The Somerset reporter., 1891-01-08


strove to Danish him by the thought Of
her baby Roderick, whose grave was in
the sea One day, to steel herself against
this new love by memories OF her boy,
Lady Vernon took from the depths of one
of her travelling trunks box, in which
she kept Roderick's toys. She turned
them over and over and tears fell upon
them.
mo, my baby" she said, ~ will not
have another son take your place. will
not Then she cried out for Phebe;
"Ah, Phebe, here is the mandarin he
loved SO? He had the head In his hand
when the nurse left him on the shore.
Oh, Phebe %
"Dear heart, so he had" said Phebe.
He used to take the head out always"
At that moment little Martin ran into
rushed towards 1t.
Pheoe. They are dear Master Roderick's
and he is dead Aud she drew him back.
For the first time the child shovel the
temper the janitress had credited him
with.
"They are mine - he said.
He ran up to Lady Vernon again and
caught her arm.
Say" he cried, "they are mine" aud
suddenly he seized the msndarin and
dashed out of the room with it.
Lady Vernon stared in amazement.
rhe toy he had clutched was in her eyes
sacred relic of her dead son.
stop him, Phebe !" she gasped. HE
il y bad child-a rude little creiture after
all"
hn al, rta IN, hot but ha
child was already back again. He had
availed himself of the elevator which
was just coming up. He was radiant,
smiling. his checks aglow
"See!" he cried to Lady Vernon, and
presented her with the china mandarin,
no longer headless, but wearing his round
smiling face, his arched eyebrows and
his braided pigtail again.
That is just what he wanted" added
little Martin.
Lady Vernon had never tainted in her
life. or she would have done so then.
She was bewildered, terrified
She examined the mandarin closely
She was positive that the head he wore
had originally belonged to him. Besides
the toy was not an ordinary one to be
matched in every shop.
This was the head that had been in her
childs hand when he was left by his
nurse rpm the besch. She looked at
Martin again.
"Where did you get w" she asked.
IT'S mne," said the child, land so
are all these.
Lady Vernon was trembling from head
to foot. A moment more aud she had
sent for the janitress.
The woman CANA at oncn
Where did your grandson get this?"
the lady asked, pointing to the msndarin's
head.
The, chany head? He has always had
it," said the woman. at fits the image
but indeed. think he is no thief. Any
way, its been with him since had him.
when did you get him?' asked LADY
Vernon. where? Whose child is he?
You call him your grandson-is he really
sop
The woman hesitated. Then she an
swered slowly.
No my lady; I've nothing to do with
him, anyway. He's nohody's child, I've
always thought. William and me never
had any children-we married late in life
and one day gentleman William had
been groom to, come to him. "Tm going
to be married said he, and there's boy
I'd like to get out of the way. I've been
Il little wild-you understand" and Will
lam, Of course, thought he did So be
told William that he'd give him sum of
money to take the child to AN erica end
call him his grandchild-snd it was
enough to open public house with, and
that was Williams ambition. So he paid
the money and we got the boy the day we
went aboard the ship, five years ago this
autumn. He cried good deal and want
Ell his mother-some light of the gentle
mans love suppose.
And he had that chany head In his peck
ct; he's kept it ever since. He don't break
things, and hope nothing is wrong
ma'am2"
"No,-go on!" gasped my lady. Tell
me the gentlemcn's name!"
1.-THE gen leman's name was Mr.. Alfred
Farnham," said the janitress. And my
poor husband failed in the public hou, e
lost all, and left the child on my h4nis
besides, when he died-Oh, my lady, what
is p
at is this" cried Lady Vernon; "Mr.
Alfred Farnham is my husbands younger
brother. My child Inherited the esta Is
and title. In order to gain them for him
self he abducted my child, and all this
1t is tire little fellow there. have loved
him from the first. My heart told me the
truth, though | did not understand Rod
erick, my darling, come to mel an your
mother!'
With a cry of joy the child flew into
her arms.
And to think | never should have
known it," the mother sobbed. ''but for
little mandarin's head What blind worms
we poor mortsls are!"
l fancy Mr.. Albert Farnham hated his
sister-in-lsw more than ever. and yet she
was lenient to him.
II could punish you terribly" she saia
''But You were my husbands brother;
shall keep the story to myself The fam
lily lawyers will maintain Silence, and the
world need only know that my boy--the
real Lord Vernon--is restored to me. On
ly at you have a place In Scotland, you
will go to 1t and never let me see your
face again."
And Mr. Alfred Farnham, though be-
fore the lawyer he affected to believe that
the Yankee wife Of his dead brother lhad
tricked them all, WAS glad to take himself
away In safety.
you are too merciful, Lady Vernon"
one of the legal gentlemen, who kept the
family secret, said to her, but she answer.
cd him:
"Alone there by the sea he might have
murdered him-csst his body into the
waves and left him there tn drown. He
spared my boys life and that is why
spare him-family pride has nothing 20 do
with it."-Fires tide Companion.