Show I 1 ONLY THE LIFE JI by HESTER worthington Copil rIght by W 0 chapman T ICH eh ch R A regular croesus they say just inherited some thing like three millions what W hat Is ii lie he doing in this dead burg then why it a part of the estate of ills his uncle la is located here young talcott has corne come litre here to settle it up closed close up most of it you remember niber colonel lisin Roin soni som used to live here bere bighouse bis bouse on tile the hill regular bar barracks rachs empty forbears lori ears talcott wants to sell it IL rhe object ot of ill all tills this discussion lysle Till cott had appeared ut rushon rushton ton in the semblance of a young nabob there was vins tie no doubt that he was a most fortunate heir for the ransom estu te atvas vas conser cousen with latti ely estimated at over si a million talcott had found little difficulty in of two forms farms and some ome central bwl business ness property for lie was willing to give bargains ills wealth had dazzled jilin him when at ills 1113 home hoine in the lie city the llrath word of ills heavy inheritance lind had become be ome known lie he had iwan ficen up by a certain able set vijo worshiped w Mat arlion ahe winstot WIn family land especially wt MI about to inn ina te se hini him welcome into their social circle Han dionie beatrice wenston Wl hall had made coin coal C t to inn him and tie lie was haltered talcott was anxious to get through with ills his busl busunis bu sinis lle ut lit Itus Rus liton titon aind re turn fuin to city cli F mild its rare whirl of excitement lie ile bad been alojs cilwa s poor now with unlimited means lit at ills his call lie thought of the lie one feature or of having a good time little ue he was not quite so anxious after the firsa week of fils 1 ils stay at Itus liton had brought liiri bini in ill with tin old lawyer cyrus deane and incidentally with ills his daughter mabel from broin the hie first his ces ce 3 rest cil on tier sweetly beautiful face lie never forgot its 7 bili outlines lines nad had it been kieen the old str struggling uLlin talcott that had call thus come across tills toils gentle crea tuie its ills heart would have licen been wholly lost As it was the lie lure of the only life the fascination of 0 the siren like leeatrice winston held him in a balance variously lie he had d up ills business nt lit rushton and id arra arnin ngod ged to lewe lene lew e the next lay day during ills his tay lie had teen been ghen a boorn back of the hotel botel ollice office pro provided ded with a desk and chairs for of those who load leai olea ings lings with the hie cointe cs inte ile he had just JInIs lied writing a letter as came a timid knock tit nt the alie door it stood partly open and framed it 11 vision of grace and loveliness locc liness that brought him instantly to ills feet miss allt ane lie exclaimed ills his face allgot with genuine pleasure plea bure may I 1 intrude ln trude she spoke in a pleat nut but liala cn way us its lie he glanced about tile apartment and found it untenanted unac canted except for themselves you are very welcome lie answered heartily ond and drew up the best thair in the room fur for tier her and saw tier her iea ted then lie stood before tier her tile the courteous gentleman complete 1 I expected to lind others liters here began mabel indeed lie he I 1 mailed encouragingly in ill fact quite an cou slaught was meditated facilitated upon you by our little charity society TE tc 11 tile ine all about it lie he invited expansively and seated himself so near dear to tier her and looked into her eyes with his drop deep blue ories ones so interested abat tier her color rose slightly alabel explained esplain ed the philanthropic work vork of tier friends and herself the founding of a vacation home for tired looi hers and alid ailing babies from the fly during tile the pestilent summer season ile he kept hept tier her talking tier her sweet loice emed M to charta charm him As the true nobility of her lifework was realized lit in his impetuous mind lie forgot balthy eal thy miss winston fusion lie ile leaned towards mabel the hie words upon lils his arient tongue that would have made her his life helpmeet when there was an u interruption three chattering ladles ladies entered tile the room the momentary spell of better impulses was broken perhaps it was because of mabel perhaps the way of ills his profligate nature but lie he seemed pleased at the opportunity of doing some good As tile the other ladies repeated aad the story had already told talcott had a vast surprise of an answer to tile appeal peal ready mady Lad ladies lez lie he taid fold quietly it will be a pleasure to meet your wishes I 1 will head your ticket with L a thousand collars 1 i all were astounded more thrilled mabel lifted tier her shining filing thankful ebes with a look that fully repaid lysle talcott for liis ills generosity in addition lie he added quite as unostentatiously 1 1 I win will deed tile the old cold ransom houle homestead stead to your society as a horne home for your I 1 find it difficult Cult to rell it and I 1 to ket get it off cir my lily hands the generous donal donation flon of the good hearted talcott was tile the tall talk of the town low ills his own interest in the dumani plan was he might have lingered but a telegram from theaty the alty OtY inspired by tile the Sch milin g siren oren who had set her wiles to liliu blin lured him again into the ot of tile the only alf lle tile the seed need of charity planted by also i till c charity circle at Il uhlon mav W duill throve lamn e the tife life of the spend aft legan mid ald expanded tor for lys lyala le Tal talbort cort for live i cars tie led blindly recklessly lessly on by the ambitious siren who bad aad won liliu as her glicr husband like cormorants tier her retinue of relatives fawned upon tile lie lavish benefactor who in his hottest honest open way never suspected their duplicity A creature of 0 whim his hid wife tell led liliu jilin from one to nn othor Ther ewas a palatial city hoino nud and a country palace there were trips abroad social functions almost rivaling royalty one baleful day it a terrible piece of news was brought to talcott ills hla wife her sister and a brother had perished in n tire fire at sea when the first shock was partly subdued sub durd lie he went to seek tier lier surviving brother to this man lie had entrusted till nil ills his business on account i of rela relationship A second shuck shock faced him A speculator and a oward coward its ills brother ln la law had lo lost loa A ills his entire fortune in a swindling block concern n and had lied fled tile hie country bysie talcott was a pau iier lie ile was crushed it was only by voluntarily surrendering all he had that ho he was vins able to lo escape tile stigma of dishonor ills his health broke life had become lie faced the future a dumb despair at hui bla boul just one piece of 0 wreckage was saved from the collapse when he had inherited a fortune lie he had deeded to un na old servant of ills his uncle IL a little farm farin near rushton just as the affairs of the collapse were wound up the death of ills pensioner was foll followed ewed by the announcement that the property had been willed back to ills benefactor talcott evaded the townspeople when lie readied reached rushton Rus liton late in the after afternoon Doon it was dark as lie he returned from an inspection of the little old farm lie ile felt more hopeful now how eier for it promised him a comfortable home anda living curiosity led him towards a building surrounded ly by a stone wall aud and ag low with light it V was RS the old homestead but liaw low grandly extended and remodeled remodel edl 1 there were lights over its it gateway no lie had not thought of ills random girl bifi for over live five years often of mabel ile he drew nearer to read tile on a brast bras plate on one of the gato gata pillars pillar it read lysle worthington talcott blessed of all mm men lie he better than I 1 he knew A woman passing by halted gazed at him advanced drew bick back and he saw tier her face miss dennel lie he spoke tremulously her face lit up ns as it if by magic iier her soulful gladness affected him as some rare perfume lie ile must come to see ber lic r fattier fallier it was at the deane home that talcott learned of the venture he hat had practically st started tried dei developed eloped by label ilabel and tier her charitable assistants until it had biad become a noted philanthropic work those lays days ills heart took hope those hours when mabel reading aright ills his gloom as well as ills his await awakened regard tor for tier her ministered to ills wounded soul and brought brou glit to it peace and love |