The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-14
CHAPTER IX.-Continued.

voice. Guilty, miserable, she scarce
ly felt that she had a right to what
she asked-the custody of her own
child.
The viscount looked from the one
woman to the other as if in maze.
Between the two women and their
excited claims he was lost in bewilder-
ment. However, as the poor child
still cried, and now held out her little
hand towards him, sobbing Daddy!
Daddy" he suddenly cut the knot by
insisting that Rosa should give her up
to him.
eff there's any more wrangling or
disputing over the child he said,
sharply, ''Ill take her up to town
myself and put her into the hand OF
other persons altogether
You can't do that" cried Rosa.
You won't do that" cried Beatrice
at the same moment.
But Lord Catherington's voice grew
louder as he retorted: 81 can do 1T,
and | shall do it unless you both hold
your tongues and listen to reason.
And something in his face brought
dead silence at once to the two women.
You, Rosa, may possibly have a right
to the child; l don't know yet. In any
case, you will be foolish to insist upon
1t, as 1 need do nothing for you unless
L please. AS for you, Mrs. Froyle, you
have your rights too; you have been
a. mother to the child, and you feel
like mother to her, l know. But
you have no legal right to her, and
you must recognize that and listen
to reason too. Will you, Rosa, leave
her with me for the present, until
I've had time to arrange something's
But Rosa, who had come to Stone
Court only with the intention Of maxi
ing fair terms for herself, now saw her
way to a better bargain than she had
supposed possible. Her shrewd eyes
had soon detected that there was some
strong, if as yet scarcely recognized,
feeling for each other in both Lord
Catherington and Beatrice, and the
further discovery or the young Wld-
ow's fraud having put that unfor-
tunate young woman at her mercy,
she now felt encouraged to take a
holder flight.
SO to the viscount's question she re-
turned q firm answer:
mo, I WON'T can't; it's too dan
gerous. You yourself heard Mrs.
Froyle deny that the child was mine.
I'll not give her up. While I'm with
her no one can deny me my rights,
and / mean to stand by them. Let me
have her, and I'll go away at once;
refuse me, and I'll stay here until L m
driven out"
And she seated herself quietly upon
q sofa by the fire and clasped her
hands, picture of obstinate determ1-
nation.
You must stay here, then, I sup
pose" said Lord Catherington, coolly.
"Oh!' cried Beatrice, in sort of
gasp.
He turned to her quickly.
And you must put up with it. She's
within her rights, probably. II you
would like to stay here too
II will stay. l must!' cried she,
breathlessly.
Very we'll, then. I rely upon you
to go thru with this troublesome bust
ness with as little friction as possible -
These words were said to Beatrice
but he had an eye upon the other
woman all the time.
I'll do whatever you wish, now and
always" said Beatrice, meekly.
He gave her one kind look that cut
her to the heart, and then put the
child in her arms.
Take her upstairs and put her to
bed again." said he. "And watch over
her and take care Of her as tenderly
as ever
There was such peculiarly earnest
expression in his eyes as he uttered
these words he touched her hand with
such firmly commanding air, tha
she felt chilled to the heart, under.
standing, instinctively, that he hat
taken some great resolution. Wher
he turned to Rosa, and said, coolly
Til send a maid to you, who will fine
you a room if you intend to stay,
Beatrice felt convinced that it would
be long before she would see him
again.
When she was safely upstairs
locked in the night nursery will
Ermyn, she heard Rosa's voice as sh
passed along the corridor with on
of the housemaids, and presently sh
fancied she heard the front door of tn
mansion open and close.
1t was with no surprise that sh
/. learnt on the following morning tina
Lord Catherington had left the hous
the night before, and had gone up t.
London.
Beatrice was filled with consterna
ton. Alone in the house with he
child and the woman who claimed t
be it's mother, what would become o
her? Would Rosa make any attemp
to carry off the baby whom she kne1
to be not her own? Or would she b
> satisfied as long as she was above
{ to remain at Stone Court?
4 The morning passed quietly.
6 maid servant, with a frightened loo
! on her face, came to the nursery
! say that Lady Catherington sent he
! love to her little daughter, and wa
| sorry to be too i'll with the fatigue {
! her journey to see her before lunch
Z con-"
l. Beatrice, at first too much alarme
T to leave the suite of rooms devote
r to her ana ner charge, presently TOO
: heart and took Ermyn down into til
d grounds, where they walked about
i the sunshine, and she put off the Ii
\ tie ones baby questions about the lad
who had taken her on her lap til
I, night before.
{ They we're not interfered with, ar
n In the afternoon Beatrice heard thu
Mr.. Johns, one of Lord Catheriugton
XII soicito rs, had come down from Lol
m don and was with Lady Catherin.
+, ton" in the drawing-room.
\ The interview was a long and a.
Nh parently stormy one. For from h
4 rooms above, Beatrice could hear tt
i voice Of Rosa loud in passionate, a
ISL cry and vehement protestation. AL
ri then there came a long silence, al
n. q servant came up with the messa
IA that Lady Catherington request
A. Mrs. Froyle to bring Miss Catherin
Ri ton to see her in the drawing-room
WI For the first moment Beatrice r
MI. belled against this insolent summon
II the next, she reflected that she h;
Il promised the viscount to bear ever
IN thing quietly. So violently excit
Ia. within, but outwardly calm as
A statue, she went downstairs, holdi
III Ermyn by the hand, and entered t
W drawing-room.
f" The fire was alight, and alrea
ri Rosa had taken some pains to ha
s the room made cosy and habitat
4 ppUls fu1J Of flowers were on t