Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-02-20

herself entirely from piD.lc WoIshsi'
And even when months had passed
and the venerable bonne, whom she
had brought with her from Paris.
ventlIred 20 urge upon her the duty OF
having the infant baptized, she shud-
dered. and to the horror Of Madame
Julien, replied:
"Paptize her! the baptismal waters.
If sprinkled on her forehead. would
hiss ard ty off In steam. as If thrown
upon reI-hot iron"
About this time Baron vertoh.
summoned in haste from his oFicla!
duties in London. arrived at Eden
lawn ON a hurried visit 10 his dansh-
ter-in-law. He was clCseted with ner
for an hour In the library, n Ut the
end Of the interview he-the ease haru-
ened old judge Of q thousand criminal
trials-came forth alone, with his face
as pale as death. and with blank nor
ror stamped like madness on his brow.
Without waiting 10 see his grand
daughter. he ordered Il carriage 10
take him at once L the r~ailway-sta-
ton. whence he set out the same houf
for London. He never came back 10
Edenlawn: but those who knew MIN
well said that within a fortnight after
his flying visit there the hair Of Baron
EIvertOD turned white as Snow.
Months passed into years, and still
the mystery Of Edenlawn remained
uusolyed. No news was heard OF Mr..
EIyerton. No explanation was offered
by Mrs. Elyerton. The unbaptized ill.,
faut grew aud thrived in health and
beauty as well as if his Grace the
Archbishop Of Canterbury had
sprinkled her innocent brow; and she
became the pet. the darling. and the
idol of the household, although her
wretched mother still continued 10
regard her as a creature thrice ac-
cursed. She was a healthy and a hap
py child. and consequently beautiful
and good.
$50 good. doctor, so very good was
the constant report of Madame Julien,
or Madelon, as the old bonnie was
more Familiarity called.
so good is she: so very good? Well.
then. as she has no other name, LEI
us call her goOd-or Alma. which Is
the same thing said the doctor, II
morning.
And thus the infant 10 whom her
W mother strangely denied b
rights of baptism. received the well
omenad name of Alma.
The infancy Of the little heireSs
passed into the nursery until she had
attained the age of seven years. when
an accomplished goyerneSS was on
gagged TO superintend her education,
and she was removed TO the school
room.
But this migration brought Alma no
nearer TO her mother. who continued
TO shun her preseIse.
Indeed, the greatest interest eve
shown by Mrs. Elverton in her daugh-
ter, was upon the occasion of the lat
ter being alta cked with scarlet-fever,
when the anxiety of the lady became
intense; and such anxiety as it was,
an anxiety that made everyone shud-
der. anxiety. in shorT-not hat the
child should live but that she should
die.
1t curdled the blood of the boldest
to see, that while the life of the little
girl vas in imminent peril, the face
OF the lady was lighted up with a
wild, maniac hope. But one morning
DIR. Watkins, who had been very
devoted in his attentions TO his little
patient, after paying his usual visit
TO the bedside Of Alma, entered the
presence of Mrs Elverton, aud with his
c~ountenance radiant with satisfaction,
said:
Il am happy to to you.
madam, that u little Alma is out of
danger. She will get we'll"
To the CONSERVATION OF the good doc
tor. the lady dropped her clasped hands
upon her lap, and while the old express
sion OF incurable sorrow came back TO
her face, replied, in a voice of deep de-
spair:
II had hoped it might have been 9th
erwise, but heavens holy will be
1t was when Alma was about ten
years OF z that Mrs. Elyerton re-
ceived the only news of her husband
since the day of his strange disappear
This was contained in an anony
nous letter from St. Petersburg an
.nouncing his decease in that city. Mrs.
Elverton Immediately wrote TO the
ministry at that court, to ascer-
tain the facts of the case; but after the
most careful investigation, the utmost
extent Of information she obtained was
this, that a stranger, an Englishman, of
the name of Elverton. had died at ST.
Petersburg. He had left no papers TO
afford a clue to- his identity: his linen
and boxes We're marked II. Elverton."
And at the time that this inquiry was
set on foot the body of the stranger
had been too long buried to afford the
slightest possibility Of it's being identi-
fled even IL d~isinterred; and under
these circumstances the sanctity of the
grave had not been violated.
Mrs. Everton never discovered the
writer OF the anonymous letter. She
did not consider the intelligence she
had received of sufficient reliability to
warrant her in publishing the death of
MIR. Elyerton or in placing her family
in mourning. Yet those familiar with
the lady's moods thought that in her
heart she believed in the death
Of her husband, and derived satisfac-
ton from the belief. for Ii was OBJ
that from the day she first re-
the intelligence-true or false
her c~ountenance. though retaining all
its profound melancholy, lost it's un-
expression of horror and
Still, she took no delight In the soci-
of her innocent daughter; still she
attended no place Of public worship;
received no company and paid no visits.