The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-04-09

PenrlIddock! And answer me, if YOU dare,
this queStion-WherC is the child HilddT"
Penuddock starts back, his face growing
Hvfd Yet only for an instant does he lose
his Self-cOntrOl; rallyIug by mighty effort
he saws. glaTing SaNagely al Esther inns
woman, this fanatic, lives but TO torment me
Leave the room l command you! GOur idle
rawlings have nothing whatever to do with
the subject we are now discussing. Begone
at once OF | Will force you hence!
Esther pays not the slightest heed to tnat,
but pointing toward the picture, and gazing
sternly on PenTuddOck, says, See where her
eyes haunt YOU? Where is the little one, the
little heiresS OF PenrUddOck, who stood 80
fatally in your way 70 her house ana acres'
Answer where is Shc.
'.She is dead-drowned as all the world
knowsv says PenTuddock, gloOmly, an
swering her against his will, as if III some
wise compelled to it.
1t is faiser' cries Esther. triumphantly.
"She is not dead! She lives! She is here to
claim her own! Behold her, villain, tem-
bler'
At this moment Mrs. Neville turns up to
their fullest height the two lamps that stand
beneath Mrs. Penruddock'S picture: and
Esther holding ont her hant TO Maud, says
i'm a loud tone, "HLda PenTuddock, come Tor
wardr'
Obeying the gesture, not the words, which
as vet she fails to understand, Maud comes
slowly forward until she appears III the tulI
glare OF the lamps, and right beneath her
mothers portrait
she is SO exactly like the beautiful painting
above her, as 10 call forth an exclamation
from Dick.
Mrs Penruddock is dressed in creau-color-
ed satin; the girl Is attITed IN cashmere OF
the same shade, trimmed eXquiSItely with
old gold and some costly lace.
1t would be a difficult indeed, an impossi-
bic matter to decide which Is the lOyelleSt,
the dead mother or the living daughter.
As the extraordinary likeness dawus upon
PcuTddOck. he Is completely ONeTpoWeredr
turns aside his head, and gToans aloud
the mother he sees in the grown girl the feat
urcS Of the little child 80 cruelty though pas
siyely done to death
Again the whole terrible scene in the cot
tage garden flashes before him; again he
watches, with cold perSistency, until the tiny
hereSS meets a. he SUppOSeS then, and has
till now believed, with her death.
He throws up his hands, as though 10 fling
from him the hateful vision, and turns fierce
1T is Mi a Iiev' he excIaims. Ioudlv-"a
cleverly cOncOcted scheme; but 1t shall not
avail YOU much. 1t is an Old story. Acct
dental IikencsSes have been tried before this,
but an imposture always comes to light.
Always. Yes, there you are right re-
turns Esther with deep meaning.
Maud. white as an carly ~noWurop, Is cling
Ing to Mrs. Neville, WHO has her arm around
Dick. at little distance. is Iisteninaswith
intense excitement to the strange revelations
who ever saw the child again9' says Pen
ruddOcl. she was washed out to sea. All
Inquiries were made. No stone was left un-
turned to discover her. but Il was too late.
There was no one, not a living being, in
sight when 1t occurred; no one saw the fatal
accident
/ SAYS Esther socmly. You and u!
Il was not present, saw nothing OF u!'
. SAYS PcuruddOck, hoarsely.
The ground seems slipping from beneath
his feet. His parched lips seem barely able
tO form his words, ana he with di1ilcuity sup
ports himself
/ You were present. says the woman, re
/ leutlcS~ly. y on stood inside the library
+ window, and saw you there, crOUched a.
/ was in the bushes at the other side OF the
+ river
Yes. I had come to get glimpse of my
I darling at her play, and watched You as,
with greedy eyes, you waited III! t4e chlld
Crcpt nearer and nearer to her DEATH
Fearful is now the expression on the
. cOuntenanCe of the wTetched man.
Without ON, ynrd of warning, without
/ one alter. To save tine innocent life left tC
. your charge by dying brother, YOU looked,
/ with a cruel longing, To see her pcrlShI'
lis falscr Penrudd0ck, with very great
I difficulty, cOntriycS to say.
Though yOu never touched her, though
the crime was passive one, there was mur-
der in your heart that day. surely aS YOU
are Shlverlng here before us all.
1t is all fabrication! says PenruddOck
feebly, wiping his forehead
Then he glances, in stealthy fashion, a
his son-the boy for whom this horrible thinl
has been COmmitted-tO see II there be con
demnatOu in his looks.
Dick, do not believe it!' he says, in a tone
full OF keeneSt agony.
He looks 50 old. 50 broken, that Dick il
touched, and going up to him. places his arm
around his neck.
Il believe nothing against You father" h,
says, tenderly; be sure of that But pray
control yourself, and let Esther tell he
story
when the deed was done and the fata
nlUngp
/ edge goes ON Esther who declines to ad
| dress any one hut PenruddOck. glOating owe
the fact that he plainly covers beneath he
glance. But even then, at the last moment
q strong desire To save did not possess You
Had you pursued your search to the bend IL
the river hidden by the dropping alders. yOl
ing onward whilst battling tecbly with -
stream. You would have seen me running
along the bank in wild pursuit; and yOl
would have seen, too, the poor child draw
from the water by Gilbert SaUuaTeL.
Gilbert SaumarcZ! IIc?' eNclaimS Dicb
in the utmost surprise.
Yes; he was ii guest at the viCarage a
that time, as you. PcnruddOcl,, may renIeH
bCr. But he shall himself tell his own story.
She beclonS with her hand, and S1umarel
who has plainly been waiting IN the ante
room, on receiving that signal comes up t,
them.
this strange tale cutreats AIrs. Neville, wit
taltcTluL accents.
Il have very little TO tell; but its all quit
true, y says SaumarcZ, after swift glance d
. MaUdS pale face. i was fishing lower dow
/ upon the river on that day, the l4th OF july
/ when, looking up, / suddenly saw a ltt
child struggling in the water, and a wOma
that woman there, pointing to Esther
I running along the bank. | jumped in, pul
ed the child ont of the river, and saw that
was Hilda PenTuddock, whom ! knew wei
Only that very morning | had been pEf)-u
with her up ut the cottage. ! restored her
this woman, who represented HerSe< 10 u
as the chIld's nurse, and Thought 30 MOI
about il. | should of course have II F'ntOne
it in conversation at the yicarage if had ha
time: but, unfortunately, | had Tsade up N
mind to leave that day, and hndlng on lOOI
ing at my watch that | should barely cate
the up-tIain, rushed home, seized my thing
babe my friends farewell, and within d
hour was steaming up to town -Four daI
afterward | started for lnoIa, where, as y
all know very well, | remained for years.
But YOU knew Maud-you recognized n
in town. asks Mrs. Neville, in great agt
ton.
A suspicion of shame crosses Saumarez
face darkening it for a moment
Yes. last year, he says UnUillingly.
called here one day, and Esther pass
through the hall aS | entered. | knew h
at once, and asked for the child. She was,
think, about to deny all knowledge of ne
[ when MisS-Miss PenTuddOck. with whom
was not acquainted at that time. came out
some room and. looking me full in the IA
! for an instant, passed on. Her wOndcrt
likeness to her mother, who was well know
to me, struck me at once. | had heard of q
, adoption by MIS-. Neville OF some strange
! pretty child and. as if by inspiration, Z
= truth occurred to me. | accuSeu Esther of
and she at once, taken oil her guard, confe'
= ed all.
Then why did YOU not immediate
Speak2' demands Dick COully.
g 1t was no business of nine" responds t
:, other, Struggling his shoulders
II But surely, YOU might have spoken, "a
Dick; and 1t seems remarkable IiIat you q
e not
c No doubt ] should, some time OF 9th,
3 have mentioned the circumstance. only Oh
tile woman had mplOrcd me to keep Silenc
q saying that she had waited for years to la
It revenge on some one; and really thong
q ! 10 nLtN 10 smniL tho nanninu and nLmltL