| Show CONCLUDED from dollar weekly ve star THE WOMAN IN BROWN he ran briskly up the long night alight of stairs two steps at a time while the shabby w woman man who had just been ending outside tile tiie threshold during durine this colloquy as if waiting for somebody came into the vestibule to escape the driving darivin g rain give e us a box of your nicest cigars va tiptop tip top 1 I 1 bawled jemmy stokes the olt y diving into the tobacco store quick our boss is in a hurry ten dollars that aint much for a good article I 1 say you might give me one for myself I 1 always get mr wildes cigars here 11 take it then and get gel along with yourself 11 said the man of smoke what ln can ean I 1 do for you mem A pennyworth of scotch snuff that was all the shabby woman in the faded brown cloak wanted but even through the dingy veil her eyes sparkled sparl aed ded she must have been very fond of scotch snuff the big bell of the city hall was booming tile the first stroke of twelve as mr wilde stood once more in the vestibule preparing to open his umbrella going to dinner martin lie he asked as another legal 0 luminary rattled down the stairs well I 1 suppose its about time to think of such a thing returned mr martin they have some capital turtle soup round the tile corner said wilde come round with me and try it will you your mr martin would certainly he was not in the habit babit of declining such an invitation and the two set forth in high spirits while close behind them glided the woman in brown the waiter looked a little surprised as the shabby crept 1 in n and took her seat at one end of the long table where eustace wilde an and d ill lii his s friend mr martin had snugly established themselves but waiters walters in a downtown down town restaurant soon cease to be surprised at any thing and he came briskly forward to take her order it cup 0 tea mm yes mm dry to toast ast and sandwich right off mm rather an abstemious meal compared with the dainty fare in which her neighbors were indulging turtle soup with flakes of unctuous green fat float ing on the surface roasted woodcocks garnished with rick rich rich amber jelly a bottle of rose red claret to finish off with and a basket of hamburg grapes arranged with superb late V peaches eaches caches beg your pardon m mm in youve got the wrong check this eres yourn ejaculated tile the waiter as the woman in brown lookup took up the check stamped 6 11 she laid it quietly down again 11 she had discovered all she wanted and moved out of the restaurant as noiselessly as she entered its very strange said eustace wilde thoughtfully stra strange ngeT I 1 inquired his ills friend detaching a black purple berry from the bunch of grapes on his plate that woman who has just gone out in the faded cloak did you observe what a delicate white hand she had bad she look like one of the kind observed martin carelessly no and what struck me as being so sin singular ular and with that mr wilde vilde dismissed the subject from his mind meanwhile the little brown phantom sped swiftly down the next street fluttered up the long flight of marble stairs and tapped softly at the door of eustace wildes Wil wll dols dels snug office come in jemmy stokes was sitting on the corner of tile the table cutting his initials neatly on the green morocco cover an operation which lie called ike ice keeping ing office 11 ile he looked up rather disdainfully Is is mr wilde in gone top tol to dinner 11 said jemmy laconically be baek back baek back in twenty minutes tale take care maam your wet dressell dres sll spoil mr wildes new office chair take the old yun lun un if you please tiie tile the old one was a handsome armchair whose green leather cushions were scarcely defaced de faced tile the new one was waa a superb affair of black walnut and crimson reps with a moveable moveably move able desk attached to the arm Is that style of chair very expensive asked maggie meekly motioning her head toward it guess it is returned mr stokes with laudable pride let me see the bills here somewhere it only came this morning oil oh here it is forty five dollars that ere chair cost As the visitor made no comment jemmy applied himself once more to the curl of the S on the tile morocco table cover I 1 secretly won wondering dering what business that rusty female could have with the fashionable lawyer ills his master while the penetrating eyes und erthe veil took in all the elegant little accessories of the luxurious office click click came a pair knuck knuch knuckles es ag against 1 nat the door she started like a g guilty 1 1 t y thin thing but it was only a half lames rown boy the very counterpart of mr ames stokes I 1 heres the books your boss ordered and the bill just you leave cm em said jemmy mr wildell waldell Wil wll dell deil send the money round this afternoon how much twelve dollars and fifty cents etwas it was a handsome illustrated edition of a popular author but the visitor dared not linger to look at it murmuring something about calling again she withdrew much to tor jemmy stokes relief nor was she too precipitate in her movements for as she turned into broadway her cloak brushed against eustace wildes broa broad deloath cleath garments she hailed a passing stage with one finger of the little white hand that was sa so incongruous to her rusty dress and misshapen bonnet quite enough for one day said the brown phantom to herself as she stood on tiptoe tip toe to pay her fare ill have a little settlement with my lord tonight to night that shall shail astonish him rather and she bhe laughed until the dimples danced over her cheeks all alone by herself in the stag stage and d careless or of drenched skirts and edrian driving in g rain she was sitting at her worktable work table the brown hair shinin chinin shining like bands of satin and the neat figurin figure in a black silk dress trimmed with glistening bugles when eustace came in that night the table was set yet in the middle of the room forming a pretty picture with its pearly d damask a mask and gilded china and the urn steamed merrily on the tray this looks comfortable said eustace wilde throwing himself into an easy chair its a dreary night outside 11 Is it said maggie innocently my dear you any idea how dreary tiry said mr wilde one of your feminine advantages we men are forced to battle with tle the world in all weathers mrs wilde took her seat at the tea table without remark but her lips twitched a little at the corners eustace she said when her husband had lighted ills his evening cigar elgar and was just taking up a magazine magazine 1 I am ready for you to look over my days housekeeping accounts I 1 all ail ali ah very right said he approvingly glancing his ills eye down thed thee the olumn column of petty items bread vegetables starch steaks total one dollar sixty cents dont you think my dear that we might economize by bridgets making our bread instead of bu buying ying it perhaps so said mrs wild valdo smiling and now eustace suppose we ma make ke a little estimate of your days expenses 11 I 1 mr wilde stared at his wife its as if he thou thought clit alit her sligh slightly aly demented k what for I 1 j oil oh just to compare our lueas loleas of economy nonsense k no nonsense at all f t but I 1 dont remember T I tell teli perhaps I 1 can assist your memory a little esir sir for your sh share are of oath mhd supper at the D as sand and the ride afterward you paid eight dollars a package of cigars ten a dinner of turtle soup claret etc six your new chair very very splendid certainly was furty five your illustrated edition ai s works twelve dollars andali anda half alf That amounts I 1 believe to eighty one dollars and fifty cents dont you think my dear you might economize a little eustace wilde turned scarlet from his shirt collar to the roots of his hilr hair had there been such a thing as a convenient chasm in the floor he certainly must have sunk into it mag maggie le are you a witch no dear r I 1 am only a woman how the deuce did vote you know 1 I found it out said maggie quietly I 1 1 I must confess that I 1 had no idea how very expensive business was eustace moved uneasily in his seat 1 I give it up maggie lie he said ill own you have me there be lm merciful little woman and dont abuse your victory but I 1 do wish I 1 knew how you heard of it maggle maggie smiled if that is a specimen of every days expenses its no wonder you can not ot spare any money for the soldiers fund or I 1 dont IN maggie maggle he bp pleaded hurriedly dr drawing awing out au t ills his purse and placing it in her hands take what you wish my dear dearly ill be moderate said mrs maggie 1 it I suppose you would like to subscribe serl b e at least fhY dollars for the sick soldiers J just what ever you please my dear said eustace with a grimace and from that day to this whenever maggie maggle wildo wan wants ts any extra funds she has s but to hint at daily expenses and eustaces eustacel Eust aces pocketbook pocket book flips open as if by magic although lie he has never neven yet discovered homshe how she found it the committee was agreeably surprised ed at mr wildes Wil wll dels liberality in the tiie matter of the soldiers fund but then the committee was ignorant of the mar victory achieved by the woman in brown |
