San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-08-17

Yes, she replied, opening It ana
holding it out 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 your he said. Except
ing me, that is all you have in the wide
world"
They seemed to forget all about me:
she chung to him, and he kissed her face
until thought he would never give
over.
How lovely you were when | found
you, Frances he said. do you re-
member the evening-yOu were bending
over the chrysanthemums?n
II shall forget my own life and my
own soul before forget that" she re-
piled.
And said to myself: Even if my
suspicion be perfectly true, have | any
right to mar such love as that?' no
tiCed that during all the conversation
about the lOcket, she never once looked
at me.
We went to Vale ROYAL, and there
never was man so bewildcred as |. Lance
proposed that we should go visiting
with Mrs. Fleming.
Get your purse ready, john" he
said-''this visit will require a small
fortune"
II find the poor value kind words as
much as money" said the beautiful
woman.
"Then they must be'very disinterest-
ed" he said, laughingly-''I should pre-
fer money"
You are only testing, Lance" she
said.
1t was a pretty sight to see her 90 in
to those poor, little. dirty houses.
There was no pride. no patronage, no
cOndeScensiOn-Sh 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 to myself that
if | were a fashionable or titled lady,
this would be my favOTite relaxation
visiting and relieving the poor. never
saw so much happiness purchased by
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. FOrdE" 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 woman who had, | be-
lieved, murdered her own child.
Il am not tired. Mrs. Fleming, am
interested" said.
The little cottage, which stood In a
wild patch of garden, was inhabited by
h. l,1.
his wife sat at home nursing a little
babe, small, fair, tiny child, evidently
no more than three weeks old, dying
too, if one could Judge from the face.
She bent over it, - the beautiful,
graceful woman who was Iance'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 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.
'EDoes it suffer much.'' she asked, in
her sweet, compassionate voice.
1T did, ma am" replied the mother,
but have given it something to keep
it quiet"
''Do you mean to say that you have
drugged it?' asked Mrs. Fleming.
"Only little cordial, ma am, replied
the mother, nothing more; it keeps it
sleeping, and when it sleeps it does not
suffer-"
She shook her beautiful head.
1T is bad practice, - she said; more
babies are killed by drugs than die
natural death
Twas 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 a 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; II do not
understand such things"
What can it matter" | said, "wheth-
er little child like this dies conscious
or not? 1t cannot pray,-it must go
straight to Ileayenl DO you not think
anyone who loved it, and had to see it
die, would think it greatest kindness to
drug it2"
My eyes held hers; | would not lose
their glance; she could not take them
away. saw the fear leap into them,
then die away: she was saying to her.
self, what could know
But knew. remembered what the
doctor said in Brighton when the in
quest was held on the tiny white body,
''that it had been mercifully drugged
before it was drowned
II cannot tell" she replied, with a
gentle shake of the head. IL only know
that unfortunately the poor people use
these kind of cordials too readily. |
should not like to decide whether in
case like this it is true kindness or not
What a pretty child, Mrs. Ford;
what a pity that it must diel"
Could it be that she who bent with
such loving care over this little stranger,
who touched its tiny face with her deli
cate lips, who held it, Graded it in her
soft arms, was the same desperate wOm-
an who had thrown her child into the
sea?
CHAPTER TX.