The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-09-28

was telegraphed to come to him. We had
parted" she added, turning to mother, "be-
cause his business had called him to Liver
pool, and he was afraid to have Freddie and
me go there on account of the cholera. But
when heard he was i'll went to him at
once, leaving my boy with my husbands
mother and sister. l knew they were not
very fond of him, but had no choice.
dared not take him to Liverpool with the
cholera raging there, and 1 had nowhere
else to leave him. l found my husband very
i'll, but he was recovering, when he had
relapse. He rallied from that and took cold,
l think, or over fatigued himself, bringing
on a second relapse that proved fatal. Du-
ring all his illness l heard only twice of
Freddie-once that he was we'll, once that he
had been killed in the street. came home
only two days ago, and they would tell me
nothing of where he was buried-nothing
but the bare fact of his death. II oh, do
not blame me | l was on the way to the
river to end it all when l met Freddie
Mother looked at me and whispered,
driven her mad. Let her stay with me
| while you try to find out something about
her."
"But have no right to force myself into
her private affairs" said.
"She is Freddie's mother That gives
you right"
| 1t would be tedious to tell in detail all the
long conversation that followed but, au.
thorized by Mrs. West, called upon her
husbands lawyer, and there heard the
story.
81 think" the lawyer said, confidential
| ly, chat the Vests are the proudest people
/ ever knew-proud of their family, their
money and their beauty. Carroll West was
the only son, Lucy the only daughter, when
the old man died. He left considerable
fortune, but Carol has increased his share
fit to immense wealth. His mother was
very desrous of having him make great
match, and proportionately furious when he
married a little dark-eyed seamstress of no
family in particular and working for liv-
ing.
l thought of the exquisite face, the low
tender voice of Freddies mamma, and men.
tally applauded Carroll's choice.
"Carroll," continued the lawyer chad
sufficient sense to keep his own establis h.
! ment until he went into heavy cotton spec
ulation that called him to Liverpool at the
: height of the cholera. Then he left his wife
and child under his mothers care, and be.
fore he went made his will. Now doctor,
: said the lawyer, speaking very slowly and
. with marked emphasis, "that will leave.
half his fortune to his wife, half to his child
but, in case of the death of the child, the
3 half that is his goes to Mrs. West and hel
r daughter Lucy. If the mother dies, all goe
Q to the child, to revert again to the Vests, i
s he dies without heirs. Do you see 2"
t did see. saw again the hard, deter
d mined face leaning over the sleeping child
a denying him the weaker woman sanction
y ing the deceit, but falling senseless in tn
room. / understand now the disappoint
: ment that had greeted the tidings that tn
/. child was neither dead nor dying, but recov
d ering. 1t was all clear to me now, but
d shuddered as l recalled the mothers fac
: when she confessed she had contemplate
: suicide rather than bear her widowed child
j. less lot.
: We could never tell whether the unnatu
raj grandmother and aunt would have riske
n a legal investigation. The recognition {
If mother and child was complete, and tn
!, clothing we had carefully preserved was flu
|, ly identified. Mrs. West did not return t
o her mother-in-law. For some weeks sh
t was my mothers guest and my patient, bs
:, ing prostrated with a low, nervous fever, an
then she took the house next to our owl
ir her own claim and Freddes to CARR
8 Vests property being undisputed.
i We were warm friends for two years, an
Mrs. West senior, with the beautiful blond
n were occasional visitors at the widow
m house but when the violet and white too
J. the place of Grape and bombazine, / ventu
r. ed to ask Adelaide West if second 10,
8. could comfort her for the one she had los
and my mother became Freddie's gran,
lie mother in truth, when his "pretty msmms
II became my wife.
Mrs. West is dead, and Lucy married to
ID titled Italian. who admired her blonde bea
in ty, but, unlike many of his compatriots, fin
the lovely lady fully able to take care of h
" own interests, and guard her money again
his profuse expenditure.
Other children call me papa, and Adelai
mamma, but l do not. think / give any
a them a warmer or huer love than feel 1
Freddie, who was Lost and Found"