Year: 1875

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longed to him, nothing that indicated
his ownership of her, but she shrank
back from that letter with alright.
She could not meet this mani She
dare not meet himl What must she
do?


She went out into the open air.
At little distance she could see a
steamer at the wabEf, almost ready
to leave for the Australian shore. A
wild thought Of escape came into her
mind. She had been kept we'll sup
piled with money which she had
made but little use Of Perhaps she
bad enough to take her far away.
She retarned to the school, secured
her money and jewelry, and then
FASTENED to the boat


She had just time to write a note
before the plank was pulled in, and
amid cheers and good-byes, the boat
started on her journey She pur-
chased ticket, making an excuse for
coming so late that she had just re-
ceived letter which summoned her
to England.


Two days later, Mr. Hardclife
made his appearance at the school
and ask for his ward Christine. The
matron handed him q sealed envelope.
1t contained the note she had scrib-
bled on the moment Of her departure.
She wrote:


II cannot stay to meet you | am
now on board the Eagle, and before
you get this will be far away. | am
not going out of ingratitude l re-
member what you have done for me;
you rescued me from degradation
worse than death, and have given me
an education which but few in this
country receive. And now out Of
the goodness Of your heart, not know
ing how else to dispose of me, you
are willing to marry me rather than
allow me to be cast upon the world
frieHdless. Such an act l cannot
permit. You shall not be bound to
Christine Dupray, daughter of the
wiekedest woman in the Colonies ,
The blight would be fatal to US both.
| leave my thanks, and Christine
will pray for you as long as the breath
of life is in her body. Farewell for
ever"


He re-read the Dote, and then
turned to the preceptress, who was
standing nervously awaiting him to
speak.


"My protege has gone to Eug-
land" he said, quietly "Sho could
not wait to consult me. / hope she
had enough to defray her expenses"


The woman breathed more freely
She had expected scene-expected
to be upbraided fer not keeping a
stricter watch over her pupil.


81 think she had" she answered
lyon wore ~o-5r ibaral ia your al
lowance of spending money, and
Miss Christine was very careful;
she never frittered it away as other
girls do"


"Have you any bill against me?''
be queried.


None whateYer.'


"Then good day?' and be was
gone. Six years later.


Guy Hardcliffe had succeeded in
the mines beyond his widest expec-
tation Almost at the last moment,
when his courage was beginning to
fail, be had struck upon such streak
of gold, in Golden Gulch, thxt his
fortune was made in a few DAYS
Then word came TO him that his un-
Gle was dead, and he came into the
Hardcliffe property and title.
| He sailed for England, and went
to his new home Everything was
strange to him. She customs of bis
country, the Stiffness ofhis new life
everything was dull-s nd he gave
up and went to Paris, to see if he
could there be amused for a little
while.


Mademoiselle Santelli was adver-
tised and many were flocking to see
her Sne was the new cantatrice
about whom all men were going era
zy. Her beauty and her voice were
rayed about, until Guy Hardcliffe
determined to go and see for him.
self


Once in the building he was spell
bound In the beautiful creature,
whose glowing lOveliness infatuated
all who went to see or hear her, he
recognized the girl be had won by a
game of cards-Christine Dupray!


He watched, he listened and in
that hour be felt his doom was seal
ed No woman had ever thrilled
him as this woman did; no woman
had ever seemed the same.


He made no remarks, bnt asked
his friend her history.


"She came from Australia" his
friend said-"an orphan, alone.
Her voice, on shipboard, attracted
the attention of old Mezzo, and be
engaged her to go to Italy ahd have
her talents educated. She did so;
and when be introduced her to the
public she was Immediately success
ful. Men were mad about her," he
continued, where ever she went;
and Mezzo's widowed sister travelled
with her and took care Of her, and
no one could say word derogatory
] to her,"


Hardeliffe listened like one in a
dream. Introduce me-" he said.


When brought in close contact
with her, he admired her even more
deeply than when she was on the
stage, hut to him as to the rest she
maintained q cold politeness. He
knew that she did not recognize him,
for be had changed in appearance,
and his true name she had never
known.


Day by day be haunted her, and
when she was about to leave Paris,
be suddenly became frenzied, and told
her be could not live without her Ion
ger.


She listend to his torrent of words
with trembling lips,


"Do not say MORE" she pleaded,
"You know not what you ask. l
shall never marry"


"Why not?"


"My past" she said, quietly-'1
can not reveal it and it forbids such
I IL