The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-11
CHAPTER XIV,

CHAPTER XIV.
There was dead silence in the
breakfast-room at Froyle Place for
some minutes after Lord Catherington
had taken his abrupt departure, Lady
Froyle still sat with her hands
clasped, looking at her husband with a
frown upon her face.
Sir tombstone kept his eyes down,
as If unwilling to commit himself by |
at this momentous point. Beatrice
looked down at her child with eyes
which did not see even her. She was |
dumb, stupid, stricken to the heart.
She felt that she did not care what |
became Of her.
It was Ermyn who broke the |
silence. After making a feeble at
tempt to touch the dog, who was just
out Of her reach beside the fire, she |
looked up at the three faces round
her, and laughed.
why daddy go, and no kiss Ermyn,
Beatrice burst into tears which she
vainly tried to stop. Lady Froyle, in
a voice which was severe indeed, but
in which there fingered an uneasy
tone of remorse or self-reproach, said
quickly:
Pray control yourself, Mrs. Froyle.
No one is reproaching you. You have
behaved foolishly - very foolishly -
but let nothing more be said about
that. Perhaps, presently however,
you will explain something. I confess
I feel considerable perplexity as to
how all this came about"
During the moments pause that fol-
lowed, Ermyn's voice again broke in.
"Why daddy no kiss me, no?"
Sir tombstone looked down, cleared
his impulse, snatched up the baby
and gave her a kiss himself This
action, which comforted Beatrice not
a little, gave her time to recover her.
self, so that she was able to say:
IT think you must guess how it be-
gan. I came back to England with
out much money, and without any
friends. I didn't that is to say, want
to go back to my own friends, who
are poor, to bring fresh burden upon
them"
1--WE certainly did not wish to avoid
our responsibilities put in Sir John
stone, rather uneasily. "You should
| have applied to u.s. ..-
Beatrice turned to him.
ct did" she said, promptly. IT
Miss Froyle at her house in Brompton,
and asked what should do"
THAT woman!" said Lady F'royle,
sharply. "Of course, she couldn't help
YOU she has no ideas! AS for us, we
were away" -... ...
|
anxious to be at the end Of her confess
sion, II met with strange accident,
a strange temptation. A woman
made me take her child when it was
i'll. 1t died in my arms. I heard her
tell Lord Catherington that she was
bringing her little daughter to live
with him. I-I-I-- Oh, well, you
know what did. At any rate, it JUS
titles your opinion Of me. Only-it
was hard to see my child in danger, Of
starving, and There, I've nothing
more to say ..... 49,. ~.
She was SO broken, so miserable, the
nights wanderings and strain Of emo
tons had made such a wreck of her,
that she looked like a drawn old wom-
an instead of the graceful creature
Lady Froyle had seen in the shop on
the memorable occasion Of their previ-
Gus meeting. Sir tombstone fidgeted
and coughed. r.a
II think, Mrs Froyle, you need say
no more. My dear, I'm afraid we've
been in fault little too" he said,
turning to his wife, and speaking in
the tentative tone of one who is ac-
customed to submit his opinions to
those of another.
But Lady Froyle was gentle too.
IT think So" she said, in a low
voice. And then to Beatrice, she said:
I'm very sorry, we're very sorry we
led you to misunderstood our feelings.
and I should never have refused a
shelter to his wife or his child. Nor
would my husband, I'm sure"
why, Bee cy? Bee always
c'ying!'' observed Ermyn, from the
floor
Lady Froyle snatched the little one
UP and Rugged her to her breast.
''She sha'n't cry any more, my dear
If we can help it, said she. Mrs
Froyle-no, Beatrice, we will do oul
best for you. I'm glad of the oppor.
tunity of saying this, and I wish you
had come BEFORE"
: The tone sounded grudging tx
=. Beatrice's sensitive ears, tho, If she
had only known it, never before hac
Lady Froyle been so gracious. Blu
the young widow revolted from the
thought of staying with these people
whose GOODNESS and unconcern ha6
8 caused her and her child to go thru 81
: much.
"Thank--you," she said, "but will
: not trespass upon your kindness. X
Y made up my mind before to earn M.
= own living, tho they told me yol
I I'd rather. I'll leave Ermyn with you
i it will be best for her, know. Yol
j. will let me see her sometimes-whe1
J, She stopped, her voice suddenl:
: tainted into a whisper, and her limb
: gave way under her. Sir Johnston
:, = saved her from falling, and then. wor1
> out, overweight, sickening alread
> with the chill preceding fever, sh
q sank in a heap into his arms.
g In spite of her weak protests, o
= her tears, of her entreaties, she had t
7 go to- bed at once in this, the yer
:, house where her husband had passe
. his boyhood! For days she lay il
a sometimes raving in delirium, and be
Il traying the fortunes which had pos
r sessed her while she lived her life q
: deception under Lord 'Catherington
Is roof.
What else she betrayed she neve
g knew but there was a sort Of cd
e solemnity in Lady Froyle's name
(. afterwards, when any allusion wa
e made to Lord Catherington, whic
made poor Beatrice wonder what sol
of sentiments she had uttered In he
,e fever concerning the viscount.
" It was on the second day Of he
e convalescence, when she was sittin.
E. wrapped in a shawl, in the morning
g room one bright afternoon in Marcel
lie when she heard a voice she knew j
n the corridor outside, and the next me-
le ment her hand was being hearth
n shaken by Jack Froyle.
Lady Froyle followed him into til
lie room, wearing the slightly acidulate
expression which was habitual to he
is and which softened only to one perso
is her infant granddaughter.
r. $50 iolJv glad to SEQ Won a caip