Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-04-27

mother she iohge6 for many things that
my father could not give her, and in an
| evil hour she initiated the name of a
| signed to Hartford. The fraud was not
detected, and she received the money,
| but ultimately the rich man whose
money she had spent discovered the use
she had made of his name, and if she
had not escaped would have had her ar
rested. But she left the country, and
the only revenge he took was to swear
that if she ever set foot again in X. he
would call the police down upon her.
Yes, if she were dying, and they had to
| drag her from the brink of the grave.
And he would have done it, and know
ing this we have lived under the shad-
ow of this fear for 1 1 years. My father
died under it, and my mother-ah, she
spent all her life under foreign skies,
but when she felt the hand of death
upon her her affection for her own flesh
and blood 'triumphed over her discre-
ton, and she came, secretly, / own, but
still with that horror menacing her, to
these doors, and begging our forgive
ness lay down under the roof where we
were born and died with the halo of our
love about her.. "
"Ah," said /, thinking of all that
had happened since 1 had come into this
house and finding nothing but confir-
nation of what she was saying, II begin
to understand.
But Lucetta shook her head.
"No," said she, you cannot under
stand yet Wewho had worn mourning
for her because my father wished to
make this very return impossible knew
nothing of what was in store for us till
letter came saying she would be at the
@. station on the very night we roceiv-
ed it. To acknowledge our deception, to
seek and bring her home openly to this
house, could not be thought of for mo-
ment How then could we satisfy her
dying wishes without compromising her
memory or ourselves? Perhaps you have
guessed Miss Butterworth. You have
had time since we revealed the unhap-
by secret of this household.
yes" said /. Il have guessed. "
Lucetta, with her hand laid ON mine,
looked wistfully into my face. "Ah,"
she said, "when we saw her. she was
driven up to our doorstep through the
weeds and grass, and William, who had
not dared to 30 to G.. lest our strate-
gem should fail, stepped down to the
carriage and lifted her out i'll his arms
1t was while she still chung to him, with
her face pressed close against his breast,
that Lorecn and | first saw her, our
mother, yet so small, the smallest of us
all. She was wan, but happy and very
near to death. Loreen and blessed God
as we carried her up the stairs and laid
her in the great front chamber. We did
not foresee what would happen the very
next morning-I mean the arrival of
your telegram, to be followed SO soon by
yourself. "
Poor girls! Poor girls!" 1t was all
could say. l Yves completely over
whelmod.
1.-The first night after your arrival we
moved her into Williams room as be-
ing more remote and thus safer ref
uge for her Tho next night she died.
The dream which you had Of being
locked in your room was 10 dream. Lo-
reen did that in foolish prccaution
against your trying to search us out i'll
the night. 1t would have been better
now, see, if we had taken you into
our confidence.
yes" said ], THAT would have been
better. But l did not say how much
better. That would have been giving
away my secret.
William, who is naturally colder