The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1899-01-10


mined, to be with her child. Yes; at
any cost they must be together.
She rose to her feet again and stag
gered on toward the Castle. Her scald-
ing tears fell fast, her breast was rent
with sobs; and for the first time in
her life she began to question the he
neficence of the Divine Father, whom
she had been taught from her child
hood to revere.
1t was late when she reached the
Castle. Miss Hetherington, having
grown fearful at her long absence,
rushed forward to meet her; then with
a cry she shrank away.
Marjorie, she exclaimed, whats
wrong, and-and where's the bairn?'
At the mention of Leon, Majorie
wrung her hands.
He has come back and taken him
from mel"
She looked SO wild and sad that the
old lady thought her reason was going.
Her face was white as DEATH and there
was a red mark on her forehead where
the man had struck her Miss Hether-
lngtOn took her hands and soothed her
gently; when she saw that her calm
ness was returning to her, she said:
Nov, Majorie, my BARN, tell me all
about it,"
And Majorie told, trembling and cry
ing meanwhile, and imploring Miss
Hetherington to recover her child.
"Dinna fret, Marjorie" she said, pat
ting the girl on the head; there's
nothing to fear. The mans a knave,
harm to his own BARN, not he!-he's
DER sharp to put himself into the power
O. the English law! 'Tis the siller he
wants, and tbs the siller he means to
get!"
But what shall we do?''' sobbed Mar
jorie.
"Do?-nothing. Bide quiet a while,
and he'll do something, mark mel"
"But Leon-what will become of
Leon?"
"Dinna greet for the BARN; l tell We
he's safe enough; after all, he's with
his father
"But he mustn't stop; must get him
back, or it will kill me-"
"You shall have him back. never
fear, Marjorie"
But to-night-what can be done to-
night?"
Nothing, my absolutely no.
ting. Get you to bed and rest you, and
tomorrow I'll tell you what we must
do"
After good deal more persuasion
Marjorie was induced to go to her
room, but during the whole of that
night she never closed her eyes, but
walked about in wild unrest.
When the dawn broke she descended
the stairs, and to her amazement found
Miss Hetherington in the dining-room.
just as she had left her on the preced-
ing night The weary hours of vigil
had done their work; her face, always
white, was positively corpse-like; her
thin gray hairs were disheveled and
her eyes were dim. With a piercing
cry, Marjorie ran forward and fell at
her feet
"Mother!" she cried; dear mother,
what is the natter,
The old woman laid her trembling
hand upon Marjories brown head and
smiled.
'Tis nothing, my child" she said.
THE hours of the night have passed
DER quickly for me, you see, for l sat
thinking, and now you see the dawn
has come. Marjorie, my poor Mar
jorie | wonder you can ever find it in
your heart to call me mother!-see
what sorrow has come to you through
me-
Through you? Oh, no, no, MOI"
GAY, but It's so, Marjorie. The sins
of the fathers shall be visited upon the
children unto the third and fourth
generation Through my sin you suf-
fer"
do not say that-it is not true"
cay, but it is true. Through my sin
you were made poor outcast, with no
mother to watch over you, no kind
hand to guide you. When l think on
it, it breaks my heart, Marjorie-it
breaks my heart"
About ten o'clock that morning a
messenger came to the Castle bringing
note for Marjorie. It was from Caus-
sidiere, and dated from Dumfries.
81 am here he wrote, with the
oI;1d ~ xro,, 1,ropoco RI ioin mo &c
can force you to do so if 1 choose, or
am I to keep the child only? | might
be induced to yield him up to you upon