The Irish standard., 1902-02-15

eyes were bright. the lips still pink,
and the hair in picturesque disorder
had lost none of it's beauty.
Charlie was allowed to stay only
few minutes, and when he left the
room he stumbled into the arms of
woman in white cap and apron, and
recognized Polly's old dresser. She
was very surly, and, when he pressed
her as to the condition of her mis-
tress, bluntly said that the nature of
her illness was her affair and not his.
When he called the next day the
duke found Polly little better, and
there was quite q flash Of her old
self in her manner. So the duke spent
a pleasant quarter of an hour ere
Eollit, the eN-dresser, turned him out
in surly fashion, alleging that he
would fatigue her mistress.
AS he was passing through the
room the bell rang.
'Thc doctor!" exclaimed Rollit to
the young duke. "Comc I'M"
A minute later. an elderly man, with
very grave, dignified manner, en-
tered. Rollit left the two men. togeth-
CT whilst she went into the sick room.
The young duke timidly said some
thing obviously truthful about the
weather-the other agreed-then
anXiously he asked. SIS she very ill?
What is really the matter?"
81 presume you are a friend of tho
family??"
so, yes, certainly"
'Shc is very i'll. We have had two
consultations, and" lie merely
shrugged his shoulders again.
'But what is the illness?"
nically"-Charlie could not
catch the long Latin actually,
7 suppose, the public would call it
broken heart Some young fellow,
duke or someone of family-I know
little of such social mattcrs-,iilted
her. She made Il great effort to fight
against her feelings and so overtaXed
her strength: Il heavy reaction set in.
Then. when she was in a most vul-
nerablc state, of course, she caught
~ chill, which attacked her lungs, and
now it is Il mere question OF days?"
Rollit appeared. "Pleasc come at
once, doctor!'
Three days later, when Charles ar
rived, Rollit refused TO let him see
Polly. "She's too bad, my lord, and
BESIDES she's changcd; she don't like
to be seen. And what do you want
10 see her for? Go away. Let her
die in peace, and not think of you and
her SORROW"
The yoiln" man gasped. 81 don't
think yon put it fairly he said,
,.alnnering.
81 am sure you did not act fairly"
She replied.
81 would do anything on earth to
give her pleasure" said the duke.
The old woman laughed tiercely. "Of
course you would! You would do
anything on earth she does not want
I know all that"
''What docs she want?"
Nothing from you-mcrcly to die
in peace, for die she will before the
next week is out; and that should
know even if the doctor had not said
SO. Poor babel" A long pause.
81 suppose it would be no pleasure
TO her now-that it would not make
her any the happier"
''What?'
eff | were to marry her"
'Too late; and yet-but here's the
doctor"
The duke of Rushminstcr had
short talk with the doctor, who
pledged his reputation as Il medical
man that Polly could not live more
than a few days, and then, despite
the shrugs of Rollit's elderly Shout
dcrs, Charlie went into Polly's room,
and was shocked by her appearance,
since, for the first time, her lips had
lost their pretty pink and she looked
CHASTITY in the darkcncd room with a
grecn-shadcd lamp.
A few days later, with the author
ty of Il special license, Polly became
duchess Of WESTMINSTER, the two wit
ncsscs to the marriage being Rollit
and the doctor.
When the ceremony was over the
young man impusivcly bent down
and kissed the dull lips of his pallid
bride. although she made efforts to
turn away her head. n moment later
Eollit and the doctor We're busy get
ting him out OF the house, assuring
him that the excitement was too
much for the girl.
The young duke walked down the
road not half as happy as a BRIDE
| groom ought to be. His heart and
hand had been 'truc to Poll" but
he had broken his promise to the fam
lily and his word to the very august
parsonage.
AS he walked along, he took q
cigarette out Of his cigarette case and
put it between his lips, but drew it
out. with the idea of using cigar
cite holder just given him by friend.
He happened to look at the end of
the cigarette and noticed that it
seemed dirty, then he observed that
his lips felt rather sticky. He put
This handkerchief to his mouth and
wiped it, glanced at the handkerchief,
and saw 4 patch of a kind of brown
grease.
A strange idea lcapt into his mind
followed by recollection of the fact
that he had noted with surprise when
he put the ring on Polly's finger that
her hand was plump and firm. Tie
walked lack hastily, with no very
definite thought in his head.
He found the garden gate open
and walked quickly through it and NJ
the so yards of pathway. No sooner
had he rcachcd the nOint Where thI