Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-03

never far away from her husband and
Dana.
The day was intolerably hot. Mad
anne Harrington and Miss Power both
withdrew 10 refresh themselves with a
mid-afternoon nap. Lex and Dana
sought shady nook in the garden, MIR.
Killuth and Mr.. Oliphant occupied cane
rockers on the verandah, and the mis-
t-ess Of the drawing-room disappeared
TO be seen no more until the dinner
hour.
And meanwhile Launt harrington had
followed that first irresistible impulse
which came to him. In the early morn
ing he made his way % the address,
which hc remembered, Of Mrs. Viola
Hickett. In sqtalid neighborhoOd. in
a rickety tenement, in n dingy sky-par-
Tor Of the same. where the morning
sunshine pierced through grimy panes,
he found the One-time nurse, a sharp
featured woman of forty or more years.
He began without prelude:
You were once, think, in the en-
ploy Of Mrs. Oliphant."
mo. sir. wasn't never in the en-
ploy Of Mrs. Oliphant."
The Hat contradiction staggered him
for one instant; but there was some
thing sullen in tbcswOman' tone, some
thing not quite sincere in the yellow
CLEAN Of her cat-like eyes-greedy eyes,
they looked 10 be-and he changed his
method accordingly.
Il have come 20 inquire into the cir
cumstancss Of her adoption of the child
| will pay literally LSr any important
information which you may be able to
give me. have seen the letter you
wrote her recently; know, in spite of
all you may say, that you can tell me
what wish TO learn"
A change. baiilcd and disappointed.
crossed the wOman's fac.
You've seen it, she said. slowly.
"Then / reckon she don't low TO pay
any attention TO me. Thcrc'd ought to
been n answer yesterday, and il didn't
come. What do ySu want To know, an
what'll you give for KNOWN itP''
A sick loathing Of himself and the
part be was taking went over Launt.
but there was no turning back now. A
bargain was made. one which brought
satisfaction 10 Mrs. Ilickett's sordid
soul.
Hes another sort from the mean
screw what was here before" she told
herself "He got il all out Of me for
ten dOllars-ten miserable dollars afore
he ever breathcd about the forth or
that hcy'd come back"
TEL me all you know" Launt COM
mandcd. Tell mo, first, who was
that childg'
"Shc's the hcireSs, rs surc's you re
alive, said Mrs. Hickctt, confidently.
" MIR. Rodney Frances heircss, the lit
tie girl what was born four months
after he was hung"
IL was out; the worst he could posi-
bly, fear was told. Rodney France $
child! Mignon Almont's daughter! A
groan, of anguish or of horror, rose to
his lips. but he kept it back.
81 told you / never worked for Mrs.
Oliphant, nor no more did /. but l was
nurse-maid and kitchen-girl both i'm one
for Mrs. France. II was at n place on
the Hudson, and I'd worked for the two
OF 'em-him and her, YOU know-when
they lived there aforc. Her father
brought her back there and left her after
he'd been hung. The little Girl was
born there. and the dOctorwhat tended
tn her is alive vet, and can BE- n witness
II I'm not enough. | mind that he said
sort of laughing once when he looked
ut the mark: Il can swear to this little
'un fifty years from now if it ; necessary
to do So
IL knowed all about Miss Rose
Sangerford takin' the baby. They never
told me about it. exactly, hut Lor'!
people talk atOre servants as if they was
sticks. knowed all about how she'd
made il up with her beau to marry
him if he'd let her adopt the child.
Mrs. France went away rs soon as
they got il all fixed, and kept the baby
for the matter of month or two, till the
wcdd.n' was over Then went down
to New York. and fixed il with the Ger
man girl Ia take baby aboard ship and
give her TO Mrs. Oliphant. me a per-
tendin' to leave on the train, hut really
goin down To the wharf in n cab TO see
that it was all done right.
II never knowed ANYTHING more
about them till week ago. and then n
lawyer chap came askin' lots more
questions nor YOU have. and found they
were back with the baby grow,d up TO
be- young lady, and IRE had a hard
life of il, and thought mcbbe I'd get
something by writin' to Mss Rose"
Mrs. Ilickett stopped, with cloud on
her face. She felt that she had been
over-reached by the lawyer chap"
cheated out Of the full worth Of the
secret she held.
There was still one thing more on the
young mans mind.
"What became IL Mrs. Francea"
81 never knowcd. and don't know
now. But sOmeway / rather think that
the lawyer do. He had so much To- say.
wanting to know If | minded how she
looked, II | thought I'd know her if I'd
see her now. il | ever thought She went
away with the Oliphants. what she
done, and what she said and how she
acted, morc'n ] can mind ~ tell YOU. /
asked him plump out if she were Twin
yet,and he said to the best IF his knowl-
edge and belief she were. But he
wouldn't say no more"
IL was enough. Living or dead. IL
was all one TO him. He went out into
the garish sunshine with an intolerance
Tor the brightness which filled the world.
He hal hours to wat, and nc passed
them in the streets, walking rs IL he
wanted Co get away from himself.
When the afternoon train arrived at
Shoreden, he alighted among the pas
scngcrs. and rs he was leaving the plat
form. found himself face to face with
Mrs. Oliphant.
Yelled, and plainly dressed. she had
left the cottage unperceived and walked
through the hot glare over the dusty
road to the village station. She had
seen Launt before he caught sight of
her. and one long. earnest look had told
her what she feared To know.
II thought you would come by this
train. Mr.. Harrington. Can l see yod
for five minutes before you 60? We
will be quite alone If we walk down TO
the beach. There is no use asking if
Mrs. Hickett spoke-I see that she did
! have only to ask, what do you intend
to do?"
''What can / debut break Dana's
heart and mine. God help us both"
IA I. Il