Fergus County argus., 1901-03-27

W. bnNt lOO DuDlts
TO the tomb TO dare risk bringing up
another" And catching her poor wan
dering spirit with my eye. held her
while told her my story. Philemon,
saved that woman. Before | had fin-
ished speaking I saw the reason re-
turn TO her eye and the dawning Of a
pitiful hope In her passion drawn face.
She looked at the child In my arms,
and then she looked at the one in the
bed. and the long drawn sigh with
which she finally bent down and wept
over our darling told me that my cause
won. The rest was easy. When the
clothes Of the two children had been
exchanged. she took our baby In her
arms and prepared to leave. Then
stopped her. Swear" cried. hold.
Ing her by the arm and lifting my
other hand to heaven, "swear you will
be a mother to this child Swear
you will love II rs your own and rear
1t in the path Of truth and righteous
ness"'
The conyulslve clusp with which she
drew the baby to her breast told me
palmer than her shuddering Il swearw
that her heart had already opened 10
Il. | dropped her arm aud covered my
face with my hands. | could not see
my darling 90. 1t was worse than
death. "Oh, God, save himw l groan-
ed. God make him an honor But
here she caught me by the arm. Her
clutch was frenZied, and her teeth were
ehattering. "Swear in your turh," she
gasped; "swear that IL do a mothers
duty by this boy you will keep my
secret and never, never reveal to my
husband, TO the boy or to the world
that you have any claims upon him."
II was like tearing the heart from my
breast with my own hand, but swore.
Philemon, and she in her turn stood
back. But suddenly she faced me
again, terror and doubt In all her looks
Your husband" she whispered. "Can
you keep such secret from him? You
will breathe 1t In your dreams" 81
shall tell him." answered. "Tell himw
The hair seemed to rise on her head.
and she shook so that | feared she
would drop the babe. "Be carefulw |
cried. "See, you frlghten the babe.
Ny husband has but one heart with
me. What | do he will subscribe to.
Do not fear Philemon" SO promised
in your name. Gradually she grew
calmer. When ] saw she was steady
again, motioned her 10 90. Even my
more than mortal strength was falling.
| and the Philemon, | have never
kissed ID. and | did not kiss 1t then.
heard her feet draw slowly toward the
door. / heard her hand fall on The
knob. heard 1t turn. uttered one cry
| and then They found me an hour
after lying along the door clasping the
dead infant In my arms. was In
swoon, and they all think fell with
the child, as perhaps dld, and that its
little life went out during my inSensi-
hility. or It's little features, like and
yet unlike our boys, no one seems 10
take heed. The nurse who cared for
il Is gone, and who else would know
that little face but me? They are very
good 20 me and are full of self re-
proachcs for leaving me- so long I'm my
part Of The building alone. But, though
they watch me now, have eontrived
TO write this letter, which you will get
with the one telling Of the baby's
death and my own dangerous condi-
ton.
Under 1t these words: Though bid
den to destroy this, have never dared
to do so. Some day It may be OF ines
Unable value TO us or our boy.
PHILEMON WEBB.
This was the last letter found in the
packet. AS 1t was laid down sobs
We're heard all over the room. and
Frederick, who for some time now had
been sitting with his head IN his hands,
ventured TO look up and say:
DO you wonder that endeavored to
keep this secret, bought at such a
price aud sealed by the death of her
thought my mother and of her who
really was? Gentlemen, Mr.. Suther-
land really loved his wife and honored
her memory. To tell him, as shall
have TO within the hour, that the child
she placed in his arms % years ago
was an alien and that all his love, his
care. his disappointment and his suf-
ferings had been lavished on the son
Of n nelghbor, required greater courage
than to face doubt on the faces of my
fellow townsmen or anything, In short,
but absolute arraignment on the charge
Of murder. Hence my silence, hence
my indecislon, till this woman here
he pointed scornful finger ut Amabel
now shrinking in her chair-"drove me
TO II by secretly threatening me with n
testimony which would have made me
the murderer Of my mother and the
lasting disgrace of good man who
alone has been without blame from the
beginning TO the end Of this desperate
affair. She was about TO speak when
forestalled her"
That afternoon before the inquest
broke up the jury brought in their yer'
diet. II was:
death by means of wound infllct.
cd upon herself In moment Of terror
and misapprehension."
1t was all his fellow townsmen could
do for Frederick.
a.. - sITo BE CONTINUED !