The Scales Of Justice

AdelaideKnowltonsat glanciug over the cvenin paper. The lamp-light filtered softïy through the pink globe, sheddlng a rose tint upon the books and tures and pretty ïurniture of ; !,■ voorn, and lending a ílush to her rathev pato lace, as aha leaned back in her low chalr, thoughtfully. A door at lier ieft oponed into hor studio, which lay in shadow, and dimly revealed busts and paiatings and uniinished pictures on tall easels. She lived or her art, lived quietly md painted eonBcientíouflly; and, ií her gendiis was to some day culmimate In ome line, rich expreaslon, the ■woi-ld iiad nol yct bog-un to watch the Uut she was becoming known as i portrait painter of some ■inrrit and Avork enough eame to lier, ■with i;iir remuaerattan. She lived Eoir her art and for Algerïion Payne. S'he was expecting him now. Slie wo-ndered why he was later than usual. She was a woman oi pearhaps thirty, a woman with a history, one c'onld we nt a glance. Vet lii'i-s was Bcarcely au iinhappy face. There was Bomethlng oi pathos and wistfulness in tlie dark eyes, and yet there was iilso strength of purpose and womanly sweetnees In the grave, palé face, wliich could oiily belong to a woman at one -with herselï. A aiew sntorest lightcd her face Buddenly. Her ye liad noted an item in the column oï deaths which read: "In Mot-eland, Mrs. Clara H. Payne, aged 36." She read it over severa! times. TBere fcould bc no mistake. It was the pitoce, the name, the age. The woman whü had once been Algernon Payne's ■wiïe, but wlio hal dislionored herself and'him, was dead. He had been prevented by some legal teehnicality trom a separation. He had Iveguu lite íairly, 'and at thirty had foimd hlniself ín the midst of financial and social disaster, through no fault of ivis own. lt' was at that crisis he liad met Adelaide Knowlton. The peculiar adaption oí their natures made a, mutual attachment inevitable. He clung to hor as iriend and Oounselor. He drew strengtli from her. A stpone. seli-sacrificing love for liim grew luto her heart, and ior feeven yeai's t.hey liad been friends. Stoe vea'd the not ice once more, she was mot rejoicing in this woman's death, yet ït seemed as if same mcubus had been removed f rom her spirits. Slie liad been justdfied to hereell in 'Bhta love; ene eould not be justiüed to 'the worLd. Not tliat the world had concei-ned to question and oriticise. She had but few acquaintanees ín the city and had avoided íriEJBdshlpe, bvit necessity of doublé Ufe, against which she .had always secretly rebelled would now be retooved. "Yon Bhall bea.r my name without delay if I am ever free," he liad toll her often, and her belief in itis love and integrity of intention, coupted with lier finely balanced eonöcience, enabled her to retain her aeilivoiicct as surely as though wedding ttag and priestly benediction had sealcd tlieir iinion. Yet Bfoe had sacriiieed peaee. He had been most loyal and reverent to her; She could not find it in her Ueart +.n Avish to retrace her steps and stand 2,-ain on the sale conventual pathway, Ji it must be without liim, and yet let no woman think that sho can Huis flimg asi de custom and become a law to lierselE -without paying the penBity. If Bh'e is too line and large and Bpiritual ín her nature to ever become pecliliesB- il the Btrength and purity ;■ be suílicien to eañctify sueh au allianee aml justify Her to ter own soul, yet sliall the longing for tlic Bign and Beal of wliehood fill her Iieart with unrest. Adelaide had known niany üoiu-s of pain on account of it, and when it pressed too hard Bhe had thrown her soul more and inoi-e into her work. The Ktudiio door opcned and Alger,wn -ntered. After the usual greeti-nge wt-rc over iie sank into his usual öeat with u preoccupied air. lalde did not draw aear to him; there seemed all at once a cause tor holding aloof. He was conecious of the tunusual excltement in her face, but he made ik remark. He was a ha misóme man, slighi and elegant looking, witli a sort oí indolent gr ace in eyery movemeni , handsome and iovable, but vitl liitle suggestion of maeculine Btrength oi chairacter about htm. He had a native regard ior women. He could not be unbind or angenerous in any minor detail, yet apon a grea I casten ïie niight be wèighed and be ïound wanting. He was one to lean i ,■ tlian 1 upon, and an rver looking srt Adelaide's si: e, womanly iaöe could under■■' ui t'.ie link that hád bound . for seve Strange cdhetraim th, .-ind 'tli íin. - withdratvn. y (lid lie not iake hér in nis til or lay bis head In her lap, ör i i ïiny .. lonstrations of 1 Of course ifc was but natural he should think deeply at suc timo, but 'vvoald it not ]ú natural also, now at tiic rebound i pressure, to sive Iier some wovd surance and comfort, when she bad siveu up her life lo him so un!ily. . Tliei-e ivas a qulet funeral, whlch lio attended, and thus one chapter closcd and another opcncd. TIík ïrinnils began to discuss hia matriïnonial prospect, BometMng as Éïey mijïlit thOöe Oí á woman. He was handsome, ïascmating, iittcd to Shlne In society. All he needed was a rich wife to restore him to liis original posdtion. It uas too bad he had lost geven yeairs, one mfe'lit say, (A hls lifc on account of the legal tic to a woman lic r.ever loved. The inarried ladie.s oi lii cquaintance b_'gan to takc Sresti interest in him, as possible love inatches loomod befosre their vit&on. InvitLitions poured in upon him. Xot t.hat sock'ty's doors had ever been i-losed o lilm, lmt he had kept aloof and Vonnd liis sweetest enjoyinciil in the BOCiety of Adelnid". But inow he began to picad engagements os ui excuse, and very Boon he came to 8pe4iilng but one evening a week wil.!! lier. Shc met him with lier sweet .ïrii-nilly marnier as oí old. but thore vvas au unconscious shade of ïeproach in her eyes which made lii.m uneaey wit-h her. He couiïl not speak the words hé kucw her heart ached to Ixear. Hto standpoint had dhanged completely. He wanted to oome to Bom uaderetanding with lior and did iiot know how to approach it. Sh -vwuld have died i-ather than remind him oí his promise. She only applfed hrsell more diligently to work, but day by day her face grew more grave and quiet, -while lier eyes liad infinite rtepths of uadness. She liad Bometines thought thia man raight not be all fine gold, yet she had showored her love upon Mm &o richly as to cover all defecte. There were men who ín hifi place would have eemented the bond had it meant to them 111elong slavery. But Algernon i'ayne was no höro. One day two ladies, who had calLed -witli a pretty, golden-haired child to arrange tor sittings for her portiait Btood ïooMng over some exquislte lits oí landscape oil.s. They were talkin"- ín a low tone, and presently the mame ol AJgernón Payne carne to Adelaide'e eare. "Deair, liandsome leülow ! He can begin to live again. l'm just waiting the öpportunity to congratúlate him," saM onc, ïair-faced, matronly womau, with Bometliing oí a motherly, irotection iuílectioii in her voiue. ''Seven .vc:us oí his life blasted' by that woiüiian. "SVfll, Ada is rloh enough and (ond enough ol liim to make him happy again. The engagement-" "It ïea't yet announced ?" "Oh, yes; it was among the society items oi the Home Journal last weck." ■Well, 1'm glad. What a bandeóme couple they will make ! -Miss Murray Ís such a bell aud beauty !" Adelakle was selecting some engravings ii-om a portfolio. A strange, utill íeeling, as 11 all lier pulses, all the red Ufe eurrents, had become suddenly paralyzed, carne over her. It carne to her reeollection at that moment !iow, Ín lu-r dream the night belore, he liad stood before a inirror iu white 'bridal dress and orange blosMoms. She diid aiot account lierseli eiiperstitious, yet she Jiad awoke trembling irom head to foot, under the influence of the dreain, Avhich is regan-ded as an ill ornen. "Did you uotiee how palé Miss Kno-wlton looked ".' She is working too 5iard, I suspect," remarked the motherly Ir.dy. airer they liad Kone out. I vhould say she is thinking too hard," returned the other. ''There is BometMng Htrangeiy impreesive about her. There is a tragedy in her II sume artist eould transier it to i canvas and name' it 'Kenunciation,' he could m&ke a eeneatiom, I íancy." i Adelaide eat down to her easel atter hey had iione and went to painting -mechanically. The blow luid not been unexpecteü, yet it had stricken her soul. It was growlng dusky. Hhe put up hor pialette and was gathering her brushee iogether when the studio door opeued and Algernon Payne entered. He advanccd toward in-v. "Good eveninK," he said, with pepturlation of voice and raamior she understood. "üood evening. Yon nave come, I suppose, to teil me oï your engagement with -Miss Mun-ay," she said calmly. "My eneagement ! Then you know? You will deepiee me, Adelaide ! Don't stand there witli that dreadiul look apon your iace. Speak ! l'our out reproaehea upon me ! I aeeerve tneni U. I- I- " ■1 'nave no í-eproacUee. Leave me! At ■. hat tone oí command, with lts commingiing notes of pa-ide and pain, mul outpaged womanhood, !"■ turnvl and lcft lier standing with her disUníesingliaJidoutetretched toward liim tuiil ', !iu -look in her face that wa haunr his Kh-cains. But ivliai remaind ip the sili mi soul for th'is woman, held U-,aiiiivi by -.lie mighty tyrant, U MWiát í-cinainrd Ihh latrc'.' 1 lim:i-in;;Ius-tiiat followed shfe terknia po-p ■ ayne anJ his I impliehed wiie, bul ■ patti. During ■. iiights of pain a ) o en gliminered in her studio. MarveUous concepi mtting ghapes carne to in the ctokne traneierred to canvas. Ni ! their Bhe drew outlines and made ti ïiml free, yei erude, imperfecij sketches o! öiat which hover&d dimly befare lier vision, yet persistently ::iül entanglingly cludoa her grasp when Bhe sought t-o [ïive it expression. But as she regained hor calin, and took her tand permanently on bijhor ground, the ideal tliat had ïlitted in and out her brain began to lend itseH more obediently to lier -vill, to ïii-ow more plastác to her touch, and tussumé shapc nnd iorm on canvas. TlH' love of Algarnon Payne, which liad been it R-ea-m, laded completéis in the new and absorbing creatlon ■which wirn being evolved out of the depthfl oí pain and pawsion. She guard(-d hr jiictare jealously from all eyes, and woa-ked on it every moment tshe could Kiither irom her daily tasks. It was during its progresa that Paul Browning canvc into her Idfe. In her Ubsorbing interest ín her picture it lid toot occur to her tha-t samething beside liis interest in nis nephew's portrait was cauelng Ma very frequent vKsits to her ntudio. gix month.s after Alsernon's marn.-i-v, Adeküde i-ead in the list of killed ín a frig-htful railway accident tlic name of Mrs. Algernon Payne, who was on hor w'ay witk iriends to join her husband at Boston. tëhe read 't with a shock of horror over the sudden di'ath and ah impulse oí sympathy íor the bereaved bridegroom. Six ino-nt.hs more went round. Adelaide had iinished lier picture and turneo its i'ace to the wa.ll in a güarded corner, 1ut sometimes she rose at midnisht and looked at it thoughtfully, and wondered what would be the vei-dict of a competent critic upon it, Wliem Taul lirowning asked her to Ihí his wlfe it can ecarcely be said that Bhe was taken by surprise. A woman's intuition is rarely at fault in nuch matters. Khe measured him with cyes grown caljn and elear-vieioned toy expei-ience. How free tram basor snetal ehould she prove him to be ? He was a pfreat, noble, royallooking man. Had he a royal soul MISO ? "I liavc a liistory," she said, meeting nis vyes with a calm, unflinching gaze. "I think you wiU not repeat your roquest after you have learned it." ■ "A heart histovy ?" he questioned.' ■Yes." "I kncw it. I vead it in your face long ago. 1 ask just one question. Aa-e you free now, lieart and soul 1" "Yes. "My liean-t and bouI and liand axe at my disposal." "Then I ask no moi-e. I ha ve "been gtudying you for months. I know you are n, noble -voman. I know you Jiave euffered, íind I only ask to be eillowed to Bhelter you in tliese arms íorevcr." She i'ose and (?ave him her hand. "You aa-e grandly gcncrous." she said. "Come, 1 have liomething to show you." She i-emoved the covering from her picture, wheeled an casel around and pageed it in to his sight, tlien stood back and waited. He stood a few momeóte in sllence, then drew a long, (leep breath oí pleasuire. "You are the ideal oí the picture," he said quickly. "You- you did not paint it eurely '?" he questioned. as hls r.vcs met a peculiar expression in licrs. ■W!iy not?" ehe aeked quietly. "It te íaulty cnough. "Faulty emotigh? Ves, in detall, Ij-ut ít is the embodiment uf an inspivation !" he fcaid witli enlhusiasm. Tt was an ovening Bky with masses oí lar"k rolling elouds breaklng mul after a -tempest, thelr torn edtgee turning to n. soit. lumi,ni)Ils 9 by the light oí the hddden snoon, whose faee was woon to be Miivcii-d. Through nn opening panorama of dark rifte,d cloiuN, but fax, beyond tlicm, -.1 single star shonr serene and Bteady in ii dcpih ei distaoce tha1 gave one in almos: Btartling sciisr of infinüy. lThre were two figure.-;- a womaa in (lurk ishanging drapery, and a man kneeling at her feet with hands elaepcd and eyee ln'tcd to her tace in eptreaty. Near, the eonveational adjuncts of balcony and rbrellis-work and lofty pillars were revealed in the sloom, while in -ïlie dim dietance shadawy mountains uplUted their heads to the clou ds. The expression of both faces stood out most cleai'ly through the gloom, but It was the woman who held the attention. She ivas turning from the vuppliani at hier feet, witii ome arm CNiciulod tlirou.üh the dimnese towards tlw star. There was sonletliing in the figure graceiul and Bupple anii yet queenly amd commanding. But it was .,..,, saiiolünie aüd ppiirttual exaltatioo ai the face ihat semed to shine lumiaious through th glooin, yith an ..ii Ugllt lat iinprrssca om-. A lio high and serene loitiness that claimed kinfihip With ' and seemed to imply au infinite, and im-r.-.lilo dUiauoi' between UrseH man ar her ieét, impre rver. Tliére ■ e faul,ts - ■ ■'■'. lMIt a ,,i ;rui i,;. i tUe cuín1 ht. lier -. od. "] . you so tha1 Ol Bufföring." And i """ noble ti,,-' ppinese. Tha-ee days later Adelaide was surpirieed by a '-all from Algei i Khe met Ulm onletly, witli some■ Btateliness in lier iiuumer. In lüs man's seHlshnesa it ,! lus mhul regretiully that kIio aot misscil liim from Ufe. A Btrong överpowering deeire fco Kim hlmsetf once more In the light ol this strong, (leep vom-anly nature, to whom Ada, liis -wifeliad always seemed as "water unto ■wlnê," carne o vea him. "Adelaide," he sald, humbly. "Adelaïde, will you marry me ncnv ? There was a movement in the littlc elttlng-irooin, ;ind the ball iorm f Paul Downint? ïillcd the doorway. Ade.laide looked up with a smlle. "Mr. i'ayiu-. Mr. Browning," tfhe sald casil.v. The gemtlemen bowed. "I ftm luider an engagement of m arriase witli thls gentleman," Adelaide proceeded, "an engagement made -ith his ïull knowledge of ray relations to yon. I cannot, therefore, ever eonsider the proposal you have made." And Algörnon Payne bowed liimself out with the feellng that he had sol-d Jite happlness for a mess of pottage. And tJins wore the scoles of justice