Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-08
JAIL RIGHTS RESERVED. i

NHO niSulp WINE the TWO children
were III their baths, he Unexpectedly
came into the nursery, and 1 saw hi
/ eyes IAIl With disgust on the form of thu
poor little eldest born. We had tried t.
keep 1t secret from him-Nurse Brew.
ster ana but Gerard, the heir, was 6
nunchbaok, and this was the first time
my husband actually knew this. He
looked from one to the other-I see him
yet-and shrugged his shoulders.
A nice heir you have given me
truly!' he said, 'Why, the brat,s a
hunchback.
''He patted the head of the other
enid, and then went away, with a
frown on his brow, and after he was
gone Nurse Brewster, who was a north
country woman and had beer reared on
our property, said
" 1t would be the best thing that could
happen if this poor little fellow were to
go to better place, think. fear nv
lord will never take to him. And she
lifted Gerard out of his bath as she spoke.
did not speak for moment; 1,
TOO was comparing the two children
and as did so something evil seemed to
Whisper subtle temptation in my
ear
mot. surely cried Father Hay-
ward, starting to his feet with look of
horror.
'Shall 1 tell you what the tempter
sald?' continued Lady Gilmore, pas
slonately. Remember that loved my
husband, and was jealous of him, and
most eager to keep his love! He said in
my ear, this child stands between YOU
two; your lord loaths him, is ashamed of
MIN, and will learn to hate you also for
his sake. Why not put him out of the
way! Why not let the handsome bow
become the heir?''
NV daughter, surely you did not lis
ten to the base suggestion?'
Not then, but again and again the
thought came back to me, for Gilmore
said hard and bitter words to me on the
subject, and often wished the child
would die. He was delicate-the uoor
mlssbapen one-and gradually the tempt
alton assumed form and shape in nv
mind. We would take little Gerard
away, nurse and 1, and pretend to his
rather he was dead, and bring him up in
our faith, for Nurse Brewster is a Catho-
lie also; and told myself in doing this l
was thinking of the eternal salvation of
the child, and SO blinded my poor reason
to great injustice.
land you carried out this scheme?'
1--WE carried it out to the bitter end.
Gerard was delicate, as 1 told you, and
)ne day l asked the doctor who attended
him If he thought the northern Army
native air-would be of any service to |
him, and the doctor answered that 1t |
would probably greatly strengthen him. |
told my husband this, and he replied |
With a biting jest.
90 Il wish you would give him change |
# air enough for me never to see him |
gain, he said. Il cannot bear to look
N him.
''These words stung me, and l made
n angry passionate answer, and with
utseeing Lord Gilmore again l left the
ouse: only taking little Gerard and
urse Brewster with me. I left few
lines for my husband, telling
i'm that, for time at least, my child's
father should be spared the
lght OF his son. We were living here
Wrothsley-when this quarrel took
lace, and [ went up to our house in
OWN for few days, and whilst there
)ok nurse Brewster into ny confidence,
nd offered her a large sum and good.
nd regular income to aid me in my de-
eit. She was afraid at first, but the
'mptation of the money proved too
rong for her, and she finally entered
'mpletely into my scheme. -
''But-but you surely did not injurs
le child?'' asked Father Hayward,
it'll agitation.
'No, no, would not have hurt hair
his head! l told myself he was unfit
move in the world; unfit to be his ,
theirs heir, and that 1 would bring {
m up to the priesthood, and that a {
lily, peaceful life would be the happiest '
r him, and that my husband would 7
We me more when he believed him to be I
ad, and when he looked on the hand 7
me boy of whom he was SO proud. So I
, arranged 1t alive went down to r
nelly village on the coast, washed by y
Q Northern Sea, where we were COM n
etc strangers-and we carried with us a
little leadlined coffin; aud from this n
ace few days later wrote to my hus- v
nd to tell him that little Gerard had q
zen scarlet fever and was dangerously
He answered, it would be a good fl
ng If the poor hunchback never got e.
IL, for he would only cumber the earth ! a
be did. a" q,
and does this boy still live?'' ii
Il will tell you. We had taken q e
IL furnished house, and no one knew p
ything of US, for 1 had brought no Il
wants but Nurse Brewster; and a week in
er we arrived at Scarley 1 wrote to b,
I'd Gilmore to tell him he had got his =
ii, and that his poor baby son was m
Id. He is already IN his little coffin, n,
dded, so there can be no Infections n,
1 asked II / might bring him home. ST
this my husband answered that the W
in must be screwed down at once on ca
cunt of Hugh-the other boy; and he of
scted me then to bring the dead child de
and agreed to meet me at
ertain train m
And you did this21' asked Father TO
yward, who was listening to Lady W
nore's startling words with strong ho
suppressed excitement. mo
q did, - she answered, with falter- WIS
tongue, though she was struggling to tn
calm. 81 started on my homeward
-neY alone, taking with me, hidden hi
", the little empty coffin, which tn,
-se Brewster had securely fastened of
N; and left Nurse Brewster and the ma
d at Scarley, and travelled quietly ru,
10 town, aud when arrived there 1 on
a carriage, after telegraphing to the so,
ants TO expect me; and, while in moi
carriage, for the first time uncov-
the little coffin, and it was carried wa
the house at Eaton Square, and no Gel
ever suspected was committing a ty,
u wrong. - mo-
But the nurse7 How did you &C. ma
1t for her not being with you!'' the