Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-07-12

WOulu surely uDu ul6ttilS W uduS me,
and that should be able to test her
story better i'll were out of her sight.
/ did test it thoroughly, and found
that she had woven her web with
great cunning. The Belgian school,
mistress, the members of the family
in which she had been governess, re-
membered Estelle Egerton, and were
willing to give me all the information
l required. Both spoke of her as a
shy, proud, morbidly sensitive girl,
neither handsome nor clever, and in
very delicate health. She had spent
her life in the way Estelle Gerard de-
scribed, and left Madame de Mora at
the time named-since which she
had been lost sight of altogether.
81 rather expected her here, said
Madame Ledru. The child had no
other home, and l could find work for
her always; but she never came. |
have often thought of writing to
Madame de Mora; but in a busy life
one forgets so SOON
''Undeniably true, but not very
helpful, l thought. wondering what
steps l had better take next. Sudden
" my eyes fell upon q gaudily-bound
album on the polished table beside
me; and an idea occurred 10 me at
once.
"'Have you your pupils portraits
there, Madame? Would Miss Eyer
toms by any chance be among them?'
| asked; and, Madame asserting with
cheerful nod, l turned the pages
eagerly, and presently, with q shock
of surprise and such keen pang of
remorse as almost took my breath
away, came upon Estelle Gerrard's
beautiful face. Madame, peeping over
my Shoulder, laughed and said
You are like the rest of the
world, monsieur lingering over that
fatal face and forgetting what you
seek.
Ills not this Miss Egerton? I ask
ed, looking up quickly; and Madame
Ledru shook her head.
My faith, no This is Estelle. y
She turned the leaf and showed the
portrait OF thin sharp-faced girl,
whose only claim to beauty lay in the
large melancholy eyes. But, oddly
unlike as those two were, they were
close friends.
Il turned the page again. Estells
Egerton could wait; must hear more
OF the woman who had taken her
name and place.
land this then
This has no business here said
Madame, with peremptory has e.
This was girl as headstrong and
wicked as the poor Estelle was patient
and good She gave me more trouble
than all the other pupils put together.
But how brilliant, how beautiful she
was born for no common fate
land her fa.e-you know it.
Madame p
81 know it, as you know it, as all
the world does, monsieur. She went
upon the stage-after marrying an
Italian musician, the manager of the
theatre in which she first appeared,
Ma fol, if he bought her with price
he must soon have been sorry for his
bargain She was beautiful and sue
cess; she turned all heads, and per-
haps her own. He, loving her madly
grew jealous, first of the public, then
of one man. With reason or not
how should l know ?-he shot the
man, ard tried to shoot his wife. She
gave the evidence that sent him to the
galleys, and never dared to show her
face upon the stage again. BY faith
"a splendid spoiled life-a wonderful
woman cannot, as you may believe,
quote Ida Vertuni as a prize-pupil,
monsieur; but neither can part with
her portrait.
But you will lend me that of Miss
Egerton perhaps ?" l asked; and
Madame with smiling readiness grant
ed my request.
''Armed with this proof of her de-
ception, l came back to England and
confronted the woman who had so
cruelty traded upon your uncle's weak
ness, Madame Ledru' is right, Irene
she is wonderful woman, strong.
self-controlled, and keen-witted, arm
ed at all points. She was taken aback
for just one mo ment, then seemed at
once to realize the strength and weak
ness OF her position, and broke into
curious ringing laugh.
$50 you have actually found me out
and tracked me down, Mr.. Richard
Martineau ?? she said, You arc too
clever for Ludleigh And, though
must pay the price for it, your clever
ness is almost relief. l was quite
ashamed Of wasting my talents on that
good, wearisOme, mournful Archie
and the dunderheads here
"She laughed again, walked on a
little more quickly, saying with
shrug OF her graceful shoulders
1--WE had better return to the house.
You will want to tell Mr.. Gerard at
once. Poor old man, he will be glad
to break his fetters-he has found out
enough to make him hate me already
lies that / have told, something of
my stage life-no mattor what -
Come, then, and make him happy
let him know that l am not his wife
not the child of his old love-
"Where is that child?'I asked, fix
ing my eyes upon hers; for this
was the one point that puzzled me