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{ft 13. `V _. "4 n't4-ivi.sit` to_ England `and:-_th'at.luth_erto -5119 had ltved on 3. :_ruit` farmV_w1th a fnend (if her own 31:; ifasmanxa. - - -_----.--_~,..- afe` %' yBu- coming to live in ]England?- . said`a clergyman who. idmited her very much, and who turned to speak to her when the voy- jage__was about half over. _ -A_ I\_,_.I J.) ..-A. _-..'I,, I- v_-.v 7. --v ---.'-y- ~-~~ } Margaret Rand reply 5?-a `minute, Then-she saxd, gently: ll! 1.I.1_I-vZA..I:I-AI-- LL..L T ..L..H 12-.- ; :`..i g`tcl;`in1;d."i;ul.il'<.;i'y Z'1'{; t "1"'`i1 live `I m ng an . NV ... an-A 4911:0159 LA flint!` 0-n".If:r\u1-5 L `?|l}l[l|. !Cl us: :3n\-us Yes, she said. She never show- ed _the s allest disturbance or con- [fusion wh A she was? spoken to, but she was -so reserved that people tool: that reservein good part and did not worry her with innumerable ques- tions.` As for her, whateshe liked 5 best of all was to shut her cabin door and sit with her hands , before her and gaze into vacanc She, Hester Nugent, vwas now argaret Rand. She had fallen. a victim to the real Margaret Rand s persuasions; for the sake of the Maggie_ who had been good to her_ all her life she was do- ing this thing. She was oing to England to act the. part of` argaret, she would be received there as the heiress, thegirl who was to inherit great _estates and quantities of money, the girl above all thin 5 who was to marry John Rand. ester, when she decided to do what Maggie wish- ied, (begged her friend -to give her all gparticulars with regard to her future conduct. X "In the first place, I must dress you, said Margaret. She had` ought. `the most lovely clothes and innumerable trunks; in fact, she had` spent a-small fortune in getting the supposed -Margaret Rand a suitable- outt for her English visit. She wanted for nothing. She was a!- ready, so it. seemed to her, surround- ed bywealth and the appliances of wealth-`-the free life, the" happy life, was over. She -was the sort of girl who did not in -the least care for ,money for itself, what -she wanted, fabove all things, was Margai-et s love. There was only one thing that tempted her in this arrange- _. merit, she would see John Rand. Al- j ready she had seen his photograph: . she had looked into the eyes and had L observed the expression of the face, ' and her heart had beat quickly. She ' had a strange sensation that already . even before she met John Rand, she ' loved him. Suppose he returned her love? She did not think it likely ' that he would, she thought very '. h'u1_nbl'y` of herself. Margaret had ' Iu 4113 ICU: . `.`You are goxg to meqt relations, I suppose? -he ..asked. "V-._- ek 305:1` irnll Chf\\ll- CHI HUI, 8 IILLIC. "Heste'r, said her_ friend that very evening, I am going ' as . soon as. possible to sell the farm. I'am about' to` visit England." - E ~ Hester felt her eyes fill with tears. "Oh, England? I have no wish to see England; and our beautiful, de- lightful home! vDo you reallymean to give it up? ' _ - "T nan"-u noun` `CIIIII AA T chi" fb (eontinued on Page Seven). LU give u up: I really and truly do. .I shall take steps t.o put it in. the market im- mediately; it will fetch a good price, for the trees are full of fruit and the season promises well. We shall be `on our way` to England inless than a fortni ht, Hettieg - . "We? sa1d~H'ester. But 8l1l'1V.n " inc and devoted` riend,~-`now pinned ber mac . _O'l|lII\ub, ;\-Vu uvul. luvau bu but`: me?" ,. - Of course I do. Do you think for a moment that I could leave you be-I hind? Maggie, Maggie, Ayou< are too` kind. , e _ _ , n Hester ran up to her,fr1en d, fe!l- on her knees and ut her armsgjopnie Maggie's neck. 0' her. T astonish- iment, Maggie, who up to the pres- ent had.--alwa'ys`_ been her most lov-- '= Dn .t Jhanke f fed%untii. Sr `iilo: W leg.` 1' _ , _- I .`_ .,. j_, t ` . > . I`. mini} 3` `K13: v"""`"' `.`n'v'ua' unions} .-`inn- "C3" Dalu xuvatcr. out auunv, ggafct. you don t mean to take ,4 CAPI\`l`AVL.%- $1o.ooo.ooo % L eve:-ytnmg,'f she A "1 must thank yduylyou. never for get me and I,.ha v,c `Iioiclaim .01} you. ; -go to Enzldnd you will '-be *%TmnAtv~-.x'ne.'.' V V "V2yur'0wn;peop1:e, you H won_'t.. ' .-L-n-L __-L-'." ` '__`.'._ V;I__wa%nt- you;. I Vwa,n_t . you now =!!IiJt??than `anyone . in ;th"e world. ` I z:wi_n;;_el1:, yf9u.','..,.Wh.II , ;we,.eL. to.Mc,`- ~ V . ands; `:%H,!h. ;dn't` .r-W % hm" LLWIUIUI said -Hester. But sureli, --A.- 1... ; ...A... 5. Aug`.- sun aomuuo wALK:n.Tfc.v.o.1. Ly;b}.L%o;c;L;%Pu % ALEXANDER uunn. "G!l_4l`RkI. PAMN ,c_H mn3 t.` VcoLLEcT1nPdA ap%s1%NE;s'S? BARR , H`. J. cnAsz`r1*.+`*m:sam. MEAD! A ..f.; herself; "she then immediitely: put her farm into the hands of an excelletgt agen_t, and "three weeks_ after she, had recewed the letters` from England `she `and Hester :Nuge'ut"h'ad` hidden ood-bye to the fa`-.1-me for_-ever, `had eft Tasma__ni'a', wherethey had -spent -11 -4.I.-:.. ---In Anna and fnund `IE1! l3S'lIli_I.llu, vvucacwucg uuu up... L311 `then: garly days, and found }vthemse1ves~ _u_1 :a large hotel..in Mel- bourne, jwmtmg for-`the P-. and .0.- which was to gonvey them to Eng- land. ' This ship, -the Oceanic-, was not to sail. for a couple Lof; garet Vexpresscd some Jrnpatgence when she made this; d_i'sc.overy;; Hes;-,. -- LA ----- -4- `upon- con:-to fn . &11:'n,uw-_r--_ --v..-y-.__._.%.._ 2 with its laige niqmer of branohes, Canadian Bank of Commerce is` a_t>lej`to""e'ectV_ `collections.-thtoughout f the wodd promptly and .at.reasonfgblo at_es, wiilr quotod on I '1 application. - F0-'9"? ' when she_ made tms, G.lsQVl'Yi. nus}; er, however,- `was .very= glad to _s_e;c Melbourne, `and said that after -a;l: ;th.eir exertions--for they hac_l sold [their furniture and farm `utensxlg and; given up the far-m-she would_ be` only too thankful to have a lnttlel -A36 $35 rest, You can rest on bo.ard_ ship, Het- ,tie,. said Margaret; and now, `Het- `tie dear," dearest, I have -something toesay to you. ` ._ ` - Yes, said Hester. . Come up to m room with me we will talk there. - will tell you t ere what is in m -heart and wlratl want you to do. want you to help me, as no girl ever before in all the wide world helped another. A 7 --- H _-2.I Una`;- VVUI lu aavayuu uanvynuv-u _ "I will do what I can," said Hester, iun sor_ne astonishment, althouilim I can't Imagme what you mean, ag- ` BIC. , . V ; The girls had engaged a very large ;double-bedded room on the rst woor of the handsome hotel {where they were staging. Mar- igaret had plenty of money, `which she had received for her farm; lshe was lavish now with regard to its expenditure. When the 1-eachei her bedroom she locked the cor, drew Hester down to sit on the sofa,`by 'her side and putting her, hand_ into `her kpocket, s`hejtoo__k ou_t_a big note- oo . " I , . i C314...` 3. -.Aunm `:A`IQ+ f!\ DOOK. % here is your ticket to. 17. -_813d.| i>He$t$}-, . . she said. See, It 13 rst `class. V ` ~ A ' u\t__ 52-1-45. 3-3.! again. he ahtidn SS." . ' - ; > I. . My ticket, said Hester it} some astomshment; _ but where 1s your ticket? , .. ~ I haven t bought one. I am not goingto Eng1and.. ' - . _ . "Maggie, what do you _mean?_ "That is just what I am 01113 to tell. your -You .have__ got to isten to me_.and I_ hope you won't be too much astonished. D1dt} t I say I want- ed `you to do somethmg for me?. 5 7-.. .'-An Janna ,' ` `Wes, yes, yes." ". . le , _`.`And. ,v9u . will, darling-y9u pro-. mlse that you will?" ' . , - J j I I d rather knowTrst,j said poor e mat you wmr, A d rather knowT_rst,j said Hester. - . , _ T ~Well, `I will tell you, that is. only _f,ai=r. Now ,__ _ 9! sit as still "as a. moase and , ,UIIl'|'I segue , . ;_ _V T The two girls were called rezee-. tively Maggxe Rand and Hester. 'zg_- ent. They had been 'fl'll1d`8 for `long years. V They were "nowon. their way home from Tasn1'at1ia"Wto Eriglarnd. Hester Nugent was Mar- aret Rand s -compamon; .she '-had` -nown -`Margaret vsincev they `were both -little children. ~Wh.en- Hester was very young she had 'lOst- -her; mother-_, and -as Mar_aret s_ mother also dled they lived lk sisters on the same farm. Mar aret. dearly_ loved her farm; she un erstood how to grow fruit trees and also how to ___I_. 1.1.... `amp: Cu ahnrf aha urn: ll ' vvvu, .5 V: fgur. 8}` listen to me. Tf_-L-_ --l HSICTI I0 IIIC. :Hester- sat ,ver_ still. _She had `beautiful dark, so t, deep eyes, and l a charm about her which made people forget whether her features wer all people agree in the `fact that Hester Nugent had that-greatest beauty of all, which means expres- sion 'and which is often resent with comparatively irregular eaturesu It seemed to those who looked at her that her soul ashed from her eyes and smiled from her li s, and that Margaret look- ed long and anxi_ously- at her friend. You can do it, _you' can splendidly, she said. - ` _'`What is it? - Don't l:_.ee suspense. Tell me. Maggie. . am. thing, s couple of _ r the :0eean1c-wt would not sai above the ordinary. `pi 'me in hat -we should-. have ;-,this 1 before have this afternoon and evening; and 'OIl)--L' ~ -oiaunnqj " -iollllil. CI! e regular or not, but which made` the soul that dwelt in t e breast of. this young girl was very noble and | I at do it `oing to. I-- arranged every. ya in Melbourne. " I knew, Thursday, A this is.l..'.,1'i,Iesday;- i it ` shall, all: to:-tnorrow rid unj fl ..th . middle- fztlie dg on l`n'irs_cla_ly, tog'_e.t.h.er.`";;~. 01.tne .lnuruua_y, Lugcttsplo . "But, aggze, ,3 gxe, I vow and declare ,I win `no _go to `England without you.. . ; 4 ~ Wait, darling, until you know what`! wantyou to do;"`r ` ' Oh, yes! -Please do etel1*me. \ i ` V -Hett_ne, do ._you -rec al1mthe.. day J-when ~tho_sJe ,',lejt'jter9 came, _the;`_ day, ~.wh,e:,: I "was mean ingiqr .1tlg_ej?s'u!e, of the 'pe'geh --t;ees? v A -` Kit ,_A'.`,. 2 ~vm. O51;-.I `I-iixa "or ors`e .I. a. ~ Xoujoidl giie .-Vto` the letter-s_,..and, put them 1n'the_. ".". " `_ W; . g ",I`*`glid. I Ii ntIiI..! .'. . V J V .iIiony~. "ti6T"rri`e`,.`. `si ~ . {iii . e;i:e~i_ress. He , haso`1on1`ett?e behixmn `him; iAhttr;Fuck-V7;i~W-1fh9 *`*n rtawn-tha * . I is}? `I.;ori"(loii--tvv,oi"i."<:rg three . `beautiful plftces zin -the: couritryf,?__and: vast sums . of`! inane` ` din ? dierent `t securities. In iIhprt,- t s_ money is -mine to -doI"what I like with, always provided I full at certain condition." Hettie ,, knit` her brows. ` "Do you like` being rich?" she in- terrupted. ` ' ` - , 94 `_...I __-L 7 `.5554 :5 BFl'Ill`Jlv\i\|o v. - ~ "'1 like it and [yet Iuhate it. The rstfnight after that -letter came I could,` not. sleep. for thinking about it,bllt< `now I am: accustomed to at, and other letters have followed, and I know betterwhat it `heans. I_ am, `aocording to these letters, _a `vet-y rich woman; I have sometlung like sixty thousand pounds. a year of Quinn Innn___1>Ia;n1r- IE9` that THERTIS! ` Sixty tnuusanu puuuul as yyzcu us rm `own.--think` what~ that means}! thmkhow proud we used to be if we made three or four hundred ounds` a_year__"out of our little fruit, arm." V nap _____ _- 3) '...:.I .`I'_`l ..a.Ll- U...-u-I Oknf; - :--___V._- _ Cheques and drafts` oh all. `cvzounfiries of fiancs, marks, lire, kro'ne_n, orins, roubles"_or o.thr'fdteig_?cunency, can be qegotiated at The Bank `of a,t'i-eisonable" rgtes_._ V "B33, \J,g'\" .3; no - - a y - u w - - - - . - - - -. e9urae;`V`said `Hettie, and ethati " sum I '-"eta; understatid; {whereas "sixty; thimund= pounds a year conveys; . !ldlt,hit;gw.L; a'Vt;-.&u };tO,. my . mind.ff Margaret at "very still. I suppose you are accustomed to `it now and like being rich, sa?d Hester.,-:' _ - _ "1 mar not .nch, ?. saad Maggxe _then, I am -as.poor,as ever I was. `MaBnIA` Ahab 351191" Jr: unn YHPSITI? .8111 `as.pu0r,as cvcr 1. vvca. `."Magg`ie, dear,` what do you mean? `Yo1':_"said `a minute `ago that your uncle Stephen haddied, and that you jate his heiress to-oh, large `estates [ and vast sums of money. . A. _ --...1:4.:..... ...|-.:..I. `I an-I|G\l\f e. -a-~condition= wliich I cannot 81! Visa: aunts VI unuus; . . l full," said Maggot _, - ` " es er. ' j`0h.! . ?` replied V . ~::It.a`s.th1`s..: .1 am to `marry my cousin, John, Rand. __ He `is read to marry me,` and I am to go to ug- land as his aianced wife. If I de-. cline, all the property goes, in sums not exceeding. five thousand pounds each, to other relations`; and I and my cousin John -just share with them. a ' - .An-_ _-__:.._ LL--- ..--Li- lA'......:. tnem. ~ -. .. 1 After saying these words Maggie` t sat ve:-y stx1l.. Her` face was strange- ly` 'pa1e` and `her light blue eyes" look- ed as though she -had been weeping. Y6 dgnnla Au-nanl tn hi! fnrrpr` tn "pause, but-_-:1 supose you will marry CU Q3 IIIUIISII auc uau uvcu Wvvyu n It. seems dreadign to he forced .'to' marry anyone, sand I-Iester,; after a him: Ydu have heard nothing against` him, have you?', ~ -` ' I` '"Far, fair it-om that. I am told by` the lawyers`-that: he is -`the best of men; that .he :9 good-looking, noble, attractive,-:.d.e.lvightful." . A .'n..... ...... ...'.n` :..11 :. `Inn: with attracuvc, 1':_{Il-11.111. -~ ; , -'_"_I`h_en you ml). fall in love with ihim and ~marr.ih1m and be, oh! so hanoy!" said ester. ' _ I Y nnnnnf T fi` - Vli nappy: saxu Lxcatcl. . I cannot. Now_ I will why. A 5 .`LIAa6n.. nun: u:l~.n cnnnf Wester was qnite_silent, but ;heIf heart began to beat In great, passion- ate throbs. ' MIT--L4.1- J- --A.. ..gango`|'nI-`Ag. `ac! aw uIru_ua. __ "_H'ett:e, do -you remember last `summer-that time when I was ilt? - Yes, I remember. ,You know how, good you were to KIUW lfull u'I:.a auu cuau Ilvw u. make thempay: In short, she.was_a_n excellent, all-round.-_woman"of bus`:-: 'ness, and -this notwithstanding the` fact that she was only just twenty- one years of age. - I-U { me? III , ,:fI didn't do more -than I loved to ~ 0. \ - _ , . oAt_ least you were good tome. I` got better and I was ordered change." _ Yes.. ll? _--,,. L- _ .I2-L_..L __..A. A2 Tao, 7,-1C3. . 1 "I went to a distant part of Tas- `mania, far from our home. I went to stay withsomc friends of _the name of Gaythorne.f f\ -.......... V ... Iuunn onnlrnd nffnn "I could not, dear. I often wished `to, but `I could not. The factis. we ;fell in..love with each. other, and-- and we are married. I am his wife ~--.my name istno longer Margaret Rand, it is Margaret Gaythorne. Tom is my husband. `I have not told Tom. anything. about those letters. Hester, when yot_1sail for England on Thurs- day, I -will join my husband, and we shall be happy. _ A ` . 'l.`l'-.a.- `nag nnnbn .31..-.o`n. fnvn nu- UI uayunuruc. T .- "Of course. You .hav:__spoken often `to me about them. - -A-) '`l`.._. 2. LL- -IAgn& Ana: `An- L0 Kc auuut |.|lCll_lf` \ ` nd Tom 13 the eldest son, con- tinued Maggie. V-.. `among ark. 1l|I.l' dunccntl` ~ in-`\l\1If uuucu uxagguc. - . V "You have not said muchabout i-him." ur -__; _.-;. 1--- `I ..n..._ _-:..1....l IHTCC lllllllll-C3: - I I don't understand, she said then. .`Why am I going to England. If {on .can. t marry. Mr. Rand, you -can t ` ave the _property."` _ . "That 18 the -part I am coming to, that is what `I want you to help me with. . , V .. `f'How? I don't understand. ' I-Iettie, it is` in a nutshell. .I' love Tom. I cannot full the conditions of the will, being` already married. There is-no gold-=on'e`arth that would cause me -to be unfaithful to my bus- band; besides, evenif I wished to be. I couldnot, he would soon nd out. I belong to im. I belong "to no one else. Now isten to my scheme. I want Tom to be helped`. I want us- . I want you and I-to.help him. Will ....n son `A Fun:-Inna` - an ` Moondrnf auau uc uayyy. He_ste:_- was quite silentfor two or. three mmutes. ll? _I-..DA. -_...l-..-A.-._.I M _I.- __Z.I AL-.. you go. to Englagd as Margaret Ra`nd?' '. , - ..M.azs!e- . a e. ' Listen. listen. Don't be so fright- ened, think it over. Will you go and" take my name? vThey ve never seen you in the old country. they've never-?'seen mega We are .strangers.to them. You` must take with you the .-certir_a`te of my. birth, I will give it to you.. _.Your must also take other papers to ove yo;ur~ident1ty. as me T] .--.the* Eng ish lawyers will- see you J and p_a;ss."you_`on`theA -spot. M11 you | do this? Will you be the heiress-'-: `will your take the property-will you i marry John: :=Ran,d?--and will- you -faithfully send to same. the real Mar- _ ._-.6 Dual. an -inb`u-n- Marnapnb non, All of a sudden, however, strange! things had happened. There came letters` from the old country; M8! - garet received them-she*re'mernber- ed afterwards that it was `Hester who gut them into_ her hands. She was usy at the time arranging for the sale of her next autu:nn's "peaches, which promised extremely well, the ti`ees -being laden with the nest sgring blossoms. Hester gave her t e letters and was about to return to the house when Margaret called out to her. I -- _,-,, 11-.4:_ i" Iinuuuuy acuu up auc. uuc nun .Lu.q|- ' ` ret Rand--or rather, Margaret Gay- .tA or.ne--one hundred pounds a month for five years? . ~Byethat time Tom will been hiefeet and we-will need nothing. more from you. Out of vou..can easily.ai-1;Ia.ng_e= to gave `me twelve -hundred. V ,h1s is` my llttl vlan. `Tom. will be Drovided for and you will be hqppy. V, Think of -at Het- mtne`, _thrnlt_ pfnt, don't .1-erse ` me--_- `fohl I-I`ett1`g,'_>'don'.t.- refuge -me!-;...Thk' '-'of_it,`d_ogth1nIt`of it.g3At'the end of ve years I V will never expect an-. -Itile ewly . ~ mqneyv pateto- on: your sixty thousand, pounds a vear ` tell {ch ~lnIlSt ylclu to us: Vvlauca... T. - Duran? that. long `mght poor Hester ay awake. It seemed to her that she was asked, for the sake of one she loved, to -step into the abyss `of black _cr_ime. It was too hor- rible. `She cried" piteously ' In her sleep, she scarcely-knew` how to con- tain herself: `In the morning Mar- garet began the discussion which" the}; had left off the day,before. -A.A.:- ---.. n-A nan-`nnirln rv-che"- me l'l8(1`lUI_I'. on Inc uay_ ucuuc. ` =ettie, you a1_-e perfectly misef-| able. Just give. 11:, say you will do it,-.I wnll guarantee that no harm will happen to you. Go to. England as lme_.--I will stay in Tasmania as Tom Gaythorne s wife. Make me hap ,y and be hapy yourself. Oh! I have _so much to tell you. Say yes, darl mg, don't let us throw everything `away-sax yes! a - ; our 1.....'.-.- 1.-.: ...'.- amt.-.1 ninht" H iaway-`say; yes: . . ; 4'1 ha\'r`e7. had an awful n1g!l?o"..sa1_1 `II-Iester. _' God will Lbe`vc1V'y angry if I I- do tins." ' , (I\Y_ `II- ..-a_..7L n.` nII$`n :1: a 1' (I0 |.III3o No, He won t. God wants us; i sometimes to. be. brave. . ans`... 3. :-..u 1.--..- V-'0- - .'..:-lQ-A`- on somgtlmca Lu. um unsv._ ~, _. T But it isnft b'rave,_ :,ts' w1.ckcd' to `act such a frightful he. 1 I`In:nI. 1..-um Hana-sup unu raglan ,3CI SUCH a lrlglltllll RIC. . _ i Think how happy you will ma!_ {Tom and me, how happy` you wvll {make John Rand. Oh, by the way, I lhavegoto his photograph, I will show. {it to-you. `-- . T v `lacuna-o-at unitihtnr ~I.Ac-`. fflilr and. ul. LU nun. . . "Oh, take them away, Hettie, I` cannot attend to them now."- . So Hester went into the comfort-' able` house and laid them on the table and then -ran off to attend" to her own duties. Margaret came `in presently, a little weary,. and. satl ` down in a chair. 'She was a ne girl,` How can I bear this.terrible.secr_ecy, but not handsome like Hester . There was a look of extreme care on her young face;.' she said to herself-- the knowledge that I- have done what I have done? -Whatever happens, 1' must tell" Hester soon. 00-- _-:..-.:. 1.-.. .....s ...-.A lnnluuil ;u up-yuu. Margaret unlocked `her - trunk and took out a packet. A minute /late? Rand's photograph was clasped in Hest_er s -ngers She found herself looking straa ht unto hold, clear eyes. She was` loo ng -straight into a face that had never known guile or open; L: Z.-(.1-.. r,j; . . I V` And am I to teach him these street 41:543. must teu rlcstersuuu. She raised her eyes and looked! across the hall. 'Hester haigl `left the| letters on a large old-fashtoned and briiliantly polished mahogany table-;. " they shone white 'on the dark wood of -the `table; * Margaret` `remembered them, she g-ot`u_p slowly and took them in her "hands. on... .r_..`... 1.:...-." .1; .5-HA ha W E are pleased to state that `"" j" the past year has been ' A by far the best in . our tthistoryand we Wish to t1;1a.nkA many customers for their Letiasjsistancwe '~in . making it 311h..n?1 wish you all a. happy V. " "y . gr. V ,: ,- .'. _ - `I7 : , `N I`. K I ` " ` I ` "1': ` . .A . ' V- '- ' ' '`'3' Pa." .%= 1,-L? ')-.-.L 0 0 .things- " she sand to herself. ' LA: - __-___ ..-A 1-54- UEII In. 01:, --y --_v---> , , f ` ` a vetif \" Iad- `lette"r"'from*j `re-`zardi to ohri. *. ?7i`MfI.1.'83-`I -ti? '4p1kin 3111:. ,her :-=.se'd jtI_ve1 v'o1ee:.1=_-s`e` it-was: f ly Thou- , ed. .f,t)ha't -_un cle_ Stephen would have left him` `a 1ar?g_e"sum'of money, not iofeourse as much `as I inherit, but still: large sum, end. then it wasi thought that he would be` able to dol well in life. Now _,he is thrown oni ! his beam endsf , `in-e is a man, said Hester, sud - I denly, and can work for his living. "He would do that in any case, but, the property on ht to be his. ` I And,. -said ester, suddenly, it; I would be no sin on his part to marry` ., ,5)! tme?"= . I _ --Si:n? - Of course not. _ he would-` think that you were Margaret Rand." He would never nd out? ; "How could he, H`est`er'r Hester let the photograph drop to` the table. 1 Very well, she said. Sometimes when one thinks of oneself, every- thmg. seems worthless, but If I can help him and help you, why, then-- then even doing wrong may be worth while." ur\I_ 2. 2- 24 Z.-I Vnu A-u-city unuq ;.w-nue." 3 Oh, it is, it is! You darling, you ;will yxeld, yoti willgsay yes!_ "I am wicked and terried, said poor I-Dester, but--I say-yes. `was the sort of girl who could not _ CHAPTER H. l The shi Oceanic was on her way home to ngland; She carried a great many passengers; amongst! others was a girl whom people look-` ed-at whenever she appeared. She pass unobserved. She was beautiful- ly and quie_tly"di'essed, and shehad, besides the` accompaniments of cod dress, a charming` and lovely ace. Her eyes were dark grey, her corn- plexion of a creamy pallor, her hair was thick and blackasr a raven : wing, she -was a well,-made girl in ex- cellent. proportions; When -she -spoke she` showed two i rows of pearly white teeth; when her face was in repose people noticed the grand, `stead_fast;_ noble- lines of `her nely- forrned lips. This `girl's name was ut dawn on the ship's list as Miss `argaret land. ,:Nobody knew any- thing special about her, except that `she. looked like _a- lady and that she was rather better dressed than most of:-the _.o-there. ladies :on board; that she ha-dga `luxurious cabin_to herself, and that the captain took a good deal of-notice of vlier, and put her next [himself at table. IIlIIIEIl II! vvvv V0 ; She was just an ordinary young `girl, travelling alone, but of course she got _to know people on board,` and to them she told the fact that] T Mgnager tnem in net `nauus. "None from him, she said, half aloud. Shersat ~down listlessly in a chair and opened the `letters. `But hadanyone seen'Margareti Rand half an hour later they wouldnot have -called her listless. Her eyes were sparkling, the -colour lled ' her cheeks, she was claspirtg and ~m'-. clasping her ihands, she was reading a letter many times over. Presently.` collecting .the letter and several documents which had accompanied it," she took them. all to her private bedroom. There she read them care V fully again, there she made` up her mind. The making up of Margaret` Rand's mind astonished `Hester. Nug- ent not a little. ' ` ` 'l .I...'.L..... 9 ....Z4I 1.2.54 `-:5!!!` l-`I96 110?`!