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The Wingham Times, 1913-07-03, Page 7THE LION AND THE MOUSE. --'-'- By CHARLES KLEIN. d Story of American Life Novelized From tits Play by ARTHUR HORNBLOW. COPYRIGHT, 1906, BY C. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY, She stopped and burst tint o hysterical laughter, "Oh, I think you're having at joke at my expense," she went on, It '"just to see how far you can lead me. I daresay -Judge Rossmor s e deserves all he gets. Ob, yes, Pm sure he deserves; It" She rose and walked to the other side of the room to conceal her emo- tion. Ryder watched her curiously, "My dear young lady, how you take this matter to heart!" "Please forgive me," laughed Shir- ley and averting her face to conceal .,..,;#1 'the fact that her eyes were tilled with tears. "It's my artistic temperament, I suppose. It's always getting me into trouble. It appealed so strongly to my sympathies, this story of hopeless love between two young people, with the father of the girl hounded by corrupt politicians and unscrupulous financiers. It was too much for me. Ab, eh, I forgot where I was!" She leaned ngeinst a chair, sick and faint from nerrousncss, her whole body trembling. .1t tinct moment there was a knock at the library door, and Jef- ferson Ryder appeared. Not seeing Shirley, whose back was toward him, . ' be advanced to greet his father. "You tolyl me to come up in five min- ute:," he said. "I just wanted to say„— " "Miss Green," saki Ryder senior, ad- dressing Shirley and ignoring whatever it was that the young man wanted to .say, "this is my son Jefferson. Jeff, this la Miss Green." : Jefferson looked in the direction Ind!. sated and stood as if rooted to the .floor. He was so surprised that he was 'struck dumb. Finally, recovering him- self, he exclaimed: "Shirley!" "Yes, Shirley Green, the author," ex- plained Ryder senior, not noticing the note of familiar recognition In his ex- clamation. Shirley advanced and, holding out her hand to Jefferson, said demurely: "I am very pleased to meet you, Mr. 'yder." Then quickly in an undertone she added: 'Be careful. Don't betray ,mel" ' Jefferson was so astounded that he did not see the outstretched band, A!1 'he could do was to stand and stare ,first at her and then at his father. • "Why don't you shake bands with i her?" said Ryder senibr. "Slie won't Iblte you." Then he added: "Mitis Green ,ls going to do some literary work for ,roe, so we shall see a great deal of het. /Its too bad you're going away." He 'chuckled at bis own pleasantry. 3,"Father," blurted out Jefferson, "I me to say that I've changed my m nd. You did not want me to go, and I'feel I ought to do something to please j▪ ou. " t , "Good boy," said 'Ryder, pledsed. ' "Now you're talking common sense." 1Ee turned to Shirley, Who was getting ;ready to make her departure: "Well, Kiss Careen, we may consider the mat - tel• settled. You undertake the work lit The price I named and finish it ad atloon as you can. bf course you will Ibave to consult me a good deal as you iso along, so I think it would be better !for you to cense and stay here while !the work is progressing. Mrs. Ryder +can give you a suit of rooms to your- lealf, where you will be undisturbed, land you will have all your material l .1dse at hand. What do you say?" Shirley was silent for a moment She Looked first at Ryder and then at Ills son; and from them iter g1 flee went to the little drawer on the le* hand side of the desk. '.Ghee sbe /said quietly:. r "As you think best, Mr. Ryder. I am ?quite willing to do the work here." Ryder senior escorted her to the top lot the landing and'tvatehed her as sh* 'passed down the grand staircase, nsh- iered by the gorgeously uniformed tun- nies, to the [tout door and the street CHAIEIL XIII, HIRDEY entered upon her new duties in the Ryder, househoiti two days tater. `-Ithe"7iad[ re- turned to her rooms the eve- ring of her Meeting' ith "the aneiet Iri a state bordering'u`po bysi'fi1der{ia.'phe Nay's events bad been'taa'extraotdinaitrr ;that it seemed to ber'ti y"coYiI4'not-be lie al and that she must be In a dream. ae ear ride to Seventy-fourth street, e interview, In the library, the dice Very of ber tether's letters, the offer ' write 'tlre� bibet tri *, i ghat to r was still more important, the lfiv1- fl to go and live`"liOte 'der hFsit%t6 '---all these ineklents' vrere $o xemtit'icui-• ble and unusual thbt,lt Was only cultr`itlitt'klte'gltt pins:aided be It that they Were not iigmentd of a B ordered brain. n, 't ,:. J3ut it Was ell true enough.. The-'s/eat '.mdfrning's Melt i Ogift' it lettetr' ffl6! 4 Ryder, who wrote to the effect e t Mr. Ryder would.1 e wo tq, it at once and aitaidrthe a -s. Aerie• ms would be ready ;or, her the, fel- leg ' moon bir a le g Olid mot** , E kh Ile to: Iain ' ,...tier #ileo , 1�� y tiers, her father's yer'yri e depend!- upon the successful outcome et her nt mission, and thlll nialiope'd for rtunitY practically induced eft - She imn1edtiiately wro' to Inittedat- ue. One letter was to -her Mother, that She WAS eItttfttr Oa. It beyond the time originally planned. The other letter was to Stott She told him all about the lnterviewr. with Ry- der, informed him of the discovery of ' the letters and after explaining the na- ture of the work offered to her said that her address for the next few weeks would be in care of john Bur- kett Ryder. All was going better than she bad dared to hope. Everything seemed to favor their plan. Her first step, of course, while In tbo Ryder home would be to secure possession of her father's letters, and these she would dispatch at once to Massapequa, so they could be laid before the senate without delay. So, after settling accounts with her Landlady and packing up her few be- longings, Shirley lost no time in trans- ferring herself to the more luxurious quarterte provided for her in the $10,- 000,000 mansion uptown. At the Ryder house she was received cordially and with every mark of con- sideration. The housekeeper came down to the main hall to greet her when she arrived and escorted her to the suit 'of rooms, comprising a small working library, a bedroom simply but daintily furnished in pink and white and a private bathroom which had been specially prepared for her convenience and comfort, and here presently she was joined by Mrs. ny- der, "Dear me," exclaimed the financier's wife, staring curiously at Shirley, "what a young girl you are to have made such a stir with a book! How did you do it? I'm sure I couldn't.' It's as much as I can do to write a letter. and half the time that's not legible." "Oh, it wasn't so hard!" laughed Shirley, "It was the subject that ap- pealed rather than any special skill of mine. The trusts and their misdeeds are the favorite topics of the hour. The whole country is talking about nothing else, My book came at the right time. that's all." Although "The American Octopus" was a direct attack on her own hus- band, Mrs, Ryder seeretly admired thio young woman who had dared to speak a few blunt truths. It was a courage which, alas, she had always Tacked her self, but there was a certain satisfac- tion in knowing there were women In the world not entirely cowed by the tyrant man. "I have always wanted a daughter," went on Mrs. Ryder, becoming eonfi- dentist, while Shirley removed her things and made herself at home. "Girls of your age are so companiona- ble." Then abruptly she asked, "Do your parents live in New York?" Shirley's face flushed, and she stoop- ed over her trunk to bide ber embar- rassment. "NA=not at present," she answered evasively. "My mother and father are in the country." She was afraid that more questions of a personal nature would follow, but 1 '11 "What What a young flirt nnn ore to helve made stitch "int}r!" apparently Sirs. nyder woos not In an iniiuisltive mood, fin. he :irked Huth• lag further. Shu duty said: ""I have a son. but 1 don't see total h of him. You must meet my Jefferson IIe Is such a nice boy." Shirley tried to look unconcerned as she replied: "I fact hint yesterday. Mr Ryder iutrodttced him to me." "Poor laid! tie hes his troubles, too," went on Mrs. Ryder. "Idee w a with a girl, but his rather malts tltia' to marry Home otte else. 'Chef `re quai`� reling over it all the time." "i'alreuts shouldn't Interfere In nisi tore of the heart," said Shirley tie. c4stvety. "What is nxtrc. et'rious Ruth the choosing of a life rontpaniott, and trio are better entitietl to make a free setectioti that: they, who aro going to spend the rest of their days together': Of course itIs father's duty to ;eve his son the benefit of bis riper exipert- etice, but to insist on n tuarriagc heee4 051yon businead interests Is dittl' ba, than a crime. Where ate cansi,sere-' Hoof: more important If the union Is to be a` happy or a tasting ore. The chief thing is that the man siuenld feel real attath:neat for the' wbnran he marries. Two people who are to live together as men end wife must be compatible in THE MOAN TIMES, JULY 1913 tastes and temper. You cannot mix ell and water. It Is these eellish mar- riages which keep our divorce courts busy. Money alone won't boy happi, nese in Marriage." "No," sighed Mrs, Ryder, "No one knows that better than I." The lnaneier's wlfe was already most favorably impressed with her guest, and she chatted on as if she had known Shirley for years. It was rare- ly that she had heard so young a wom- an express such common sense views, and the more she talked with her the less surprised she was that she was the author of n much discussed book. Finally, thinking that Shirley might prefer to be alone she rose to go bid- ding i -ding her make herself thoroughly at home and to ring for anything $he might wish. A maid had been assign- ed to look exclusively after her wants, and she could have her meals served in her room or else have them with the family, as she liked. But Shirley, not caring to encounter Mr, Ryder's cold, searching stare more often than neces- sary, said she would prefer to take her meals alone. Left to herself, Shirley settled down to work in earnest. Mr. Ryder had sent to her room ail the material for the biography, and soon she was com- pletely absorbed la the task of sorting and arranging letters, making extracts from records,. compiling data, etc„ lay - bog the foundations for the important book she. was to write. She wondered what they would call It, and she smiled as a peculiarly, appropriate title flash- ed through her mind—"The History of a Crime." Yet she thought they could hardly infringe on Victor Hugo. Per- haps the beat title was the simplest— '"The implest."The History of the Empire Trading Company." Every one would under- stand that it told the story of John Burkett Ryder's remarkable career from bis earliest beginnings to the present time. She worked feverishly all that evening getting the material into shape, and the following day found her early at her desk. No one disturbed her, and she wrote steadily on until noon, Mrs. Ryder only once putting her head in the door to wish her good morning. After luncheon Shirley decided that the weather was too glorious to remain indoors. Her health must not be jeop- ardized even to advance the interests of the Colossus, so she put on her hat and left the house to go for a walk. The air smelled sweet to her after be - Ing confined so long indoors, and she walked with a more elastic and buoy- ant step than she had since her return 'home, Turning down Fifth avenue, sbe entered the park at Seventy-second street, following the pathway until she eame to the bend in the driveway op postte the Casino. The park was at most deserted at that hour, and there was a delightful sense of solitude and a sweet scent of new mown hay' from the freshly cut lawns. She found an empty bench, well shaded by an over - spreading tree, and sat down, grate- ful for the rest and quiet She wondered what Jefferson thought of her action in coming to hitt father's house practically in disguise and un- der an assumed name. She must see him at once, for in him lay her hope of obtaining' possession' of the letters. Certainly she felt no delicacy or com- punction in asking JeffersoV to do her this ,service. The letters belonged to her father, and they were being wrong- fully withheld' with the deliberate pur- pose of doing him an injury. She had A moral if not a legal right to recover the letters in any way that she could, She was so deeply engrossed in her thoughts that she had not noticed °a • hansom cab whtcb, suddenly 'siren,' up with a jerk at the curb opposite her bench.` Artier/ jumped Out. 'It`was Jef- ferson. "Hello,' Shirley," be cried gayly. "Who Would have expected hi find you rusticating on a bench here? I pictured you grinding away' it home doing lit- erary stunts for the governor." He grinned' kntt'theh added:` 4'Ctitfae for a drive. I'int tO tali/etc; you"‘ Shirley demurred.' No; "site could not spare the time. Yet, she thought to herself, why'was not this a toll' op- portunity to eiplain to Jefferson how be came to find her in his father's, li- brary masquerading under 'atnottter name and also to ask him to secure the letters for her? White she pondered Jefferson 3nbisted, and 'a few" minuted later she. f'o'und i et`self sitthig beside him in the cab. They started off at a brisk pace, Shirley Hitting `with her head back, enjoying the strong breeze caused by the rapid motion. Jell me," be said, "wbat,dpet it all mean? I wed, so startled at see- ing you"in the library the other day that I almost betrayed you. Bost did you cense to call on,father7" Brie1tyShirley explattled everything. She told him how Mr. Ryder bad writ- ten to her. asking her to call and bee him and hoer she had eagerly seized at this last straw in the hope of helping her fattier. She 'teed him about the let- ters, explaining how necessary they were for her father's defense and how she had discovered them. Mr. Ryder, she said, bad seemed to take a fancy to $tei�r`a'hd' had ahked her to remain in , .:.. thetho��bd4 a& hisht guest while she rats compiling bin biography, and she bad accepted the offer not iso mtich for the amount of money hivolved as for the splendid opportunity it afforded her to gaily, possession of the lettere. • "So that Is the mysierioutr *pork you spoke of, to get those letterer said Jefferson, "Yes; that is My Mission. It was a secret. I couldn't tell you. 1 Couldn't tella�one. Only .1udge Stott Wolfs. Ire •l t4a*itt 1 hare rdhd`theta ms Vat 5s Your* x ur a i tin to receive e m Via:' ,sae. And novo," 'she said, "I want your Ilia 'any anewett nisi to Iftli,s0 #hitt+ tit hand she 1110 1'1111e% 1111e% r''HYD: - $t t'W that ate 's4 iMtitit hire to - fx- ptein the nittno0 of the eervlce she wanted. He understood. "Where art the letter's#" he demand. ed. "In the left hand drawer of your fa- ther's desk," she answered. Ile was silent for a few moments, and then he said simply: "I will get them," The cap by. tide time had got as far as Clareinont, and from the hill sum- mit they had a splendid view of the broad sweep of the majestic Hudson and the towering walls of the blue palisades, The day was so beautiful and the air so Invigorating that Jeffer- son suggested a ramble along the banks of the river. 7:hey could leave the eel, at Claremont and drive back to the city later. Shirley was too grateful to hi t cfor his ,� 1m promise a e of co- operation to make any further oppose tam, and seen they were far away from beaten highways, down on the banks of the historic stream, picking flowers and laughing merrily like two truant children bent on a self made holiday. The place they bad reached was just outside the northern bound- aries of Harlem, a sylvan spot still un- spoiled by the rude invaelon of the flat - house builder. The land, thickly wood- ed, sloped down sharply to the wa- ter, and the perfect quiet was broken only by the washing of the tiny surf against the river bank and the shrill notes of the birds in the trees. Although it was late in October, the day was warm, and Shirley soon tired of climbing over bramble entangled verdure. The rich grass underfoot looked cool and inviting, and the nat- ural slope .of the ground affording an Meati resting place she sat there, with ,iefferson stretched out at her feet, both watching idly the dancing waters of the broad Hudson, spangled with gleams of light, as they swept swiftly by on their journey to the sea. "Shirley," said Jefferson suddenly, "I suppose you saw that ridiculous story about my alleged engagement to Miss Roberts. I hope you understood that it was done without my consent." "If I did not guess it, Jeff," she an- swered, "your assurance would be suf- ficient. Besides," she added, "what right have I to object?" "l3ut I want you to have the right," he replied earnestly. "I'm going to stop this Roberts nonsense in a way my father hardly anticipates. I'm just waiting n chance to talk to him. I'll show Ulm the absurdity of announcing me engaged to a girl who is about to elope with his private secretary!" "Elope with the secretary!" exclaim- ed Shirley. Jefferson told all about the letter be had found on the staircase and tate Iion. Fitzroy Bagley's plans for a run- away marriage with the senator's wealthy daughter. "It's a godsend to me," be said glee - tally. "'Tbeir plafi is to get married next Wednesday. I71 see my father on Tuesday. I'll put the evidence in his hands, and I don't think," he added grimly, "he'll bother me any more about Miss Roberts." "So you're not going away now?" said Shirley, smiling down at him. He sat up and leaned over toward her. "I can't, Shirley, I simply can't," be replied, his voice trembling. "You are more to me than I dreamed a woman could ever be. I realize it more forci- bly every day. There is no use fight- ing against it. Without you my work, my life, means nothing." Shirley shook her heed and averted her eyes. "Don't let us speak of that, Jeff," she pleaded gently. "I told you I did not belong to myself while my father was in peril." "But I must speak of it," he Inter- rupted. "Shirley, you do yourself an injustice as well as me. You are not indifferent to me—I feel that. Then why raise this barrier between us?" A sofa light stole into the girl's eyes. Ah, it was good to feel there was some one to whom she was everything in the world! "Don't ask me to betray my trust, Jeff," sbe faltered. "You know I am not indifferent to you—far from it. But I"— He came closer until his face nearly touched hers. "1 love you -1 want you," he mur- wnred feverishly. "Give me the right to claim you before all the world as my future wife!" Every note of his rich. manly voice. vibrating with impetuous passion, sounded in Shirley's ear like a soft caress. She closed her eyes. A strange feeling of languor WAS stealing over her: a mysterious Milli Tit,sed through her whole dady. 'I he eternal. inevita- ble sex 'instinct was disturbing for the first time a woman whose life had been singularly tree from such influ- ences. putting to tlieht all 1hu t:alcula- ti' ns and resolves her rooter jadgutent 11.0 nnad' 'rd... .. .. ,. a.. rm ."r tt. Cued Eczema Like Magic Suffered for Years --Tried Alt Kinds of Treatment --Surprised at Results From Dr; Chase's Ointnient, You can soon tell when people are enthusiastic about medical treatment by the language they use. After ex- perimenting with all sorts of oint- ments in a vain effort to obtain relief Lind mire, the writer of tides letter was astonished at the tiutelt and batisfac- tory results obtained by the me of Dr, Chase'e Ointment. "It worked like magic.," she writes. Indeed, it is surprising the healing that is often effected in to single night by thigreat ointment. T tr E he stintin- g and itching are r Cliev ed at once, and cure is only a matter of time and p+2 e patient t ati treatment. atm .n . burs. Clemexts. 13 Strange street Torbnto, Oht., Writes: "1 have suf- fered tram eczema tot years, and af- ter using all kinds; of ointments, at best tried Dr. Ch .s e,a Ointment. men . It Worked like magic and proved a God- send to me. 31 Would advise anyone buffering from eczema to try one box and be convinced." 60 eente a box, all dealers, or EdinanSon, Bated & Co., •Llmlted, "I'orgttt% place --the -distant splash of the water, the singing of the birds, the .fragrance of the trees attd grass --all these sym- bols of the joy of life conspired to arouse the love hunger of the woman. Why, after all, slmuld she not know happiness like other women? She had a snered duty to perform. It was true, but would It be less well dope beetruse Ole declined to grille the natural lean. Ings of her wontanboed? Roth her soul anti her body culled on t. "Let title yuan lore pm; gine yqut'se!f to him: he k worthy 0f your love." dial[ unconsciously ehe listened to his ardcut wooing, her eyes shut, as be spoke quickly• passionately, his breath warm t c 1 1 up to her cheek:. • Shirley, 1 offer you all the devotion a titan can give a woman. Say the one wotu that will make ate the happiest or the atnst wretched of men. Yes or no: only think wed before you wreck "Say you wiU be my witel" my life. I love you—I love you! d will wait for you if need be until the crack of doom. Say—say you will be my wife!" She opened her eyes. His face was bent close over hers. Their lips almost touched. "Yes, Jefferson," she murmured, "I do lore you!" His lips tnet hers in a long, passion- ate kiss. Icer eyes closed, and an ecstatic thrill seemed to convulse het entire being. The birds in the trees overhead sang in more joyful chorus in celebration of the betrothal. CHAPTER XIV. T was nearly 7 o'clock when Shiro ley got back to Seventy-fourt:c street. No one saw her come in, and she went direct to her room and after a hasty dinuer worked until late into the night on her book to make up for lost time. The eveuts of the afternoon caused her considerable un- easiness, She reproached herself for tier weakness and for having yielded so readily to the impulse of the mo- ment. She had said only what was the truth w•heu she admitted she loved Jefferson, but what right had she to dispose of her future while her father's fate was still uncertain? Iter cot: - science troubled her, and when she came to reason it out calmly the more impossible seemed their union from ev- ery point of view. How could she be- come the daughter-in-law of the man tvho bad ruined her own father? The idea was preposterous, and hard as the sacrifice would be Jefferson must be made to see it in that light. Their engngetuent was the greatest folly.' It honor each of them. wbcn nothing hut unhappiness could possibly come of it, the was sure now that site loved .lef- fl exon. It would be hard to give him en, but there are times and cireum- atan'cs when ditty and principle must Preva" over all other considerations, rind this she felt was one of them. The following morning she recolvy i! a letter from Stott. He was delighted to bear the good news regarding her important discovery, and he urged her to lose no time in securing the Letters and forwarding them to Massapequa, when he 'Would immediately go to Washington and lay them before the senate. Documentary evidence of that conclusive nature, he went on to say, would prove of the very highest value in clearing her father's name. He added that the judge and her. mother were as well as circumstances would permit and that they were not in the least worried about her protracted'' ab- sence. Her Aunt Milly had already returned to Europe, and Eudoxia was still threatening to leave daily. Shirley needed no urging. She quite realized the importance of acting quickly, but it was not easy to get at the letters. The library was usu- ally kept locked when the great man was away, and on the few occasions when access to it was possible the lynx eyed Mr. l_tagley was always on guard. Short as bad been her stay in the Ry- der household Shirley already shared Jefferson's antipathy to the English secretory, whose' manner 'gxew more supercilious and overbearing es he drew nearer the date When he expect- ed to run off with one of the richest catches of the season. He had not sought the acquaintance of his em - player's biographer since her arrival and, with the exception of a rude stare, had not deigned to notice her, which attitude of haughty Indifference was all the more remarkable in view of the feet that the lion. I1ttroy usually left nothing unturned to cultivate a ilirta- ilous intlinecy withevery attractive tPmale he met The truth. that what with Mr. nyler'sde as upon his services aid his ownP t'era tiotad for his coming matrimonial venture, which he had so'lunch at state; he heti neither these not bielnatian to indulge his customa at/erelong. >'y *meteora MisS Roberts had called at the Woos several timrb, ostensibly to bet Mea, Ryder, and when introdeeeill to Shirley MOMMINIIIIMMIONINWIMMMINIONOMI. IMIM -__ ll11A,,,,,,,,,,„„,,,,„ IUUU"AIRIIUPI11111HfxHn 9 t)(M 1)m)Yts t ur "anon IllItm •• mtttwrmmnunruria rte" J n nu•tmmidmnutmmnnnwuttruetvmdm t m ,lilye etable1'reparatiouforAs- stmt>a ti oodandle u - tip$ ILi S1Nu,trhs Bowels of _ln1ANIS--'LHlLDU N PlornotcsDi estion,Ciheerf'u1- Ilessand RCst.CofitainS neither tit;Morpttind norITtnefeit. OT N,di.RCOTIC, ea'o/dlitsihrtZtE71 ii JiL,y,#m twl- .. t.ur. - ,,,,r414,- IJTitvJon frJs. I ffli...,t..d- Apetfect Remedy for Constipa- tion, Sour Stolnach,Diarrhoea, Worms ,Convulsions ,Feverish- siess trod LOSS Old SLEEP. the Simile Signature of NEW YORK. • At 43, two, ft . old ' 5 I! i ltlt-3 Ct r e s: ;• - EXACT COPY OF WRAPPER. t. CASTORIA For Infante and Children. imernownowswprosamorminnor The Kind You Have Always Bought Bears the Signature of } In Use' 1 For Over Thirty Years CAST i RIA THE ee"Tt1YN.O$P11"T, N :W TONE err?. she had condescended to give the lat- ter a supercilious nod. Her conversa- tion was generally of the silly, vacu- ous sort, concerning chiefly new dresses or bonnets, and Shirley at once read her character—frivolous, amusement loving, empty headed, irresponsible— just the kind of girl to do something foolish without weighing the conse- quences. After chatting a few mo- ments with Mrs. Ryder she would usu- ally vanish, and one day after one of these mysterious disappearances Shir- ley happened to pass the library and caught sight of her and Mr. Bagley conversing in subdued and eager tones. It was very evident that the elopement scheme was fast maturing. It the scandal was to be prevented, Jefferson ought to see his father and acquaint him with the facts without delay. It was probable that at the same time he would make an effort to secure the Let- ters. Meantime she must be patient Too much hurry might spoil every- thing. So the days passed. Shirley devoting almost all her time to the history site bad undertaken. She saw nothing of Ryder senior, but a good deal of his wife, to wbom she soon became much attacbed. She found her an amiable, good natured woman, entirely free from that offensive arrogance and pat- ronizing condescension which usually mark the parvenu as distinct from the thoroughbred. Mrs, Ryder had no claims to distinguished lineage; on the contrary, she was the daughter of a country grocer when the then rising oil man married her, and of educational advantages she had had little or none. It was purely by accident that she was the wife of the richest man in the world, and, while she enjoyed the pres- tige her husband's prominence gave tier, she never allowed it to turn her head. She gave away large sums for charitable purposes and, strange to say, when the gift came direct from her the money was never returned on the plea that it was "tainted." She shared ber husband's dislike for enter- taining and led practically the life of a recluse. The advent of Shirley, there- fore, into her quiet and uneventful ex- istence was as wcteome as sunshine when it breaks through the clouds aft- er days of gloom. Quite a friendship sprang up between the two women, and when tired of writing Shirley would go into Mrs. Ryder's room and chat until the financier's wife began to look forward to these little impromptu visits, so much she enjoyed them. Nothing tnore had been said concern- ing Jefferson and Miss Roberts, The young man had not yet seen his father, but his mother knew be was only wait- ing an opportunity to demand an expla- nation of the engagement announce - meats. Her husband, on the other hand, desired the match -more then ever, owing to the eontinned importu- nities of Senator Roberts. .As usual, Mrs. Ryder confided these little domes - ate troubles to Shirley. "Jefferson," she said, "is very angry. He is determined not to marry the girl, and when he and his father de meet there'll be another scene." "What objeet#ai has your son to Miss Roberts?" inquired Shirley inno- cently. "Oh, the usual reason," sighed the? mother, "and rye dao doubt he knows best. He's to lease with smother girl --•- a Miss iitoesmort."' "(h, ;hes," ateaweeeed Shirley simply. "Idr. *der spire et ber." Ryder with silent, and lr esen . 1y sbe left the girl alone with her '! he Tied afternoon Shirley +was its ber toot busy writing when there cense a tip Litt her door. Thinking it wan 'medley v#s#teta Mrs. rs. $ d ' y er, sbe did not look up, but cried out pleas- aatlyt mition5 laid' alai 1ltydler entered. Ile ensiled bel+- dially sad, se it hpalOglaiall fate tier Antits,IN IUltl +kreiM zA::r.. y "R thought I'd run up to see bow yetla were getting along." His coining was so unexpected that for a moment Shirley was startled, but she quickly regained her composure and asked him to take a seat. Be seemed leased to find her making such good progress, and he stopped to ate/ swer a number of questions she put tot him. Shirley tried to be cordial, but when she looked well at him and noted the keen, hawk -like eyes, the cruel* vindictive lines about the month, tbet square set, relentless jaw—Wall street bad gone wrong with the Colossus that day, and he was stilt wearing his wan paint—sbe recalled the wrong this mala had done her father, and she felt how bitterly she bated him. The more her mind dwelt upon it the more exasper+ ated she was to think she should be there, a guest under his root, and It was only with the greatest difficulty that she remained civil. "What is the moral of your lifeP she demanded bluntly. rr He was quick to note the coatempttt- ous tone in her voice, and he gave bee a keen, searching look as if he were trying co read her thoughts and fathom the reason for her very evident hostil- ity toward him. "What do you mean?' he asked. "I mean what can you show as your!' life work? Most men whose lives are big enough to call for biographies have, done something useful. They have been famous statesmen, eminent seien-• tists, celebrated authors, great invent- ors. What have you done?" • The question appeared to stagger him. The audacity of any one putting such a question to a man in his own( house was incredible. He squared hie, jaws, and his clinched fist descended t heavily on the table. >G "What have I done?" he cried. "t have built up the greatest fortune evete accumulated by one man. My tabu" loos wealth has caused my name Uri spread to the four corners of the earth, is that not an achievement to relate to future generations?" Shirley gave a little shrug of herr shouklers. 'I•'utnre generations will take no in- terest it: you nr your millions," aids 1 said calmly. "Our civilization .wilt have made such progress by that time i that people will merely wonder wit.' we. In our day. tolerated men of yothel class so long. Now it is dafterent. The world is money mad. You are a per- son of importance in the eyes of the nethinkiug multitude, but it only en- vies you your fortune; it does not ad - mite you persenally. When you die. people will count your millions, not your good deeds." He laughed cynically and drew up a chair near bet desk. As a general thing, John Ryder never wasted words on women. Ile had but a poor opinion ' of their mentality and considered It be- neath the dig_n1ty of any man to entbr into serious argument with a woman. In fact, it sats: seldom he condescend- ed to argue with any one. He gave or- dere and talked td' people; be had no patience to be talked to. Yet he founds himself listening with interest to this young women Who expressed herself so frankly. It was a. deckled novelty for bttn to bear the truth. "What do I care What the world says 'evhen rm dead?" he asked with a forted laugh. "You do care," replied Shirley grave- ly. "You may 'school yourself to be/ 'Wye that you are Indiferent to the, eed _ art our retie* Mao, g iettt o A but 1R y , right aie*tn in your heart you do carat —every man deers, whether be be multi. mtfl#o a# oto a sneak thief." etS, n re, s cak h "You ch%bre, the 't' -o together, I ntr- tied;" he t *141 blt'terly. "it is often a distinction Ithou t it difference," she rejoined promptly. He remained silent for a moment oda (To be continued.)