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TlIB AMKRWAN BKK-KKKl'KR. 



333 



THE LAST DECADE— 1895. 



Nature dishonored Ijy the race she liore. 

 The fools of knowledge, slaves of liberty; 

 Aft that profaues the nuptial sanctuary, 

 WhHre trutli and beauty wed foreverinoro: 

 Love that casts down tho vestal veil she wore, 

 To join earth's Baccliie festival and flee 

 With the wild M;enads, in their ecstasy, 

 By charmed mountain peak and desert shore- 

 How long shall these things be? Till life's new 



wine 

 Ib druuk to the last dregs of shame and wrong- 

 Till love arises, beaiitiful, austere, 

 And purilied by faith and reverent fear — 

 Till man k)t)ks Godward and the word divine 

 Goes fortli once more to cleanse the world- 

 how long? 



—May Sinclair in Temple Bar. 



A SINailLAE GUEST. 



Mr. Henry Apps of Hoxtou completed 

 tbe fixing of the wires on the lawn of 

 flasleigh court. He looked up at tha 

 dim light in the dres.siug room and 

 cfauckJed softly as he bent the last yard 

 c€ wire. 



"A trip in time," said Mr. Apps, 

 "sives nine. " 



He threw tbe rope ladder gently in 

 tiae air, and at the first effort it caught 

 the projecting nail. 



" 'Once on board the lugger,' quoted 

 Mr. Apps facetiously as he mounted the 

 rope ladder, 'and the gurl is mine. ' " 



He opened the window very gently 

 and soon stood inside the dressing room. 

 Near the table in the corner of the room 

 was an iron safe. 



"Well, I'm jiggered I" exclaimed 

 Mr. Apps. He loosened the flaps of his 

 fur cap and mopped his brow with the 

 back of his hand. "Well, I'm jiggered 

 if they 'aven't been and left the key iu 

 for me. I might have sived myself a 

 lot of trouble if I'd knowed. " 



Mr. Apps swung open the heavy door 

 ©f the safe and listened to the music 

 down stairs. Young Lady Staplehurst 

 was giving, as Mr. Apps very well 

 knew, a dance — a fancy dress dance — on 

 her return from the continent after her 

 term of widowhood. 



"I'll jest see, first of all," he said, 

 "that the coast is absolutely clear, and 

 then — tiieu for a bagful." 



Mr. Henry Apps stepped out into tlie 

 broad pa.ssage. He slouched, with his 

 jimmy sticking out of his capacious side 



Apps. 

 said the 

 She gave 



pleasant. 

 Do you 



pocket, a few steps toward the stairs. 

 Suddenly a girlish figure turned the 

 corner. 



"Bless my 'art!" cried Mr. 



"Wliy, how do you dor" 

 young lady, stepping forward, 

 a soft laugli that was very 

 "This is really delightful, 

 know I recognized you at once iu spite 

 of the costume?" 



She lield the hand of Mr. Apps foi 

 a moment, causing that gentleman to 

 gasp for breath, and called one of the 

 maids. 



"Just bring me a pencil and a card," 

 she said. "I must arrange for a car- 

 riage to take Captain Norman back to 

 his hotel iu the morning. I wasn't sure 

 that he would come." 



"I can walk, " remarked Mr. Apps 

 with restored self possession. 



"I won't hear of it. When shall we 

 say, now?" 



"Say in an hour's time," said Mr. 

 Apps. "I can go up stairs again alone, 

 change my togs and do all I want to." 



"And can't you stay longer?" 



She gave the card to the maid and 

 ordered it to be dispatched at once. 



"I've got a busy night before me," 

 urged Mr. Apps excusingly. He thought 

 of his dog waiting on the lawn and fear- 

 ed it might give an inopportune bark. 

 Besides, the safe was still open, and tbe 

 diamonds were waiting for him. He 

 had noticed with satisfaction Lady Sta- 

 plehurst was wearing none. 



"You were always an active man, 

 captain. " 



"Always doing something," agreed 

 Mr. Apps. "If it isn't one thing, it's 

 another." He shook his head reflactive- 

 ly. "I often wonder I don't write a book 

 about it all. " 



"I don't believe you will know any- 

 body here, Captain Norman," she said 

 as they walked down stairs, "but I 

 couldn't help sending you a card, see- 

 ing how friendly we were on the Pe- 

 shawur. Do you remember those even- 

 ings on deck in the Red sea;" 



She was really a very fine young 

 woman, and in her costume she looked 

 extremely well. 



"Do I noi?" said Mr. Apps with 

 much fervor. "Shall I ever forget 'em?" 



"And then the journey from Brin- 

 disi, you know, and that funny little 

 German — you remember him?" 



