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THAT PUZZLE CALLED WOMAN: A Story of Pride and Passion Would shescream! would she faint! would she try to throw herself into the water! No! he must not tell her until they were safe in the hotel. He went slowly back and joined her. Long before he reached her he could see how her eager pha were devouring his face, "Oh, God, have mercy one her!" he said, from the very bottom of his heart. " Poor little girl! Poor little girl " " Well!" she cried, running to meet him. " Where is he? Where is he?" "It is very strange," answered Clarendon, slowly, "but he is not on _ board." "Not on board!" she gasped. "But he must be; he must. Thera is some mistake. It is not possible that he is not there. If he had not come by her he would have cabled." "I have seen the Purser," replied Hugo, "and he says there is no one of that name on board." "Oh, but I must see him," cried Ethel. "T must indeed. You cannot have made him understand. Pray take me It a useless," he returned, gently. "I have made every inquiry. He 'old, me, tell you nothing that he has not And ace you mean to say," cried Ethel, looking at him with wide- open eyes, "that Arthur never went on board at all?" Clarendon hated telling a lie, but in this case there was absolutely no altemmative. " Yes," he answered, unflinchingly. solos let me take you back to the Without another word she walk- ed beside him to the carriage. Could this pale, dejected woman be the bright, pretty, laughing creature he ese helped out of it half-an-hour earl Mrs, Dele. ane remained quite silent. All sorts of dreadful thoughts were sweeping through her brain. It did not occur to her that anything had happened to her husband; the idea which assailed her was that he want- e punish her for her waywa freak, and that be was wilfully keep- her in suspense. and she 6 the rescue of her et She did not utter a the drive, but gat cache eo of the her pride racking brat h how he could break this awful trag- to her, edy He he Iped her out at the hotel, and followed her up to her sitting-room. She went and looked out of the win- ya in silence for a rude dnd gracious if I tell you ie thas I want to oanoR" ?-I feel stupefied--I want to vin before he had time to are she knew and understood. 0 asped, trembling in 4 dead! Something - has happened to him! He was like one deanh, but his eyes w ere eee enough, eak!" she cried, 8: Lke--tell me |" *Oht" he groaned, " how can I tell you. How can! break your heart!' , "Oh," she s: aid, in a smothered voice, 'then it is She cieewe rant? into a chalr and covered her face* with her hands. ié came up close beside her, spoke ina low, hoarse voice, 'He was drowned at sea--washed overboard in a gale four days ago." She uncovered her face and stared av rer with stricken eyes. ye been going about PF. ianghing and happy and enjoying my- eli. How horribdle 1" "He could think of nothing to say, are he stretched out his hand and took 1€Ts. «T know how yon feel," he murmur- ed, in the lowest, tenderest voice. "I, too, lost in one sudden awful moment what was dearest in the world to ine.' He could not havé cKosen his words better had they been studied, in- at plies being born of a cent impulse of pi " 'Abt 1" she groaned. How does one live thinigst?" Clarendon was not a religious man; he was alraid even to think now-a- days what he believed and what he loubted, but at this moment he felt the great need of a divine source from which to extract comfort for this stricken soul. But he had a horror of the platitudes of those Jobs com- forters who can see the wisdom and the mercy otf ogee ek that are inflicted on their neighbors So, looking at her, with most sor- "for pity's and now! <heee * You k through God help you, She did not shed a single tear--he wished she would--but sat staring with a stony expression as though she were gazing at the Medusa head. Her voice, too, sounded. strange and ar-off. And an hour ago," she muttered, "y thoagtt I was the happiest wo- man in the world. We parted in an- ger, you know. would not say good-bye to him 3 and for these ten days past I have been thinking over all the kind and loving words I would say to him when he came. And, oh, my God! I shall never say _-- now!" And she a te aay ae tear- less gob that wrung h He idle has hand = his, wicbking it tenderly. "TI have brought it all on myself," . A great bitter-| ness against him came into her heart, | ummoned 1 ord during | she went on, presently, finding some comfort in bitter self-accusation. "If I had not opposed he would have come out by our ship, and noth- my owe have happened - t u did what every) loving woman would have done. You cannot be stronger than destiny; you did what your nature and your heart compelled you to do. He recognized that. Did not his cable show it? 4 love, and his remorse at what you had suffered for his sake. And, poor chap! he too, you may ate was building on that meeting, and count- ing the hours until he should be with you At his words, the floodgates of her tears were unloosed, and she cried and cried as though her heart were melt- ing away. He watched with little short of agony the throes that convulsed -her slight frame--he was rent and torn by thing in the world to take eae and sooth to as if she n a Uttle chiid. = What shall I Lill what shall I do !"" and again, and he ocak think of eothine elae to say but, "Poor child! ars little girl!" the wo ca rom the very Nothing could avail to help her tn her agony, and to 'know that was cruel suffering to him, and yet the esire to soothe and comfort grew stronger every moment in him, and he was turning over in his brain wai manner of plans for her immediate future. He was not one of those men who are influence by burning desire to get away from the sight of pain and suffering. For a moment he thought of telegraphing to his sister at Washington, and begging her to come at once. A woman, he thought, can do so much more for-one of her own sex in trouble. But he dismissed the thought, for his sister was a worldly fashionable woman, and he was not sure that the two would be congenia i¢ | in the ordinary relations of life. built more hopes on that nice, sympa- thetic maid. | Presently Ethel Dag tp her poor, half peg oe ores to his fac ou are very Od and kind," she * hut now I think I must be ss Yes," he answered, " yes, I will go. "May I send your m ee "No, not yet," she answered. " When you want me," he vutkesd, in a low voice, "I will with you at any moment. I shail ee word down- she pot me- y: as he was going, she cried after him with a pencis sob in her voice, me not think I am un- grateful, but w---now!" She flung herself a in her chair in a fresh 'ei know," he cried, ina choked voles, hurrying out. ® sent for Grant, and in a few words told her what had happened. " You won't leave Mrs. Delane now," eed said. " Promise me that you will go back to England with her. I will | | Cndertake that -- --_ not lose by ; your kindness if | The girl anuwered: with tears in her eyes " Poor ae! I will do anything for her. And I don't want anything for doing it. Why, I wouid = leave her like this if it was ever so.".. Clarendon was 60 tata that he shook _ warmly by the hand. "God d. " When Mrs think about San home or any- thing else, to see me, send a messenger round to the Windsor at once. I shall remain within call." And he walked away the saddest man in New York that day. The idea did not cross his brain that good might come to him out of this catas- trophe; he only remembered that the woman for whom he had so tender a regard was heart-broken. He asked of himself with weary iteration the question that he had asked in the past, when he lay crushed and writh- ing under the whéels of the Jugger- naut Despair,. how it could please or and, as before, he found no answer. It is a great consolation to those who can believe it, that these tortures are sent in mercy, but this submissive frame of mind is only given to the few. The majority of sufferers rebel against a cruelty in which they can see neither mercy nor justice If this mbar gl of nerve and heart always resulted in the moral benefit to the victim which some people as- sert, it would doubtless be an argu- ment in its favor, but does it? Are there not grown-up children whom rgings and punishments harden and embitter--are there not natures whom love and happiness would de- ine and soft, gracious blossoms, whilst ail-storms would 'kill them unopened, immature! Some- times, when after a lapse of years we are brought to say, " Perhaps it was for the best," it is generally because the wound is cicatrised and we have adapted ourselves to circumstances. Hugo went back to his hotel and wrote letters ; one in particular to his sister, in which he told her what had mi I do hope, my dear," he finished up, "that I am not putting out your uch, but I cannot, in every rect apiiet alone gl oberg It is the - ype genciets ja ag hae = Ihave ths 'kno anal. not . wae if it wits her. Just you. He os not stir out of the hotel in ummons should come for him, and at gery o'clock it came in a line from Gran "TI think, sir, if you would co Mrs. Delane would like to see von: She Is a little calmer. And don did not lose one mo- summo: te: it, for she remembered well the day when the news came of her own mother's death: how she had cried refused food patient with those who to eat. She did not mean to worry her, poor lady--she would jus 'eave it there She 'krdcked gently twice, and, as there was no answer, went in. Mrs. Deiane was sitting on the floor; her arms on the sofa and her face buried in them. Grant put the tray, down softly, and then went and stood be- side a with the tears running down her cheeks. "Oh, my poor, poor lady!" she said; and there wart so true a ring in her voice that Ethel raised her poor, half-blinded ey»s to the girl's face She stretched out a liand dumbiy. to her, and aren' helped her to rise and sit on the ERB] Vek ate "chied, shall I do!" Tears rained down the one face, and ane said, In a choked v if 1 cout only say soabiine to Sothior' you!" And Gaee- pean Ethel, so forlorn and lonely and helpless, drew tlie girl down to the sofa, and leaning against her shoulder, wept afresh. They were not mistress and maid now, they were only two women, one sor- rowing, one pitying. CHAPTER XI. Al_through the long-day giant de- spair stood over Ethel, dealing blow upon blow upon her crushed heart. He brought before her the tender memories of love ng in her ear, "These are gone forever, Never again will you know glad, sweet hours,""--he pictured them ten- fold happier than they had actually n. She forgot that Arthur had ever been cold or unkind and. hard lease, he was the ideal lover Age reality could never now make piteously, " what 8 r he eae the bliss that' Satght have been, until the los® of it Bascy an ag- ony A grievous to be born. How could she live through it--how: face _ days, and munthe and years with- t him or when a woman, how- jot young, loses the man she loves, it ever seems to her as the end of bao things; otf youth, of hope, of For the first few hours her loss na cupled her thoughts to the exclusion of all others; then came the desire to know all the dreadful detatls; the hs to have all that to hear all that he had said thought about her ee he discover- ed her flight to Ameri get back "tal Enghand. for the first time, she membered Clare ey It seem- quite natur to expect that he would do sprars thine for her. She asked Grant if he were to found, and the girl sent off the mes- sage, rendon came at once. He entered the room very softly, and ap- proached the sofa, where she still sat. e@ was shocked to see the ravages that grief had made in her fnce; the beautiful lustrous eyes that he had Oo much were dim and almost closed tale ine her cheeks were ovary F e. Even as she stretch- ed her bend. ral to him she broke = to fresh tears, her nerves were 80 u strung. Hugo did not speak, but held her hand and waited until she should did not mean," she sobbed..." to treat you ey a ae oh, 1 think my "ae is brok readful Ent rose in his throat and eneend to choke him; her pain, his powerlessness to help her filled him with a eense of impotent misery. Oh! he thought, if I were & woman instead of a pens ofa peta I should know what an pesnene il tn they her. What He hated himself for sitting there dumb, and yet he could not find a word to say. At last he burst out in despair, "Tf you had only Mrs. Tower with or some one whom you care "Yes," she answered, " that is what I want to see you about. Get me home! brome get, jme home! I can bear it bette ge! will," ne assented, sogenly: "The Germani¢ Bails on To- morrow morning, ey you will jet me, I will make every arrangement for you "Thank you," she said; "it will be just what the e had not time will and ----- they would not give them way bacon be to let the po dale whom he employed ask for them on your "Whatever you think best," she said, wea: papic "T am so afraid," said Hugo, "that you will have such a bad night. Every- for a few hourk "I do not i want to forget," she an- Swered, 60 i. i returned, "but you will be "I wish I could die!" she uttered, desparing|ly. I Bohno tol Be ,he murmured, soothing- yy P her hand, "That is how on ea. ie are we tortured like this?" + looking at him in help- ry. " AhI" he echoed, "why? I have asked myself that often enough, but : have never found the answer yet. : : ee speaking vbr deg "that worst man do that, and how can we believe it of = ? silent. He would have tines that alia being a woman, should be on the side of vindicating the love of God, but he could not blame her for thinking as he thought himself. With most men who are good fellows, I harageyr ts the ideal edb isnar igious, mee ' e a complex crea ture, . tnt ---- wo- he is not expected to be too rdoned ie being & little unpunc- er own 6e be ve unselfish, she must adore al! children. and she must not question too closely the author ity of God or of mun made in His age. There followed a silence of some mo- it. ments. roke "Would you not like me to cable to your friends ?" asked, and Ethel replied ra fartaagy Sd giving the ad- dreases of Mrs. Tower, r aunt, and the sawyer: "TI thought, "that if you approved, cable in my-own' name to Mrs. Tower, telling her that we came out gether, and that I will be of what use I can. It might relieve her mind a little to know that you are not quite alone. And shall I not ask her to answered, "please do. she had better break the news to my aunt, The whote af- a will be such @ terrible shock to "And," pursued Clarendon, "I should suggest that the agent here should communicate with your law- he assented. "Now," he said, rising reluctant- ly, for he could not ar to leave her alone with her grief, " perhaps I word ? e," she said; then pite- seem just now to be the e in the world." ish," he rejoined, sadly, "that I "could better show my friendship." "How could you?" she answered. "What could anyone do more? No one," with ms sob, "can bring him eT to me." I hope," he said, *' we ee get = cable in America to-mor but, as you know, there is five oun dif- ference between English time and this, and if Mrs. Tower should be away from home, we may not' hear until Tuesda As he walked back to the hotel, he felt a keen desi to know more about her affaires. Would her band's death make a great difference to her financially ? She had no chil- dren. Perhaps the estate was entalil- ed. He concluded that there was an estate, and that the husband had been well off, and that they had lived in good style. Perhaps she was notonly losing the man of her heart, but many of the pleasant things of life sides. He would not have put a leading Sheep to her for the world, Delane"s death would not. materially change her mode of life. He did, not like to offer again to be her banker, but it would be dreadful to him think she had not everything she wanted. Anyhow, he would take her passage and pay for it, and he sup- posed her lawyer would cable out what money she was likely to require. Then he composed his message to Mrs. Tower. . eg ont on the ------ with Mrs. Dela The ------ (mentioning Cunard bone) "brought terrible. news. Captain Delane washed overboard Wife broken-hearted. D She sa got nice maid. Will you meet her Liv- erpoeh.? You may. remem mber me at Ri n's.--Hugo Clarendon." sat up thinking long into the night. and when he went to bed his slumbers were far from being of their usual sound and peaceful nature. He had a Very tender heart; lt was griev- ous to him that anyone should suffer --much more anyone to whom he felt as he felt to Mrs. Delane. Every time he woke, he thought of her lying in rs and agony, without a gleam of hope or light in the future. She would get over it in time, he knew, as w all of us get over the griefs which we believe, when the assail us, to be unquenchable, unconquerable beyond all remedy, but how much she had to suffer first. He eee the agony of his h @ greater agony of his ae for months after the is own life. And now he was almost Hshamed to think that hetno 'longér even re- gretted his dead love; that she fe Leto Md does ' rget, '-- what a world of mourners this 1 would w few there are who li decad diate the idea that a tee could ever come when we should have forgotten him or be content with a life from which he Page gone for evermore! r hus d, and icra the interview would afford her no mosey After this, Clarendon went to give an ne arg to Mrs. Delane of all that sas had done. He found bier alone,- looking Bes 4 white and ill. Grant, she told him, had gone to get her some mourning. He fried to persuade her to drive out in the aiternoon with rule of all American hotels. She shook her head. "No," she said, "I shall not go out of the hotel bore I leave it on Wed- nesday for eve He did not heh to persuade her any more and soon aiter went away. the Eourse of the olga he received a cable from Mrs. Tow "Tnapkivi you are with her. Much resse i envelope and sent it round to Mrs. Delan e also had heard from her Deepest sympa- friend : "Terribly grieved. hy " (To be Continued.) Bradstreet's on Trade. Some delay in business is still re- ported in the Canadian Dominion ow- ing to the prospective elections. Ad- vices from Oundiand are that gen- eral trade is-anusually duli, and from Nova Scotia that it is quiet. Rain is needed in New Brunswick, and in the Province of Quebec the volume of business is smalfer than in previous weeks, owing to the holiduy. Needed rains have fallen there, with corres- ponding improvement in the agricul- tural districts. Jobbers in stapie lines at Toronto report business quiet, Bank clearings at Winnipeg, Hamil- ton, Toronto, Montreal and Walifax amounted to $16,009,000 last week, against $19.821,000 the Bona week, as compared with $17,897,000 in the week a year ago, and with $16,994,- 000 in the corresponding week 'in i894. The total number of a failures in the Canadian Domin. last week was 25, compared with "3s the week previous. 25 in the week a year ago, and 36 two years ago. Stinging Corns, Next to a stinging conscience, makes life a misery. The stinging pain of am corn may be speedily and painlessly removed by the use of Putnam s Paiu- less Corn Extractor. Twenty-four hours after Putnain's is applied the corn may be removed. Not to be Outlied. Ro following. appearg in Farm N 'On the first page of May Farm News I see you re- rs burning potatoes for fuel. As ley oaly. contain = tween 80 a 90 per cent. of wa and ice eennot contain ate ee 100 per cent., and as it was a year for ice, we have put in a ites stock of it for summer fuel. We do not in- tend to let the farmers of any other section ontliie us. Yours very truly. ra JS. M. Adoo, North Bicomflelt, hilo: aumiter fe) port far If the Baby is Cutting 'Teeth, Be sure and use that old and well- tried remedy, Mrs. Winslow's Sooth- ing Sy Al for children teething. It soothes the child, softens the gums, allays all pain, cures wind colic and is the best remedy for diarrhoea. Twenty-five cents a bottle. Birmingham's Jewelr;7 Trade. It is computed that from 14,000 to 16,000 persons are actively engaged in the janeity trade of Birmingham, and the amount of capital embarked in it is larger than that of any other Bir- mingham agp The annual con- sumption of gold is valued at $3,750,- and of silver at $1,750,000. Soy- a ise are still extehsively used for = moltitigg up," instead of grain gold. ALAS! She's not out biking, spruce _ gay, To-day, and there are rumo That from the ciothes line yventarhay The goat ate Ida's bloomers. --St. Paul Globe. Rhymed Rules for Women. To monn the wheel with perfect First see ia pedals are in place; The right the centre half around, The left the nearest he ground. Draw back the wheel a littie, thus, To give it proper impetus, Your hands upon the handle bar Should be as dainty touches are. Then press with right foot, till you see The inside pedal rising free. Don't be in haste, the pedai right Describes the circle, sinks from sight; But ere it meeta your foot once more You're mounted, and the lesson's o'er. Oil was struck on the farm of Mr. Alex. Elliot, near Bothwell, and in eight hours the well produced fifty-six barrels. At the crematory at Fresh Pond, been burned and Engllal "and the virest from eater untries. etn are 15 crematories in "ths United States.