The McCook tribune., 1898-02-25
CHAPTER XXXIH.-fCoxrISUEp.,:

Ihe nurse, having lifted little Leon
into the bed, returned to her chair be-
side the fire, while Marjorie put her
arm around the little fellows shoul-
ders and presently fell asleep.
Now that the fever had actually
passed away, Marjorie's convalescence
was rapid.
She still kept to her bed, being too
weak even to move without assistance,
and during the day little Leon was con-
stantly with her. She asked few
questions, and the more she heard the
more her curiosity was aroused.
One day she inquired for the grave
lady whose face she dimly remembered
to have seen, and who she now heard
was the mistress of the house. In the
afternoon the lady came to the bed
side.
Marjorie was sitting up in bed that
day, propped up by pillows, looking the
very ghost Of what she had once been;
while on the bed beside her was little
Leon, surrounded by his toys. He look
ed up, laughed, and clapped his hands
when Miss Dove came in, but she only
smiled and gently rebuked him for his
boisterousness.
Then she sat down beside the bed
and took Marjorie's hand.
We'll, my child she said, $50
you are rapidly getting we'll"
For a moment Marjorie was silent
she could not speak. The tears were
binding her eyes and choking her
voice, but she bent her head and kissed
the hand that had saved her.
Come, come" said Miss Dove, "you
must not give way like this. You have
to tell me all about yourself, for at
present I know absolutely nothing"
With an effort, Marjorie conquered
her emotion and dried her tears. But
what had she to tell?-nothing, it
seemed, except that she was friendless
and alone.
May said the lady, gently. "You
are not that; from the moment you en-
tered this door you had friends. But
tell me, my child, how was it l found
you and your child starving upon my
threshold9 You have husband, per-
haps? Is he alive or dead?"
Marjorie shook her head.
He is here, in Paris, madame"
And his name is Caussidiere, is 1t
not? So Leon has told me-"
Eyes, madame, Monsieur Caussi-
diere.'
I'VE must seek him out" continued
Miss Dove. "Such conduct is not to
be endured. A man has no right to
bring his wife to a foreign country and
then desert her.
"Ah, no." cried Marjorie; 'tyou must
got do that. 1 will leave the house
whenever you wish, madame, but. do
not force me to see him again
Miss Dove looked at her for mo-
ment in silence; then she rang for the
nurse, lifted Leon from the bed, and
sent him away.
Now. my child" she said. when the
two women were alone, tell me your
story
And Marjorie told it, or as much of it
as she could recall. She told Of her
early life in the quaint old manse in
Annandale with MIR. Lorraine Solomon
and Mysie; of Miss Hetherington, and
of the Frenchman who. came with his
SpeciouS tongue and WOoed her away.
Then she told of her life in Paris, of
her gradual estrangement from all her
friends. and finally of her desertion by
the man whom until then she had be-
lieved to be her husband.
so" said the lady, when she had
finished. you were married by the
English law, and the man is in reality
not your husband Well, the only
thing we can do is to leave him alone
altogether, and apply to your friends
Marjorie shook her head.
That is useless, madame" she said.
"When my little boy had naught but
starvation before him l wrote to my
mother in Annandale, but she did not
answer me-
Is that so?'
"Yes, madame, it is true"
ct is very strange" she said, "but
we must see what can be done, Mar
jorie-may call you Marjorie? In the
meantime you must not think of all
these sad things. You must amuse
yourself with Leon and get well quick
iy, and my task will be the lighter"
After this interview Miss Dove visit
ed Marjorie every day, and sometimes
sat for an hour or more by her bedside;
and when at length the invalid, who
gained strength every day, was able
to rise from her bed, she lay upon a
couch by the window, and watched the
sunshine creeping into the streets.
Ii was not like Marjorie to remain
idle when there was SO much to be
done, and as the weakness passed away
her brain began to work, planning fer
the future She had several schemes
made when she spoke of them one
night to Miss Dove.
The lady listened quietly, then she
said:
You would rather remain in Paris,
Marjorie, than go home?"
Madame, l have no home
'You have AnnaEdale Castle"
She shook her head.
Indeed, it is not my home now! /