Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-08-07
turned to her, and advancing a step, she

turned to her, and advancing a step, she
said:
Il beg your pardon, l must have mis-
understood you. You seem to have left
my interest in the boy out of the Ques-
ton, madam"
81 said adyisedly-my sons child"
came the rigid response. ''N@irally you
are his mother, | suppose, but SO, I'M
fortunately, any claims you may lay
upon him will be vastly to his detriment,
l must persist in calling him my sons
child and entirely ignore you in the mat
ter"
Madam
Had the naughty old lady possessed
the merest faint of cowardice in her
heart she must have been appalled, by the
silent exhibition of desperate, quivering
wrath that was presented to her view.
Feeling that the ominous silence that
ensued was valuable time lost, Mrs.
Courtlandt said:
Il am not in the least surprised at
your display of impotent rage at finding
yourself baf1ed at last; | anticipated it
and have come prepared to parry it."
''Stop-where you are! Can you be so
obtuse as not to learn that you are both
insulting wife and outraging a moth
err"
"And can you be so witless as to fiat
ter yourself that, sooner or later, your
destiny would not find you out and hunt
you DOWN."
My destiny, madam! What do you
meanY"
THAT tainted blood flows in your
veins, that you are slave, that you
have juggled my son into believing that
he was marrying his equal in station, and
have borne him an innocent child to a
heritage of woev'
She rose as she spoke, and, as if crush
ed by this avalanche of horror, Sylphide
recoiled to sofa and sank upon it, COW
ering her face with her hands. Making
the most of the advantage she had gain
ed, Mrs. Courtlandt continued:
Il do not blame you for wishing to
marry and be a mother, indeed, | fee
some pity for you, but | can never for
give you for having trapped free-born,
reputable family in your scheme"
She paused, and, without raising her
head, poor Sylphide murmured:
'Who told you of this thing?"
Il know not. [ received an anony-
nous communication this morning, stat
ing the facts and inclosing proofs that
your father, Col. Couramont, married a
slave girl in Louisiana, and that you are
the offspring of that union. Whether
your father had married this haf-breed
in good faith, or whether he had been
tricked, as my son has been, the papers
do not show, and l know not"
Have you those proofs with you?"
Sylphide demanded, in tone out Of
which all courage, all hope had depart
ed.
''No; they are at home, but shall be
at your disposal whenever you desire to
examine them"
Sylphide shook her head sadly and
clasped her hands in her lap with ges-
ture of pitiful eloquence.
"Well,' she faltered, brokenly, what
do you propose to do?"
adopt Leon"
A spasm of intensest agony passed
over Sylphde's pallid face, but she COM
manded herself, even granting that her
indomitable spirit were not utterly
crushed.
And must [ part with my child? y
For his sake, yes"
"And what is to become of me?
"You can live like an honorable wom-
an, as no doubt you are, barring your
culpable deception of my son."
"And am l to be forever separated
from my boy?"
''Since you oblige me to say it," she
answered, firmly, ''yes-forever."
"And never see him again?"
Mrs. Courtlandt hesitated. Perhaps
her mothers heart was troubled by the
piteous appeal.
Go be continued.)