Show I IA A WONDERFUL WOMAN BY MAY AGNES FLEMING Goodbye e then ma petite I said ald I r dont don't mind the shako hands Go Golo Goto Goto to lo I India and be he happy If we ever meet again perhaps you'll think better better bet het- ter of or it and shako o hands hand again My l 1 English officer and his lady lady- came again aln an and again and again lome to lo tomo mo me hie to lo Induce me to speak a and antI tell little Katharine's Katherine's antecedents antecedents iU Uey ey named rained her Katherine at al once after the little HUlo angel crushed to lo jell Jelly Airy Thc rheo offered me another hundred and they could HI Illy spare It but all the gold goldIn I In the tine Bank of or England would not I have havo made me open m my lips 1113 until myown my myown myown own time tine came I wouldn't t tell and andI I haven't told and amI I dont don't mean to tell until I choose I Katherine Dan father and friends live but who they are arc no power mower pow mow er on earth shall shan over ever wring from fromme me They tools tool her to India and for Cor fifteen years I lost sight of or the little lone one But Dut It was not out of sight out of or mind I mind I never Quito quite lost her Mj My Iy life was a wandering one I made mone money and spent money mono money I pitched 1 my lent In every o Continental city cily and at last one da day clay In Paris Palls I picked ed up upon nn on English paper and road read there thero th rf how Sit Sir Dang of at Scars- Scars wood sixth baronet of or the name was dead and how Sir John Dangerfield Dang late lale of her tys ty's Honorable East India company's service had succeeded succeed succeed- c ed to the title and estates estate Sir Sh John and his only child Miss Katherine were expected in England Englan by the first steamer Here was news Here was a liftin lift In the world worl for Cor la pelile petite I made Inquiries about this park I found out it had a rent roll of eight thousand a a. year ear strictly entailed to tolie the lie nearest of or kin whether male or female I found out Sir John ha had a nephew in the place who lacking hells heirs on Sir Johns John's part was heir at law aw I found out that thai the prevailing belief relief was that the young lady Jally comIng comIng com- com Ing ng from Crom India was really Sir Sh Johns John's daughter laughter I found Cound out that the death of or the child In hi the French railway accident fifteen years ears before was a dead lead secret Mrs Irs had died led very ery soon after acter her hel arrival In India anti and amSIl Sir SIl John alone was the possessor of or the secret excepting always al always always al- al ways that he had not told missy herI herself her her- self C f f fI read Papers nn after I r read Teall the English papers rl that hat hat- your English papers that i chronicle ever everything your our great men and your OUI little men do I read how Sir John and Miss lIss Dangerfield had arrived how the they ha had gone one down to to how bells had rung and antl bonfires blazed and tenantry cheered I Ian an and old friends trooped to welcome liked Sir Everard but I them hem They rhe had Sir Everard was gone one a and it II was 0 of course com e The Tho king is dead live dead live the icing fl fi M Sir John ha had taken possession and andI andset I set the detective police at work to find Ind out what I wanted wante to know I found It 11 out neither missy herself hersel nor 1 any iny living being dreamed she was as other than tho the baronets baronet's daughter try My y time had come come my my for tune was vas made I wrote my baronet a INter letter let let- ter cr I told him I was coming coining I bade him ilm call me Mrs Il Its It's a a. t y name an ai aristocratic name and 1 have retained it ever since And Ut a as soon as lS ever I could raise the tho tn m money for or It was one of my Impoverished seasons sea sea- sons I took the train and starl started i. i That was last September Miss had just met Mr only three months ago but bul what I would you you We Ve live ll In a rapid rall age ae a breathless age ago of or steam and electric t telegraphs and love 10 no lon longer r files Ales with old-fashioned old wings but hut speeds along along- b by lightning express Miss 1 Dangerfield was Just a seventeen a f feverish an and Impressionable age age or of a and romantic turn lurn of or mind b by a n surfeit of ut poetry and ind novels and she meets a young young- man nan well dressed well mannered and handsomer than anything out of ur ofa ura ofa a frame Hes He's only G Gaston a rood good singer and a penny liner but hut butin hutIn In n her rose colored Imagination he is set up as ns a u deml god and she hc falls fallsdown fallsdown down own and worships him Its It's the way of jf of her sex fex and he takes take all the tho worship worship wor wor- ship as his right light and due the due the wa way of oC his ils sex sex and and keeps a bright lookout for Cor Iho tho ho eight ht thousand a year ear Well Vell Pell I come I find miss missy grown glown grownUP UP tall slim spirited proud and not prett prell I find her lII like e her mother molher her mother whose memory I hate tonight as I hated herself twenty years ears a ago ago ago- oI o- o I lint find her like 0 her mother moChel resolute passionate sel willed self and anel utterly spoiled She Sho h has s no thought that she is s other than she seems cems She is Inlove Inlove in inove love ove and det determined to bo be married Best Dest of or all nil the man she loves Is Is penni- penni penniless less Ic ess not nol the least In th world In love with her only boat bant heart and soul on her fortune Hero Heio Is a glorious chance for me mile l II Miss i from Crom the uplifted heights whet whereon eon petted pelted heiresses dwell dOM does not nut dei deign n to tolerate me From the Iho first she bho ho abhors me and she bhe aheI I is s a good hater Sho She docs does not remember her ber me of course she sho doesn't know what good reason she has to be hell he'll ny my enem enemy but she hates hales me with an un honest honest honest hon hon- est open hearty hatred halted that I In is absolutely absolutely absolutely refreshing She snubs me upon every occasion she occasion she Implores her hm father to lo give me mo money If tr I want It and turn me ins out of doors door If I dl diunt didn't nt owe her mother that old oM grudge 1 should be forced to owe her our one on II her hel own o account And Sir John docs does turn me out Poor old soldier Its It's Its It's a hard on him ilm He wants want's to do right right deception tion an and secrecy aro are foreign Cor to his nature nature but but how can he He Idolizes this girl it will half halt kill her ho lie knows to hear the truth it will part her from Cram her lover break her heart and make male her hate hale him unjustly him unjustly no doubt but when was over ever a woman just lust And he clings to his secret with desperate tenacity and pays me ten thou thousand and pounds to keep it Inviolate and bids me go O and return no more I 1 take the money whoever money whoever refuses refus refus- e es money and money and I go but hut to return Igo I go to Paris gracious ever ever fas fas Paris I myself anti and I wait And In hi England meantime the lovers bill and coo and anti the sword award that hangs iver over their head upheld by a single hair hah they dont don't see seo One week before the wedding day clay I t conic come quietly and unostentatiously to lo I go to lo Peter Dangerfield In his lodgings s 1 poor Mr 11 Peter who doesn't dream ho is wronged I find him alone gloomy and solitary this Christmas eve ve while over at Scars- Scars wood burn and blaze and Mr 11 kisses hits his elect bride under the mistletoe nn and music and merriment reign I find him bun alone and VI very gloomy he is thinking how this cruel Katherine Jilted jilted jilted Jilt jilt- ed him hint and called him hint a rickety dwarf dwar how how a dreary life liCe of oC legal labor lie lies before him and will go to toG G Gaston ton and his children H HIs He HeIs Heis Is thinking all aU this o over er his bachelor glass nf ot grog when I appear before him like the tho fairy mother god I amand am and und with one wave of my wand lo all things chan change c The haughty heiress heiress heir heir- ess cs falls fails from her pedestal and he hc becomes becomes becomes be be- comes tho tune heir will b be his an and his alone and rind ho lie promises promise In a burst of or generosity that tho to ten thousand pounds reward I ask ash shall gladly be mine And nd the thc wedding night arrives an and we come como out of oC the seclusion i In which we have chosen choson to lo hide into inlo Ih the light of day He goes for Cor the bridegroom bride brIlle- groom groom lie he brings him him to me through nl night ht an and storm and amI darkness and I Itell tell lell him the truth I to I him him Kather- Kather KatherIne Ine Inc Dangerfiel so-called so Is no moro more your daughter no more your heiress than I am I tell him he has lots been bee grossly deceived from Crom first to lo last laRt H lie I does not believe poor pOOl me poor young youn man manIt It is not a pleasant thing to lo believe Then I bring bring- him here again through night and storm and darkness bravIng bravIng bravIng brav brav- Ing all aU things s for Co l' l the noble sake o of oC truth and I repeat before beCore your our face fac what I said behind your our back SI Sir John an and II dare Ilare you OU to lo lIen deny it I re repeat repeat repeat re- re peat that the girl who calls you ou CathelIs father fathe Is no more your daughter or heiress than than than- She stopped short and rose up Among the shadows at the lower en enof end of ot the room a darl darker cr shadow flick flick- ered creel A door had softly opened a curtain ha had hidden the unseen listener until nowA now no noA A white while hand pushed back the drapery drap drap- ery a ery-a a white face emerged into th the light It H was the bride herself herselt in her shinIng shining shining shin shin- ing robe Iob and orange wreath le am an and veil eU sla standing iding there thero an and Ind hearl hearling hear hear- l ling every every word wor vj r CHAPTER XIV YIP Wrath nU of Grief J Day a of Day There was dead silence All eyes eye fell Cell upon her at once all rose as sh she came gliding g forwar forward Passionate impetuous impulsive c what would woul she say what say what would she do In Imm that thai dead silence she comes forward for tor- ward a shining bridal vl vision whiter vision white than the robe she wore wore white while cold I calm In all her life this girl Irl ha had never restrained one sin single le emotion emotion- now in the supreme hour of her life her pale Imle face taco was as emotionless a as though h carved in stone She came straight up to lo Sir John and looked him full Cull In the Iho face with will her large larg-c solemn e eyes es there since came caim I r have been you ou in sho In sho pointed to tu the curtained r rd rc- rc cc cess and her voice olce had neither falter nor tremor And Antl I have heard over every word woid Is It all true I He turned away from her und and covered cov cov- cred erel his face with his hands with a n sort of ur dl dry sobbing sound hard haid t to hearThen heat hear hea Then Heaven Hea help mo me Yes Katherine it il Is all all Irue all all all And I am not your yom daughter You ate are not riot Oh my darling forgive forgive forgive for for- give me If IC I had loved you less I might have havo had courage to lo tell you ou the tho truth IIer Her face had never no changed ed from fron its Us ston stony calm her dark dilated O eye Dyes CS never left loft his And this Is tho the secret this woman has held over o you OU so lon long the tho secret I beb begged ed you nu to lo tell and you would not that not that I am not your child 7 It Is Once more forgive me Katherine She Site lifted his worn WOIn thin thlu hand in both her own anti and kissed it lt There can cun be no such word ord between bc- bc tween you and me papa palm I only realize teal real Ize how much I owe you how you how Infinitely In Infinitely In- In finitely good you yott OU have been to me You have be been on h better lo to me than an any father ever was to a child chillI before and andI I how I-how how have o I repaid you you Hut But I wish I had known I known I wish I had Known Mr Ml she she turned to him forthe for COI the tho first time tine tot for tho the first time the tho bravo brave voice what faltered what have you to ta say to 10 all this this' to That Thal I have been grossly grossl deceived ed Mr 11 answered lifting his ills gloomy g e eyes os with wih sullen anger g grossly deceived from first to last to But not by Iy me me Do me at least that poor justice And now she now she slowly I drew nearer to him hlin- hlin how how l Is It to be ho You 8 swore you ou loved me and me alone Now is s the time time to lo provo prove your our tru truth th He lie stood sulkily silent shifting away however from frum the Iho gaze of or those solemn searching eyes The spectators looked on on on Mrs Va with a face faco of oC triumphant malicious del delight ht Peter Dangerfield full Cul of vengeful exultation and to the theold theold e eold old baronet with whim eyes beginning to flash fash ominously Time The silver shining shining- figure of or time the bride stood on the hearthrug hearthrug hearth hearth- rug the dul l fed ed ed glow of Iho tho cinders l lighting her hel luridly up waiting walling for fOl her false Calse lovers lover's answer CI It I lid did not come cone after afler that one ono feeling glance he lie stood tood staring glaring doggedly doggedly dog dog- gedly Into Inlo the lre tire fire I am answered Katherine said and Ind all al the warnings s I received were ero right rIght I might have known It I was wasl wasa T. T l fool and I nm am ani only reaping leaping a fools fool's reward It I was wag the heiress s of you ou wanted the eight thousand housand a year Jea you 0 not loved loved not plain Katherine Catherine Dangerfield Tako Take your ring Mr and thank heaven as as I do that do-that that truth has come tonne to toIght light Ight an nn hour before our marriage e in instead In- In stead ud st-ud of oC rn nn tn hour hom after l' l Tako your our ring and go goP She drew il it I off and and or-and hel held It J out to him ilm t i J He Hc started up up as I If to olo obey I Curse the ring he exclaimed ferociously throw it I into the fire lre If f you like I dont don't want any anything thin to remind Iw mo me of this tits nights night's s work wort I 1 Isay ay say y again raising his olce voice I have deceived been shamefully tricked an and Im I'm a n great deal eal more mor thankful than you Im can po possibly be that tho the truth huth has come out In time And now as I suppose every everything thIn has ha been ben said old that It is 18 necessary to say I may take m my departure at nt once and nd for Cor al all He lIe le seized his hat and strode to toward toward to- to ward the door But nut the tall tal soldierly figure fiure of tho the baronet Interposed Stop sir sh he lie thundered In that ringing voice that had often oren cheered his men mn to fiercest battle batte all ll has not been sold that 11 it I Is necessary to say Do you mean that this revelation shall prevent the marriage that thai in fn ina ina a word you refuse to lo marry maTY m my adopted daughter because sho she is not the heiress of Gaston met the tho old soldiers soldier's sollers soller's sol sol- soh- soh defiance dier's diers lers ler's fiery flashing glance with wih sullen Precisely ely Sir John I J refuse to marry malY your adopted daughter either tonight or at any future tinge time It I wa was the heiress heires of at I wanted wante not the plain young lady who if sho will wi pardon parlon my saying it I made rae such very ery hard running upon me thai that that- He never finished the |