected series, he managed, before
returning to Champion, to learn In gen.
eral what must have been Louise's ex-
periencc after yasplaine had ruined
her financially and then brutality aban-
doned her.
She had found herself practically
without friends in New York. The only
relative there was Aunt Royal. She
naturally turned to her In the hour Of
her trouble. She was probably ut that
time well nigh crazed with the success
sion of blows that had fallen upon her
1t seemed to Stuart incredible at first
| that yasplaine in SO short a time coult
get possession of Louise's money ant
squander 1t. But the more he learned
Of his career the less he wondered
Louise Ind trusted him, fascinated by
| a certain attractiyeness such men Of
ten possess. And when he finally lief
her she found herself alone in a grea
city, ruined.
Her aunt's rafusal to receive her add
ed the final stroke to the weight of hel
shame and misery. Stuart never knew
what Louise had done after leaving
her aunt's house before she appeared
so unexpectedly. in Champion. There
were at least two days when lie sup
posed she must have wandered abou
or. taken the wrong train to get home
NIL that time fast losing her reason
and yet with enough left to shape hel
way back to. the old home. The shocl
| Of her. experiences told the story Of
her condition as Stuart found her wher
lie lifted her up from the doorstep
that rainy night.
All this gave Stuart bitter thought
us he hurried back to Champion. HI
almost dreaded to get off the train fo
| fear the doctor would meet him, as III
did before when his father had died
but no one was there. with any news
and when he reached the house he wal
surprised to find Louise sitting up ant
looking no worse than when he wen
away. He tried to take courage fo
her. The doctor sald she might linge
| on through the summer. but gave n,
| hope of meu..,l recovery. With thi
constant shadow of death In thei
home, therefore. Stuart and Rhena
with thoughtful and serious hearts
their love for each other, refined ant
strengthened by this afIliction, wen
forward with their great plans for thu
brotherhood of Champion.
The Hall of Humanity was going VI
rapidly now. Stuart had determined
| to have II ready for dedication befOr'
winter set in If possible. He had EN-
ployed very large force Of the bcs
workmen he could find. All this. o
course. meant that he and Andrew
Eric and Rhcna and the doctor, togcth
err with other good people In the town
had given a vast amount of thought II
the plans an'' purposes OF the building
| AT the same time Stuart was beginning
the foundations Of his own home dow
In the town. The Hall of Humanit.
| stood on, one side of the square ncarl.
opposite ST. Johns church. Stuart llat
owned several small buildings ther.
and had torn them down to make room
for the new building. His own house
was to be near by.
A few days inter .Stuart's return
Eric and Andrew had come up a
Stuart's request and with him m,
Rhena We're sitting in the library at TIN
| Duncan mansion discussing the plan
that were now beginning to take visi
BILE shape, Eric had gone back int
the mines with the other men ant
seemed to be passing through an ex
perience of bitterness. He had no