Show T A bachelors teach elors supper party 11 gh ahl I 1 I 1 say this is isi too bail ask us ua here on such a night and give tie no nothing to drink but seltzer boltzer water temperance my zoar deir follow faulknor Faul knar I 1 is a a temperance ranco man so si it seems temperate in in punctual ity as well as other good things ile he asks ash his bia friends for eight and aach then t keep lioen the appointment himself and frank horton kicked a lugo lingo yule ynte log which was burring burning briskly by the tire fire with some impatience and then turned round once more and looked at it a well spread supper bablo which was laid tor for five pointing po intine with a sort ol of contempt apt to ito five bottles battles of temper once acco drink on the table ono ona for or each caoli guest while at tho the same sama time lie he made ciaja the tha observation 11 who wh la is the 2 there tire are only four of us horton was it a very young man the youngest of the party but bat he ha was the tha most fastidious on the subject of eat ing sail and drinking the other two raon men laughed heartily they were as ill dis a at faulkner being colvor converted t ed to the now new principles as aa norton horton was wag yet they could not help enjoying his bis intense discomfiture tho the four men who at t dick Faulk faulkner ners s expense were wera to a sup together on that especial night bight had been thrown out of an invitation to sta stay y in a country house in in tho neighborhood by the tha sudden budden alln 0 se of mr dent tile the lost host dick faulkner suggested that they should adjourn ail journ to tile the hotel in in a certain town about ait oit en miles from the tha house bouse in ia question anti and be being the richest nuil baia hew ho would ouia stana stand treat to his bis three friends except the residents at ab tho the house where they had bad intended to spend the tha day none nona of theall bad nay any acquaint 1 ano eBin I in tile the neighbor neighborhood bood it was therefore the more remarkable remar kalila that mr faulkner should be absent at the tha very hour when ho he had appointed to put pat the culinary powers of t the hotel to the tha test teat ll 11 dick always was wag ec centro 11 further remarked marked e horton turning a ob cli air air around from tho the table and placing himself in the tha very front of the tha fire fira always os co centric cen trio and I 1 should not wonder it if II 11 ho 0 us some evil trick beloro before thi this s nig night ht is over he will not py tor for our oar suppers for nothing hell have some out of us or I 1 am mistaken mist akau in my ruall raan so bounch much the tha better this the sort of evening one wants to poise like every other evening in in the year temperance brinkl muttered herton with horror the clock struck a quarter post past eight half ha past and no symptom ot of the host hoal Hor tous pati patient pa was waa quite gone that of the other we too nea men wits waa obb bh ing away when suddenly I 1 t wore war rendered oblivious ohl irions of the selfish arav 0 inga inan hunger prompts by a shriek a prolonged feminine shriek horton was inclined to be romantic rud and immediately imagined that it A was waa uttered by some exquisitely fair damsel in the tha very direst distress to fo the tha rescue my brol brot heral herst he cried snatching up the poker and shouldering it forthwith and then followed by the other two lie be proceeded into the it was wait nerv dark none noce of tho the trio know the geography of the tha house hut but they tramped tram poil on bravely in the direction of 0 the tha scream before they bad proceeded fur far the want avant courrier emphasized his hia search toribo mid maid by taking it a header down a flight ot of steps oteis lie ile picked himself up again without much maoli damage being loco done but he bo lost the P poker oker Th the weary exploration of 0 an almost interminable passage was waa tho the next venture at the end of it however sharp ayea T detected a door with light peeping through allward the chinks T toward this door horton manfully mao faily directed his bis steps the two others hold ins ing on by his hia coattails coat tails taita ile ho was about to forio force ingress into this roam when lad flud denly debly tho the door was thrown open ind and dick faulkner appeared with a face of ghastly paleness pal enosa in tho the bright I 1 light I 1 lit alave ilave haro you von soon seea a ghost 2 asked frank merrily but lie he received no an to his question que dick down ilia c gaby pati i mirage sage up tile flight of BE tops int into a lia his own room cheery with it largo large fire its ila substantial blands ana its temperance drin dinki kii the ilio thru three men ho he lad bud luft left behind him in etiore was no woman to 0 o be seen been nay Atly who coull could imo have uttered that but having lol on oil the point tit of there being no onu one there thoy they PrO prepared pAred to return to tho ilia deserted de Berteil supper tible this Thi time alimo brought t up the rear arrived at the tha apa lie he paused for a becloud or two to grope for or the tha poker thus giving the others a u good start when a door ho he bail not perceived in in tha 1113 utter darkness copti DO 1 about abreo inches blowing just a gleata ot of light and a 11 Is IB le ha gone hot p me help mo me to got get out of this thin dreadful clacel 11 abadam BIt daia I 1 am aia your devoto I 1 slave and it you mean F ho he Is in Faulk lierl and he abrew the tha door wilo wide open revealing roTo aling to Hor horton tons s gaze gaza a hotel sitting room of dimen alons but which haj had been rendered reo dered pretty in in detail by a women womans a land hand nod ani the presence ot of many flowers he however noted nothing exo ap tho the perfection of 0 the whole 8 ablio lo 10 let at sell who stood before him was ai he would have expressed it a 2 siren sir enthat that is IB a beautiful wouna worsen clad in a dark velvet gown with lace about lier her throat and wrists what she was doing there lie ho had bail no timo time to ask aoltia for the lady repeated the word 11 faulkner and then inquired lequir ed hurriedly hurn odly almost excitedly if that were indeed his hia name horton nodded his head bead in ac acquina enea ence without speaking every sense eano lie be poss possessed elised was wai at that moment merged into tight sight asi B he be gazed at the acted vision she meanwhile meau h hooded him not but had concentrated all her power of thought hon glit on the name of faulkner have you yon known mr faulkner lo 10 long ng I 1 11 she lit like a 11 about two years ho he answered briefly still too much taken taken up lh by gazing to waste wasta his hh energy in words 1 two years only then it all happened pe nod before ill what was it bat frank at that particular moment did not feel an any y overwhelming carion ity to ask I 1 I 1 Is ha be a drunkard 7 was th the e ladys ladya next question abruptly put pat F rank frank thought ot of the five battlos ol of seltzer and shuddered she evidently his meaning for sinking jowa down on a sofa beside him she lid bid her 6 yes eyes with her hand and gave a little sob bob us off she abe said I 1 know knew it I 1 knew it ahl if you yon had bad an idea ot of what I 1 have hava suffered from this max mail and to meet him here kner is ia a good follow fellow put in frank a little hesitatingly he was to loyal not to try aud and defend his bis friend though lie he was desperately inclined to mako make love lova to tho the lady himself you men always hang together she aha said getting up once more and P pacing ig i excitedly about the room do you yon know who I 1 am sho ached latter after a while 11 difrank F rank shook ilia hia head bond 1 I am mrs faulkner 1 why I 1 nover never heard t that hat he was marrio marri odi dl 11 of conyne not my dear mr I 1 I 1 I 1 horton interrupted he 1 of course not ray my dear mr horton II orton when was mr F faulkner ever known to ep p eak k the tha artith will you sit fit down for afew a few minutes while I 1 tell yon 0 something of my ay history and Is let J me explain how it is ia that I 1 am here in in this hotel with only my maid frank thought momentarily of the good supper in tho the room at the top of the steps but tho magio power of the beauty conque 3 a and bower ha 0 sat bat down with sc scarcely arely auy any regret she looked very bewitching as aa she oat gat with tho the light falling ou her loco noar boar the fire and frank decided that she could not bo be more than twenty tour four prid end that it would be ba imperative on him to bulato with Paul faulkner kiler on in her account it if ito hadro ally been base b iao enough to ill use this beautiful young creature orea turu 11 on oil a christmas eve live five years ago she ehe began begaii I 1 I 1 I 1 was staying with my mother at ur mr dents bents about six miles from here it II was there I 1 met M 1 faulkner I 1 was foolish enough t to listen to him and aad ia less than a week I 1 had promised to be Faulk ners difo my mother objected bat I 1 was a headstrong girl as I 1 am a se self if willed woman a and opposition only of served arved to make me the more positive that faulknew Faulk nei was the only mun in whom I 1 should ever find my ideal we married in the spring against every ones wishes nod and ia alow a few weeks averi I 1 discovered verea that my husband was a lunatic A lunation lunati lu natiel ol faulkner a lunati lunation ol why ho he is as sano sane as I 1 am said hotton horton in much amazement it matters little whether the brain Is affected from llio abo use of alcohol or from hereditary disease she answered 11 the effect is zo the same F rank franb thought ul of the array of bottas on the ills supper table arid and wondered whether the tha beautiful bean womans comans love lova tor for faulkner would to be re awakened when she learned how entirely he had re formed but bat he made no observation ana audede she wont went on I 1 to give you any idea of mr faulk tiers ners vile vila and disgraceful treatment of me wore were impossible cameo it to say that his cruelty or nelty his bis brutality when ho he was under tho the influence of drink wits BO be excessive that my cy life was in danger and that when 1 I 1 had been married scarcely a year I 1 ded abroad carr carrying jing 1 with me my little baby grilli s fortnight old there I 1 remained in strict baoen bien till about six alx months ago when information reached me that ray my line has band baad was dead and I 1 returned once more I 1 still however lived under tho the name of madam roso resemy my linn hall name is roas fearin g that I 1 be in somo some way persecuted or annoyed by my we late husbands haa bands creditors cro ditora who were merona un it was waa only in re I 1 I 1 to 1 A very pre pressing preising osing invitation front mrs dent that aln i wua IM tit ti break through my BIJ awl agria to jom join with avith uy my her latr party your little ilaug liter ia bile bho also alao hero asked II orton who was utterly btag gerel by ilia strangeness of ilia story antl tile tho bounty 11 if alin woi au sho huo 1 44 curtain nt at the side bija of 0 the room nud and ellow litt lim a sweet little piece pialo of loveliness loveli of about tour four years yeara old taut tait aslani pretty lough the child was van lo be looked from tho mothers mot hoid face to hers and but could see sea no resemblance site she is ia lilio like ler her lie ha observed succinctly blauma rose 1100 lean over tho the child anil and kluson her thero there were tears teara in her otea eyes when sho she raised her head for het her sake atthe if not for mine you will save bava uia me from this niu mr llor ton toe judge of my horror hen ben be lieving having in the ilia absolute abBo abo lute safety at 0 my supposed I 1 all of 0 a bull buil lien don met my miscreant here alive aliva in in this ilis hotel but you will pro feet tae iso from him will you not 71 10 to lo the tha brank bravely its lie woud ered what course woula be wisest to ta tilia dropped drop pail tile tho curtain which con collm tile the room where tho the child lay sleeping anil and they went buck back ones again to the tire lire in in the tilting pitting room loom 11 you yon will stay with me ine for a time she said 11 you ton wont leave too alone hero here to my fears for that man inan is capable of anything he inny rasy oien kill me ma lie he looked more maj mad than ever as I 1 saw him bim tor for ix a moment in in if tha to glass in that oom at the onil and of the ilia PiN banga panga sage where I 1 list gone to got get a book franki beauty may inay be ba very vary intoxicating but it sch coly reely stands in in the place of a good supper to i it hungry man babora however he ha bail almo to re fuso use or accept her i tAtIon to stay it knock came at the door tobia to him in a sort bortoff of wild 0 o error iio he pointed to the tha curtain cartain bob behind ina which the baby lay and motioned motion oil that she iho should tomm remain there while lie gave gava audience to the intruder ile ha opened oil the door still and went out into the passage faulkner wile VMS thero there with a lightell lighted candle in lis hand baud lie he looked very white and haggard but perfectly f aly sane sana and in net fact lorton horton had never known him to be ba otherwise and ana lie ho felt that the account of his bis bygone proceedings which lie ho had last just learned from madame aso needed some bome explanation from him 11 what has baa she told yon yea frank i I 1 must sea herz her he ha said ila imperatively pera lively bu bat t frank barred tho the door with one art arm us uri he beld off coward villi villa fril couill bould you per becala olt a woman ho cried with a theatrical air 11 fellow fallow yuu yua have known me baa tolerably intimately lor for the last two years yearb have you yon ever proved me to he be otherwise than rather con Ri derato of 0 tho the weaker sox BOX acting mere lucre allibel ac liBel vociferated r rank frank who vile was a little arrice away by the responsible position in which madame rose lad had placed him do you son know who the lady jady is ia that is is la in that room asked faulkner with quiet dignity I 1 I 1 sho she is 19 madame ross my dear frank you ore are lending yourself unwittingly I 1 believe to a great deception come coma away from the tha door and lot let me speak to her since kinoe you yon have bava elected yourself her champion pion you shall stand by it if you yea like lika and hear bear what I 1 have to say there was something so BO quiet aud and subdued in FAulk ners manner that it could ut not fail to carry with it it a strong of troth allied added to which frank horton was his liia friend had been bia friend for alio wit two tiro years and had claring that period believed him to be in an honorable and benevolent man ho he dropped his bia arm from the door but bat laid it on oa Faulk ners shoulders Rhou tie na hel tuia him tho the eyes 11 how long IMS since you havo have taken to tomp orance dri drieke ake lie he asked faulkner bhoola him off iff would have buve done dono it fly he ha was by far tue the wringer stronger mn man of th alia two 11 my dear adcur frank this is is not tho the moment for foolish questions I 1 must speak to that woman now or tho the opportunity port unity anity nitty may never recur lot let me through tho the door or by jove I 1 all assure sure BS as my ay name is dick faulkner IU ill A scream such another scream us ua frank haa hoard heard once before that evening laanen from the ilia interior of the room tho the door was waa hang flang open wl wide do audUa and llamo isoac flosom M she called herself stood blood on the tha threshold had love conque rail when she eha hoard heard v Faulk ners voice alo old love lova tor for tho the baho man who hd hal the first place placa in her heart strange rit it it were so eo |