Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1901-03-28
* LOVE rs BEST -
by Florence HodSkinson
ia OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
CHAPTER xI.-(Cont.nuedD

| SiA-hA -h'' ASoASshNSN''
You must not give me false hopes,
Bridget" she said gravely. you
know at the time of Mrs. Lindon's
death you, among others, never doubt
ed the legality of the will"
Il can't express myself well,
ma'am," said Bridget Ransom; but
If tell my story my own way perhaps
you'll understand. When you and Mr..
| Dyneyor engaged me as nurse to Miss
| Kitty you made one stipu, ation-that
] was no. to be ia king continually OF
Mrs. Lindon. You said the subject
was a very painful ore, and you did
--. want to discuss it,
We both felt it mistake to dwell
N il. agreed Mrs. Dynevor.
And so | never told you what my
poor lady suffered" returned Bridget.
Care for her? Eastace Lindon cared
for no one but himself and the baby.
He was so jealous OF his wfe's affec-
ton for her firstborn that as soon as
his own child was born he sent little
Miss Lillian away to the country. She
was brought up in a French peasants
cottage, and the parting almost broke
her mothers heart"
But. Bridget" persisted Mrs. Dyne-
yor, why tell me all this now? 1t
is too late to help either my poor sis
ter-in-law or her child"
please hear me out" said Mrs.
Ransom. 81 might have written home,
and told you and Miss Lillian's uncle,
only Mrs. LinGon begged me not. The
fact was her husband hated Miss Lii
liam, and she thought the poor child
happier anywhere away from him"
did he care for his own child?"
Eyes; but she was sickly little
thing, and with none of her mothers
beauty. She had an English nurse
rather Eighty young woman, whom
my mistress hated. When Mr.. Lindon
suddenly declared they couldn't afford
to keep me and Julia, she begged and
prayed for him to let me be the one
to stay, and | humbled myself to ask
him, too. | said I'd do all my own
work and look after the child as well;
but it was of no use. | went, Julia
stayed"
Mrs. Dynevor could not see the
thread of these recollections. but she
listened patiently.
"a year or two after left you,
ma'am, l met Julia again. She wasn't
in service then, but she seemed to have
nj rf and che fold m Mr.
Linden allowed her so pounds year
for the sake of all she had done for
the child.
Il thought it was the most generous
thing I'd ever heard of nm; but
didn't come all this way to tell you of
this. I'm widow now, and I've
nice little lodging house at Brighton.
took partner lately, and she turns
out to have been housekeeper to Mr..
Linden for ten years; and. Mrs. Dyn-
evor, she says the woman he has mar
ried Is the Julia who was fellow-serv-
ant with me in France.
Mrs. Dynevor looked bewildered.
Now, with all his faults, he was a
gentleman" went on Mrs. Ransom,
and Julia Maunders was a common,
uneducated woman, who could never
be companion to him. Mrs. Markham,
my partner, told me she had actually
been in his house as attendant to his
daughter, that she gave way to drink,
and, when not quite herself, actually
struck Miss Lindon. Now, ma am, a
gentleman doesn't marry a vulgar, un-
educated woman of forty, who, besides,
is given to drink, without some rea-
son. Mrs. Markham and | have talk
ed the matter over and over again,
and we believe there's something
wrong about the will, and Julia knew
It,"
At that moment Harold Dynevor
came in. He would have gone away
on seeing his mother was not alone;
but she detained him, and in few
words gave him the heads of MIS-
Ransom's story.
Il can't see how the will could be
fraud" he answered, "and yet every
thing points to it. Lindon dismissing
the attendant who was true to his
wife, and keeping the one who could
be blibed, points to fraud; but mother,
don't see what We are to do"
Neither did Mrs. Dynevor; but their
visitor now proceeded to relate the
best part of her story.
Mrs. Markham told me a good deal
Of her young lady, Beryl Linden, and
I'm ready to swear she is not the child
| left in Julia's care when | was sent
away. There must be plenty of people
| left in the French village who remem-
Der little Beryl She was so puny and
backward for long time the doctor
| feared she was an idiot. She had
light hair, almost white and perfectly
straight, and big. watery blue eyes
the sort Of eyes you see oftenest in
idiots. At three years old she could
hardly walk. No one but her father
could see anything to admire in Ter.
According to Mrs. Markham, Beryl
Linden has very dark eyes, blue-grey,
and almost black lashes. and curly
brown hair. can't think even fifteen
years would make such a change"
Mrs. Dynevor looked from her son
to Mrs. Ransom.
Il am sure you both see something
some explanation; but cannot"
Mother" said Harold hoarsely,
forgive me! have kept a secret
from you. The girl you know as Beryl
Tendon is really Aunt Nina's daugh-
ter. She came to Easthlll to escape
from her father and his second wife.
An accident gave me the key to her
secret She wanted never to come
here again because she was our enc
my's daughter; but | told her we
would be content to think Of her only