Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-08-30
A FAMILY AFFAIR.
CHAPTER XIV (Coxr1NUD).
by HUGH CONWAY.

The situation was growing ridiculous,
and II the Talberts disliked one thing
more than another it was ridiculous situa-
ton. The best way out Of this one SEEM
ed to be that Mr.. Rawlings should see the
child and be satisfied 1t was not his miss
ing offspring, SO Horace rang the bell
and desir that the little boy should be
broaght down.
Mrs. Miller the nurse, upon receiving
instruct ons to this effect, imagined that
her charge was to be shown to visitors OF
Importance. SO she quickly put on his
best garments, and made him look very
cherubic lie trotted into the drawing
Room a cabinet picture o. child n health
and beauty.
Rawlings looked at him with excitement
in eve.'y line of his CO. His light blue
eyes seemed be startn out of lis head.
'Maria. he whispered holrsely t. his
wife, = | ok at him. Just what ours would
have grown to. The same hair-the same
eyes. Maria, is this not your boy? An
swer me-and thank Heaven we have at
last found him. y
The wife looked at the child, but did
not answer at once.
1T 81 know il Is, said the man.
tie them So Ma ia.
IL hope it s, said his wife.
The Talberts ON hearing this le ,ked
stupe ed. The case was ass ming UNI
dreamed OF proper ions. Dimly ey saw
that this recognition meant strange things.
} my goo man, - said Horace, lyon are
making complies mistake"
'Nh, 10, sir--no mistake. How can a
father lie mistaken? Oh, my pretty boy
my long-lcst LAMB! Come to me and give
me one kiss Come ~ your father. "
1--WE mas take our title boy DacS with
us at once, slr-.in y we nOt?" asked Raw
lings.
Certainly not" said Horace. "You
hav not given us the slightest proof 1t is
your child.
''B. i is, sir. l know, and Mara
knows Ii t..
Tell us how it came here. Until
you car do that we can Lot admit your
claim for an instant. 1t is absurd-you
must be mistaken
Sab urd " ech ell Herbert.
Tell me whose child it is if il isn't
mine" re- orted the man. DO that and l
will 90 away. ! don't ca c how it came
here. now It. | reco 1nize it. 1t is
my poor 10 { little boy and will have it. "
The man ew more excited than before
Hor CO was intensely annoyed. He turned
to the woman. - OIL sem TO have some
sense, " he said; do yoI claim this child?"
sprang into er eyes, ayes sir" she
said, " believe it is my chill. A" Thes tua-
ton grew worse and worse. 1t was we'll
for tn boy that he had made such friends
of Horace and Herbert or he must have
been sacrific d rthwith If only TO rid the
house Of his self-s yled father and mother
AS it was the Talberts tempo iZed they
promised to consider the mat for few
days, and let Mr. Rawlings onow the de-
cision they might come to. Mr.. Rawlings
wrote on his business card the name of an
hotel at which he was staying, and having
again and az, in asserte that he won d
not be robbed of his re-folnd sou, at last
to the unspea ,able relief of our friends,
drove away in h gig.
Never had Horace and Herbert been
placed in such a difficulty. Besides,
what all ut Beatri g? What would she
say Beat ice to whom the CHI Id seemed
as the apple of her eye. Bitterly ;hey
blamed themselves for ever having yield
ed to her re ,uest that she might keep the
foundl n.y. But what was done was done
and could no. now b. helped.
Horace wrote to Beatrice by the next
post. lie told her that some persons had
called and claimed her boy. The whole
thing, he said, was a great puzzle to him
and to Herbert, They had deferred their
de cision a few days If possi)' they
would do no hi g until he return.
Beatrice was alone when she read that
letter. She turned deadly pale and seemed
TO gasp for breath. Then she rang the bell
d ordered her things to lie pac ed. At
breakfast she quietly told Lady Causon
that he found she must return 10 Black
town b. the next train. She gave no
reason for this abrupt d parture, and her
sudden determin ition annoyed Lady Clau-
son immensely. Sir Maingay said nothing
His daughter had long ago shown HIM she
was entire mistress OF her own acti ms.
MARK my rds, said Lady Clauson,
as soon a. 3. atrice had departed; that
girl will some day do something to dis
grace the family"
'sOh, nonsense, my love, " said Sir Main
CAV, who had now been married long
enough to find out that his beautiful wife
was not all that his fancy had once painted
her.
Beatrice reached Lakewood House
quite unexpec edly. The Talberts were
.s'Where Is my boy?" she cried, so vehe-
mently that she startled Mrs. Miller, who
knew nothing of the purport of the vi 1t
paid yesterday. The boy was there all
safe. and Miss Clauson, without removing
her outdoor garments, Rugged and caress-
ed her pet until she was told that her
uncies had come in. She went to them at
once. They greeted her in astonishment
"What have YOU done about those
wretched reople?" she asked quickly.
1.-THE people who claim my boy, mean"