The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-11-21


" Mother" said Edith, in quivering
tones, "was it well to come here? ?"
II don't know. Hc, my benefactor,
said must not, but could not stay away.
Bad as am, l have q mothers heart"
"The deuce you have wonder where
you got it ~ calculated, under my breath.
81 did not mean to chide you, mother
| was coming to see You again soon. /
think about you day and night. Are you
quite comfortable in your new rooms? Do
you have everything you need ?"
Eyes, most everything. was thinking
the other day that some lace curtains would
set off the parlor nicely, but it's no matter.
l don't deserve lace curtains, am sure"
"You shall have the curtains. You
would like to hear about Isla, / suppose?
She is very well, and your brother, too, I'm
Gle Lemuel, though he has been i'll quite
lately. 1t seems hard that you cannot see
them, but you yourself agree that it is
best so.'
81 don't though ~ roared l, suddenly ap-
pearing before the pair. Edith, who
does this woman claim to be ?'
"Do you not know her?" gasped my
niece.
81 certainly have not that pleasure,
though you spoke of me as her brother, and
have addressed her as your mother. There
is deception at work here. Your mother,
child, died years ago in the sunny South"
at was so reported, Uncle Lemuel, but
she did not die. She left my father fol-
another man. You were in Europe at that
time, you know Papa was too proud to
have the truth known"
Edith, my sister Miriam was as good,
and true, and pure as the angels. This
woman is lie a cheat. She knows speak
the truth"
81 expected he would dsown me-" whin-
ed the woman. :" told you So"
And now, Hartz whom had abandon
ed summarily, appeared upon the scene.
'If this woman claims to be Mrs. Flan-
els Cathard, Pynstall is right in calling her
a lie," he declared. "Your father, Miss
Edith, and mine were friends. 1t was while
visiting at our house that Mrs. Cathard
took malignant fever ard died. was
only boy, but remember her perfectly :;
a sweet, sanity, and most lovely woman
as unlike this one as possible. You have
been imposed upon by a gross deception,
and | think know what villain planned
and hoped to reap profit largely from the
lie. There he comes-Libbocus Chigson
Have the goodness to remind him, Miss
Edith, that in building of falschoods, as of
chaises,
" There is always somewhere a weakest spot"
and at that weakest spot his has, unfortu-
nately for him broken down"
Edith was trembling violently, but she
held the blanchng Libbocus with q firm
eye.
g Is it true, Mr.. Chigson," she demand
ed, with scathing emphasis, "that this wo-
man is an impostor?"
Libbocus paved the ground with one
foot, glanced at the woman, and received
from her most crestfallen nod, then turn
ed away and made an inglorious retreat
While | was cOngratulating Edith, the
women also skunk away. Hartz followed
me in congratulations, contriving to mix a
little tender by-play Herewith, which l do
not intend to put upon record. Isla, who
had probably seen from the house that
something unusual was going ON, came
down to investigate. / begged to be allow
ed to condole with her for the loss of a
brother-in-law She looked from me to
Edith, clapped her hands and burst into
tears.
:" How did you do it, you darling Uncle
Lem?' she asked, smiling, and crying, and
fondling Edith and me all at once.
told her how 1t was done.
"Dear Edith, how much must have
been suffered y she said, softly kissing
her,
81 boro it, dear, for you. Partly, indeed,
to save our house from shame, but chiefly
for you. knew the proud blood of the
IIarleighs would reject an alliance with a
tarnshed name, and your own, as proud,
would equally spurn to humiliate them.--
At first did shrink from sacrificing my
self, and sent for Uncle Lemuel in the hope
that he might discover some other way
But when the time allowed me by Mr..
Chigson for decision had gone by without
bringing Uncle Lem, / thought it had be-
come my duty to bear alone the cross and
the shame. God be praised that the long
torture ia over"
~ hope though, Isla, that your objection