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fef CHAPTER XVI. THE STEWARD'S SON Norah left Cyril, and walked home- yrard almost entirely happy. Tiie only bar to her perfect happiness was the fact that she could go straight know the dale of theâ€" the joUiflca- tion," remarked the carl, soilly. "Wednesday week," said Lady Ferndale, promptly: then she bent forward and whispered; "Norah, I to the earl and tell him all that had '•"^e asked your Mr. Cyril Burne." ^happened Norah had resolved that she would She had a natural detestation for "°* '''"^'^ "^^ ^^" ^°"'"' "' ^^'"u^ secrecy and deception. and she """""I ^^^ ^^^ color camo into her thought, with a sigh, how delightful i 'ace notwithstanding. it would have been if her mother or '"^o" ^^"^ ?«'''-"^ ''""'. she cried, the faithful Catherine had been alive, trying to speak indineroutly, and sue- to go to either of them and pour out deeding better than she hoped, ier heartf "Yea, I called at Mrs. Brown s as For it seemed to Norah, as she ^ '='^'"0 along. I thought somehow went through the sunlit woods and '^at you would like me to call on over the velvety lawns, that she was i ''''" bc'{^iV(! I reached you, dear, the most fortunate girl in the world. | Norah made a slight gesture of as- Thcro had never been abother manj'^®"*. «ince Adam was created like Cyril, ! "^^° behaved so admirably. I heard and she stopped now and again, that } '' i" ''â- '"" "'amieson. the coachman. «h6 might recall his imago and think M' "as beautifully done! And he was of all ho had said. I *° thoughtful and considerate in "Yes, my lady," said Becca. "And this lovely afternoon, too!" exclaimed Norah, pityingly. "Pray run out and get a little fresh air." Then when Becca, with a gesture as if she were thankful to change her position, got up and loft the room, Norah threw herself into her chair beside the window, and gave herself up to the Joy, the unspeakable de- light of thinking- of l.im. Cyril walkofi dome upon air. He stopped several times, just as Norah had done, but to ask himself what he had ever done to deserve s icii happiness. Norah his! It seemed too good to be true, and to a.ssuro himself that he was not dreauiiiig, ho took out the faded rose and kissed it. Norah his! The thought was so huge, so over- whelming,, that he could scarcely realize it, and he entered the little- sitting-room in a kind of blissful dream. Two letters were lying on the table. One was a prettily-worded little note of invitation from Lady Ferndale, and his first thought as he read it was: "Will Norah be there?" Concluding that, at any rate, there was a chance of her being present, he sat down and wrote an acceptance. Then ho opened the other letter. It was from the "true, tried" friend Jack Wesley. "Dear Cyril," it ran â€" "if you have any sanity remaining, come up at OQCC. Business. â€" >Jack." At another tiraoâ€" say yesterday, for instance â€" Cyril would have decid- Come to those who drink only PURE tea iika Avoid ordinary tca.> if you c.ire for SOUND, SWEET SLEEP, and ask for the SPECIALLY M.W'UF.^CTURED. CAREFULLY PACKED Blue Ribbon Tea. Red Label. ONLY ONE BEST-BLUE RIBBON'S IT. it, then she triotl it on one finger al- ter another until she found that it (ittod the little one, and then held up her hand and gazed at it admir- ingly, thinking how nicely it showed olT her slim hand. Ii^vo like, she passed from the ad- miring to the covetous mood. He had said nothing about a ring; perhaps he had forBotiin all about ONE ROOM'S KENT. for London Holds tie Record Costly Mites. For the widening of Piccadilly the London County Council has boim for some time negotiating the purchase of a strip of land fronting Piccadilly and St. James street. The area. And it seemed to her that he had I sending me that note. I have been i ed that he had no sanity l-ft, and «poken, as he looked and behaved, like a hero. He had said that she might have married som.- man with a title; but to her he seemed the noblest of men, and it was just in harmony with his character that he should wish to wait until ho had made a name before he went to her asked rather guiltily. father and asked for her. | "Mr. Burne? No. He was out He had said that he would rather , Painting, tliey said; but I left him an be a self-made man than a belted invitation, and Ferndale is going to oarl. and she agreed ^vith him. call O" him. He says that he is a Agreed with him! If he had declared ; very lucky young man, and that if that the moon was made of green i he had only insisted upon seeing you «heese she would have assented. [home, it would have been he Yes, she was happy, with the hap- [ wculd have rescued you." telling your father all about it, but, j would have refused to leave the of cour.se, he .sees nothing to admire | neighborhood of his goddess; but in it. What do you think he said?" I now things had changed. Norah was "I don't know." his, and he only waited for the big "That it was what any one of the success ho spoke of to her to go to ploughmen would have done." the earl and ask for her. Business "And â€" andâ€" did you see him?" she ' had suddenly become of novel impor- tance to Master Cjril. Ho decided that ho would ko "P it. an<l ifâ€" if she should l-eep it, ho "hich is of course built upon, con- would conclude that he ha<l lost it. 1 ta'ns about 1.200 square feet, and It was a beautiful ring. but. no j the price agreed upon to be paid ia doubt, a gentleman like Mr. Burna ; over $200,000. This works out to did not set much vali;e on it. about $175 a scjuare foot, or tho While she was looking and longing j 0"<"-mous sum of nearly $7. .500,000 and hesitating. Fate lent the evil one Pe"" '»'='â- â™¦"• ^t probably constitutes a its aid, just as it had done in the I record as the highest-priced spot on matter of Catherine's photograph. | earth, but as the sum includes oom- Bocea heard Mrs. Knglishs voice in j pensation for disturbance and ilam- tho kitchen. She started up and ages, the purchase cannot be oom- tricd to pull the ring oil her linger, but it stuck fast. In a spasm of terror, lest she should be discovered in the room, she darted through the 'passage into the bar, waited a mo- jment. then, still tugging at the ring 1 under her apron, pa.sseil into the [road. Before she had gone twenty I yanis, the ring came o(T, and with a fooling of relief, she turned, intend- ing to replace it. But as she neared pincss which comes to a ifirl who 'But Lord Ferndale would have has won the heart of the' man to [been inside the carriage," said Norah whom she has given her firstâ€" Jier i smiling. "Still, plea.se tell him that heat love. 11 thank him all the same." She wondered how long it would be I "I shall tell him nothing of the before sho should see him again, how | kind. I altogether decline to carry i darling! I will neither send long before he would come and do- soft messages from you to him. He sage nor write to her." at once â€" that is. to-rnorrow morning Then ho asked himself how he should let Noruh know. He could not write lest the letter should fall into the earl's hands, and ho was not likely who ' to repeat the mistake of sending a 1 message by any third person, us he had done before. "If I go up by the first train," ho mused, "I shall be able to be bock by night. Who knows, I may btand a chance of catching a glimpse o! my a mcs- pared with the prices recently paid for sites in the city. CornhiU is the highest rented spot on earth. A single room was let not long ago for between $10,000 and $15,000 a year. In. the west end a small shop with basements fetches over $5,000 a year in Bond street, and the remainder of the house lets at proportionate sunis. The rateable value of Ixmdon is the bar door, she stopped and hes- about $200,000,000. of which sum itatcd. After all. the worst was j ^go.ooO.OOO is represented by the over. Sho had taken the ring, and value in sites, sho might just as well keep it. She slipped it into her pocket and began to sing, anJ, still singing, stopped a few paces from the inn door. Then she called out "Mrs. ONF.-TOED WOMEN. mand her hand of th« earl She had said that if the earl refus- â- od it would make no dilTeronco to her; and under the great oaks she repeated her vow. Nothing should sei.iarato her from her hero, her lover. When she reached the house she saw several carriages standing outside, and heard voices in the drawing- room. It seemed full of [jcoplo to her confused sense, and she stood for one moment looking round her; but the next. Lady Ferndulo came for- ward and embraced her. "My dear child! I couldn't stay away from you another hour, dear," sho .said, "and so I have brought my friends with mo. is quite infatuated enough, tis it is." j As is usual with mm â€" and artists Norah laughed, and the biighlmss i especiallyâ€" when they are happy, he in her faco caught Lady Feriidalo's sat up lato that night smoking, and attention. thinking and dreaming of Norah, but "You seem very happy, to-day, my I in the morning he started for the dear," she said; "has anything haj*- ! early train. pcr.ed. He had got within sight of the sta- Norah felt the crimson burning her I tion, and was feeling for his watch face and neck, and her eyes fell. [when he found that ho had left it "Why. you have come to seo me," behind him. In changing his every- j day waistcoat for one more prosent- and able and loss paint-stained, he had mass , taken out his watch and a ring, and [placed them on the mantelshelf of that "ho might with the usual Everybody has heard of the small feet of the Indies of China. But it is English!" and after a moment or not so generally known that they two the landlady came into the bar. ! commonly have but one too. This Becca walked toward the door as if , is, however, the fact. The great toe sho had only that second arrived, j of the females of the first rank, and "Oh, Mrs. English," she said, "Mr. of sonio of the inferior classes also, Burne asked me to come and tell you ; i, tho only one loft to act with any to take his watch upstairs. I forgot j freedom; the rest are doubled down whether he said he'd left it on the under the foot in their tendcrest in- mantelshelf or on the table, but ho ^ iancy, and retained by compresses sho said Lady Ferndale bent forward ki.sscd her, making her feel a of (ILssimulalion. "Mj dear, you are simply irrcsi.sti- tho sitting-room ble. You got that trick of reparle; not forget" them, from him," and sho noilded toward result. the earl, who was talking to tho ' As ho reinombered that now and and sho introduced i others, who were listening in rapt again clinnce wayfarers droppij'g in two ladies, who. bv the way they 1 "ttentlon as if to an oracle; "but tho at the inn sometimes made their greeted Norah. had evidently heard P'-^'ttyspeoches sound genuine from way. by mistake, into U.e little her praises sung by Lady Ferndale. Ij'our lips. .A_nd %vas Mr. B.irne very , room ho felt annoyed with hnn.self. There wore also two other ladies j "'"'â- â€¢'» •?'"-t. ^<"^'-' ^^ , , a"^ hal s opped. wondering whether who had come to make their Uaro-\ ^^'^'-^^^ arranged tho teacups before ^ ho slvould have time to run back ductory call upon Norah; and the I he''- «»"'l/«Pt hor eyes uow-n. | At that moment a pink dress llitt- earl. standing with his "reception" ']}*'''â-  ^ »"' "jf'^'d so. she replied, cd out of one of the cottages oy.po- smile upon his tace. watchiKi Norah ! "« 's "bilged to wear his left arm site which ho was standing and said in the sitting-room "Dear me. .ves." said Mrs. English. '"That's just like him: he's so care- less and forgetful. Some of these I days he'll loose .something, and hon- est folk will get the blame. But there, he's an artist gentleman, and what can you expect?" she added, raising her voice as she went into the sitting-room. "Is it there all right?" cried Becca, in her clear treble. and tight bandages till they unite with and are buried in the solo. INOKNIOUS DEVICE. The Icelanders have a strange but elTcctivo plan for preventing horses stra.i>iiig away from any particular spot. If two gentlemen happen to bo riding without utteiidunts. and wish to leave their horses for any reason, I they tie tho head of one horso to the "Yes. all right, and thank you. tail of another, and the head of this Becca South!" called back Mrs. Eng- to the tail of tho foimer. In this li.sh and Jlecca went on her wny .sing- ' st„te it is utterly impossib.'o for the ing like the innocent, light-hoartod girl she was. (To be Continued.) beneath his brows closely. throwing in a sling." Becca Sonth tripped past „ , ,. , . ^, u. 1. J 1 I "Then vou've seen him." said Lady him a smile. But thotigh her thoughts had beo.i | f,.,„j^,„ ..q, , ^ „^ ^ occurred to him that he would scattering bv the unexpecte*! visitors. '„i, ,, »i â-  • .â- â-  I otcuiriu lo mm mat no wouiu she rn<r.iined her coniDosuro after a "\H '*'t<-'r .vo" this morning? send a word of caution to Mrs. Fii.r- she regained hu composuro after a, j^^^ah was .silent, her heart heating | u.^h about the watch, and he calki and I,ady Ferndale got up. j to Becca. "Como and see us os soon as you j "Did you call, sir?" was one of her greatest charms i '^'^"' '"^ <-"'''''''" ^'''-' >*»'''• «» «'^''' "^'ss- | "Yes.'' he said hurrieilly, for ho "I was n/esfair When they • told "' ^-' ^'^"i """''• ^-'-sday y.^' f„neied ho hoard the train. "Look r , .. Ill ""t even then it .seomed as ii sno a minute or two. and presided at tho tea-table with tho «iuiet .self-po.sses- ! sion which Lord Ferndale declared ' mo you Were out. dear," said Lady could not tear herself away. and 'i'ho earl stood with Norah on I ho Ferndalo, who had seated her-self on , ... ... i i , .u 1 1. . I â-  I X- !.• » 1.1 1 noil an hour pa.ssod before tho car a low chair beside Norah s table, and , . , .{ kept looking at the beautiful faco, ! "^^ ""^^ ® °" and glancing with covert triumph at her friends, as much as to sa.v. "Did I exaggerate? Isn't she altogether charming?" "Where have you been, dear?" she asked. "For a walk," sho replied. "In such a heat!" said Lady Fern- dale. "Ah, well. I did it wli: i; I was your age," and she sighed. "Are you so very old?" sho said. ' "Not too old to enjoy myself, * dear; and I've come to ask you to help mo. Woaro going to have â€" what shall I call it. Mary?" she broke off. here. Becca. I've left my watch on the mantelshelf at tho inn. Are you going that way?" "Yes, I'm going up to tho Court. past tho inn." step, waving his hand to the derai t- [ "Well, then," be said, "will you bo ing guests, and Norah thought that so kind as to go in and u.sk Mrs. he looked, if not pleased, at any â-  Kngli.sh to take the watch upstairs rate a little less cold than usual. As to my bedroom? Some one may ' a matter of fact, the sclf-po.sso.ssion 'come inâ€" vou understand?" MARKS OF THE LAUNDRY. Tho number of letters used by laundries to distinguish their pa- trons' garments are disliguring enough, but we aro not so budly treated as elsewhere. In Franco tho name and address of tho laundry are BtamptHl on each piece sent home, and should several laundries bo pu- tionizcd, one after the other, a lino collection will soon bo found in ad- dition to tho geometrical murks in- dicative of the owner of tlic gar- ment. In Kusfcia laundry marks are horses to movo on. either backwards or forward.s. If disposed to iiio\o at all, it will be only in a circle, and even then there must bo mutual agreement to turn thoir heads tho same way. STEADY COMPANY. Ho â€" There's no doubt about it. "a man is known by tho company he keeps." She â€" Not alwa.ys. If tho averag* man were roall.v known by his coin^ pani she'd shako him right away. â- ^ Exrr. Mary Aim â€" I've como to tell you, mum. that th' gasoline stove has under police supervision, and in this!*,,". ' „. i, ,â-  i . ., manner a refugee who mnk.« his way M.stres.s-Well light it again. . .X. . t 1 •'I can t. Sure, it went out to. another town upon a forged pa.ss- ,.„ _...,• and tact sho had shown in tho faco of so many unexpectoil visitors had pleaRod him and flattered his vanity. "Lady Ferndalo ina.v have S'emod little too exuberant, but â€" erâ€" her position gives her great latitude. It.v the way. Norah. this Mr. Cvrll "Yes. I know," sho a.ssentid. with a nod. "I'll do it." "Thank you. Becca," he said. "I seem doomed to give you troublo." .And he laid his hand on her shoulder and smiled at her graulilly. "B.y Jove, there's tho train," he o.xclaiui- lUiriH' " I ed i„ the same breath, and started Norah stood .still and turned pale, | oft at a run. but the carl was ongagwl in admiring | iJecca went down Iho road and on- his hands, and did not notice her ^ tered the bar of the innâ€" if anything 'a<^e. I so unlike an ordinary bar can so bo "Lady Ferndalo tells me that sho calledâ€" but it was empty. .:nd she port is liable to detection. unless he can borrow liiion with tho mark of one of the town laundries upon it. Uulgurian laundries employ rub- ber stanijiH with oi -lamenlal designs, while in German.v tlio linen comes homo with a si.iall cloth label at- tached with heat and waterproof cement. through tho roof." â-  1 "No," declared 3fr. Nagget. 'there never was a woman on eatth who could refrain ?rom turning around to rubber a». some other woman's clothes." "No?" replied his wife, sweetly. "Didn't you ever hoar of B:vo?" addressing one of her friends. Lady Mary Marley; "not a harvest home. No', but a kind of tenants' fe'o." "In this heat?" said Norah, with Lady Ferndalo laughed. 1 '^' so to speak, taking him up. Sho ! was about to call Mrs. Fn^lish when j "Well, it's my husband's idea. He \ "cms to think that ho behavotl Very 1 sho dosetl her lips .sud<icnly, and on is never happy unless he has tho ^^"'^'" '" ^"^''t "'ght's stupid accident." , tiptoe approached tho sm.ill passage people eating or dancing, or both I '"^'^s, ho did, papa." sho said, in that led to tho sitting-room. Neither Mrs. Kngii.sh nor the scr- e.ve- I vant was in f-l;;lit. and l!e;ca's eyes well I "Yes. he lUd. papa." sho said. round him. Wo aro going to inako '^ '"^^ '*'"'^'*-'- it quite a â€" a â€" may I say jollilicati'jn, ] He looked at her with ralsui Lord ArrowdaloV" and sho nodded at i brows, as if he did not nix-d any con- ' Hushed through the open lioor all thoeail n<i.schievousl.v. Ilrmation of Lady Ferndalo's opinion. ! over the room. Its nitistic litter "All words assume a grace on Lndy I "Yes; sho seems to bo inclined to was somothirg novel to her, and ex- Feaidalo's lips." ho rotort^'d, with a i pa.v him some attention. 1 under- 'fcow. I stand that she has asked hiiu to 'Well, a jollification. Awful word thi.s â€" this gathering. Inder the cir- J inside. cited her cin-iosiLy, and. aiter a iiio- nient or two of lisleninij, she stole I Is going to be put on tho lawn, and ! treat him as a chance acquaintance, | jackdaw than over, casting swii't a^S glances at tho sketches and ranva.sses and turning over tho books and knick-knacks which were strewn about the room; then she went to the muulelpiece. The watch was there and she took It u|> ainl looked at it .Vs sluj did so tho efi'drhi dragged down the i ing, which, after tlio manner of rings, roll ed across tho room. Away Went Ik-cca in pursuit, and, after a short search, she found it un- der tho .sofo. It was a plain band o{ gohl, with the initials C. B. on it, which ('- ril ha<l In a moment of preeciMipntion Scratched upon it with his ponktiffi). Becca turned it over and look. <i i,t we â€" all of us â€" are to danco in it. I and â€" er â€" not completely cut him tell my husband that it will lo sure 1 1 ilesired you to doK** to tumble down upon the top of us. Noroh's heart beat fast, but sho but ho ."lays that it will make all the I wi.sely kept silent and inerel.> bowed more fun. You'll como. won't you, \ her head. lYeat Cyril as a chance Lord Arrowdale?" j acquaintance! "Most certainly," he res;-onded; i S'fee repeated the words to herself especially it thore bo any prcspect of | as she ran up stairs, and his nam» rescuing I^ady Ferndale." was on her lips as she opened the "t never con get any advantage door of her bosdoir. over him." said Lady Forndale. un- Then sho stopped short, for Becca der her breath, to Norah. "Ho is i South was sitting at the table at ; needlework. always equal to the occasion. Very well, then," she went on, aloud; "then that's settlctl. I do hope you'll enjoy yourself, dear." j "1 am sure I shall." said Norah. Norah needle Sho looked up demurely as cnteriKl, then bent over her again. •"WIw. Bocisa. ;>oii jKwif glfl, hav» •'Pei'haps it would im as well to. | you been wofKing all tBfn time?" THE Stlt'E THAT IMNCIIKD. Urcle .'-am â€" "Wow! Croat jumpin g-Jncks! Got it olT, Joha .shoe pinches I" That