The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-07-01

! SAID, 'Nnu The woman who could de"
coive him oNpht Ia he shot"
"What woman would deceive himy'
she asked, Hludeed, for that matter,
what woman couldy am his wife"
1T happens very often,"I said. try
ing 10 speak carelesSly, that good and
loyal men like Lance are most easily
deceived, =
1t should not be SO, she said. She
was startled again, could see il in her
face.
That same afternoon we drove into
Vale Royal. Mrs, Fleming had several
poor people whom she wished to see,
and some shopping To do.
lyon should take your locket Ia q
jewelers." ! said, and have the spring
secured
"What locket is thatg" asked Lance,
looking up eagerly from his paper.
Mine she replied - "this." She
held il out for his inspection. II near.
" lost il this morning. she said; III
fell from my neck
lis II the one that holds your sisters
hairy" he asked.
Yes she replied, opening il and
holding il cut for him TO see.
What nerve she had, if this WAS what
| imagined, the hair of the little dead
child Loving Lance rose from his
chair to kiss her,
You would not like to lose that my
darling, would you?N he said. Except
ing me, that is all YOU have in the wide
world
They seemed To forget all about me;
| she chmg 10 him, and he kissed her face
until thought he would never give
over.
How lovely YOU were when found
you, Frances he said, DO ,yon re-
| member the evening-you were behulng
| over the chrySanthemUmSE
= shall forget my own life ana my
own soul before forget that, she re-
piled.
And | said to myself Even if my
suspicion lie perfectly true, have | any
right to mar such love rs thatr' no
tiCcd that during all the conversation
about the locket, she never once looked
| at me.
We went to Vale Royal, and there
never waSman So bewildcred as l., Lance
proposed that we should go visiting
with Mrs. Fleming.
Get your purse ready, john" he
said-"tAis visit will require small
fortune
Il lind the poor value kind words as
much as money!" said the beautiful
woman.
Then they must be very dsinterest-
ed. he said, laughingly-"l should pre-
fer money"
You are only jeSting, Lance" she
said.
1t was a pretty sight to see her 40 in
to those poor, little. dirty houses.
There was no pride, no patronage, no
cOndescenSion-She was simply sweet
and natural: she listened to their COM
plants. gave them comfort, and reliev-
ed their wants AS | watched her, |
could not help thinking 10 myself that
if | were fashionable or titled lady,
this would be my favorite relaxation
visiting and relieving the poor. | never
saw so much happiness purchased by a
few pounds. We came TO little cot
tage that stood by itself in garden.
Are you growing tired?' she asked
of her husband.
II never tire with you, " he replied.
And you, Mr.. Ford?n she asked.
She never overlooked or forgot me,
but studied my comfort on every occa-
sion. could have told her that | was
watching what was to me a perfect
problem-the kindly, gentle, plying
deeds of a woman who had, | be-
lieved, murdered her own child,
81 am not tired, Mrs. Fleming, | am
interested" said.
The little cottage, which stood in a
wild patch of garden, was inhabited by
a day-laborer. He was away at work;
his wife sat at home nursing a little
babe, a small, fair, tiny child, evidently
no more than three weeks old, dying
too, if one could Judge from the face.
She bent over il, 49, the beautiful,
graceful woman who was Lance's wife
All, Heaven the change that came over
her, the passion Of mother love that
came into her face; she was trans
formed.
LET me hold the little one for you
she said while you rest for few min
utes;' and the poor young mother CRATE
fully accepted the offer.
What a picture she made in the
gloomy little room Of the cottage, her
beautiful face and shining hair, her
rich dress sweeping the ground, and the
tiny white child lying in her arms.
docs it suffer muchY" she asked, in
her sweet, compassionate voice.
ut did, ma'am, replied the mother,
but | have given it something to keep
it quiet."
"DO you mean to say that you have
drugged itYn asked Mrs. Fleming.
"Only little cordial, ma'am, replied
the mother, nothing more; 1t keeps it
sleeping, and when it sleeps it does not
suffer"
She shook her beautiful head.
ut is bad practice, y she said; more
babies are killed by drugs than die a
natural death"
was determined she shonld look at
me; ! stepped forward and touched the
child's face.
"Do you not think it is merciful at
times to give child like this drugs
when it has to die; to lessen the pain OF
death-to keep it from crying out?"
All, me, that. startled fear that leap
ed into her eyes, the sudden culver on
the beautiful face.
II do not know" she said; W do not
understand such things"
What can II matter" said, "wheth.
err a little child like this dies conscious
or notY II cannot pray, it must "
straight to lleaVenl DO you not think
anyone who loved 1t, and had TO see i,
die, would think II greatest kindness Il
drug itY'