The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-01-09

81 must beg your pardon, madam.
His mother has just died.. and some
thing about you seems to have recalled
her to him."
Gabrielle's heart softened ut once.
Going straight up, she took the tiny.
| Outstretched hands in her own and
murmured, "Poor. motherless little
one!''
The father held out his umbrella
| over her, and for the first time she
looked at him. The face was Rob
ert's.
She was glad for the excuse of turn
| ing to the baby again and murmured
something unintelligible.
However, he had not recognized her,
so she drew all her strength to her
assistance and succeeded in hiding her
emotion.
| "If you will walk under my umbrel-
la, as l am going your way, you can
keep dry. And, too, fear baby won't
like to part with you now"
| There was no easy way to retreat
1t would have been absurd to scud off
in a changed direction through the
|
hurriedly to the child.
AS they reached the foot of the
broad stone steps she stopped.
81 cannot thank you enough for hav-
ing Gained Leslie. His nurse left this
morning, and he will not be consoled
by any of the other servants. So l
finally told Mrs. Clarke, the house
keeper, that l would try him for a
walk. But will you not take the um-
brella? 1t will be shame to expose
yourself to such deluge."
She gracefully declined all thanks
and such kind offers and glided quick
ly off, tall, black robed figure, daring
the watery drops. But a perfect shrek
from baby arose when he found him.
self deserted in this fashion, and each
succeeding cry became louder and
more distressing. Again Gabrielle
could not go. Again she came back to
him.
"Will you please come into the house
with him? Mrs. Clarke may there be
better able to get him away than l."
So Gabrielle, carrying his child, Les
lie, entered the house, unknown, bu:
welcome even then. Leslies was not
to be easily deceived, and all the ruses
were seen through Immediately by his
careful, big blue eyes.
1--WE must get nurSemaid this very
night" declared Mrs. Clarke as she en-
deavored, in her practical, cold hearted
way, to inveigle the young lord from
Ibis new mamma"
l Ilr1fv Mr ri,f
where can one get one whom he car
trust on such very short notice?"
A bold idea entered Gabrielle's head
She tried three or four times to speal
, and her voice failed. Finally sh,
choked back the lump in her throa
and said: "Would it be presumptuou'
, lin me to. offer myself? l can show yo,
Isome excellent references, and | an
looking for some such position"
you nursemaidw exclaimed Mr.
Courtright in amazement. Then,
+ moment later, he would have givel
, much to have it back unsaid He
plain, black gown was dar ed at tn,
elbows. 1t was merely her way of wear
ing it that gave her the appearance of
. woman of long founded culture an,
delicacy.
Two years went by, in which Mis-
varney, as she was then known, un
discovered. was loved by and loved il
return Mr.. Courtright's two children
' 1t was one evening in March, just be
, fore dusk, when she had left Leslie u
: stairs asleep and had just come dow
!. to the drawing room with Mabel t
( lstay with the child until her fathe
1 came to dinner. He was late, an,
Mabel wandered off to the library
;. thus leaving Gabrielle alone in tn
:. dimly lighted room when Mr.. Courl
e right finally entered.
n "Shall l call MabelT' she begar
d starting from her station at the wiz
s dow.
: mo, Miss varney, stay. | hav
t something to say to you. You remen
Der how moved ! was the first tim
v Leslie called you mamma? Yo
r thought then, no doubt, that it was b.
d cause Of the memory of my wife. Par
8 ly so, but mostly because | though
n for an instant that you were the W.
e man who-who might have been b
n mother, if the fates had been kinde
e Do you know, Miss Varney, that yo
It often remind me cruelty of a woma
y | loved better than the worldY
"Your wife?"
Is mo. One l loved before l met N
IS wife. Can you, will you, hate me if
y ask you thus to be Leslie's mamma
Is truth as well as in word?"
10 Moment after moment went by. I'll
(? shadows came closer and the rim
le lighter clouds near the western hoI
fe zon grew narrower. At last she sail
/? 81. too, loved in the long ago. And
re can never in any way love anoth'
man. But
n "Miss Varney"- he broke In.
n, mo, let me finish" she continue
IS Take an umbrella and go down
= the east gate. Do not ask a Questio
ut but take the umbrella and wait there
to Then she sped up stairs. He W;
to daZed; maybe that was the reason tn
w he, as In a dream. did as she had b
and took his station down by the rrl
st tic gate, where the softly falling ra
ed dripped through the leaves on to Il
g. gravel of the walk.
d. suddenly he was conscious or q ru
k tie at his side, and, turning, the
IT. stood a tall girl, with loving smi
st beaming above the same dark coils
ed with sweet face shining from
SO meath the same velvet bonnet remel
nd bered so well from long ago, and I
ce old time voice murmured:
sh "Robertv'
Id s(yo ohrialIa2' ba ,acpad
let YES" she laughed. Gabrielle al