The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-13
fcentlnaea.l

(Centinued.
 And as she stared at the sluris of the East End with eyes. that saw norniuA of their poverty and dreariness. she smoothed out the whole tangled skein of her thoughts with cam and fault l&ss skill and she smiled complacently aA she came to a definite eonv.usion. The whole matter suddenly became IT. diculously plain and simple She would divorce William Tankerlane in Amer 'fca. She would then be free to marry John Shil. if she could wifi his love. And. on the other hand, Tankerlane would bel free to marry Laura. and make amends for the wrong he had done to an innocent woman, If Laura consented to the marriage she would cease to be rival.
 Leonore persuaded nsrself that this arrangement would be best for all par ties, and that 1t would certainly be in the interests of Laura herself. The latter,s position in khv world would bo lane loved her, and would jump at the chance of making her his wife. John Shii could never marry her. after what had happened. This would~certainly be best for all the iour parties con cArned.
 The only difficulty was to be found in Laura's ~sttitude towards Tankerians,
  vote all her energies to gain her friends consent to the marriage.
 Her meditations were brought to an abrupt conclusion by the sudden stop ping of the hanson. Her mind was : jerked back from abstract problems to more material facts. She Alighted, and noticed that No. 37 was particularly dingy house in e peculiarly ugly an1 mean street. Then she paid the cab man the exorbitant fare he demanded of her. and knocked on the dirty and blistered door.
 Mrs. Burton answered the summons with almost Instantaneous swfftness. She had already inspected the hanson and it's well dressed occupant from the ground ,foor window, and had come to the conclusion that here was possible solution of her rent difficulty. Her fat face beamed pleasantly.
 T want to see Mrs. Tankerlane." said Leonore. sIs she at homer
 Mrs Eiurton.s face fell.
 "There ain't no sich name ere" she replied sullenly; there's a Mrs Danby, and she's in trouble, poor thing. wot with 'er baby so i'll. and Faint never seed a baby so i'll since my nlrie sirn lied and that was-'
 .aTake me up to Mrs. Danby," inter rupted Leonore. ''This is 37, is 1t notT'
 Her heart beat fast with expectation. Here was the solution or the problem. Laura would have to marry William Tankerlane for the sake of her child.
 "'Yus. this is 37." Mrs. Burton re- piled, as she led the way alopg tne dark and narrow passage. Yer a friend of Mrs. Danby's. mebbe."
 Leonore did not answer but followed the iandlady up the creaky stairs. Mrs. BIurton knocked at a door. a ceremonw which she had not observed for some weeks--and then opened 1t without waiting for reply.
 "CIose the door, please" Leonore said abruptly to Mrs. Burton. who stood be- hind her with look of curiosity on her round face. The landlady mumbled something and withdrew. closing the door behind her.
 'Leonore." said a faint voice. 1t was good of you to come--so good of you to come. would not have asked you; but was forced to do it. driven to 1t. Leonore."
 The actress moved quickly across the room with outstretched hands, and the next moment the two women were aob- ping in each others arms, Laura ftom Z sheer misery and exhaustion, and Leon- ore from the sympathy sine felt with Rnother's sorrows.
 Leonore was the first to gain control of her feelings.
 Hush Laura dear." she whispered "you must not give way like this. You I Tell me what can do. Tell me why yo~ are here--iike this; why you left me in Paris without wordg"
 She did not refer to the child, but she looked at the little head stirring un- easily on it's pillow, and there was a mute questioning in her eyes as she glanced up at Laura's white face. "Yes," the mother replied, 'it is my child--TankerIane's son. He is very i'll: he will die if--oh, I cannot say it without shame, but must say 1t, Leon ore. We are penniless, starving. am a beggar, and I sent for you because want to beg--to ask for money-from you, the wife of the man who--- She stopped, and. covering her face with her hands. burst again into Tt of
 Leonore looked at her with pity in her large Bright eyes This broken down woman bore but little re- semblance to the proud beauty who had held her head so high in Paris. Leon- ores heart was full of loving sympa- thy, but even in this moment of sor- row she could not forget the new pur- pose that had come into her life. The steel had not been softened and was ready for the moulding. The selfish thought came into her mind for an in stant and was gone.
 "Dear Laura" she said gently, '"of course-you can have all the money you want-all I have. if you require 1t. You must leave this place at once. It is not fit for a dog. You shall go to the seaside, abroad, anywhere you like. The child must get we'll at any cost"
 q sometimes think it would be bet ter for him to die." Laura replied. claspIng her hands and looking at the little white face. t"God forgive me the thought, but it would be better for the child to die"
 ''Nonsense." said Leonore sharply. "You are worn out and miserable or