The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-13

father running to his Yife's apartments and striking furiously at the door. It yielded The rooms were empty. He rushed in and found letter telling him that he was dishonored; that she had left on the anniversary of her shameful we'd ding day with the man whom he had chosen for her humiliation.
 Florence ran to him and held out her arms. In his frenzy he raised his arm and struck her down, and as he dealt the blow he told her what Edith was and bade her follow her
 She did not utter a word of reproaeh, but ran out, orphaned, from the house. Half an hour afterward Captain Cutie turned SIS pale as the egg he was boiling when the fearful girl came in weeping. It's Hearts Delight!" gasped he. Its Hearts Delight! Stand by, my pretty one, stand byl Drink little drop of this here. my pretty one. What cheer, now; what choer, now?"
 She laid her head on the rough creat-
 ure's breast and clasped him, and while he wiped his own honest eyes, told him
 all.
 heard shout-another-saw the faint sick whither he carried her, for nothing would induce him to believe she could
 walk. Then he sat down in the shop to gather his wits after this most astound- ing happening. With Hearts Delight
 safe up stairs he fell to reflecting with new sorrow over Walter. Long before he
 had opened his prayer boo.i where he
 now was and fin q true and simple spirit
 had committed Walters body to the deep As he pondered he was startled by knock at the door. messenger told him | that he was wanted around the corner | Having assured himself that Florence was sleeping soundly, he tiptoed out. | When he came back again he was very :, pale indeed and greatly agitated, and
 seemed to have been shedding tears. He | poured himself dram of rum and sat l down.
 When Florence descended his actions
 were most wonderful. He laughed and
 choked in turns Poor Walr, my pretty"
 said he, again and again. "Walr's
 drownded, ain't he?"
 It was not until twilight that he began ! to talk at all connectedly. Then after many false starts he began a story of the sea-of a stout ship that had been
 wrecked and lost with all on board ex- i cept one, and how that one was picked { up after many days and taken in sail ] ing ship to a far port, where no other ! vessel touched for long and weary
 months, and how he waited there with l out opportunity to send word home, un-
 til at last he got a ship that bore him
 after a long and devious voyage, safe 1 home to his native land. 1 And that brave lad," said the Captain
 with sudden uncomfortable sob-"look
 at me, my pretty one! Don't turn around!
 Steady darling Couragel See there!'
 She started up, looked around and saw Walter Gay.
 A month later, an hour before midnight
 a beautiful woman arrived quite alone in
 a hotel near the railroad station in Dion,
 France. Rowing servants led her to
 private suite of rooms where prepara- tions had been made as for splendid supper Monsieur, said they, had order ed 1t when he passed through before and
 had told them that he would be there.
 And here Is Monsieur now. In fact, Mon
 seur, with his white teeth gleaming, ad-
 vanced at that moment through the open
 door,
 Monsieur sent the servants away ana advanced toward Madame. Her eyes gleamed strangely on him. She said not a word to him. | ''This has been cruel probation said
 he. Hard, unrelenting terms were those
 that you made. But they are all fulfilled
 and past and make the present more de-
 licious and safe. Sicily shall be the place of our retreat. There we shall both seek compensation for old slavery 1 He advanced toward her, when in an in stant she seized knife from the table
 and stepped back one pace.
 stand still" she said, Tor shall mur- der you!'
 The sudden abhorrence and fury spark
 ling in her eye made him stop as if fire
 had stopped him.
 Putting her hand to her bosom she said: 1T have something lying here that Is no love trinket. Sooner than endure your touch I would use it on you with less
 reluctance than on any creeping thing He affected to laugh, but he struck the
 ground with his foot and muttered an oath
 Surveying him with naughty con- tempt and disgust that made him shrink in spite of himself, she said: If all my
 otherf reasons for despising my husband had been blown away, his having you for his counselor and favorite would have
 been enough. ThLt is why we are face to face here for the first and the last time. On that night, when, emholdened by the
 scene you had assisted at, you dared to come to my room and propose flight, turned from every consideration but that of passion and resentment. I struck blow that laid your lofty master in the dust and that now has set you there, be- fore me, looking at me and knowing what
 mean"
 He sprang toward her with great oath. She stepped behind the table and put her hand into her bosom. He stood still. She, too.
 She held out some letters in her left hand. esee these!" she said contemptu- ously You have addressed these to me, one here, some elsewhere on the road. The seals are unbroken. Take them!'' She crunched tn em and tossed them to his feet. A smile came to her face
 "You have fallen on Sicilian days and