Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-02-26

Now, that her hand was forced, now that the
guarded secret of her life was wrcsted from
her, she seemed To speak like one who, having
told the worst, cares little what follows.
/ Save myself AMI one other no ono knows
| of its birth. | loved it and loar,d to havo
! it ever v tn me. But for years ] scarcely
! dared to see it, Then came a chance. ]
! schcmel SO that it might come TO Inc III | be
/ always with me, aid yet no ona Ii al know
| it was my ve~y own. | injured 70 one by SO
ding. | hal M child AMI cou'd love it AID
| care for it. l vas all bus happy. AID nov.
/ for what can be Of no bon fit to yol, YOU
/ will force me t, tell my til, to Tie W, IL CT
pert with my ch..d. y tyuu arc oman.
an must Ave womal'S leIrt,'
she loonol at Ms Rawlings und saw tina:
tears were in her eyes.
Il believe you nra kind" co-;hucl D.a-
/ trice in u softer voice. "Nou h1v3 f., sol
! no to tell you al. But b,iicyo Nou vii
lie p my secret al bel mo t. 4a pi..' So
id MT mean II sue, nevertheless there was
an inplurrg touo in her vote. NJ. Ri.Y-
In;' claspe1 her plump hands to-. tho; thu
tra"S streamed down her checks. IN 5, ito 81
years of practice in plating up those mystic
.'us white integuments whose fancifui
.!rpes adon shops where pork is sold, the
y,. thy woman wa still humane a. heart
vi, ny ltl'l JOttIlS lazy NJ i)NNl young
lady,n she cried You SO young, so proud
looking, so beautiflIl To be led astlayi Oh
dear! oh dearl What villains men are, botl
high and low"
Miss Clauson flushed to the roots of her
hair. Sh, seemed about to speak, but checked
herself. you are satisfied nowl I" She n Skcj
after a pause
''Oh, yes, miss. Oh, ain so sorry for you.
You were right to trust me. Not a word
shall pass my lips"
But your husbandf'
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear! l must do the best
can must tell Kim it is not ours. He will
be so unhappy. He's good man and a kind
husband, but rather excitable. assure you,
miss, he was July convinced that sweet little
boy was his. own wasn't, hut l humored
ann, ST eng the thought made him so happy.
Anyway L would have loved the boy like
my own. Now promise You there shall he
no more trouble But my poor man, he will
be disappointed"
"Will any sum of money" BEGAN Bca-
trice rather tindly.
"Oh, no, miss. Although Raw iings has
neglected business droadiully for the last
two years, and his brother is grurbling, we
are fairly wol-to-do people with tidy lit
saved. Oh, no, my man is single-ryei. H
only wanted Lis boy
"How was your child lost'' asked Bea-
trice.
Mrs. Rawlings looked rather confused.
II can't help believing mis-. that the poor
little fellow was drowned and never found.
But Rawlings he won't have il so. lie saws
he was stolen and we shall find him some
day
After this Mss Clauson thanked her hostes3
with grave Gi nifty. Then she dr, ped her
veil and a'eIded by Mrs Rawlings Went
back to the cab ard Sylvanu3. She hal
gained Ter end but at price only lnown t.
herself. What it had cost her to revc:l the
secret OF her lifo to that strange woman can
scarcely he over estimated. Such was her
icoling OF degradation that she almost wished
tAat her unces had been in the room when
-'..t""'ay she went with the child in her
I.-i to tell them hat she had to-day told
Mrs. Rawlings. "And after all" she mur-
..:IYel V h bitter smile on her face. sit is
.taV'"g eff the crash which must come
r-n-r e. la.er." Here she he'd involun-
...:-... -, Hos quick ear caught the sound.
w. '..l:n5 IN! leasant happened, | hope" h
re'..l.
"-i5 shes was not Of the pleasantest
''.-. ]! g. accomplished it successfully
r -ol I'ot;ica.
eiilo more. By her desire She was
- i at one Of the prinCip pal shops in
at.::uN-H, an emporium of articles Of femi-
...:., rop.l into which Mordle could not VEN
ire to a ,..apany her. She thanked him
a" lis services, and lie knew that those
. mis- Wore Gi.missal He strobe hack to
}c,;' "; oli;:;g very THOUGHTFUL; indeed it
80 = Il. up,il lie was well into his own arish
;.aU Re remembered the necessity Of RESUME
ing lis u.ral cheerful air. at M { have
b "a ch9ri,ablc,' he muttered. But why
tie sccrlc,; WY the Cat and Com
pa.snst"
Saturday came. All that morning, the
busiest Of the week, Horace and Herbert
| we're iidgr'y and uncomfortable. Long be
lore te hour fixed by Mcssr5. Bgei:ett q
Wiggen5 Tor the appearance Of their client :
earria.c the brothers We're glancing down
, tho drive. Miss Ci9uson, however, appeared
calm AM at her ease. Her woman's instinct
told lnr that all danger from the claimants
was at an end. About o'clock Horace
turned to her "My dear he said. has
! Ms. Her made any preparation for the
{ ch;lIs dtplrture:"
None whatever. He will not be sent for
{ Il was but an idle threat
II race AID Herbert exchanged chances.
rAcy In it was no idle threat, but they
, little knew how the fultllment hal been
/ av.rted.
r Three o'clock came-four-sve o'clocl;
but La carriage, no Rawlings, no Backett
4 no " is=c-,s Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
passed ~ ithout any sign or manifestation o.
i hostility, Tho ralberts were then bound tc
Q confess that their niece had Judged Alright.
beatrice appears to be remarkably clear
r sighted said Horace.
s 'Remarkchly SO, answered Herbert.
a But had Sylyanus Mordle, who spent thu
evening with them, committed n breach Q
I faith and mentioned his excursion with Mis-
Y C-ausOn. the brothers might have suspected
. they had credited their niece with a quality
O 20 which she had no title.
CHAPTER XVIII.