Omaha daily bee., 1885-08-29

"Certainly not" said Horace. "You hay
not given us the slightest proof it is You
child"
'But it is, sir. know, and Maria know
It Is"
"Tell us how 1t came here. Until YOU ca,
do that we cannot admit your claim for a
instant. 1t is absurd-you must be mis-
taken"
"Absurdr' echoed Herbert.
"Tell me whose child it is, il It isn't mine9
retorted the man. ID that and 1 will &,
away. l don't care how it came here. Iknov
Il. I~recognize it. 1t is my poor los it'll
boy, and l will nave It,"
The man grew more excited than before
Horace was intensely annoyed. He turned 3,
| the woman. "Youseem to have some sense.
he said; ''do you claim this childr'
She glanced at her husband and tear
sprang into her eyes. eyes, SIR she said
~ believe it is my child.n The situation
| grew worse and worse. 1t was well for tn,
boy that he had made such friends of Horact
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
promised to consider the matter for a few
days, and let Mr.. Rawlings know the decision
they might come to. MI. Rawlings wrote or
his business card the name of q hotel al
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 a 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 q short cut out Of the difficulty; now
there was noae. The more they thought the
moro 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 il
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 thema Why did not the
unknown sender return it to its rightful
home? The whole claim was a mistake
whether willful or accidental, it was a 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
s~urrendering him to the first claimant.
Besides, what about Beatrice? what would
she say9 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.
what was lone was done, and could not
now be helped.
Horace wrote to Beatrice by the next post.
He told her hat some persons had called
and claimed her boy. The whole thing, ho
said, was a great puzzle to him and to
Herbert. They had deferred their decision
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 ard
ordered her things to be packed. At break.
fast she quietly told Lady Clauson that she
found she must return to Blacktown by the
mex 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 Yves entire mistress
of her own actions.
"Mark my Words y said Lady Clauson as
soon as Beatrice had departed; ''that girl
will some day do something which will dis
grace the family"
"Oh, nonsense, my love-" said Sir Maingay,
who had now been married long enough to
find out hat 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 boyY 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.
peopleg' she asked quickly. 'The people
who claim my boy, Imean."
"My dear, We have done nothing as yet"
"You will not dream of giving him upq'
81 hope we shall not be obliged to-"
'Listen, Uncle Horace" her cheek flushed
as she spoke. II will give him up to no one
no one at ALL"
81 am sure, my dear Beatrice, you will be
entirely guided by us, said Horace.
."Of course she will, !" said Herbert, kindly.
They must have been s~anguine men, as the
set Of Miss Clauson's brow did not promise
well for her submitting to guidance Of any
kind.
81 shall never give up that boy" she
said in a firm voice, ''until the person who
claims it gives every proof that it is his. ]
would rather u away with him and hide
myself"
Horace looked extremely shocked. "My
dear Beatrice" he said, lit grieves us botl |
to hear you talk so wildly. The child is q
very nice child, but you speak of it as if i!
were of our own flesh and blood"
Beatrice 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 a child not seen for more than
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, end for some time they |
mourned over this new and startling phase
Of demonstrativeness displayed by one OF
their own kin.
Two mornings afterwards Horace opened
a letter addressed to him in clerkly writing. |
lie read it and it seemed as if his jaw was
about to fall. In silence he handed tho 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 a voice solemn as the
grave, and in q manner decisive as the laws
the Modes and Persians, that child must
given up"
She started, but before she could speak she
heard Herbert's echo, equally solemn and
decisive: Beatrice, that child must be given
lp."