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

r i â- ^<>^<y^<>4<>^^>4<>4<>^<>^o^^-Â¥<>4<>^<y4<y4<>4<>'tKy^^ • DARE HE? OR, A, SAD LIFE STORY ^^â- ^-O^O-^ 0^<H*<^0<f<>4^>>04KH>-*<>-«H>#K>>0>0-*K>^<>4K>4^>«<>^^ ' CHAPTER XXVII. The sun rides high, as Burgoync issues into the open air, and beats, blinding hot, upon the great stone (lags th.il pave the Florentine streets, and seem to have a peculiar power of absorbing and re- taining light and heal. He must have been longer in the Piazza d'.-Vzoglio than h> had thought, and the redeclion fiuick- ers his step as he hurries, regardless of the midsummer blazeâ€" for, indeetl, it is more than e(iuivalenl to thai of our mid- Buminerâ€" back to the Anglo-Aniericain. As lie reaches it, he hears, with annoy- ance, the clock striking one. He is an- noyed, both because the length of his absence seems to urgue an indifference to tlie tidings he is e.xpecting, and also because he know.* that il is the Wilsims' luncheon hour, and that he will proba- bly find that they have niigraled to the salle-a-maiiger. In this case ho will have tu choose between the two equally d:.sagreeablo alternatives, of following and watching thcni at their food, or that or undergoing a tete-a-tete wilh .Sybilla, who, it is netsJIess to say, dues not ac- company her family to the public dining- room ; a tete-a-tete with Sybilla, which t«. of all forms of social intercourse, that for which he has the least relish. But as he apprehensively opens the salon door, he sees thai his fears are un- founded. They have not yet gone to luncheon ; lliey are all sitting in much tho sumo attitudes as he liad left them, e.\cepl that Sybilla is eating or drinking something of a soupy nature out of a. cup. There arc very few hom's of the day or niglit in which .'>ybilla is not eat- ing something out of a cup. Tliere is that about the entire idleness of the other couple which gives him a fright. Are they loo unhappy ? Have they heard too bud news to be able to settle to any oc- cupation? Urged by this alarm, his question shoots out, almost Lieforo he is inside the door : "Has not he conic yet? Has not the doctor come yet?" "Ho lias been and gone; you see you have been such a very long lime away," replies Cecilia. .She has no inlenlioii of conveying i-cproach, either by her words or lone, but to his .sore conscience it | seems as if both carried it. "And what did he say?" "lie did not say much." "Docs lie â€" does he think that il is any- thingâ€" aiiytliing serious ?" "He did not say." "IJo you meun to tell me" â€" indignnnt- lyâ€" "that you did not ask him?" "If you had been here," replies Ce- cilia, wilh a not ine.xcusahle resentment, "you might have asked him yourself." "Hut did not you ask him?" in too real her disquiet. "What prevented you? I thought, when you left us, that you meant to come back at once ?" "So I did, but ' "But what?" "I could not; I was with Byng." "Wilh Byng?" repeats Cecilia, too genuinely astonished to remember even to prefix a "Mr." to Byng's name. "Why, I should have thought thai if there were one day of his life on which lu' could havo done without you betler Uian another, It would have been to- day !" "Were not you rather de trop?" chimes in .Sybilla's languid voice from the sofa, "rather a bad third ?" "I was not a third at all." "Do you mean to say," crii:>s Cecilia, her countenance tinged with the pink of a generous indignation, "that you were fourâ€" thai Mrs. Le .Marchanl stayed in the room the whole time? I must .say tlial now thai they are really and bonu- lld-e engaged, I think she niiglit leave them alono together." ".VIrs. L^ Marchanl was not there at all." Then, seeing the o|>en-mouthed ustoni.shnient depicted on the faces of hi.s audience, he -.aces his mind to make Ihe inevitable yet dreaded an- nouncement. "I had betler explain al once tliat neither Mrs. nor Mi.ss I.e .Mar- chanl were there ; they are gone." "Gone !" "Ves; they left Florence al seven o'clock this morning." There is a moment of silent stupefac- tion. "I suppose." says Cecilia, at last slow- ly recovering the |)ower of speech, "that they were telegraphed fur? Mr. Li! Marchanl ts dead or ill? one of the mamed sisters? one of the brothers?" Never in his lif« has Jim labored un- der so severe a leniptution to tell a lie. were it only the modiliod falsehood of allowing Cecilia's hypothesis to pass un- contradicted ; but even if he were able for once to conquer his conslitutional incapacity, ho knows that in this case it would" be useless. The truth must Iruuspiro to-morrow. "I believe not." "Gone!" repeals Cecilia, in a still more thunderstruck key than beforeâ€" 'and where are they gone?'' "I do not know." "Why did they go'?'' Jim makes an impatient movement, ndgelling on his chair. "1 can only tell you their actions; they fold me llieir motives as little as they did to you." "Gone ! Why, they never said a word about il yesterday." This being of the nature of an usser- ti(,nâ€" not an uiterrogalionâ€" Jim feels anxiety lo be offended at, or even aware with relief that il does not ili mand un of, her fleer. "Hid not he say T "1 do not think he knew himself." "Hut he must have thoughtâ€" he mu.st have had an opinion 1 *' grow ing the more unea.sy as there seems no tangible ob- ject for his fears to lay hold of. "He says il is impossible lo judge at »:> early a stage ; il may lx> a chill â€" I told him about that detestable excursion yesterday, and ho considered it quite enough to account for anylhingâ€" il may be measlesâ€" they seem lo be a good deal about ; it may be malariaâ€" tliere is a good deal of thai, loo." "And how soon will he knew? How soon will it declare iLseU?" "I du not know." "Hut has he prescril^ed ? Is there no- thing to be doneâ€" to be ilono at oiifc !' asks Jim feverishly, chafing at the idea of this inaction, which .seems inevilable, wilh Ihat helpless feeling whichhia own entire ignorance of sickness produces. "Do not you suppose thai it there was we should have done it?" cries Cecilia, renderett even more uncomforlable than she was before, by the contagion of his anxiety. "We are to keep her in bed- there is no great diflicully about that, poor soul ; she has not tho least de.sii-o to gel up ; she seems so odd and heavy 1" "So odd and heavy ?" "Ves; I went in lo see her just now, and she scarcely look any nolico of me ; only when I toiu her Ihat you had lK"en tr; inquire after her, she lit up a liltle. 1 believe"â€" vvilh a rattier grudging sinllo ""Ihat if she were .ead, and some one mentioned your name, she would light up." A sudden mountain rises in .lims thrunt. "If sho is not belter to-morrow, Dr. Ccldslreimi will send a iiiir.si'." "But does he think it will be neces- sary ?'' "He does not know." Jim writhe. It .soems to him as if he were being blUidfolded, and having his arms tied lo his sides by a hundred strong yet invisible threads. "Docs no one know anything?" lie cries miserably. "1 have told you exactly what Ihe doc- ti r said." says Cecilia, willi Ihe \eMial crossne.^s bred of real aiixiely. "I sup- pose y<iu do not wish me lo invent Bonii'lliii'g llial Ik' did not say?'' "Of cuursK no! ; luit I wl>li I had been hci\'-l wish I had been here I'^resl- lossly. "Why were not you?' Nil imme<linle answer. "Why were not you V ' repeals slie, curiosity, fa- ihe monienl superseding answr. "Gone at seven o'clock in I lie morn- ing 1 Why, they could nut have had time to pack their lliings !" "They left them b.'hind.',' The moment that this admission is out of Burgoync's mouth, he rei)ents having made it ; nor does his regret al all diminish under Ihe shower of ejacula- tions from both sisters that it calls forth. "Why, it was a regular (lil ! they Miusl have taken I'Yench leave.' There is something so horribly jarring in tho senii-jucisily of the last pliruso Ihat Jim jumps up from his nhair and walks towards the window, where Mr. Wilson is silting in dismal idleness. Mr. Wilson has never caret*- much alKJut the I.e Mardiujil.s. inui ;-â-  u iw..' nto . A. ITiurstoD! Treas., Miss Miss France! sorrows of a somewhat similar nature on her own part, silences the younger and sounder Miss Wilson for a moment, but only for a momentâ€" a mnmenl long enough to be tille<l by another sighing "Poor dear l)oy !" from Sybilla. "You .say Ihat she left a note for him ?" â€"wilh a renewed light of curiosity in her eyesâ€" "have you any idea what was in it?" Jim hesitates ; then, "yes," he replies ; "but as il was not addressed lo me, I do not think that I have any righ' to repeat it." "Of com-se not !"â€" reluctantly ; "but dia il throw no lightâ€" absolutely no lighl al allâ€" upon this extraordinary stam- pede ?" "No." "Did not she even tell him where they were going?" "No." "Nor whether they were coming back?" "No." "Nor ask him lo follow her?" "If she did not tell him where slie was going, is il likely thai she would ask him to follow her?" cries Jim irritably, deeply annoyed to llnd that he is, by Ihe series of negatives that is being foreed from him. doing the very thing which he had just denied his own right to do. "II is the most incomprehensible thing I ever heard in my life. I wonder"â€" wilh an air of oven alerter interest than beforeâ€" "what .\lr. Greenock will say ? Perhaps ho will now tell what he knows about them ; if they are gone, there will 11(1 longer bi' any need lo conceal il. I mil afraid this looks rather as if there was something 1 " For the second lime in one day llie iiienli<jn of an amiable flaneur's name makes Jim vault to his feet. "Weil, I will not keep you any longer from your luncheon." he cries hastily. "I will call in again later." ".Vre you going?'' asks Mr. Wilson, dully lifting his head from his chest, iif«ni which il is sunk. "Well, you are about right ; we are not much good !â- "' any one when our mainspring is gone." The phrase strikes cold on Jim's heart. "Are you going back to Ihe poor dear h<iy?" inquires Sybilla as he passes her. "l!v-the-bye, if it is not too much trouble, would you mind tucking the Austrian blanket a liltle closer in on llie left side'.'" and as he sloops to perform Ihe usked-for .service, she adds : "Let him know how sincerely I .•^ympalhize wilh him ; and if he wants imylliing quieting for his nerves, tell him that there is nothing that I can more con- scienliously recummend than " Hut what .Sybilla can conscienlidiisly recommend is shut into the closing door. Oulsido that door Jim finds Ihat Cecilia has joined him. Anxiety has ([uile ban- ished the not alUigettier disagreeable curiiisily of five minulos ago, from Ihe Iroubletl face she lifts to his. "You will come back, will not y<ni ? " she asks. "You are not of much u-^e. I supijose ; but slill, one feels that you are there, and we are all so much al .sea. ^ ou have nol un ideu how much we are al .sea â€" willioiit her." "I think that I have a very .','o<id idea," h.; answiM-s mournfully. "Tell me. ('.is; do you think she is really very ill?' As lie puts the que.slion. hi' feels ils irralioniilily. He knows tliat the person lo whom he is making his futile appeal has already given him all Hie .scanty lidings .she' has lo give; yet ho cannot help indulging a faint hope thai her res- pcniso lo Ihis last query of his may per- haps set .Xmelia's condition in a slighlly more favorable light. .\ kxjk of helpless distress clouds Cecilia's already cloudy face. "1 tell you I do nol know ; I nm no judge; 1 have seen so little real illness. .Sybilla would kill me if she heard mo say .s<j. would nut .â- .he'.'"- wilh a slight parenthetical smileâ€" "but 1 have .seen .so liltle real illness. Ihat I do not know what it means that sho bhould be so heavy and shipid. As 1 lold you before, 111!' only lime Unit .she roiiMHl up at uU was when 1 menlioned y(jur " He slop.s her. Ini'iiking rudely into her sentence. He cannot bear to ln^ar Ihal it is only at Ihe iiiiigic of his iiaiiie that his prsjr iailhful love lifts her sick head. "'^ es. ves : 1 renieniber.'' t, hHvo^»'«i; R«c- Sec.. live indf Y"""- Sec, A. S. Thurston topic wlf*!'^**"'^ '" DiBlric-i Executive, Mrs. riveUng.| Thuwton. lousnes.'jpoat^offioM are being flooded these iwin is»ith circulars from br-.kerR.ndeaTor- part ofjsell Cobalr and Urder L»ke stocks. leci eos^ospticls are glowioR on p>.por but; siies'lii I '^""r!" "^ '"y «*^«f"' "b'at sues Ming the.r soiall capital in mining mimlr-r "^ ^^''°^ "'«' â- '"""' nothinK ''\o''Sr''f""""^'^''»y "•'' '"se their Ther 1 u Propositions in that district 'Ml il""*" *^° ^" ""Kgiog f(ir purchasers «nvs (^""'"KeDtst'-disposeoflheirstockst never ^^".^ "" "'« '*°"«'' Cobalt is the much iU'.'/^' ^'•'."<--Mr..."'«„ SSfl'lJi! yesterdiiyâ€" there was so little disguise alioul il.^'thal oine was really (luite .sorry for herâ€" and Ihis morning at cockcrow she decamps and leaves him without a word." "You are mislakenâ€" she left a note for him." "Poor dear boy I" .sighs Sybilla, "is nol h'j quite prostrated by the blow? I am nol apt to pily men generallyâ€" they are so coarse-grainedâ€" but he is much nicu'e delicately strung than the general run." "1 supiio.se he is frighlfMlly cut up,' says Cecilia, wilh thai inqiiisilivencss ns k; the delails of a great allliclion which we are nil apt to experience. I''<u' senile iierverse rea.son, inexplicable even lo himself. Jim would like lo be able to answer lluit his friend is not cut up at all; but Iriilli again asserling ils empire, he ossenls laconicuUv, "fright- full v !" "I'low did he lake il ?" "I low ilo pe.iplc gciiernlly take such lliings ?" Tho iiiipalience of the key in which Ihis is ulleri'd, coilplwl willi Ihe iiiqilicd side-allusion lo an acquuinlance with Chicag' killed Mr. Y our rsi tho lat â-  '*"'''. Hnd uii ' widow^" more t leaves i" few we w.irden Gilray ( ' ceassd le oughl lo sil up wilh lii'r, 1 pursues (U'cilia. slill \v!lh Ihal ir of di.sii'.iiel : ".she (Might not alone all iiiglil ; but who ? I liiaii willing to do It ; Ihal 1 .should fall asleep in ;. and 1 am .such a lu'avy al. wIk'Ii once I am off. Iheie iMlily of waking me. 1 am a liiid sick-nurse: fallter can r lo have me near him when t^olll.'' is too well aware of the pcr- of this last staleinent to al- Mrs. contradiclion of il. of nge, 1 lias always been the one l^i nnip'on '11 any one was ill." continues o'clock, |iy; "and i?ven now. by a slii- noighbolsion of ideas. I calch myself unking. (1h. .Vmelia w ill sit up with hei !" before I can realize Ihat her is Amelia herself." Jim can well .syinpalhize with liiis same confusion, when, .several limes duiiiig Ills walk back lo llie Piazza d'Azeglio. a muddled Ihoilglil of wmiforl, iM the idea Ihal he will go and' lell Amelia what a lerrible day of anxiety abiiul sialic one he lias been having, laps a! the door of his brain. The ix)rtals of No. li are once again opened to him by Annunziala who iiidicales to liini, by n seri(^s of compas.sioiiate gt^tures and liquid Tuscan .senleiices, Ihat Ihe povero is slill within, and the Padrone, who this lime also appears on tho scene, and who is possessed of somewhat more Kiiglish than her liandmaid, inliniales, albeit with a good deal of .sympathy for I, is siiflerings. yet wilh slill more of de- lerniiiialioii. Ihat il would be no bad lliing were he lo be removed since, v.lielher Ihe sun shines or tho rain falls, people iiiiisl live, and Ihe apartment has t; be prcjiaivd for in'w occupanls. .Vnylhiiig Ihat speaks less inlenlion of removing lliaii Hyiig's pose, when his fnend rejoins liim, il would be dilllcult ESTIMATES and RESULTS. Whsn the Or*at-W«st Life ooramenotMl business ia Ittt, partieipatlnc rates were issued calling ror dlTidends in IS and 20 years, and also with the "Quia- quennial" or S year dividend period. Lite Policies issued in 189Z on the Bts year diridend plan received their first dividend of the tull estimated bonus of $50.00 per tl.000.00 ; their second dividend in 190a of 5(> per cent, over the estimated dividend : and this year, 190T, are receiving their third dividend of just double the first dividend and estimate. Every Policyholder has expressed his gratiflcation with these dividends, which are paid at the option of the Policyholdor as fully paid bonus addi- tions, the equivalent in cash, or in reduction of future premiums. The distribution is on the En(lish basis of an equal percentase of ths sum assured, and not on tho American so-called "contribution" system, and the eminent English Actuaries, B. P. Hardy, F.I. A., and George King. F.I. A., P. P. A., reported recently to the Now Zealand Government "that as a worJi- inc system it has marked advantages over the contribution plan, because it gives more uniform results." Our IS year Deferred Dividend Policies issued in 1892 mature this year, and our Actuary haa reported that they have earned, and are entitled to bo paid, the full amount of the profits estimated at the time. Our Non-Participating rates are, and always have been, very low, but the results of our fifteen years' experience prove that the cost of Participat- ing Insurance has been very much Ipss than these low non-participating rates, because of our high interest earnings. The applications for the first quarter of 1907 are over a million dollars in excess of the same period of 190(, every Province of the Dominion having oon- trlbuted its quota to these magnificent figures in appreciation of tho unpre- cedented results accomplished by this reprosontativo Canadian Company. No atrtempt of faddy foriMgii actuaries, disgruntled newspapers that fail to get the advertising they expect, or legislative committees, well described by D. P. Facklor, tho well-Iiuonn cx-Pre»idflnt of the Actuarial Society of America, as "ab8ulut(!ly innocent of any life insurauoe knowlodge," must be allowed to "linock" the Canadian business of Life lusuraaoe. For fuller particulars, send for a copy of the Qreat-West Life Boport for 190(. The Greai-West Life Assurance Company HEAD OFFICE-WINNIPEG. BSAKCH OFFICESâ€" Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal. St. John, N.B. Toronto, Eallfax, 1006 shows largo gains over 1905. Nave business amounts to $5,503,547 ia 3,026 policies, of this $46,000 was written in Newfoundland and the balance entirely within the Dominion. The following are somo interest- facts from tho Company's 37th Annual Statement lifcoam. Preaslaau, Uam rcaaaar- â- Bce 9 l,t04,S81.74 iMtereat and reata . . 4M,S4«.0S Proflt tram sale Qt Bcal Batata .. .« .. ,» •• S,1D4.41 PISBVrRggillBWTg. 327,0T3.S0 lC8,4Sa.OO 88,SOT.47 83,047.5a 1«,S4S.88 338,717.40 1,004,048.33 Death Clalnu .• Matured BadowBienta Pnrcbaaed Poiidca .m Sorplua , . Aaanltlea Bzpeaaea, Taxes, etc _ Balna<Ta ...• • tit.07a, 438.18 BI»r<csK*« * Dekaatnres and Bonda I aaaa on PoUelea . . . Premlnm Obllsatioaa Baal Bstnte .... « •• Company's Head Oflloe .... Caah la Boaka Caak at Head Offtce Dti* aad Deferred Prcailums (net) Interest aad reata du* â- asl aeorued »% ••••. 8,013,847.45 8,4aO,09S.48 i.iaa,si7.a5 88,788.88 (HMJ8 80;87B.7a , 807,508.08 3,540.53 Z'16,981.81 197.712.89 LIABILITroS. Oeaerre, 4> SM and 8 pcroeat.. 8 e,0ec,883,18 Beaerve on tapaad pol- icies llahic to re> viva or sorrender . . 8,001.00 Death Clalaia naad- Juated 43,883.00 Matured Bndewaseata uaadjualed 8,000.00 Pr^ncmt Valne e( Death Clahaa *ny- able ia laatalmenta . Preaytnaa paid In ad- AjBanat dae tor medi- cal (eea Aecmed reata . . Credit ladser balancea Bumdrj earreat ac- casmta 8Brplna en Coaapanr** Valaatloa Staadard. 40,388.00 13,781.50 9l0.8S».IV»i»J»* 0,483.00 800.00 10,397.60 8,370.08 1.808,378.08 .a8».84 910|88». The Company has a surplus on Government standard of valuation of $1,552,36426. The following are some striking gains made in 1906. In Income, $115,904.22; In Assets, $1,089,447.69 ; In Surplus (Company's Stand- ard) $251,377.46 ; In Insurance in Force, $2,712,453.00. Send to Head Office, Waterloo, Canada, for booklet giv- ing Annual Report and proceedings of Annual Meeting. Robert Melvin, President A. Hoskin, ICC. 1 Vice- Geo. Wegena.st, Manager Hon. Justice BrittonJ Pres. W. H. Riddell, Secretary lo iniagini?. Ho i.s .â- strelchod u))on Uio parquet flixir, with hi.s head lying on Iho small fool.slool IhiiL Ims been won!, lo .support Eliznbotir.s feel ; her rifled woik- ba-ski;!. sIuirIs on the lloor bi'.sida liini. while her bit of embroidery hnll .shroud.s his disUirlt.'d fnoe. Tlie needle, still slicking! in It, may priclt his eyes out for n'l ho eiires; thi> Nink .she hi.st read i.s open at the page whero sho has put her mark ol u skein of pal« ailk ; aiitl Ihi) yellow niienioues, that iio must pliiiUed fur her yesterdiiy in di Vulloiiibiiisn. arc cru.shod under h clii;ek. liut oulwnrdly he is quile .lini put.s hi.s hiind on his shoulder. "C.oine iiwiiy, there is no use in slaying here any lonjjor." ffo be cunlinucd). hiivu lulK'd IS hot lliiel. your Doctor's foes aro the reward [or doing. \>oll-