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Show A HDNTEDJEIRESS. a talk ok factory li ft in new kn;lanu. Ity MiOur MucN'amara CHAPTEK IV. CONTINUED, One night it was about eleven o'clock Mrs. Markham was summoned to the presence of her mtuler in the library. It was a stormy night. The rain battered bat-tered against tlie liariea the thunder grumbled and the lightning Hashed continuously con-tinuously without the great elms bent and surged undertlie fierce winds sometimes some-times the low grumblinps of the thunder would cease, to give place to a sudden email which came down upon the earth like tlie roar of some concealed artillery. Such a crash burst over the roof of the mansion as Mrs. Miirkham opened the library li-brary door and entered the presence of her master. Her face was ghastly pale as she stood before him. ")li. Peter, what a terrible night!" she exclaimed dropping down upon the floor beside him and resting her head against the old mans knees. "It is indeed. Martha, an awful night," and the bony hands of old Dillon wandered wan-dered over the head of the house keeper with every sign of fondness. "Here," he said, stretching out his hand to a decanter near, "taste a drop of this brandy ; it will do you good." The woman drunk the brandy, and then rising to her feet, she lient over the old man, and, strange to relate, pressed a fervent fer-vent kiss on his wrinkled brow. The face of Peter Dillon was softened as he gazed upon the woman lore pure lore, looked out f i i mi his eyes, and met a warm ami sweet response from the woman at his side! What strange, revelation is thisf Let the progress of our story tell. There was a pause of several moments liefore either SHku Again. At last the old man said in a low tone of voice; "Well, Martha, how are you getting on have you given her the th. " "Yes, Peter, this is the sixth time that I have administered the powder, and it is j workingspleudidly; intwo or three weeks she will he as plastic as putty in your hands or mine and I have no fears but w hut she will do as you wish. Then you in 1 1 at hurry up your arrangements, for I will not dare administer the potion longer than the time already specified." IShe does not suspect anything?" returned re-turned the old gentleman in the same low tone. Suspect anything! Impossible. She probably lays it all to her continued confinement, con-finement, which bv the by, helps me materially." ma-terially." "In three weeks time, you say, she will be ready 1" "Yes, surely in that time if nothing hap- fiens to interfere. And that reminds me iy the by, that she has received a letter from New Hampshire, with an invitation to visit there; it is fi-om one of her school friends. Wio will call iqion you to allow her to accept the invitation. You must refuse.'' "Of course of course but she will doubtless take on about it considerably, won't shei" "I think not. I will administer a stronger dose than usual to-morrow, which will tend much to neutralize her spirit of opposition." -That is well hut Martha what there should tie a discovery of thisi" "Have no fears, Peter, wo are safe fn that respect nnd that reminds me whv did you give Walter that check for $5,(100 this afternoon?" "I had to give it to him he is in some money trouble or another, the result of his gambling, no doubt. I trust that it is no more. I wouldn't have given it if I could have helped myself, you may de-! de-! pend. But how did you leai-n it?" "I was listening at the door," replied Martha coolly. The old man smiled and Martha continued: con-tinued: "You must ceafie giving him money; it will only deepen our troubles. He mmt remain more at home it is only for a few weeks, and then well twn he'll have plenty to squander, and time enough to do it in. But he mutt remain more at hoin." lay back day after day In her easy chair, gazing from the window and wondering at the emptiness of her life, and where it all would end! , (She was sitting thus one day when a knock sounded on the door and Mrs. Markham entered. Kate received her with a languid smile, even rose up and offered her a chair, and Martha noticed that she actually seemed pleased at her presence. "I haven't seen you for a long tirne.Mrs. Markham where have you lieen?'' "At home continually, my dear; but it's no wonder you've not seen me you keep yourself so closely confined to your apartments. apart-ments. You will, iuiurc your health jnv dear, if you continue this mode of existence exist-ence much longer." Ob, I am very well you see I keep myself occupied," pointing to a nearly CMipleted picture on the easel, in her painting-room, the door of which was wide o)ien. "Come and look at it, and tell me if you admire it," and the fair girl arose and led the way into the studio, where a number of paintings finished and unfinished were laying against the walls. It was an odd looking place that which Mrs. Markham entered. A numlier of models in plaster were scattered alxiutthe apartment, and on the magnificent painted paint-ed walls were hung some rare ger of art which hail been presented to her by friends who had picked them up in their Kurojican tours. On a long table lay pallets and brushes in gi-ea abundance, and squeezed color flasks were scattered aliout amid shreds of canvas and bits of pasteljoards, covered cover-ed on both Bides with si range and well executed ex-ecuted designs. .Hooks of designs of rare value, foreign photographs, ami well-thinnlied works of art gave indications that the ueen of the stuilio was an industrious student; and the completed paintings, scores of which lay about against the walls, tables, on the floor, and piled together in the different dif-ferent corners of the large and pleasant apartment. j To say that Mrs. Markham was astounded astound-ed as she witnessed these evidences of Kate Dillon's wonderful skill with the brush and pencil, would, by no means, convey the feelings with which she looked aliout. This woman, though only a housekeeper, housekeep-er, was no mean judge of art. She had lx-en in houses which contained some of , the best paintings .in the land, and had ; frequented many galleries of art, where time ami taste could well be cultivated so that when she prized upon the scattered efforts of Kate Dillon's genius, she could hardly realize that this was the girl whose viU she was gradually undermining, and j whose determined nature she had so de- lilierately planned to destroy, j One after another she examined the beautiful landscapes natural and ideal, as the fair girl exhibited them, giving vent to enthusiastic expressions of surprise and delight. One after another she looked at mill, : and stream and tree at mountain scenes, at valleys fair and tinted skies ; at fairy cottage and rugged farm-house, with here and there the portrait of some dear and far away school-friend each picture only adding to her surprise and delight at length she could contain herself no longer "Why, my dear, you have a true genius j for art these paintings are worth hundreds hun-dreds of dollars with a reputation be-j be-j hind they would be worth thousands you hm-ra iti.li4 wonderful genius!" The astonished as-tonished dame gazed at her with eyes shining with admiration, and, for the time, entirely forgot that she was plotting i against the happiness ierhaps the life of this innocent child of genius. 'So Madam Devenent used to say," returned re-turned Kate quietiy. "She often said, indeed, in-deed, that if my riches took to themselves rings and flew away that my brush would be my resource and fortune!" "And she sjxike truly, child. You have indeed a rare resource; and heaven only knows" she continued in an undertone "how soon you may need it!" I "It is a pity that all women have not some such means to fall back upon I mean women of wealth and position, who, when misfortune comes upon them, find themselves stranded and incapable," said I Kate. I "It is indeod, if such were the case 1 there would be less misery in the world, and wore hope for society, renlied Mac Chapter VI. Wil TBB IS A8TOK18HKD AT HIS COCaiS'i CT-BIOCS CT-BIOCS BBCKPT105 OF A VKCLABATIOV OF" LOVB. From the time of the first visit of Mrs.. Markham to the studio of Miss Dillon, a great change had taken place in her habits hab-its and demeanor. Thenceforth the housekeeper house-keeper was a constant attendant on her young mistress, and she waited on her with assiduous attention. Iier visits were always welcome, and poor guileless Kate sremed to take great delight in them. She no longer confined herself to her room, but at all hours she wandered in company with Mrs. Markham through the beautiful grounds of the mansion but at . no time was she invited to ride, and indeed in-deed gave no sign that she ever experienced experi-enced a desire to. She seemed to have forgotten all about horses or drives; or, in fact, anything else. Her painting was neglected, ber piano was closed and silent, and her whole wish and desire seemed to be for the cnui-pany cnui-pany of the woman who was doing her so-deadly so-deadly an injury. Of her own free will she now often went to the library, and entered into senseless conversations with old Mr. Dillon who treated her with jieculiar kindness. She had grown into the habit of encountering encoun-tering her cousin Walter, and that young gentleman was thunderstruck at the sudden sud-den predilection she exhibited for his society. so-ciety. He often sauntered among the flowers) wiih her, and rowed her ujxin the little lake until Walter Dillon actually came to think that his cousin Kate was actually in love with him. Kate seemed to have forgotten all dislikes. dis-likes. She seemed now to hate what heretofore here-tofore was her love and her solace her paintings and her pictures. She could hardly endure to be alone in her room for a moment. She neglected her toilette ; lie-came lie-came careless in her dresF, and wandered around vaguelessly and without an aim. The color had entirely left her cheeks. She was thin and white; the bright expression ex-pression had vanished from her eyes, and Bhe went quietly where she was led and when Mrs. Markham wished to experiment experi-ment did exactly as she was told. She ssemed to have no w ill of her own : no desire de-sire to act upon her own responsibility. She even seemed contented and happy. Y :t, when Kate Dillon was alone, she seemed for a time to shake off this strange lethargy, but resumed it like a garment wh-n Mrs. Markham, and indeed, when anylxxly else was with her. One beautiful afternoon she was arranging arrang-ing some flowers in the conservatory, and singing softly to herself, a habit, w hich of late, she had indulged in much more than formerly. She was singing as she deftly arranged her liouquet, when her attention was attracted at-tracted to the footsteps of someone entering enter-ing the conservatory by the window which opened from the ground. She turned her head and lxjheld Walter smilingly advancing towards her. She closed her singing, and turning round to him said in a tone of pleasure : "Why, Walter, where have you beenf I , have not seen you since since "Since this morning, coz when I rowed you out upon the lake. You haven't forgotten for-gotten that I hope," he answered in an injured in-jured tone. "I had indeed forgotten it I thought it was yesterday you sailed me on the lake j but I am getting very absent-minded cousin Walter, and you must forgive me." "Indeed I will forgive you a thousand times only I do wisn yon would think of me more than you do." "Oh, I think of you very often but why should 1 think of you more than any one elRe cousin ; see isn't that a pretty blossom!" blos-som!" she suddenly exclaimed, holding up to his nose a beautiful pink she hail just plucked. Thus suddenly in conversation she flew from one subject to another, grave or gay it matte.-ed not, and this course had set ber down in Walter's mind, for a confirmed coquette; for, to do the man justice, he did not know that there was any reason why her mind should be affected, as it undoubtedly un-doubtedly was. He had no knowledge of the diabolical machinations of Mrs. Markliam and his father, though it is impossible to say if he would not have heartily joined in them if he had. TO BE CONTINUED. "I'll have a talk with him. I have no doubt he will see that it is to his interest to do so." Here the old man paused for a moment and looked irresolutely into the face of the woman liefore him ho hesitated hesi-tated for a moment and then again he (poke. "We are getting into no--no danger through what we are doing, Martha, are wei" "The master mind of the diabolical scheme against the happiness of Kate Dillon in those words were fully displayed. The natural weakness of Peter Dillon here shone full v forth. A grim smile passed over the hard firm countenance of Mrs. Markliam, as she answered slow'y "(Jetting into danger, Peter," (he woman's tongue always took on a strange tenderness tender-ness as she uttered his name "No no feilr of that ; I have been too guarded I am security itself it is only Walter I fear to Walter you must tell nothing, it is not safe, he is not to be depended upon and it is for that reason I have my eye and car at the door when he is with you." Ho the conversation of this strange pair continued into the night, The thunder rumbled without. The lightning flashed over town and city, and in the noise and light of all in the very presence of the wrath of God, villains plotted and traded Wnmn lives away! ; tha, in a thoughtful tone, with her grey j eyes bent upon th iale and beautiful face of her companion "There are tDy accomplishments besides be-sides painting that one may lie educated ; to in our academies, among' others, archi-: archi-: tecture, for which I have a great fancy, and am no mean architect, 1 can assure i you," with a laugh "designing, engrav-i engrav-i mg, and numerous other branches of art ; I could mention, and for which ladies are 1 eminently fitted but we have not progressed pro-gressed to the 'beautiful epoch,' and yet I do not think it is far away." I Wonder upon wonder! The astonish- ment of Mrs. Markham was ever on the i increase she was not prepared for this strange union of genius and good sense this girl was wise beyond her years ; she posseswl a mind thoroughly cultivated; and, for a moment, tho face of Walter Dillon Dil-lon rose up before her and Bhe thought, j with something like a shdder, of the con-' con-' sequences of a union between two spirits so diametrically opposed. That feeling, however, was only momentary, and she : resumed the examination of the paintings I until nearly all of them were looked over and commented upon. "Why do you not dispose of them Miss Dillon you would realize quite a sum, a small fortune indeed, by so doingt" "I have no need I believe I am rich," she dwelt strangely upon the woid I have emphasized "if I were not, probably I would do as you have said." With that she led the way back to her cosy boudoir, and the two resumed their seats and the conversation. "Put on your hat child, and walk with me in the grounds the day is very beautiful beau-tiful do come and I will gather you a bouquet of flowers do come, dear'' As she made the request there appeared to be an anxious gleam in her eyes, and doubt in the very tones of her voice, and she awaited the answer with considerable anxiety. "I shall be delighted, Mrs. Markham " and Kate pi-oceeded to get her hat, feeling feel-ing for the first time in months that Martha Mar-tha was a very pleasant woman, and wondering won-dering to herself that she had never discovered dis-covered it before. If the invitation to go forth into the grounds, was an experiment on the iart of Mrs. Markham, it was evidently successful. suc-cessful. 8he had now decisive proof that her course of treatment was moving toward a triumphant result; and she exulted in the fact, that the girl who, but a few days before be-fore hated the very sight of her, had suddenly sud-denly taken the warmest fancy to her, so rnucn so that she had invited her into the "holy of holies" the studio, which for years had been closed to every human presence but that of its beautiful Mis-ti-ess. Ciiap-kb V, KR8. MARKHAM IS 8DRFH1SBD AT WHAT BHK 1 LBARK8 OF IAT11KK1NB DILL0S. THE paiktrk's 8TCDI0. The change, though gradual, in the health and personal appearance of Kate Dillon, became more and more apparent ; even the servants, whom she encountered now and then took notice of it, and spoke of it to Mrs. Markham, who only replied that it was no more than natural. "What can you expect, she would say, "When she confines herself entirely to her room, not even taking a walk in the grounds, than which, there are nono more exclusive. Why, she won't even walk down to the dining-rooms; the fact is Kate is sulky, I suggested to her, but yesterday to ride out with Mr. Walter, and do you know she said she had not the least d-sire to. I also spoke of sending for Dr. Bennington but she would have none of him in fact, I do not know what I can do for the girl I know that she is moping her life away, but what can one dot" and the servants echoed, "Yes, what can one do indeed!" Her cousin Walter was seldom at home, though this fact was not known to Kate, and even if it had been, it is hardly probable prob-able that she would have run the risk of encountering him, aa he might come upon her at any moment. Kate knew herself that she was not well ; but as she felt no sickness, only a strange lassitude, which she attributed to laziness and the warm weather, she took no heed of the pallor of her cheeks, but |