PAGE TER M M E rR. aiid 2iFAT) Ethel Watts Mumford. ae (Coppeignt, 1908, by fhe New 2h ILLY DONOVAM known /10 the public as Milli tent#Trawel ian, had stincts, These it vr stant endeavor of Ms. ovan to suppress, for. Mrl.: onovan) bad been reared among the t taditionspof Fourteenth street melodrama. " "she ordered sternki,#yonsemny It way Isayit 'I am sewed? Remember the villain is kiduspping you You are seared stiff--ransingr-oailingvton] help, Now, how would fyongcall for help? ) Milly threw back haressdus /its golden curly bobbed. * "Oh, 1¥¥8he shrieked with a realism ghati/brought Emeline, her stage sister, froméher room the 'con. true d rametic *fn-| hategl ou. dh "Mama," t vague but dear of laughi eyes and glittering cWthes that had been given the child to love for. such a little while. Years of pettystyranny and cruel "discipline" had [reds sort .of.desperation in Milly, a desperagion-that was fast growing to an Lactive bitterness, "Irwonder," whe said aloud as she sur- veyedfher reflection, "if I'm big enough hy An away. and go Into vawdeville! I d do my millionnaire baby hornpipe afl singrthe Prodigal Father ballad." I8he shook her head sadly. The Gerry Speiety, that association of officious fiends whom she had 'been taught to fear, would get hor. No, there must be more years Some day she would tell {tongue tangled in the. yellow curls. «that she shouldn't speak like that | in the rear of the flat, fof Aunt Esther, unless, perhaps, the man- Mes, Donovan furned redgwrith annoyé ance. "None of your tricksyoriTil learn you 'with a stick." Milly hung her head sullenly. per-s00-ed!" she maid in savag of her aunt's tone. "There mow, you can do it§when 'you want to. I declare, you areithe worst child! You're just like your mother 'was, and, Heaven knows, nobody could stand for her. 'Curses on youl' " +» "Though. I am but a child yet I defy; youl' " shrilled Milly, hotly, flinging o7it a mesgre arm in a heroic gestyre Providence ' bad provided her with a ready made "answer back' andishe fused it with her whole soul. "Good," sald her tormentor. [*'Next cue--~'Waters of the bay. clop over you," Milly was silent. " 'Ycju may rob me of my life--my soni) you cannot kill! Remorse shall hound you and I will be revenged!' ". read Mrs.#Donoyan. "Give plenty of r-r-r inirevenge; »so-- 'r-rr--ae--vengel" Now." Milly was lost in thought: ' "I hate meller-drammer," she said atdongth. "I don't see why Mr, Oarter write it that way. . 1f that villain said he'ditro' me in the bay 1° let out like this: --4%f you do that, you nasty slob, I'll comebback and ha'nt yer, age if I don't.""" Mrs, Donovan administered = sharp slap. . "You impudent little rat! What do you think I'm here for--toihear your opindops and waste my time? Ag if I hada's enough to do, and me' trying to keep 8 rpof over our heads.and food in our mouths by teaching youiand getting you on. 'Where'd you be nowgif it wdsi#'t for me, you ungrateful brat! "Here, take that, and if you're not letterdperfect in- side of an hour--well, you'll seel Rme- line, Bmeline, come here!" Milly took the bine covered .papere of her "part" and sullenly retired, lier heart aglow with hatred. Oh, if she only had somebody--a real somebody! Aunt Hsther was a beast. There was only the theatre to love--the great dusty, dyaughty stage, that to her was father, mother, brother and sister, Milly shut hegself into the little servant's room af.the end of the passage, But sha did not sit' down to study. Instead, she threw the manpscript upon the tumbled, unmade cot and turned toward the cracked mirror. The reflection that met here eyes was that of a frail, appealing child of eight. Milly was twelve, but undersized and baby- ish of face and voice. It was an asset in a way; she could continue to play the in- fant prodigy for many a long year. But her soul rebelled. She longed to be free, to be grown up and play the adventures lady in trailing red garments, glittering diamonds and jewelled daggers, but most of all she longed to read her lines as she felt them. ®he had once heard Miss Ostayge, the leading lady, insist, to the wuthor himself, upon a change of phrase :-- "How in the world do you expect me to say all that as I'm being hurled from the lighthouse? Cut it down and cut it out, my dear Alphonse. One good dollarand- a-helf shriek is all I'll do for you; there!" "It's & go, if you'll make it a two-doilar shriek," the author had said. This his toric and soul stirring protest had oocurfed just before Miss Ostayge had been "dis covered" and graduated to Broadway-- that ultimate heayen dreamed of by all the footlight world. How often had Milly, inspired by those well remembered words, longed to voloe her discontent, to tmplore just one spontaneous, genuine speech, into which she could pour her feelings. Alas! when she had wrought herself! almost into the dellef that she really was being run "l a imc down by the papier maché train, dylug in the the' snow, or crushed b property beneath the. asbestos bursing bridge, she was required [pended. to "call Heaven to witness," or magunani- moualy to cry "I forgive you, villain though you are!" which she instinctively felt was not at all what she would have done in the circumstances. The five years of her stage experience, while it bad firm ly grafted its catch phrases into the very v of her brain, had not succeeded in numNng her natural sense of the manifest fitnesshof things, But there seemed no hope of escape from the wearing monotony. There was variety, to be sure, in "Kid- sapped, or the Mlillionnaire Baby." She Rad beep allowed to doff the customary Tags or school pinafores of previous plays and appear in all the glory of China aflk and Nottingham Ince ilngeris, except In the scene on the yacht, when, disguived as a cabins boy, she danced a horapips<and that was fun, too, - Aunt Esther hadu't coached her for that; whe was too fat. There was a tradition that Aunt Esther] had been & famous Little Eve and danced! an incidental breabdown; but that was almost boo much to believe. * - Milly eae |} ting poin oka bs medi ations. Aut Esther wos a wok to (he star ' Now your next cue:iy ager or the leading man should "think she had m future" and have her educated, as had 'happened to Rosy Benson; but Rosy bad quite' a grown up look and couldh't have gone on playing little boys verypmuch longer anyway. as Milly continwed to stare info the glass asaf hypnotized, till, with a start of ter- | ror, she became aware of the reflection! of some one behind her. / | Aunt Esther was at her best not pre | possessing, but Seen as she was now, her coarse features, contorted by anger, her | evil little eyes gleaming with the ma- | icions viciousness of an enraged pig, she | would have'terrified a far less impression- able 'person than the child before her. Milly knew from experience that her | aunt's tempers 'did not confihe their ex-| pression to features or even to words. She cringed, her knees felt weak. Turn | ing, she (helplessly upon the edge of | the cot, her fiigers mechanically sersinz the crumpled pages of her lesson. | Mrs. Dogovan stared at her. To Milly| moment of silence was even mors, awful than the torrent of abuse that fm- | . Bhe cringed still lower, her face; livid with fear. The storm broke. "So! this is the way | youspend your time--looking in the glass. | Fine thing to look at. I suppose yoii| think you're 'pretty, you vain, shiftless, pig headed kid, you! I'll take it out of your hide, I will; and ime, slavin' to! make you learn your parts; givin' you, my time and my talent, so you can be brought wp to make a decent livin' and/ not die a 'pauper 'on the hands of! strangers, as your mother did. Do you| think you're goin' to rehearsal to-morrew | and blnnder your lines and make a fool of me for ocoachin' yer? Not much! You'll learn, if I have to beat it Into yo" The words seemed to inspire her A small theatrical trunk of many labels! stood in one corner, Pye le handle! (hmg a leather strap. The\ g¥oman | janatched jt wp and with her whole] {strength brought it down upon the girl's 'back. The Iron Buckle caught In the thin |asoss; tore through 'and left a los gf blead,. Dow) v h, laa. dog its vivid mark of grit iy bugaio, It was jerked away, a golden strand hang- ing in witiful accusation. Milly screamed, and the virago, realiz- ing .that she had gone too far, paused, broke away the accusing threads and threw the strap into:the comer, "That'll tech you to mind! Dor't you try to shirk your woRk---and steal the bread from our mouths--me, that took yer when nobody else would!" Milly lay sobbing upon e bed, her frail arms wound over her head and face to protect. them--instinctively feeling she must not be disfigured so she couldn't "go on," Mer aunt stood over her. With a grunt she turned and lit the gas jet, for the winter day bad already drawn to a close. "You'll stay here and learn that," she said brutally, "Emmerline and I are going to eat. If you're not letter perfect when I get back you know what you'll get. And let me catch you prinking in front of the looking glass when you ® neck-with a glow of comfort--snch things were talismans in every.play. Snatching up her suff, she surveyed the dingy] room. "Farewell whe exclaimed with intem- sity. "Farewell-may 1 never see you more! - Now, heaven protect me!" Trembling with genuine emotion, she fled down the corridor to the kitchen win dow and, Nfting the sash, looked out upon the tangie of fire escapes, the gleam of lights across the way and the dingy blackness of the courtyard below her. Milly's practice in escapes stood her im good stead--and it was all real. Neo papier maché engine or practical moun- {tain trail. Cold iron met her hand and a should be workin'|" 77K LADY IN FURS, BENT" HOWN AND RAIS | | She flung out, slamming the door be- | hind her. Milly heard her harsh voice | calling "Emmerline," and the and locking of the flat. She was alone. She up, rubbing smarting | There was something warm She looked at her fingers-- She shuddered. This ws worse than ever before. Aunt] shutting | sat her shoulders. and "sticky. they were red with blood. Esther had punished her pften and often | but this She ceased to moan. She remembered that when she played. the martyr child] in "The. Arena's- Triumph" she uttered] | beautiful sentiments, as a negro slave (played by one of the scene shifters, al cheerful soul), lashed her with a cat-o- nine-tails. The infant martyr was carried from the scene, faint and bleeding, but torgiving her enemies in a melodious voice... Milly did not believe the child niartyrs forgave: they must Barve cringad| and: cried, and hated Impoténtly as she did now. Always in the plays somebody rescued her in time, or, with superhuman intelligence she had contrived her own escape--but nobody ever came In real [life. She sat up suddenly. "Escape!" | 8he'a been carried across the 1 living bridge | and swung from the steeple by a rope, and' jumped 'across the chasm on the | trained pony; and here 'was only the fire escape. It us prosaic, sbut practical, Milly started t~ "er feet. Wich nervous haste she ran to the wardrobe, took down bor frilled and bowed:best hat, and Ker velveteen coat. Aunt 'Ether dressed her epectacularly; for 'mdvertising pur roses. And now, whe must have money. t Ewther collected The salaries--her's ome So but Milly knew where aio hid the red Japanese jar she used as the family bank. A qilm of conscience smote her, "I don't care," she sald aloud, |impeded one's footing. tion 'of the theatre. | dared not imagine. ED HER TO HER FEET® 1, { \ thousand details of reality came home to {her as she descended. On the landing below the week's wash lay 'uncovered in a basket, while vege- tables in' crocks and meat in packages Further déewn a patient eat wanted to be let in at the window and resented her arrival But at last she reached the yard and turned through to the street door. Once in the street she breathed freely. "At last!" she said aloud, "I am free!" Force of habit turned her in the direc She walked rapidly on for several blocks, when, glancing down a side street, she caught a glimpse {of a familiar figure--Aunt Esther at the entrance of a cheap table d'hote. Panic stricken, Milly turned and fled. What would be her fate if she were caught she On and on she ran, loubling and turning down uwufamiliar streets, till she stopped for want of breath {and léaned against a railing for support. Her heart pounded painfully. She must get as far away as possible from Aunt Esther, then she would think what fo do pext. When. she. had. recovered bregth she entered a 'sotithbound cat. Her surroundings were new to her, and in spite of the exacting condition of her affairs she became interested. Crowds throngéd the wide avenue. The glitter- ing arvay of pawnshop windows dazzled her, brightly lighted 'eating houses, the- atres with glering signs and thrilling bill- boards lent color to the scene. Innumer able pusheart venilers, barkers for count less penny shows blended' thir cries swith the persistent sound: of phonograph nrusic from saloons and places of entértainment. Milly was reminded of the glorious red letter day "when Miss Ostayge had taken the stage children to Ooney Tsland--that inever-to-be-forgotten heaven of 'afl Joys. j8he quite forgot her wmarting shoulder and the terrors that lurked Before and behind her, and began to enjoy Lerself. When the cdr stopped and some one descended shé obeyed the impulse and "I've made it, snd I never get even a stick of candy," Four dollars and some | nell Ya ttle gn molioi's, Tuie iio fasicutd about kor, iis 5 : : stepped to the street, Before the pawn- {shop windows she paused entranced. chai ose rewarded her search and) Mwah nccumulations of marvellous Jewels! {the restaurant up here; It's a very decent thmably : rat had heen her dazed her vislon, She walked on, frankly |placs--sort of show kitchen for tourists |fowder used In the process oowt_not less advanced, It in one of the cherished pos. People tained x i inierested 19 everyting. 7 a . cif lopened door of a stand-dp restaurant pe- and stared at her, but she was used\i0; that. Her frail, childish beauty, €oo- trasted with the theatrical headgear and flashy coat, always attracted ttention. Occasionally seme one flung a word at her--*Pips the kid" or, "Where to, sis?" | She amiled shyly and moved on. A whiff of warm air from the quickly "hat, strings and the yellow hairvfrom the child' FS and ollen face. ~why, it's Millicent I" minded ber that she was hungry. All at once she felt very lomely and rather frightened. She Gecame aware of hard, coarse faces about ber and a certain] lifted tearful eyes and ¥ subtle element of threat in the - air jdumb with ast Reminiscences of many melodramas;] "Dome you remember me?" said thie lady each stocked to overflowing with sensa- fin furs€: Of course you de. It's Miss] tional scenes, came' to her mind. Her|Obayge. \Why, I'vesbeen your mother and imagination conceived a new and awful opt Som sister\dozens ofwtimes he menace at every turn, and to cap the ughed climax her eye rested upon the illumined] Milly pub out her hinds. :"Oh,hMins street sign of the lamp, 11 street, [Ostayge, Mish Ostayge! T'm So glad! "Oh, Bowery." The Bowery! how many} Ive had an awful time" nn aatlinchping thrillers bad this loeality figured, and al-|Der. ways 88 a background to 'crime, murder, The lover "lady pitted ther cently. torture in dens, awful plots, heartless| "Tere, there. Perry, I wisliyou'dserder) kidnappings, brutal beatings, relieved |Some ehop suey. TShe must eat something only by the usual dance hall scene and a |@nd quiet "dowh. ' child I've begged: you: to stakeson--my" Hit- "spiel." . That was probably going on in the places from which the phonograph te lo feliay piages dn the melodgaza darn perfectly extragpdi strains issued. She must éacape, shell must takea ear and go back again. But ig And it's fate, I tell, The hero followed Miss Ostayge's sug- the whole " to her frightened mind that meant an 2 gestion and soon the soothing infinence of warm food\ brought :Millymito Berselt wert {sy days bears where; and I loge her inevitable enconntér with Aunt Esther. A (runken sailor lurched against her and muttered a 'curse as he staggered away:" Milly bolted down the side street. A strange smell greeted her nostrils--the scent of Chinatown, an aroma made of incense, sandal, curious foods and cedar packing boxes. Milly stopped short Decorated baiconies, with twisted drag- ong and bulging lanterns, hung above her. Store windows showed leaped silks and embroideries, iyory carvings and heavy black. carved furniture. About her sjlent footed, dark clad Chinese slunk Mout their business: Milly stopped] short, her hand to her heart. Memories of "Nora, Queen of the Hatchet Men," flashed before her. This was the worst of all. Ewen in the theatre sheghad been mortally afraid of the Chinese "supers" employed to give realism to the play and here she was surrounded 'by them. Back of her she heard the . stumbling steps of the drunken sailor. In every door and every shop \were slamt-eyed, impassive Chinese. Wika snap aie hur- ried on and paused, uncertain, near & street lamp. Its light gleamed 'upon the golden cross at her threat with a sudden sparkle. From a dark alley entrance a man emerged and stood looking at her. As she started on he came close. He was a heavily set, ill favored negro. Milly looked up, hesitated again, and halt turned to retrace her steps. The man reached forty a 'giant paw and whirled her about. "Uuhand me, villain!" In her blind. terror the familiar wards seemed to speak themselves, A hand closed: orer- her month, spd, struggling vainly, she felt - if dragged back- ward. 'Then the violent hand released her and she sank to the pavement. Above her stood the hero--yes, the hero, and the villain was ronning to the mouth of the alley. A lady in furs bent down and raised her) to her ffeel. Milly trembled] and panted The 'hero Not o policeman in dght! Oonfound jt--but T'I repost-this." Milly caught her breath. "My presern er I" she gasped. "What!" exclaimed the hero, 3 What's that? : "I am perwoo-ed me?" sobbed Milly, the mechanism of habit sending. the wotds to her convulsed lips. "What in the world" cried the Jady, Milly burst into frantic tears of rollef. The lady In fure gathered her in her arms. "Come, dearis, it's all right sow, Don't be frightened. We'll take you home." "Oh, no-o-¢6-0 1" shrieked Milly, "Gertrude," sald the hero, "let's go into in a dow voice, "but I jconceived the idea of making a glass eye You «will - protect {Sceptre of again. "Siwe's nw very préfty child, Phetiid:thahe hero "Wait," said the lady. '"Miy, what a state your hair is in, desriel What is it?' She lifted the beavy, matted curls and turned pale. "Blood!" ®he cried. "Did that brute hurt you? Perry) look at that!" Whe man's face darkened: andvhe struck the inlaid table with his clenched fist. "The hound!" tre _éxelaimed. "Fl follow this tiring up if I have to neglectiyou and the play for it!" Milly twitched uneasily, "It was Aunt Esther, with the buckle ona trunk strap. Oh, please"--she dropped the spoon she had been industriously piying--~"Please, please, don't--don't take meshome!"' "Did your aunt--did Mrs. Donovan do that?' demanded the lady, drawing her- self up like an outraged queen. "What in the world were you doing?" asked the hero, amazed, butpractical. "I wouldn't learnithe new part the way she wanted me to! wailed Milly. "Oh, Miss »Ostayge, you know how silly they make you do it; I know you think it's silly. I heard'you when you told Mr. Carter 'you wouldn't speak all. that when you 'wastheing fired: off a; roof; you'd just give him a dollar and a half shriek, yott said." er is forced tojgoraway for. a while and leave her withsansanat whe hates the littley girl's mamma. The aunt keeps saying nasty things wantil: at Jast the little girl turns on her 'It isn't true, and you shan't saypit. 1 know 'mamma will cogne for me, and when she does I'm going witheher.gand I' don't 2 you--there | Now, L Jak over, and say it--the way ytd fi it; wot aunt Esther'svway." Not sensitive face citement. She re tdunts.and the amititude of Turning toward the author, that fairly startled him, There was a moment's pause. 3 "What do you think new ?%asked ihe lady in a low voice, He looked at her and modded. "She's everything you have said, The childs a genius." "Oan she have the .part?"#asked 'the leading lady eagerly. ¢ said the;anthén "She surely can," Miss Ostayge clapped her handwm "Milly, my dear,' you are graduated te Broadway. Mrs. Donovan; you'll come with me, and if your aunt has anything to say she'll say it to the"S. P. CG. C.'" Milly wae overwhelmed. #Oh, Miss Ostayge," she panted, "and there'll be mever no mere mellerdrammer, Dever no more!" "Let's hope, 50 at least," laughed the lady. Millicent Travellian, the future Broad~ way favorite, sank into an unpicturesque heap. Then she rallied. "With my life I will repay you!" she sobbed. "In spite of herself the beutiful lady laughed, and Milly, enraptured beyond speech, kissed 'the fluffy sleeves of ffte's emis sary, i Romance in the. Histories. of M Have Been Cent h ' EW YORK jewellers-are preparing N for a more than ordinarily brisk trade in diamonds. during. the..com~ ing season. Last year, the sales weren't so heavy, becamse the *times" weren't so good, and the customers whe ordinarily bought expensive gems held off Gems That Have Dazzled the World any 'Priceless Diamonds Which Famous for ries. Yew wouldn't think you «could buy for balf a dollar a diamond weighing 189 carats, would. you? - And you.can't ordls narly, But a certain priest of long ago made such a bargain, paying the then equivalent of fifty cents for the stone and satisfied themselves with cheaper ones. This year, overybody says, it. will be different. The country generally will buy larger stones. What size? Oh, an average of a carqet. A carat seems. pretty 'large when it-is the first diamond to come inte one's pos- session, and it Jooks as big as the head- Hght of a locomotive ¢o the wearer dur ing the early days of ite emjoyment. And it's only a ¢urat. What would you say to a diamomd weighing ot less than 280 carats? What sort of gasp would you give if you heard that some diamends-- gr one diamond, at least--is valued mt two million dollars?™ Well, these are facts. There are 280- carat diamonds, and $2,000,000 damonds, but not a great many of them. You could count them dhnost on the fingers of one hand, but you couldw't wear them bp. og there. The biggest diamondsAn the world--the one that weighs the 280-carats--is the property of the Shah of Persia, end is mown as the Great Mogul, and there Is only one in all the universe, Then comes the Orloff diamond, named after Count Orloff, who bought it in 1772 for the Empress Oatherine of Russia. That's the stone a couple of our leading musical comedy writers used as a text for one of the most successful' of modern musical entertainments. It had been the eye of an idol in India, and a Fhenchman, who was impressed by its appearance, that would look just as good tv the Im dians and substituting it for the diamond. Heb executed the plasm, too, but he never thereafter included India in his itinerary. "The "rdmover" disposed of Bis loot #0 a ship captain for $10,000, and the captain got $100,000 for it in Europe, and finally it landed in the office of a diamond dealer, who told Count Orloff 'about if, and the Count paid out $450,000 in cash.end agreed to give the dealer in addition $20,000 a year for the rest of his natural Mfe. 'The dealer was alwo ennobled by ithe Empress becauss of her 'Count in touch with the allous stone, shaped like als ¢. Digeon's ogy and weighs log 108 carats. The jas an adornment for the boat 'ot the the Russian Emperor. wondroms «diamond < is the | fe ar was i d, which had been lost by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, at the battle of Granson, in 1476... 'A Swiss peasant 'picked up the precious sparkler from the ground and was glad to, take the small viece of money the priest gave him. The priest, in turn, considered himssélf Jocky to get '$1,000 tor it from Bartholomew May, of Berne, and 'so 4t passed from hand to hand until it-fell Into the pos- session of Pope IL,who made a present of it to the Austrian Emperor, A poor negro of Brazfl found a diamond weighing in the rough 204% carats, In the year 1858, and it received the name lof the Star of the South, What the finder got is not on record. At all events, the Starof the South was seat to Amsterdam and cut until #ts weight was reduced .to 126 carats, when it was bought by the (Hariof Dudley and became known' ae the Dudley Mamond. f Probably the Kohisoor is the best gen« weighs in its present shape 108 carats, but its value is put (n round figuves at $2,000,000. Nobody knows just how dong ago the Kohinoor was found in the Gol- (conda, mines, but if you take the Hindoo word for it it belonged three of Ags. Say the stone was stolen by on particular how they came to aognire it. Its history for the Jart hondred years is pretty well ascertainable, Ta the early part of the nineteanth century ft was In' the possession of the Khan of Oabul, but & treacherous slave was instrumental in transferring it to "unjeat Singh, and then to that worth:'s f:llowers on the SOrves | Lahore throne. Bogland got the Punjaub In 1830, sné the Kohinoor was one of the frults of onally worth double he latter\sum, took two years to cut it, and the diamond ARG MLINIRE Sade 0 batweed Boy urs, " tuan 200, LAT Ar. ng -- -- wv radar fe 1t{ 308 Hwy and was setit to Queen Vietoris special messengers. Oolgnel Mackssan Onptain Ramsey. The Court jew directed the cutting 'of the gem a vo the touch of wapk an the dajuty job. diamond was gen brought down to carate, bit with Hs brilllancy loes apd its price greatly se the-Dritleg ¥ kaple, Rot forth the lines with an. fiodignsngptchemaneg, And you'll net, go back to known as the Florentine, or Austrian din- s