Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-11-28

l0luS.
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 a 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
He 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?''
II have always had it,
always? It's the Tarleton crest.
Do you belong to that family?''
Indeed 1 do not know. Papa Rous-
sillon says he thinks 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.
Il tell you this is strange" he repeat
! ed, with emphasis. ut is exceedingly
| strange"
! Her cheeks flushed quickly under
their soft brown, and her eyes flashed
with excitement
eyes, l know" Her voice f1uttered;
her hands were clasped in her lap. She
leaned toward him eagerly. 1T is
strange. I've thought about it a great
deal"
"Alice Tarleton; that is right Alice
is name of the family. Lady Alice
Tarleton was the mother of the first
! Sir GarAett Tarleton who came over in
the time of Yardley. It's great fam
| lily, one of the oldest and best in Vir-
| ginia." He looked at her now with
| gaze Of concentrated interest, under
which her eyes fell. why. this is TO-
mantle! And you don't know how you
came by this locket? You don't know
who was your father, your mother?' :.
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
"Oh, l 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. was captive among the
Indians. He took me and has cared for
me and taught me. He has been very,
very good to me. love him dearly
"And don't you remember anything
at all about when, where, how. the In
dams got you?"
"No." She shook her head and SEEM
ed to be trying to recollect something
''No, I just can't remember. And yet
there has always been something like
dream in my mind which l could not
not Catholic. l vaguely remember
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
t1ful 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.
II know" she continued, "that some
time, somewhere, to very dear per-
son, promised that l 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. 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.
II know, too, that am not French"
she presently resumed, "but l don't
/ know just how l know it. My first
i words must have been English, for
haye always dreamed Of talking in that
language, and my dimmest half recol-
lections of the old days are of large,
white house and soft voiced black
woman, who sang to me in that Ian
guage the very sweetest songs in the
world
Beverley listened as one who hears a
clever reader intoning a Nrange and
captivating poem. To his mind it was
clear that she belonged to the Tarle-
ton family Of Virginia. Youth always
! concludes matter at once. He knew
some of the TarletoRs. But it was a
widely scattered family, it's members
living in almost every colony in Amer
! lea. The crest he recognized at a
5, glance by the dragon on the helmet
with three stars. 1t was not for wo-
man to bear. But doubtless it had
been enameled on the locket merely as
family mark, as was often done in
America.
1.-THE black woman was your nurse.
your nanny" he said. II know ~
that and by your prayer in English as