Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-26


Rosalind, girl OF perhaps 10 years. The
instant Frankland had closely scanned
the face of Rosalind Rtdgeley ne was
strongly attracted by her, as 1t may
indeed be added that the. instant be
looked into her mothers lace 1t repealed
him. So .-3,..t....-.
Rosalind was the very opposite OF her
mothers physical type. She had brown
eyes that seemed TO swim in tender light,
and features chiseled with classic
purity. Her chestnut hair broke in dense
and glossy waves over low brow aud
there was a sensitive mobility about the
lines Of her small mouth which gave 1t
the strongest feminine charm. Frank
land, as an artist, rapidly grew fascinated
by the melancholy little curve OF those
lips, whose transient smiles would seem
to struggle timidly against some furtlve
source Of mental sadness.
Mrs. Ridgeley, Rosslind's mother, had
a wiry figure and cold, almost colorless
face, lit by black eyes as restless as they
were keen. IL soon became evident to
Frankland that che possessed great infiu-
ence over Mrs. Eyerard. He had not been
a day in the home before that lady said to
him:
81 have become deeply attached to Mrs.
RIdgeley, Frankland. She is woman OF
great character and FORCE"
just the sort of woman to acquire
very strong influence" thought the
young man, ''over nature as yielding
and complainant as your own" But
aloud he said:
"She is the sister of your late husband.
believe you told me-"
Mrs. Everard nodded her head affirma-
lively. She had face tinted with that
peachy bloom which we sometimes see on
the cheeks of the old; and this coloring,
xrrst 1. tAa oily 4 fnn
her hair, gave her an actual beauty which
she had never till of late revealed. But
even in her attitudes and her motions you
saw signs of the weakness, the vacllla-
ton, the entire lack of self-reliance and
even of proper dignity which made her
at once the feeblest and most amlable OF
women.
eyes," Mrs. Everard now answered,
81 always knew of course, that my hus-
band had sister living IN l., not far
from Boston, but l never met her until
some little time after his DEATH"
''That is strange" said FARMLAND. 81
mean it Is strange that the news OF his
illness or even or his death should not
have brought her here"
"Oh, they had been separated so many
years, Cordelia and Simeon" said Mrs.
Everard. "And then Cordelia-Mrs.
Ridgeley, mean-was in delicate health
herself al L06 llmo UiCus
There had been quarrel between the
brother and sister," Mrs. Everard con-
tinued, in her half childish, meandering
manner. "Simeon never forgave her for
marrying as she did. For she did marry
| badly"
"Aud he left her nothing, l SUPPOSE"
said FARMLAND, somewhat musingly.
Mrs. Everard's rather plump body was
agitated by a slight start just here. NO."
she said: "a little c confuse dGy
tainlv have been provided for. l
believe my husband would have re-
membered her In his will If he had
known there was child, whether son or
daughter"
"And he did not know this fact replied
FARMLAND.
"No; he was quite ignorant of it.
But your mother must have known it,
although never heard her mention it at
ALL"
"My mother" exclaimed FARMLAND,
astonished.
Eyes: she and Cordelia knew each other
very we'll. Yourmother's people, as you're
aware, came from l.. Oh, I'd often
heard your mother speak of my hus-
bands sister, both before and after her
marriage"
FARMLAND could never, for the life of
him, afterward tell what there had been
about these very simple announcements
on the part Of Mrs. Everard that sowed in
him the seeds of a certain vague suspic-
ion. He subsequently reached the con-
clusion that such latent and almost
intuitive doubt as that which he now be-
gan to entertain had taken its origin from
one bit of intelligence alone; namely,
that has own late mother, although know
ing Mrs. Ridgeley very we'll indeed in
the past at L, had never mentioned
to Mrs. Everard that this lady had a
daughter.
FARMLAND, after little effort OF MEM
DRY, recalled being taken to l. as
very young boy. He had dim recollec-
tion visit him before long, too; it tanta-
liked him beyond expression on account
of its mingled lucidity and obscurity. He
was almost confident Of having been
brought, while at Z, to see q certain
lady with whom he understood his mother
to be on terms OF great intimacy. But
when he tried to remember the lady's face
he could discern nothing except the
blur of complete forgetfulness. AS for
there being child in the house OF this
lady, he found no faintest mental record
of one. But then, as he soon assured
himself his own age at that time could
not have been more than z, and there
were certainly seven good years between
himself and this captivating young Rosa
lind Ridgeley, with the chestnut hair and
the luminous eyes and the wistful mouth.
So Rosalind might not, at that time. even
have been born. You could zee that she
was her mothers child, so TO speak, in
spite of the striking personal difference
between them. Rosalind probably ''fav-
ored" her father, as the phrase gees, i'm
mensely; but resemblance could be de-
tected if you looked closely into Mrs.
Ridgelev's hard, serene, loveless counte-
nance and then into the younger woman's
winsome and sympathetic one. No,
FARMLAND decided. No fraud existed
there.
!, | IL