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Sir Stephen was fore a despatoh I) hand and uttered as he saw who it “Stafford. my be the “if.” "If!" echoed Sir Stephen. laughing and nodding. Stafford could see by the bril- liance of his eyes. the flush on his face. that he was excited and was struggling with excitement. "If!" Falconer nodded at the despatch case, and, with another bantering laugh, Sir Stephen opened it and took out a. large envelope. He held this for a moment poised between finger and thumb, then he tore it open and took out a sheet of Dar per, and turned his flashing eyes from the two men to the document. He rose for a moment with the smile still on his face: then they saw it fade. saw the flush slowly disappear. and in its place a dull grey sf'ea-l over the face. Stafford. startled. went round to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “What is the matter. sir?" he asked. “Bad news?" Sir Stephen [looked at him as it he did not see him. then turned his eyes upon Falconer, who stood regarding him with. a- fixed, sardonic gaze. “ 'Ha-et thou found me. oh. mine. enemy?’ " came at last from Sir Stephen's ‘ white lips. Stafford looked from one to the other. ~ "Whatâ€"what, on earth is the matter? What do you mean?" he said. Stir Stephen raised his hand and pointed to Ralph Falconer. "Thisâ€"this manfâ€"A!” he gasped; then u. Law...“ ....vv..~.. “Thisâ€"this manâ€"!" he gasped; then he shook his head impatiently. as if he were fighting against his weakness. “This man, Falconer. has betrayed me!" Stafford drew himself up, as he stood by his father's side, and eyed Falconer sternly. “WiLl said. "Certainly." said Falconer. with a grim calmness. “Your father usw unwarrant- ably strong language, Mr. Orme. for an action of mine which is quite a common one amongst business men.” “No!” gasped Sir Stephen. as he sank back into the chair. "Treachery is not commonâ€"" "Treachery is the wrong word." said Falconer. as coldly as before. “Better let me explain to Mr. Stafford. I can do so in a. few words. Mr. Orme. The fact is, your father and I have been, quite un- known to each other. engaged in the same scheme. It is nothing more nor less than the acquisition of certain lands and rights which carry with them the privilege of constructing a railway in the most pro- minent part, of South Africaâ€"" Sir Ste phen leant forward. his head on his hands, his eyes fixed on the heavy. stolid face of the speaker. the face in which the keen. hawk-like eyes flashed under the lowered lids with at gleam of power and triumph. â€"â€"“Your father had reason to hope that he would acquire those lands and rights; he‘ did not, know that I had been waiting for: some years past to obtain them. If knowâ€" ledge ie power and money, ignorance is impotence and ruin. My knowledge against. your father's ignorance has given me the victory. Last night. I gained my point: the news to that effect is no doubt con- tained in that document. It was a ques-.‘ tion of priceâ€"it. always is. I knew your father's bid, andâ€"â€"I went a few thousands higher and got the prize. That's the story in a nutshell. Of course there are a numâ€" her of complications and details, but I spare you them: in fact. I don't suppose vou understand them. It. is a mere mat- tion of priceâ€"it. alwa: father‘s bid. andâ€"I “w higher and got the pri in a. nutshell. 0f cour her of complications spare you them: in f; you understand “mm. 191- of business." 10w voice. man a “TC would have but he put house, he 1 forgotten; piece of tre specious m worked my "Sure than I can not ru course. Falconer!" Falconer noddsd. “0! course!" he said "And you have run this scheme of yo-xln's. allng 811' "My dear Ste our fate. as I t is simply a had your turn ._he w3ved his You can‘t con lug pole taken Be“. Wore A MM Ymmg Mail: 1‘15} Th: amt F1114 "nice of the Sir Stephen As CHAPTER XXI you lims-elf b is true. 1 with t hands." your hand went. drbve his met you explain. Mr. Falconer? face with his hands for a mo: 3 looked up at Stafford. right. It was his turn. He [trâ€"and with it. svery Denny I It means ruinâ€"complete ' even than the loss of every pe ifiiéBixei? A nd he k ley he d Stafi'ord arse!" said k‘alcm ,eveâ€"Sir Stephen Stafford. lieâ€"he has plan 1e skill of a general. a 321 it all now. it. is all plain u my shares and securities, of and béhind some hand plain thing sittin sed the old man fiord mad. Or, the Belle of the Season. (fer 3rd aned lit 1 fr ,lnd Mil arm of the din 1 meEâ€"can't a have the past a itâ€"he knows have re )nement, 1 aside. He‘ 0 have for friendship. 11 deceit; 1 years ago “It. is my 3111' them; dowr ‘ontinucd) at the table he held put fail] Sir Stephen's n‘s ago I did Ave repented 1t you of pleasure 'epe under ner. again â€"pnrdon !â€" my hands out‘thc turn I admit fat mom Elli ion thi an: meet stand an oath bu thing flees satisfy you Falconer Falconer. jurod you and moistened hi: gripped each other “I think you hav he said. in a. drv. h: intention of ruining priving him of his I did I should only of flesh: and I may entered ihis house resolved to have it thing thad inducu mind." Sll‘ Stephen leant forward, his eyes nxeu eagerly on the speaker. and Stafford in his anxiety held his breath and pressed his father's shoulder encouragingly. “You heard something, sir?" Stafford asked, as calmly as he could. Mr. Falconer was (silent for a moment, then he said: “Yes, I heard that you were desirous of marrying my daughter. Maude. Mr. Orme; and I need not say that a man does not win his son-in-law!“ There was an intense silence. Stafi‘ord stood as if he were turned to stone. as if he were trying to persuade himself that he had misunderstood the meaning of Falconer‘s words. Marry Maude Falconer â€"he! \Vas he dreaming, or was this man. who stood regarding him with cold. glib tering eyes. mad! We do not. nowadays. strike attitudes. or ejaculate and swear when we are start- led or ocked; Stafford stood perfectly still. still as a piece of Stonehenge. and gazed with an expressionless countenance at. Mr. Falconer. That the man was In- deed and in truth mad. occurred to him for a moment: then he thought there must be some mistake. that Mr, Falconer had made a blunder in the name. and that it was a. case of mistaking his man. But as the moments fled, and the two elder men gazed at him, as if expecting him to speak, he remembered Howard's warning. The _color rushed to his face and 1115 eyes dropped. Merciful Heaven! was the man speaking the truth when he said that he. Stafford, was in love "with Maude Falconer? His face was hot and scarlet for a moment. then it grew pale under the shame of the though-t that he should have to correct the impression; decline. so to speak, the implied honor. Sir Stephen was the first to speak. He had sunk back in his chair, but was now leaning forward again, his hands grill- mg the table; .. .... .u,:_1_1.. L“! “Stafford!” he said, still thickly, but with the beginning of a. note of relief in his voice. "I did not know thisâ€"you did not tell me!" - @ Stafiord turned to him helplessly. What could he sayâ€"before Falconer, the girl’s father? : > “You did not tell me’. But I don't, com plain, my boy," said Sir Stephen. “You were right to choose your own timeâ€"â€" young people like to keep their secret, to themselves as long as possible." Falconer looked from one to the other with an impassive countenance. “I feel that I am ramher do trop.” he said; “that. I have spoken rather prema- turely; but. my hand was forced, Orme. I wanted to set your mind at rest, to show you that, even if I hankered after revenge. it was impossible under the circum- stances." He glanced at Stanford. “It's not the first, time in history that the young people have played the part of peacemakers. This is a kind of Romeo and Juliet, business. isn’t .it»? I’ll leave you and Mr. Stafford to talk it, over!" He moved to the door, but with his hand upon it, paused and docked round at them again A. _ _.. ‘ V‘A__ “guts... “I ought to add that, like most modern fathers. I am entirely in the hands of my daughter. I can't go so far as to say, Orme. that if I had been permitted to choose, I should have chosen a. son of yours for; my son-in-law, but. you see, Maude doesn’t, give me the option. The young people have taken the bit, betnveen their teeth and bolted. and it seems to me that the only thing we have to do is to sit tight and [look as cheerful as possible: Oh, one word more,” he added, in a busi- nmdike tone. "Of course I make over this concessionvto you, Orme; just taking the share I should have received if you had won the game and I had only stood in as hroposed. That is to say, you will be exactly the same position as if you had won all along the Alineâ€"as you thought you bad." And with a nod. which in- cluded father and son. he went out. Stafford unconsciously drew back a lit- tle. so that, he was almost behind Sir SLte- ,zu. won a you 11: eluded Staff fle.s nhen hand dn drt flush dr duet. oi the fix determ and f austed but 5 Stafl‘ord laid ir'Stepheu st 3 if he had_ Lnds and sat De halfetunned maw rrible danger fl" caped by the ski 'opped his hands long breath. the 'aws who has be nee and finds 11 clear “I Vfii’ord drew a. long looked :ened his 1ch other ; you ha oke {win his ho than the ruin iiléfin' and n and steady that you E 1 leant forward. his eyes fixed ,he speaker. and Stafford in held his breath gnd‘ pressed 11321 covered_ h CHAPTER XXII cause 4 ,d hava :5 J“..- “"hw 6 good name. Mind! if 1y be taking my pound y tell you that before I e this afternoon I had it. But I heard some» ed me to change my tha from one to 111 ; lips. while his ' behind his hm ve misundersgot ays. strike attitudes xhaus tone. in father )d name. heard still thickly, but a. note of relief in know this‘you did my father had in- her too awful a ,â€"Iâ€"don‘t nude!“ eard; but-but" 1m. 1insâ€"‘ vill no r you. wmg w cru up n_ud d with ,ion in he said ‘to rod me," have no )r of de- 1n?! fame asham other bands not 3rd as hat of ner an, 'litr ies. art- :tly 1nd nce in- 1im lust had hat two ,in g ms and was laid ude rlet the lave > to He now ‘Ilp- but in hr». But before he could utter another word ‘ Sir Stephen stopped before him. and with hands thrown out, appealingfiy. and with a look of terror and agony in his face. cried in broken accents: “If you are going to raise any obstacle, Stafford, prompted by your pride, for goodness sake, don't say the word You don’t, know, you don't understand! You speak of ruin as if it meant only the loss of money. the loss of every penny." He laughed almost hysterically. and his lips t'witehed. “Do you think I should care for that, except for your sake? No, a thous- and times, no! I‘m young still. I could begin the won‘d again! Yes. and conquer it as I have done before: but"â€"his voice sank, and he looked round the room with a stealthy glance which shocked Staffordâ€" "the ruin Ralph Falconer threatens me with means more than the loss of money. It- means the loss of everything! or friends, of good nameâ€"of hope!” Stafford started. and his face grew a trifle hard; and Sir Stephen saw it and made a despairing, appealing gesture with his hand. “For Heaven‘s sake don’t turn away from me. my boy: don‘t judge me harsh- ly. You cantjudge me fairly from your standpoint; your life has been a totally different one from mine, has been lived under different circumstances. You have never known the temptations to which I have been subjected. Your life has been an easy one surrounded by honor. while mine has been spent half the time grub. bing in the dust and the mire for gold. and the rest fightingâ€"sometimes with one hand tied behind melâ€"again‘st the men who would have robbed me of it. I have had to fight them with their own ‘weap- Thc Ste hi‘ himse honor “But eve "other m£ been dofe: from them the height: are strong alone much you a lnvse} thing ' chance casion. steppir ing on Ehould ;eem£ fitterly at, Staff mingled he as] under that I have failed. march on me. Yo1 that you were in I Maude. and that o injure his future He spran to his t up and do vn the r( has touched your p Ly good guess as t but. for goodness I pride stand in the ment." “Butâ€"“ SLafi‘ord began: for that he could not longer keep truth. that his father must be only that there was nothing Maude and himselt, but that he Heron. nu“ u, “a... .7 ensâ€"sometimes they haven't, been clean"â€" sometimes it has been necessary to doâ€" to do thing6!â€"Sta.fi'0rd. don't mm away from me! I would have kept this from you if I could. but I am obliged to tell you now, Ralph Falconer knows a.11 (he details Of my past, he knows of things whichâ€"which, if they were known to the world, would stain the name I have raised to honor, would make it necessary for me to hide my head in a. suicide’s grave." A low cry burst from Stafiord's lips, and he sank into a choir, and bowed his head upon his hands. Sir Stephen stood a, little way off and looked at him for a minute, then he advanced slowly, half mmdly and ashamedxly. and laid a trembling hand on Stafford's shoulder} H 1w L,‘ --.'A “Forgive me, S flow. broken voice you. I'd have key never have know: ed my hand; I wa hieces’gary ip wa as fnend mste W11 L th g into the r mv own ace Mr. Falcone crushed, '] r; and I do: 1nd athet. hue .phe 1.1pr lti What is it We're m .s offered t‘ ) me: and failed. tha lm still 3. ch girl he loved was making a. I Ahmed Mirza sum as in 1905, on the up t raise ith a ‘ Stafford!" he said, in a )ice. “I was obliged to tell kept it from youâ€"you would own#but Falconer has forc- wus bound to show you how as that we should have him end of foe. You are notâ€" ught feet room. pride to h( i sake Tlia L (3111‘ and z ‘unt, oath not course son-m- Jab he heard undersl sponge his hea bu it (mug saying 7011 me We m don't Zion't. let of this an 1th er rth er he could nOt aw, Stafford!" began to pace know that this an give 3. prev roud you areâ€" on't. let your 1b ad z exp‘ ‘hen his Shah lime my be Ie the Chief , brief ad- ucceeded to she death of ) quk and l: the mp6 he back told b etw 10 v ed )n afford allâ€"11E 01f aughter ‘kIy )ok( amid 1t the felt the not. of irge the at ashamed of me. my be back on me?" In the stress and stra the old diggelj's slqng c: eww‘sv/ osowswm q plece profit, there is, of course, a corre- sponding double amount of vitality sapped from the soil and the fre- quent application of a good fertil- izer is imperative, lest the ground soon become thin and unproductive, writes Mr. M. Cove. In the garden one may utilize for second and even third crops the beds in which early peas, beans, raâ€" dishes and lettuce were grown. The same is true of the early sweet corn. It is advisable not to plant the same article twice in the same spot in succession, but rotate the products. the same as in field rotation of crops. A well prepared seed bed at each planting is almost essential, and a sprinkling of fine, rich manure will prove very beneficial to the growing plants and in maintaining soil ferâ€" tility. Sow oats as early as possible in the spring, mow them .for just a few days in advanceof the time they would be reaped for the grain : remove them from the field as soon as they are sufficiently cured and stack well for future feeding pur- poses. Then put as many teams in field as can be spared. Stir ground quickly and thoroughly mediately sowing it to millet. Usually, the millet may ‘be mown and stacked early in September and the field hurriedly cultivated and sown to rye, which will make excelâ€" lent pasturage at a time when it is most needed. The wheat or rye fields may be utilized in the same manner, and being somewhat earlier, is better adapted to growing double crops than the oats stubble. The potato patch may be made to double its profits by sowing it to millet, cane or kaflir corn after it has been laid by. Sowing the ground to some other product also wields the beneficial influence of keeping down the weed pests which always bob up after you stop plow- ing the potato vines and which, where unmolested, furnish millions of seeds for propagating a rank and troublesome growth of weeds the next season, beside helping to drain the soil of its fertility. Or if one will dig the potatoes from the early patch they will Ibring a high price at that season and the ground may be sown to rape for hog pasture. We have seen fine corn growing between the rows of early potatoes after they had been laid by. " Late tomatoes, cabbages and turâ€" nips also may be raised among the potato vines as successfully as though they occupied a, plot, by themselves. If the tent' caterpillar pitches its home in your orchard, remember that its flock is gathered together in the home at night. the members go- ing forth by day to look for food. A torch applied to the home evenings or earlv mornings catches the worm or early 11 in quanti you find : with red 1 trunk of . not be all the swarm < there many While Ordinarily no ed after the cm} 5:: 10m! as the al able to g harrowin teeth of siderable weeds a to the a? ening of does not run Objectlon with the and and many hours 101' tne ;. By the next da lone Will be left 1 while the larvae, i new coat, will be e tree, rapidly den ves. Thus is the )t injure the roots There has been cons )n to disking the alfa 1e ordinary discâ€"hat: 3.1K Tout (‘zltorpill marklngs 4 a walnut ( armed, bu- troublesome, it is ve the ground a. tho ;, a-fâ€"ter cutting, wii he barrow set at a angle. This kills (1 is decidedly ben Ealfa, because of the the soil. and the h 11nd will there )UDC r0; no treatment crop has beer )ees “1:11le pt in ch its pecu ntinu )ut the 1n m1dsummer ' brown worms :lustered on the .1- apple tree do 2 get; busy. Like ey will not hang )1' they are only no ten‘ season on a hung double 1 be scatte denudingi the handm been started ill‘. ié (ls begin is advis- alf early not to in the rotate the 11mmer 1t Mon ) his his rasp- man 1kin {fie il‘I‘OW the the new. 11g Ell cause it is claimed that the plants are injured by splitting up the crowns. Innocent Old Age. ,“Youthful innocence” is one of those expressions which is untrue so far as criminals are concerned.i It is a remarkable fact that a criâ€"‘ minal is at his worst when ‘he is young, and the older he becomes the better the life he leads. Crimi- nal statistics show, as a matter of fact that the most, virtuous age of the average wrong-doer is between, fifty and sixty. It is in the veryi earliest part of their careers, be-i tween the ages of sixteen ancll twentyâ€"one, that. men and women criminals are at their worst. Froml tWenty-one to old age they gradual-i 1y improve. This also goes to provq another remarkable fact about criminals, and that is, that marl man. most rlage mar tlcs. I and tw man i‘ par ing 1n man, upr ‘ ‘ W hen that c: replied t( gn making gains and geaiaes the least expensive item is the sugar it rud par ET the sugar is the most important ingredient because if its quality is not right, your confeétions will ferment, spoil, not be sufficiently sweet or be flavourless. With St. Lawrence Sugar results are always satisfactory. St. Lawrence Extra Granulated Sugar is sold in 2 lb. and 5 lb. sealed cartons, and in ba 5 of 10 lbs., 20 lbs., 25 lbs... 50 b5., and 100 lbs. Order a bag of St. Lawrence Extra Granulated Sugar Blue Tagâ€" the Medium Size Grainâ€"This size suits most people best; good grocer: everywhere can supply you. give up eatin’ to sleep St. Lawrence Sugar Refineries, Limited, Montreal. if er remarkabh 1:113, and that, helps to reform At the averagt people marry ‘ able drop in C] Between the a twenty-one, the her ng, aré Shv (hu'v Her Answer. her garden .vhen does at his we ,r, are just th is breaking and is allow 3w posted in her '-pa.inted sign. ‘ of students {1-01 strolled past. a 1E the feller comes along ise the wind,” calmly 31d lady, and went, on at the lit out to the 18W 1 age they gradual-‘ s also goes to prove. kable fact about! that is, that mar‘g' form a man or W04 erage age at which' my there is a, re- in criminal statis- :he tune worst. ( 1058 years WI away from ed to go free her front. yard n, “For Sail.” from u near‘by b. and laughed BI and laughed ttle sign. One e widow work- Slxteen tram. I who L01] 8. nally when 13 its thes L1 ‘i” life 1&5