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Home My WebLink AboutThe Brussels Post, 1892-12-16, Page 2THE BRUSSELS BEYOND RECALL, —PubMilled by spoeial errangmuont from advat ee shoot: of c'iamhays9' Jrlcrn,tl. CIIAPT1:R \XI. ALL 2'r IVITIL 11a The me100ht ineell to work upon the heap as the new pile grew the rubbish erre, wider, and the weight on my body inoreas el, threatening to bury me areal. lint could use my blebs now without fear of dis oovory, wriggling myself towards the edge Now and then 1',ward the workers' voices, Once I thought 1 distiugnislted the gov0eno giving elirections; but I was too deeply smothered for their words to be made out At length all sounds oeaso31., the earth cess• ed to fall, and l eoneludu,l th nt the heap was wholly diep1aeed, and sou'oh 1n that part Meenloned. I dared not v nttirc out, however ; for though it seemed that 111 ld been urdot•crr•nud many hours, I mild. not be sure that the stmt had yet set, or that tan emze horse, suspe33li1;t; that I wet hidden in the earth there:al;,,,ii.e, were not keeping still with the ohlee t of leading* me to quit my hili' piece. The enforced rest did me good. I meow Bred frau the first terrible eibllets of iu- htmtttion, 11131 ;e,,t strength. Yet I was not idle; inch aa jived; I pe bed myself ent- wined, until, at lergtl>, feeling nothing but Iight litter over my head, I put out my hong and eautiou ly nude 3m opening through the haulm, To my intense delight I perceived se star standing out bright and clear in the dark sky. 1 posited my way out yet e, little further, but with such slow and steady movements that no Ronald was aud11110 to lily own etre; anti then, getting a fair view over the flat ground, I saw the light in the prison beyond the fire ; and nothing breaking the lino of the low stone wall that bounded the planta- tion on the other side, It stood out straight and black against the lighter sky to the north. It was not that way I had to gn. Princes - town lay to the west, and the run of the Bingle street was south. Because no patrol was in sight, there was greater reason to suppoee that one waste be enoonnt0redin the direction I meet take. He might be stationed on the other side of the heap from which I was emerging. There was no bet• ter spot for observation than in the deep shadow of this mound. Suddenly a short, dry cough convinced me that a man was nn guard in the very place I had suspected. I waited five minutes, not stirring a muscle, The man cleared his throat twain, then I beard has steps, and the next moment caught sight of his figure, a rifle in the hollow of his arm, 11n bleak silhouette egaiat the grey smoke that had driven him from his former position. He sta'olledthree or four paces Out, and after standing there a minute, as if looking about, he returned to the heap, and Dame round towards the fire, passing so close to me that I could, by stretching out my band, have laid hold of his ankle. A wild idea of tripping hint up and bolting for it passed through my mind, but I thought better of it and let him pass. He went as far as the fire, kicked asmouldering ember, and returned, again passing within a foot of the litter in which I was hid ; then a little further en he seated himself on the bee?, his head and the barrel of his rifle just crop- ping up above the outline of the rubbish. Clearly he was posted there for the night. How was I to pass hitt? I looked about me, To the north and west there was not a vestige of smoke ; it mast be rolling away to the south-east. If I could get into it 1 might ftllow its course in comparative safety. No guard would be likely to stand in the cooking fumes, and they would help to conceal me. But I had to draw myself nut of the heap ou which the guard wile sitting, not more than two or three yards away. Couldl do this without making a sound to ettrnnt his attention? The crackling end spluttering of earth in the flee were sufficient. I believed, to mask the noise I might make. It was my last chalice, and the attempt must be made. Silence was not Lhe only necessity. The thing must be done quickly, for a casual glanoe to the right would reveal me to the guard, I enlarged the hole before me through which I had to creep, at the same time working my body and legs to give them freer passage. When these prepara- tions were made, and I felt that the mo• meet was come for the attempt, I glanced to the left. The heart and the rifle barrel were no longer in sight. Stretching forward I perceived the guard's head leaning back, the peak of his cap tilted upwards. The possibility that he had fallen asleep en- couraged me. Putting not my hands and digging my fingers in the earth, I drew my- self yself out free of the litter ; then on my knees I crawled away, keeping close beside the heap till I had the fire full on my left hand, the diameter of the heap between me and the guard, and the column of smoke rolling steadily over the grennd before me. 1 got on my feet, made a step forward, took a hurried glance to the right, drew a deep breath of air, and noiselessly plunged anti the smoke, On I went as fast as I could rain on the loose earth til! I came to a stone wall. Putting my hands on top I vaulted over, prepared for a fall in the deep ditch which I knew lay beyond, In the ditch I stayed to get breath and look about me for a minute or two, Two or three scattered lights to the right marked th0 houses in the village. I could see nothing else bet the watt 1 had leaped, the starry sky, and thesorubby moorland. Thogreat. est difficulty was overcome, 11 I oculd find the stream and follow it np to the cottage where Tilly's wife would give me refuge, I Should be out of danger, On, I shall escape !" saidI to myself, with exultation, as Ipse•anbled up from the ditch into the heather. "No power on earth can make meprisoner again.' An intoxicating eons° of trinmpll was all I felt in this assurance of escape, The fleece passion of a brute was not softened by a single humanising hope. The sole object before me was to kill my wife and put en end to my own life es soon as poesiblpo, 1 singled out a star in the direction I had to take, and, keeping my oyes On it, made my way forward in as straight a line es I could keep ; tearing my way through the heather and scrub, leaping from block to block of granite, reckless alike of pain and and danger. In this way I got down into the valley, never stopping 1111 I found myself on soli ground. There I stop- ped to beton, standing ankle deep in the ooze, I heard the remelting of water, and oonfid0nt that I was now neat' the stream I strode on again, Presently I saw the strewn before mo, its broken waters glittering, leder the stare ; I turned to the left, as 'filly had directed. There was no sign of dawn in the east yet awhile ; them was good, The course of the stream was difi"1• cult to follow. At one time a marsh ie which I sank up to nay knees, obliged mo to wade through the stream. In recreating it I antra on a slimy boulder, and was ear - rood do b the at another time 1 1us1 the stream in ma1ln a detour about a dale.. of 0,,ath:red rooks t groat to a0 ,:Mile 01101, '1'110.0. uhstructinn I elnonid have avoided hast 1 followei th j rough pleb, di0linct enough to sly sigh whl'1 my ryes bad grown a10nstotned moth 1 obeeurity; butt dere(' not go from th , stream, tor fear of lni0eing the bridge I hat to fled, As time went on, and a lull greyness marked the horizon to the east ,, a dull forbading crept into nny mind that had not kept a straight line in descend lug the valley, and by going too far ells halt struck the 06r0taul above the bridg 1011013 I turned to the left inetead of bolo) it. 1'111, fear 111/111,1011,1 ns the sky gree• lighter. I plight have tog° back again 1 bu where atonal I tern—at which point giv up rodvanee u$ hepeless'1 It would tak Ileums to rrtrite0 nay steps; yet 117 old diene° 01 0eeepe lay in reaching the otta 1 before daylight. When the sun rose t1 whole moor would be sconre,l, and how mold T- then escape? I said to my001f 1ba as seen as a certain star, that already twinkled feebly in the ea00, should be ex tinct, I would tm'n about. The fear aha I might can this at the mn;nlenl when tit cottage might be but astono's throw beyon, the range of sight urged me on with re poabled energy, For (lours 1 had heard no sound but th reshtug of the stream ; now a strange e2' brought me suddenly to a cram emongs the boulders in which 1 was stumbling along. " peewit I" It was not the ory of any bird or animal. I know; nor was 1.1 Inman ; y0 it might be made by a man, I scanned the way before mo with terrible anxiety. Some thing stood one against the pale green Mori zoo, which plight well be mho head and body of re man. lt• moved ; whether it ap- proached or receded I could not tell at that distance. "Peewit 1 " Again that strange cry. Woe it a signal from a man before to one behind ln0? I glanced over my shoulder. A block of stone, the soma color as my drab blouse, rose higher than my head. It was improbable that I had been seen. The ob- je0t in front moved again. .A streak of pale yellow crossed the green sky ; the star was gone, 131o01d 1 go back? If this thing was a man lying in wait for me, it was probable that the bridge by witieh one might escape from the moor wnallotfar oil: Still watch- ing intently, it seemed to me that the head growing every minute clearer against the brighter sky was round, and not angular as it would appear in the well-known warder's oap. Then an explanation flashed upon me —it was the scout of some poachers 11r6w- ing their night Line. The ory, wheal heard again, sounded like a boy's voice. Yet I dared not let myself he seen by him ; though an escaped convict hall little to fear froze poachers. The streak had widened ; the horizon was yellow now. IC was too lata to go back ; madness to stand still. (Touching down I slept out into the moor, intending to mak0 a detour and get back to the stream at a safe distanoe above the boy. With something like despair I noticed that the yellow bar to the sky was flashed above with pink. Just then I struck a path run- ning at right angles myitis my course. This must surely lead to the bridge," thought I. Without a moment's hesitation I turned clown towards the stream following the path, bending as low as IcouId to be sheltered by tho scrubby growth on each side. Present - 1y I again heard the running crater. Then I stopped, and, raising my head cautiously, looked all round 1110 ; there was no sign of living creature. I crept on more stealthily than before, Fend in a felt' minutes made out a rough bridge before me. On my hands and knees 1 crept onto the bridge, and again paused to look around, Once mored fancied 1 heard the strange cry " Peewit 1" All was perfectly still savo the monotou• ons rippling of tho stream, Jnet beyond the bridge stood the cottage I sought—a little two -roomed house, No light wee vie• ible; but the grey light of morningwas snf- ficLently etroog nocv for such a guide to be unnecessary. I stole up to the door, and after a moment's hesitation rapped softly with my kiuekles. After waiting a minute for response I rapped again lousier, "Nail him, Dick I" cried a voice from the other side of the road, and before I could clove a step from the door a man burst from the bush beyond tho house, and another leaped over the opposite hedge. 1 roeogniz• 0d them both at a glance ; they were gang warders ! I struggled to free myself from the vigor. 009 hands that grasped me by the arms and throat, ; but I was thrown down, my arms twisted behind me, and in a moment the haldeuffs, were snapped upon my tercets. While I still lay gasping on the ground, and the men quietly linked a chain on to the lla1deuffs, a woman's shriek rose from tho bridge, ' Oh, Jack, Jack f' she cried, rushing down towards us; "don't let them take you," "It ain't your Jack, Mrs, Tilly," said the warder atend1ng before ole; "your husband's safe enough in Dartmoor, If it hart been Jack, he'd a taken that warning of yours: "peewit" would have spoilt tie,' Then, too late, 1 perceived who it was that had stood in the path, and why that weaning Ory had been given. It was nearly mill -day when my captors ]od me into the prison yard, As the great iron gates swung to behind me, 1 felt that my last hope of escape WWES gone. CHAPTER XXII, POST, looked under 111y lowered brows at the chaplain, broad•shoeldered, robust, with the breezy freshness of moorland freedom in his open face, I asked myself what h had done to enjoy all the bleeeings of life what 1 lied done to bo denied the lot of dog, g ' l knew I eltould find yon here," snit n 3 the chaplain unbuttoning 1333. 1110102'; " nc s 111,l11 could hope to a+,03,30 ux0ep1 by 0.111 il. o trete,:' t "I thought you believed in titiraelos," a said I, sullenly. o "What hue that to 010 with it?" he orled 1 panning with his linger on a button, ant e casting 11 sharp glance at oto as I sonic clow , 011 the plank bed, I "A good deal," I replied; "you led me t • believe in them; that's why 1 tried to es as Your failure need not shahs your fain in mitael --, y es t£ by miracle you moan Diem interposition iu your behalf, \\'oult t your escape have made you happier or bet c ter? Idonl,tit, Was not your capturo131 e very interposition you prayed for—previa y ing your 0seepe from sol)10(11 ng worst) the a imprleonitlon0? l behave it, \Yhe aro yo1 e that you should sot yourself up as a judg of the eight0eusuess of the Almighty t Lis sponte with tmtlsual 1,1,,,1.11x00, but 111 %ole0 sank to ire O115tomary tenderneee, na sitting beside me on the bed and laying hi C haul on 1117 arm, ho said, 'Believe me, tit c day will come when you will thunk Jleave 1 on your knees that the end was not as yet • willed it, I ala no prophet, A fool conk prognosticate as much, knowing what I a know. I have had time to learn who y has taken place since I went away. t Renshaw offered to send a cheque for e, oar tan sunt to anyone you named. You prom feed to furnish Mee with an address. Yon did not know where your wife W110. Yea t received a communication from Beaton the threw you into a terrible steto of doubt • Ion sent for a friend who confirmol your - suspicion ; that suspicion concerned your wife, for you slid not send her address to Renshaw—forgot that 11e existed, Idaresay. Upon the evidence of two witnesses—one a notorious rascal—you condemn y0ur wife, and make a desperate attempt to escape, with the object of intiictingpunishtnent upon her. Is it not so ?" He waited for my reply. I made no sign. " It moat be so," be ,aid. " Yon would deny it if you hied a spark of affection for her ; and what could have extinguished your love for her but the belief that she is no longer worthy of it ? Come, Wyndham tell ole your trouble. Let me knots what this charge is that has been brought against your wife, Let me try and find some ex- planation of it. You may be sure I alai' not pronounce judgment till I have found out the whole truth." " I had enough of the judgment of others," I said, fiercely. " You have no right to complain of that judgment," said h0 calmly. I looked up furiously at him. " No right to complain of the judgment• that made me, au innocent man, a slave 1" " No," he repeated, fearlessly meeting my wild look with his calm, soft eyes : " you have no right to 001111)16111 of that judgment ; for, upon slighter evidence than that which convicted you in the mind of an impartial judge, you, biassed by passion, condemn the woman whose defence is un- heard." " I will believe no evidence but that of my own senses. She shall defend herself when the mane comes." " When the time comas ; and, meanwhile what are you going Lo do ?" " Nothing," I replied doggedly. He argued with me for a long while, trying every moans that a keen and noble mind could conceive to matte me hear rea- son, to incline roe to ntereifll action. I matte no reply, but sat there lm obstinate silence, At length he rose with a sigh, and after taking a turn up the cell cane baolr, and standing before rue, put his hands ou me• shoulders, and said -- "No man eau do nothing, Wyndham. Wo must keep gloving until the end—on- wards or backwards, upwards or downwards —there's no standing eti11," Ho was right, I went from that day back- wards and downwards at the same time. Under the chaplain's influence it alight have been otherwise, but it was my mi0fe'. tune never' to see him again, The day before he was to have returned to Dartmoor Ile was thrown from his horse and killed, The governor hhineolf, with tears in his oyes, told me the neo 0. " He took a deep interest in you, seed he, " and thought of you at the last. ' Tell poor Wyndham,' 11e aced, ' that I meant to bring him back into the right road 6ga1u. Re must find hie way Moue or through the guidance of others now,' And now, my man, of 300 have any love for that kindest and best of friends, any rasped for his memos')', you will endee'or to fulfil his last wish. He desired you should Have this book for a keepsake," he added, laying clown a volume on try shelf ; and then be went out finite overcome by the mem- ory of the friend and fellow worker he had lost for ever. I took up the book, 11 was Darwin's " Origin of Species." I never read a page of it, and it was removed by tho next chaplain as confit for me to read. have only to hold your breath, and lay your body against the hat'noss when the weeder is bunking, to make Hint believe you O are slraiele,3 every 101)001(1, non going back from the gummier no lnorefaldgte them if 1 had done a day's work in tho Nelda, my mind stns active enough to need 1 noclleatinn in the evening. Illy female° faculty Lathed now to elaborating 8011eln08 of escape and devising meads for the ler. polo, Night after ldgltt, melt after amok, month after month, 1 toiled at this persnit, and at length, laving hit upon a /design that prondeed moose, 1 put ft fn r:,eet1tun 1 at the 511,1 of a year, It holed, anal I again a wore yellow and gray for three mewtlne. Not dieconraged by this revers*, I oln5e O inure attempted to get away fifteen months inter—that being the third Attempt in throe years. BM tide time I knocked down a 1 warder, and was only cap10r011 after a doe - O relate struggle with 1wu 0111000 aut1 as I 1 got a dress of black and dealt, with the addition rt' fetters and uhaills, which 1 a wore night and day for throe ntnnthe, But before the 1-15,01313 wer0 tiled o11' I was again ,1 at work upon a plan of escape.. , "Oh, I shall get away sooner or later," O said 1to>nyself, se 1 nursed my chains; "there 310e certain things a mat oat foreseo as clearly' LLB ,10,1111. The lack >nnst turn. 1Ca a genie of thence after toll—if it's nosh. ing more, Say that oto in a hundred at - O tempts is sin -tweeted, the man who pei9s(10 Heave' the limit su.eecde. But there's skill in the game, and that counts for 1 something, I won't b0 in a hurry about this next one. There's plenty of tune. t Three months or three years makes no dif. femme to ate. I'm getting patient. Nine • 70600 of it, grinding every day litre a mill horse, makes a fellow pretty callow; about to -morrow or the day after. I won't 110 satisfied with the first plan that looks alt t right. I'll lay by half a dozen to choose from. Lots of time. That was a fool's game 1 played last turn—aliarmtng reform and gettingback into the Agrisultiu'al Comm I won't do It again. Stick to my quarry pals, We're all villains alike. I'll stick to this line : kick up a trots', break the rules, keep on thopunisitm0nt list, tire the whole lot out with watching me, lead them along one false soent after the other, till at last the real attempt shall seem nothing but a feint, and they lot me slip under their very noses. I shall got it pretty hot, that's cer- tain. The warders have almost fm'gotten that they liked me once ; they'll turn spite- ful before long, No more tea—well, gruel's as good when you're need to it. All privf• loges knocked off—a precious difference that'll make to me ! Do I want to have a visit from her and her husband? Curse them both 1 Do I want to write to them, or hear from them? Do I want to know whether she is alive or dead? No, not before I ata free i Then—I can't think of that and any schemes clearly at the same time, Where EMS I? I know what I may axpeob. Punishment ooll and plank bed, crank and mons—aft! they're the worst to bear. Never mind, ore's not a hour's pain, not a lingering tortur0, no privation, no indignity that I have suffered all these years that shall not be repaid. What I have received through her, she shall have back from ins, All that I have endured she shoal enclave. The stone she has thrown shall fall baok upon herself. I have a good memory, I have kept an account of all I owe, I has•o it here in my head. Not a single item ellen bo forgotten when the time comes to settle up between us, If she lave a spark of feeling, I will trample on it; if she retain her high spirit, I will break it Clown. I see things clearer now than I did. Billing is too good for her; it is not enough for me, She shall live and suffer for herself the remorse she could not feel for mu. I will keep her alive as I have b00n kept alive. I will de. baso her as she has debased me. She shall lose hor womanhood as I have lost my manhood, and become the savage brute 1 am, \l e will never part 0gain. We aro Fostered for life, the one to the odor, and when we do it shall be in a fiendish strug- gle, and 1 ouucl together one ruined souls shall be delivered to everlasting fury 1" It was thus 1ny plans of osotappe mingled 00e0 with a project of revenge that became every day ul ore diabolical ns I yieldm"d the brutalising influences about me. To gloat upon a new form ofvougeanoe was the sole indulgence offered to my passions : means of accomplishing it the only employ mentformyintellec(ualfaculties. Asmypas- sion grew, my mental potver contracted. It was with difficulty I fixed my mind upon the practice] purpose before me. My thoughts wandered away to the contemplation of my victim writhing under punishment. More and more often the slate on which I drew diagrams of the prison, the quarry, and their surroundings, 30111 the signs by which I marked the methods of evasion, would slip unnoticed from my knees, and I lost Myself in brooding on the abame and sneer- ing in store for my wife. And yet I had went treason left to see the fatal tendency of this self-indulgenc0. I was conscious that in time I should become the slave of my passions, incapable of any mental effort—a raving maniac, and nothing more. Bah I stuck obstinately to my Neto of tiring the warders) out; and with some sorb of success, 1 feigned evasion So frequently that they grew Oar01001 and nepligeut. Tho warders bad just enough pride to snake thorn fear ridicule, To be misled by a prisoner, and than laugher' at by their coin. rade0, was intolerable, They retaliated by attributing offences tome of which I was innocent. For five years I was 0011111111E1 17 on the punisltinout list, "I won't run after you 110x1 titre," said a warder, savagely, one clay, giving my wrist a screw with a steel ouf1 called a "persuader"; "next time 1'11 fet031 you down with a bullet." The governor' himself Logan to loos patience. "I don't know what to do with you," said he, when 1 was taken before him for for the 0000nd time in a week, "icor five years you were the best men in the place, and for nearly six you have been the worst. I have treated you with the lttrnostlenieney your misconduct permitted, That, has fail. ed. Yon force ego to try the effect of severity, and I warn you that I shall bring you before the VisitiogCominittee for the n0rb offence, and advise flogging. That night I went to sleep 111 tho forooioue oontomplation of flogging my wife to death. Before the end of the week I was again re• Forted, To my astonishment I was sent out. to the quaerio0 the next morning with- out out beim taken before the governor. The only explanation I oouht think of was that my ease had been reserved for the Visiting Committee, I foresaw that the flogging I had So long escaped was in store for ane. .But on Sunday there wee matter for fresh surp}�ri0a, After takingmy burn in the ex. 0rciso yard, Instead of going back to the ppnni0hmeut cell, I Wag led into block No. J, and lodged evltlt the first class mon. The first thing I (lel was to unwell the hammock and lie down. It wee a1 ago senna 1 had had stretched myself nut on anything softer than a plank bed, Them 1 lay wondering What diad happened. I found that out in the afternoon. My inaoeence had been proved I (To a& oostivmm/,) STN YEARS ON THE PUNISHMENT LIST. 7110 chaplain came Into time punishment cell where 1 was waiting to bo taken before the governor, I had not seen 11101 for a fortnight. His last visit was made before I heard c any wife's infidelity from Beeton. Ito ozone then to hid me "good-bye," and told me he was going to Norfolk for a mouth'e shooting. His wife telegraphed to him when she heard of my escape, knowing that he wee deeply interested in me. I rose instinctively as lie entered; but the affection I had begun to feel for this man W110 wholly gone. I had nothing to hop0 for from him now. \Vi111011psome atoll south meat, gratitude is impossible, even to a philosopher, Nothing to hope for, nothing to cherish. Whet had 1. over received that I wished to retain? All that I had might be taken from me and leave mo (10110 Lite poorer. My very life was a useless burden, to be given up thankfully. There is bob one step from indifference to ]hatred; that step 1 had already trodden, Could I but Hate the society that prolonged my existence only to acid to my aunt of misery, the power that had given me lite and endowed my ,being with sons00 to feel who had inspired the with (rope to torture m0 with despair? Sensible of my degradation, conseioae that no man lfvin was more injured or for. ern than myself, I. regarded with rancorous nvy all who had escaped my fate, As 1 wn y current a hundred yards; I was shocked by this sudden loss, and Lonched by the message 1' me. While the impression lasted, I wavered in the sullen resolution I had taken to abandon myself to the 00u10e of events and the prom tingof my senses, I even eon?iderod how Ip might begin a new departure ; but when I had listened to the cold and meaningless phrases of the neW chaplain, and the book was taken out of my sight, I looked upon the loss of my friend as another blow of that power which had doomed meth destruction. There was nothing in my life that tended to raise me from the moral lassitude into which 1 /tad sunk—much to turn what' enorgy that remained into bad channels, Leniently as the governor was disposed to deal with me for the attempted 50eep0, 110 was compelled to Millet punishment upon me in order to maintain prison discipline, and disoourago othere from a similor offence, I was degraded to the third class. My blue- and•clrab dress was changed for yellow and grey 1 gruel wee given me in place of tea ; I no longer took oxeroise with the good-conloot mon, but marched in single file with the worst, In acl- dltiorl to this I WAS put to work in the quarriee, where, with font other wrobehos harnessed like boasts to the stone truck, 1 dragged the blocks from the batting to the depot Tho teeth was brutalising and ex, hattsthvo to cue not yet up to the regular hand's dodge of doing little and feigning much. When I got into my cull in the evening 1 Wes done up, I began to roti as soon as I ball devoarod my gruel. I was oat for any iutelleotual exorcise, and I eortainly had no inclination that way, I never asked for a book ; never touched my elate, "What's the ggood?" I asked myself. When I woke witlia shiver frotn my doze I would turn bete boil and sleep like a log. Relatively thie condition was good, Altera time I grew more °tinning, and did no more work than my follows. You YOUNG FOLKS. TLathy'e Oonso'enoe. "r I haven't arty oonsoioan," said Kathy Ward, standing at the window and ad. dr0esiug Georgie (100011, her new roonionatr, who was still bonding over her book 111 tho dint afternoon leght "'Julius Crease, Aides Mains an'l tit tonins, Roman generale iuvadlng Britain, (11111'11111red her Inor0 studious. rOmn-lnet Why, Kathy \Yard, of coarse you hit IBverybely has ie conseioncs," Kathy shook her head. " Not I," she answered sadly, " and sometimes when ibis half dark, and I remember how far away from home I ant, ie scums m10 to think about my 00110015nee," 'Julius Caere', Adria Plautus and Se tonins.' Just now yeti said you half any eonsoirnue. ' Roman generale hive ing Britain,' " Heal Georgia, with ler ey on the ceiling. Kathy turned toward the window with sigh. Conseleueo or No eou001on00, she c truly sorry fur her lest nogligenee, a tho0o lively unlawful Whisperings will had been punished by her separation f2' her chosen friend end anal room -met Jennie Randall, Kathy was a shy girl. To few people could SiLO ulre0ers'e lly open her heart ; but Jennie had charmed her. Now, sorely missing her confidante, alto had tried to speak her thought to this newer fried, whose companionship had been thrust upon her for Iter improvement, "1 suppose it is nob laving a mother that makes me ailferent," Kathy went on. "Mothers 001 make you understand thing0, but aunts can't. Aunt Octavio. talks to mo about a 01111, small voice, but I have never heard it, have yon? Have you, Georgie" "Why, yes of course I have," answered Georgia, impatiently, "and so have you, maim has ev0rybody, It's wicked to sal you haven't i 'Gaud was conquered by the Romans fifty years before Christ, and divided into four provinces; throe centuries later it was overrun by savage tribes, among whom tho Franks had the ascendency and gave thele name to the country !' You had better study your review for Friday, Kathy ; it is awfully hard." Dr. iigorton's school had for years been of high repute in the art of the country whore Kathy Ward Hived, Young ladies wore /sent from among the best families within a radius of three hundred miles to a0qquire their education there. Of the two hundred penile of her time, Kathy Ward was perhaps the most sensitive and the most impulsive by nature. She was a sweet, honest -faced girl of fifteen, with tnuoll ability,and a degree of self. respoctwhi0h shoulhave bettered her con• duot reports ; bot she had faults, and they were of a kind to interfere greatly with her seethes in school life. Kai thy's tallest stumbling block was that she wee easily ice, end had tailed to select a wise leader. Kathy had become 15 close friend and admirer of Jennie Randall, the prettiest, brightest, and moat unscrupulous girl be her cams. On the morning after Kathy had re preached herself to her new roonl•mate, 011 OMB led mace more into missend by th blond Jennie. Tho earlier recitations Ivor over, and the plass had been for the peas hour under the Instruction of the siogin teacher in the chapel. It was a large room with a raised plat ion1, before which stood rows of settees. Ageinet the walls stood a cabinet of curl- osities, of various sorts, given by former scholars. The singing•hour was over, and the pro- cess of marching and hal ting necessary to the orderly withdrawal of the class had begun, bliss Hance was dusting and rearranging the little collection of onriosities. Several stuffed birds and well-filled trays of coin, bad been removed from the cabinets and placed on the back settees, which had not been in use during the lesson. DNc. 16, 1.8.92 new ,.m,.�„i,au utluu' a T11dor, it's litre coon ting—one, two. (looll-by," Kathy saw little of Jeanie that day. Throng!' apparent h>abtentlon hl ono of their °lessee the girls tcere forbidden to speak Lo oath other, Thus Kathy tuns Lhtou'!, upon her own neonates, " 1 cella lot it roil aunty," she thought, welking forlornly ea and down mho 10111, " They might 1)01 r tlnd it ; it might be ie. 1 swept up or sonletlkiu„ anti then et would be stealing fur me, I ought to go straight to u. 1)outer.leger1onnod teILliitna1out it, that ham 1 wo ld be the vary hardest, maul that le what I deserve to do," As elle netted again she pansod, Doctor Egerton himself was approaching her Kathy cast herself upon leer impulse. " Doctor Egerton, nnny I speak to you for a minute 1" she ashen with a thumping n, heart which almost) smothered hoe words, ,i a She sought the 0o1n1 111 111'1 pocket. In an - 1, other Minute elm would have told 111211 the es 11.11010. Aro you not out of order in being here a at this hour, Viet Ward?" he aimed, se- vna vcrly. nd om 0, •o g ed it carefully. A thrill of terror tau through Kathy's net yes, If ho should rec- ognize 11 1 Although Ile did not, his next qu0511011 reduced her to a condition nearly desperate. Where didyouget it?" he asked. "From—from a eullection,"she tnanegod to stammer, "Is the collection for sale?" ho asked intending to pat her more at her ease, The timid "10, sir," with which oho nuswered him was barely audible. So ho only closed the interview Wath an opinion that the coin was of the tame of Anteochus the Syrian and thanked her in his turn for the git't. These undeserved thanks hada sharper sting for the sanative girl than even the fear of discovery. It seemed to her that she had never tasted misery until now. As the days passed, Kathy's relief at be- ing freed from the coin changed to a settled unhappiness over her manner of dieposing of it, .G'inally, upon the day when she was informed Lhat her name was upon the roll of honor, she found her situation unbearable. There was no use in appealing to Jennie for sympathy, for Jennie treated the whole thing as an excellent joke. Therefore Kathy aot0rl once more upon her Own impulse. Doctor Egerton, at work in his study that afternoon, was surprised by the sight of hor little figure following a determined knock which he had imagined was that of the most brisk of hes teachers. With fleshed cheeks, with tearful eyes, but without an instant's pause, 0110 told to the end her story of her own performaooe, though she spared Jennie entirely. Doctor Egerton sat silently for a feu long minutes, still looking ea:night before him as while she had been speaking. Then he arose Amid offered her his baud with these astounding words "I an proud to know you, my child; you have a good oonsoieuce l" As Frothy closed the door in leaving, she caught a flashing glimpse of Doctor Egerton seated again at itis desk. To her surprise he seemed to bo laughing. Bat this was one of those occasions when 1t is not possi• blo to believe one's eyes, Kathy was sure that Isere overs mistaken, "If he says fb was my conscience, 1 sup. pose ib must have been," she decided, blink- ing over the interview; "bob O011501e10e isn't re still, small voice. I shall tell Anne (Movie. Conscience 1s when you know you must I" " Yee, sir," was all that am could Fay. ''Then reboot a cliff rent ante to ask a favor 2'.f ate, (tri 11)133 to your class -room." Kathy Interject 1111007' in mortification too :loop 01'011 for tears, She entered the class• r00tn withlegging stops, and received an unheeded reprimand. for her tardiness. Al she waned Matadi she alright eight of Jennie Rao,ball's fac0, las pretty and rosy as ever, smiling pointedly io her direction. The ghost of s nod.acc•,nlpauied tho smile— perhaps something encouraging had hap. paned I It was even so. 2'1 t the first opportunity Jennie handed Kath q a second note : "1 Neve thought of a way, after all. Take 1110 coin to Mae fiance and present it to the school. She a0ed never know where you got it, and she ono put it in the oab- Lnotherself." All the weight which had rested ou Kathy's heart through the morning seemed to roll away as she read. Without an 111• stout's hesitation sae asked ani. obtained permission to speak to Miss Hance. In e short time the hate 1 coin lay upon that lady's desk under hoe near•eigltted eyes. Why, thank yen, Kathy," she said, warmly. "I am always delighted to re- ceive contribulious lar the mn05um. There is especially agreet deal to be learned from coins, and we have only a few. Aro you int0rested in them? Do you know about this one? No? Well, I will find out all abort it for you, and it shall lie by itself in the cabinet with its description on a card. I am going very soon to arrange all our coins so, bub as yet I have not had time. Wo will burin with yours, and your name will go upon the roll of honor with t1100e of the contributors," Hero was an unforeseen horror 1 "Oh, Please, Bliss Hance," Kathy said, with quickly changing color, "1 think that I ehottld rather not be thanked, nor bo upon the roll of honor. I—I don't deserve it. "Why, of course you do, dear," answer- ed bliss Hance, kindly. "It is th0 only acknowledgement 3hi011 100 can make for a valuol,10 gift. Here is Doctor Egerton. He will bo able Lo tell us about it, Doctor Egerton, Katherine Ward has presented us with a coin for the cabinot—a Roman one, I should think, although I carrot toll 1n0r0 without the glass." She Mandell it to the doctor, who exemin- \Vhile she marched slowly along in her place, Kathy saw Jennie Randall reach quickly toward at open erase containing a little heap cf dingy -looking coins of difl'er- entsizes. Jonnienlissod her mark, glanced backward at Kathy, shrugged her shoulders, showed her empty fingers and laughed. Ina few moments Kathy was opposite the box in her turn. With the idea of trying to accomplish the thing which Jennie had failed in, she 010030110cl out her hand toward the uncovered ease. Under the very eyes of the singing beacller,she seizod,e ndoteote:l, the thick black coin which iter fingers fleet touched, and carried 11 to her side with a sense of triumph. At the door she had an instant's oppor• tunity to speak to Jeanie. "I did it, I did it 1" Malty whispered, showing the loin. "Here—take 11." But Jennie shook her head. "I don't want 11," she said heughing "I am sure I don't. What shall I do with it t" "Olt, anything ; part it back ab recess." Kathy consigned the coin to tier pookeb and went to hoe recitation. " Coale with 010 to the chapel," she said to ,Lennie, when the noon bell had struck and 11107 )000 free. "I am so afraid I shall forget this, I want to put it where I lound le," The two friends walked away together, talking confidentially and laughing 11111011, 13ut Kathy's laughter soon ended. Miss Bance had finished her work, the oolleetion was bank in its place, and the cabinet doors locked fast. "What shall I do?" esleed Kathy, look- ing at her unwelcome nossession and turn. ing pale. "I can't give it back to Mise Hance ; there wouldn't be anything to say." "Of course there wouldn't; don't think of it, Wait until the things are out again and put ib with them bhei. It won't bo so volt' long, perhaps." " Oh, 1 can't, 1 can't 1 It may bo months and I couldn't keop it all that time. Why, et isn't nliue 1 Itis stealing," she acid, 310ar'• ly in tears. " Why, no it ien't stealing I" oried Jennie. "You didn't take 11 to keep. Waib until to -morrow morning and I will 0111011 et a way to get it bade. I'll find the key, maybe, old after breakfast I'll toll you what to do," To spite of this assurance Kathy was un- comforted, She went abort all clay long with the goill a lamp of remorse et the bob. ten of hoe pocket. St1ll J011010'0 cheering premise helped hor to bear up, She had nebotutded faith in her friend's ability. Her own idea would have boon to return mho coin and confess, But Jetnt° drought this n stupid coarse of eaten, to be employed oily by a girl with no brilliant gift at got. ting out of a oorn0r. Next; morning that promise which had been Jiathy's hope Was nob fulfilled. As the girls lab the breakfast•room Jeanie slipped a small paper into 1100 held "I can't do it," the paper Said l 111 think Miss I1 carries the key With bora If 1 Vero you 1 would lot ib will under Wm cabinet, and then they will find it, Nellie Wiles told mo an elegant riddle ; ' What i0 the tlifferetco bebwoon Shakespeare std Queen Elizabeth 1' Ono is a Wonder and the ' Fathere of Groat Men. The father of Simnel Pepys was a tailor. Tho father of Janos Mill was &cobbler, The father of Verne was a clay laborer, Oliver Cromwell's father- was brewer, Epictobns was the son of a day laborer. Socrates woo the son of a clay laborer, Glettb, the negate was a preasant'o son. Talmo, the actor, wee a dentist's son. The father of Pius V. was a shepherd, Sablumann's father was a booltsellcr, The father of Pius IV. was a /3000E11 1. The father of Cowley was a grocer, Charles Lamb was a se0001110 son. Mozart's father was a book binder. Milton eves the son of a copyi01. Pope's father was a morobant. Noandor's father was a carter, Lucian was a sculptor's eon. Homer Wet a farmer's son. "Beantif01 wonan---beautiful figure— waist of it wasp," said mho old bachelor, noting the handsome wife of a follow'toWns• moan. " Yes," put in her htl0band, who overheard the praise, "yes, and the sting, WO. Visiting Idngtishlnten—"I eats never be happy y u nines you pr011tlso to ho meso, Native American—"Well, I don't mind being g engaged to Ton, but I must toll you plainly that 1 ata engaged to three outer men I tike better."