Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-11-13

For hours after he left the anteroom Boot.
les kept out OF every ones way-indeed until
Lacy came to tell him tLat Gilchrist was
dead. Then, 1t being close upon the hour OF
eleven, he went and knocked at the door Of
Mignon's nursery. The nurse opened it
few inches, and, seeing who it was, set il
open wide.
SIS Miss Mignon asleep2'' he asked
Eyes, sir; hours ago." the woman an.
swered.
He passed into the inner room where the
child was lying. A candle burned on
table beside the cot casting its light on the
fair baby face, now flushed in sleep, and on
the tangled golden curls. Both her arms
lay outside the elder coverlet, one hand
grasping the whip with which he had ridden
and that day, the other holding the
card of the races BOTTLES bent and scanned
her face closely, but not one trace could he
discern of likeness to the father-not one
and he drew deep breath of relief that it
was so.
Well he remembered Lacys puzzled
scrutiny of the year-old baby. ''There's
likeness, but I don't know where to plant
it." If there had been likeness to Gilchrist
then it had now passed. away; and as
Bottles satisfied himself that it was so, his
love for her, which during the last few hours
had hung trembling in the balance, though
he would hardly have ackno wledged it, even
to himself, reasserted itself, and rose up in
his heart stronger than ever. Just then she
moved uneasily in her sleep
''Lal, where is Bootles!' she asked Then,
after pause, ''Go5ted another headache?'
And an instant later, Miss Grace said
Mignon was to BE- gerry kind to Bottles"
BOTTLES bent down and kissed her and she
awoke.
"'Bootles," she said, in sleepy surprise;
then imperatively, Take me up"
So Boobies carried her to the fire in the
adjoining room, where the nurse was sewing
fresh frill of lace on the pretty velvet
frock, with its braidings of scarlet and gold,
which she had worn that day
''Lal said Mignon wasn't to go to Bottles"
she said reproachfully.
''Bootles has been bothered, Mignon,n he
answered
"Poor Bootles" stroking his cheek with
her soft hand 'tBootles was vexe1 Lal
said so. But not with Mignon. Mignon
told Lal so," confidently.
''Never with Mignon," answered BOTTLES,
resting his cheek against the tossed golden
curls, and feeling as if he had done this
faithful baby heart moral injustice by his
hours of anger and doubt.
by the nurse. 'Have you heard, sir, how
Mr. Gilchrist is?" she asked.
Bottles reused himself ''He is dead,
nurse. Died half an hour ago."
''Then, if you please, Sir" she asked, hest
tatingly, uni ght I ask if it is true about
Miss Mignon?'
eyes, it is true" his face darkening.
Because, sir, Miss Mignon should have
mourning" she began, when Bottles cut her
short.
81 shall not allow her to wear mourning
for Mr. Gilchrist," he said, curtly; so the
nurse dared say no more.
Three days later the funeral took place;
and if the facts of the dead mans having
acknowledged Miss Mignon as his child, and
having admitted to Bottles that he had
transferred her that night from his own
quarters to Bottles rooms, created sensa-
ton. it was nothing to the intense sur
prise caused by the will which was read, by
the dead mans desire, before all the officers
of the regiment.
In it he left his entire property to his
daughter Mary Gilchrist, now in the care
of Capt Ferrers, and commonly known as
Mignon, on condition that Capt Ferrers
consented to be her sole guardian and trustee
until she had attained the age of 81, or until
her marriage, provided it should be With
her guardians sanction, and on the express
understanding that Capt. Ferrers should not
give up the care of the child to her mother,
even temporarily. To his wife, Helen Gil
christ, a copy of this testament was to be
sent forthwith. Should any of the condi-
tons be violated, the whole property of
which he died possessed should go to his
cousin, Lucian Gavor Gilchrist; but if the
conditions be faithfully observed Capt Fer
how 49,
or all, of the income arising from the estate
for the use and maintenance of the said Mary
Gilchrist.
''Cwrazy" nurmured Lacy to Bottles
who listened in contemptuous silence, and
wondered in no small dismay what kind of a
life he should have if Mignon's mother chose
to make herself Objectionable
But the will was not crazy at all; far
from it. 1t was only a very cleverly thought
out plan for keeping mother and child apart
Boobies would take care not to endanger
Mignons Inheritance, and GiIchrist had
taken advantage of it to carry out his ami
mostly towards his wife to the bitter end.
But, of course there was one contingency
he had never thought of or provided for
It was less than week after Gilchrist's
death that BOTTLES received note by hand,
signed Helen Gilchrist.
''Already!n he groaned, impatiently.
inlay I trouble you to send the child to
see me for half an hour during this after
noon," she said, and that was all.
But Boobies did not see sending the child
to be quietly stolen away. He forgot quite
that since Gilchrist had not left his widow
farthing she would probably be now no bet
ter able to provide for the child than she had
been when compelled to cast her baby upon
the fathers mercy. Therefore, Immediately
after lunch, he drove down to the hotel from
which the note had been written. Yes: Mrs.
Gilchrist was within-this way. And then
then-Bootles, with the child fast holding
his hand, was shown into room, and there
they found-Miss Grace!