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Show 43 bring some Chihjm,s trifles for the girls, I am weary, so weary; butnif?fti' give up, I must finish the painting now; it is fairly well done, yet I. could improve it very materially if I had the heart to work; if cnly my strength would not fail," and she rocked herself to and fro in her agony, clinching her hands, and again she saw LliL11?"Bet-ti-Hie shadowy panorama. I wilFcall she murmured, thinking," and tell her to watch for. Lady May-narI'll be back soon." answered the summons and Mrs. Brandon threw on a warm wrap and a scarf over her heavy mass of bright brown hair, and in. a flash she was sailing swiftly along the street, mingling in the hurrying throng, a'figure so graceful and willowy that one might readily fancy she was con scious-oher own superior charms, she' rr'mA Uars(( cr iniippnlv' i nnrl hfr whole vaitivu uwtdwii j" w.tij appearance was most captivating. She hesitated before a shop filled with toys, and sweetmeats, made a few purchases, and glancing around shyly, the light snow falling on her giving her indeed the look of a fairy, she heard some one call her name. Turnine from where the sound came like aingntenea Dira sne nea. Geraldine!" "Geraldine! repeated again. She recognized the voice as of one long since dead, but it was not he, she knew, but some one very much alive, yet so like his it was, she knew riot what to do. Terrified beyond expression she could not the, d, f r--n a great city she could scarce move, and Motioning a yet she inevitably must. cab she jumped in it, the stranger still watching,, though she knew it not. At her own door Bettie met her with, "Lady Maynard is here waiting, furious that the picture is not finished." Pride came to her relief, and she choked back the tears that were ready to How, she saw the carriage with its gilded uaypiub, iuc uuver uu uie uux m livery, one uiu not nesi-tat- e uie luuimau ueuinu. a moment, but entered the small apartment like a princess, carrying her tiny packages; she saluted Lady Maynard and told her simple story. The lady.rose with an imperious air scarcely deigning to reply to the courteous apology, ''I beg to assure your Ladyship of my desire to tonight, but I was overcome with fatigue, and was obliVedto nut ilown the hrnsh;" --You left it to go out. The maid could have made the Christmas purchases, they were not so particular, I fancy' Mrs. Brandon could not answer, it was f 'T hnvp PYnlainH ton hnmiitntincr will do my best tomorrow. Christmas cannot be a holiday to me," and from sheer exhaustion she sank down upon the chair nearest the door. Lady Maynard was gone, but her maid inquired m passionate tones, What mes- - 1 have told you all, there is no' more to say. by, of tone, reminding her of days gone voices she had listened to, and her heart beat fast;he had forgotten the episode in the street. It had been driven out of her mind.- - Bettie entered with a card, "The gentleman waits outside the door, he is a grand one, it must be some one you know," Mrc Rrandon.'s - . . heart was. thumping. he- therewas-asinging-.inher-ear3l--S- could not read the name tor a tew minutes. Bettie was alarmed, "you are surely going to faint, madame," and Bettie caught her "or. she would have fallen. The sudden arrival of one mourned as dead had been too much fo.this delicate womant and just on the verge of serious ral-- , collapse, it was some time before she lied. Bettie ushered the stranger into the hallway, where he paced' to and fro. impatient'of the delay,' not knowing the cause. It was late to be callingand he was not aware how he would jbe received, He had not expected to find so easily the woman he had come from afar in search of, and if possible to effect a reconciliation and make recompense for wasted years. Bettie the maid had tact if not knowl-edc- e. she knew instinctively that her mis tress had a greater sorrow than the death of her husband, she was not versed in book knowledge, but in love affairs in her date. own sphere she was up-tShe could interpret the stranger's visit after her own fashion, and was not at all inclined to bid him begone. Mrs. Brandon recovered in part her composure, but her nerves were so unstrung that she was scarcely able to recall what had occurred in the street or how she had been followed. The faithful Bettie waited in suspense, not knowing what would be best to do, but finally resolved to urge her mistress to speak to the stranger; she reluctantly consented to Bettie's urgent solicitations, saying, "Bettie, say to the.gentleman, if his business .is "very important, I will speak to him for a few minutes, though I am overcome with fatigue and need rest and quiet." AH excitement, the maid hurried into the hall, to do her mistress' bidding. "If you please, my lady says you may come, in if your business is very important." Mr. Brandon brooked no delay, but followed, almost rushing through- - the doorway without making any reply to the maid, Mrs. Brandon could not rise; the figure, the voice, the manner, recalled to her vividly one she had known in the past, but who had died long ago, and she could not utter a word, she was so terrified. He came forward and grasped her hand. She shrieked with fright; the maid, toowas almost paralyzed with fear lest her mistress should swoon again; but the awakening of latent forces, the rousing of memories hidden away in some corner of her brain, came oyer her and prevented faintness, though every pulse thrilled with excitement. She gave' way tOTtears-an- d sobs that were most pathetic; poor Bettie tried all herrestoratiyes, and a realization ot her position became apparent to Mrs. o -- Bettie openiner the street door for thp lady and her maid saw a hansom drawn : up near, .butwithout thinking, so enraged Brandon. was' she at this insolence of the lady's The seized his . opportunity. maid that it did not occur to her to men- Calling stranger her name tion the, matter to: herTmistress; before. have returnedbyfrom thesoftly, he said, "I East -- - - . Mrs- - Brandon had time to recover her and well Indies, alive perhaps you thought I was o dead." Why-dI fi nd y du in" tli ese pooT heard a strange voice in the hallway, and lodgings? And where is my brother?"7 yet there was something familiar- in the Mrs. Brandon, her voice sounding far - truth?" 'How could I know?- , I have been - : - five years in foreign lands. After leaving Australia I wended my way to India, and only tonight reached London,, and began inquiry for my brother, when I saw you most unexpectedly, and called to you,' but you fled like a wild deer. I followed,' in. w finH.vnii.i'n thpCA j " ... micfmKlAnorii. "f"m4Villj -- -. obliged to work, and was a most unwilling listener to Lady Maynard's offensive remarks, and the insolent language of her companion. I am most unhappy because of your distress. Tell me, is my brother Getting no reply, save an almost inau-bl- e "Yes," he looked ccmpassionately at the fragile form of the woman before him, whom he had left in her bridal dress the girl with whom he had been madly in love, and whose picture he had carried abnear his heart during sence in a foreign country, and now he. gazed upon her clad in the deepest mourning, and yet he recalled that on the street she wore no widow's weeds-- he his-prolon- ged was wild with suspense. "Tell me, Geraldine," he implored, "how long has my brother been dead? Can you not believe that I have returned and will care for you that there mu?t be no more drudgery, no more insults from society women of fashion, who flaunt in the homes of honest their people?" Geraldine still sobbed half unconscious The stranger answering not a word, turned to the maid and asked, "There are children how many?" Bettie was only too glad to break the awkwardness of the situation the miserable suspense, "Three little girls; the youngest a baby, and they are expecting Santa Claus, and my m.istress has promised them a tree." Without waiting, Mr. Brandon hurried from the house. It was growing late, the street singers were merrily caroling about to catch the pennies being thrown to them, and the streets were still crowded with pedestrians; he made his way to the nearest shops and returned loaded with bundles; the small tree he had sent on before was taken by Bettie into the living room and was already in place, when he arrived with the erifts and ornaments, Bettie was clever at decorating, for she7' had been nursery maid before this great sorrow had fallen upon the familyand she longed to tell the stranger, how his brother had been brought home by his comrades at dead' of night, and all the terrible scenes wnich followed. She knew, however, her mistress would not approve of her betraying her wretchedness, or tell- ill-manne- -- . she had been left to struggle with fate for these little ones. V'. . The first ..words . were, "How is your misiress is sne resting; reiue w O-- w AA wA w s te- a- ing and sobbinsr.'. I erave her some she sipped a little. She cannot credit your not knowing of your brother's death. She once told a strange lady who came to ask after the children, that she had heara of her husband's only brother's death m . Australia. , "Who was the lady?" he inquired. An actress, I think," said Bettie; an powder and perfume. She offered my mistress money, and left her card. Mrs. |