The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

012% l A SECRET CHAPTER XL. l One afternoon, rather more than. two Years later, Irene returned from ger ride, for she rode every day now. 1 The day had been clear and bright,‘ and the sharp, keen air had paintcdl a delicate rose and imparted a sparkle to her which two years known. She dropped lightly from the sad-i dle. took her horse's nose in both hands and gave him his customary: kiss, and then entered the hall. I A huge fire was burning in thei great fireplace and on the leopard] skins in front of it stood the after-l sat . noon tea. In a low armâ€"chair V the countess. The dark hair was white now, and the once proud andl haughty face greatly changed. She! black~â€"-not satin or: merino. Her onlyl was dressed in silk, but plain “(‘th j, len, she would have said: upon her lilyâ€"clieek,l(lea1‘?” _ eyes, 'and crossed the hall to the ago they had notI REVEALED l ab0ut to speak, and if she had 390’“. "You will not find it difficult to; content him," but she remained silâ€"i ent, “Will you have said Irene. some more tech: Then she got up! ' come »my lord!" :see me! .by the rest of the servants, :crowding up at the back of the hall. “It is his lordship!" he said. “I isaid it was your voice my lord. Welâ€" . from , spa re conser-l vatory, renppeai'ing after a few lIllllâ€"‘ utes with a bunch of white blossoms. “I shall not be long,” she said, looking over her shoulder as she, moved to the door. The countess inâ€", clined her head, but did not ask: where Irene was going. In less than half an back without the flowers, and subdued and graver look on lovely face. “And now it is time to dress, 11 Suppose?" she said. “Let me help. upstairs, dear.” i The countess reached for her stick hour she came, w ith at her I ornament was a small locket of â€"â€"she suffered from rheumatism,I black onyx; it. contained a piece of caught the night of the fireâ€"and put» Madgc’s hairâ€"strange irony of cir-l cumstances! The gypsy girl's hall". resting as a sacred relic on the. bosom of the Countess of Landon! Irene went quietly across the hall, and bending oVer her chair reverent- ly kissed the sad, deeply-lined face. “Have I been too long, dear?” she said. She called her “madam” no longer. ternoon, and the horse and I enjoyed the ride so much that I nearly forâ€". got the time and that you might be‘ waiting." I v "No, no, dear, you are not late,’ said the countess; not in the cold‘ tone in which she used to speak, but with an almost deprecating gentle- ness. "I am glad you enjoyed Did you meet anyone?". “Yes,” gloves and seating table, "Lord and Lady Balfarras, and the postman.” She took some letters from habit pocket, and laid them beside the countess' cup. The countess took them up with a. sudden, eager wist- fulness, looked at the handwriting, then laid them dOWn again with a sigh. “No letter!” voice. iteacups as she responded. “No, dear. expect one just now. You know that he said that he might not be able to write that he was going into the wilds, where therewouldrbe no means of sending a letter." “Yes,” said the countess, that was months ago." “Three months and murmured Irene, as if to herself. “There has been time for a. letter. During all the time he has been she said in a low .Irene ,you propose such a thing! "It was such a delightful af-i €back,” she continued cheerfully, J .forâ€"oh, quite a it. ll get on with the lions and replied Irene, taking ofl‘ her ' herself at thelmoved slowly across the hall. lthe foot of the stairs she stopped, l ller . t Irene's face was bent over the1 Butâ€"but. you did not"; ‘able to tell the new part from nl four days, l awayâ€"nearly two yearsâ€"he has never lailed to writeâ€"until now!" “Yes,” said Irene softly, Qhat from Royce who used to letter writing!" “He hates it just as much now,l but he writes that I may know he. has forgiven me, and still lovesl mo!!! "Hush, dear," said Irene. "As if‘ there were any chance of Royce ceas-E ing to love you! 'And don't be hnâ€"i happy or anxious about his silence,i dear. Depend upon it he is away! her hand on Irene‘s arm. “How Quiet, it is!” she said, not, Complainingly. “I, often think you I should go away, Irene; that thisi (lull life must be bad for you, who ‘ are so young! ' ' “Go away and leave you!" said, with a laugh. “How dare I. am not dear; there is always something to do, and the time passes " she was going to say “quickly enough," she faltered. “Don't talk of my going away, tillâ€"till Royce “v t ogcthcr shall go and leave you two Perhaps long time! I shall go to Africa, and tigers," and she laughef again. The countess said nothing and they and leaning her stick looked round. upon "Do you think he will be pleased: 'Wltll what we have doneâ€" the rc- building?” she said. It seemed as it never for a moment could she cease thinking of him. “I am sure he will," replied Irene .confidently; “for one thing Royce was never difficult to please, and for another I think it has all been done so nicely. In a year or two, when the iVy has grown, no one will be old." The countess sighed and nodded. “That is what I want," she said. “but l“Perhaps he will not come back for n .vearsâ€"- Her voice broke for a moment, then she went. on more lcheerfully. “But we Won’t look forâ€" l . -. ' . v . wai d so dismally, my deal. \es, you ought to go away out of the sound of my creaking. Irene laughed. “and “You see I should miss it so hate adreadfully ," she said. “An as to [Royce not coming back for yearsâ€"" She stopped for she had heard a step just outside the hall door. For a second she stood, her face white, her heart beating. Then she smiled at her own fancy. That could not be Royce's step. Doubtless at that moment he was traveling across an African veldt, and had something else to think about than "the old huntong lions and tigers somewhere folks at home." in the heart of Africa where one1 would‘ be as likely to meet with al postofllce asâ€"as a. bonnet shop," and she laughed softly. "What tremen- dous adventures he must have had, and what stories he will tell us! That sounds rather queer, doesn’t it? But I mean true stories, when he comes home." “When he comes home!" "thc countess with a sigh. time he come now, Irene. tatc, the people, want a master's presence and guiding hand. It is time he came and took his place in the county." “Yes,” said Irene, dreamily, then she roused herself. “He will get a tremendous rezeption when he docsl come back," she said cheerfully. “Lord Balfarra‘: says that, the gov~ ernment is delighted with the way in which Royce conducted the negotia- tions with the Zulus and managed the Cape Town business, and that they Will offer him an office when he returns to England. I don’t know‘ whether Royce would care to take it, x . but it is nice that they should pay: him honor. Lord Balfarras says thati all the county is proud of him. The; county newspaper reprinted the ac-' echoed “It is The 05â€" 1 count from the Times, and every- body is talking about him." The countess bent her head. Was she thinking of the day she had told Royce that he had brought shame and disgrace upon the old name? i “Royce will never be a politieian,"l she said. "He will settle down! among his own people and be satisâ€"l fled with the duties of a country gon-i tlenian.” "Yes! Dear Royce! I think I canl see him riding to the meet, or trudgâ€" ing through the turnips with his‘ i gun. Couldn't we import a herd of; l buffaloes or a tiger or two for hini,, dear? I am afraid he‘ll find pheasâ€" ants and partridch rather tame af- ter the big game he has been huntâ€" ing lately. We must. do all we can to keep him contented, mustn't we?" The countess glanced at her as if the countess, wiping the tears But even as she moved away the handle of the door turned, and a stalwart figure stood outlined against the sky. The countess dropped her stick and held out her arms. “Royce! Royce!” she cried, and the next moment had fallen on his breast. Irene became very pale for a moâ€" ment; then the blood came back to her cheek, and in far too unconcern- ed a voice to be natural she said: “Why, yes, it is Royce!" ' He couldn’t shake hands with her for a moment; then he .took his mother in his arms and seized and held Irene's hand. “Did you think it was my ghost?" he said. “Why didn't I write? Well, I made up my mind to come all in a moment, and crossed by the mail steamer; so I've brought myself iii- stcad of a letter!" "Let me look at you, Royce!" said from her eyes almost impatiently, as she let. them wander oVer him with the hun- ger of a mother's love. He looked thinner, older, graver, though his eyes were bright. and full of joy. Ills face resembled the vil- lage blacksmith's, inasmuch as it. was "like the tan"; and he held himself‘. as a man does whose muscles are knitted into steel by plain living and hard work. Irene after one glance stood with downcast eyes during the inspection, but it is probable that she took in all the details in that one glance. "You are tallerâ€"01‘ is it because lg .od deal of, but.‘ Comes ‘ twantcd to see how ; A t e the ' you are thinner? You are thinner! You have not been well, Royce!" exâ€" claimed the countess. He laughed as he took off his trav- eling cloak, with his arm still round her, went to the fire. “Nothing to speak of, mother. I had a little mishap with a lion, which I didn't think worth bothering you with, and it laid me on my back for a few weeks: but one doesn't run to fatness in Africa. you know. Oh, lhow glad I am to get back!" and he looked round with a sigh of happiâ€" ness and quiet joy. As he did so the butler, followed came home, Masterâ€"I beg pardon, loyce shook hands with him and nodded pleasantly to the rest. "Thank you," he said. “I am glad to see you all as you are as it) on the table in the scrvants' hall after dinner, and I'll come down and drink a glass with you, and ex- change news. Let the men come up the stables." “And I will come too!" said the countess eagerly, as if she could not him for even half an hour. “Irene, give him some tea." “\‘es, and the top brick off the chimney," said Irene, trying to speak ‘htly. “Prepare to be made a lioyce, for at least the next month." lie put the countess in her and threw himself down on the at h(r feet. “All right," he said, laughingly. "I can stand any amount of petting; it will be such a thorough change after roughing it in the Dark Conti- neut." “You must tell us everything!” said the countess with her hand upon his close-cropped head. "of course! And I'll night. but after dinner. tell you how I am looking to the ceremony; and I hope won't. have ln-elstcak, mother, chair, rug begin toâ€" I couldn't forward you living on it for two years. Ah, there's the dressing bell! Do you know 1 used sometimes to dream that I heard it, and wake up with a start, but it was only the bells on the oxen of the ungon." “Come up with me!" countess. “Where are your Royce?" “Left 'em at the station," he said. Then he added in a graver tone, “I walk. Come along, we‘ll all go together." But Irene lingered behind, and sat for quite five minutes before the fire, looking into the glowing wood. He had come back at last; She had known his stop. He had come back! Wellâ€"it was time for her to go; toâ€" morrow she Would leave the ToWers to pay one of the many longâ€"promâ€" ised visits, and stay away a long, long time! It was a quiet but very happy dinâ€" ner. lloyCe did all the talking, the two women scarcely taking their eyes oil his bronzed face; and the butler and footnien listening with all their ears, and for the first time in the records of Monk Towers passing the wrong things, and otherwise ne- said the things, ‘glecting their duties. After dinner they went into the servants’ hall, and a cheer rose as the butler trotted to.tbe table, and filling his glass bade them all fill theirs. “His lordship's health!” he cried, crimson in the face and lifting his glass high. A cheer roseâ€"not the cheer that is bought with money and grudgingly rendered, but, the spontaneous shout of all‘CCtionate welcome. ed round and patted the hand, for she was crying. “I’m bad at speechifying,” he said. “But I thank you with all my heart. It's good to know that so many friends are glad to see me, and I can tell you that. if you’ve thought of me countess' once or twice during the last two years I've often thought of all of you. I've come to stay with you.” “Thank God! Hurrah!" rose the hearty response. "And I hope we shall still be friends as Well as master and scrâ€" vant. Here’s to your health, one and all of you, big and small, short We’ll have a dance some and tall! evening, later onâ€"eh. mother?" lie made Irene and the countess drink some of the wine, and shook hands with the butler and the coach- Inan, and then took the two away. “"l‘hank God he’s back!" exclaimed John, the coachxnan. “That sort’s too good to be wasted in Africa. We want ‘em at homeâ€"eh, friends?" The excitement had tired the coun- tess, and very soon Royce gave her his arm upstairs. “I'll come in and say good-night, presently, mother,” he said at the door. Then he went downstairs two steps at a time. and caught Irene as she was coming up. “ icing without saying 'good- night?’ " he said in a low voice, and with a rather grave smile. “Iâ€"I am going to the countess," she said. “But I‘ll say goodâ€"night now andâ€"and goodâ€"by." “Good-by!" he echoed, fixed on his face. “Yes,” she said hurriedly, and with downcast eyes. “1â€"1 have promised to go to the Balfarras’â€" oh, eVer so long ago, andâ€"and I shall start toâ€"morrow quite early." “Wouldn't do it if I went back to Africa, Irene? his eyes “Yes, because you are running away from me," he said. “I know that.” He took her hand and drew her gently to the fire. (To be Continued.) ._+._._ DIFFERENCE. "Marriage and economy?" interroâ€" . ' In ' . . gated the benedict. “by, man, beâ€" fore I married I was broke half the time.” “And what now?" asked the young bachelor, anxiously. “Now I am broke all the time.” (let some of the old “inev for . ‘one gets tired even of beefstL-ak alter Royce look- ladies STORAGE ON Tlllfl FARM. COLD Every grower of apples knoWs that just about picking time we are allL to have (lays, sometimes (lays in succession, during which the thermometer registers too high for his peaCe of mind, and much too high for the material welfare of his apples, writes Mr. W. '1‘. l"lourney. ’l‘he grower also knows that often after he has the apples packed, they may have to wait a few days, 01‘ perhaps only a few hours. for a car on which to load them. Even after being loaded on the car, there is ofâ€" ten delay in getting them into the rooms of the cold storage houses, which are situated at a. distance from the orchard. Only the packer and the. storage men know how (lis- astrous even a few hours of heat ran be to apples headed up in a barrel. thus causing them to go into the storage house in really bad condition for storing. With storage facilities on the farm all this trouble is obviated. and it is possible and practicable, too, to leave the apples on the trees until they are well colored and in prime condition for gathering. or them and place, them in barrels or boxes. without pressing, put them into the cool room, there to remain until they are brought out. in the cooler Weather, repackcd and turned over to the consumer, or to the commission man. every barrel full and every apple good and firm and in condition to hold up in good shape until used. These apples, beâ€" cause of having benn left on the trees until Well matured, have the best flavor and the best of keeping quaâ€" lities. STORAGE ECONOMICAL. Storage on the farm also makes it. possible to save the poorer grades of fruit until the weather is cooler, so that they may be marketed at a profit to the grower. It is possible to furnish this fruit to a class of nearby consumers, who could not. allord to buy a better grade which has been shipped a long distance. We have seasons when the apple crop is light, and perhaps the quality is not as good as it should be, when the buyer or commission dealer does not come to buy our apples at packing time, but goes somewhere else where there is a better crop. When that. happens, apples at pack- ing time are too cheap to be pro- fitable, and it. is a question in my mind whether, in a year like this, it pays the grOWer to pack his fruit and ship to a distance to store. Then again, in years of great pro- duction, when there is fruit every- where of good quality, there is a glut in the market at packing time. With the facilities of the modern cold storage at hand, the fruit can be safely held until the warm Wea- ther and other causes have cleared the market of this excess. Even if the crop is sold to the commission dealer at packing time, the dealer can put his apples into this house cheaply. and quickly, thus delaying the transporatation until cooler weather, or until he has a market ready to receive them. The fact that the apples can be packed when the rush is over and more efâ€" fiCient help can be obtained is no small item. Then it is of considerâ€" able moment that every barrel of these apples can be packed under the personal supervision of an ex- perienced and conscientious man. There are many other advantages that might. be mentioned, and while my experience is somewhat limited, it is in accordance to a very conser- vative line of reasoning, and not al- together theoretical. LOOK UP ALL SIDES. In an undertaking of this kind, the disadvantages should perhaps be more carefully conlsldercd than the advantages. It is always the thing We are not looking for that trips us. In the first place, the cost of the building varies under different. cirâ€" cumstances. The first cost of a small plant is greater in proportion than it is in a. large plant where the same processes and materials are used. This small plant is apt to be situated where it is not convenient to be used for other purposes than that of storing apples, thus leaving your building and machinery idle during the summer months Then again, the cost of maintaining and running a. small plant of that kind on the farm must be carefully conâ€" sidered, for there is where the pro- fit or loss of the venture is apt to appear. Expenses must be kept down to the minimum, for the stock of apples in the farm storage, which is run only during the apple season, cannot be handled profitably on as small a margin as can the very large stock of a. dealer who has stored in a house of immense capacity, which is run all the year round,' and which does not depend on storing applcs alone. I handle my small force of men that I use on my farm. Among the number I have some 'Vho are very expert mechanics, as well as be- ing expert in the handling and pickâ€" ing of apples. By doing this I do not need the services of a special expert in the cold storage business 1 see that all aiigilss are closed out early in the spring, in that the work of handler: the old crop may not interâ€" Ul‘tluz' several . ucbines in everyday use, I‘hen gathâ€" not excuse,” \of boilers, fore with the work needed in the production of the new crop and with the general orchard work. Many fruit farms are situated where a. large supply of good cool water can be obtained. A scarcity of cool Water is a decided disadvantage to the economical running of a cold storage plant. My house, as it now stands, has about, 33,000 square feet, insulated and piped ready for use. It, holds about 13,300 barrels. Mine is the ammonia process, direct ex- pansion, with forced ventilation. This forced ventilation will be found by all who use it to be very necesâ€" sary in the preservation and handâ€" ling of apples. The machinery need in a plant of this kind is so con- structed that a man of ordinary in- telligence, who can manage the maâ€" can operate this after a few lessons from the manufacturer’s experts. I find that I can maintain any desired tempera- ture and my fruit has been preservâ€" ed equal to the best that I have seen. -â€"-â€"â€"+ ‘ CRIMINAL THOUGHTLESSNESS It Is the Cause of Many Serious Accidents. £ "I don't think it would hurt any one," is a common enough reply from perSons who have caused mis- chief by thoughtlessness or careless- ness. It is an “excuse which does but is offered as often as accidents happen. Not long ago a Western factory put in a new set, of great power. When they were supposed to be completed an inspector from the insurance comâ€" pany went oy'er them. He found that in a flange of the joint of the main steam-pipe above the boilers, bolts had been used which did not go far enough through the nuts for safety. He called the contractor's attention to the place and ordered it remedied. The contractor bought a supply of longer bolts, gave them to a work- man, and told him to take out. the short bolts and put in the new ones. ,It was a trying task. The space over the boilers was narrow and hard to work in, the heat was very great, and it. was altogether an un- pleasant place to work. But in two days, hoWever, the workman report- ed that thc bolts were in, and the inspector was sent for. He looked at the flanges and found three or four threads of a bolt pro- truding from the end of each nut. At first glance everything appeared to be right. Looking more. cIOSely, however, he saw the marks of a saw across the end of each bolt. As it was not, necessary that they should be cut off to a uniform length he was astonished that it had been done. He tried one with his fingers, and to his amazement unscrewed the stubâ€"end of a bolt. six or seven threads long. ‘ The others were all the same. The workman, trusting that the inspec~ tor would merely glance at them, and not wanting to work in the cramped space, had sawed off the end of each of the new bolts" at his bench and inserted it in the empty side of the nut. The joint was thus no stronger than before. The inspector, who happened to be a faithful and careful man, had detected the imâ€" position. He called the contractor, and the latter called the workman. "See here," he said. "See what you have done. That Was ordered rebolted because it endangered the life of every man who works on these boilers and in this factory. Why did you try to slur the job?" "Well, sir," was his excuse, “I' didn't think it would hurt: any. It looked strong enough to me, and as far as I could see it was just a for- mality about having the bolt stick out. I didn’t mean any harm by it." The contractor dismissed him. Within a. short time the workman came to his former employer's office,- bringing a. copy of a newspaper. On, the front. page was the account of a horrible boiler explosion in a Massa- chusetts shoe factory, which had caused the death of scores of work- ing men and women. "Look at that, sir, he said. “Like enough some man slighted that boiler just as I did yours. I've been dreaming of that thing every night since it, happened. I have been trying to think if anywhere there is another piece of my work which might. cause such a wreck. It’s awful! And probably it will never occur to the man who caused that, n if any one did, that he was to blame." The contractor talked with the workman a while and then put him back to work.. “Tom,” he said, “it was careless inspecting that left the bad lifeâ€"preâ€" servers aboard the Slocum, but. there were thoughtless Workinen who made them. Careless inspecting overlooked the fastened skylight over the Iroquois Theatre stage, and the bolted exits, but a thoughtless workman fastened them. You un- derstand now what depends even on small things, and I am going to put, 'you back at work. I’m not afraid you will shirk again." ___._+___ SIMILARITY. re- '.'.'ilted col- "Thay call thtfiz‘ ‘(log (lays.’ " marked the man with the lar and palnili-al‘ fan. “Any particular breed of dog?" ispoke up the warm-Weath-r wit, “Yes, I should say ‘greyhound.’ " “Why so?" “'I‘ntgy are so long."