Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-08-07

long-lost lambl Come to me and give me
one kiss! Come to your father!'
He shot out his arms so vehemently that
Harry was frightened, and instead of accept
ing the invitation ran to Herbert, and hiding
his face against his leg set up howl, which
brought in Mrs. Miller, who at once whipped
him away. She had strict instructions from
Beatrice never to let the child become a nui-
sance Horace and Herbert, with arched eye
brows, sat staring at their visitors
eve may take our little boy back with us
at once, sir-may we mott" asked Rawlings.
'sCertainly not" said Horace. 'You have
not given us the slightest proof it is your
child"
'But it is, sir. know, and Maria knows
! it is"
''Tell us how it came here. Until you can
| do that we cannot admit your claim for an
instant. 1t is absurd-you must be mis-
taken"
''Absurdr' echoed Herbert.
s'Tell me whose child it is, if it isn't mine?"
retorted the man. "Do that and I will go
away. don't care how it came here I know
| it. recognize it. 1t is my poor lost little
| boy, and will have it."
The man grew more excited than before.
Horace was intensely annoyed. He turned to
| the woman. 'eYou seem to have some sense"
| he said; edo you claim this childs'
She glanced at her husband and tears
sprang into her eyes. eyes, sir" she said,
IT believe it is my child" The situation
| grew worse and worse. 1t was well for the
boy that he had made such friends of Horace
and Herbert or he must have been sacrificed
| forthwith, if only to rid the house of his
self-styled father and mother.
| AS it was the Talberts temporized; they
tod 10
! lays, and let Mr.. Rawlings know the decision
1 5hey might come to- Mr.. Rawlings wrote on
1 his business card the name of a hotel at
| which he was staying, and having again and
| again asserted that he would not be robbed
| of his rebound son, at last to the unspeak-
| able relief of our friends, drove away in his
gig.
| Never had Horace and Herbert been placed
| in such difficulty. They sat stroking their
| boards for at least half an hour, but could
| see no way out of it. The arrival Of the
| child on that evening of last year was as
| nothing compared to the present dilemma.
| Then, had they chosen to use it, there was at
| least short cut out of the difficulty; now
| there was none. The more they thought the
more improbable it seemed that these people
| could be the parents of the boy. And yet
| the man at least asserted that it was so, as if
the matter was beyond doubt. The belief
that the child was 'some one's' child still
chung to both Horace and Herbert. 1t
| seemed, moreover, an absolute insult that
| the child of such persons as Mr.. and Mrs.
| Rawlings should have been sent to Halle
wood House. Why should they have been
| chosen out of all the world to have this
child foisted upon them? Why did not the
unknown sender return it to its rightful
| Tho 1Ubn1o claim q r,,icta 10
whether willful or accidental, it was mis-
take. Fond as they had really grown of the
! little boy the Talberts were far too just to
think of wishing to keep him from his legiti-
| mate owners; but they had no intention Of
| surrendering him to the first claimant.
| Besides. what about Beatrice? what would
she say? Beatrice, to whom the child seemed
as the apple of her eye Bitterly they blamed
| themselves for ever having yielded to her
request that she might keep the founding.
But what was done was done, and could not
now be helped.
Horace wrote to Beatrice by the next post.
He told her that some sSs,,o,e ,,ee19'afdl
and claimed her boy. /The Who Vim and =
said, was a great puzzle 70 their De-
| Herbert. They had detei screa Deis1on
for a few days. If possible they would do
nothing until her return.
Beatrice was alone when she read that let
ter. She turned deadly pale and seemed to
gasp for breath. Then she rang the bell and
ordered her things to be packed. At break.
fast she quietly told Lady Clauson that she
found she must return to Blacktown by the
next train. She gave no reason for this alb
| rupt departure, and her sudden determine
ton annoyed Lady Clauson immensely. Sir
Maingay said nothing His daughter had
long ago shown him she was entire mistress
of her own actions.
'Mark my words,' said Lady Clauson as
soon as Beatrice had departed; ''that girl
will some day do something which will dis
grace the family"
ooh, nonsense, my love-" said Sir Maingay,
who had now been married long enough to
find out that his beautiful wife was not all
his fancy had once painted her.
Beatrice reached Lakewood House quite
unexpected. The Talberts were out, so the
girl ran straight to the nursery. "Where is
my boyer she cried, so vehemently that she
startled Mrs. Miller who knew nothing of
the purport of the visit paid yesterday. The
boy was there all safe, and Miss Clauson,
without removing her outdoor garments,
Rugged and caressed her pet until she was
told that her uncles had come in. She went
to them at once They greeted her in
establishment.
''What have you done about those wretched
people?'. she asked quickly. ''The people
who claim my boy, mean"
"My dear, we have done nothing as yet y
''You will not dream of giving him ups'
II hope we shall not be obliged tor
''Listen, Uncle Horace" her cheek flushed
as she spoke. II will give him up to no one
no one at ALL"
IT am sure, my dear Beatrice, you will be
entirely guided by us, said Horace
s'Of course she will, said Herbert, kindly.
They must have been sanguine men, as the
set of Miss Clausons brow did not promise
well for her submitting to guidance of any
kind.
81 shall never give up that boy" she
said in firm voice, until the person who
claims it gives every proof that it is his.
would rather run away with him and hide
myself"
Horace looked extremely shocked ''My
dear Beatrice" he said, 'it grieves us botl
to hear you talk so wildly. The child is q
very nice child, but you speak of it as if ii
were of our own flesh and blood.''
Beatric did not reply to this; but the up,
shot was that the Talberts promised to write
to Mr.. Rawlings and say that they held his
recognition of child not seen for more thar
two years insufficient proof that it was his
own, and in the absence of further evidence
declined to entertain his claim. After this
Beatrice left them, and for some time they
mourned over this new and startling phase
of demonstrativeness displayed by one OF
their own kim
Two mornings afterwards Horace opened
letter addressed to him in clerkly writing.
He read it and it seemed as. if his jaw was
about to fall. In silence he handed the letter
to Herbert. Herbert read it, and his face
reflected his brothers emotion. One glance
passed between them and they knew that
they were of one mind. Horace turned to
Beatrice.
Beatrice, he said in voice solemn as the
grave, and in manner decisive as the laws
of the Modes and Persians, THAT child must
be given up"
She started, but before she could speak she
heard Herbert's echo, equally solemn and
decisive: Beatrice, that child must be given
up
CHAPTER XVI.
| A TAME SURRENDER
This is a true copy of the letter which fell
like a bombshell between the gentle and
peace-loving Talberts:
err ,ACKTOwN Dap 81 10 ~ +bo