The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-07-27


After her first startled look. that first
gasping cry, Mrs. Oliphant was still.
She asked no questions of her niece.
Launt had seen this letter and had gone
to the city-that was enough.
She kept her room until luncheon.
When she came down every one looked
at her in amazement. The bright gold
of her abundant hair had been washed
away; snow-white as the hair of eighty
it crowned her head, yet strange to say,
she looked more youthful, more fair
than she had done before.
'Ihave put away that sham forever"
she said in answer to their surprise;
''that and all other shams."
The cloud which had hung over her
was gone for that day. She was bright,
gracious. attentive to her guests, yet
never far away from her husband and
Dana.
The day was intolerably hot. Mad
anne Harrington and Miss Power both
withdrew to refresh themselves with a
mid-afternoon nap. Lex and Dana
sought shady nook in the garden, Mr..
Killuth and Mr.. Oliphant occupied cane
rockers on the verandah, and the mis-
tress of the drawing-room disappeared
to be seen no more until the dinner
hour.
followed that first irresistible impulse
which came to him. In the early morn
ing he made his way to the address,
which he remembered, of Mrs. Viola
Hickett. In q squalid neighborhood. in
rickety tenement, in a dingy sky-par-
lor 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-
plov of Mrs. Oliphant."
mo. sir. l wasn't never in the en-
ploy of Mrs. Oliphant-"
The flat contradiction staggered him
for one instant; but there was some
thing sullen in the woman tone, some
thing not quite sincere in the yellow
CLEAN of her cat-like eyes-greedy eyes,
they looked to be-and he changed his
method accordingly.
Il have come to inquire INTO the cir
cumstances of her adoption of the child.
l will pay literally for any important
information which you may be able to
give me. l 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, baffied and disappointed.
crossed the woman's face.
you've seen it" she said, slowly.
Then | reckon she don't low to pay
any attention to me. There'd ought to
been a answer yesterday, and it didn't
come What do you want to know, an
what'll you give for KNOWN it?''
A sick loathing of himself and the
part he was taking went over Launt.
but there was no turning back now. A
bargain was made, one which brought
satisfaction to Mrs. Hickett's sordid
soul.
Hes another sort from the mean
screw what was here BEFORE she told
herself. He got it all out of me for
ten dollars-ten miserable dollars afore
he ever breathed about the forth or
that they'd come back"
Tell me all you know" Launt COM
manded. Tell me, first, who was
that child?'
s.She's the heiress, as sure's you're
alive" said Mrs. Hickett, confidently.
a" Mr.. Rodney Frances heiress, the lit
tie girl what was born four months
after he was hung"
1t was out; the worst he could posi-
bly, fear was told. Rodney Frances
child! Mignon Almont's daughter! A
IS Is
his lips, but he kept it back.
II told you never worked for Mrs.
Oliphant, nor no more did /, but l was
and kitchen-girl both in one
for Mrs. France. 1t was at a place on
the Hudson, and I'd worked for the two
of 'em-him and her, you know-when
they lived there afore. Her father
brought her back there and left her after
he'd been hung. The little girl was
born there, and the doctor what tended
to her is alive vet, and can be witness
if I'm not enough. mind that he said
sort of laughing once when he looked
at the mark: L can swear to this little
'un fifty years from now if it's necessary
to do So
Il knowed all about Miss Bose
takin' the baby They never
told me about it, exactly, but Lor'!
people talk afore servants as if they was
sticks. knowed all about how she'd
made it up with her beau to marry
him if he'd let her adopt the child
Mrs. France went away as soon as
they got it all fixed, and kept the baby
for the matter of month or two, till the
weddin' was over. Then l went down
to New York, and fixed it with the Ger
man girl to take baby aboard ship and
give her to Mrs. Oliphant. me per-
tendin' TO leave on the train, but really
goin' down TO the wharf in cab to see
that it was all done right.
Il never knowed anything more
about them till week ago, and then a
lawyer chap came aSkin' lots more
questions nor you have, and found they
were back with the baby growed up to
be a young lady, and Ire had hard
life of it, and thought mebbe I'd get
by writin' to Miss Rose"
Mrs. Hickett stopped. with cloud on
her face. She felt that she had been
Dver-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 of Mrs. France?"
81 nevez knowed, and don't know /
now. But someway l rather think that |
the lawyer do. He had so much to say, I
wanting TO know if l minded how she /
looked, if l thought I'd know her if I'd |
see her now, if l ever thought she went |
away with the ELEPHANTS. what she
lone, and what she said and how she |
acted. more'n ] can mind To tell YOU / |
asked him plump out if she We're livin'