The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-13

maIting and hoping and there ran the lews .kws through the shipping districts aat she mad been given up officially. II came to Florence, who hurried at once to the Little Midshipman, where captain Cuttle dauntlessly vowed that Walter could not be lost. "No. Hearts oelight, said he in his brave simplici- ", I ain't bit afeared as yet It an easy and he made a little bow,
 10 break up the hearts of oak wheth- CT they're in brigs or bosoms."
 But old Sol Gills did not share his breeding. The next day Captain Cut tie received q letter from the old in- strument maker, announcing that he hnd gone to the West Indies to seek news. and asking the mariner to take charge of the shop and keep it as a home Tor Walter if he himself should die in foreign lands.
 Captain Cutie sat him down in the little shop, among the scientific instru- ments which he looked at with awe, and lost count of time as he orooded and sorrowed and mourned for Solo- and all the innocent dreams of his pure old heart. as among the things that had been.
 Mir. Carter did not mourn His teeth were exposed in a smile that was most close to a real ono when his reports assured him that the ship undoubtedly was lost. He took to riding past the Dombey house on pleasant evenings and looking at the windows of Miss Dombey's room with the air ot one who sees & prize within his grasp Meeting her once on the street, he bowed low and said. with his widest smile. There Is no news of the ship" She was seized with a shudder as he looked at her.
 Not long afterward she went away to the country. When she returned she was amazed to find the house covered with scaffolding on which working men were engaged. Everywhere were piles of brick and mortar. Ske hur- ried in, astonished, and found her fath- CT with two ladies-one an old. terrib- ly skinny lady, with false hair and false eyebrows, and an amazingly TO- seate complexion, and the other tall lady, very beautiful, very naughty. with a propd and weary air.
 Mr Dombey introduced Florence to the old lady, whom he called Mrs. Skewton. Then, turning to the young Iady. he said: Edith, this is my daughter. Florence. Florence, tomor- row this lady will be your mama.
 Florence started and looked at the beautiful face with surprise admlra- tion. and at the same moment an m, definable sort of fear. Then she cried out: "Oh, papa, may you be happy! May you be very, very happy all your lifer and fell weeping on the ladys breast. A
 Mir. Dombey turned away and offered his arm to Mrs Skewton to lead her through the rooms. The beautiful lady released her hold on Florence. Then suddenly she returned to her again ana said hurriedIy: "Florence, you will not begin by hating me?" and went to join the others.
 That night Florence went to bed 10 dream that her new and oeautitul mama would teach her to gain her fathers love, and while she dreamed Edith was standing before Mrs. skew ton and saying: "Oh, mother, mother. If you had but left me to my natural heart when l, too, was girl-a girl like Florence-how different l might have been! Hereafter share as you will in what we have gained. Spend, enjoy, make much of It. Be as happy as you will. The object of your life is won. I forgive you your part in tomorrow's wickedness. May God for give my ownw
 Thus did Edith pass the night be- fore her bridal.
 Coldly, impassively. naughtily. she went to the altar Coldly. inpassiVe- ly she set forth with MT. Dombey on tnelr wedding journey. Coldly, im- passtvely, haughtily she entered the house which had become hers, and re- ceived her husbands guests He did not like 1t. MT Dombey's friends were invited to his house in their capacity as fellow monarchs--lesses ones, to be sure, but still monarchs. Not man darkened the doors of Dombey who was less than an East India di- rector or a Bank Director capable of buying up anything. -.
 That Mrs. Dombey should receive them with neither wish nor pretense of proud lips after the words of intro- duction, offended him deeply. Before the honeymoon was over he reproved her majestically in the presence of MT. Carker, who showed his teeth in his widest smile and bowed low to her when he withdrew after the scene.
 When husband and wife were alone, Mir. Dombey waited for some outbreak. It did not come. He would have been equal to it: but the intense, unutter- able. whitening scorn with which she looked at him, the ineffable disdain and haughtlness in which she sat be- fore him. defeated him completely. He left her with her whole overbearing