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h xm f 3 l pardoned at last a thrilling christmas story by jack frost act the fourth coxtisued ruing he approached a bell to summon assistance but the duke waved bias bick laying hoarsely bj seated if you were worth it i would challenge you aid shoot yon like a dog for your insults ilurdor may be la your line was the biting retort i am content to fight yon with ordinary weapons those the law pro vide remember your whole life will be probed your every stciet loldbare bo warn ed before it is too late i why does not he faoe met he almost hissed t nob because ha lacks courage duke a man who could live in siberian captivity for seventeen years asd suffer though in nocent is no coward he is in my hinds if tomorrow he mot yon twould be your life or his tblalsintimidaaonl place any construction yon like on my words will you accede to my demand j nc a thousand times no i bate him still the base born hound he dared to think hla ignoble blood rood enough to mix with that of my house curse him 1 and the speaker foamed at the month so intense was his wrath at last he had met a foetnan worthy of his steel a man who could give him thrust for thrust and strike home tis a matter of jasiw not anocstry duke i thiak if you trace baok his ances try you wjl find it as noble aa yours the first bake of brittany married a farmers daughter one of the bourgoelalo if a look oould have stricken the bold not- ry dead each would have boen his doom at that moment has no member of your ducal houss ever committed that unpardonable crime of meaalliancj 1 pierre vorlon oontiaued you my noblo duke oan best answer that question fiend you co too far ho said hoarsely 1 will go even further in a court of jus tice do you think i am ignorant of your antecedents i know all your secret mar riage to an eagllshwomar your intrigues you would do woll not to defy me v go lest i bo tempted to do you a mis- ahief go 1 when i come into a rou den i carry arm was the quiet retort i go bno when i think of it you willrecelva a citation to appear before too courts adieu monsei- c and permit ms to stibcoribe mvaolf your very obedient humble servant ho aidj as ho bowed cynically and left the pre sence of the man he had tortured am i fallen so low as to bo thus insulted in my own mansion oaeped the infuriated man he shall smart for this lie little knows whom he is defying sounding a silver bell he said to the ser vant who answered its summons send bapont to mo instantly 1 whilst waiting his coming tho duke paced the apartment with a quicx pantherlike strike as if ho were preparing to make a spring j i care not for tho law he dared to ally himself to ay family ono of the most on- tieat in franoe by ttealfa 1 are prinosa nothing j must thoy bs judged like the com- inon herd he has felt my talons already joext timo th6y shall pierca hla skulking heart he muttered angrily ithis notary is the most dangerous of tho two itt suhht be silenced her child is hving werfjske shall ba abducted her pie- leian father will be stabbed in his very hearts affections thresh her tho workings of his f aoo were something terrible concentrated hate malioe revenge all converged there charles bake oi brit tany evidently inherited all the bitter black jblood that sowed ir the veins of his anoea- iiors the look ef satanic hate thereon depleted ras enhanced by the yshapod mark each mole stood est distinct as if embossed of a moodred oaleur and ftho veins of bis neck i xatqth till they looked like veiled whip- eerd his dark purcing eyas glowed and scintil lated ilka thee ef a venomous serpent and bb stiff ireafrey hair seemed to bristle like aba spines of a trfld boar when preparing for deadly rusk pride aaid graad made him the man he was pi rather fcranafarmed him from a man lnta a fiend trsa ae wander that myrtles lather feared as wail as hated him mortally note on aooooas ef bar sake than bis own perhaps altar all it would have been baiter if the aotaiy had not braved this wolf in his owe lair for in doing so ho had jgooded him ta desperation twas harewfter twenty years of assured eretory to laars that bis victim had escaped from the mashes ef the deadly net he had thrown about hiss and was free to attack un in rstnxa that there was some ne using too who could and meant to claim bis listers colossal fertsse it must be a death struggle now a final battle meaning annihilation to one of the joemcn the bofca had shew na mercy to ms jfssujv tho afpring at the same mather who had siist his ceildhaois sport and had been erar gentle and loving to him was it likely new that years had harden- hla heart be would relent and spare mvrtte bapont why we yen delayed attend ing my surnames the duke asked fiercely gfad to fiad semaam en wham to vest his rase a aaetaanger has jt arrived from ssglasd yonr graoa said the ean oawuy these exhibition ef tmper on tba part of his master were ef tso trtquentoooorrencste npsot hi equanimity well anebher wilfoihewitp affair 3 msprtose was the acrimonious retort u no yonr grace she wat traced to rooky bead a village en the english coast and from thence to lendon here is a photograph of a girl it resembles her closely said jdcpoot herding it to him thn likeness is a marvellous one oor- tartly muttered ths duk eyeing myrtles sbapicnre critically and rapidly regaining eoapoiurr now that this news toid him ks tteo for action had arrived whsa tfelmisthev she was brought up by a fisherman and hii wife at first but twe years ajo she was fmi by hr father your greos r had left the place and was traced to london but on going to chelsea jacques found him gone no one knew whither 1 leave for eagload tonight bapont ths man bowed with deep respect these hurried journeys caused him no surprise you will not accompany me nor do i netd jacques at present yon will both be better employed in looking after this fellow one pierre verlona notary this is his card yon want information your grace more i i must have bis private papers and if this pierre verlon was to be sudden ly mitscd i would be pleased scare no money in accomplishing this object bapont i have few secrets from you my sisters husband has etcaped from siberia and is in england this is sad your graos they may meet yes if i delay much longer it maybe too late this photograph will be of great service to ms remember the notary this time there must be no tangling etch blow that i strike must go straight home consider the notary lemoved from yenr graces path but ob my dear master don ba off nded if i speak a word of warning yon are going to england to meet that man beware of his vengeance remember what he sold after ha was condemned he would live to bo revenged tho old man pleaded earnestly with tears in his eyes tashl i do not fear him bapont ego is unnerving you said his master contemp tuously i have grown groy in the service of your graces family have nursed yon watohed you grow up and now you tell mo to remain behind when danger threatens you as we grow old and wo get near tha confines of tho other world as 1 am heaven vouchsafes ue warnings denied to younger people i am roubled about your grace give up this journey or let me go with yon to watch you to guard you and going on his knees the old man setz id his hands cupplicatingly rise bcpont it would take moro than a dream to bar my purposes he sent that notary to threaten mo tho witnesses in his trial are ready to swoar i bribed thorn bis innocenoe will be established on tho foundation of my dbgraos maried fortune will bs wrested from m- aid tho worst con struction put on my conduct it will bs said i placed her in a convent bscausa i coveted her money and gave out a report of her death i am eoing into tho cuomyi camp to strike a blow for dear llfev sake would that yon hod a non to aid you somo one to guard the honour and safety of the house of brittany the old man said with a grievous sigh i havo a con my faithful old friend tis for him i havo been fighting all these yoarr the duke said exultinalv a noblo youth whom i lovo dearer than life thank heaven 1 was fervently cjeca- lated my old eyes will close in peaot ccurage darling papa 1 she cried uncovering his face and kiaeinj- him tenderly while her hand wandered among his hair already plentifully sprinkled with snow i am at your side to console and aid yon they can point at me call me the convicts daughter soern me but make me ashamed of you nvsr 1 i used to dream of you my pet my angel child 1 he aaid softly a smile chasing away ths sorrow which a moment before had been depicted there often in the night when only the sentrys heavy tread broke the silence havo i iain as in a trance and yon have come and kissed me and smiled and placed your littls hand in mice and called me father then for a time all too brief i forgot my chains the lash of a heartless taskmaster and wept for very joy pierre my friend my moro than brother used to send me letters about yon and when i know you livid and were well and strong i used to sing in my lonely cell for very jiy while other prisoners wept ox blasphemed you have been my one lodestar and are now my only joy oh myrtle if i lost you i shonld go and kill myself 1 she let him talk on this man her noble father who had consorted with felons for years for she jadgedtbat it would relieve his overcharges heart and oalm hia fevered brow she sat on his knee and drew his head down and with sweet kisses tender caress es and loving words soothed hla troubled spirit and mingled her tears with his it was a touching picture one that might havo softened even the hardest heart ho tapped at the door of beokys sitting- room and entered when she answered come in she gave one swift rlanoo at his face to road therein somo augury of her chanoesof success but that of a sphinx could not be more impasaivo than was his you wish to eoo me mlas pridal he said quietly as ho seated himself vonr daughter broached acubjoot which i did not care to discuss with her and con cerns you alono she said fatteringly at i fits- but gaining firmness as she proceeded ho merely bowed ossantlngly hor per fidy had so stung him that ho was afraid he might lose ail control over his tempar if he attempted to argue with her or tell her that myrtle waa to bo implicitly trusted with anything pertaining to his interests his silence somewhat disconcerted her she was at a loss how to allude to her visit to his study whether to plunge into it at once or lead up to it gradually mr bjnr i owe n duty to myoelt she said half- timidly my living ray very breiid depeads upon the respecteblity par don tho term of tho family in which 1 am employed jbyr instance- pleaco do not mince matters i under stand no one would employ you if they know you had been companion to the daugh ter ol an escaped convict n condemned felon la not that what you mean j ono cannot especially in my dependent positisd ignore the opinions or laws of oooiety she observed glad that ba had broken tho ice for her nor though you are rich would yon bo visited or received into society if the truth were known mr bone 1 may believe you innocent but you havo to convince the world of that not now sou shall see him bapont i will bring t- ali yon hava qaiie bo assented may i ask if anyone brer position i would be a mother to myrtle and a true friend to yon yon ttand on the edge of a precipice and want someone at yonr tide to steady and support you we oould go abroad for a time until the incident of your escape was quite forgotten bo not despise me for my apparent bold ness my seeming nnwemanllneas i am willing as your wife to share your secret and any disgrace attaching thereto he could not but feel grateful for her word whli a implied a devotionbe had no claim upon myrtle had adjudged her mercenary as well as ambition that she was not tho former she had given him convincing proofs from first to last she had put herself in the tight he himself in the wrong and had then offered to connect herself with his disgrace- by a close indissoluble tie that of wifodoml after all he might do worse than close with her off jr she was highly educated refined and well bred a woman who would do the honors of his home with oredit to him and herself mies pride he said i cannot find words to express my gratlcude for this con vincing mark of your devotion to my in terests my heart is too seared ever again to feel the love of a husband it was buried in the grave of my young martyr wife give me time to think it wauld be wrong to accept youroffer atonce you might regret it hereafter decider i must consult myrtle consult a mere oblld 1 she thought somewhat angrily bnt said twas affection for her that had some thing to do with my offer the peytous oome of a proud stock one whisper would break off the intended match i have done ray duty the issue is in yonr hands you have coma out of a trying ordeal nobly my dear mies pride he saitrquietiy whatever my diclsion may prove to be you will always take a place in my heart as a trne friend consult her 1 let bim 1 if she thinks j upon whose life there his not fallen a single stnin am not good enough to be the wife of her conviotfather then let hsr look to it for she will receive scant mercy from mo i to bb costisted bktoeical js0ie3 him baok with mo when i have crushed this oanaille i hated my sisters paramour i shall never acknowledge the sacrad tie be tween ihem opsnly from tho first snd now i feel that tbe samo earth cannot contain us both marie will find that i can bo impla cable her escape only makes me the more bitter against biai have patience with ms master pleaded the old man jiis family feud oeuld bo huiled may i speak i the duke gave a gesture of assent her child lives tho photograph is a speaking witness to that you have a son a marriage ob your graoe do not be so angry do not knit your brows a blood fend is hateful to heaven i let the dead past bury its dead in the happiness of the liv ing if i did not esteem you as highly bapont i oould be more than angry ho son oi mine oeuld ever love their onfld he oan and will learn to hate despite her new go let everything be ready far my departure and remember the notary seme little while later the bake of brittany left the shores of france far bug land to carry on his merciless vendetta act the fifth when myrtle left miss pride she went straight to her father who was waiting her return in an agony ef apprehension he had guarded hie dangerous secret ao well as he thought only to find that it was dis- oavered by means he never dreamt of he knew as a man of the world what that world wvfald tunk oi a retained con vict flaunting in peacocks feather giving prmoely entertainments to men and womes who would when they learnt the truth resent it a a liberty a lasting insult he would pss a an impester not a nartyr and peer mrrue whe had endured so much in her earliest year would share hi digraoe he had riches it is true but what would they avail mm if human sym pathy wr wanting t it was no wonder that bertram looked with utter anguish oa the crisis that had overtaken mm a thuaderbelt from cut a anmssar sky myitis urged drfieaor be oaose si lasked experience she baa not mlnge with tbe werld ner did she know let fifir whloh ilk the of the medes and persians ware aoalterabl b frand but in anything dfcerotiaabu tad goodbye to the geed episjea ef th werld especltlly jasuens domain asd this be knew all too well it la set se be wendered at that while awaiting hi deagbteia return he should have werked himself up into a state o fever ish oxeitmast wmsh bant forth into one impetaout queatbn cs cetng her weill she trishn to see you my worst fears are verified papa tbe has entered your study and knew all bs yon think she is meroenary myrtle k asked brokenly yes bat ambitious moro than al yea must temporise pspe play with lsr is you would with a fib in her cunning ilo will overreaoh herself 8e her at icce vfer aoe has iima to plot and tchsmc sscaothlng flle ma that wa are en the ere of a rru which we mnat suntieant r crmh j urousod your suspicions about my nnhappy pocltioa no one mr bane i myself saw there was a mystery from the very turafc your daughter s education had been wsfnlly neg lected i can understand why you your self wero never vitited by even your neigh bours your very opulence was another thing quite out of keeping with your dough tors untrained deportment aad manner espeoially when oontrasted with yonr own polished manners when i found yenr keys i could not ieeist the temptation of trying to solve the mystery- i buooeeded and now find that i am oempanioo to the daughter ef a convict a by no means enviable position yen must admit 1 he was forced so far to admit- th oogenoy of hnr agnmenta and said frankly mh pride i owe you a meat humble apology believe me i have every raaaomto hope that i will be able to establish my in- neoenoe seoiety haa no charms for me iwas for my daughters sake alone that i 1 wj ha v i deava b ever tout perse m and he is fcula groessl falling las a chklr that jacque rouge could notdltoover and cerfaghh face with u hand aald barretwith a righ the fishermen harea glv me pop the use of firearms in war in england wsb introduced as early as tho reign of edward 1111327 windmills wero not known in england at the conquest bur were introduced in less than a ooncary afterward a trade with norway is known to have boen carried ou by tto scotch in thebegin- ing of the thirteenth century the coast of connecticut waslfirat ex plored by one of tb early batch navigatora adrian block who in 1614 was the srat earopean to sail through hell gate the principal legislative acts in the reign of henry iii of kwjland are hla confirma tion of tbe great charter and of tho charter of the forest xhere are also come addition al laws of this king yet extant which much polished tbe common law lovoa appear to have been very rare among the anglo- sxons among the re presentations of male figures thoy are never met with but fram a law of ethelred the unready it may bo inferred that at the oioeo of the tenth or the beginning of tho eleventh centary they were great rarities five pairs forming a considerable part of the duty paid by a society of german merchants for the protection of their trade the boston port bill a law passed by eng land t olose the port of boston went inou effeot june 11774 the day was observed in hartford conn as a day of publlo mourning tho town house was hung with black a copy of the bill was posted on it and bell wore tolled all day even so far off u virginia the house of burgesses attended a a lemo- religious at rvios on the occasion and beard a patriotic ser mon from the chaplain the twe colonies formed by colonists who catao out under gov john wlnthrop the plymouth and massachusetts bay were for many year independent of one another but tbe plymouth oelony though the older of the two grew far more slowly than the jdammihgtfie abctic ctjbbebt a scheme to temper the clunale 9t kcw foundland aad labrador the announcement that e j bender has sacceeded in making orrangamente in lon don for- the purchaee of tbe qaebc mont real railway and ita extension to the straits of belle isle revives the proposal of gen sir sslby smyth laid before tbe bominion government in 1879 for diverting the arctio current from tbe gulf of stlavrence by filling in the straits of bsiie mo which would serve a a brldgo connecting new foundland with the mainland for railway purposes gen smyths idea of constructing a dam across the straits does not appear to have been original with that gentleman as lieut maury it is understood laid a similar proposal before the british government over thirty years ago in his report to the bom- inion government gen smyth draws inten tion to the fact that the straits of beljtte are open to the northeast thus resciafag the direct flow of the polar currant down baffiisbiy this ley stream at from tiro to four miles an hour pours its way into the gulf of st lwrence overcoming by its greater density tbe warm gulf stream from tho eouthern 1 ititades the cold stream he says divides into two branches near cape lamour one running westward up the gulf and tho other southeastward discharg ing into the ocean agaia between newfound- ond and cpo bretcn tbe general xpliina that this branch then sweeps alock the east ern coast of nova sootia and shoulders eff ths warm water iurther out to sea which would otherwise find its way along the shores ef the osctiuent and into tha gulf if therefore the polar current could be ex cluded and deflected eastward of newfound land into tho open ocean the olimatio effects by the exchange of warm water would be very marked in the gulf and ad j icon t shores the onlv basis of trade with her he was onasent with a big basket of goods on bis arm and he hod just rapped on the door of a country farmhouse an old lady of forbidding aspect opened the door and tizid him up before ho had a chanoo to open his month and said savagely bont want any thing ter4ay bnt madam ho replied witha weary at tempt at a smilo as he mopped the porspira- hon from his brow with his coattail ollow me to show yon the goods please i have washing soda at two cents pound silver tea spoons at ten cents per dozun and the finest tea at twenty cents pound with a tea cup and saucer thrown in thia alono ia worth bont want anything ter day she re peated still moro savagely madam hs replied as ho slowly return ed the goods to thebasket if i were to offer y rathe wholo business f or j ten cents would you take it i no 1 wouldnt i dont want your old stale shopworn stuff at any prioe so deary out- madam be oantinued sadly if there is anything in the world that you would buy just let me know and i will bring it to you on my next trip all rifhr you- persistent puppy she replied ine next time you oome bring a dozon genuine tandollur bills for a dollar a dtn and x will trke tho tot new get out and go and load up with something saleable before you show that red nose of jyours here again 1 under the name of massachusetts the name being taken from oae of the tribes of indians inhabiting toe uthe meaning of the word is said to be blue huls the art of milting subarbaa resident yes i want a use ful man about my oountryplaoe can you milk i applloant to ser 91 hlea side of a cow do you sit on when milking wnll sor 01 nlver milked but wan cow an bedad a good dale r the toim 01 was on both sold av her sor a uioe plaything r children mrs bandbox you said the train i should tak leave atil030 didnt you ticket agent yo madam and i think ive told you that about ten times already mrs bandbox yea i know yon have but my little boy says he likes to hear you talk remateed in eegland how can i oornpen- other and wa at last united with it in 1602 sate you for tha unintentional wrong i lnfuot- ed upon you 1 i honour your frankness which stamp yon as a gentleman she said with one ef her wonted seraphic smiles cut still it is a dangerous secret for ms to oarry abent in my breast the crime for which yen were condemned waa a most hetnom one attempted murder or assassination whloh at the time i remember it well called upon ita perpetrators the jost repro bation of the whole civilised world people would not expect to find one of tho wonld- ba anasains mixing in tho first set in len don he winced at these home thrusts which however he oeuld not rebut and telt very bitter against bis enemy for having plassd him in such a terrible position i am oonipelled to bring ail thia before you mr ben in selfdefence for i and i freely admit it waa guilty of a breach of trust but you new see my dilemma and why i oeuld not diaouaa so delicate a matter with myrtle a mare child i am not only her eempanion bat her obaperen and through me abe ba been admitted to the very creme u a eremt of society nothing oan oompensato me for having been led into the position under what tte world would term false pretenses at this peint she burst into tear which greatly distracted and embarrassed nun my dear miss pride he said gently is there no way in which i oan make amends for the injory you have sustained 1 i am rich and anything in reason if anyone else but yon bad spoken such wards to m t would have taken them as a deadly insult 1 the said with wallsimulated iadlgnatiod and drying ber tears there ia cs disgraco in earning money even royalty does that but to accept a bribe of that sort would disgrace me for ever in my own eyre aad yours i oould share the secret with you in one way and in one only her bosom heaved and fell fast hr breathing was labored and her heart pul sated madly for she had reached a crucial point a few minutes would suffice either to give her a coveted pontics or mar her wll nlscnod ichemea for ver how in what way 1 he asked dazed by her wordt of the import of which his mind had a faint conception by becoming your wife 1 abe answered quickly i admire rerpeot yen and can test guard your dangerous tesret by thai bargains in crape- and deaths- mr yeunglove why my dear what snkes yon look so miserable t is there any bad news in the paper v mrs younglove nno not exactly bad news bus oh george dont you know ef any of our relatives who are in poor health i never saw snob bargains in crape ia all my born days miss genuine frankness gladys said old moneybags if my suit ia not agreeable to yon bay so frankly but do not i beg of you tell me that old old story that yea will always look upon me as a brother sir replied the lovely maiden as her eye lis up with the deathless same of a pure young hearts devotion i do not love yon wall enough for a brother but i have no objection to taking yon as a husband hot 8aparstitiu3 herself so you wouldnt move into your new bouse yesterday because it wa friday j flo fie mr baldwin i i thought yon were superior to suoh little superadtiona i know it waa foolish in me mrs ram- bo but we all hava onr weakneeeis you know but thats such a ridiculous notion the idea that there oan be anything in the mere why mrs baldwin 1 that an awful looking wart on your nnokle why dont your rub it with a pce of ham rind and then bury the rind under a stone and walk away from it backwards ive taken off dozens of them that way sympathy- capan to stowaway so you young nwcal r3 away from home did you j you ouyt to bs thrmbed for leaving home and tatashcd again forgetting aboard a ship without permission stowaway please sir my ister ocm- tnenced takfr muiic ioc at practicin scales ou the pituc sa i thcugr there wouldnt be no planners oa ships- captatn came torn arm my ton i had a musical sister once myself he oommeioed when soring mrs raxele what a terrible wreck young perkins is to be sure it is tad to see soon a dleaipated man mrs bze ye indeed bat you must remember that he was admitted to the bar at a verv early age a tramp scheme oh tut 1 thats a tramp aehome jl tramp aoheme what the deuce do you mean by a tramp scheme i 0n it wont work anomalous cholly seems to me tbe actions of tail ors are very contradictory wally wbyl no matter how good your oredit is with them they are always ready to serve you with a suit his health was very delicate bogers i tell you sir when the chick asaw bank pressed poor old jones for settle ment it signed his deathwarrant 1 williams yon dont aay so i why did it affttt him so seriously he bad taken a heavy cold and the draft from tbe bank brought on pneumonia boston times the same thine jones what is ponsonby business snlih hes a contractor now tone what did he used to do smith a oorsst maker j ones well i dono eo much dlffeeree the tale of a kiss- i stole a wee kits i shall neer steal another in a transport of bliss i stole a wee kiss but the pretty young miss had a pretty big brtther i stole a wee kies i shall neer stsil sxothar m mt ife pzgtgz