Williams news., 1916-03-23

an Interruption. Three chattering la. dies entered the room. The momen. tary spell of better impulses was bro- ken.
 Perhaps it was because of Mabel, perhaps the way of his profiigate na- ture, but he seemed pleased at the opportunity of doing some good. As the other ladies repeated the story Mabel had already told, Talcott had a vast surprise of an answer to the ap. peal ready.
 Ladies' he said quietly, it will be a pleasure to meet your wishes. will head your ticket with a thousand dollars
 All were astounded, more, thrilled Mabel lifted her shining thankful eyes with look that fully repaid Lysle Talcott for his generosity.
 ''In addition" he added quite as un. ostentatiously, 'I will deed the old Ransom homestead to your society as home for your proteges. 1 find it difficult to sell it and wish to get it. off my hands,
 The generous donation of the good hearted Talcott was the talk of the town. His own interest in the humani tarian plan was awakened. He might have fingered, but telegram from the city, inspired by the schemine siren who had set her wiles to snare him, lured him again into the vortex of "the only life"
 The seed of charity planted by the little charity circle at Rushton grew | and throve. The life of the spendthrift began and expanded for Lysle Talcott For five years he was lea blindly recklessly, on by the ambitious siren who had won him as her husband Like cormorants her retinue of rela tives fawned upon the lavish benefac tor, who in his honest open way never suspected their selfish dupIicity. A creature of expensive whim, his wife led him from one extravaganza to another. There was a palatial city home and country palace. There were trips abroad, social functions aI- most rivaling royalty. One baleful day a terrible piece of news was brought to Talcott. His wife, her sis ter and brother had perished in a fire at sea. When the first shock was partly subdued, he went to seek her surviving brother. To this man he had entrusted all his business on ac- count of relationship.
 A second shock faced him. A spec ulator and a coward, his brother-in- law had lost his entire fortune in a swindling stock concern and had fled the country. Lysle Talcott was a pauper.
 He was crushed. It was only by voluntarily surrendering all he had that he was able to escape the stigma of dishonor. His health broke Life had become unambitious. { He faced the future, dumb despair at his soul.
 Just one piece of wreckage was saved from the collapse When he had inherited fortune he had deeded to an old servant of his uncle little farm near Rushton. Just as the affairs of the collapse were wound up, the death of his pensioner was followed by the announcement that the prop erty had been willed back to his bene- ficiary.
 Talcott evaded the townspeople when he reached Rushton late in the afternoon. It was dark as he returned from an inspection of the little old | farm. He felt more hopeful now, how l ever. for it promised him comfort able home and living Curiosity led him towards a building surrounded by stone wall and aglow with light. It was the old homestead-but how | grandly extended and remodeled | There were lights over it's gateway. He had not thought of his random gift for over five years, though often of Mabel. He drew nearer to read the inscription on brass plate on one of the gate pillars. It read, "Lysle Worthington Talcott-blessed of all men. He builded better than he | knew"
 A woman passing by halted, gazed at him, advanced, drew back and he saw her face.
 Miss Deane!" he spoke tremu | lously.
 Her face lit up as if by magic. Her soulful gladness affected him as some rare perfume He must come to see her father. It was at the Deane home that Talcott learned of the venture he had practically started developed by Mabel and her charitable assistants until it had become a noted philan thropic work.
 Those days his heart took hope Those hours, when Mabel, reading alright his gloom as well as his awak- ened regard for her, ministrated to his wounded soul and brought to it>peace and love.