y. A
messenger came and handed Jack a letter. He saw with amazement that it
bore the Windgall crest.

It was a hastily written note from the earl stating that circumstances
had occurred which enabled him to withdraw his opposition to the union
of Clare with Lady Ella.

* * * * *

Kimberley recovered. He can speak now to Clare's wife without
embarrassment and without pain. Has he forgotten his love? No. He will
never love again, never marry; but he is by no means unhappy or solitary
or burdened with regrets. And he knows that those for whom he made his
great sacrifice have given him their profoundest gratitude and sincerest
friendship.

The ways of the world are various and many. And along them travel all
sorts of people. Very dark grey, indeed--almost black some of
them--middling grey, light grey, and here and there a figure that shines
with a pure white radiance.

* * * * *

FRANK NORRIS

The Pit

Frank Norris, one of the most brilliant of contemporary
American novelists, was born at Chicago in 1870. He was
educated at the University of California and at Harvard, and
also spent three years as an art student in Paris. Afterwards
he adopted journalism, and served in the capacity of war
correspondent for various newspapers. His first novel,
"McTeague," a virile, realistic romance, brought him instant
recognition. This was followed in 1900 by "Moran of the Lady
Betty," a romantic narrative of adventures on the Californian
Coast. In 1901 Norris conceived the idea of trilogy of novels
dealing with wheat, the object being an arraignment of wheat
operations at Chicago, and the consequent gambling with the
world's food-supply. The first of the series, "The Octopus,"
deals with wheat raising and transportation; the second, "The
Pit," a vigorous, human story covers wheat-exchange gambling,
and appeared in 1903; the third, which was to have been
entitled "The Wolf," was cut short by the author's death,
which occurred on October 25, 1902.

_I.--Curtis Jadwin and His Wife_

Laura Dearborn's native town was Barrington, in Massachusetts. Both she
and her younger sister Page had lived there until the death of their
father. The mother had died long before, and of all their relations,
Aunt Wess, who lived at Chicago, alone remained. It was at the
entreaties o