The Morning herald., 1877-10-29

his home last nlght?" and Margar
family answered that he did not. ,5ar
Gresham next asked if Adam Burford
had the means, and was in the habit Of
entering this house by night, without
arousing his wife.
And now Margaret gave an affirmative
reply:
"It is he, then, who has again possessed
himself Of Arthur" Gresham said, and
Margaret dropped her head and did not
speak. ...
"oh the villain has killed my darling
boy !" wept Rosalie.
"No-no, he would not dare to do that !"
urged Greshamj che has been employed by
Mistress Camelford to remove Arthur be-
yond our reach, but not to slay him, am
convinced Of that; the attempt now to de-
stroy our son, would be to hazardous even
for your cousin, daring and reckless
in her atrocity as she has proved her.
self.' -,
And those words were gleam Of comfort
to Rosalie's heart, for they had brought con-
yiction to her mind, that Arthur had not
ceased to exist, and soon her cousin would
be able, and would now be willing too, to
say what had become Of Rosalie's son, and
would cause him to be restored again to
Ills mothers arms.
And so, as Gresham hurried away to en-
,loy agents who would endeavor to trace,
and to recover tile stolen boy, Rosalia flew
to her cousins chamber, aud her heart col
lapsed, for they told her that Mistress
Camelford could not long survive a raging
fever was fast consuming her, and she was
delirious and raving Of the past, and some
times muttering, sometimes screaming forth
with peals Of wild laughter, words which
thrilled with horror those who were beside
her couch, and so compelled to listen.
Throughout that day, and the night that
followed it, Rosahe quilted not her cousins
side. continued listening to her cousins
rIvings with tie hope that midst them she
would speak of Arthur, would give some in.
Iioation by which he might be followed and
brought buck to his poor, almost heNu'
broken mcyller.
But in Mistress Camelford'e delirium,
Arthur se.nned not for single moment to
hold plaM in her disordered thoughts, no
word Of him, no allusion to Rosale's poor
boy.
Entirely exhausted by her long vigil, her
heart filled with despair, Rosalie had, at
length, quilted the chamber OF her wicked
cousin, and was on the way to her own
apartments, when, as she entered one of the
corridors, a door at its opposite end flew
suddenly open, and Rosalie looked again
upon her son, and he N her. .
Rosaie, struck motionless with surprise
and delight, sent forth a loud, joyful cry, and
Arthur, bounding towards her eagerly, and
with extended arms, anxious to embrace
her, shrieked out:
"Mother!'
And then, he too, stood still, and placed
his hands upon his throat, whiting with
the violent pain which there was torturing
him, again streve to speak, but could not,
and sank to the ground exhausted.
His mother knelt beside him, and enfold-
ed him within her arms.
"0h that effort has crushed him !" Ro-
sslie cried, contemplating Arthur with
great alright.
But it was not so, for presently the boy,
opening again his eyes, endeavored to sm1io
as he clung around his mother.
Again he essayed to speak, and could
not, and as before, carried his hands to his
throat, and writhed with the pain which
an attempt to utter second word, had cost
him.
"Oh desist, dear Arthur, desist!" !" cried
Rosalie, can overwhelming terror first de-
privel you Of your speech, a mighty Joy has
now as certainly restored it to you-bur
make no further effort now; wait patiently
with the blest assurance that you are no
longer poor dumb boy y
And the result was, ultimately, as Rosalio
had now predicted.
In time, and by slow degrees, Arthur re-
gained his full speech; at first his words
were disioined and unconnected, like to
child's earliest utterances, but at length
that struggling hesitation Left him, and he
could speak smoothly and Auently.
What had befallen him, since two days
before, when he had parted with his moth
er, Arthur wrote when Rosaie had taken
him to her apartments.
A rough hand laid upon him had startled
him suddenly from his sleep, and the moon
light, which was streaming into his cham
ber, had shown him Adam Burford standing
beside the bed, and in his hand knife, the
point Of which was directed threateningly
towards the boys throat.
Arthur, Notwithstanding, strove TO utter
some sort of cry, for he knew that the
slightest sound would have reached Mar
garet's ear; but most perfectly mute was
he then-not the faintest cry was he able
to produce-a strange, unaccountable ter
ror, far beyond that which the peril Of that
moment would have occasioned him, seized
upon him as he looked into Burford's face,
which it seemed to him had before con-
fronted him with the same menacing and !
hideous aspect. ..gj....
He was snatched from his bed, the knife
held threateningly over his head, was made
to hurry on his clothes, and was then forced