Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-11-27


said, mo brothers. We were happy
little group. But my sister married and
lives in Baltimore. ! am here. Father
and mother are alone in the old house.
Sometimes | am terribly homesck."
He was silent a moment, then added:
But you are selfish. You make me
do all the telling. Now l want you to
give me little of your story, made
moiselle, beginning, as l did. at the
first"
But I can't" she replied, with child
like frankness, "for don't know where
l was born nor my parents names nor
who l am. You see how different it is
with me. I am called Alice Roussil-
Ion, but l suppose that my name is
Alice Tarleton. 1t is not certain. how
ever. There is very little to help out
the theory. Here is all the proof there
is. l don't know that it is worth any
thing"
She took off her locket and handed
it to him.
He handled it rather indifferently,
for he was just then studying the fine
lines of her face. But in q moment he
was interested.
"Tarleton. Tarleton," he repeated.
Then he turned the little disk of gold
over and saw the enameled drawing on
the back, a crest clearly outlined.
lie started. The crest was quite ia
miliar
Where did you get this?" he de-
manded in English and with such blunt
suddenness that she was startled.
"Where did it come from?'
Il have always had it,
always? It's the Tarleton crest.
Do you belong to that famiy?"
Indeed | do not know. Papa Rous-
sillon says he thinks 1 do"
well, this is strange and interest
ing" said Beverley, rather to himself
than addressing her. He looked from
the miniature to the crest and back
to the miniature again, then at Alice.
II tell you this is strange he repeat
ed, with emphasis. at is exceedingly
strange"
Her cheeks flushed quickly under
their soft brown, and her eyes flashed
with excitement.
Eyes, l know" Her voice fiuttered:
her hands were clasped in her lap. She
leaned toward him eagerly. ut is
strange. I've thought about it a great
deal"
"Alice Tarleton that is right. Alice
is a name of the family. Lady Alice
Tarleton was the mother of the first
Sir Garnett Tarleton who came over in
the time of Yardley. It's a great fam
lily, one of the oldest and best in Vir-
GINA" He looked at her now with a
gaze of concentrated interest. under
which her eyes fell. "Why, this Is ro-
mantle" he exclaimed, absolutely ro-
mantle! And you don't know how you
came by this locket? You don't know
who was your father, your motherT
II do not know anything"
"And what does NJ. Roussillon know"
"Just as little"
But how came he to be taking you
and caring for you? He must know
how he got you, where he got you, Of
whom he got you. Surely he knows
ooh, know all that. l was twelve
years old when Papa Roussillon took
me, eight years ago. l had been hay
ing hard life, and but for him must
have died. l was captive among the
Indians. He took me and has cared for
me and taught me. He has been very,
very good to me. I love him dearly"
And don't you remember anything
at all about when, where, how, the In
dams got your
NO" She shook her head and SEEM
ed to be trying to recollect something.
"No, just can't remember. And yet
there has always been something like a
dream in my mind which l could not
quite get hold Of l know that l am
not Catholic. vaguely remember a
sweet woman who taught me to pray
like this: Our Father who art in heav-
en-, hallowed be thy name'"
And Alice went on through the beau.
tiful and perfect prayer, which she re-
peated in English with infinite sweet
ness and solemnity, her eyes uplifted,
her hands .clasped before her. Bever-
ley could have sworn that she was a
shining saint and that he saw an au-
reole.
Il know" she continued, that some
time, somewhere, to a very dear per-
son, promised that never, never, never
would pray any prayer but that, and
remember almost nothing else about
that other life, which is far off back
yonder in the past, don't know where
sweet, peaceful, shadowy, a dream
that have all but lost from my mind. -
Beverley's sympathy was deeply
moved. He sat for some minutes look
ing at her without speaking. She, too,
was pensive and silent, while the fire
sputtered and sang, the great logs
slowly melting, the flames tossing
wisps of smoke into the chimney still
booming to the wind.
81 know, too, that l am not French"
she presently resumed. but l don't
know just how l know it. My first
words must have been English, for