The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-14


mashed across Lady Lessons mind, helped
by the hint she had received downstairs, and
she stopped trembling on the inner threshold,
without courage to advance and face the
terrible truth.
Mother" gasped out the dying girl. with
passionate reproach. will you reject me even
now: What 1 am you made me, when you
gave me over a helpless infant to my
fathers people to save yourself the shame of
confessng that you had made a low mar
rage"
81 was so young" murmured Lady Lesson.
pleadlngly, and had been shametully en-
trapped. they would not have told you
this but your father confessed it to me very
soon after our marriage. Can you wonder,
then, that directly he died I was thankful
to get away from people with whom had
nothing in common?"
mo, but you should have taken me with
you" said the dying girl
Il see that now; but when your grand
mother offered to adopt you II / paid her
$500 down, it seemed such easy way out
of my difficulties, and l accepted the offer
at once could not suppose that she would
il-treat you her own flesh and blood
Il was even nearer to you"
Il know, know Interrupted Lady Lee
son; but l tell you l was so young, and
then my father and mother were Just coming
home, counting on introducing me to the
world and making a grand match and L
was afraid to meet them on landing with
such a confession as that. They would have
disowned me, feel sure, for they were proud
people; and then I should have been thrown
back into the slough from which I was es-
Gaping. But it seemed to me as if Provi-
dence had interposed to save me from the
consequences of my folly, and l just escaped
as quickly as I could, and never once looked
back"
II you had, you would, must have had,
pity of my most miserable childhood" gasp
ed the girl Granny drank like fish, and 1
should never have ever learnt to read and
write if it had not been for the clergyman
paying my school fees. Then she used to
beat me cruelty when she was drunk, and
when the neighbors heard my screams they
would come and fetch if they could, and
hide me. She resented having to keep me
heI sons brat'-out of her little money, she
always said and yet she would not let me
go to service when 1 was OLD enough, for
fear of offending you"
'Or rather because she could not have got
any more money out of me under those cir
cumstances. From the day she saw my mar
riage to Sir Charles Lesson in the paper she
was always writing to me for money, and
threatening to tell my husband the whole
truth If did not at once comply. You ought
to have been we'll fed and clothed and de-
Gently educated, too, with what she extorted
every year from me-"
Instead of that / went about almost in
rags, and kept company with only the dregs
of the town-for respectable children were
not allowed even to- speak to ME- Often /
had nothing to eat but the crusts that were
given me out of charity and for love,
never knew it even by name until the Duke
came along and then l would have followed
him anywhere for the sake of getting out Of
granny's clutches, had he been twice as bad
as he was"
And yet he was unkind to you, too.' said
Lady Lesson, who was sitting beside her
now, holding her hand.
Only when he in drink, and didn't
know What he was about. At other times he
was as kind as any man could be. and took
me about everywhere with him, even to the
Continent. When he in luck we went
to the best hotels, and were treated like real
toffs can promise you; only he'd go off in
q hurry sometimes because the men made
love to me- Altogether. I've not had bad
time in spite of the ups and downs, since
came away with the Duke" and if he hadn't
been taken-"
She slapped snort, hearing Mrs. Brown at
the dcog and took some nourishment from
her mothers hand before she continued her
story. When she had heard Mrs. Brown
step a landing down, she resumed When
she had heard Mrs. Brown step a landing
down she resumed
"But that is not what wanted to tell you.
] don't know why l should want to serve
you, you treated me very i'll, and perhaps
don't; but the girl-nly sister isn't she?" with
a reckless laugh, "she looks so gentle and
nice somehow l cant die easy unless l give
her back her happiness. 1 took advantage
of being so like her, and that's how 1 helped
Duke to get the Rothbury diamonds His
Lorship saw me that night, and took me for
her-it's wonderful how alike We were when
1 was wel-and that's why we walked off
suddenly, and wouldn't have any inquiries
made, [ suppose
Then it was you who saved my life that
night?"
YES l wasn't particularly squeamish as a.
rule and only wanted him to get off anyhow
but told him he shouldn't touch my mother
and he let go. You didn't deserve this, for
you would have let granny knock me to
vliA he da6 flIl