The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1897-12-18
lUS az LBEa|!zf1ES
~ 1Exc>~~<
CHAPTER II

Ou tHe western Slope Oh lUe lttle IOuli-
try churchyard, where the warmest and
brightest sunbeams lay, under the shade
Of the ripping lime-trees. they laid Lady
Charlewood to rest. For long years af-
terward the young husband was TO carry
with him the memory Of that green grassy
grave. A plain white cross bore for the
present her name; it said simply:
In Loving Memory of
MADALINE CHARLEWOOD,
who died in her Goth year.
Erected by Her Sorrowing Husband.
-
when l give her the monument she
deserves" he said, Il can add no more"
Then came the morrow, when he had
to look his life in the face again-life
that he found 50 bitter without NADIA
line. What of little Madaline, the child
who had her dead mothers large blue eyes
and golden hair? Again Lord Charlie
wood and the doctor sat in solemn con-
clave; this time the fate of the little one
hung in the balance.
Lord Charlewood said that if he found
his father still weak and i'll, he should
keep the secret of his marriage. OF
course. if Madaline had lived, all would
have been different-he would have proud
ly owned it then. But she was dead. The
child was so young and so feeble, it seem
ed doubtful whether it would live. What
need, then, to grieve the old ear, by the
story Of his folly and his disobedicnce!
Let the secret remain. Stephen Letsom
quite agreed with him in this: no one
knew better than himself how dangerous
was the telling of bad or sagreeable
news to sick man. And then Lord
Charlewood added:
You have indeed been a friend in need
to me, DIR. Letsom. Money can no more
repay such help as yours than can thanks;
all my life | shall be grateful to you. l
am going now 10 Italy, and most probably
l shall remain there until the earl, my
father, grows better. or the end comes.
When ! return to England, my first care
shall be TO forward your views and pros
poets in life; until then | want you to take
charge of my child
Among the doctors patients was one
who had interested him very much-Mar-
garet Dornham. She had been n lady's
maid. She was a pretty, graceful WON
an, gentle and worthy Of
far better lot than had fallen to her share.
She ought to have married Il well-to-do
tradesman, for whom she would have
made a most suitable wife; but she had
given her love to a handsome ne'er-dO-
well, with whom she had never had one
moment of peace or happiness. Henry
Dornham had never borne a good charac-
ter; he had a dark, handsome face-a GER
tain kind of rich, gypsy-like hcauty-but
no other qualifications. He was neither
Industrious nor honest, nor sober. His
handsome face, his dark eyes, and rich
curling hair had won the heart Of the
pretty, graceful. gentle ladys maid, and
she had married him-only to rue the day
and hour in which she had first seen him.
They lived in Il picturesque little cot
tage called AShwood, and there Margaret
Dornham passed through the greatest
10Y and greatest sorrow of her life. Her
little child the one CLEAN of sunshine that
her darkencd life had ever known, was
born in the little cottage, and there it had
died. DR.. Letsom, who was too abrupt
for the ladies of Castlcdene. had watched
with the greatest and most untiring care
oSer the fragile life of that little child.
When tender nurse and fostcr-mother
was needed for little Madaline, the doc
tor thought of Margaret Dornham. He
felt that all difficulty was at an end. He
sent for her Even Lord Charlewood
looked with interest at the graceful. timid
woman, whose fair young face was so
deeply marked with lines of care.
will / take charge of 4 little childE'
she replied to the Doctors question. In
deed l will, and thank heaven for send
ing me something 10 keep my heart from
breaking.
You feel the loss of your own little
one very keenly?" said Lord Charlewood.
You will spare neither expense nor trou-
ble" he continued, ''and when | return
YOU shall be most richly recompensed. If
all goes well, and the little one prospers
with you. | shall leave her with you for
two or three years at least. You have
been Iady's maid, the doctor tells me-
In what families have you livedE'
''Principally with Lady L'Estrange, of
Verdun Royal, sir she replied. Il left
because Miss L'Estrange vas growing
up, and my lady wished to have 4 French
maid"
In after years he thought how strange
it was that he should have asked the
question.
Il want you said Lord Charlewood.
"to devote yourself entirely to the little
one; you will be so literally paid as not to
need work of any kind. l am going
abroad, but l leave DR.. Letsom as the
guardian Of the child; apply to him for
everything you want. as you will not be
able to communicate with me-
In all things Margaret Dornham prom
isad obedience. One would have thought
she had found n great treasure To her
kindly, womanly heart, the fact that she
once more held 4 little child in her arms
was a source Of the purest happiness
The only drawback was when she reached
home, and her husband laughed coarsely
at the sad little story.
You have done a good days work.
Maggie" he said; now shall expect you
to keep me, and | shall take it easy"
He kept his word. and from that day
made no further effort to earn any money.
Faithful, patient Margaret never com
planned. and not even Or. Letsom knew
how the suffering Of her daily life had in
creased. even though she was comforted
by the love of the little child.