The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-15
Continued

Continued
 Mfss Forde walked in a business-like manner by them all. and directed her steps to q certain curio shop which was famous for It's stock of spanish "Antiguedades." Here were the fruit full results of many toilsome expedi- tions over the border and into the far south. Journeys to old towns. vil- Iages. and castles aloof from the beat en track; piiRrimages undertaken In search of articles which poverty ana dire necessity forced many proud. impoverished owner to dispose of se- cretly Spain, from the highest to the lowest class, was suffering from the disastrous effects of the late war. Here in this shop was displayed the harvest of the contemplating collector; pictures, lace. ancient brasiers and pureauN' beautiful tapestries. fans. silk draper les. crueifixes. statues, chairs in stamp cd ieather--and jeweiry.
 This was exhibited on velvet Tn cases In the window: and before a certain case Hester came to halt. To impart a secret. she visited this particular treasure every day. and never passed inc sbop without admiring certain nerkiace. which, if 1t could have been really deyoured by her eyes, would have disappeared long ago. This or nament was displayed on board coV-
  nosea of four chains of pearls caught in festoons by diamond and enamelled cIs sns. in the centre was pendant eS- ouisttaIy executed in diamonds ana enamel. When Hester first noticed this nscElace she had entered the estao- lishment. and, in taltering French. had timidiy inquired the price.
 .r)lx mille francs." was the prompt reniy About four hundred pounds, and not less--it was great oeca- sion!" h.A r,,tharawn startled out of her wits' those were early days. She had never vet yentured to expend large sum of money--the habit of years of econ omy had eaten Into her bones,
 l Juan ,Domlnguez the spanish pros | well accustomed to the pale English | face which gazed into particular ' window at least once day some | times the lady entered and bought | trI9inR article--a pearl-headed hatpin, a little old china ngurc. . bit of blonde | lace--but never the necklace.
 "oh, she will buy It yet, declared Goncha to her father: "it has got up. on her mind--she will never leave It behind her"
 "Ran. what talk Is thatf" he de- clared. .she has pot the money"
 .'rhsre you are wrong. padre mic. I believe she Is rich. These English women have many strange habits
 How do you know that she Is richf
 Never mind." she replied wnn shake of her head, but It Is true. Paciencia.y bArratarV IPatIence, @ho shnfis the cards.)
 Once Hester had introduced tho necklace to Mrs. Britten and tlmidly invited her opinion. and that lady nad brusquely declared that "she did not admire 1t in the least. and the price was too utterly ridiculous"
 T grant that it Is quaint" she ad- mltted "but no show for the money. Now I always like show for my money, and those Paris imitation diamonds in a shop higher up look far more real and imposing. Don't he so taiotle as to buy itl Eesides, if you had it. what would you do with it7 You know you would never wear iLf'
 ''well. think 1t Is beautiful---so old and so Spanish" rojoined Hester
 "That sort of beauty doesn't appeal to me-" sneered Mrs. Hritteu; "as for being so old and so Spanish, the same description applies to that ancient hawker at thA corner. who is selling skins" and Hester felt crushed and sIlsnced.
 All the same, she nevor failed each gay 10 VlSlL QoJGNt VI HSt &ASf@~ tion, and was painfully making up her mind to its purchase. Why, 1t was not more than a fort-nights income, and she did not possess jewel in the world. To-dAy she descended from the Falaise FeAolvod to take the iFn- mense step. but. finding the shop crowded with customers, was much too shy to enter, and passed on to how- er-stall. Here she bought herself a quantity of the choicest blooms; the selection afforded her q real ana al- most childish delight: it was her birthday treat. and. with 6 huge hou- duet in her hand, she at last turned to- wards the Bellevue.
 Suddenly, at the corner of street she came into violent collision with a young man In a desperate hurry, who dashed her beautiful nosegay out of hcr hand, and all her precious low CTS were scattered about the footpath. The gentleman, with a muttcred apoi- ogy. immediately stopped and began to gather them. As he held out a handful Hester glanced at him, and saw that he was dark---evidently a Spaniard--and extraordinarily hand some Ills was q truly beautiful face, somehow recalling the days of chlvalry and knIghthood; olive-skinned with black hair and a Anall moustacho; the expression of profound melancholy in the dark eyes, and the thin, dellcataly. cut features. were preserved from ss. feminacy by an exceedingly firm chin. His movements were grace itself as he collected the remnants of the birth- day bouquet and. having presented them with a low bow. lifted hls cap, and was gone.
 Hester walked slowly onwards as one In a dream: still in a dream she regained her own room and flung her self into a chair How she was haunt ed by that handsome dark facet That vision of chivalrous perfection WAS a new and soul-awakening experience. Poor Hester, already she was wonder. ing whether she should ever sec him again. Her heart leapt at the thought, and urged her to find out his name. But she was far too reserved to ask questions. No doubt Mrs. Britten would know; and yet how dare she venture to open such a subject? The left to wlther. Hester rose with ner- vous haste and began to arrange them In various glasses. The foolish, friendless creature took an immense time over thls labor of love; had not his fingers touched them? She special ly remembered a certain pink camellia; 1t had blown across the road, and he had gathered 1t separately. Oh. happy flower! She resolved to wear 1t that same evening, and she (who never adorned hersel) arranged 1t with hot and tremulous fingers In the front of her dowdy black gown. Miss Forde actually felt as if she were taking