The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-08-01
LOVE is BEST -


CHAPTER XI.-(Continued.)

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CHAPTER XI.-(Continued.)
"Ycu 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"
II can't express myself well,
ma'am," said Bridget Ransom; "but
ii ! tell my story my own way perhaps
you'll understand. When you and Mr..
Dynevor engaged me as nurse to Miss
Kitty you made one stipulation-that
I was not to be talking continually OF
Mrs. Lindon. You said the subject
vas q very painful one, and you did
not want to discuss It,"
1--WE both felt 1t a mistake to dwell
on IT," agreed Mrs. Dynevor.
"And so l never told you what my
poor lady suffered" returned Bridget.
Care for her? Eustace Lindon cared
for no M but himself and the baby.
He was so jealous Of his wife's affec-
ton for her arstborn that as soon as
his own child was born he tent 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-
vor. why tell me all this now? 1t
is too late to help either my poor sis
t~er-in-law or her child"
please hear me out" said Mrs.
Ransom. II might have written home,
and told you and Miss Lillian's uncle,
only Mrs. Lindon 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?"
YES; but she was a sickly@ little
thing. and with non of her mothers
beauty. She had an English nurse
rather a 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 l humbled myself to ask
him, too. I said I'd do all my own
work and look after the child as we'll;
but 1t was Of no use I went, Julia
stayed"
Mrs. Dynevor could not see the
thread OF these ~recollections, but she
listened patiently.
"A year or two after I left you,
ma'am. / met Julia again. She wasn't
in service then, but she seemed to have
plenty Of money, and she told me Mr..
Lindon allowed her SO pounds a year
for the sake Of all she had done for
the child.
II thought It was the most generous
thing I'd ever heard OF him; but l
didn't come all this way to tell you OF
this. I'm q widow now. and I've a
nice little lodging. house at Brighton.
I took q partner lately, and she turns
out to have been housekeeper to Mr..
Lindon for ten years; and, Mrs. Dyn-
evor. she says the woman he has mar
ried Is the Julia who was fellow-serv-
amt with me In France.
Mrs. Dynevor looked b~ewildered.
Nov. with all his faults. he was a
went on Mrs. Ransom,
'and Julia Mauaders was a common,
woman. who could never
be companion to him. Mrs. Markham,
my partner, told me she had actually
been In his house ~ attendant to his
daughter, that she gave way to drink,
and, when not quite herself, actually
Miss Lndon. Now, ma'am, q
gentleman doesn't marry q vulgar, un-
educated woman OF forty, who, besides,
II given to drink, without some rea-
son. Mrs. Markham and I have talk
cd the matter " and over again,
and We believe there's something
wrong about the will, and Julia knew
IT,"
At that moment Harold Dynevor
came III. He would have gone away
on seeing his mother wa not alone;
but she. detained him, and in a few
words gave him the heads Of Mrs.
Ransom's story.
II can't see how the will could be
: fraud" he answered, "and yet every
thing points to It Linden Diminishing
the attendant who was true to his
vile. and keeping the M who could
be bribed, 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 q good deal
Of her young lady. Beryl Lindon. and
I'm ready to swear she is not the child
! left In Julia's care when I was sent
away. There must be plenty Of people
left In the French village who remem-
Der little Beryl. She vas 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 her.
According to Mrs. Markham, Beryl
Lindon has very dark eyes, blue-grey,
and almost black lashes. and curly
brown hair. / cant think even fifteen
years would make such a change"
tNH R--kE 49, AEEE