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

was behind him. He turned back to lock it.
 "Too late" said she. 'I have thrown my good name and fame toAthe winds. resolved to know that it attaches false ly-that you know>it-and that he shall never know it. Nothing can save you now. If I live. I say him on the street tonight on your track"
 At the moment the bell rang loundly in the hall. He set his back against the door, for he fancied that she was about to try to pass him. Instead, she turned and vanished through door that he had not seen. He fol- lowed almost instantly, brt the rooms behind were empty.
 The ringing at the bell continued Then some one began beating at the door. He heard English words. Furi- ously he threw himself at the dog through which she had passed and fe2 into the night.
 Out there under the stars sudden terror came over him-an inexplica ble thing. associated with a trembling of the ground-a rush and sweep of l something through the air, like Death upon the wing. He shrank as If to let 1 the thing go by. AS soon as~he re- covered himself he hurried to the post house to order post chaise. Then fol- 1 lowed, as in a dream, long days Of l travelling over endless roads of a monotony of useless rage and disap- pointed passion of sun, and dust and towns, seen as unreal phantoms; of c1a h..4
 closed eyes; and of fevered visions of things past and present all confounded 1 together. And again and again there came over him the nameless shock, speeding up and roaring past At last one morning he found himself back again in England In the dawn he alighted at a little railway station and waited for the train to take him to a quiet retreat whither all his dsordered thoughts had begun to tend wearily in the latter days of his flight
 AS he walked up and down the platform the sun was rising, and he looked upon 1 1t with faded eyes, Then suddenly he saw man emerging from the door of the station. Their eyes met. It was the man l from whom he was fleeing. In the quick unsteadiness of his sur prise he stepped back staggered and slipped over the edge to the rails He l heard shout-another-saw the faint sick ness and terror-felt a trembling of the 1 ground, rush and sweep of something through the air-and was beaten down. caught up, whirled away upon a jagged mill that spun him around and around and struck him limb from limb, : When MT. Dombey recovered his senses he saw men bear something past on a covered board. It lay heavy and still, and l he turned away trembling. He returned to London a man suddenly grown old. Again he shut himself up in his great house. Month after month it ] stool silent and gloomy, while the ser I wants held quiet and mournfully joyful 1 feasts below stairs, where they talked i fit" over with never-failing interest. Then ] one day there came a sudden hustle into l the dreary mansion. Strange visitors ar rived-vistors with greasy note books and ! shrewd dirty faces, who addressed the i footman as 'old boy" and pinched hang ] ings and tapestries with grimy but skill full fingers. The house of Dombey & 1 Son had failed and was berg "sold up." l Through 1t all MT. Dombey sat shut in i his room haggard, wasted likeness of himself, breeding over an empty fire place. Now he rose and walked about. Now he passed into his dressing room and 
 Now he was looking at the bottom of the door and thinking thinking that if blood | were to triekle that way and to flow out into the hall it would be a long time going so far. He sat down again and thought.
 Suddenly he rose with terrible face. his hand grasping firmly the thing he had brought At that instant he was arrested by a cry-a wild loud, piercing, loving crp-and at his knees was his daughter.
 [ Clinging to him, praying to him, un- changed still, of all the world unchanged, raising the same face to his as on that l last miserable night
 Dear papa" cried she. "don't look so strangely upon mel I never meant to leave you. I was frightened when l went away and could not think. Papa! Dearest papa! Forgive mel"
 He tottered to his chair. He felt her draw his arms around her neck. He felt her wet cheek against his He felt-oh, how deeply-all that he had done. Upon the breast that he had bruised, against the heart he had almost broken, she drew his face, now covered with his hands, and said, sobbing:
 Papa, love- am a wife. I am married to Walter Gay Forgive me, dear papa, and never let us be parted any more, never let us be parted any more!' His gray head was encircled by her arms He kissed her on the lips, and lifting up his eyes, said; 'oh, my God. forgive me, for I need 1t very much!" bottle that has long been excluded from the light of day and is hoary with dust and cobwebs Is standing on the table in the little back parlor be- hind the shop over which the Little Midshipman stands guard as of yore
 You are right, MT. Gills," says MT. Dombey; "this is most delicious wine
 Captain Cuttle beams with joy. MT. Dombey mods to him.
 We have always promised our selves" says Sol Gills, Med Cutie and I, that we would drink this one day to Walter, safe at home, though such home we never dreamed Of"
 ITO Walter and his wife" says MT. Dombey, and turns to kiss her.
 There are two children now, boy and a girl. The old, white-haired gen. tleman loves them both, but he hoards the girl in his heart. He steals to he- when she is in bed. When they are quite alone together the little girl sometimes asks:
 Dear grandpapa why do you cry when you kess me?'
 He only answers, Little Florencei Little Florence!" and smooths away the curls tn at shade, her earnest eyes. be "Tartarin of Tarascon." by Alphonse Daudet.