The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-04-29

tedwood,-l don't think, by the way,
that, as her husband died before sue
ceeding to the baronetcy, she is enti-
tied to that appellation Of honor: we.
however, call her so out Of courtesy
that Lady Redwood, though prema-
turely confined in consequence of the
intelligence Of her husbands untimelv
death, had given birth TO a female child.
and that both mother and daughter
were as well as could be expected.
This, you will agree, seemed perfectly
satisfactory
Entirely so.
so / thought Mr. Malvern was
now unquestionably whether Sir
Charles Malvern or not, the proprietor
of the Redwood estates, burdened as
with a charge, in accordance with the
conditions OF the entails, of thousand
pounds life annuity to the late Mr.
Redwoods infant daughter
"Sr Charles returned to Redwood
manor-house, where his wife and
family soon afterwards arrived. Lady
Redwood had been joined | under
stood, by her mother, Mrs Ashton, and
would, whom able to undertake the
journey, return to her maternal home.
1t was about two months after Sir
Thomas Rcdwood's death that l de-
termined to pay Lady Redwood visit
in order to the winding mp Of the per-
sonal estate, which it was desirable
to accomplish as speedily as possible
and then new and terrible light
ia he'd upon me.
'What, IN heavens name 1 exclaimed,
for the first time breaking silence
-"what could there be to reveal p
"Only" rejoined Mr. Repton that
i'll, delirlous, as Lady Redwood admit
ted herself to have been, it was her
intimate, unconquerable conviction
that she had given birth to twins"
Good God and You suspect"
1--WE don't know what to suspect.
Should the ladys confident belief be
correct, the missing child might have
been a boy You understands
/ do But is there any tangible eW-
denceto justify this horrible suspicion?
Yes; the sugeon-apothecary and his
wife, a AIR and Mrs Williams, who att
tended Lady Redwood, have suddenly
disappeared from Chester, and from
no explainable motive, having left or
abandoned a fair business there.
That has certainly an ugly look
True; and few days ago | receiy-
ed information that Williams had been
seen in Birmingham. He was we'll
dressed, and not apparently in any
business
There certainly appears some ground
for suspicion. What plan Of opera
tons do you proposeg
That. replied Mr.. Repton ] must
leave to your more practiced sagacity.
| can only undertake that no means
shall be lacking that may be required.
1T will be better, perhaps, [ sug-
gostod after an interval of reflection,
that l should proceed TO Birmingham
at once. You have Of course an accu-
rate description Of the persons Of VII
Hams aud his wife ready 2
i have; and very accurate pen-and-
ink sketches l ann told they are. Be
sides these, ] have also here, continu-
ed Mr.. Repton taking from his pocket
book sheet of carefully-folded satin
paper, "a full description of the female
baby drawn up by its mother under
the impression that twins always !
believe they generally do-closely re-
semble each other, Light hair, blue
ewes, dimpled chin-and so on. The
lady-a very charming person, | assure
you, and meek and gentle as a fawn-
is chiefly anxious to recover her child.
You and l. should our suspicious be
confirmed, have other duties to per-
form"
This was pretty nearly all that pass
ed, and the next day was in Birning-
ham.
The search, as l was compelled to
be very cautious in my inquiries, was
tedious, but finally successful. Mr.
and Mrs Williams / discovered living
in a pretty house, with neat grounds
attached, about two miles out of Bir-
mingham, on the coach rOad TO Vol
yerhampton Their assumed name
was Builidge, and ascertained from
the servant girl, who fetched their dim
her and supper, beer and occasionally
wine and spirits, from a neighboring
tavern, that they had one child a boy
"A few months old, of whom neither
father nor mother seemed very fond
BY dint Of much perseverance, l al
length got upon pretty familiar terms
with Mr. Burridge, alias Williams. HC
spent his evenings regularly in tav-
ern; but with all the painstaking, in
defatigable ingenuity employed, the
chief knowledge | acquired during
three weeks Of assiduous endoavor, was
that my friend Buridge intended, i'm
mediately after visit which he expect
ed shortly to receive from a rich and
Fl influential relative in London, to emf
CRATE to America, at all events to &c
abroad This was, however, very sig
nifcant and precious information; and
very rarely, indeed, was he, after hac
obtained it, outof my sight or obserya.
ton At length perseverance obtained
) its reward. One morning | discernec
my friend, much more sprucely attireo
r than ordinarily, make his way to the
railway station, and there question
with eager looks every passenger that