The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

'te-fO^^KH-^H^^^tt+XH-O+ft^Q^tt^xmW^^^^HS^tt <.^^ â- f i R« fe » o â- *â-  •*â-  CHA£>'rp:u xviii. sai 1 THE STEWARD'S SON start, I and I swore that I wouldn't lio a mere tailor's dummy clothed in a I title any longer. I swore 1 would ; cut the old life, the sporting clubs. j and the rest of it, â€" andâ€" well, 1 I made up my mind to try and prove I myself a man." I .lack pullefl at his pipe, leaning his head upon his hand, but lookiny almost as grim and surly as Ijofore I "I'd got a knack of drawing and tionatclv; "you're not going to cut I Pa'"* '"K'" "''^nt on Cyril, "and I up rough, are you?" j tl'ouxl't that I'd try to earn my liv- "I don't know about cutting up , '"K '^^ that. If that failed, I detor- rou-h. my lord," .said .lack, with an '"'''*''' ^ ^ ^'^V something else, I duint emrhusis un tho tillo; •but if I am '="'â- <' ""''"'â-  ^'<' ^^"'•'° "â-  ^abâ€" I couM to speak my mind to yuur lordship, j 'l" thatâ€" or become a tram car coii- I should say that you have played fJ""^'"!-. or keep a bookstall at a it pretty low down on m.." 1 railway station â€" -'â- -' =- C\ril huns; his head, and after a "I am Viscount SanlU'igh! Cyril Burno. .Jack Wesley gave a slight then he looked at t'yril almost ang- rily. "This i.s rather a surprise, m> lord," ho said coldly. ' 'My lord!' Oh. corbie now. Jack," remonstrated Cyril, (lushing and eye iDfe' his friend anxiously, but allec enlist in the guards â€" anything â€" anything in the i world rather than go back to the old ' useless life, of which I was utterly sick and tired and ashamed." lie paused, and .Jack Wesley glaii'- ed at him a trifle h>ss savagely. I "I had a hard time of it, .lack. I ! never knew the value of the coin un- Itil I'd lost it. I hadn't any idea •Why did you allow me to believe ''"'w beastly it was to li^o in a that you were just a hard up artist. luoinent Jack We^by coulinued: "l don't demand an explanation but perhaps you wont mind telling me why you considered it necessary to carry on this masciuerade* Why did you pass your.self off as a com- mori person like tnysi^lf -" ">iow. .lack!" implored Cyril of and permit nie to make a friend >ou^.> I'm not proud " ••Oh. aron^t you. Oh, no," mut- tcriH! t".yril_. "Hut I'm' 'ii^t over fond of lords at the best of tinaes, nnd I â€" well, i reieat it; vou have played it con- siderably low down upon me," and ""<' ^ ^^^s walking up hij lace flushed angrily. "Now liy, Waterloo liridgo trying to make U'. on the candid line, 1 may as we'ft '".\' ">i'i<l »« <-" which of the phasing •occupations I've mentionr-d I should wretched little attic in an out-ot-tho way street until I^d trieil it; nnd tl-.- worst of it was that it looked us ;i I shouldn't be able to live in an at- tic if I depended u[)on my nrtisli.- skill. The picture doale s wouldn't look at me â€" and fpiito right, (or 1 couldn't paint then worth a cent-- and doWii turn ui> hand to when â€" you fownd continue and speak my whole mind. and at the risk of oITeuding yoni- lordship. I beg to state that I thinking'"!" that f(n- an out-at-elbows arti.-t to i Hi.s voice dropped a littU', and Iv pass himself oil for a lord is not Iooke<l at the grim face alTectJonate- much meaner than for a lord to p,;ss ' 'y li'"' gratefully. hini.self olT as a strug-liug artist. Jhit ! "It «as a friend I wanted, a man I hope vou have found it amusing," i «'"> knew the seamy side of life, ani and he no<ld<.d almost .>;uvagely. .could give me a helpiniv hand, an! "Look here, " said Cyril, d.speralo- y" '''^l 't- ^t was you. Jack, who ly, '•whafs the use of getting fur- j ^''"-•ouraged me to work tn; it w..s lous like this. Jack." I am a strug- i you who persuaded tho dialers that gliiiK artist, though I urn \'iscount ^^'"''^ ""S money in my daubs; it Santleigh." was you who. standing by like th<> •Indeed!" commented Jack, cans- ' 'â- ''<'"<' we read of in ancient histurv. tically, as ho deliberatolv knocked ! but very seldom see. have kept me tho a.sheti out of his pipe. " 1 going and pushed mo up to where '. "Yes. Lislon to uie. Jack. I â€" I 'am." didn't mean to tell you; you forced I "Yos! Under the impression that 1 It out of me." was dealing with a square man, net "It's rather a pity that I didn't a fellow who would turn round force it out of vou <'arlier," remark- »"« with his viscountship ed Jack Wesley.' grind v. "Vou think I ought to have tehl â- â€¢Well, perhaps it is. liiit I'm not suck a bad lot in the way of decep- you. tried Well I tried once or twicu. I down at Santleigh at Tn^- tion as you make me," retorted I Chequers. But I was right to keep Cyril. "Jack," and he let his hand m.v -secret, for you would have fah upon his friend's shoulder in theithiown me overboard, as you'd lik.j old. t'aniiUar Mxy," "•you haven't gone through what 1 have; you'd un- derstand " "I'eihaps not. I certainly 'iidn't understand." '•Let iiie make it plain tor you â€" " "It's plain enough, not lo say ugly, as it is." "My father," went on Cyril, pay- ing no attention to the i%-huiuore i interruption, and still looking earn to do now, I dare say." ••t should." assented Jack prompt- ly "Hut you're not going to." retort- ed Cyril. "But I haven't dour; yet We went down to Santleigh. I'll an idea I'd like to .see the old place that would bo mine some cay, if ! cared to claim it " •Ves; I'm not certain I should ev •. have claimed it. I've been happy n.> estly at Jack, '•my father died while, Cyril Uurne. far happier than I wm 1 was at O.xtord. I was twenty-two then, and I started life a viscount, the nephew of an earl, with my mother's money and no end of good spirits. I thought life was going to bo all beer and skittles, and so it wasâ€" for a lime. I tlidiTt know any- thing of tho world. 1 didn't Known anything about mooey, and I v.ent the old road like the young fool i was. without thinking of anything but the pleasure of the moment. as Viscount Santleigh, " dcjlured Cyril, ••and I'd made up my mini that I'd keep as I am. Tho ea:l - my uncle â€" had olTorcd to buy nie out. He wanted to cut off the en- tail, and have the place nnd thj mone.v to do as h^> liked with, ti. leave it to whom he pleased. Ihit somehow I rather kicked at this, mnl I refused. I meant to live on whtt I earned. I was proud of over,- penny 1 got. I'roud of it! That wn'i That was for a time, and not a very the only reason. Hut I'm glad for long time, either, lleforc I'd gotiauother that 1 didn't sell my liirlh- through my money â€" y<s. Jack, even! right. Suntleigh will le hers soni.! before thatâ€" 1 saw through tho hoi day. Jack; not for years, I hope, but lowhess of the game. I saw that tho j some day it will he hers, and I'm people round nie were plctisant and ' glad I'.ve not sold my inheritance smooth just hocau.se I was Viscount Not that I care about it for m.vself. Santleigh. and heir to the title an 1 estalis. I waH vouhk and green, but verdant as I was, 1 soon discovered that it was tor tho good things of tho world that were to fall to my share that people nitide np to me. 1 didn't fitiKpevt. it at lirsl. I thought that it was because I was a rather Xo! I'd rather bo known as Cyril I'.iirnc. tho painter than tho Earl of .\rrowdale with a rent roll a .va.vl long and a seal in the lionso o' Lords." "Any fool can be an earl. -lack." he went on. "but it isn^t everybody who can write a good book or even e^uso the earl somehow has managed to quarrel with all his relatives. Why. his own wife " Ho slopped. "You should see hiiu, .lack. He'^ like a Lord Chesterfield made ovit o' ' steel, and beautifully burnished." | He drew himself up and fingered an imaginary eyeglass, and looked so like the earl that Jack, though he had not seen his lordshii), smiled. i "How such a sweet, beautiful, an gelic creature as Norah can he his daughter " ] 'Hut she iiiuat take after her luothei" poor woman. Jack, her father ha 1 kept her from him until the oiiier day. Isn't ho an amiable, tender- hearted party?" ' "And what do you mean to do, ' my lord!" j "Punch your head if you call n*.; •my lord' again, for one thing," said ' Cyril, promptly; then his face gre.v ' grave. "I mean to follow out niv a "ship piece," when the man, glanc- ing at him from under a pair of shaggy l.rows, stopped short. "Uug pardon. Didn't know you Weren't alone." "All right. Furlong," said Jack ".\ friend of mine, llr. Cyril Burne. Wait a moment, Cyril, before you go," he added. Cyril walked to the window and looked out at the quiet thoroughfare, and the elderly m.an in the peajacket took a ro and laid "All right. Furlong," he said, with a noil, and he look out some silver coins nnd hnndeil them to the man, who look tliem and grulliy growled his thanks. "Any more'?" he asked. "Yes," said Jack, and ho took some papers from his dosii and gave them to him. 'net them done aa soon as you can. Can you let me WHY UK GOT OFF At a guard mounting parade of one of the line regiments tho oflieer inspecting noticed that one of tho men did not have tho backs of hia boots polished up to tho regulation briglilne.ss. "What do you mean by appearing on parade in dirty boots'?" he stern- ly asked the delinquent. Tommy lookml down in innocent )"irof^)aper Vr()urhTsTo<;ketj-'''"'P''''^'= '^^ '»^ '-'"'*'' it on the table "Look behind!" cried ihu olHcer. "A good soldier never looks be- hind him, sir," was the prompt and witty reply. Needless to say Tommy was let oti that time. ES'l'IMATE OF PRAYER. plan. Jack. I wooed my darling as 1^^,^ them back to-morroW? plain Cyril Burno, the artist; and I, ..'ph,, day after," he said, shortly mean to win her as such. "Very well, the day after, then. 'â- 'Ihats rot!" remarked Jack, pjjj y„„ unj anything very wrong it, ^"'«"y,-, the last lot?" ••No. said Cyril firmly. "If 1 | .-Xo, q^hero are no leoparc's went down and declared myself and ; ^hat part of tho wcn-ld." asked for Norah"â€" what music he \ ..(,i,^ j didn't know. Ill bo made of the name! â€" "my aniial'le un- cle would show me the door with his At the recent annual meeting of tho British &{c<lical .Association I r. 'ITieodoro B. ITyslop. superiiilendLUt of BethleVii Royal Hospital, a spec- ialist in neurology and in tho troat- ment of mental disease, said: "As an alienist ami one whose whole life haa ' been concerned with the sulTerings of '" I the mind, I Would state that of all ; hygienic measures to counteract dtS- and all the miserable .sequels of a iil»- tie.«sed mind, I would undoubtedly give tho lirst place to tho simple habit of prayer." , , . , . .."'"'.'r turbod sleep, depressed spirits careful in my zoology another time. , , , "\'ou can't know everytiung," ro most elegant smde, and shut my ; ,ua,.ked the man, curtly. darling in her room. I know hiin ; | •â- ! beg your pardon. Furlong," re- i Thero is no love lost between us, and j j„rted Jack, gravelv, "an author he'd take delight in kicking me out ,ioes know everything. Ue's bound No! I'll stick to my work, .lacic ; <_„. ^,,„^ ,,„ a,|,„ils he ('oesii't, ho I'll paint this picture for Lord New- | ^.„„ ^i,,,,,, ,„, ^j,,, sp„„ge." all. and if it makes a hit. 111 pre-; .y,^^ j„^„ smiled. g|u„co;I round the sent myself at Santleigh Court aa i Cyril liurne, and " ••Get kicked . little harder," finish- | ..;y,,„ „„ ,,^,.^^ ^^.^^ ^^^,^^ j^g^.j. I room, and at walked out. Cyril, and with a nod. ed .lack. then- asked Cvril. STRANGE REPTILE FAKM. Ferhaps the most exiraordinary reptile farm that was ever institut- ed was one which oxisted for a time in Bengal. The Government, wish- ing tit keep down the breed of that deadlv snake, the cobra, offered a •Why, theu^l^wiU say^ to^iny^darl- ..a,, ol.l fellow I picked up the other j ,,„,.^,:d f^^ every dead cobra which ing, 'Norah difference between us, and lea\e all this for a little collage " "And colli shouli'ci' of mutton. And .she'll say " ••Yes!" exclaimed Cyril, his eyes -lowing brightly with his trust and „,ij^y ^-haracter; I four.d h.m .sitting fuilh 111 the girl he loved. | ^,„ ^he doorstep the other night, and •It's prettj. very. It sounds li-o i j^j, ho seeme<l hard up. I hunted out a popular poem, or Ihi- scene from - ' day." replied Jack Wesley. "IIo says his name is Furlong, anti that he has been a mate on board a trading ship a planter's foreiimn in Ceylon, a fur , J-,,,.^. „ „,„„ii syndicate was formed trucior in the Huilson s Bay 'lerriiorv I ^^^, ^ nursi-rv for cobras was estah- and several other things of a i»'" •-huulil t>r. brought in l.i a police- station. The wily Hindu saw an op- piirtunity of making money. There- ore a small .syndicate was li.she<l. Nl'.GROES ARE LONG-LIVKD. Among the n(?gro races eintenari- Lh.; stream, .vou will lose your l.eavi- tiful lady Norah." "Lose her! .-Xh. Jack, you don't know her. Wait until _\ou've .seen her, talked to her, listened to her. watched the smilo on her face, the light in her dear eyes. Y'ou'll reaU; e then how firm and true, how stanch she is. my angel!" "Lord preserve me from this niid- ness they call love! But I've said my say. The words of wi.sJoin have been uttered, and us usual, have ix^en scolTed at. So, young niiin, you must go your own ("olney Hatch wa.v. Though" â€" ho paused, and a kindly light shone in bi.s earn st e.ves â€" ••I'm idiot enough lo fe.l a little proud of vou " "Jack!" "Y'es, I'm proud of you. I thought tho.se papers he brought"?" ••Well, it's :it'rangL^thut is, if any- thing is strange in this rummiest of all rummy worlds- but Furlong, ruugh us he looks, appears to have been decently educated. Anyhow, he si.\ty years while a white man would be awake for sextmly-five \-ears of the lime. WOOD FOR PENCILS. The amount of wood which is writes a good enough hand for copy- used every year for the nmnufacture ing. and so 1 give him my SCI awl to turn into legible gruphy." "Hut what was that about ards'?" ••Ob, I make nil â- ;' ales sometimes put aniiuuls and flowers and all .'-oris of things in counti ios where they don't live or grow; and Furlong, wlio awful of pencils is almost ineivdihle. Near- calli- ly 1.01)0 acres of cedar trees aro cut down annually for this purpose alone, and of these 2.000 acrts aro in Florida. In Bavaria alono there are .some forty pencil factories, â- f- loop- <•«»! LL!MINOi;S .SUR1M..^S. seems to have boon in every .,uartor I Luminous .shrimps '>"7 I;â„¢'' of tho globe, spots the mistakes and covore.l by the Pnii^e '" ^1^",.''^^" dis- in 6<as mo right." t"« '^""'•«' ^f ^''^ 'l-^'«l'-«^'<v ««l""8 '" •W-U of all the curious e.xper- th^ Mediterranean. They live at a iome-i'" exclaimed Cvril. "Why, who depth of from 1.100 to l.WH) falh- when you ..sprang your vi-icountsl.ip ! ^.^^j,,, ^^^^ ^^at that rough-looking ' oms. They arc of tho size upon me thut there was an end of : (.,„|„-or coubl set tho great uiid learn- ' " ' -'--"â- "â-  "• work for you. an end of an honest i ^,^, '^j. j^,,,, Wosloy right in any self-respcctir.g caner. ^ cs, Cyiil; th'n-- " Ihorgh you are a fool for not tukin.j •â- \cn curious, isn't if? But ni."s advice. I think all the b-tler of ppn,.n„ees are dcceiuul. Who, you for declining it; and to Prove ! r^j.,^,,^,, „.ould suppose that Cyril Burno wa.s " '•'No. Jack, siiut up! 1 say, trii'iid has a reumrUably striking ex- terior. Do you ihiidv he'd mind sitt- i ing for ine as a model'? " to it, I'll agree lo forget that you are a lord, and treat you as if you were idea yoi: .a If plcosant kind of fellow that the paint a decent picture. Them's my women with daughtersâ€" yos, and the senliments, and though I'm sorry 1 girls themselves â€" were so amiaiJo d. ceived you. I don't think you'll bo and friendly. But I got my eyes hard upon me." last, and I â€" Well, I didn't lemarkod .Jack. OPei. at like it." "Thafs strange!" causticall.v. •'I got suspicions, taking no notice. Ill- slopped oi)posilc his friiuid anI held out upoi; him a. respectable num." "Cood old Jack! I'd no disliked a lord so much." "Oh. I like 'em well enoughâ€" ul distance. But now lo busine-s. you mean all you .say. the sooner you SCO Lord Newall's man and ar- range about this picture, tho bet- i ter." "Yes." assented Cyril, promptly. "I'll look him up at once, and then â€" and then I'll start for Brittany. Hut I mu.st run down to Santleigh first, old man; I^vo got to get my trnps and â€" and," ho blushed ingenu- ously. •'Oh. I understand, .nnd to say •gcod-byo.' " ••l>h, and I've promised to go to a flare-up at a great friend of Ni rah's," said Cyril, remeinlering Lady Ferndalo's invitation for W^d- iie.'^day week. ".Vl'l right." said Jack, "orf with you now. then. I've wasted quite enough time upon you this morn- ing" Cyril laughingly made for tho door, when a knock conic, and .lack, al- ready bending over his papers, caU- ed out, "Come in!" Cyril stepped aside, tho door open ed, and a man entered. Cyril haa iio\er seen him before, and he looked at him with some curiosity ap- for Mr '. o.ir of line prawns, and aro slnrid.Mi with small phosphonsceiit .'ipots. These light their way in the gloom of the deep waters. ^ DIDN'T AGREE WITH HIM. .Smithâ€" f hear Green has a bad ca.se of intligestion. Joni'Sâ€" Yes; ho made a derogatory I remark about Col. BilTkins last to have I week. I .Smithâ€" But what has that got 'do with his indigestion'? j .Jonesâ€" The colonel met him tho , following day, and made him eat his words _^ TOOK HIM AT HIS WORD. "Now, Miss' Caustiquo," .--aid young Uorem. who had dropped in to .spend the evening, 'pray do not put yourself out on my account. .Jubt act us if I were not hero.'' â-  '1 hank you, 3lr. Borem," she re- plied. "1 will do as you suggest and proceed to enjoy myself. " I should say ho wouldn't i th" slightest objection," said .lack, i "to earning money in that or any i other way. honest or dishonei-i. Oh, lyes, he'd' sit fi;r a moiiel well. You liiiight call him 'The Retiaued Con- vict.' " ; "What." said Cyiil. "do you thirk " ••No, no," said .lack, quietly. "I I (l(-ii'l know anything about him. and i have no reason lo suppose that hj {was over in Botany Bay. As 1 say. ho w ill probably turn out lo bo a i duke instead of a lickct-oMoavo n>an." ' "Tl'.o old fellow has a furtive Way of looking about him." said Cyril. iUi-on whom Mr. Furlong seemed to ; hnve made an impr.js.sion. â-  "I dare sa.v. So would you have if you had gone through half he says I be'has." remarked .lack. ••I5ul a'oout Newall. Vou won't kuvo London iin- â-  til vou have seen him and settled I something definite^? He is a slippery : '^j'''"' I customer, and is worth sticking lo."|"'*y" "All right." assented Cyril, "T ~ '*' â- mean business. Jack, and will stick BEING EXACT ABOUT IT. :ti his lonlship like wax." jj^g Wiggin.sâ€" "Mr. Wiggins said He was' ""'''" -surprised he would look if,^^^^ ,^,^,. ,^,. ^.^ ^..,, ,,|, ,^,, ^-^^ â- â-  "" ""^you sent in your card-your r''oper|' p,.^f K„gli.sh-"No Madam; PRKTIY SOUR. Bally ns soui (."nhert. .Ir girl were to Mooi-e â€" ••Is Miss as she look^?" â€""Sour. Why look at the si Ulaplace night sho'd curdle the if that on a millyr he said. 'That's a secret which I have only an elderly man. with <i weather- , ^^j^^. j j,,^,^^,, beaten face nnd iron-gray hair, thick; ..,'j sol and muscular; and his figuro and .^^ ,,,.,:;," Vui; ^ourj'aek the old and patched lea.aeu t he , ..fonfound " vou. ves, ^ind I wish! his hand, looking dowijwore gave him tho appearance of "'.,,.,. ^.j i-ppt, it to vourself." growled i with the frank smile th.il>ea captain dcjwn on his loc.;, or o.'jjj^.i^ "There, bo off now. What I I'^nglisli 'horses took the coach up the II rode in it." tho hill. i.ON'T GIVE ADVICE. resumed Cyril. was full of a grateful tenderness. "Well, I suppose, it's more your [ bargee, or p.-rhiips coestguarrismaii. •susi iiious of niisfiu'tiiiie than your fault, yoer be eveiyliody I met. When a pretty gir! ing a viscount," he said; '•and I'll was more than usuall.v ph'asiuit and , say I'll try to fiu'give you nnd gi t aniiable, I .said to mys-'lt, •It's not you yourself she cares for,' anil the thought was just lorlure. I had au Idea that I'd cut the whole thing, and go ofT nnd bury myself in .\in- erica, Australia, anywhere out of the bcaitly world where every poor girl Is taught to li.sh for a man because he happens to be able lo iiuiko a countess and a rich woman of her. While 1 was thinking of this, nnd ser- iously meaning it. the crash came Olvo ma some more 'bacca. Jack. I'd been going the pace ever since T canio Into my mother's nioiu-y, and I'd •pent every penny of it. Worse, I'd borrowed; and the nice little bits of paper were coming in like pigeons to rooBt. Then 1 woke up thoroughly. u.sod to it; but tho artist game .-» pla.ved out now, I imagine. \ou''l go down to the Earl Whal's-his-nanie and, slrilving an altitude, exchiiin, •Heboid your nephew, the viscouni ! 1 e< ino to claim my cousin for m/ bride!" Cyril's face softened, nnd a rapt look came iiilo his eyes, the look vf a man when he hears the word "bride" and calls up the vision of his beloved; but he shook his head. ••No, Jack, not that. I didn't toll you that until the other day I had never seen tho earl." "No!" "No. My father- his brother â€" and ho quarreled yeors ago. I don't think it was my father's fault, bo- Cyrllâ€" artist likeâ€" thought he would make a capital model for a figure in ,. ,' , i Jack, a discharged | ^^.^^ ^.^^ ^,,^, ^^„^ eld rufllan. nu rning's nearly gone." {To be Continued.) It i!> a ;i;ood seheme to act on tho '"^theory lluil people net only don't 'know what is best tor them, but d.>n't want to. I ,*.â- . %: -m: # ^ THE DANGER OF EN TANGLflNf: ALLIANCES. .^^