St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-01-17
(COncImded from First Paye.)

'But monsieur
$50. or shall die on the instant.
and my death will he on your head
Slime had quiet times just now. and
was in the garden leaning against a tree
with her knitting-ncedles cllnking i'll
her fingers. The AnglaiSc sat opposite
to her, and they were talking of Mon
sieur Lawrence. While thus engaged.
they saw jacques, the cure and the
marie, coming down the courtyard.
Monsieur desired to make his will and
prepare for death, they said to one an
other: and both were shocked.
Some time afterward jacques came
running through the archway into the
garden, his face and manner 80 excited
that the woman stood amazed.
Come. madame" he said to the An
glaiSe. ..you are wanted Immediately in
monsieur's chamber" The English
woman followed him wondering, and
Slime went back to the kitchen to pre-
pare for supper.
Half an hour passed. Slime was
standing at the window Straiming the
soup, when she saw the little Amglai>c
coming hurrying down the courtyard,
white faced. her head hanging as if with
weakness. missing Il step now and then
striking her foot against the stones of
the pavement. and feeling, ;s if hlindly
for the door as she entered the Kitchen.
She snatchcd the ladle ont of Shines
hand and flung it on the floor. seized
the girl 10y the shoulders. laughed in
her face, gave IL sob, and fell back
swooning into the arms of jacques: all
of which meant that the will % the wiSp
had turned ont IL vcritablc hearth light
at last.
"Ah, monsieur lc marie. monsieur le
cure :" she cried. recovering; ''lct them
come here and tell the story, for my
head is still astray, and | want to hear
it again. Come out of this place. girl ,
thou are not slime; thou ant Bertha.
daughter of Sir sydney ErIington, and
Milliccnt. his wife, both of brokcn-hcart
ed memory. in DcvoI>hirc. in England.
1t is all written down. jacques. We
saw it written down. Will the gentle
men come and read il to IT'S. or will they
not -
The cure and marie came in with sol
emn faces. Madame sat on Il bench
and drank from glass of water while
jacques stood ON guard 10y her side.
Stinr rctreatrd. and leaned with her
back against the wall. looking doubt
fully at these people who had come to
change her life. There was no mistake
at all about the inmkccpcr dying state
mcnt. The nurse who had stolen the
child had been his first " tc. from whom
he had separated for Il time that they
might earn some money. W hen she
came home to him with the child. he.
being afraid OF her. had helped her to
conceal it. He was then ii waiter in
Paris, and they took up house together
and prospcred. She assured him that
her motive for stealing the child had
been revenge, and that one day, after
the parents had suffered enough. Il large
reward should he obtained for restoring
her to them. With this lie had been
obliged to he satisfied. His wife set up
business as Il clrar->tarchcr. and made
money enough for the child'S support
and her own. She used to Smudgc the
child'S face with brown. and dress it in
boys clothing; but she died suddenly
when it was five Years of age. Then
had monsieur thought of Kidding him
self of the burden, but had been fright
ened out of his senses by some one
whom he had consulted on the subject.
He became afraid of his very life at the
tity of the girl. Heaviest punishment.
he feared. must he the reward of his
daring to restore her to her Sorrowimg
friends. When he came to DimdamS. as
owner of the inn he brought with him
Slime his niece, and il strange woman
came to live in II cottage outside the
town,-who pretended Ia he his sister
in-law,-and the mother of the girl
1 4 -. .f,,l 4
10y marrying her to jacques. had
thought to turn her To still further ac-
count in his service. No one but his
second wife. and the pretended mother,
had ever shared the secret which had
sat for wears ON his cowar,llN soul.
Now that he WAS going To die. ne would
shuttle it of He had always. he de
clarcd, meant to tell the truth before
he died. If the Dame .Auglaisc had not
arrived then, he would have left the
story and its proofs with the cure of the
town.
"Gentlemcn.' said Slime. coming out
of her corner. let lis not disturb the
house of death. Madame Van Melck-
eleke returns. and these things will not
please her.
The landIadv'S voice WAS here heard.
and the marie and the cure disappeared
very willingly. while slime brought the
Anglaisc away t" her chamhrr. The
poor little lady was beside herself
and kept carc>>img Slime and telling
what good things were waiting for her
MY child, my little queen She said.
''my lady of the manor, All. wait my
love, till yuu see Your English home"
Slime WAS quite contoumdcd 10y the