Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-03-12


do his bidding.
When Beatrice got away from this sto rm
of words, she walked back home with buzz
ing in her head. Once inside the door she
tainted.
Three days afterwards she read that Maui
rice Hervey had been brought before the
magistrates on a charge of forgery, and
committed for trial. She found means to
send him message, asking if he had money
to pay for his defense. He sent back word
dat he should plead guilty. He really did
so, and as the forgery was a crafty, premedi-
ia cd. cruel affair, the judge very properly
sent him to penal servitude for five years.
HIS wife as she read the sentence gave a
groan of relief.
Now the weakest part of her nature, part
no doubt inherited from Sir Maingay, showed
itself. She let things drift. To a girl just
past IS five years seems as inexhaustible as
five hundred sovereigns would seem to a
.choolboy. The remembrance of her secret
marriage haunted her like the remnants of a
CHASTITY dream. Five years. Five long years.
Surely something must happen before they
were spent. Something did happenl
What were her feelings when the truth
first came home to herr When she knew she
could cheot herself nolongerl When no mag
mary ailment would account for her condi-
ton. When in plain words the fact chat she
was to | ear tie burden common to W oman
hood was forced upon her! Then Beatrice
prayed that she mi int die!
Even then she would not 90 to her friends
and tell them all Stil those long uncer-
tain years stretched out before her. If she
could only conceal thiS new trouble as she
hal concealed her marriage, there was peace
-peace for wears. Sarah was told what she
81, nd hes
tress' wishes simply set about executing
them.
The child was born, and none save the
mother and her maid knew the truth. Hard
as was the task, it was no harder to Beatrice
than to others who, without the aid and
faithful service at her command, have
concealed what if revealed meant ruin.
The elder woman arranged all. She left
/ her mistress as a servant leaves; she
prepared n place, and when the time came
Beatrice found her grief lightened by oil
loving woman can do for another in such
plight OF course there was decet--deceit
seemed to have forced itself into the girls
/ life, Their. was a long visit to pay some
where. a visit from which Beatrice returned
q shadow of her former self. But none
/ knew, none even guessed the cause.
Until the child was born Beatrices prayer
sadder, more pitiful prayer be framed by a
woman! The truth could then be told to all
. The early death would be the full expiation
OF her follv The few who loved her would
forgive and pity her, But her prayer was
unanswered-death never even threatened
neither or tabe,
The chill was born, the tiny head nestled
on the mothers brea-t, and a strange new
feeling awolle within her-the overpowering
instinct of maternal love. Her thoughts
which had once been, in case the child Lived,
to hate il for the fathers sake, turned topure.
sweet affection for the innocent, helpless
little being. So far from wishing it dead,
she would not now have wished it unborn.
When she returned to her home she left it
with many tears i'll Sarahs charge.
For wears she saw it by stealth saw it
grow more and more the picture of perfect
childhood loved it and worshiped it more
each time she saw it, and at last, when she
returned to her fathers house, and felt that
her visits to her treasure would now per-
force be less and less frequent, a wild crav-
ing to have it with her always, to see ii
every day, every hour awoke in her passion
ate heart.
Then came the second quarrel, and the
new home. And even she settled to &c
down to her uncles' the nucleus of the daring
scheme for regaining her boy framed itself
in her brain, and was eventually shaped into
form and acted upon with perfect success.
But the five years were passing, passing
At the end of them stood what Beatrice
shrank from picturing, a convict who would
come and claim his vile. Beatrice had in
deed, expected that when first arrested he
would find some way of proclaiming his
marriage if only in fulfillment of his threat
10 ha,. i,,t., ha Il inf
Yet TX made no sign He was crafty and
calculating The term of the sentence wa.
not to him an eternity When it ended be
knew that by keeping the secret he should b,
in more advantageous position TO turr
matters to his own benefit. Beatrice woulC
be well past twenty-one, and IN command o
q large income. He meant to be thoroughly
revenged for the obstinacy she had displayed
in refusing to perjure herself, and so fine
HIM means to buy up the forged bills, but h'
meant to have money also.
This is the story of the life of the last five
years upon which Beatrice looked back tina
afternoon. These are the pictures of tn
man and the woman-the husband and wife
who were to meet on the morrow like foes il
a deadly duel
And over and above all this, there wa
another matter ever present in the girl
J mind-another name which came to her lips
not in accents of hate, but love. She had at
| tempted to deceive him, but not herself. Il
fact it seemed part Of her punishment-th
hardest part of all-that she loved Franz
} Carruthers She had sobbed out the secre
} on the faithful Sarahs breast. She had wep
l through the weary hours of many "A night a
she thought of the utter hopelessness of Low
1 between them. His coming to Oakbury ha
doubled her grief. She had not only t
Lament "what has BEEN but toregret "wha
| might have been
/ Blame her if you must Forgive her if yo
can! At least pity herr
, CHAPTER XXI.
MAKING PROUD KNEES BEND.