Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1890-11-27
CHAPTER XXI.
MADAME c1ARIssE.

GfaclS uhu ever WlVutSStu, uilu III lel-
ror she covered close to her protector.
Meanwhile, the distracted old man.
having gazed blindly about him for a
moment, sank in an unconscious heap
upon the floor.
Mr. Edgar went to him and tried to
raise him, but he was inert, lifeless.
BY this time the startled farmer and
his wife had arrived upon the scene,
and with the mans assistance the law
yer raised the poor worn-out body, and
carrying it across the hallway. laid it
gently upon the bed, which still bore
the impress and warmth of little
Stella's body.
Tho air of the chamber was heavy
with sickly sweet odor, while on the
floor beside the bed lay the tell-tale
ball of cotton still reeking with chic
reform.
The two women had followed into
the room and stood there in awe-striel1-
en- silence. 1t was the lawyer who
spoke first.
"The child has been kidnapped do
any Of you know anything about it?
have you heard any sounds?"
The housewife was the only person
who had any information to offer: she
simply stated how she had found the
outer door open after having left it
securely closed, though not locked
But the poor old gent is not dead,
sir, is he?" she asked, looking appre-
hensively at the PROSTATE figure upon
the bed.
mo, answered Mr.. Edgar, "he still
breathes and his pulse seems strong;
the trouble is that heaven only knows
what condition his mind will be in
when he comes to"
/ He spoke in an absent-minded way,
his attention being irresistibly drawn
I to Oracle, whose face wore such pa.
thetic look that it piqHed his curiosity
/ AS soon as he was able, he beckoned
her to follow him into the parlor, and
when they were alone he asked:
"Gracie, is there some secret between
us? VIII you not tell me what it is
/ evident you know about this AFFAIR.""
Eyes, she answered, frankly; "I was
only waiting an opportunity. Know,
then, that Cora Boyden is old Mr..
Leonard's daughter, and that little
] Stella is her discarded child"
And thereupon, into the astonished
ears of the good lawyer she poured the
whole astounding story which old Jean
had told her that day
"That settles Madam Boyden's
claim upon your property" Mr.. Ed.
gar exclaimed, delightedly, when she
had concluded her recital, "and salts.
fies me that Madam Clarisse is your
mother"
"My mother" echoed little Oracle,
excitedly; ooh, Mr.. Edgar, tell me
when shall L see her?"
"To-night-almost at any moment
now. She was singing in an opera at
theater; saw her between the acts
| told her had reason to believe that
her daughter still lived, and besought
her to lose no time in ascertaining the
fact for herself.
She almost tainted, and begged me
to give her coachman full directions
how to find you. Then she was called
to the stage, and left her singing as
only bird sings for very joy"
Darling mother!"
And, Oracle, such beautiful
womanp
r "Hark, harkl what is that? Oh Mr..
Edgar, surely [ hear the sound OF
wheels"
She laid her hand, tremulous with
repressed emotion, upon his arm.
i think she is coming!" he said, the
sympathetic tears starting to his eyes.
They hurried out into the lambert
moonlight, and there, at the gate, a
carriage stood, and in the garden walk
the figure of tall and splendid woman,
o light veil thrown over the cleaning
masses of her bronze-gold hair, and
trailing over her rich attire.
Mother"
"My child"
1t was the ecstatic cry of heart to
heart, soul to soul, and n the next in
slant mother and child were locked in
an embrace before which even the an.
gel Death must have stood powerless.
And so they met at last, these two
waits upon the ocean of life, met never
to part by the grace of God.
In that humble parlor that night
they sat with their arms entwined,
while the story. Of that strange separa-
ton was told
Your father, Clarissa Clifford said,
had one fault which marred an other
wise noble nature jealousy. He was
jealous of me from the first, why,
heaven only knows, for I was faith
full wife, and have remained faithful
to his memory ever since, as the good
God, who has given you back TO me.
is my judge. At last, shortly before
yon were born, the crash came His
easily aroused feelings had been
worked up by his sister, Mrs Boyden,
who had ever been my enemy because
my existence Threatened to divide the
family estate until he could bear his
unjust suspicious no longer One
night he burst into my chamber,
swearing thst the child bore was none
of his, and commanded me to leave his
presence, and never to look upon his
face again Overwhelmed with an
guish and despair, / obeyed him;
went away and you were born among
strangers. Brought almost to The
brink of the grave, 1 lay unconscious
for days, and when | recovered my
senses they had robbed mo of you.
fNhau told ~, "a ,to4, ,,roro L.. 1 y