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The Wedding Eve I Or, Married ‘3 ' CHAPTER XXVI.â€"(Continued). Lilith stood for the life-size figure, not 5 . without protest, for she hated keeping still. and-was a. most fidgcty model. .In i' old-fashioned dress I showed her, passnig .-. along by the sand-dunes that skirttlic sea. her gown blown about by the Wind. 1131‘ ’3, yellow hair driven across her neck from . under her hood. prayer-book and weary in hand. on her way to the church for the sake of' which she had deserted her sea-fairy husband and children. In her 5' ' strained blue eyes there is a startled. .‘v listening look, for over the storm that .. looms in the threatening clouds and stirs the mad sea. waves she can hear the veice of the merman. calling upon her in heart- to broken accents to return to him. She hears. and is a little frightened. but her sWeet face is quite cold. and she Clasps her prayer-book closer to her as she hur- 7 ~l‘ies on. V ’1: Such was the picture which, with. all ?‘ its faults. was the greatest artistic «5" achievement of my life. I suppose most 53‘ English people know it, for it was ex- i;-‘ . hibited in all the great towns before be- ‘5‘ m2: bonght by a renowned art patron who 35‘ has. so I hear. bequeathed it to the Na- }: ' “01131 Gallery when he shall die. It was ‘y finished before I was twenty-nine. I am i?» two-and-thirty now, but I know. that I i shall never paint like that again. When I had been married little more than a year, my uncle. Lord Carchester. died, and the title went to one of my 1‘1' Valid cousins. To my deep grief. my 1111‘ the was never reconciled to me. although Madge, who nursed liim devotedly, did her utmost to soften his feelings toward When. at her request. I came to the me. house. and looked upon the face of the man who for so many years had been as a father to me. calm in the awful ma- iesty of death. I broke down altogether . . and went like a child. . Not until his will was read and the con- tents made known to medid I' learn the humiliating circumstances that my uncle had cut off my allowance from the very day of my marriage. and that since that date it was Madge who had secretly sup- plied the thousand a year which until then had formed a third of my regular income. That Lilith and I should have been in part living on Madge's bounty was pecu- liarly painful, .but I could not reproach my cousin with her quixotic generosity now when she was bowed with grief. and 'could only refund the money through her lawyers and pcremptorily step all such , supplies for the future. i ' I was coming home through the park, " . from a long and unpleasant interView with the lawyers in question. about a fortnight after my uncle's funeral on a bitter November day, when I was stop- ped by the occupant of a showy carriage. drawn by two dark-brown horses With tremendous action. “Hello. Hervey! why in the world are you looking so miserable? What, man. with only two puny lives between you and a. title with a big income, a. huge artistic success. a coming R.A.-ship. and the pret- tiest wife in London, are you of all peo- ple beginning to realize that the world is hollow and your dolly stuffed with sawdust?" It was Nicholas Wray. whom I had not seen since that chance meeting in. Paris during my honeymoon; but Nicholas Wray with a difference. Much broader and stouter in appearance. with. a. big diamond ring on his finger, and his plen- tiful hair and beard combed and perfum- ed over the deep sable-lined collar of his overcoat. he looked more like a sleek and -.‘ handsom Semitic millionaire than the .2! - starving painter of the old days in Lon- J den and in Paris. ~ For the moment I forgot Madge's pro- hibition. and greeted him in friendly fa- ' '~. ' ehion enough. _ . “You seem pretty prosperous. anyhow,’ I said. ,, . He waved his hand airily. . "Not by art," he returned. "Art With a big ‘A' may go to the devil with a big ‘D.’ A Birmingham cousinâ€"fortune in pensâ€"and he had the decency to die and provide for me. Never mind me! Tell mtg ghy in the world you look so miser- a c ’ - By this time I had remembered Madge‘s words. and I received Wray's inquiries coldly. 31‘ “I have nothing to tell that would in- V“.. forest you,” I said. “And I am rather . ‘ pressed for time.” He drew back. flushing angrily. “Don’t imagine I wantto force my so- ciety upon you." he said. “It was only your long face that made me stop you. It always interests me to see people mis- e'rable when they obtain their heart's de- sire. So long! Home, Jennings!" CHAPTER XXVII. ‘“‘ Even now when I look back. after a lapse of three years, I can hardly real. ize. still less describe. how it all came about, or the sequence of those events which transformed me from one of the 9 most envied men in London to one of -, the most miserable. \. For one thing. I was always busy. I had to work early and late. so that the lessening of my income might not be felt by my wife. Tile early spring and winter we usually spent round the south coast or in French waters. painting hard from nature in the Marsh Fairy. “The season” found us in London, not that we went into society. but that Lilith loved the theatres and to see the people in the ~“”' park. Picture exhibitions were on then. and private views, and it was the best part of the year in which to capture the shy picture-buyer. Entertaining on a. small scale we-'indu1ged_i1. and Lilith ‘ speedily became exceedingly popular , among a certain section of my acquaint- " . . " ' ances, at which I was not too well pleas- ? ed. The “lovely Mrs. Hervey" got to be .i ' her: nickname, and her little naive speeches. half‘innccent, half audacious. . were extensively quoted among the mem- ' ' bers of the liauto Boheme. Men paid court ,to me.‘ as I could plainly see, in . order to be invited to 'my wife's little supper-parties. which would speedily have '._ degenerated into “rowdincss”â€"for Lilith ” V was the most lax of hostesses. issued in- ‘ vitations broadcast, let the men smoke anywhere. and urged them to drink free- lyâ€"-but for the timely, saving presence of Madge. who. to my great joy and deep gratitude, volunteered whenever she could to be a guest at these Bohemian reunions. Something in Madge‘s style. manner, and appearance, and in her position as a great lady and a great heiress. gave quite another-tone to these receptions, putting the artists, journalists. -musicians, and actors. who were among my wife's most favored guests. on their best behavior, which. indeed, is the behavior a man should always show in the presence of a woman. A few artists who had married their models brought their wives, large, redheaded. blowsy-looking creatures for the most part. to the first of Lilith's en- tertainments: but when Lady Margaret Lorimei' began to attend them. and jour- nalists. anxious to chronicle their intim‘ to a Fairy. acv with the aristocracy. alluded in the cheaper weeklies to “the lovely Mrs. Adrian Hervey’s successful ‘at home’ last Sunday. at which Lady Margaret Lori- incr looked beautiful in green, etc.," many women in. or nearly in. society. sought for invitations. and Lilith's Sunday even- ings became extremely popular. “Good-looking fellow that Adrian lIer- vey." I overheard in the park one day in the second year of my marriage. “Some- thing like a younger version of Dante. Made a mull of his marriage. like most of those artist chaps. Engaged to his Lady Madge Lorimer. quarreled fully pretty .ittle woman. But it's a bad thing for a man." The words angered me extremely. but what was I to do? The man echoed the Dopular verdict. And under these circum- stances the kind of vogue which Lilith acquired hurt and annoyed me. Her childish high spirits, always a little ro- strained and'reprcssed by Madge‘s pre- sence. broke out when only the wives and sisters of artists were our guests. She would coax me to the piano. and would improvise the most delightful dances. swaying her lit-he and graceful figureâ€"lil- nocent as ever of the disfiguring corsetâ€" tihis way and that in the joy of dancing. a joy which seemed part of her very be- ing. For myself. I never tired of watching withpassionate admiration the sinuous movements of her supple form. of revel- ing in the joyous abandon of her gestures; but it vexed and angered me that other men should share in my delight. My love for Lilith was a jealous love. because it was based on uncertainty. That she lik- ed 1110 I knew; that she loved me a little I was sure: but the restâ€"ah, the rest! The leagues that lay between her affec- tionate tolerance and love. the love a man craves for from his wife! Before the end of our second .VGM‘ 0" marriage I began to realize that my af- fairs had somehow grown terribly involv- edâ€"that we were, in fact. living beyond our means. and terribly in debt. Lilith was always wanting money. “for the housekeeping." as she put it. but an acci- dent revealed to me the fact that the tradesmen’s bills had not been paid for more than a year. Fifteen hundred a year I had placed to Lilith's credit at my bank. but on in- quiry I discovered that her account was Against my will. I heavily ov erdrawn. ' I viSited grew suspicious and observant. the tradespeople. and found debt, debt everywhere. “Mrs. Hervey had promised faithfully they should be paid at the end of the year." I heard on all sides. . Even the servants’ wages had not been paid since Christmasâ€"over a hundred pounds were owing. and I had regularly paid the money to Lilith each quarter. I blamed myself for leaving everything in the hands of so young and inexperi- enced a. girl. and after seeking out my lawyer and consulting him as to the best means of raising money in a hurry, I re- turned home late on one September after- noon. resolved on a long talk cf gentle remonstrance with my improvident wife. As soon as I entered the house. my eyes fell on a note in Lilith’s handwriting, ly- ing on the hall-table. I caught it up and read the following words: “Now that you have been questioning the servants and the tradcspeople, I know you will find out everything. I can't ask you to forgive me. And I can't stay with you any longer. 1 am more sorry than I can say. for you and for myself. But I have never loved you. and you will do better without me. Please forget me. and please don’t try to find me. For I shall never come back. “Lilith." CHAPTER XXVIII. ' “But I have never loved you. and you will do better without me." Those words in Lilith's letter seemed to burn into my brain. My wife, whom I had worshipped blindly. had never loved me! so Such love as she had ‘to give was never mine. and she knew it. and now she had told me so. She never loved me! Yet she had caress- ed me in pretty. kittenisli fashion only that morning as I left the house. had fas- tened‘her small hands about my neck and had pressed her soft checks to mine. telling me to come home early, as she was "so dull without me." and question- ing me with what looked like tender so- licitudc. about the troubled and worried look I had worn of late. I had meant to expostulate so gently with her. to draw her into my arms, and, while soot-hing and caressing her as one pets a child who has done wrong, but whom one longs to forgive. to entreat her to confide to me fully. and to curtail her extravagance in the future for both our sakes. . And now she had deserted me. had fled from her home and .llcr husband. who lov- cd her far better than his life, and gone I knew not wither. - “Don't try to find me. I shall come back." The words were there before me. of course she was not in earnest! was one of her old elflikc freaks. She knew that she had been deceiving me, and had been recklessly extravagant in money matters. She was afraid of anger. and had fled. poor child, in usual impulsive. irresponsivo fashion. ‘She was only nineteen even now. and knew nothing of the world. She had scrib- bled olf the letter in a hurry, and she no more realized how terribly the words in her letter hurt me than a kitten undilu- u: never But This my her stands that his claws hurt when thrusts them cut in play. With the simile there flashed back into my brain that old prophecy of Nicholas Wray. when he had so strenuously urged me not to marry Lilith. She was “one of the kittcnisli. chorus-girl type,” he had said. “who only care for men who bully them. who will play with the heart of a man who loves them. alternately tortur- ing and caressing it. and then, for a whim of the love of change. will cast it aside for a. fresh sensation." But Wray had never understood Lilith. and I would not think of his words with regard'to her. Only a few days ago,,as I had heard from other men. he had given a. farewell supper to his cronies in Lon- don. and had announced his intention of starting on the following day for an old palazzo in Venice. a' portion of which he had resolved to rent and live in with a big. black-haired Italian model. whom he declared he meant to make his wife. Wray was a worthless voluptuary; how eliould he understand my Lilith, of the child-soul and wayward. restless- nature? I wus too serious with her. too much ab- sorbed in my work. The idea that she had left me because she could not face my anger over her carelessness was a terrible one to me. What was all the rmoney I coul Vevwrvmako compared to my darlings happiness? She was too young to manage: doubtless she had been client- ed. andâ€" , And all this time where was she? I must question the servants and find cousin. with her. and went off and married a slion girl. or an artist's model. or a slavey. I‘ forget which, out of pique. She's an aw- out the exact time at which she left the house. As I turned with that end in view, I discovered that Rosalie. my wife’s plain; elderly French maid. was close behind me. watching me curiously. I beckoned her into the dining-room and shut the door. “‘At what time did your mistress leave the house?” I asked. trying to control my voice. ' ‘ “Almost immediatelv after monsieur." "Had she any luggage?" - “None, monsieur. Only some money and jewels in a hand-bag. Madame’s portmam teau went away last night.” “Last night?" “Yes. mons-ieur: a messenger came for it while madame and monsieur were at the theatre." ‘ "Did your mistress tell you where 5110 was going?" . The woman hesitated. “Two or [three days ago, monsienr. ma‘ dame first spoke of going. This morning she gave me a little moneyâ€"it was not much. monsieur. for I had done a great deal. a very great deal, for madame." ‘Rosalic.’ she said. ‘Mr. Hervey will look after you. I shall never come back any more: That was what madame said. moxi- sieur. ’ “lg'ot one word as to where she was go- ing. ' , ~ “Pardon. monsieur! Monsieur will for- give me if I speak the truth. ‘I am go- ing.’ madame said, ‘back to the man love. and I shall never see Mr. Hervey again.’ " “It's a lie!” The words burst from me. Not once had - this horrible thought come to me. It was not possible; it was an outrage to believe that Lilith could have uttered such words. They were an invention on the part of this lying li‘rcncliwoinan. I think the look on my face frightened her. for she flew from the room and sum- moned my man Wrenshaw. Lilith had spoken to him leaving. “Tell your master not to take it to heart too much.” she had said. “I know you have always disapproved of inc. Wrenshaw. and you see you were (“life right. For I am going to leave your mus- ter. and I shall never come back. It's no use your trying to stop me. I’ve meant to "o for several days. and when he finds out the truth he‘ll be glad. I’ve never 10v- cil your master. Wren-Shaw. but I have loved some one else, and I'm going ‘00 imi. ’ ' “And you let her go liko'that!" I cried. beside myself with anguish. For I knew that Wrensliaw never lied. and that mY wife in very truth had spoken thus. ‘ “What was I to do. sir? When I appeal- ed to her. and said she would break your heart. she only laughed at first. Then she fell to crying. and saying that if I knew everything I should be sorry for her as well as for you. But when I spoke to her again. she turned angry and order- I ed me out of the room. And I came down- stairs and waited in the hall. so as to stop her by main force. But that French- woman took her down the servants' stair- case. and when I left the hall at twelve o'clock. and went up to make sure she was still there. she had been gone more than an hour.” I It was all over then. my dream of happi- ncss. A chili as of death seemed to creep over my heart as he spoke. I left the man also before his name. _PROFESSOR JAMES MAVOR. At the University They Call Him the “Jimmy Saga.” James Mavor (not James Mavor M.A., LL.D., Ph.D., B.S., but plain James Mayor, professor of economics at the University of T0- ronto, and soon to deliver a course of lectures in India) is the one man at the university who most nearly approaches the popular idea of a college professor, His one draw- back is the noticeable lack of alpha- betic ornamentation at the end of He appears in the list of members of the faculty of the uni~ varsity as plain James Mavor. In spite of this drawback, Prof Mavor measures up to. specifications in other respects. Ho sails along the streets with his head in the clouds and his hair streaming in the wind behind him. He has written many ponderous books (the latest of them is 400,000 words long, and contains a great many facts about; Russia that even the Russians were not aware of); he is to be seen walking the. streets. with all sorts of people varying from anarchists to million- aires; he is apt to reply to a. simple question in Russian or Chinese. The professor of economics is, in short; a very striking, a very re- markable member of the univerâ€" sity. ‘ A whole cycle of legends has grown up at’the university with “Jimmy,” as ho is ii'revei'ently there. and went up to Lilitli‘s room. It was bright with flowers. but already in those! few hours it had gained an empty, un-i occupied look. Clearly. Rosalie had been at work tidying. and no doubt appropriat- ing unconsidered trifles. As I stood gaz- ing stupidly. around me. the woman ap- proached me. and pointed out a tiny par- ccl of paper that lay upon the dessing- table. with my name scrawled upon it in Lilith‘s handwriting. ,I had no needgto open it. Merely the touch told it was my wife’s wedding-ring. A kind of vertigo seized me. I felt that I must be alone, shut in from prying eyes. or I should go mad. I left my wife‘s room“ staggered down to my study, and locked myself in.~ _ Over my desk hung the portrait of Lil- ith. drawn by Nicholas Wray. sleeping in the armchair. with the .cat Saladin curl- ed in her lap. At- eight of it my heart seemed to bleed. I bowed my head on my desk. and called aloud upon the wife who had deserted me, imploring her to return offering to forget and forgiveâ€"everything~-as though. in my agony. my soul could leave my body and force her soul to listen. For hours I remained thus. wrest-ling with my torturing thoughts. which turned again and again. with coward persistency. to suicide as a respite from my despair. _ To follow Lilith. and force her to return to me. would be worse than useless. How could I hold her an unwilling prisoner| when she could not love me? And how~ oh. lIeavenlâ€"liow could I live without her? Hours passed before I could ref-urn _to the actualities of the dreary. hopeless life which lay before me. and to the innumer- able humiliating and painful experiences which crowded upon me. Already by ser- vants' tattle the story of Lilli-11's iliglit had got abroad. and the house was be- sieged by inquisitive callers, and by tradesmen with whom my wife had pledg- ed iny credit. . It was absolutely necessary to rouse my- self. My name had been dishonored for all time. but. at least I could save it from commercial discredit. I engaged an ac- countant. and with him began an ex- haustivo examination of my affairs. The result was in the last degree start- ling. In two years Lilith liad contrived to spend over twelve tiuuszm-d pounds. raising money in several instances by clumsy forgeries of my signature, and Yet the household bills. almost without ex- ception as well carriages. horses, lier gowns, and her jew- els. were still unpaid. Nearly a. hundred letters, addressed to her or to me. demanding or cur-eating payment. were looked away in an old trunk of hers. and she had even. as I (lie- covercd. borrowed of the servants and pledged her jewels and silver plate to raise more money. (To be cci‘ntinued.) _D Providing For Old Horses. A certain Herr_Franz Bizony, who died not long ago, was a great lover of animals. He dwelt at Miskolez, and in his will bequeathed $64,000 to the. city for the founding of a home for old horses. More than a hundred horses, donkeys, cats, dogs and birds had their homes in outhouses and stables on his property during his life time. With’the exception of his inan- servant,’ it is said that queer old Herr Bizony had not seen another human being for twelve years before his death. ___.._>I<___ Proper Directions. “Doctor,” said! he, “I’m a victim of insomnia. I can’t sleep if there’s the least noise, such as a cat on the back fence, for instance.” “This powder will 'be effective,” replied the physician, lifter com- pounding a prescription. ' “When do I take it, doctor 2” "‘You don’t take it. .You give it to the cat in a. little milk.” ' Wifeâ€"Everything is getting highâ€" er. Husbandâ€"Oh, I don’t know, There’s your opinion of me and my opinion of you, and the neighbors’ opinion of both of us. as the accounts for her | Professor James Mayor. known, as the hero of them. The authenticity of some of the episodes of the “Jimmy saga,” as one stu- dent called it, is not beyond ques- tion, but people who know the pro; fessor will say that all the incidents related of him might conceivably be true. Tale of the Trousers. There is, for instanceithe tale 0 the trousers. Prof. Mavor,,like a) good many other men of deen learn- ing, is an illustration of the theory that men are well dressed or not in inverse ratio to their mental capa- City. One day he happened to fin ish the solution of a. different pro-j blem when just opposite a tailor’si shop. He came out of his abstracâ€"l: tion for_ a moment saw “Exclusivo’ Trouscrings” advertised, looked down at his own nether gigarinents,l saw that they were beginning to! exhibit signs of antiquity. and walkâ€" ed in to the tailor’s shop to order a new pair. In due time the new» trousers arrived home. 'Thc next;I morning the professor donned the: lncw garments, and left the old ones; over the chair. He dcparted‘to! deliver it lecture at college. A! member of the family came into the} professor’s room and observed the; garments. A hurried rush to the‘ phone ensued, and the following conversation took place: _ “Hello! Is that the main build-l mg of the university? Could you“ please hurry and find Prof Mavor’l”; “Is anything wrong at his house i” came the reply. “011 no! But hurry! Is his ap-l pearance unusual '2” “Haven’t heard of it. Why 2” l “ iccanse his pants are here, andg we are afriazd thatâ€"3’ .â€" ' Not at Home. On another occasion so the legend runs, Prof. Mavor was having a: long discussion with Prof. Fletcher at the latter’s house. He walked home in the early hours of the mornk‘, mg, and found that he had, as usual. forgotten his latchkcy. Hef pounded on the door for several minutes. A head was thrust ouii from an upstairs Window. “Prof.2 Mavor is out,” came the call.) “Jimmy” turned solemnly around and went back to Prof. Fletcher’s.' Prof. Mayor has traveled much in Russm. and China. and an ancient} “shuba,” a sheepskin coat. was for many years one of the sights of the campus. His economic lectures were once described as a student as “around the world in 80 minutes.” â€"â€"â€"â€"5:‘â€"-â€"â€"-_ ‘ China’s Wonderful Growth. Tokens of changing China are seen in the immense increase of certain classes of imports into that country, In 12 yearsxthe annual consumption oil, kerosene has increased from 83,579,-‘ 724 to 197,902,363 gallons, while the! importation of lamps and lamp ware has trebled. During the same period machinery imports have increased from $1,000,000 to $3,000,000, with an, additional item of nearly, $1,000,000i for sewing machines. Matches and match-making materials show an in; crease of over 300 per cent. Imports of clothing, hats, boots and shoes have increased ten-fold. = __.._._._’I¢ Wayward Travellerâ€"Pardon, but what do you have your mattresses] stuffed with? Tavernkeeperâ€"Wiflh‘ the best straw in the hull country.) b’gosh ! Wayward Travellerâ€"Now,‘ that accounts for it! I know where; f the straw came from that broke the, camel’s back! , '1“, €27 have to be replaced, for they are practically everlasting. , They are easily and cheaply _ "1 made and are the most satis- ' factory of all fence posts. “ Concrete drains do not decay and if)"; g are ’cheapcr, because they do not I is: crumble and stop up drains, hence " ' they need no digging up or relaying. Let us send you this free book, ”What the Farmer can do with Concrete.” ' Ii“ It shows you how to make concrete fence. posts and will save you many dollars when r .- F , doing other building 'round the farm. Farmer’s Information Bureau ' Canada Cement Company Limited ‘ 514 Herald Building, Montreal : . a: . "' . 4%sssmvfsf'efi was .1 . _ ., :1 , y . .. 323.2%? iistfihfidsa 4 .7 v5- .i-p Concrete Fence Posts Last Forever HEY never rot ' away i n th 6 ground. They stand the hardest knocks and never Concrete Drain Tile fig 5 . Cannot, Decay ’. 4 "“0" no, .x. anes; .AL‘ A r» hay-:50 2< rm ‘ ‘,v V ' J‘dwn, r!