The farmer and mechanic., 1911-02-28

surprised If she speaks of mother as
aunt and calls me cous n-she is q
poor relation whom We have taken
out of charity to bring up.
With Dora installed at Rose Hill
things began to go smoother; in fact,
never in that ill-governed household
had matters been SO we'll and quiet
Dora and her influence seemed to per
Dira and her influence seemed to per
wade the whole establishment. and
Mr.. Hastings was really comfortable
for the first time since his marriage.
But Ella grew worse, the cloud OF
death was seen descending. and at
length she died. begging w tn her
last breadth that her husband would
forgive her for doing so little to make
his life happy.
Howard wanted Dora to stay on at
Rose Hill for a while and take care
of the baby. and She did until NJ SIS
Eugenia, taking alarm. declare1 that
it was not proper for Dora to live
in the same house with single man
and she must come home. So Dora
returned to Locust Grove and Mr.
Hastings made arrangements to have
the baby boarded there SO that it
m ght have Dora's care. Eugenia
pretended that it was she who really
took care Of the child and often in
timated to Mr.. Hastings that Dora
was negligent of the child.
Elias baby d ed and the sorrowful
father buried it in a pleasant place
on the ample r~ounds of estate
Hastings visits to Locust Grove We're
now infrequently, but Eugenia man
aged to throw herself in the way Of
the lonely man, and after a few
months she had bv her arts lured h m
into an intimacy which seemed to in
crease without any especial desire
upon his part that it should. Howard
felt an distinctive diStruSt of Eugenia.
but was. nevertheless. gradually glid-
ing into a way Of thinkink of her az
his possible future wife. when an
event occurred which opened his eyes
suddenly and drew h affection to
the girl whom. without his realizing
it. had for some time been dear to
his Utmost heart This and the shat
ter ng Of the structure of duplicity
which Eugenia had built up came
through a letter to Uncle Nathaniel
Eugenia was one day writing to
Nathaniel when Dora asked her to in
close message from herself. Say
to him. sa Dora, that I send him
my love. And here is lock of mo h
er's hair Say that I send this to
him. thinking that he may prize it
for her sake "AlI right" repI ell
Eugenia, but it is foolish on your
part" She wrote in her letter that
Dora wants to be remem bered to
|you." Why should she use the words
sends her lover It was too absurd,
No need of sending all that hair"
she thought as she poked the tresses
when Dora had left the room, Il
Will save half of it to be made into
hair ornam ents."
She would not have sent the mes
sage or the lock of hair at all had
no. even her conscience felt a little
disturbed over a trick she had played
upon Dora one day before Mrs Hast
lhss illness when that lady had ven
a ball Eusenia was determined to
attend the ball and to wear fine
eioines h wi1hai: In order ITO scrape to-
setner enough money to purchase
What she felt she must really have
Tor the occasion she sold several arti-
cies OF wearing apparel. but still
lacked the requis te sum. She chanced
20 see an advertisement in the paper
Mnlch could be made into false
pieces for womens braids. etc. She
anew that IN Dora's trunk was the
beautiful hair which the girl had cut
from her dead mothers head locks
which every night Dora kissed.
smoothed out and laid away again i'm
the r niace
IN her desperation Eugenia went
TO Dora's room with the intention OF
stealing this precious souvenir and
ssilhs e. But it was too horrible:
she hesitated and could not do it.
Later in the day she looked at Dora
ana thought: Why not her hair2"
IT really was beautiful head of hair.
lonS' silky and of golden brown.
EuSenla set to work to cajole Dora
into having her har cut off, telling
her that it would grow out all the
better Tor being cut now; that the
neadaches she had been having OF
iaee were due entirely to her heavy
nair; ehat if she did not have it cut
1t would soon fall out, etc Over
~heimed w tn Importantly Dora con-
sented TO be shorn. Eugenia secreted
the hair and, going to complete her
desired ball COSTUME. 1t was the
thought of this and of how near she
had come to stealing and selling the
halr OF her dead aunt that made
Eugenfa. by way of explation. inciose
To lnCIH Nat mart o. no yen