Good Luck

stage had been erected at one end of the sitting room; on this stage now the actors were disporting themselves. As Alison had not arrived in time for supper, no one too

wall in the passage, and now and then bending forward so as to see

her a certain sense of rest and happiness at even being in his vicinity. He did not know she was there, but that mattered little or nothing. When the play was over he would come out and see her, and then everything would be smooth and delightful. She forgot to be jealous of Louisa; she even forgot the fact that a few short weeks ago she had been publicly accused of theft; she only knew that she wore her best fr

st the stairs, and had some difficulty in keeping her balance. She saw a man stare at her with a very coarse sort of admiration. She did not know the man, and she

haw's. Oh, you want to know her name, Mr. Manners? Her name is Alison Reed. She left Sha

e man who was addressed as M

that she left the shop the very day she wa

y, but after a time, the sharp voic

all agog for Louisa Clay, the girl he is acting with to-night. They say they are sweethearts, and the

singled out in that way, to have attention drawn to her as such a character; but the words which related to Jim she absolutely laughed at. Was not Jim her own faithful lover? Would he not see her home to-night, believing in her fully and entirely? Oh, yes. Whatever the world at large thought of her, she was good enough for Jim. Yes, yes. She would promise to be his to-night, she would not

ard a step or two, and stood in such a position that she was partly sheltered by a curtain. She had scarcely done so before, to her great astonishment, Hardy and Louisa came out. They stood toget

e," she added, offering Jim a huge

she spoke, and pu

me sort," she said;

e stage costume in which he had shortly to appear. Alison, partly

ndid, Jim," said Louisa

of that," r

be. Well, I do feel a

d Jim, bending down and loo

oke to her, and immedi

my mind quite

replied, in a voice

Would it please

," was the reply. "I think i

I though

an to toy with it in a somewhat affected manner. Th

t do, Jim Hardy, even to please you for half an hour; to please you is the light

lied gravely. "There is our call," he add

ler, than

m noticed the listening girl behind the curtain. The next moment loud cheers filled t

ome. She had no intention now of waiting for Jim. She never meant to wait for Jim any more. He was false as no man had ever been false before. She would forget him, she would drive hi

pered Alison quite qui

tmas Eve, but Jim was not walking home with her. The Christmas present she had hoped for was not to be hers. Well, never mind, to-morrow would be Christmas Day. Jim was invited to dinner, to that good dinner which Grannie had no right to buy, but which Grannie had bought to give the children one last happy day. Alison herself had made the cake and had frosted it

would enter the little house with the air of a queen who had come suddenly into her kingdom. Grannie, who was sound asleep at this moment, had no idea that Despair itself was coming home in the last hours just be

and whether I am cleared or not, I shall never marry you, for I don't love you. I found out to-night it was all a mistake, and what I thought was love was not. I don't love

SON

envelope, addressed and stamped it. She then went out and dropped