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Edith X y nothing, but stood, hie: face nesive and expressionless. b B now certain." : ¥¢t you love Mina?" remarked Quilton in a matter-of-fact tone. -_ Clive eyed him steadily. "And yet I love Mina," he eaid grimly. "Quilton, I ~have seen her, epoken to her again, It wag a mistake. She --God help ug both!-- she cares for me still.' And. I had re- solved to tell Lady Edith the truth, to give her her freedom, to obtain mine, and marry Mina--if she would have me. But now, now that Lady Edith is--in trouble, hge this dark cloud hanging over her life, 1-1 must stand by her." Quilton nodded. "Nobleese oblige," he 'commented. "Exactly. ell, that's your} affair. Bo you see that Lady Edith will; have a title of her own--oh, you will end in the House of Lords, of courge!" "Lord Chesterleigh euspeote nothing?" said Clive after a pause. He spoke in the dull voice of a man who has lost all in- terest in life, who has slipped back into row of spectators. "Nothing. He does not know that I was Juanita's, his wife's, lover, before he mar- ried her: I was at Quetta with him, but did not make myself known. I did not; meet him until after his second marriage; | and I should not have attempted to stop | it; if I had known him; for I, too, believ- | ed Juanita to _be dead: until I saw her that night at Palace Yard I stood close beside you, but in the excitement you did not see me--"" There came a knock at the door, and Quilton slipped 'out. He came back in a moment or two, his face pale, his eyelids almost covering his eyes. "She ig dead," he said. CHAPTER XXVII, One nighi, some months later, Clive Was ~.ocoming out of the Houre; and as he paes- ed through the usual crowd, who made a lane for him, he was gazed at with eager curiosity-@nd interest, and those of the spectators who were familiar with the House and its members nudged those who were not so fortunate, and whispered, "That's Mr. Clive Harvey, the Right Hon. Olive Harvey, President of the Lccal Gov- "ernment Board!" They watched him as he went down the ste and along the cor- ridor, some of the; 0 doubt envious.y, but possibly a fi another kind of feeling; for they of d nt fail to see that the successful 'politician not look, not. withstanding his &uccess, as happy as we still think a man ought to look when he has gained his heart's desire. They could not fail-to see that he was thin and pale and carewprn; his well- nit frame wae held erect,' and the keen Ee ooked straight before -them; glow of eatiefaction in evelling some secret outside' IN thing preying on his mind. The Liberals were in with a big jority; and it was they who now lounged ""with an air of complacency in their seat | and talked and laughed with the manner of men who have been "victors in the fight, and are enjoying the epoils; Olive's friends and colleagues thought and expected that he would have been enjoy- had been made President of the Looal! Government Board, and he appointment had been received with general approval, It was said quite openly that, if luck stood by him, he would one day be Premier. But if he displayed no satisfaction or grati-| fication in the honor which had been be- | stowed upon him, he certainly proved the' wisdom of Mr. Graham's choice; and Clive quickly earned the reputation of be- ing "a glutton for work." ¢ Indeed, he seemed to share his time be- tween hig Office, the House, and Grosvenor Bquare, where Lord Chesterleigh Lady Edith frankly and openly displayed the delight and pride in his appointment which appeared to be lacking in Clive himself. And yet they, too, seemed to be uneasily aware that there was some- thing wrong. Lord Chesterleigh ascribed it to overwork; and Lady Edith tried to accept and to ehare this diagnosis of CHve's condition; but she wae possessed by a yague and {ndefinable genss of "eomething wrong," which not even Clive's devoted attention to her could dispel. And, ! indeed, he was the most devoted of filances. 5 He had alwaye been what is called at- tentive te her; but since the election his manner Yad been marked by a chivalrous devotion which had a note of tenderness, an air of protection, which though it should have gratified her, only accentuat- ed her vague and nameless apprehension. Eye and lip eervice, however watchful, however unremitting, is a poor substitute for love. It is strange and awful the amount of ill-treatment a woman will bear from a man uncomplainingly while she is sure of his love for her. Women of the lower orders will cheerfully endure even blows if they are sure that the heart of the brute who ill.treats them still beats for them; and there is little difference at core between 'Arriet, the costermonger's "girl, and your Lady Edith Ohesterleigh. If Clive had been at times impatient, brusque, and, yes, even brutal, Lady Edith would have borne the treatment with more than equanimity, if she could have felt certain that a passionate love for her lay behind it; but he was never {mpa- tient, never brusque, always courteous we and eager to forestall her slightest desire, | to gratify every whim. The pride which "wag her cl characteristic : had been lulled, hypnotized by her love for him; but it was only lulled, only sleeping, and it might be awakened any moment, and cast th fames and ashes like any aroused volcano. Clive was pining of her as he passed out of the House that night; in fact, wae always thinking of her. He lived in endeavor to thrust Mina out of his i So ao tha ah 'of Course, between Nim" and and and you comin es And ih} te . Bit never mind that. I have foci to-go awag--it you will go with me?" His face orimeoned, and she caught her reath. "Yes, dearest," he went oi "I want you to mary me at once. ere is no reason why we should wait any longer, We must be married quickly, I'm 'afraid we shan't be able to afford a long honey- moon; there is so much to do at the Of fice; and they want me in the House, Her bosom heaved and her eyes glowed. She drew a li.tle nearer to him, and leant her head on his breast. a "1 will do whatever you wish, Clive, gho said. "Yes; I will marry you when- ever ryou like. Buit--but are you sure that you want to marry me so soon? You are 80 busy, so absorbed, Oh, I know it is inevitable. But sometimes I feel as if --ag if I only occupied a subordinate po- sition in your life; as if you loved your iyinyy work first' and me afterwards." He put his arm round her and essayed ip to caress and smile her doubts to TeSty ha had not heard .the Question; but to-night her vague apprehensions found a voice, forced her into 'speech. "Clive, sometimes I am conscious of a terrible, horrible feeling that I do not possess the whole of your heart; that-- that you do not love me as I love you. Ah, but that would be impossible; but I fear eometimes--it creeps over me like a chill, like the touch of death itself-- that if, by some evil chance, we were gepa- rated, that if all were over between us, you would not care, would not suffer." "My dear Edith," fie began, with a chill like that of which she, had spoken creep- ing over him; but she broke in again be- fore he could continue: "If there are any grounds for my fear, if for any reason I am right in thie dread of mine, I want you to tell me. I could bear it from your lips. It would kill me, but I should not complain. What I could not endure would be to discover it in other ways. That would. not kill me, but would drive me mad." She drew herelf from him and stood erect, her face whit, her eyes flashing: she was at that mo- ment the personification of the pride that is alldevouring, implacable, Clive took her hands and drew her down beside him again. "My marriage with you ie the one aim and desire of my life, Edith," he said gravely. "Put all such thoughts away from you. Believe me when I gay that my whole life shall be devoted to making you happy." "You can make me happy with a word, Clive, if you knew how I loved you--but you never will know! Yes; I will marry you whenever you like--you know that" Lord Chesterleigh knocked at the door while they were talking and arranging the marriage; and he entered into - the discussion with a joy and a pleasure too obvious for concealment. Lady Edith de- gided that €he could get her troussean to- three weeks; and an-approxi- e for the marriage was chosen to- e end of that period; and Olive e with that eense of relief which a. momentous decision. sition a occupied his old rooms in Burleigh Street, still very often dined off a mutton chop, and still smoked his old briar. Now and again he met Quilton on the stairs, 'or Quilton came to his rooms; but the con- | versation of the two men was almost en- ing his share of the good things; for he | tirely confined to political and similar subjects. Mina and the unhappy woman, her mother, were never mentioned. Quil: ton's manner to Olive was as impertur. able and indifferent as it=had been in the early stages of their acquaintance; or, if| i there wae any change, it was indicated by a certain tone of pity and sympathy; anyway, Quilton had not treated Clive lately with the touch of sardonic irony which he displayed on one or two occa- sions some months before. That night Olive paused at his own door, and then went up to Quilton's room, Te was conscious of a desire to te.l him of the approaching marriage. He knocked at the door, and Quilton opened it cau- tiongly; a very little way; but, seeing that it was Clive, at once opened it wide: ly and beckoned him to 'enter. Quilton cleared a chair by the simple operation of tilting the books and papers upon it to the floor, and Clive sat down and leant his head on his hands. He was the Right Hon. Clive Harvey, a possible Premier; but at that moment he felt that he would willingly change places with the solitary worker who lived in that chéer- less room. Quilton pushed hig tobacco pouch across the table, and, seating him- self on the arm of his writing-chair, filled his own pipe. AS - "Anything the matter?" he inquired in a casual way, a Olive roused himself from hie reverie. "Thé matter? Oh, no. I am going to be married in about three weeks; and I thought I ghould like to. tell you. Will you come to the ceremony, Quilton?' "Much- honored by the invitation," said Quilton;. "but. marriages are not in my way. ' All the same, I wish you luck, Where are you goixg to spend your honey- moon? Try Bwitzerland. Yon look to me off color, as if yon wanted toning. up; and there is nothing like a dose of Al- e air. Thinge going all right in th louse' 3 » "Oh, yes,' eald Olive listlessly. "I gee that some of your Bocialistic friends are making themeelves a nufs: ance," said Quilton; "and those who are out of the House appear to bp ae bitter as those inside it." "Oh, do they?" said Olive." < "Yes," sald Quilton, staring at his pipe. "There's a man named Koshki who seems to have his knifé in you. Know him? But, 'of gouree 'you do. ntleman speaks with a: Bolish-Germanjc-Whitechapel = alien ac. cent, and adde to his other p harming sudlitite an inherent dislike of soap an "Just 60. And, of course, you know you being shadowed?" eaid Qulilton, as as before. PRLS "Oh, am IP BT "Yes; very closely and very neatly I happened to spot 'this as I out of the House the 0 a lady is taking part a look," she said; "and you know it. Oh, | bad water." . : Clive laughed mirthlessly. 'Oh, I know he | him." . they, have ordered her to give up singing teke a rest, a long rest, A case of the sword wearing out the secabburd, I should say." Clive's face grew still paler, and the eyes he raised to Quilton were heavy with pain and troub e and d-spair. "Not--not seriously?" he asked almost inaudibly. "Oh, no," replied Quilton. put matters right." "Where--where is ghe?" "A rest will asked Olive y. Quilton stared before him. "In ahout ree weeks, you think?' he said, as if "Let me | know when the date is quite fixed, so that I can give a gorgeous account of the af- fair in the Beacon. What wretched wea- ther we have been having lately, eh?' Olive knew that it wre no use his eek- ing any further questions. With a sigh he moved to the door. As.he opened it Quilton eaid: , "By the way, I should keep my eye up- on that fellow Koshki, to say nothing of Sara. Koshki dea s in dynamite, and our friends the Hindoos are most of them familiar with the use of the knife." Clive shrugged his shoulders. with an indifference too profound for contempt, and went down the stairs with a slow and heavy step. i . CHAPTER XXVIII The weeks rolled on, and Clive moved through them like a man in a dream. Now, Nature keenly resents the kind of affront he was offering to her, and she retaliated with insomnia. He could not sleep, and he dared not take narcotics; for, clever as we are nowa. days, no chemist hae been able to discover a narcotic that will not affect the brain; and of course, Mr. Olive Harvey, the Cabinet Minister, had to keep his clear and in working 'order. Meanwhile Lady Edith was busy with her trousseau; and it engaged so much of her time that she saw very little ot Clive, excepting at night, when, flushed with his Parliamentary work, he did not look as ae he really wae. And yet, at times, she caught a look on his face which awak. ened her vague uneasiness; but she lulled it to rest by the reflection that in a little while they would have left London, and Clive would get the rest he so sorely needed, They were within a week of the wed- ministrator of his department that Mr. Pelletier has made his best mark. When he assumed the duties of head of the Postal Service, one of his first official acts was to start an investigation into the conditions under which the employes of his department labored. One of the things he discovered was that mail clerks, the majority of whom were receiving $800 a year, were com- pelled before entering the service to write essays on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and other Hon, H. L. Pelletier, ding, when one night a telegram was brought into the House for Clive. Heo opened it listlessly; then started and stared at it like a man who hae received a sudden shock. "No bad news, I hope?" 'said Mr. Gra- ham, who was gitting beside him. Olive mechanically handed him the tele- gram. "My brother Adolphus is dead," he said. He left the House at once and went round to 'Grosvenor Square. Both Lord Chesterleigh and Edith happened to be news; and Lady Edith wert white; for in an instant she saw that the wedding 'would have to be postponed. in; they were, of course, aghaet at the | historical and philosophical sub- jects. The practical mind of the Minister couldn't®see any mnotice- able connection between the des- truction of the Empire of Rome and the expeditious handling - of the people' smail, and he immediately made: the entrance examination more consistent with the necessary qualifications for the service, and "My poor Clive!" said Lord Ohester. leigh. "It is so sudden, so unexpected-- and yes he wae always delicate gnd ail ng "Yes," eald Clive in a low voice; "and that is why I did not attach any great importance to some of his letters, God forgive me! whe is at Rafborough, and I don't Know 'where Bertie is." He got up and- looked round him' vaguely, "Yen; you must go at once," said Lord Chesterleigh with sympathy. "Of course," he added guietly, "the wedding must be postponed." - ¥ Olive .gighed! "I'm afraid it must," he said. He raised his. eyes to Lady Edith, and found hers fixed on him with a euri- ous expression. "But only for a short time. We could have a very quiet weds ding. as soon as possible," She said nothing. They were alone to- gether for only a féw minutes before he started, and she was very silent. Death had dashed the eup from her lips: would it be witheld from them for ever? was the thought, the dread that emote across her mind, her heart, Ee (To be continued.) L. P. PELLERIER, P.M.G. the Borden "Cabinet. ister in the Capital these days is letier, often. referred to as the generally conceded the honor of bes ing tke Progressive of the Borden Administration. So hard worked is office which he occupies in-the Lan- gevin Block--the building 'with the vel kitchenette," and each day his lurch; consisting of sandwiches and coffee, is there prepara d hastily di { tha I must go down at once: he Said 'to Be the Most Progressive of 'The hardest worked Cabinet Mins A the Honorable Louis Philippe Pel-{ 'Fighting Postmaster,"' and pretty | 'Mr. «Pelletier that he has had in-} stalled in the outer room of thé big] - two-million dollar roof--a' very no-| - for him | wage., Next Mr. Pelletier turned his attention to the country post- master. He took the attitude that if the Post-Office was going to be run by the people for the people, the people who ran it should be pro- perly treated by those for whom it was run, and he dipped into the de- partment's fat surplus for an in- crease of salaries all around. He next investigated the grievances of his thousand or more employes in Ottawa, and: soon satisfied himself that .the conditions--housing and sanitagy--under which they worked were not conducive to health; con- tentiment, and eonsequently, to efficiency. Bo he ordered" every- thing changed, and the gratitude 'of: the' employes was tangibly express- ed last summer by an attempt to present him with a loving cup--an incidentally gave the men a living{* Easy to app witty, re is a favo! 1e newspaper fostespondents, and is popular with the leading politicians on hoth sides of the Houser Even with Mr. Lemieux, his most bitter antagonist, he is on amiable speak- ing terms outside the Commons chamber,--M. Grattan O'Hearn in Toronto Star Weekly. mmm Wl ct EGG PRESERVATION. New Process Is In Vogue in Swit- zerland. The American consul at Zurich recently made a report of a new process of preserving eggs which has been brought out in that coun- try and which has attracted a great deal of attention because of its con- venience and economy. It is eaid that the materials from which the preservative is made may be had in almost any country and are no- where expensive. In the treatment of the eggs a flat vessel of about one hundred quarts is filled to' half its capacity with the preserving agent, into which the eggs are dip- ped for two minutes and: then al- lowed to dry. For the dipping pro- 'cess the eggs are placed in flat wire & STOVE A Paste No Waste He provides his ho and fat for the market in Mey gr Jute, . "INTERNATIONAL STOCK FOOD." Your sows will.raise TWO GOOD LITTERS of ¥8op. For fattening 'pigs for pounds extra a day, there 13 nothing in with it. your hogs? 3 for onc cent, gas © basket is dip ed after the other, and by emplo; : fre a large. vessel several: b may be dipped simultaneously. this manner two or three: p | oan dip 200,000 eggs per day. "The i process is said to be / ion to cold storage, and the coating is good for nine mo and the' eggs lose none of the qus ties of the fresh egg. » -- Marriage is more often a disap pointment than a failure. A lazy man seldom complains bev cause he is unable to find work. Dr, Every mother thinks she has the dearest baby in the world. So does the father when the bills come in. - ---------- OVE POLISHE A Winner at the Rang; te F F. DALLEY G vn. 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Why don't you feed it and make more m out of | Feeds For sale at all Dealers, "3 } 65 Intemational Stock Food Co., Limiied, Toronty ~~ SNINE attempt which was foiled by the OME - ¢s Others, best men "cement -- Cement "-- the man who ork msists more careful, say they want does ask for sO many bags of