FINIS.
It is, alas! true in this world that often the machinations of the
wicked prosper. By all the laws of morality Bertha Keys ought to have
come to condign punishment; she ought to have gone under; she ought to
have disappeared from society; she ought to have been hooted and
disliked wherever she showed her face.
These things were by no means the case, however. Bertha, playing a
daring game, once more achieved success.
By means of threatening to take her work elsewhere she secured admirable
terms for her writing--quite double those which had been given to poor
Florence. She lived in the best rooms in Prince's Mansions, and before a
year had quite expired she was engaged to Tom Franks. He married her,
and report whispers that they are by no means a contented couple. It is
known that Franks is cowed, and at home at least obeys his wife. Bertha
rules with a rod of iron; but perhaps she is not happy, and perhaps her
true punishment for her misdeeds has begun long ago.
Meanwhile Florence, released from the dread of discovery, her conscience
once more relieved from its burden of misery, bloomed out into
happiness, and also into success.
Florence wrote weekly to Trevor, and Trevor wrote to her, and his love
for her grew as the days and weeks went by. The couple had to wait some
time before they could really marry, but during that time Florence
learned some of the best lessons in life. She was soon able to support
herself, for she turned out, contrary to her expectations, a very
excellent teacher. She avoided Tom Franks and his wife, and could not
bear to hear the name of the _Argonaut_ mentioned. For a time, indeed,
she took a dislike to all magazines, and only read the special books
which Mrs. Trevor indicated.
Kitty Sharston was also her best friend during this time of humiliation
and training, and when the hour at last arrived when she was to join
Trevor, Kitty said to her father that she scarcely knew her old friend,
so courageous was the light that shone in Florence's eyes, and so happy
and beaming was her smile.
"I have gone down into the depths," she said to Kitty, on the day when
she sailed for Australia; "it is a very good thing sometimes to see
one's self just down to the very bottom. I have done that, and oh! I
hope, I do hope that I shall not fall again."
As to Mrs. Trevor, she also had a last word with Kitty.
"There was a time, my dear," she said, "when knowing all that had
happened in the past, I was rather nervous as to what kind of wife my
dear son would have in Florence Aylmer, but she is indeed now a daughter
after my own heart--brave, steadfast, earnest."
* * * * *
ALWAYS _ASK FOR THE_ DONOHUE COMPLETE EDITIONS--THE BEST FOR LEAST MONEY
Mrs. L. T. Meade
_SERIES_
An excellent edition of the works of this very popular author of books
for girls. Printed from large type on an extra quality of paper, cover
design stamped in three colors, large side title letterings, each book
in glazed paper printed wrapper. Each book with a beautiful colored
frontispiece. Printed wrapper, 12 mo. cloth.
1 Bad Little Hannah
2 Bunch of Cherries, A
4 Children's Pilgrimage
5 Daddy's Girl
6 Deb and the Duchess
7 Francis Kane's Fortune
8 Gay Charmer, A
9 Girl of the People, A
10 Girl In Ten Thousand, A
11 Girls of St. Wodes, The
12 Girls of the True Blue
13 Good Luck
14 Heart of Gold, The
15 Honorable Miss, The
17 Light of the Morning
18 Little Mother to Others
20 Merry Girls of England
21 Miss Nonentity
22 Modern Tomboy, A
23 Out of Fashion
24 Palace Beautiful
26 Polly, A New-Fashioned Girl
27 School Favorite
28 Sweet Girl Graduate, A
29 Time of Roses, The
30 Very Naughty Girl, A
31 Wild Kitty
32 World of Girls
33 Young Mutineer, The
All of the above books may be had at the store where this book was
bought, or will be sent postage prepaid to any address at 50c each, by
the publishers
M. A. Donohue & Co.,
701-727 South Dearborn St., CHICAGO